Everlasting Love (Now & Forever)

by Johns, Melissa

  “I know and I will work it out.”

  Just then Emily’s cell phone rang. She kissed the top of Emma’s head as she left the room. “Hello?”

  “Good Morning, Emily. It’s Alex.”

  “Good Morning, how are you?”

  “I’m great, yourself?”

  “Emma is a little bit under the weather, but she will be ok, any word on tonight?”

  “Yes, but if we need to reschedule, we can. Your daughter comes first, I know that.”

  Emily smiled as her heart raced. “No, my mom will be around tonight to watch her. I really don’t want to put this off. I’m excited about starting this part of my life.”

  “I’m so happy to hear that. Dinner is set for my house tonight at six thirty. Is that ok with you?”

  “Of course, how many will be joining us?”

  “It will be you and I, and then Sue, who is my close assistant at the museum and Henry who owns a local art gallery. He is the most interested in your work because he is looking for something fresh to display at his gallery right now.”

  Emily smiled. “That sounds great but I just wish I wasn’t so nervous.”

  Alex laughed. “Please don’t be, you will be wonderful. Emily, I’m sorry about yesterday, I was out of line in the car.”

  Emily walked further away from her mother’s listening ears. “Alex, I don’t want you to be sorry. I think we both know there is an attraction between us but I’m trying my hardest not to do anything stupid. I’m still engaged and in every decision I make, I need to think of the impact it might have on Emma.”

  “Of course, I get that and it’s one of the things I respect most about you. So, about tonight - do you need me to pick you up?” Alex asked.

  Emily smirked. “I don’t think that will be necessary. Why don’t you give me directions to your house and I will see you there.”

  As they ended their conversation, Emily headed back to the kitchen. “How are you feeling, Emma?”

  Emma giggled. “Ok.”

  Emily turned to her mom. “Wow. That was fast. I guess the medicine worked, huh?”

  Her mother nodded. “Always does. Am I still babysitting tonight?”

  Emily nodded. “Yes, I’m so nervous about this meeting. What if I say or do something stupid.”

  Her mother laughed. “You will be fine, Emily. This is your destiny, your work is finally getting the recognition it deserves - to be displayed and for sale to the public.”

  “Can you help me pick out something appropriate to wear tonight? I don’t want to look childish.”

  She nodded. “Of course, let’s go take a look. Emma, do you want to go play dress up?”

  “Yes!” She exclaimed.

  ****************

  Later that evening Emily headed out the front door in a simple yet elegant, red dress that her mother had helped her pick out. They agreed that it was a flattering and professional look when paired with the high heeled, black peep toe shoes she kept on hand for special occasions. As she drove to Alex’s house for dinner, Emily caught herself thinking about how she would look to him, knowing that she had ultimately dressed to impress him and couldn’t wait to see how he looked tonight as well.

  As she drove down the street, she passed many beautiful homes in the neighborhood. She spotted his number and pulled through the gates leading back towards his house. The view before her was stunning as she approached the walkway that led to the front door.

  As Emily stepped out of her car and made her way up the beautifully landscaped path, she looked around at all of the incredible mature trees that created a canopy surrounding the property and also caught a glimpse of a pond behind his house. Then Emily took a long, deep breath as she rung the doorbell.

  When the door opened, Alex was standing there in a stunning grey suit. It was clearly tailor made for him and the perfect cut for his body. Emily held her breath as her eyes met his.

  “Good Evening, Miss Stone,” Alex said as he opened the door wide enough for her to enter his home.

  Emily smiled. “Miss Stone, huh? Now I’m really getting nervous.”

  Alex smirked. “Please relax, tonight will be all about you and your gift.”

  Emily took another deep breath as she turned to look around his house. She heard the door close behind her as she felt Alex approach.

  “Would you like a quick tour?” He asked.

  Emily nodded. “I would love that.”

  Alex guided her forward across the room. “This is the living room. I rarely come in here, and find that I spend most of my time in my study but my mother told me that I needed a formal living room, so I had one designed.”

