Chasing Time: A Love Through Time Novel

by Stephany Wallace

  He nodded again, embarrassed.

  “Jonathan! Seriously, I have no idea how you don’t forget your head sometimes,” she rolled her eyes opening her clutch, and pulled a tie from it. Phil began to laugh.

  “Hold this,” she said hitting Phil in the stomach with her clutch, and effectively cutting off his laughter. He grunted, rubbing his abs. Samantha smirked, draping the tie around Jonathan’s neck.

  A smile curved his lips when she began to tie it.

  “Oh no, you don’t. You don’t get to smile at me, mister. I’m mad at you,” she said, furrowing her eyebrows and trying not to look directly at him. His smile widened while he looked at her unyielding. Samantha cleared her throat, and pressed her lips together as tight as she could manage. She was trying, with everything inside her to repress the smile threatening to take hold of her lips.

  “You want to smile at me, Sam. I know you do,” Jonathan taunted. “Don’t fight it, just let it happen. It will feel sooo good,” he whispered, and a laugh escaped her. The smile transformed her face. He grinned, triumphantly. She rolled her eyes and smacked him on the chest. He laughed.

  “You are terrible, mister. I don’t know why I even try. I can’t stay mad at you,” she said wrinkling her nose. “Heck, who could stay mad with that smile staring back at them?” Oh how she loved that beautiful smile of his. She pulled him closer, to finish the knot on his tie.

  “Oook,” Phil said, elongating the word. “That is my cue. I’ll see you guys inside,” he added, giving the clutch to Jonathan, and walked past them and into the tent.

  Jonathan stared at her, still smiling from ear to ear. He was proud. He had always been able to make her smile. Even at the worst of moments, when she wanted to cut his head off. And with the amount of crazy stunts he had managed to pull growing up, that had been most often than not. He continued to look at her and noticed something about her. She looked different today. She seemed taller, much taller. He frowned, until he realized what it was. She was wearing high heels. His gaze returned to her face and his frown deepened. She had never worn heels before. His eyes continued to inspect her. Her beautiful golden hair, fell straight to her waist.

  “No pencils in it this time,” he thought, smiling.

  Just then, he noticed she was wearing mascara, a bit of blush that made her cheeks look rosy, and bright pink lipstick. Without even realizing it, his eyes fell on her lips while she continued to fuss over him, fixing him up. He was captivated. He had never noticed this before, but her lips were perfectly curvy and plump. He closed his eyes inhaling her perfume. It smelled of vanilla and flowers. He smiled, opening his eyes again just as she finished and took a step back to look at him. She assessed him carefully.

  “Ok let me see,” Samantha said, looking at him and her heart warmed. She had always thought Jonathan to be handsome. He was tall, normally a lot taller than her but not by much today thanks to her new heels. Still, she loved that she always had to look up to see into his eyes. Those beautiful light grey eyes with blue specks in them, that looked almost transparent against his coal black short hair. His thick long lashes, soft cream skin, and luscious lips added to the mix in a wonderful way. His body was deliciously toned, since he had been swimming from the time he was six. His broad back, strong shoulders, long arms, and toned thighs were a testament of his rigorous routine. She involuntarily sighed.

  “Turn around,” she instructed, and continued her assessment once he did. That back, his firm and perfectly round butt… She blinked, forcing herself to concentrate. Her hands reached for the hem of his blazer and she pulled it down a bit. Her palms caressed his back, smoothing out the wrinkles. She nodded, and smiled. “Perfect,” he turned to face her, smiling at her once again. She gave him a kiss on his cheek. “Ok, let’s go,” she added, grabbing him by the hand, and pulling him into the tent.

  They could see everyone seated. The place was full. Happy families surrounded the graduates, talking and laughing. She spotted their table again and pulled him towards it.

  “Jonathan! Son, I’m so happy you are finally here,” Angela exclaimed, standing up from the chair.

  Her hair was coal black in color, just like Jonathan’s. It was long and sleek, falling to her mid-back, yet she had bright ocean blue eyes. She was shorter than him. Jonathan had gotten his height from his Father. She had a slender frame, petite with soft curves, which were beautifully accentuated by the red cocktail dress she was wearing. The color looked gorgeous against her soft cream skin and hair.

