by Diane Marie
“That’s beautiful.” Mary exclaimed, as Becky walked out in a rose pink dress.
“Does it look good?” Becky asked, afraid to hear her cousin’s response.
“It looks great!” Gabriella said, pleased thinking about her wedding pictures.
“But are you sure about the color?” Becky asked. “It doesn’t highlight my trouble spots, does it?”
“Not at all.” Mary said.
“You don’t like the color?” Gabriella asked, disappointed. “I love the color. I just feel fat in it.”
“You look great.” Gabriella said, honestly.
“You sure do.” Mary assured.
“Do the colors of the dresses match?” Gabriella asked. “Yes. They look great together.” Mary said, holding up her dress on its hanger next to the dress Becky was standing in. “Ok good.” Gabriella said, beaming.
Gabriella placed the dresses on hold, deciding she would purchase all three dresses after Danielle came on her own, to the bridal store on Saturday. Gabriella’s parents offered to pay for all three dresses, being Mary was their daughter, Becky was family, and Gabriella’s father liked Danielle well enough not to ask her to pay for her own bridal dress.
When Gabriella arrived home, and noticed it would be several hours before Joey was expected, she decided to spend the rest of her afternoon baking. Gabriella knew she would have to be out of the kitchen at five, when her parents got home from work, noticing that left her with plenty of time.
Gabriella's plan to bake homemade cookies, was so Joey could bring them to work with him tomorrow for his workers. Gabriella started out making chocolate chip cookies, while those were in the oven, she made sugar cookies, after the sugar cookies were made, she then baked butter cookies. Gabriella loved to bake and couldn’t wait for Joey to come home to try her homemade cookies.
Joey’s morning at work went smoothly once again. One of his workers called out sick, but Joey didn’t let himself become worked up about it. Joey instead decided to work through lunch on the project the worker had been assigned to, in one of the bedrooms. Joey figured although, an hour of work didn’t compare to a full day, it would help in setting his deadline back a little less. Joey was thankful since he started the company, that all of his men were willing to work the long hours the job required. Then again, Joey wouldn’t have hired them if they weren’t. Joey had given them each a week off during the summer for vacation, and he couldn’t get mad if they sometimes hadn’t been able to show up.
Joey thought about calling Gabriella all throughout his hour long break he worked through. He was glad though she was out with Mary and Becky, so she wouldn’t miss his phone call too much. However, Joey’s phone rang in the middle of his lunch hour. He guessed it was Gabriella calling to inquire why he hadn’t called her. Joey took his phone out of his pocket, delightful for Gabriella's call, but then he realized it was the jewelry shop. Joey had forgotten all about his appointment to sign the contract for his ring design. Joey answered the phone, apologizing he couldn’t make it. He explained his situation at work, and how he was working through his lunch break. Joey then agreed to stop by the jewelry shop after work, being the jeweler said he would stay open late today.
When Joey got off the phone, he quickly went straight back to work. When Joey’s work shift ended, he realized he had completely forgotten to call Gabriella and inform her he would be home late for dinner. Joey knew he messed up, calling Gabriella right away.
“Hello?” Gabriella answered, in a concerned voice.
“Hey babe. Listen, I’m going to be home late. I worked right through lunch and forgot about my appointment at the jewelers. He’s staying late so I can go meet him now.” Joey said, crossing his fingers in hope Gabriella wouldn't grow mad.
“That’s okay. I’m running late on dinner anyway, I was baking all day.”
“Baking?” Joey asked, while he started driving to the jewelers. “Yup. I made cookies for your workers for tomorrow. I figured a nice afternoon snack.”
“Hey what about me?”
“Well I really made them for you, I just over baked to pass the time.” Gabriella said, while Joey noted in his head, he didn't want to reply to her comment of passing time.
“All right, I’ll be home as soon as possible.”
“Okay baby. Love you.”
“Forever?”
“Yup and the eternity that follows too.” Gabriella said, causing Joey to smile.
“I love you and for eternity too.” Joey said, with confidence, hanging up the phone.
