Loving Jack(30)

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Grace's last day at Stein and Watson had been bittersweet. She'd built a  career there and everything had revolved around the company for her  entire professional life. Mr. Watson had called her up to the executive  suite to make her another extremely generous offer.

"It's rare to find a young person with the drive and ability you have,  Ms. Yates. This company is going to need people like you if it's going  to survive future generations. I wish you'd reconsider your resignation.  If the junior executive position is more than you're ready to take on,  well, we can wait until you're ready for it. The need for  forward-thinking minds and dedication will still be here," he had told  her earnestly.

Grace was touched and frankly awed by the offer. Nobody turned down such  a prestigious position if they wanted to continue climbing the ladder.  It would never be offered again. In the end she had thanked Mr. Watson  sincerely for the offer but explained that she was ready to start a  family. And the family she wanted was on the west coast. He'd grudgingly  wished her well and told her to contact him if she changed her mind.  She knew now that all of her hard work had not been wasted. She'd made  an impact at Stein and Watson. She'd honed her skills while helping the  company grow, and when she left she knew she would be missed.

After her final meeting with Mr. Watson she returned to her office to  find her assistant, Daniel, sadly looking at the single box of  belongings she'd be taking with her at the end of the day. When she  entered the room he wrapped her in his arms in a warm hug.

"I can't believe you're really leaving me. I just know my new boss will  be a big hairy tyrant." He harrumphed. Daniel was dealing with her  departure the only way he knew how, by giving her the guilt trip every  five minutes. She kissed his cheek and squeezed his neck.

"You and Tom are welcome to visit any time. Please, don't hesitate to  call me. You know you're far more than just my assistant," she sniffled.  Leaving her friend was harder than Grace would have imagined. She  hugged him tighter.

"I know, sweetie, I know." He patted her back one more time.

"I've got to go. I have a date. Mustn't keep the hubby waiting." Daniel  released Grace and swept out of the room. She heard him banging around  his desk before he called to her, "See you around, kid." It was just  like Daniel to spare her a long sad goodbye. He was gone before she  could reply.

Daniel and his husband Tom had become dear to her. She would miss the  two men who had been her only friends other than Luke. Grace pushed that  thought away. It would only make her cry again. She hadn't heard a word  from Luke in the two weeks since he'd walked away from her in the  restaurant. She wasn't surprised by that. It hurt her deeply though and  she felt like she was missing a vital piece of herself. She kept  catching herself about to text him or call to him for no reason other  than it was her habit to do so. It was becoming clearer exactly how much  she had leaned on him, how much she'd just expected him to always be  there. Now that he wasn't, she had a sore spot in her heart that she was  afraid to examine too closely.         

     



 

To be honest, Grace was afraid. She was terrified she was making a  mistake by falling into Jack's arms so quickly. The pull between Jack  and her was undeniable. For once in her life she was following her  heart. It was a frightening thing for someone like Grace. The only other  time she'd risked her heart hadn't turned out so well. It felt like she  was playing that awful game of trust where you let yourself fall  backward and hope the person behind you doesn't let you crash to the  ground. Luke had always been there to catch her. But he never would be  again, not if she started a life with Jack. She knew that for sure now.  She needed to trust Jack. She wanted desperately to trust Jack, but she  wasn't quite there yet. She reassured herself regularly that it would  just take time. Grace was sure it wasn't Jack at all, but her  insecurities that had her belly in knots.

Grace had another week to finish up her packing and cleaning her  apartment. The last two weekends, Jack had flown in from Seattle to help  her get ready. He was honestly more of a hindrance than a help, but it  was wonderful to be truly reconnecting with him on more than a sexual  level. They talked endlessly about everything and nothing at all. She  had far more in common with the adult version of Jack than she had had  with his younger self. The more time they spent together the better she  felt about her move.

On his last visit they'd had their first real argument since they  started seeing each other again. She gave the address for the condo  she'd rented in Seattle. He'd been the one to arrange the movers. They  would drive her belongings across the country. So she needed him to pass  on the address to their destination. Jack was irate. He'd assumed she  would be moving in with him immediately. As per his usual, Jack thought  his plan was the only plan. He went into steam roller mode and expected  Grace to agree with him. Grace just wouldn't budge though.

She loved him. She'd always loved him. But she needed her own space  until she was more confident in their relationship. She wasn't even  ready to officially accept his proposal of marriage. Why would she move  in? He hadn't taken that very well and the weekend had ended on an  awkward note with Jack catching a cab to the airport alone, instead of  allowing her to accompany him as she'd done the week before, but Grace  stood her ground. That wasn't something Jack was used to. He liked being  in charge. So did Grace. They were bound to clash more often than not.  It was just one more reason for them live to apart for a while. They  both needed to learn the art of compromise. It was going to be far  harder for Jack than Grace.

As much as Grace loved spending time with Jack, she was hoping he would  stay home for her last weekend in New York. She really needed to focus  on the task at hand. When Jack was around, the task at hand frequently  involved them both getting naked. She was down to the wire now. Jack's  delicious but distracting body would surely cause further delays.





Grace had gone from room to room methodically organizing things into  what she needed to take and what she could donate before the big move.  Her donation pile was huge. She had no idea she'd managed to accumulate  so much stuff or how she'd made it all fit in her stylish but small  Manhattan apartment. She'd found a charitable organization that  collected new and gently used business clothing. They distributed the  clothes to underprivileged women and men who were trying to make a  better life for themselves and their families. They were people looking  for work in the city. A professional appearance could be the difference  between getting the job and being passed over for a position. Not only  had Grace given them half of her rather over extended work wardrobe, but  she'd also made a monetary donation. It made her feel good to be part  of such a wonderful charity. What could be better than helping people  help themselves?

The week was flying by and she had nearly finished. Today she was going  to retrieve her medical records to take with her to Seattle. The only  other item on her to-do list was one that kept her up at night. Luke's  box of belongings was still sitting in her living room. Luke  occasionally slept on her sofa if they drank too much on dinner night.  She'd stayed at his place, too. It just depended on whose place was  closer. There were things she'd borrowed from him, like a book on  marketing strategy she'd found on his bookshelf, and other things he'd  insisted she take, like a jacket she'd ended up wearing when they got  caught in the rain. The box of happy memories of time spent with Luke  seemed to glare at her accusingly every time she passed it. She needed  to return his things.

Grace had considered returning them by courier with a note of apology  and goodbye. She wasn't sorry that Jack and she had reunited, but she  was deeply regretful that it had hurt Luke. Every time she sat down to  pen the letter her heart broke a little more. She couldn't get past  "Dear Luke" without bursting into tears. Finally, Grace realized there  was just no way she was going to leave New York without trying to speak  to Luke. He'd been hurt and angry when they parted. Grace had been  confused at first. Afterward she'd been too ashamed of her own selfish  behavior to approach Luke. Her time was quickly running out. So today  she planned to pay a visit to Luke's office. She'd called his  administrative assistant to verify Luke was in town and expected to be  in the office before she gathered her courage and collected the box. She  was going to return Luke's things herself. She didn't know what she  would say to the man. She loved him dearly. He already knew that, but  she had to tell him again. She didn't want to lose Luke. The thought of  it physically hurt her heart. She felt like she was losing something  irreplaceable. How was she going to get through life without Luke?