Take a Chance (7 page)

“Don’t call me that.
Is that what you call your wife?”

“Willow, I had a wife
, she died three years ago. I know I should have told you sooner and I was planning on telling you tonight, if the right time presented itself.”

“What?”
she asks looking at me, sniffling.

Tears are still streaming down her face
, but she stopped crying. I reach to wipe her tears. Thankfully, she doesn’t pull away, so I take both hands and gently wipe them away holding her face.

Looking in her eyes,
I explain, “Willow, my wife was killed in a car accident three years ago by a drunk driver. That’s why I told you I don’t’ really drink. I actually hadn’t had a drink in the past two and half years. I only just now started to have a drink now and then.”

“Asher
, I’m so sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion. The woman in the elevator after lunch made a comment about your wife, and I just assumed the worst. Oh, my gosh, I’m such an idiot! Asher, I’m so sorry about your wife.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner
. I was afraid something like this would happen. I wanted to tell you. You’re actually the first woman I have dated since she passed away. It’s the first time I felt that it was right. Willow, I’m so sorry you had the wrong impression. I never meant to hurt you.”

“Oh
, Asher, I’m the one to be sorry. I wanted to believe deep down that that’s not the type of man you are. Please forgive me. It’s completely up to you, but if you want to talk about it, about her, I want you to know I would love to listen. You have been my rock these past few weeks. You can tell me anything.”

“There is nothing to forgive, it was a misunderstanding. I would like to tell you about her, I don’t know the rules about talking about your late wife to your new girlfriend. Like I said, you’re the first person I’ve dated since then.
But if it’s not weird or wrong, I do want to tell you.”

“Girlfriend?
Did you just call me your girlfriend?”

“Um, well,
yes I did, is it too soon for that?”

“No
, not at all, I’d love to be your girlfriend. And I don’t think it’s weird or wrong to talk about your wife. She was a big part of your life, and I would never expect you to want to forget about her. Actually before my run in, in the elevator I was going to ask you how you wanted to deal with co-workers. We have been having lunch every day now and people were bound to figure it out. I wanted to know how you wanted me to handle it.”

“I have nev
er dated anyone from the office. Olivia and I were high school sweethearts, married right out of college. I guess, not that it’s anyone’s business, but I’m not looking to hide my relationship with you. People will just have to deal with it.”

“High school sweethearts
, huh? So how long were you married?”

“We were married for six years, s
he was a nurse at Seattle Pres., and she worked the night shift. One night on her way home from work, she was hit by a drunk driver. She was killed instantly.”

“Asher, I’m so sorry. Is it
OK if I give you a hug?”

“You never have to ask that
. I know we are talking about my late wife, but you don’t have to feel weird being affectionate with me, because I don’t.”

She leans over and gives me a t
ight hug. Pulling slightly away, I kiss her on the lips. Soon the kiss turns hungry and heated. Our tongues dance together and it just feels right. Breaking apart I ask, “So, how about we go grab something to eat and hit the grocery store?”

Willow

I feel like an idiot for even thinking that Asher was the type of man to cheat on his wife. I should have known better. He has never given me any reason to doubt him or his intentions. He is always a perfect gentleman. He’s a widower, he’s so young. How tragic of a loss for him and his family.

We grab a quick bite to eat and head to the store. We walk up and down the aisles. He pushes the cart while I place items in t
he basket. In the checkout line he holds my hand. He’s always nearby, touching me in some way or holding my hand. He’s just the sweetest man I have ever met. It makes me sad to think of a young woman’s life cut short, she had the perfect husband. He squeezes my hand, and I pull out of my thoughts and smile at him. The cashier totals everything up. I dig in my purse for my debit card, Asher hands her his.

“Asher
, you can’t do that, these are my groceries, and I can pay.”

“Don’t worry about it
and don’t argue either.”

He insisted on unloading everything from his car
. Asher hands me things out of the bags and I put them where they belong. It’s a relief to have groceries in the house. I do feel good health wise, but usually tire easily. Having Asher help me is a big weight lifted off my shoulders.

“Asher
, thank you for helping me with this. It is a huge relief getting this done.”

“You’re welcome, Willow
, if you need any help at all with anything please ask me. I’ll always be here to help you, no matter what it is.”

