A Picture – Worth A Thousand Words Pt. 02

Apparently neither did Joyce. She suggested we go to a small night club not too far from where she lived. We could have a quiet drink and maybe dance a bit. I was all for it.

The nightclub wasn't all that busy for a Saturday, at least what I expected. Then I realized that it might be the music; they were playing big band era music like Goodman, Miller, etc. I later learned that Saturday wasn't their big night, surprisingly it was Wednesday. Something to do with the age of their usual clientele I suspected. At least we could hear ourselves talk, and the music was great to dance to. It was the perfect end to a great evening.

Joyce made it quite evident that she was coming to my house for the night and had me stop at her apartment so she could pick up a small overnight bag she had already packed. I pulled into my garage and we went into the house. Joyce took her bag into the bedroom and came back a few minutes later in 'something more comfortable' as she put it, A nice pink nightgown and matching housecoat. I had to laugh at her fuzzy slippers. She sat down on the sofa and I handed her a glass of Chardonnay I had chilling in the fridge.

"I think I'm overdressed. I'll just slip into something more comfortable too." I quickly changed and joined her on the sofa. "Joyce, sweetheart. The evening. It went so well it feels almost like its some kind of dream." I leaned over and gave her a soft kiss.

"I agree. I've never had a night like it, ever. It was, is, more than I ever expected. Jack, thank you, thank you so much. You make me feel so special." She cuddled closer and I put my arm around her shoulders.

"You are special. I had a great evening with a great person. I want you to know that, remember that." She pulled my head down and gave me a long, lingering kiss.

"Is this what love feels like?" she asked. "I've never felt this way with anyone.

"I don't know, but it will do until the real thing comes along, as the song says. Let's go to bed. I want to make long passionate love with you, all night long. We don't have to get up 'til noon, at the earliest."

"Why noon?" she moaned into my mouth.

"We have to go pick up the new motorhome tomorrow. Somebody has to drive the car back home."

She sat upright. "Jack, did you really? Which one?"

"Tomorrow. I'll show you tomorrow." I gave her a kiss and pulled her to her feet. Arms around each other we walked down the hall to the bedroom.

I woke up sometime around 10:30 to the delicious smell of fresh coffee. Joyce wasn't in bed with me, so it was evident that she had put the coffee on. I heard voices in the kitchen and wondered who on earth would be visiting Sunday morning.

I did my usual morning bathroom things, put on a robe and headed to the kitchen. Colleen and David were sitting at the table with Joyce. I guess she just couldn't wait to find out who the mystery woman was. Joyce got up from the table and gave me a nice good morning kiss before getting me a coffee.

Colleen was smiling, as was David. "Well, Dad, I guess we know who the mystery woman is. Good for you, both."

"Just had to spy on the old man," I laughed. "Yes, the mystery woman is Joyce, as you well know already. What are you two doing barging in here in middle of a Sunday morning?"

"Actually, we stopped by to borrow one of your tools. I don't have my keys yet so we rang the bell. Guess you slept through that part, huh, Dad," she giggled, "Anyway, Joyce answered the door. She put the coffee on and we've been sitting here waiting for you to get up."

We chatted over coffee. After awhile Joyce left to get dressed. She came back into the kitchen and she and Colleen got busy making brunch. It seemed so natural that it was almost scary. I almost had to pinch myself to make sure it was really happening. While they got brunch together I had a quick shower and got dressed. David wanted to borrow my scroll saw for a small project he was working on.

"David," I said, "you're my son-in-law. You're welcome to anything I have that you need. All I ask is that anything you borrow gets returned. Just leave a note on the table if you came to borrow something when I'm not here." I handed him a full set of keys to the house. "These are for you and Colleen. Feel free to use them."

"Thanks Dad. This will mean a lot to Colleen. She feels sort of locked out of your life ever since, well, you know. Bev." He patted me on the shoulder then shook my hand.

"Come on, let's load this up and go have brunch." We loaded the saw and it's attachments into his car and headed in for a delicious brunch.

We finished and Joyce and I loaded the dishwasher. "Now that you guys have keys, you can let yourselves out. Joyce and I have an errand to run."

Colleen looked at Joyce, "On a Sunday?"

"Yeah, so he says. Actually we're picking up a motorhome. He needs somebody to drive the car back here and I got elected," she laughed. "I'm really looking forward to it. We went shopping last week and must have picked up 2 trees worth of brochures. I didn't realize there was so much involved in RV's."

Colleen looked over at me, "A motorhome, Dad? What kind? How big?"

"You, along with Joyce will just have to wait, you guys a bit longer. If you want to hang out here, we should be back in an hour or so. Then you can come and drool," I laughed as Joyce and I went into the garage and got into the car to drive to the RV dealer.

For the life of me I can't understand why they need an hour's worth of paperwork to complete a simple purchase. Sure, it was a larger purchase than usual given the price of the thing, but there was no financing or any of that to deal with. Thankfully the sales guy didn't try any up selling. That might have aggravated me more than I already was with all the paperwork.

Finally we finished and did our orientation. I was sure it would take me quite awhile before I could operate everything without referring to a manual. I felt like I was learning how to fly an airplane. Since they were a full service dealership, I was able to have license plates put on and get the thing registered all at the same time. I'd already arranged for BCAA coverage, since they insured almost everything else I owned.

Finally we were able to leave the dealership and get back to the house. I had no problem; this one was a bit smaller than the one I had rented, and it didn't have the tow on it yet. Joyce had approved of my choice. It was one of the top ones on her 'probable' list. To my surprise, Colleen and David were still there, waiting for us.

They oohed and aawwed over the new addition. David was especially impressed with some of the advanced technology. They didn't know it, well, nobody did, but I was going to make it available for all my staff and families. All they would have to do is buy fuel. It was a large expenditure and I couldn't see it sitting idle in storage for months at a time.