  Emily smiled as she continued through the hallway and admired his art hanging on the walls. “Alex, your collection is beautiful. I’m nowhere near this good.”

  Alex grabbed her shoulder lightly and looked into her eyes. “You are gifted, Emily. You need to start believing in yourself.”

  His eyes lingered on hers as she nervously bit her lower lip. She felt like she could stare at him all day long and never tire of it. “Thank you, Alex.” She finally managed but it sounded more like a whisper as she struggled to regain her senses.

  When they finally reached the end of the hallway, a spectacular kitchen greeted them. Emily was in the love as soon as she stepped foot into the spacious, wide open area.

  “Wow.” She gasped.

  Alex smiled with satisfaction. “I take it you like it?”

  “It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Emily said as she scanned the room. All the marble counters shined in the perfectly lit room. It was bright, yet inviting. There was a breakfast bar style sitting area next to the counter that seemed perfect for a casual quick meal. All the appliances were modern and state of the art. She watched as his catering staff was busy finishing up preparing whatever was on tonight’s menu.

  “Would you like to continue?” Alex asked.

  Emily nodded as she followed him into the attached dining room. The beautiful oak table was already set for dinner with exquisite place settings that had to cost a fortune.

  He continued the tour by leading her down another hallway that led to a pair of french doors which opened to the beautiful backyard that she had a glimpse of on the way in. Of course it was magnificently landscaped. Emily shook her head again.

  “What is it?” Alex asked.

  “It’s breathtaking, Alex. And I really would like to see that pool shimmer in summertime.” Emily laughed.

  “You and Emma are always welcome to come over and swim. I barely use it myself except for laps. It would be nice to see it being used for fun.”

  Emily smiled as she heard the front door bell.

  “That would be the others, I will show you the upstairs later,” Alex said as he grabbed her hand and led her back to the front entrance.

  Alex opened the door as Emily spotted a young lady and an older gentleman.

  “Emily, this is Sue. I couldn’t run the museum or my life without her and this is Henry, a very close and dear friend of mine.”

  “Emily, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Alex hasn’t stopped talking about you so it’s nice to finally have a face with the name,” Sue said as she smiled at her.

  Henry reached his hand out to shake Emily’s. “It’s a pleasure. Alex has showed me some of your work and I’m very interested in learning more about you.”

  Emily smiled and blushed at all the attention. “Thank you for meeting with me. I’m so excited to be talking about what you think might be in store for my future in the art world.”

  Sue spoke up, “Alex mentioned that you are getting married to Eric Mason. I can’t believe that. He’s so talented. My father is a huge football fan and he’s been talking nonstop about how great his career will be in Denver.”

  Emily nodded as Alex quickly jumped in. “This evening is about Emily. Let’s not get off track, Sue.”

  Sue nodded as everyone headed to the dining room. Alex stopped E
mily before they reached the room. “I’m sorry about that.”

  Emily shook her head. “It’s nothing new to me. Everyone always wants to talk about Eric.”

  Alex had a hard look on his face as he watched her. “Not tonight, ok?”

  Emily nodded and whispered to him. “You do know that Sue likes you, right?”

  Alex softly laughed. “You are mistaken, Emily.”

  Emily looked at him. “I’m not, but that’s ok. I think you would make a nice couple. You work well together and obviously share the same interests.”

  Alex smirked at her. “I’m not interested in her.”

  Emily couldn’t help but feel his comment was directed at her. She shrugged as she joined the others in the dining room. They were standing around a small bar in the corner as Henry spoke up. “Emily, can I offer you a drink?”

  “A glass of red wine would be wonderful.”

  Henry nodded as he reached behind the bar and handed Emily a wine glass. “Thank you,” she said as she turned towards Alex. He was watching her as Sue was discussing some upcoming projects at the museum.

  “So Emily, tell me about yourself,” Henry asked as he pointed towards the French doors leading outside to an intimate enclosed, stone paved patio.

