47 Destinies: Finding Grace (6 page)

“Come a little closer,” Jonathan said, grabbing Grace’s hand in his.

Grace moved a tiny bit closer.  Jonathan used the opportunity to pull Grace in for a kiss.  Grace was shocked when she felt his lips press down on hers.  She wanted to pull away, but Jonathan’s hand was positioned firmly behind her head.  She was stuck in his embrace.  With his other hand, Jonathan moved quickly under her shirt and up to her bra.  Grace attempted to push his hand away, but could not pull her hand out of his.  She finally wiggled free and backed away.

“Please stop!” Grace firmly stated.

“Come here, beautiful.  I am only beginning,” Jonathan said, lunging passionately toward Grace.

Before he could reach her, Grace stood up and walked over to the door.

“I am not ready!” Grace said with an even firmer tone in her voice.

“Are you kidding?  It was just a little kiss.”

“I haven’t kissed a man in over two years,” Grace admitted.

“Then you are more than ready,” Jonathan said, standing up and moving closer to Grace.  He aggressively put his arm around her waist.  His face bent down, attempting to kiss Grace again.  Grace responded quicker this time.

“I told you to stop!  I want to go home!” Grace shouted out.

“You cold, little tease!” Jonathan spat back at her.  “After I gave you such a perfect evening, you can’t even give me one kiss?  Most women would be clamoring to be in your place.”  Grace could smell the alcohol on his breath as he hurled the harsh words at her.

“I insist you take me home! Your behavior is totally inappropriate.” Grace demanded, holding back the tears.

“I don’t know what you were expecting from me, but you aren’t going to get anywhere with a woman by just trying to get into her pants! A real gentleman would never treat a woman so unkindly.”  She wasn’t a tease and she wasn’t going to stand for his physical pawing and verbal abuse.  Unfortunately, they were in the middle of the ocean and she couldn’t just leave.  Grace was at Jonathan’s mercy.

His quick temper caused her some concern.  She really knew nothing about the man and being alone with him was making her nervous.  Realizing that it may not be safe to be with him, she quickly exited the bedroom and made her way to the viewing deck.  She could see the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.  It no longer held the magical newness of anticipation.  It was now a symbol of hope and protection.  All Grace wanted to do was be safely in her home and away from this disrespectful man.

Jonathan finally got the message and remained at a distance from Grace the rest of the trip back to the marina.  When it was time to transfer into the smaller boat, Jonathan did not join her.  The captain made his way down to the boat and took Grace back to the marina.  Once they reached the dock, the captain assisted Grace out of the boat and then went back to the harbor.  Without a car, Grace was stranded.  Luckily, there was a taxi nearby that she hailed to take her home.

By the time Grace reached her house, her fear had turned to anger.  After paying the sitter, she immediately called the dating service and left a message that she was cancelling her account.  She also told them that they needed to screen their customers better.  Grace told them in no uncertain terms that she would not be recommending their company to anyone.

After hanging up the phone, she took a long, hot bath.  It felt good to be back in her home, safe and protected.  She sensed Derek’s presence and basked in the comfort of his love.  Grace tiptoed quietly into Bella and Mattias’ rooms.  There was nothing more reassuring for Grace then to watch her children sleep.  They brought her immeasurable joy.  She was content to live her life alone.  If the past few months were any indication, being single was far better than being subjected to any more lunatics.  Grace didn’t need a man in her life to validate her existence.  She would make it fine on her own.

Grace crawled into her king-sized bed and turned off the bed stand light.  It had been a long emotional day.  She was happy it was over.  She closed her eyes and turned on her side.  A cold tingly sensation passed over her.  Her eyes flew open.  Someone was in the room.

Grace shouted out as she flipped on the light, “Who’s there?”  Light filled the room, but there was nobody there.  Grace’s heart beat out of control.  She grabbed her phone and began dialing 911.  She hung up when she came to her senses.  What was she going to say?  She felt a presence?