  “Thanks Mom, it’s nice to see you too,” he replied, as he hugged her, and turned to Peter.

  “Congratulations son, we are so proud of you,” his Father added, hugging him and patting his back. Peter was even taller than Jonathan by around two inches. He had dark brown hair, and light grey eyes that Jonathan had inherited. His body was firm, although he was not muscular.

  Samantha looked at them, smiling. She was happy for Jonathan, but she couldn’t help but feel a tug at her heart. Just then, Grandma Rose’s voice reached her.

  “Congratulations, dear. I’m so glad to see you again,” Grandma said, hugging her warmly. “Wait, let me look at you. Oh, you are such a beautiful young lady now. You look gorgeous tonight, dear.”

  Samantha smiled, as she looked at the silver haired lady. Grandma Rose was short, maybe around five feet two and had a fuller frame. She was sweet and “jolly.” It was the only way Samantha had to describe her. She had a warm smile and gorgeous blue eyes. Her skin was very light and she had full cheeks. You could tell she had been a breathtaking young woman once, although the wrinkles had long ago settled on her face. She always had a kind word, and a warm hug for Samantha, or anyone that crossed her path, and she was the best baker in Springport. Everyone was always begging her for one of her secret recipes, but she would never share. Samantha had always loved her as if she was her own Grandmother. Her grandparents on her Father’s side had died before she was born, and her Mother, Grace, grew up in a foster home so she hadn’t known her parents.

  “Thank you, Grandma Rose. I’m so glad to see you too.”

  Jonathan stepped beside them, and hugged his Grandmother giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for coming, Grandma.”

  “My dear, I wouldn’t have missed seeing you two graduate, and sharing this moment with you for all the riches in the world.” They smiled and sat at the table.

  “Samantha, Frank must be so proud of you,” Peter said, with a smile.

  “We are so sad he couldn’t come,” Angela added.

  Samantha offered them a small smile, and nodded. “Thank you, me too. His work is important too, so I understand,” she answered graciously, while her heart constricted again.

  “Jonathan tells me you are graduating with honors,” Peter said, and took a sip of his drink.

  She nodded shyly, but didn’t speak. Jonathan answered, for her.

  “Yes, summa cum laude in History and Literature. She focused her study on Modern Europe 1750, to present time. For Britain and France,” he said, smiling proudly. “You know Mom, she speaks French now.”

  His Mother gasped. “Really? Any other language?” She asked amazed.

  “Five actually,” Jonathan added smugly, while Samantha looked at him mortified.

  She blushed. All this attention was making her uncomfortable.

  She cleared her throat before speaking. “Yes. Well, I plan on getting my PhD on Comparative Literature, which requires me to speak at least four different languages. So I studied Greek, Latin, French and Spanish. And I speak English, of course,” she said, and threw a glance at Jonathan that promised retribution. He grinned.

  “My dear, we are so proud of you,” Grandma Rose said, and hugged her again.

  *

  As the dinner progressed, Jonathan found himself looking at Samantha over and over again. Each time, he found something else that seemed different about her tonight. He couldn’t really put his finger on it, but he was in some kind of trance. All he could do was look at
her while she talked with Angela and Grandma Rose. It was then he realized, that she was wearing a dress. It was a strapless, light pink dress with a sweetheart neckline. It flared out into a loose short skirt that went to her mid-thigh. Her legs looked nice and long, and she had on black high heels.

  “She has such beautiful legs,” he thought, as he admired her.

  Her hair was so long now. She never wore it loose, though. He found himself mesmerized looking at her, really seeing her. His eyes traced the contour of her neck, her cleavage, her soft slender arms and her waist. He had never really realized her looks before. In that moment Phil’s words popped into his head.