“Thank you
. Did you want something to drink, now that I have more than water?”

“S
ure, I’ll grab us some iced tea. Go ahead and sit down, you’ve had a long day. I’ll bring it out.” He gets some glasses out of the cupboard and pours us each some iced tea and sets it on the coffee table in front of me. He grabs his and takes a drink. I take the glass from him and set it back on the table. I slowly lean into him and kiss him. He opens his mouth for my tongue. I can tell he’s not sure what to do with his hands. I take each of his hands in mine and place them on each side of my neck.

“Asher,
it’s OK.” Very gently he holds my neck while we kiss. Moving his hands to either of my shoulders, he then slowly eases one down my side and around my waist. He pulls me closer. A soft moan comes from deep in his throat that vibrates on my lips.  I slip my hands under his un-tucked dress shirt. His skin is warm and smooth. He softly cups my face with his other hand. Pulling away, he places one more closed mouth kiss on my lips.

“It’s late
. You’ve had a long day. I should go.”

“O
K, thank you for today, for the flowers, although I threw them away, sorry. Thank you for dinner and taking me grocery shopping. Especially, thank you for telling me about Olivia. I want you to know, I never want you to think twice about telling me about her. She was and still is a part of you, and I never want to take that away from you. Any memories you want to share, I would be honored to hear about them.”

“I knew there was something special about you
, Willow. Thank you for being so understanding. I’ll see you tomorrow, same time same place for lunch?”

“Sure, sounds great.”

Walking him to the door, he wraps me in a tight hug and kisses me. Shutting the door, I walk to my bedroom to get ready for bed. I hear the chirp of my cell phone.

10:07PM
Thank you for spending your evening with me. I’ll see you tomorrow at work sweetheart. A

10:08PM
Thank you for everything today. You have been my rock these past weeks. W

Asher

Lying in bed again with a smile
on my face, I wonder if Olivia will come to me in my dreams again. It seems strange, but I can‘t wait to tell her about Willow. As I begin to hear the familiar crashing waves and the smell of the salty air, Olivia is sitting in the sand with yellow roses in her hand. She sees me and smiles. Standing to walk over to me, she places a kiss on my cheek.

“Olivia
, I missed you last night. Why didn’t you come to me last night?”

“Ash, this is the last time I can come to you.”

“What? No, Olivia, I need you. You can’t go.”

“Ash, you are ready
, you have been ready. Your heart is complete again. You don’t need me anymore. Everything you have ever needed is right here in your heart. I know you will never forget me or our memories. There is enough room in your heart for those and the new ones you will make with Willow. You’re a beautiful man inside and out. You have so much to offer Willow. You are kind and patient. Be there for Willow, she needs you to be everything I know you are. I know you are still scared, but she will be there for you too. Let her. You both need to be there for each other.

“
Be gentle and patient with her. I know the man you are, and I know you will be just fine. I love you, and I always will. It’s time for you to let me go. Know that I am at peace. And that I will always be there in your heart, as you are in mine.” Taking a single yellow rose from the bunch she places it in my hand.

“Ash
, go and start your life with Willow. It’s time for me to go. Know that you have never let me down. Our life together was a memory I will cherish always.”

With a kiss on the cheek
, she turns around and walks down the beach. I watch with tears streaming down my own face, until I can’t see her any longer. I look up at a white dove flying over my head with a yellow rose in its mouth. Dropping the rose I catch it and add it to the one I’m still holding. Raising both to my nose I take a deep breath and smell them. The sun starts to warm my face as it rises. Opening my eyes, I’m clenching my sheets in my fists, instead of roses. I sit up and open my night stand, pull out Olivia’s photo, and cry letting go of deep buried grief.

“Olivia, I love you
and I will never forget you, I will honor our memories and keep you in my heart forever.” Placing the photo back in the drawer, I text Willow:

7:45AM
How about I pick you up this morning on my way in it seems a waste to take two cars when we are going to the same place. A

7:50AM OK
, if it’s not too much trouble. W

7:51
AM It’s not. I’ll pick you up at 8:30. A

Stopping at the florist to pick up another mixed arrangement of flowers, I show up at her door promptly at eight thirty. Just
I as start to get out of the car, she starts making her way down the sidewalk. Opening her car door, she sees the flowers on the seat. With a smile she picks them up, takes a seat and places them on her lap.

