Chapter 20 Meeting Carry On Tour #5
“Honestly, like I told Carry, I do love you both. I’m as torn now as I was that first day after Club Euchre and Carry’s first day at Pimico.
Two incredible women who looked at me as if I was worthy of their time and affection.
” He pulled her tighter. “I don’t know what I ever did that allowed God to bless me with you in my life after what Erica did.
He could have just given me Carry and I’d have been okay. ”
“WHAT!” Veronica screamed as she pulled back and slapped Greg again. This time it left a red mark in the shape of her right hand on his left cheek. “OMG, what’d I just do?”
“You reacted like a woman spurned,” Greg answered softly.
“I can’t blame you either. I was in the middle of the statement when you reacted.
I was going to continue with or He could have given me you and I’d have been okay.
Either way, I would have been put back together.
Both of you put my heart back together which is why I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel.
I love you and I love her. That’s not supposed to happen.
It’s like someone upstairs is playing with me to see how much I can endure, and you both are part of some sick twisted heavenly play. ”
“No,” she interrupted. “That’s demon level work, Greg. God would only have given you one of us. Instead, He’s testing all of us to see where our hearts really are.”
“What?” he said in utter confusion.
“It was a lesson at Synagogue last week, how God tests the heart and mind. The heart is desperately wicked, who can know it? I the Lord your God search your heart and test your mind.” She took breath. “He wants to know if we’ve got the right kind of character for His kingdom.”
“Aha,” he said softly, rubbing his left jaw. “I’m sorry for hurting you.”
“Do you love me, Greg?” she asked him again.
“I just told you I do,,,” she stopped him with her fingers on his lips again.
“Then shut up and kiss me. Let me know how much you love me.” Greg didn’t hesitate to grab her cheeks to turn her head and kiss her deeply.
“That’s what I was hoping for.” Veronica rested her forehead against his shoulder.
For a long moment neither of them spoke.
The tension that had exploded between them seemed to slowly melt away. “So, you do love me.”
"You really know how to make an entrance, don't you?" he whispered then laughed softly, his hand sliding up and down her back in soothing strokes.
"Me? I'm not the one who attacked somebody in an elevator."
"I was ambushed," Greg protested softly, holding her tightly.
"By Carry?" she asked incredulously.
“Yes, and then by you when we got in your suite,” he added.
"By my own emotions," Veronica corrected. He smiled. "Don't smile."
"Why not?" Greg asked softly.
"Because you're handsome when you smile and I'm still trying to be angry with you."
"Still trying?"
"It's getting harder,” she admitted. “I’ve missed you every day we’ve been apart. I nearly fell apart at Club Euchre when you went down.”
“Yeah, the big old target on my back finally allowed the Marsdens to get a hit in on me.”
“Marsdens?” she asked slightly confused. “Greg, please tell me what really happened.”
“Alright, let’s go sit down, and I’ll try to explain.” They moved over to her couch and sat down then Veronica laid down and rested her head in his lap. “That’s going to make it difficult for me to tell you what happened.” He smiled then continued, “and harder to kiss you too.”
“But it relaxes me,” she said.
“Then, if you are pleased by it, stay where you are. I’ve hurt you enough for one night.”
“Agreed,” she snipped back at him. “No more of this kissing Carry where I can walk in on you.”
“Are you telling me to stop kissing Carry?”
“No, Greg. I know that if you don’t resolve your heart, she’ll be the ghost that destroys us. You have to solve this, and I know you’re going to kiss her again. Just do it out of sight, discreetly please. I don’t want to see it ever again.”
“I’m sorry for that. I didn’t plan it.”
“I don’t care if it’s not planned,” she said firmly. “Don’t let it happen again.”
“Yes, dear.” He leaned back and ran his hand through his hair.
“The Marsdens are working with the Melosa Cartel and some Asian thugs to try to steal the oil wells that Nobuko Tashugi built with his prediction algorithm. They killed him for it but he’d taken precautions, leaving some of the critical data with me to store in my vault, which is how Noboko was able to solve the mystery his dad left him.
They went after Norikuko to try to use her as leverage, but Keith got her out in time.
Because they were angry about what I’d done that protected the legacy into Noboko’s hands, they wanted to kill me and nearly succeeded.
I have to thank Erica and Steven for saving me there. ”
“Erica?” she said with shock. “How?”
