Journey

by Karina Sharp

  “I don’t either,” he says as he lifts his head to catch my gaze, “but I do know that I will never go long without you ever again.”

  I wrap my legs around his waist and pull him into me. It doesn’t take more than a few moments for both of us to fall over the edge of ecstasy.

  After our perfectly distracting morning romp in the sheets, Jack remains above me with his head on my chest. He’s released my wrists, and I wrap them around him, trailing my fingers up and down on his back, feeling each muscle along the way.

  “Were you trying to distract me from the fact that you didn’t know that the last spring break we spent together was nine years ago today?”

  “Not even close. I had a sudden urge and acted on it, that’s all. But, speaking of anniversaries, I am aware that prior to this year, we had not spent any time together for nine years. Being the wonderful boyfriend that I am, I planned accordingly.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Jack rolls off of me and sits up beside me. “You see, my dear, I promised to date you properly, and that’s precisely what I intend to do. We have nine anniversaries to celebrate, and I plan to celebrate each one with you.”

  “Jack, you don’t have to-”

  “Don’t say I don’t have to. I know that. I do what I want, and you know that. And now, I want to give you your first gift.”

  Jack hands me a shiny, gold envelope with a few stems of forget-me-nots. I smile, tingling and excited; I’ve never been treated with such care and kindness. The card inside reads,

  Not only am I giving you gifts, but I also wrote you a little something for you. Enjoy your paper gift. (This card is not it.)

  Forget me not, for I am no poet

  Forget me not, for I’m going with it (Anyway)

  Happy First Anniversary, Wildflower

  Love,

  Your Artichoke

  I put the card down, looking into his radiant eyes, and he pulls this week’s edition of the local gazette off of the nightstand next to him.

  I look the paper over, confused. “I don’t get it.”

  “Based on the traditional US anniversaries, the first year you give paper.” Jack smiles at me as if he knows something I don’t.

  “You’re giving me a copy of this week’s tiny town newspaper? It’s just what I always wanted.”

  “This week and every week after that.”

  Clearly I’m missing something here. The paper is free to the entire town and is delivered to every door. “You got me a certified subscription?”

  Jack’s eyes widen in anticipation. “Read it over.”

  “I already have. I looked over it yesterday when it was delivered,” I reply, dryly.

  “You must not have read the entire thing.” Jack points to some small print on the back page. My eyes scan over the words that read, The Kleinert Gazette is published by Jack Croft & Co., a division of Croft Holdings, Inc.

  My mouth drops open in surprise. No, shock. No…surprise… “You bought the local newspaper? But, why?”

  “It was up for sale, it’s surprisingly profitable, and I really wanted to replace the Editor-in-Chief.”

  I crumple the paper in my lap and throw my arms around Jack’s neck. “You truly are remarkable, you know that?”

  “I may have been told once or twice.” I plant a large peck on his lips. “You need to get your cute little butt into the shower so we can get going with the rest of the day.”

  “We’re celebrating nine anniversaries in one day?”

  “No, not nine. One or two. It’s going to take several weeks to get to all of them, but have no fear, we shall celebrate each and every one.”

  We shower, then I answer some texts from Jenny and other friends.

  “Anyone have anything interesting to say?” Jack asks as he pulls his shirt over his head, covering some of my favorite parts of him.

  “Not really. Everyone says how wonderful you are and how much they love you. Jenny says she’s jealous of so many gifts and will think up many reasons for us to give her needless things.”

  “I think your snark is contagious.”

  “Oh, please. She had a quick wit and sharp tongue long before I was ever around to influence her.”

  “If you say so. Put on some comfy clothes because we’re catching lobsters today.”

  “Ummm...okayyy…”

  “Just trust me, dear.”

  “I’m trying, dear.” My sweet, sexy Jack.