When Gabriella got off the phone with Joey, she went back to the television program she was watching online. Since Gabriella had devoted all her nights to Joey, she had missed all of her favorite summer time shows. Gabriella was thankful they were available online, being it gave her something else she loved to do, to occupy her time.
Joey signed the contract with the jeweler, briefly looking it over. He would be making seven percent for every ring of his design they sold. Joey was informed, the price paid to him would vary, depending on the assorted selection of the buyer The jeweler even informed Joey, he already had a few buyers interested in a few of his stores, holding the few model rings he made. When Joey shook the jewelers hand good bye, the jeweler told him, if any more ring ideas came to him to bring them his way. The jeweler commented he expected Joey’s design to be his best seller. The jewelers remark cause Joey to smile the whole way home. He amounted whatever royalty he was to make off of the rings, would go to furnishing his and Gabriella’s home. He then had a romantic idea of designing Gabriella a ring every year for their anniversary. He already had an idea in mind, and hoped he would have the time to draw it up for their wedding night.
Joey arrived home at eight o’clock, finding Gabriella upstairs in her bedroom, reading a book.
“That bored your reading?” Joey said, walking into the bedroom and then tickling the bottoms of Gabriella’s feet
“Joey, your home.” Gabriella said, jumping out of bed and into Joey’s arms.
“Yes I’m home.” Joey said, holding Gabriella in his arms. “I love to read Joey.” Gabriella said, climbing out of Joey’s arms. “Oh. I didn’t know.” Joey admitted. “I’m starved. Lets get those steaks on.” Joey said, not wanting to let his drive get the best of him.
Joey started barbequing the steaks Gabriella had smothered earlier with barbeque sauce. While Joey was barbequing, he told Gabriella how his meeting went with the jewelers. When Joey was done, Gabriella realized she had a real gem on her hands. Joey had so much in life he could fall back on. He could design jewelry, or clothes or even simply sell his blueprints. The thought to Gabriella over how successful Joey was proving to be, strengthened her desire to finish school. Gabriella wanted something to fall back on too. Gabriella tried not to think it was only because things might not work out with Joey, but she was unable to come up with any other reasons why.
Gabriella and Joey ate outside just as the sun was setting. When the outside patio had been cleared of dinner, Gabriella gave Joey three cookies, one of each to try.
“Aren’t you going to eat any?” Joey asked, when he noticed Gabriella only brought out cookies for him and none for herself. “I had one earlier.”
“One? But you made three kinds.”
“Joey, I have a wedding dress to fit into. I can’t be eating cookies.” Gabriella remarked.
Joey started to laugh at her.
“I have a wedding coming up too. I can’t eat three cookies either.” Joey teased, pushing the sugar and butter cookie away. “Okay then I’ll go give them to my other man.” Gabriella said, with poise. Joey quickly grabbed the two cookies on the table and took a bite out of each to try.
“You better not have another man Gabriella. What do you do all day while I’m at work?”
“I’m baking you cookies.” Gabriella said, standing up and leaving for the bedroom.
Joey walked in five minutes later.
“Those cookies were good Gab.” Joey said,
trying to make peace with Gabriella.
Joey knew he had offended her over the joke he had made in regards to her having another man in her life. Joey was just being himself, but realized he hit a sore spot, as he knew Gabriella was growing bored at home.
“Jemma sent me a message on Facebook today.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Here I’ll show you.”
Gabriella logged into her Facebook account and let Joey read the message. While Joey was reading the message, Gabriella went to wash up for bed. When Gabriella came out of the bathroom, Joey went in to wash up. Gabriella made her way into bed, waiting for Joey to come to her. When Joey got into bed, he feared Gabriella was mad at him from his comment earlier.
Joey himself was pleased to read the message Gabriella had written back to Jemma. He didn’t want Gabriella to have to do anything with Jemma, feeling she wasn't the best influential friend or emotional supporter for Gabriella. Joey decided to get a feel for Gabriella’s mood.