“Thank you
, they are beautiful. I’m going to put them on my desk at work.”

“You’re welcome
, sweetheart.”

The drive to the office is short
. Helping her out of the car with my hand, we walk to the elevator hand in hand. We ignore anyone that may be looking. Stopping at her floor, I give her a kiss.

“S
ee you at noon for lunch, sweetheart.”

Back in my office
, it’s back to meetings and long conference calls. There is something that’s shifted though. I can feel it all around me. It’s almost like there’s something missing, the air if different. I know it sounds crazy but it’s almost like my dreams were real and Olivia is really gone. There is a hint of sadness, but there’s a peace about it too. She must have been with me everywhere. Like she was holding my hand, guiding me until I was ready to let her go. Now that she is gone, I just know she is in a better place. She is at peace. Life really does move on. That is just the type of woman Olivia was, to stay here for me to help me move on. She must have known I could have never moved on if she didn’t help me. She was truly a selfless woman. Now that I know she is at peace, I know I am ready to fall in love again. I’m falling in love with Willow. She isn’t Olivia, there is no replacing Olivia. But what I’m feeling is definitely love.

Willow

Placing the flowers in a vase from the break room, I proudly display them on my desk. I make Amelia her espresso and walk in her office. I set it on her desk while biting my lip. I know I need to explain myself about what happened yesterday.

“Amelia, I need to tell you what happened yesterday.”

“You don’t need to tell me, it’s between you and Asher.”

“No, I want to.”

“Good, because I’m just dying to know!”

After telling her the whole
story from the woman in the elevator to accusing Asher of having an affair, Amelia hangs on every word I say, nodding and chuckling in all the appropriate places.

“I’m sorry for telling Asher
. I want you to know I would never betray your trust. He’s my brother and I love him, he’s been through a lot these past few years. It was his story to tell you. But I will say, you probably could have avoided a few hours of heartache if you told me the real reason yesterday why you were leaving. I know I’m your boss, but you are more than that to me. You’re dating my brother, we’re going to be spending more time together outside the office. I want you to know you can tell me anything. I only told Asher because I figured there had to have been a misunderstanding.”

“You’
re right, it was a misunderstanding, and thank you for knowing enough not to listen to me and my idiotic thoughts. I understand you were in a tough spot between being loyal to your brother and honoring my wishes. I would never want to put you in a place where you had to make a choice between the two of us. You did the right thing. I’m really looking forward to spending more time with you and your family. I don’t really have any family so this is all new to me. Thank you for being there for me. I better get to work, if I want to have my lunch date.”

“Ah yes, I e-mailed you a list of what I need done today
. There’s no rush on anything. Have a good lunch with Asher.”

Closing the door behind me
, I check my e-mail and get to work. Getting the smell from the flowers every once and a while brings a smile to my face. They are really beautiful. He’s always so thoughtful and kind. Pulling together almost everything from Amelia’s list, I reach in my flowers and pull out two yellow roses to take up to Asher. He’ll get a kick out of it, I think.

Making my way over to Asher’s office, Charlotte waves me through with a smile. I walk into his
office and he’s sitting in his chair on the phone with his back to me. He’s looking out the windows at the beautiful skyline. I put the two yellow roses on his desk and have a seat. I can tell he’s finishing up his call, swiveling around in his chair his eyes lock on the two yellow roses. He drops the phone and stands up pushing his chair out so hard it crashes into the credenza, causing me to stand and gasp. His face is contorted into a look of shock and pain.

“Where did those come f
rom?” he asks looking at them shocked.

“Asher, what’s wrong
? I put those there, I’m sorry. I was trying to be cute. I took them from the flowers you gave me this morning.”

Placing his hands o
n his desk, he hangs his head and takes a deep breath.

“
I’m sorry I didn’t mean to yell and scare you.” Looking up he fixes his chair and takes a seat.

“It’s just
that yellow roses were the only flowers I ever gave to Olivia, they were her favorite. It just caught me off guard.”

“I’m sorry
, Asher. I didn’t know, I’ll take them away.”

“No, you don’t have to do that, it
’s fine, really. Thank you, it was very sweet of you. I know you had no way of knowing that. I’m sorry I over reacted.”