  *****

  Jack

  The small fishing vessel I chartered for a few hours pulls up to the dock. I hold Journey’s hand as she boards the small craft. She was overjoyed when she figured out that she could wear her Sperry Top Siders as true boat shoes. They look like they’ve been sitting in the box, just waiting for such an occasion. Our boat travels atop the water and along the coast to some marked buoys. I stand toward the front of the boat with my arms wrapped around Journey’s waist, pulling her back against my chest. Waves of crimson follow Journey as the wind whips through her hair. The air moving quickly around us causes her familiar, fruity scent to mix with the sea air and create an aroma of its own.

  When we reach the area where we will pull the lobster traps from the water, the engine quiets and we can now hear one another speak. I pull forget-me-nots and another card encased in a gold envelope. I watch her eyes light up as she reads,

  Forget me not, for your lips I wish to kiss

  Forget me not, for your spirit I do miss

  Happy 2nd Anniversary, Wildflower

  Love,

  JJ

  “I looked up each anniversary and its traditional gift.”

  Journey can be very predictable. If there is knowledge that she doesn’t have, she will seek it out and educate herself. Unless it’s business, that is. It seems she couldn’t care less about learning the minutia of the business world and its operations. She calls it “exceedingly boring and dry.” She also says I’m an encyclopedia of business knowledge, so she doesn’t want to waste the brain space. It’s fine with me that she doesn’t care to learn. On a few occasions, I am able to claim that I’m the smarter one of the two of us. I’m not at all surprised that she looked up the information about the anniversaries. I smirk as I await her next words.

  “It says the second year is supposed to be cotton. What does this have to do with that?”

  “It’s very simple, really, but you’re looking too much at the obvious. For someone with a love of homonyms, I thought you’d have this figured out long before now.”

  “There’s no homonym for cotton,” she quips.

  “Again, you’re looking for something on the surface. Think harder.”

  “Let’s see... We are in a boat, catching lobster. Cotton… Caught in? As in, ‘caught in Maine’ or something like that?”

  “Ding! Ding! Ding!”

  “Except that’s a homophone.”

  “Homonym, homophone, who cares?”

  “The English language.”

  “Pssshhh.”

  “Either way, you’re quite clever.”

  “Honey, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

  We trap our lobsters, return home, and steam them. There’s nothing like having seafood straight out of the ocean. Journey helps clean the kitchen, then shows me her appreciation for the gifts. Seeing her excitement and joy each day is the only gift I need; however I revel in her physical show of appreciation just as well.

  ***

  Journey and I both have a busy week with our jobs and work on the house, causing her to stay at her house Monday and Tuesday night. By Wednesday, I missed her like mad and we planned for me to stay the night at her place so she wouldn’t have to drive out to mine. Her bed is a tad smaller than mine, but it served to keep us in each other’s arms all night, so I can’t complain. This morning, she is up and out the door before I can manage to open one eye.

  The cedar shingles on all of the estate’s structures are being replaced, making it difficult to concentrate on my work while at ho
me. Her cottage, though quaint, is peaceful. I can see why she loves it here. I make a good deal of progress updating some accounts and fielding business calls.

  Lunchtime sneaks up on me and since I agreed to take her to lunch, I set out to meet her at her office.

  “Hiya, Jack,” Teresa greets me.

  “Hey Teresa. Journey here?”

  “Of course she is. She’s been expecting you. I’ll let her know you’re here.”

  “Thanks.”

  Through the door that leads to the exam rooms, Jenny comes into the waiting room. “Hey Jenny, shouldn’t you be in school right now?”

  “Spring break,” Jenny answers. I completely forgot about it being spring break for the schools too. No wonder Journey has been so busy. “What are you doing here, Jack?”

  “Taking Journey to lunch. Wanna come with?”

  “Nah. I haven’t been feeling too hot.”

  “I was telling Journey that we need to have you over for dinner. We’ve been-”

  “I know… You’ve been celebrating missed anniversaries. She’s been gushing about it ever since. How about tomorrow evening?”

  “That’s perfect. All of the shingles on the house should be replaced and repainted by then.”

  “I won’t even recognize the place.”

  “I know.”

  “See ya tomorrow. Six thirty cool?”