“It was their drug they were developing that was used against me, so they knew how to counter it when they’d isolated the last item that was stopping their efforts.”
“So, she still loves you.”
“Yes, and I still have her close in my heart, but she’ll never have it as hers again. That’s just something I can’t handle again. I would have drank myself to death if you and Carry hadn’t come along, because I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t think any woman would want me.”
“I want you,” she said softly. “Greg, I’ll cross that line with you if that’s what you need.”
“No, Veronica. I need to solve my own heart before I ever cross that line again. You were right to not give in to Quinton. I shouldn’t have given in to Erica.”
“Wait. WHAT?!” she said fiercely, bolting upright on the couch. “You didn’t start it or demand sex from Erica? She was the initiator?”
“Yes, it was her idea to have a baby so her father would accept us. If she had known we’d succeeded she might never have left and I’d be a father.
” Greg dropped his head. “I’m sorry. That’s a pain I don’t want to relive again tonight.
Please let me talk about that later.” She placed her hand gently on his cheek.
“I love you Greg, of course we can discuss it later. Just promise me that you’ll tell me everything.” He sat still for a moment and she dropped her hand.
“I will. We need to finish the business,” he said. “What do you need me to do?”
“Be there for me. I’ll email you the schedule.”
“That I can do,” he said and looked at his watch. “Crap, I’m going to be late for dinner with Denny and Janet Thompson.”
“Mind if I join you?” she asked with puppy-dog eyes.
“Not tonight,” he said softly. “I don’t want to push my luck,” he said making the excuse to not bring her along. ‘How do I keep her from finding out I brought her mother here as a surprise?’ he thought. “How about tomorrow night?”
“Before the concert? Sure. I’ll make the arrangements.”
“NO!” he leaned back and looked her in the eye. “Veronica, please let me make the arrangements.”
“Alright, but they better be good.” She eyed him intently.
“I promise you will love it,” he said. “Email me the schedule and I’ll text you later.
” He leaned back in and kissed her. “I do love you, just so you know. That’s my firm answer.
I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said as he stood up.
She looked at him longingly. “I have to go,” he said firmly as he spun and moved to the door quickly leaving before his resolve was gone.
‘whew that was close,’ he thought as he went to the elevator.
‘If I’m not careful, we’re going to end up in bed together before I even know my own heart.
’ He pressed the button and waited for the elevator, stepping in quickly as it arrived.
The ride down one floor was uneventful, giving Greg a chance to take a breath before he stepped back into his suite.
“That took longer than I expected,” Aunt Janet greeted at the door.
She looked Greg up and down, then shook her head.
“My child, what happened. You look all sorts of wrong right now.”
“It’s that obvious?” Greg asked in surprise. “Of course you’d see it. Nobody else knows me like this other than those three women.”
“Greg, what happened?” she asked more serious now. “Something has you completely off.”
“Let me see, where do I start?”
“Hold on. Did you say three women?” Aunt Janet asked, slightly shocked.
“Can we sit?” he replied and motioned toward the couch.
“We better. I don’t think you want to dine with Denny and Janet when you are all twisted up inside my boy.”
“Thank you Aunt Janet.” They walked over and sat on the couch. “So, how can I even begin to tell you what happened?” he asked himself as he ran both hands through his hair.
“That difficult?” she asked. “The last time I saw you run both hands through your hair was on my Chemistry Final your senior year.”
“That was a tough exam. I barely passed it.”
“The only perfect score was Erica’s,” Aunt Janet observed. “I know she helped you study for it.”
“Yeah, she did.” Greg smiled softly. “Somehow, you know just what to say to get my mind off the immediate problem so I can think.” He smiled then laid his right hand on her left knee.
“Okay, here’s what happened.” He took a deep breath then began.
“The elevator opened up to Carry, and she didn’t hesitate to jump on me and kiss me.
I didn’t hesitate to kiss her back, but something didn’t seem right.
Then the elevator opened to have Veronica waiting as the doors opened. ”
“Oh, Greg. Tell me she didn’t see you and Carry kissing,” Aunt Janet pleaded.
“No, not kissing, Just afterwards though. Plus, Carry’s lipstick was smeared on my lips, so,,”
“So she put two and two together and got angry?”
“Not immediately,” Greg replied slowly. “But when we got to her suite, she let it all loose on me. I felt the sting of it,” he said instinctively rubbing his left cheek. “Twice!”
“She slapped you?” Aunt Janet asked aghast.