She said, “It was as if my inner self warned me of the future.”
The whoosh of the guillotine—falling faster and faster.
She continued, “What I heard frightened me.”
His heart pumped wildly with fear as each word fell from her lips.
“I knew I’d be a fool if I didn’t listen to my heart.”
Here
it
comes
.
He closed his eyes.
“I realized…I can never let you go. I can’t live one day without you.”
He opened his eyes. “What did you say?” He held her by her arms and stepped closer to be sure he didn’t miss what she had said.
“I said, I don’t think I can live one day without you.”
He kissed her, hugged her tight, lifting her off the ground, spinning her around.
“Ryan!” she screamed with laughter. “What are you doing?”
He lowered her to the ground. Her eyes were wide, sparkling with excitement. “I love you so much…you’ll never know,” he said.
Unable to contain his excitement, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a small velvet box, and held it out in front of him. Emily looked down and put both hands over her mouth, gasping. He dropped down on one knee and lifted the top to the tiny box. “Emily Anderson, will you make me the happiest man in the world? Will you marry me?”
“Yes…Yes! Yes!”
He stood and took her trembling left hand and slowly slid the solitaire diamond ring onto her finger. She held it out in front of her and admired it briefly, then jumped up on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. “I love you so much!” she said. “I’m going to make you the happiest man in the world.”
“You just did.”
He lowered her to the ground. Her eyes met his. “Sailor, you ain’t seen happy yet.” Her voice seductive. “Now, let’s go back to my apartment and celebrate.” A big smile spread across her face. “Kate is gone for the weekend.” She snuggled up to him and put her arms around his waist, then kissed him with intensity.
CHAPTER 16
As they drove away from the Del, Ryan glanced over at Emily, watching as she admired the addition on her finger. He wondered if she knew how much he loved her.
He remembered the words of his mother when he was younger. He had ask, “How will I know when the right woman comes along?” She’d said, “You’ll know she’s the right one because you’ll feel things for her you’ve never felt for anyone else. She will make you feel special. You’ll realize life cannot go on without her by your side.” His feelings for Emily were definitely unlike any other and stronger than he’d thought possible. Like a drug, he was addicted to her.
While ascending the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, a familiar song played faintly on the radio. With Emily snuggled-up under his arm, he said, “Turn that up.”
She turned up the volume, filling the car with the voice of Lionel Richie’s hit song “Truly.” The soft keys of the piano and his message of love made Ryan think of his love for Emily. He looked at her. “That’s my song to you. I couldn’t say it any better.”
She rested her head on his shoulder as the music played. Her hand began slowly rubbing the inner thigh of his leg, roaming dangerously close to his crotch. His loins tightened. He looked down briefly then back to the road. He could hardly believe she would soon be his wife.
Her hand moved to his belt. With a tug, she unbuckled it, along with the hook on the top of his pants; her fingers working like a ten-legged spider. He glanced down quickly. The car swerved. “Wait!” he said. “What are you doing? I might kill us both if you do that.”
“You just drive, sailor. I’ll take care of the rest. After all, you are a jet pilot, aren’t you? You should be able to handle a little distraction.”
With his zipper down and pants spread wide, her hands were all over him. He swerved again. A passing car blew. The person in the passenger seat—a long-haired man in his thirties—hung his head out the window and yelled, “Asshole! Watch where you’re going!” He flipped Ryan off as the car sped away.
“Really Emily, let’s wait.”
“That’s twice in one day, sailor.” She sat up. “When we get to my place, you are
all
mine. I’m taking you on the cruise of your life.”
By the time the song ended, he had put himself back together and Emily had changed the subject. “You know where I want to have my wedding?” she asked.
“Where?”
“At the Del.” As if in a world of her own, wedding fever hit her, and she couldn’t stop thinking aloud. “Since I was a little girl, I’ve always dreamed of it. I never knew it would be this perfect. We met there; you asked me to marry you there; and now, to have my wedding there would make it all perfect. I can’t wait to tell Kate. She is going to die.”