Charlotte enters with lunch and the tension in the room evaporates. He picks up the roses and places
them to the side, stands again and walks around to my side of his desk, places his hand on my cheek, and gives me a kiss. We eat our lunch as if nothing ever happened.

“Friday is my last chemo appointment, were you still coming with me?”

“I wouldn’t miss it. You know I’ll be there. In fact, we should go out after to dinner to celebrate, as long as you feel up to it.”

“Sounds like a fabulous idea
. Well, I should let you get back to work. Thank you for lunch.” Standing to leave, I glance at the two yellow roses.

“Are you sure
you’re fine with those? I don’t mind taking them with me.”

“No
, they’re fine. I’m good with them here. I’ll come down and get you around five. Now that there is food in your house, we can go back to your place and I’ll cook us dinner.”

“I’ll be ready
at five, but I’m cooking dinner. No arguing.”

With that I kiss him on the lips and start to walk out the door
. He grabs my arm and turns me back around. With a warm passionate kiss that takes my breath away, he hugs me close to his warm hard body. “I’ll see you at five.”

Asher

Seeing
those two yellow roses on my desk sent me into a panic. How could such a coincidence like that happen? Now that I think about it though, it almost seems like Olivia was giving me a confirmation. I am falling in love with Willow. And I couldn’t be happier.

I can’t wait to introduce her to my parents on Sunday. I already talked to
them about her, it’s not like I didn’t think my brothers and sisters already didn’t, or that they could keep their mouths shut. I wanted to make sure they know about her cancer, trying to make her meeting them more comfortable. My parents would never intentionally make anyone uncomfortable but just to be safe I told them. They are both so very excited to meet her.

With that thought in mind, I grab the phone and call Aiden.

“I wonder if you could do something for me, not company related. And I want you to keep it confidential. I want you to see if you can locate Willow’s mom.”

“Asher
, are you sure about this? I don’t know the story involved here, but this could turn around and bite you in the ass,” Aiden says concerned.

“I’m well aware of that
, but I’m hoping that’s not what’s going to happen.”

“I’ll see what I can find out for you.”

Feeling pretty good about finding her mother for her, I wrap up my work for the day. Things have been going great. Willow’s last treatment is Friday. I have a nice evening planned for Saturday at the benefit, and Sunday I get to introduce the woman I am quickly falling in love with to my parents. Saying goodbye to Charlotte, I make my way down to Willow’s floor to pick her up and have a nice evening in.

“Are you ready to go
, sweetheart?” I ask her.

“Yes, I just need to lo
g out and shut down my computer. I’ll just be a few minutes.”

“I’ll be in with Amelia, come on in when you’re ready.”

Walking into Amelia’s office, I can tell there is something wrong.

“
What’s up little sis, what’s with the face?”

“Asher
, I just hung up the phone with Aiden and I have to tell you I think this is a really bad idea.”

“Man
, can any of you keep your mouths shut? I want to do something nice for Willow. I just want to find her mother, not put her on a plane to meet her. I want to present to Willow the option of knowing exactly where she is, if and when she’s ready to talk to her. Nothing more. Wait, do you think this is a really bad idea?”

“Well
, now that you put it like that I don’t think it’s such a bad idea, but let me go on record as saying keep me out of it. If you’re in the dog house, you’re going to be there on your own.”

“Thanks for your vote of confidence. Hey, Ava and Willow are going shopping for a dress
, did you want to tag along with them too? It would mean a lot to me if you got to know Willow better outside of the office.”

“Yeah
, I would be happy to, it’s not like I have any other plans.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Aren’t you and Roger still dating?”

“Roger! Are you kidding me, we broke up six months ago.”

“Sorry
, I guess I’ve been a little out of it lately.”

Willow makes her way in the office and plops down in the chair next t
o me. “Ready to go when you are,” she says.

“You two have a hot date tonight?”
Amelia asks.

“Asher is going to let me cook him dinner tonight. You want to come too?”

“No, you two go on, get out of here. Have a good night.”

Making our way to the parking garage
, I open Willow’s door for her then make my way to the driver’s seat.

“So what do you have planned for dinner?”

“I thought I would make you my famous chili. I should have thought about it and started it this morning in the crock pot, but it will still be good.”