Chapter 8 Aunt Janet? #3
“You climbed into a bottle from every report that I heard. That girl did a complete number on you, which threw your life completely out of whack. You didn’t know how to deal with her leaving you that last time.”
“That’s quite true,” Greg observed.
“Then along comes both Miss Veronica and Miss Carry. Each one distinctly different, yet both loving you at the same time, helping you to pick up the pieces of your shattered heart. My boy, that’s quite the dilemma to deal with, especially when you are coming from being spurned by the woman you’d proposed to. ”
“She still has the ring I gave her,” Greg said, lowering his head. “I never asked for it back.”
“Well, just let her keep that ring Greg. Erica Stamson received that ring as your gift to her, representing your heart and commitment. I’m not sure you will ever be over Erica Stamson.”
“Uhm,” Greg interrupted, bringing his right hand up in a stop position. “We have broke things off officially, but I decided to let her keep the ring so I would always have a reminder that she once loved me, and I her, but that time is over and done with.”
“That’s a right smart way to handle that, Greg. I commend you on your kindness toward the woman who drove you into a bottle by leaving you a third time. So, that means that your heart is open to decide for another woman.”
“And,” he said, then blew out a long breath through his nose. “I was leaning toward Miss Carry before the shooting, and again afterwards.”
“So, you were getting serious about one over the other?”
“Yes, and,” he started, then his mouth quivered in place. “Maybe not. I’m starting to think that I froze in place at Pimico because my heart was torn between both Carry and Veronica.”
“Now, we’re getting somewhere, Greg.” She smiled brightly as footsteps were heard entering the room. “We’ve got guests,” she observed without turning.
“The meal is ready, Mr. G.” Genevieve called from the dining room arched entrance. “Do you want to eat in here, the dining room or the breakfast nook?”
“Aunt Janet, would you mind eating here?” Greg asked with genuine concern.
“This will do,” Janet confirmed, giving a nod and soft smile.
“Then, we’ll bring the plates and be on our way,” Genevieve said. She disappeared and returned with Tilly. Tilly set down the plate in front of Aunt Janet while Genevieve set the plate in front of Greg. “Thanks for letting us prepare this for you tonight.”
“No,” Greg said softly. “I owe you girls a lot. Thank you for being here for me, always. We will enjoy this meal made with so much love. Have a good evening.”
“We will,” Tilly confirmed, then looked at Genevieve. “I’m driving, so you can finish your homework on the way.”
“Sounds good. Goodbye, Mr. G.” She leaned down and gave him a soft hug, then joined Tilly to leave through the dining room.
“Did they park in the garage?” Janet asked.
“They have been parking there for quite some time now,” Greg confirmed.
“That explains why I didn’t see any vehicles out front,” she said, stroking her chin. “I almost thought they’d appeared out of thin air, like ghosts – BOO!”
Greg jumped back, slightly startled for just a moment. He looked up at Janet and saw the happiness on her face from having succeeded in scaring him. He started laughing. “Okay, I admit that you got me.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to do that, Greg.” Janet smiled wide, then chuckled softly to herself. “I think you needed a little shakeup like that.”
“Maybe so,” Greg mused as he finished laughing. “Now, back to my dilemma here. I need to confess that I had planned to move Miss Carry into a Junior Associate position so I could propose to her,” he said solemnly.
“Aah,” she said slowly, looking down at her plate. “Getting married is like these little potatoes and baby carrots that were roasted together. If they aren’t cooked properly, they just become mush, but done properly they excel as a dish.”
“Taking me back to the classroom?” Greg asked as he fidgeted with the steak tips, pushing them around on the plate with the tip of his fork. “I thought those days were long behind me.”
“Oh, Greg, we never stop learning. The whole world is a classroom, IF,” she paused and made sure he looked directly at her.
“IF you are willing to let it teach you the things you need to know. Take these steak tips that you’re playing around with.
Unless they were marinated properly, given the correct seasoning and slowly cooked in olive oil, they would not taste very well.
But, given that those girls took the trouble to go through each of those steps with care and patience, we’ve received a dish that would rival anything the Black Angus offers us. ”
“You mean to say that those girls are cooking with emotion?”
“Not just emotion Greg,” she held his gaze. “With love. Those girls love you almost as if you were their father,” she took in a deep breath, and a tear formed in her right eye. “I’m proud of the man you’ve become, in spite of what Erica Stamson did to you.”
“Are you alright, Aunt Janet?” Greg said gently. “It looks like you were about to cry.” He started to lean toward her, but she waved him off.
“Oh, we’re not here for my troubles, child. We’re here for yours. Now, tell me about this proposal you were planning. Why didn’t you do it?” She wiped her eye as she waited for him to respond.
“I ran down to her at the desk outside my office, and Janet was sitting there with little Elizabeth,” he began when she stopped him with a wave of her hands.
“Hold on, ran down where from where? I’m not sure I understand this scene you are trying to explain.”
“I was in David’s office since he was out on his honeymoon.
Janet had come back in to check the place out; reacquaint herself before her return.
She’d gone down to my office and just sat down to refamiliarize herself because the desk was empty.
Carry came back and she wasn’t happy about Janet sitting at the desk, which got my attention, so I grabbed the ring and ran down the hall to her, but when I got there, it was like I was seeing the whole pre-Denver argument in front of me, and suddenly, Carry was Erica, again. I started to panic within because I….”
“Are you lost, Greg?” Janet softly prompted him.
“I was looking at Erica, not Carry. I had to fight to catch my breath, and then I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth and the next thing I know, she’s accepting the offer to manage Veronique for Veronica.”
“Are you telling me that the girl you loved, left Pimico and you to go work for her rival for your heart?” Janet set back, stunned. “Why would she do that?”
“I screwed it all up!” Greg let out in exasperation. “I held back when I should have gone ahead full speed.”
“Oh, really? And that is supposed to explain her accepting working for her rival for your heart?” Janet leaned towards Greg. “There’s got to be more.”
“She was getting a lot of encouragement from the girls, Cassie, Wendy and Katie. And I didn’t help matters by being delayed in my actions!
” He leaned forward now focused on what was there.
“I pushed her into it because I didn’t push back at Alice hard enough to stop the threats. I failed,” he admitted.
“Well, now. You need to get over that mistake and move on. So, which of these women do you want?”
“Both,” he replied without thinking, just stunned. “I don’t know why I said that!”
“You’d better see a shrink about that,” she said, picking up some steak on her fork. “YOU were in charge and you let your emotions get the better of you! YOU have to decide; you have a choice to make and only doctors can help you.”