  “I’m from Texas originally, but moved back here to be closer to my mother, who grew up in Buffalo. I started drawing at a young age. I thought it was fun, but never thought of making a career out of it. As I got older, I realized that I found it very relaxing and the best way to express myself," Emily paused as Alex and Sue crossed the room and joined them on the patio. “I’m excited that you wanted to speak with me tonight. I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on the pieces that Alex has already shared with you.”

  Alex quickly interrupted, “I’m told that dinner is ready to be served, so why don’t we continue our conversation over a fine meal.”

  They entered the dining room again and took their places. Alex pulled out the chair for Emily as she sat down and Alex sat next to her facing Henry and Sue.

  As dinner was presented by the staff, Henry picked up where they had left off. “Emily, I really enjoyed the painting that you put up for the school auction. Alex explained that it was of your own daughter. You have such a way of bringing life and energy to your work. It’s really quite beautiful the way you paint. He also showed me the darker piece – more recent, yes? Tell me, what was the meaning behind that?”

  Emily tried to gather her thoughts properly. She felt Alex’s hand slide over her thigh as a gesture to remain calm and he slowly removed it as she spoke honestly. “It’s been a rough few months for me. As you are aware my fiancée is going to be playing in the professional football league after an impressive career at SU. We have been separated most of the time for four long years so that I could continue my education here and raise our daughter with the support of our families. Needless to say, it hasn’t always been easy. We’ve had some rough patches and one night I found myself seeking an outlet for my feelings so I turned to my art room for relaxation. When I was done, that painting was before me. I knew right away that it was a self portrait and the thought of becoming her was a wakeup call for me. So the next day, I started making some much needed changes in my life.”

  Henry smiled at her response as Sue piped in, “What changed?”

  Alex quickly stepped in before Emily had a chance to speak. “Sue, that’s none of our business. We are just interested in her work.”

  Sue went back to her dinner and Emily turned to smile at Alex. “It’s ok, Alex. If my work will be on display, so will I, right?”

  Henry nodded. “That’s a great way to think of it Emily, and very mature.”

  She smiled as she continued by directing her attention at Sue. “Eric and I have had our issues, what couple doesn’t? I’d say we are experiencing a bit of a rough patch right now and I’m not entirely sure what our future together holds. But, we share a daughter so he will always be a part of my life so, we will figure it out.”

  Sue smiled at her and turned to Henry. “What do you think, Henry? Do you want to work with Emily?”

  Henry finished his mouthful and nodded. “I would love to have you stop by my gallery and look around. See if my place is somewhere that you feel comfortable and a match for your drawings and paintings. I would also love to see more of your work.”

  Emily nodded. “I actually took pictures of my work and brought a small album of them with me. After we finish dinner, I would love to share them with you.”

  Henry nodded. “Sounds perfect.”

  As they continued to enjoy dinner, Emily got caught up in the easy flow of conversation that carried them through the evening. She was able to talk about her other interests and learn more about the inner workings of the art industry. She tried to absorb everything she was hearing about the art world and found it immensely fascinating. Alex and Sue talked about the museum and how they go about selecting exhibits to display. Sue laughed at everything Alex said as they recounted all of the problems they had with the last exhibit.

  It was very obvious to Emily at least, that Sue had a serious crush on her boss. The way she lightly flirted with him and smiled at every word he contributed to the conversation was a clear indication of her feelings for him. There was a small part of Emily that was jealous of Sue. She was slightly older than Emily and far more beautiful than she was. Not to mention, she got to work with Alex all day.

  “Emily?” Alex softly said bringing her back to the present.

  “Yes?” Emily smiled at him.

  “Did you want to show your pictures to Henry out on the patio and I will have coffee served there?”

  Emily smiled from ear to ear. “Of course!”