“So, you think Josephine believes that Jemma didn’t do anything with Vinny that night?”
“I hope not. Maybe she didn’t do anything.” Gabriella said restlessly.
Joey sensed she would rather not discuss this now. “Gab?” Joey asked, as Gabriella turned on her side to fall asleep. “Yes Joey?” Gabriella asked, staying on her side.
“You love me?”
“Of course, forever.”
“You want to show me?”
“Not really.” Gabriella admitted.
Joey lifted Gabriella’s shirt to tickle her back.
“Is that because you’re mad at me?”
“I’m not mad at you.”
“I know your bored home all day without me.”
“I have school starting soon.”
“So you won’t have time for my babies?”
“Oh, I’ll have time to raise your babies.”
“Do you want to make a baby tonight?” Joey asked, while giving Gabriella several kisses on her neck.
“No babies tonight, Joey.”
“So, no sex?”
“I didn’t say that.” Gabriella said, turning around because Joey had managed to put her in the mood.
Joey made sweet love to Gabriella, expressing the passion and warmth his heart held inside for her. Gabriella held Joey’s body tight to show, she too had the same passion and warmth in her own heart. Joey knew he had become Gabriella’s everything as she slowly kissed him, sitting up, and slowly turning him onto his back. Gabriella showed Joey her sexual attraction for him, while using him to hit her pleasure spot. Joey realized Gabriella was doing more then just pleasing herself, as she slowed down her sped, giving him what felt like a thousand kisses upon his face.
Gabriella was the one to hold tightly that night. Gabriella placed one hand under Joey’s head, cradling, as the other held with a tight grip around his neck. She placed the side of her face onto his chests, listening to his heart beat, then falling into a peaceful sleep.
Chapter Twenty-One
When Joey and Gabriella woke up on Friday morning, she was still holding him tightly in the same position they had fallen asleep in. Joey woke up a few minutes before the alarm, strengthening his hold on Gabriella. With his arms wrapped around her waist, he squeezed, holding tight for a few minutes. He then gracefully turned Gabriella off his chest, while she lifelessly let go of the hold she had around his neck. Joey held Gabriella for a moment from behind, as to make sure she wouldn’t wake up, when he moved his arm out from under her side. When he was standing out of bed, he sighed in relief he hadn’t woken her up. He then turned off the alarm so he could give Gabriella the morning to sleep in.
Joey got dressed for the gym, packed his work clothes, and then headed downstairs to make himself his own cup of coffee, while also pouring a cup to go. Joey then made himself breakfast, knowing full well Gabriella would be upset with him if he went to the gym and work, without eating first. Joey then packed the leftover's Gabriella prepared for him from dinner last night, and also the snack she left out on the counter for him. He was then all set to leave, but first, he wrote Gabriella a note.
‘I love you so much. I wanted to give you the morning to rest that beautiful face of yours that I love so dearly. Don’t worry I ate breakfast and I have my lunch and snack too. I also have the cookies. Love you, doll face.’
Joey reminded himself when he was writing his note, he almost forgot the cookies. Gabriella had put them in a disposable tin tray for his workers. Joey was glad he remembered, thinking it how thoughtful of Gabriella to bake them for him to give to his workers. Joey put the cookies, and all of his other stuff next to the front door. He then went upstairs to leave the note for Gabriella on his pillow. He also wanted to give her a kiss on the forehead goodbye, but he didn’t want to wake her up. Joey instead, blew a kiss toward Gabriella as he gently closed the door.
When Gabriella woke up, she stretched out her arms and legs, feeling relaxed. She felt like she had been sleeping all day, but was soon to notice Joey wasn’t in the bed. Gabriella was upset for a slight moment, Joey would leave bed without waking her up before rising out of bed himself, until she noticed the note Joey had left. After she read the letter, she felt more then a world of love, she felt peace. Gabriella then looked over at the time, seeing it was nine thirty in the morning. She felt bad for a moment, realizing Joey was already two hours into work, and still had many more hours until his shift would end. She then felt even more so, being Joey had switched his workouts to the morning for her. Gabriella rose out of bed, wondering if she had been doing a well enough job to show Joey how much she appreciated him.