  “Dude, she’s seriously fine! That golden hair, those honey eyes, those legs…”

  He frowned, while he continued to look at her. Her body was firm and slender. Mostly, from all the jumping they had done since they were kids, climbing trees and running to the pond. Also, from walking from one side of the campus to the other between classes, the library, and her dorm. She didn’t have much time for anything else. She had always had a kind smile, and big, dazzling honey eyes. In that moment she turned to look at him briefly and smiled. He loved her smile. His eyes followed her silhouette again as he realized how attractive she truly was. He was immediately startled by the turn his thoughts had taken.

  Once dinner came to an end it was party time. The music started, and all the graduates rushed to the dance floor, leaving their parents and families at the tables. Phil stopped by their table, and offered his arm to Samantha.

  “Would you dance with me, oh fair lady?” He said, winking at her.

  Samantha chuckled, looking towards Jonathan and accepted Phil’s arm. Getting up, she allowed him to lead her to the dance floor to join the others. Jonathan stared at him with a murderous look behind her back. Phil’s laughter mixed with the music. He wiggled his brows suggestively then turned, giving his back to Jonathan.

  “Son, tell me. What are you planning on doing now that you graduate?” Peter asked, centering his attention on Jonathan.

  He turned to face his Dad but his gaze occasionally fell on the dance area, were Samantha was dancing with Phil.

  “Well, I got offered the corporate lawyer position I was hoping for, in the law firm I did my internship with. They hired me for their Boston office so I’ll be moving there. I’ll be doing their mandatory company training, until I take the bar.”

  “Oh son, that’s perfect. We are so happy for you,” Peter said, patting his shoulder.

  “What about Samantha?” Angela asked.

  “She got offered a job at Boston University as a Lecturer. She’ll only do it while she gets her PhD, though. After that she’ll be able to apply for an Assistant Professor position, and eventually she’ll get to be a Professor there. We are going to rent a place together and be roommates. That way we can split the costs, and save until we can get on our feet.”

  “Smart idea, son,” Peter answered, just as the DJ started playing Emotions, by Mariah Carey. Peter turned to Angela. “Would you like to dance, for old times’ sake?” he added offering his hand. She smiled accepting it, and they walked towards the dance floor.

  Jonathan sat at the table with Grandma Rose. While they talked, his eyes inadvertently kept searching for Samantha from time to time. She now sat at Lucy’s table, talking to her friend and her family.

  “Are you dating anyone dear?” Grandma Rose asked, and saw him smile.

  “No Grandma, I haven’t dated anyone for a while. I was kind of seeing a girl last year but it was too difficult. With us having only one year left, the class assignments, studying for tests and spending time with Sam, I couldn’t really have a girlfriend. It didn’t work out. There is no time for social life when you go to Harvard,” they chuckled.

  “What about Samantha, dear. Is she seeing someone?”

  His eyes left Samantha and settled on his grandmother’s face but this time he answered her confused. “Uhm, no, she’s not. Unless she’s dating the librarian,” he chuckled. “She’s spends all her time in class, the library or with me.”

  Grandma Rose smiled, shaking her head. “You know dear, sometimes friendships flourish into something else.”

  He realized at that moment what she was trying to say and shook his head. “No Grandma, we are just friends. She’s like, my little sister.”

  She nodded, and smiled knowingly. “Except, she’s not.”

  Samantha sat at Lucy’s table, talking to her friend’s Mother. She glanced in Jonathan’s direction and saw him talking to Grandma Rose. All of the sudden, a memory came to her mind. She was ten and her Mother had just died. They were sitting on her front porch as Jonathan hugged her and she cried the afternoon away in his arms. In the next memory she was fifteen and David Flanagan had just dumped her in front of the whole football team for a cheerleader. Jonathan had punched the lights out of David the very next day. He had always been there when she needed him, and she had been in love with him since before she could even remember. At first she had thought, “I’m young, I don’t even know what love is,” but as the years passed, that love had grown stronger. It had developed into a different kind of force, a force that consumed her every cell. One, she could no longer deny. However, the truth remained he was her friend. Her best friend, and she was family to him. She looked at him and saw the world. The man she loved. Her future, full of beautiful opportunities and hope. Her All. He looked at her, and saw the sister he never had. A nerdy girl with glasses, that often used her hair as a penholder. The girl that had grown up, causing chaos around town with him. His accomplice and best friend, but nothing else.