His first thought was the cost, and then he realized her parents would be picking up the tab, so wherever she chose was fine with him. “That sounds great.”
“I want to have it in the same place you proposed, on Windsor Lawn. How about June?”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll be leaving the Navy in July and should have a class date with an airline by the end of the summer. We could—”
“I am so excited! Everything is going to be perfect. I think I’ll call them tomorrow to see if they have any openings in June. No! Kate and I will drive over and talk to the wedding planners. I want to see them in person.” She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. “I could have never let you go without me. I want to be there for you, every minute. Don’t you worry, we’re going to get through that first year just fine.”
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if you had decided not to go. When you were talking back there…giving your little speech, I thought you were going to dump me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry baby,” she said with pouty lips. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’ll make it up to you.” He rolled his eyes her way and chuckled.
CHAPTER 17
Emily put her key into the lock of her apartment door, but the door was already unlocked. She looked up at Ryan with a puzzled face as she opened the door.
He wasn’t surprised to find the lights on, but he was surprised when he heard Kate’s voice. “Hi guys,” Kate said. She was sitting on the sofa watching TV, dressed for bed. “Did you have a good time?”
Emily crossed the room with her hands hidden behind her back. Standing in front of Kate, she drew her left hand out, fingers extended, palm down.
“Oh…my…Gosh!” Kate said. She looked over at Ryan and back to Emily, then jumped up from the sofa and put both arms around Emily. “Congratulations! You, too, Ryan.”
“Thanks,” he said.
“So, when is the big day?” Kate asked.
Emily said, “We haven’t set an exact date, but we’re thinking sometime in June.”
“A June bride,” Kate said.
“Yeah,” Ryan said, “I’ll be leaving the Navy in July and—”
“Kate?” Emily interrupted. “Guess where we’re having the wedding? You won’t believe it!”
“Where?”
“The Del. The same place we met,
and
the place where he proposed. Perfect don’t you think? I am so excited!”
“Sounds wonderful.”
Ryan eased over by the door, sensing it was time he left. “Hey, I think I’ll take off. It’s getting late and this has been a big day.”
Emily walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I love you, sailor.” She looked up into his face and pushed her bottom lip out, then whispered. “I wish you could stay.” He smiled. “I’ll walk you to the car.”
They stood by the car a moment before Emily left him with one of her best kisses of the night. “Hey, sailor, don’t forget about that cruise.”
“I love you,” he said. “We’ve got the rest of our lives. I’ll call you tomorrow. You sleep tight.”
“I love you, too.”
* * *
Emily watched until his car was out of sight, her thoughts shifting to Kate. She knew Kate had faked her excitement about the engagement. Once she was alone with her, Kate was sure to put her on trial about marrying an “unknown”, as they called men not yet established in high-income careers. They both knew marrying an “unknown” was a risky proposition and reeked of the horrid possibility of a middle-class life, having to work like a slave in some God-forsaken-dead-end job. She didn’t expect Kate to understand, and as far as she cared, Kate could die an old hag.
She opened the door to the apartment. Kate was waiting, sitting on the sofa with her legs folded beneath her. Emily envisioned a vulture perched on the limb of a dead tree, savoring the sweet smell of road kill.
“So, after all we’ve talked about you’re still going to do it?” Kate asked.
“Yes, isn’t he wonderful?”
“What happened to the Emily who said ‘men were only good for their money’? Girl, this boy is broke. Have you lost your mind? I thought you’d at least wait until he started making some real money before you packed up and left.”
Emily let Kate blab away. “You don’t even love him, do you?”
“Of course I do.”
“Yeah, sure. From what you’ve been telling me, you guys are going to be broke for several years. Emily, I know you too well, and to be honest, I just wonder if you’ll be able to make it. I’ll give it a month, tops, if that long. I just don’t know what has gotten into you.”