Gabriella went downstairs to make herself a cup of coffee, then sitting at the kitchen table, counting the endless things she loved about Joey. When she sat down with her second cup of coffee, a brilliant idea came to her mind. Since Gabriella didn’t have any of her own money to buy Joey a gift with, like she wished to, and being she didn’t even have access to Joey’s money yet to buy him something, she thought to make him something homemade instead. She rose from her empty cup of coffe, and went upstairs to her desk cabinet, pulling out all her arts and craft’s materials.
Gabriella had a few colors of dried up paint, a few pieces of construction paper, but noticed, all the good colors were used up. She had markers, colored pencils and crayons. She then went to check her mother’s stash of wrapping paper, examining if anything suited her gift idea. Gabriella then sat down and wrote out a list of the things she would need from the arts and crafts store. Gabriella only had a few dollars more than twenty dollars to spend, but knew that would be enough, for she didn’t need much.
At the Arts and Crafts store, Gabriella picked up a pack of construction paper, choosing the pack offering more reds and pinks then greens and blues. She then looked through the fancy sheets of scrapbook paper sold by the sheet. She picked out those which she thought would go nicely around the box she had in mind for her craft. She then picked up one red, one pink, and one purple sharpy pen.
When Gabriella got home, she made a heart stencil on a piece of white construction paper. She then traced the heart stencil as much as it would allow on red and pink paper. She continued tracing and cuttting till she reached fifty hearts in all. Gabriella then got out a box in her closet that she had been saving. The box was plain white, and the inside of it had once held a music carousel, her mother had given to her for her twenty-first birthday. Gabriella was shocked, she had saved the box as she wasn’t much of a packrat.
With the box in hand, Gabriella went back to her craft, and cut up the sheets of scrapbook paper she had found at the arts and crafts store. She cut them in different shapes, sizes and designs. When she was through cuttingthe paper, she got out her glue and began gluing them onto the box, covering the whole box with her shapes and designs. When she was done, the box appeared to be covered in a multi design wrapping paper. Gabriella then cut out a big heart for the front with a piece of blue construction paper. She wrote with the red sh
arpy ‘Reasons Why I Love You,’ as the blending of the pen with paper made the writing view purple.
Gabriella then began to write, on all the little hearts, all the reasons why she loved Joey so much. Gabriella was getting carried away, adding in all the little reasons why she loved Joey so. She wrote on one, ‘how romantic you are’, on another, ‘for how many times you’ve made me smile,’ ‘how many times you’ve proposed,’ ‘for the ring you made me,’ ‘for drawing up my dress,' ‘the way you tickle me,’ ‘how you care for me,’ ‘how you make sweet, sweet love.’
Gabriella even wrote on separate hearts all the different faces he made, noting if they were sexy or cute or any other attribute coming to mind to described how she viewed Joey. She also added in many compliments, such as; ‘for how hot you are,’ ‘for how kind looking your eyes are,’ ‘for how nicely you style your hair.’ When Gabriella was through writing on all the hearts, she still had more reasons for loving Joey. So she cut out ten more hearts, writing on them, and then another ten, writing on those, and continued until she had a hundred in total. Gabriella was sure she could come up with a few more reasons, but thought a hundred was a perfect, rounded total.
When Gabriella was done writing on the hearts, she placed them all in the box. Gabriella thought this was the perfect way to tell Joey she loved him, and hoped he wouldn't find her gift to be silly.
Joey had called Gabriella on lunch, while she was in the middle of making his gift for him. He told her not to cook anything for dinner tonight, because he wanted to take her out since he was getting off from work early, being it was Friday. When Gabriella hung up the phone, she realized she had no clue how to dress. She hadn’t asked Joey for any details on where they were going or what they would be doing. Gabriella thought to call back, but figured he had to take a shower and get dressed when he arrived home, so she decided she’d wait until he came home to select her outfit.