  “Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow.”

  Jenny has become family to us. Journey and I both know what it’s like to grow up in prominent and wealthy families, but we were fortunate that our parents were not as worried about appearances as Jenny’s family. However, within those social circles, regardless of who you are, there’s a certain degree of caution you must carry at all times when it comes to your actions and how they can affect several people.

  Journey’s eyes light up as they meet mine when she walks into the waiting room. Looking professionally sexy in a solid button down dress shirt and grey slacks that fit her curves perfectly, I wish we had more time at lunch for me to act on the many thoughts seeing her at work incites. She forgot to take off her white lab coat that has her name monogrammed on the chest. She tends to play down the fact that she’s a doctor, but I’m proud enough of her for the both of us. I love the fact that when we marry, our return labels and formal invitations will read Mr. Jack T. and Dr. Journey M. Croft.

  “Ready for lunch?” She smiles up at me.

  “I was born ready.”

  Looking to Teresa, who is pulling her lunch out of the fridge behind the desk, she declares, “We will just be down the street at Nora’s Cafe. Let me know if something comes up.”

  “Take your time,” Teresa asserts. I give a quick glance to Teresa and she winks back at me. “Always good to see you, Jack.”

  “Ditto.”

  Munching on our lunch, I can’t help but grin like a fool at Journey.

  “What?” she asks, shoveling a bite of salad into her mouth.

  “What do you mean, ‘what’?” I feign confusion.

  “You. You’re grinning like the Cheshire Cat. What gives?”

  I purse my lips. Turning my eyes to the ceiling, I remain silent.

  “You’re playing coy. Okay… I know year three is leather, so I can only imagine what sort of gift you’ve decided to get.”

  “Oh, there are plenty of gifts I could’ve gotten you, but the name of the game is working against the obvious, so you’re going to have to use more of that pretty brain of yours.”

  She rolls her eyes and eats more salad.

  “Just a hint: You’re never going to guess.”

  “You know how I know that you know that I hate surprises, right?”

  “I know. That’s what makes them so fun.”

  Chapter 23

  Journey

  I take off from work at one o’clock as I do every Friday afternoon and head to Jack’s house. He said that the work on the house’s shingles is complete and they are repainted, but I wasn’t prepared for how drastic the transformation would be when I see it for the first time. Pulling up the drive, the main home is a stark contrast against the landscaping of the grounds around it. Its freshly painted, muted grey exterior with white trim looks crisp and stately. This is a home that not only deserves to be called an estate, but it seems to feel more cozy and comfortable now. Almost like my home.

  I steer my Porsche into the garage and note a sedan I’ve never seen before parked in the drive. I wonder if it belongs to someone who’s doing work on the structure.

  Entering the house, I call out, “I’m home!” Rounding the corner from the mudroom into the kitchen, I continue talking. “I’m so ready to get in the shower with you and let you-”

  I halt, blinking my eyes.

  “Let me do what, exactly?” Lexie flutters her eyelashes. “I knew you missed me, but I didn’t realize you missed me that much.”

  I remain speechless until Lexie, Emily, and Anna rush to me and we all embrace. “What the what? What are you all doing here?”

  Everyone turns toward Jack, who is standing with his hands shoved into his jean pockets, appearing bashful.

  “Jack arranged for us to come for the weekend,” Anna says smoothly.

  “Who was going to pass up the chance to come visit you on his dime?” Lexie raises an eyebrow. “Seriously, you have him so whipped. I need to know your secret.”

  I break our group embrace and saunter over to Jack, keeping my eyes locked with his. “You set all of this up?”

  I watch each subtle movement of his lips as “Happy third anniversary,” is released from them.

  He places a sprig of forget-me-nots in my hand as well as a card that is identical to the others.

  Forget me not, for my heart you must spare

  Forget me not, for my soul I will bare

  Happy 3rd Anniversary, my Wildflower

  Love,

  A Vegetable

  My eyes make his lips their target, and I press mine to them in a thankful and loving kiss.