“Derek?” Grace whispered softly.  She knew it sounded crazy, but she could think of no other explanation.  The light flickered.  Grace felt the cold sensation again on her face.  She reached up and touched her cheek, but there was nothing there.  The light flickered again.

“I miss you,” Grace cried out, as tears flowed down her face.  “Please stay with me for just a little while.”  The light went out.   Grace sat in the dark, unafraid.  She felt a lightness wash over her.  The light came back on.  Grace heard the slightest whisper, but could not make out any words.  She got out of bed and walked over to her mirror.  While staring in the mirror, she saw an image of Derek standing by their bed.  His eyes were locked on hers.  He walked toward her.  Grace turned around to face him.  He stopped right in front of her.  Neither spoke.  Grace could sense the love he felt for her.  He reached up and gently touched her hair.  Grace closed her eyes briefly to breathe in the sensation.  When she reopened her eyes, Derek was gone.

After seeing Derek the night before, she knew it was no longer her imagination.  She didn’t know why he was there, but she kept replaying the scene over and over again.  She kept it all to herself.  Grace didn’t want anyone to ruin the experience for her.  It was yet another thing she kept buried within.  She continued to read more books on the afterlife and searched the Internet in an attempt to understand it all.  She was surprised by how many other people had experiences with the spirit world.  It was Grace’s new addiction.  The more she learned, the better equipped she felt to communicate with Derek the next time he appeared.

The holiday season came quickly.  During the Christmas break from school, Grace took Mattias and Bella to visit her parents in Georgia.  The children and her parents had a wonderful time.  Although she missed Derek terribly, Grace held her head up high.  The horrid dating experiences caused her to appreciate even more the love she once shared with Derek.  She never realized how rare true love could be.

Before she knew it, the winter passed and spring was upon her.  Samantha and some of Cora’s bridesmaids were hosting a couples’ bridal shower for Cora and Brent in the city.  Grace wasn’t thrilled about attending, but she knew she needed to make an appearance.  It was going to be an intimate gathering of the wedding party, family and a few close friends.  Grace was hoping to do her family duty and then step out unnoticed.

After her dating experiences, Grace was more than happy to go alone.  Although, she did have a twinkle in her eye as she thought about the fun her family would have if she took one of her loser dates with her to the party.  Grace would have enjoyed watching Leslie tear apart Larry and Vinnie.  While that would have been fun, the night was truly about Brent and Cora.  Grace wouldn’t do anything to spoil any of their happiness. 

One positive note to the bridal shower was the appealing location.  Samantha picked one of the most romantic spots in the city: the Cliff House.  The only person not excited about the affair was Leslie.  Grace was a little irritated by her negative reaction when Grace told her about the plans for the couples’ shower months ago.  Upon further thought, Grace noticed that Leslie seemed turned off by all of the wedding preparations and activities.  It was unfair to Cora because Leslie was very helpful when Grace married Derek.  Grace was beginning to agree with Cora regarding Leslie’s dissatisfaction with Brent’s choice for a wife.

Nevertheless, Grace put her opinions aside and prepared for the party.  Grace put on her mid-length mauve dress, pinned up her hair in an elegant bun, and drove to the Cliff House.  From her house, Grace could have practically walked there.  It was relatively close. 

Whenever Grace could fit in a run, she often ran over by the Cliff House.  Not only was it a historic landmark, it also sat near the infamous ruins of the Sutro Baths.  Grace enjoyed climbing down into the few remaining ruins from the baths.  She would look at the concrete in the ground and mentally re-create how the baths once looked based on the cement rectangles and the old pictures she saw.  Patrons must have once enjoyed the saltwater and fresh water pools, she thought.  It was a shame that they had been destroyed.

Grace parked her car and took a moment to ponder the structure of the Cliff House.  It was properly named.  It was perched high on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  The view to the left was of a long beach which stretched for miles.  Behind the beach sat small condos where Playland, a popular beach amusement park, once thrived.  Further down the beach was the beginning of Golden Gate Park.  Beyond the park, rows and rows of homes stretched out as far as the eye could see.  The view was delightful to Grace.  She enjoyed the rich history of the city and spent hours in museums, guided tours and books soaking in everything she could learn about San Francisco.