  Henry followed her as they sat down around a small table. She pulled the album from her bag and displayed it for Henry to view. As he flipped slowly through the pages, she noticed Alex from the corner of her eye. He was standing across the patio watching her. She could see the smile on his face as he heard Henry approve of her work.

  “You definitely need to come by the gallery, when do you think we can make that happen?” Henry asked Emily as he closed her book.

  Emily smiled. “I can come by on Monday, if you would like. I have classes in the morning but I will be finished by Noon. I can swing by on my way home.”

  Henry nodded. “Sounds like a great plan.”

  “Well everyone, it sounds like we had a very successful evening. I hope Emily believes me now when I tell her that she has real talent,” Alex said looking at her.

  Emily felt her face blush slightly at the compliment. “I will try.”

  They all laughed and finished their coffee. Henry stood up and shook Alex’s hand. “Thank you for the wonderful evening and thank you for introducing me to this incredible young woman,” he said as he gestured towards Emily.

  Emily smiled as she stood up. “It was my pleasure, Henry. I look forward to my visit on Monday.”

  “As do I, Emily. As do I.”

  Alex walked Henry to the door leaving Sue to talk with Emily. “Are you getting excited?”

  Emily nodded. “Of course, it just all seems so surreal to me, you know? If I hadn’t run into my old art teacher, then I would have never have met Alex and be standing here today. It’s very surreal.”

  Sue smiled at her. “Just takes that one moment.”

  Emily nodded as she heard her cell phone ring. “I’m sorry. Let me grab this, in case there’s a problem with my daughter.”

  “Hello?” Emily asked as she left the room and walked into the hallway.

  “Hey,” Eric said.

  “Hey.”

  “What’s going on tonight?”

  “I’m just finishing up a business dinner.”

  “You are? Where are you?”

  Emily disappeared into what appeared to be Alex’s study. “Remember Alex? He’s the curator of the art museum. He arranged for a dinner meeting with some local art people so we can discuss my future.”

>   “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Emily was quiet for a second. “Eric, I tried too. You didn’t want to hear anything about it. You were wrapped up in the draft and I stopped trying to bring it up because you made it clear that this time was all about you.”

  Completely missing the point, Eric continued, “We talked this morning, you could have told me then.”

  “I can’t have an argument with you here, Eric. I need to get back before people start wondering if something is wrong.”

  “You blame me for not telling you everything about my life but here is a huge chunk that you haven’t told me about. Doesn’t seem fair, does it?”

  Emily felt the tears as she tried to end the conversation. “I need to go. When will you be by tomorrow? We need to talk.”

  “I should be at your house by noon. I’m assuming that you don’t want me to stay overnight there, right?”

  “It’s probably not a good idea,” Emily said wiping away the tears that had started to prick the corner of her eyes.

  “Fine, see you tomorrow,” Eric said as he abruptly ended the conversation.

  Emily dropped into the chair behind her and put her head into her hands. She tried to pull herself together and wipe away the tears as she heard someone at the door behind her. She quickly stood up and faced Alex.

  “I’m so sorry, a moment of weakness,” she said as she tried to compose herself.

  Alex shook his head as he walked over to her. “Don’t apologize to me, Emily. I heard most of the conversation, sorry. Sue told me that you disappeared to answer your phone, I assumed it was Eric. I wanted to make sure you were ok.”

  Emily took a deep breath. “I just don’t know how to handle this situation. I need to sit down with him tomorrow but I don’t know what to say,” she paused and looked at Alex. “He yelled at me for not telling him about tonight. Do you know how many times I tried but he wouldn’t listen to me. He was so wrapped up into his world that it hardly seems fair for him to throw this back on me.”

  Alex placed his hands on her shoulders. “Stay here, ok? I’m going to walk Sue out to her car and then we can talk.” He disappeared down the hallway as Emily sat down on his couch. She looked around the beautiful room. He had so many books on the tall oak bookcases that surrounded the room with a wall just of paintings. His desk was the main focus of the room and it was clear that this was a special place in his home that he took quite a bit of pride in.