Emily couldn’t hold back. “If you’ll remember, I did say one of the options was to marry for love and hope for the money. Well, I think he’s worth the chance. Anyway, haven’t you heard how much money airline pilots make? In a few years, we’ll be doing great. And just think…we’ll be able to travel the world for free. And besides, he has some money saved…and there
is
a thing called credit? Not to mention, I’m not getting any younger. You know as well as I do, most of the guys in this part of the world are nothing but lazy slobs looking for the next wave—absolutely no ambition. Ryan is totally different. He has a plan…and besides, he really loves me. As long as he’s happy, he’ll give me what I want. And I think I know how to make him happy.”
“Whatever, but I think you’re making a
big
mistake.”
Emily held her hand out admiring her ring. “If it doesn’t work out…I’ll just divorce him.”
CHAPTER 18
Laguna
Beach
,
California
December
29
,
1983
—
7
:
15
p
.
m
.
Keri pulled into the driveway of her Laguna Beach condo. Without her dad’s help, buying a condo in Laguna Beach on a flight attendant’s salary would have been impossible. She and her dad agreed it would be their little secret. If Barbara Ann found out, she would surely unleash her fiery vindictive rhetoric: “I told you so. You should have listened to your mother. You’re wasting your life. I didn’t raise you to be a servant.” Keri had heard it
too
many times.
The news of her taking a job as a flight attendant and leaving Buckhead had sent her mother into a rage. She threatened that she would
never
find a decent man while working as a servant flitting all over the place. Her mother urged her to return to Buckhead. She tempted her with the leisurely life offered only to those in high society and the promise of the brightest and most promising men Atlanta had to offer—a fairy tale she now found repulsive. The thought of ending up in a loveless marriage built on wealth and vanity was enough to confirm her strong desire to move as far away from her mother, and Buckhead, as possible.
Unlike her mother, her dad supported her desire to leave Buckhead and encouraged her to spend some time seeing the world. He thought the experience would be good for her. In addition, he’d made sure she was not burdened by financial concerns.
She smiled when she remembered her dad’s timely call only days after she had received the upsetting letter from Ryan. Her dad confessed his approval of Ryan and hoped one day they might end up together. He encouraged her not to give up and reminded her that life is always filled with surprises.
As she parked her car, the sight of her Christmas wreath on the front door of her condo reminded her of the promise she’d made herself; before her next trip, all signs of the holidays would be boxed-up and put away. She was sure she would have more energy tomorrow, but for now she was exhausted.
The five-and-a-half hours of whining passengers had worn her to a frazzle—not to mention having to listen to a fellow flight attendant brag incessantly about her engagement and up-coming wedding to “Mr. Wonderful.” To top it off, a traffic jam in the southbound lanes of the 405 added thirty minutes to her commute home.
She walked to her mailbox to find it stuffed with the usual junk mail and bills. The postman had wrapped a
Victoria’s
Secret
magazine around the entire contents and secured it with a rubber band. Normally, she would have sifted out the junk mail before reaching her front door, but the only thing on her mind was a hot bath.
After hearing the dreadful news of Ryan being in a relationship, she begged the airline to cancel her July transfer to the West Coast. She’d convinced herself that running after Ryan was a ridiculous idea—especially after his cold response to her letter. The company had suggested she find another Miami-based flight attendant who was willing to take her transfer to L.A. If not, she would be required to fill the slot.
After posting notes on company bulletin boards and spreading the word to everyone she knew, she finally found a young flight attendant, Wendi, who was homesick for California and eager to take her place. But before the swap was official, Wendi’s hometown boyfriend asked her to marry him. She accepted and quit the airline.
Keri begged the airline for more time. A one-month extension was granted, but her second search for a replacement produced no volunteers. In mid September, Keri had packed up and headed west.
Her spirit lifted when Bill met her at the door. He sat patiently, looking up, waiting for her acknowledgment; his tail giving an occasional nervous wiggle.
“Hey, little buddy!” She bent over and rubbed his head causing him to burst into a flurry of excitement.
She tossed her keys on the kitchen counter and unloaded the mail. Bill followed her to the sliding-glass door and bolted into the backyard as it opened. She was thankful for the arrangement she had with her neighbors to help care for Bill. They treated him as their own when she was out of town.