ahead.
4
Later that evening, Jody's grandparents were sitting in her living room. Jake had taken them to a restaurant. That was so nice of him. Jody could not believe he was going the extra mile for her. Yet, she knew very little about him, except that he gets really important looking mail from property companies and banks and such. As they all sat down in her living room watching her flat screen TV that played an old black and white movie from the 1950s—her grandparent’s favourite, she noticed Jake’s eyes penetrating her, glancing her direction every so often. An undeniable magnetism was building between them. She really wished he was her husband. Her grandparents loved him. She felt so guilty that it was a charade and prayed they’d forgive her later. He was so charming and down-to-earth with them. He really had a good way with elders. In fact, with most people she saw him interact with.
“So…where are the wedding photos, darling? Your grandpa and I can’t wait to see them.”
Shit!
“Actually,” Jake chimed in. “People hardly take pictures at the registrar office. They usually wait till the big celebration.”
Jody gave Jake a thankful and appreciative look. She bit down on her lower lip. She really should come clean with them but they look so happy for her. And she really does seem to have an attraction to Jake, so it’s not all fake, she tried to justify her actions in her own mind to ease her guilt—wasn’t that what everybody did? Her stomach knotted up when they told her how much it meant to them that she was not going to be lonely after all. That she’d found someone to love her as she deserved to be loved. They told her and Jake that they needed to hear good news from within the family circle since their son and his wife (Jody’s parents) died so tragically. She really wished Jake were a part of the family, now.
God, she wished she could pretend forever to be his wife. Scrap that! She wished she was his wife. During the course of the day and the evening, she’d really gotten a better feel for this man that she’d been seeing over a year as neighbours. He was hot and charming. A caring and thoughtful guy who stood for something. Some guys would have tried to play her but he was a gentleman and told her he’d sleep on the floor for the night that it would be good for his back. He even went as far as to bring some of his stuff over and place them about the house, so that it appeared that he lived there.
Grandpa wandered over to the kitchen table and noticed Jake’s wallet lying faced up and opened. “Oh, dear, this ID of yours says Jake Anderson. Why do you have Jake Anderson’s ID, son?"
Jody looked anxiously at Jake and she froze.
Busted.
5
“Cause Jake’s my real name, Grandpa!” When Jake uttered those words, Jody felt her world crumbling down and her charade exposed. But then Jake continued. “A lot of people use pet names now, don’t they?”
Grandpa smiled. “Oh, yes, of course. Well, I’m going to call you Jake from now on. I like to use real names, if it’s okay with you. Besides, it sounds so much nicer than Gregory!”
Jody expelled a huge sigh of relief. Well, she certainly agreed with her grandfather on that point. Inside she cringed every time they called him Gregory. It was a reminder of that awful pain she felt after what the real Gregory did to her.
6
“Thank you,” Jody whispered.
“For what?” Jake teased after they drove her grandparents back to Buffalo, New York the following day. It was a fabulous ride and the conversations were stimulating. He was so intrigued by her grandparents that he asked them about their life growing up in America. But it was the shocking news about what happened to Jody as a baby that stung him. He guessed they assumed that he knew she was a locally famous Christmas baby when she was left on
4
Later that evening, Jody's grandparents were sitting in her living room. Jake had taken them to a restaurant. That was so nice of him. Jody could not believe he was going the extra mile for her. Yet, she knew very little about him, except that he gets really important looking mail from property companies and banks and such. As they all sat down in her living room watching her flat screen TV that played an old black and white movie from the 1950s—her grandparent’s favourite, she noticed Jake’s eyes penetrating her, glancing her direction every so often. An undeniable magnetism was building between them. She really wished he was her husband. Her grandparents loved him. She felt so guilty that it was a charade and prayed they’d forgive her later. He was so charming and down-to-earth with them. He really had a good way with elders. In fact, with most people she saw him interact with.
“So…where are the wedding photos, darling? Your grandpa and I can’t wait to see them.”
Shit!
“Actually,” Jake chimed in. “People hardly take pictures at the registrar office. They usually wait till the big celebration.”
Jody gave Jake a thankful and appreciative look. She bit down on her lower lip. She really should come clean with them but they look so happy for her. And she really does seem to have an attraction to Jake, so it’s not all fake, she tried to justify her actions in her own mind to ease her guilt—wasn’t that what everybody did? Her stomach knotted up when they told her how much it meant to them that she was not going to be lonely after all. That she’d found someone to love her as she deserved to be loved. They told her and Jake that they needed to hear good news from within the family circle since their son and his wife (Jody’s parents) died so tragically. She really wished Jake were a part of the family, now.
God, she wished she could pretend forever to be his wife. Scrap that! She wished she was his wife. During the course of the day and the evening, she’d really gotten a better feel for this man that she’d been seeing over a year as neighbours. He was hot and charming. A caring and thoughtful guy who stood for something. Some guys would have tried to play her but he was a gentleman and told her he’d sleep on the floor for the night that it would be good for his back. He even went as far as to bring some of his stuff over and place them about the house, so that it appeared that he lived there.
Grandpa wandered over to the kitchen table and noticed Jake’s wallet lying faced up and opened. “Oh, dear, this ID of yours says Jake Anderson. Why do you have Jake Anderson’s ID, son?"
Jody looked anxiously at Jake and she froze.
Busted.
5
“Cause Jake’s my real name, Grandpa!” When Jake uttered those words, Jody felt her world crumbling down and her charade exposed. But then Jake continued. “A lot of people use pet names now, don’t they?”
Grandpa smiled. “Oh, yes, of course. Well, I’m going to call you Jake from now on. I like to use real names, if it’s okay with you. Besides, it sounds so much nicer than Gregory!”
Jody expelled a huge sigh of relief. Well, she certainly agreed with her grandfather on that point. Inside she cringed every time they called him Gregory. It was a reminder of that awful pain she felt after what the real Gregory did to her.
6
“Thank you,” Jody whispered.
“For what?” Jake teased after they drove her grandparents back to Buffalo, New York the following day. It was a fabulous ride and the conversations were stimulating. He was so intrigued by her grandparents that he asked them about their life growing up in America. But it was the shocking news about what happened to Jody as a baby that stung him. He guessed they assumed that he knew she was a locally famous Christmas baby when she was left on
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