  The cognition of everyone’s presence returns to me when I hear Lexie say, “Oh please… You act like you don’t ever see one another. Share the wealth or something.”

  Jack and I break our embrace, laughing at Lexie. “Group hug?” I open my arms to invite my three friends over to us.

  Lexie, Emily, Anna, Jack, and I all hug just as we did many years ago. My curiosity breaks the silence and the multi-person embrace. “This is one of the best gifts I could have ever received, but what about this is leather?”

  All eyes are on Jack as he runs his hand over his dark hair. “Well, this one is a bit of a stretch, so just go with it.” I raise an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. “It just so happens that your four closest friends- Lexie, Emily, Anna, and Teresa - begin with the letters L-E-A-T, and so I thought I might invite them over and send you on a spa day tomorrow. Or a Her day.” He smiles sheepishly.

  “I get it. It all spells out leather. You are amazingly clever. I think it’s the perfect leather gift.”

  “Well, if that isn’t the sweetest, most syrupy thing I’ve ever heard. I mean, come on!” Lexie goads.

  “You’re just jealous,” Anna scolds her.

  “Damn straight I am.” Lexie smiles in admiration toward Jack, then to me. “Thank you for being so wonderful to my best friend.”

  I run behind Lexie and jump onto her back, as we have done in many years past, planting a giant kiss on her cheek. “I love you, Bestie.”

  “Yeah, yeah…” she smiles, looking ahead. “I’m taking you to the shower so you can hurry up and uncork some wine with us.” I laugh, still trying to keep my grip on her shoulders. “Quit moving or I will drop you!”

  Some things never change, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Slightly disappointed, I shower alone, but quickly. When I rejoin my friends, they are sitting outside on the patio by the pool, overlooking the ocean. Waves ebb and flow in the fresh, spring air. The cork is removed from the wine, and we all toast to
friendship, to anniversaries, and to Jack. Laughter fills the once silent and overgrown grounds of the Croft Estate as afternoon turns to dusk.

  Jenny appears on the steps to the side of the great outdoor area. “You started the party without me?”

  “Hey Jenny,” I chirp brightly. “You know the party is wherever you are!” Jenny smiles and bounces over to us. “These are my friends from college.”

  Jenny politely greets each one of my girlfriends as I introduce them.

  “Wow, Jack! I knew you had skills, but I didn’t know you were this good.” Jenny’s smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

  “How are you feeling?” I ask.

  Jenny’s eyes dart to the ground and her smile falters some. “Oh, you know… Taking it one day at a time.”

  “That’s all you really can do.”

  Jack, sensing that Jenny could use a distraction, invites her to help him in the kitchen.

  “I don’t know why you keep trying, you know my culinary skills are hopeless, but who can turn down that baby face?”

  Jack nods farewell and walks with Jenny into the house as she gabs on about school and tests.

  “You said he’s the one who’s whipped, but Journey is completely smitten, Lex. Look at her,” Anna commands.

  Not realizing that I had completely checked out of the present, smiling and watching Jack interacting with Jenny inside, Anna jolts me out of my head space. I return my attention back to the three women who came from out of state to visit me, and we pick up our conversation where it had left off.

  Dinner and dessert go down easily, then we all move into the living room. We let Jenny choose a board game, and she chooses her favorite, Scattegories. Jenny, Jack, and I can get very competitive in board games, so we decide to divide and conquer on teams. We pair Jack with Emily, Jenny with Lexie, and Anna with me. Jack and Emily would have performed better if she hadn’t been so busy staring at Jack’s features and if he hadn’t been distracted in gazing at me. The burning look of desire coupled with love in Jack’s sparkling eyes distracted me from my game. Jenny and Lexie came out victorious. Together, they were a dangerously snarky combination. It was then that I saw so much of Lexie’s traits in Jenny, and I understood why we cliqued from the beginning. She seems to be the newest incarnation of Lexie, which both delights and disturbs me. I don’t know if this world can handle two Lexies.