Grace once took a tour at the Cliff House and remembered what the guide said about its own special history.  The original Cliff House was built in 1863, a modest restaurant compared to its descendants.  The rich and famous would dine at the establishment to be seen, until what they termed ‘riff raff’ chased out the local elite. 

After a change of ownership and a destructive fire in 1896, an extravagant second Cliff House was built.  It was fashioned after a French chateau with eight stories, four spires and an observation tower.  While it was never a hotel, it once served as a restaurant, entertainment venue and meeting place.  Grace had a framed picture of the second Cliff House in her home office.  The presence of the building was remarkable.  It carried within it a magnificent darkness that brought out many visitors to enjoy its rare style.  Presidents and dignitaries from all over the world came to experience its unique beauty.  Everyone was amazed when it survived the great San Francisco earthquake in 1906, only to burn to the ground one year later from a destructive chimney fire.

“Grace, are you waiting for someone?” Leslie asked, placing her hand on Grace’s shoulder.  “You’ve been out here for a few minutes.  Robert and I saw you when we were looking for a place to park.” 

“No, I am here alone.  I was just taking in the splendid view.  I love feeling the ocean breeze on my face,” Grace said, as she took in a deep, cleansing breath.  The ocean did wonders for her downcast spirit.

“At least someone is enjoying themselves.  I have this terrible cough from my allergies, but Robert made me come out tonight.  I should be at home resting.  I could have pneumonia,” Leslie said in a pathetic tone, hoping for some sympathy.

Grace was very concerned.  “Have you seen a doctor?  Are you taking any medicine?  Come here; sit down on the bench.”

“Don’t play into her games,” Robert said as he approached the women.  “She is exaggerating her symptoms.”  Robert gave Leslie the evil eye as unspoken words passed between them.

“I don’t understand,” Grace said, quite confused by the conversation.

“Let’s just say that Leslie is having an allergic reaction to the wedding,” Robert said with a little spunk.

“That’s not true, Robert.  You know how much I love Brent,” Leslie said, purposefully not mentioning Cora.

“Yes Darling.  Come on, let’s go inside and find a seat.  Grace, would you like to sit at our table?  I would love the company,” Robert offered as he hooked his arm into Grace’s.  The man was such a charmer; nobody could refuse him.

“I would be delighted,” Grace said, now happy that she came.

The event was held in the Terrace Room.  When Grace walked in, she couldn’t help but grin.  The setting was simply a perfect place to celebrate Cora and Brent’s pending nuptials.  Floor-to-ceiling windows encompassed two sides of the room.  The walls opposite the windows held seven large mirrors which reflected back the churning ocean below. 

It was about 6:00pm, so the sun had yet to set.  Grace couldn’t wait to view the sunset when it streamed through the windows and bounced off the mirrors. 

Cora rushed up to Grace, “What do you think of this place?”

Grace smiled widened, “It is incredible!  Samantha is ingenious.”

“I can’t stop smiling!  Brent even seems pleased,” Cora said as she winked at Grace.  “How is Leslie doing?  I heard she is very ill.”

Grace pondered what to say and finally settled on, “She is a little under the weather, but has a very strong spirit.”

Cora, a little baffled by Grace’s description, left it alone.  She wasn’t going to allow Leslie’s flair for drama taint her evening. 

“I completely understand if she needs to leave early,” Cora said, unaware that Leslie was right behind her.

“Cora, thank you.  At least someone understands the importance of my health.  Grace, can you let Robert know that I will catch a cab and see him at home?” Leslie said, whisking herself out of the room.

“Wow,” Cora said, “I think that is the nicest thing she has ever said to me.  Then again, she almost flew out of here.  She couldn’t wait for the moment to make her escape,” Cora remarked as she walked over to greet another arriving guest.

Grace was not that surprised and also not looking forward to relaying Leslie’s message to Robert.  In order to get the unpleasantness out of the way, she went immediately to speak to Robert.