  “Does he know that you might be leaving for England?” Lucy asked, interrupting her walk down memory lane. Samantha turned to look at her, and lowered her gaze to her hands. Her fingers began to play around with the hem of her dress.

  “No, but that is because I’m not going to England. I didn’t think it necessary to tell him about the offer from Oxford, if I’m not going to take it.”

  Lucy shook her head. “More like you can’t bring yourself to tell him right?” She asked, sighing in disapproval. “Does he even know you are in love with him?”

  Samantha gasped, and her gaze flew to Lucy’s face. Her eyes opened wide in alarm. “How do you know?”

  “Oh please girl, it’s so obvious the whole campus probably knows by now. I’m surprised he hasn’t realized it yet.”

  Samantha took a deep breath, and her shoulders slumped in defeat. “No, I can’t tell him that.”

  “So what? You are going to spend your whole life loving him in secret? What is wrong with you, girl? Just tell him!”

  “Listen Lucy, it’s no big deal ok? This is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, it’s the oldest story in the world. Girl falls in love with best friend, he doesn’t know or doesn’t love her back, and she suffers forever, the end. I’m not the first one to go through this, and I won’t be the last, so it’s fine. I’ll live. You don’t need to worry about me.”

  “Is that why you won’t even consider leaving? Why you would turn down the job they offered you in Oxford? I mean, don’t get me wrong. Boston University is an amazing institution, and you wouldn’t have to leave the country, but come on girl. This is Oxford we are talking about! It’s a mind-blowing opportunity, girl. I know you wouldn’t want to leave your Dad either, but it’s time for you to live your own life. Oxford could open so many doors for you. Not to mention, you would be an Assistant Professor already. You’d be so much closer to your dream. It would be easier.”

  Samantha stared at her, becoming silent for a minute. Then took another deep breath and looked down doleful. “I know. Maybe you are right. The truth is I can’t see him with another girl again. I can’t continue to pretend to be happy for him, when he is with someone else… I know I need to try and fall out of love with him. But I can’t leave him. He needs me and I need him. He’s my best friend, Lucy. It’s not as easy as you think,” she shook her head.

  “I know I sho
uld try to stop loving him, but I can’t do that. At least not yet.”

  Jonathan remained quiet as he pondered what Grandma Rose was insinuating.

  “I would be lying if I said the thought never crossed my mind, Grandma. There were a couple of years during high school, where I convinced myself I had a crush on her. I remember getting so upset once at a guy that dumped her, that I punched him in the face. Broke his nose,” he chuckled. “He deserved it too,” he soon sobered up, as another thought came to him.

  “We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. We grew up together. She was there for me when Mom and Dad got divorced, and I was there for her when her Mom died. She’s a great girl but I owe her too much,” he stopped, his gaze getting lost somewhere beyond Grandma Rose.

  “You know how hard it hit me after my parent’s divorce, after what he did to Mom… to us. I became rebellious and didn’t care about anything. I almost flunked out of high school, but she helped me deal with it all. Accept it, and realize that it wasn’t my fault. It’s because of her that I’m even in Harvard today, graduating from Law school. She’s like my little sister, and I would never jeopardize our relationship like that. I love her like my family and need her like family too. Nothing else.”

  Grandma Rose hugged him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Just remember one thing, dear. We don’t choose who we love in this life, or when we love them. Love is something too precious and rare to go to waste. Promise me, if you ever realize that you love her, you won’t let a what if, or your parent’s mistakes hold you back,” Jonathan shook his head, giving her a pained smile.

  “Love doesn’t exist Grandma, is not real. It’s just a meaningless illusion that people allow into their lives, and let it control them. They let it manipulate them, until one day they wake up and realize what they have done to themselves. It only destroys them. It brings nothing but pain,” he answered returning his gaze to hers, but his eyes settled on Samantha, who was walking to their table. He straightened as she got closer, and the DJ started playing slow songs. A ballad filled the air, I’ll Stand By You, by The Pretenders began playing in the background. He chuckled, when his parents sat back at the table.