After duly appreciating the new toy, Colleen and David left us to our own devices. Joyce took more time going through it now, checking cupboards, closets, and the like. I was happy to sit in the cockpit (yes, they call it a cockpit) and read through some of the manuals. Then I got an idea. A test drive. Wednesday. It would be perfect. I'd get Joyce to come over after work and Wednesday we'd do a test drive and take it over to show Gloria and all the rest of them.

I finally got Joyce out of the thing and drove it around back. I had a spot in the backyard I could park it temporarily. We settled on the back patio with a glass of wine. As I said before, it felt so natural sitting with her. I realized that I had been missing this type of companionship for quite some time, even before my divorce.

Joyce began giggling. I asked her what that was all about and she giggled louder. "Jack, just to piss of your ex we should drive the motorhome down to where she's living now."

"God, you're evil. Why would you want to do that? I didn't think you were that kind of vindictive person," I answered.

"I'm not, really. But I'd love to see the look on her face when she saw what she had lost out on just for a fuck and smooth talk. Honestly, I'm glad I'm with you and she's not, but I'd like to rub her face in it. She was a fucking idiot for letting you go," she giggled, then became quiet. "I'm so glad she was a fucking idiot."

"Well, that ship sailed a long time ago. But look at it this way, if you guys at the store hadn't nagged me about taking a holiday after the divorce was final, this, and we, may not have happened. I still look back and think of all those wasted years and realize that, if nothing else, we brought a couple of great kids into the world. She was a good mother; I have to give her that. And you, with your two. You must have had the patience of a saint dealing with your ex and bringing up 2 very nice young women."

"Thank you Jack. I think you, of all the men I know, can relate to just how hard it was. Growing up without love could be tough. At least my girls had that from me. I think their father just saw them as an unneeded and unwanted distraction." I heard her sigh contentedly. It was as if we were already married, yet we hadn't discussed any of that yet.

"Joyce, have you talked to your girls about us?" I was curious to hear what their reaction might be.

"No, I'm supposed to see Gloria sometime this week. Jen too if I can swing it. I see that Colleen is okay with us, what will Jamie think?"

"He'll be fine. Actually I was more worried about Colleen since she and I never saw eye to eye very much when they were growing up. The two of them thought their mother walked on water. I just brought home the money. Jamie, to his credit, started to see the light when he talked to his mother after I'd booted her out and changed the locks. I guess some of her answers to his questions didn't sound right. He was the first one to admit that what I had found out was true. It took Colleen a bit longer. So, I think Jamie will be fine."

She smiled over at me in agreement. I guess she was thinking along those lines. I'm pretty sure her daughters will be more than happy for her, for us.

"Sweetheart, what do you say to an early dinner? I can probably find something to burn on the barbeque, or we can keep it simple and have salad with a side dish of some kind. It's been awhile since brunch, and I'd like to make an early night of it tonight."

"Do you mean early as in sleep?" she teased. "Actually, I was thinking along the same lines. As wonderful as last night was, I do need to get some sleep if I'm going to function at all tomorrow." We settled on a salad, some cold grilled chicken and, of course, a nice chardonnay. After dinner, though I would have gladly taken her to bed, I ended up taking her back to her apartment.

Chapter 9

The week flew by. I hardly spent any time in the office. Jeff and the techs were going flat out and even Lisa seemed busier than usual. I had made one unscheduled call to a jeweller that I had dealt with and known for years.

Wednesday afternoon came along. Finally, I could relax after these few, hectic days. Joyce poked her head in the door of my office, "Wow, that's quite a week so far. What are you, we, doing for dinner?"

"Tell you what, let's just go to the diner and have a quick supper and take the motorhome for a test drive. I've been waiting all week to do that. It will be a perfect way to wind down."

"That sounds great. Why don't you pick me up at my apartment in about thirty minutes? It'll give me a chance to change then we can go to your place and pick up Maxine and do a test drive."

"Maxine?" I asked. This was a new one.

"Yes, I named your motorhome Maxine. She'll be smart, clever and funny just like the cartoons," she laughed.

I groaned, "What is with you women naming everything? I thought 'motorhome' pretty much had it covered."

"Spoilsport," Joyce laughed as she left to go home and change. I took a quick walk through the store to make sure everything was secure then headed for home. Joyce was waiting on the sidewalk in front of her apartment block when I arrived.

"That was quick," I remarked, "not even 20 minutes." Joyce was dressed in a casual blouse and casual slacks. She carried only her purse and a light sweater.

"Fifteen, I've been waiting for 5 minutes," she laughed, "Let's get going. This woman needs to be fed." I headed toward my place and parked the car in the garage.

"I'll just be a couple of minutes. Make yourself at home," I told Joyce, hoping that at sometime in the future it would be permanent.

Ten minutes later we were climbing into 'Maxine' and heading toward town. We headed to a small diner that we both knew from previous experience served great food. We were seated and the nice young server took our order. We relaxed over coffee, since I was driving, and just chatted, happy in each other's company.

Dinner was over about an hour later. I still had to kill an hour before arriving at Gloria's place. We climbed into the motorhome and just started driving around town, getting used to the handling of a fairly large motorhome instead of a car. Joyce was having a blast. She couldn't believe how much she could see from the Captain's chair in the cockpit. I kept my eye on the clock as we drove around, planning on ending up in front of Gloria's at 7:00 without seeming to have planned it.

At 6:59 I parked at the curb opposite Gloria's place. "What do you think; will Gloria and her better half want to take a gander at 'Maxine'?"

"Did you know we were going here?" she asked, somewhat suspicious.

"Not at all until I realized that they lived somewhere up here and I figured we could get a coffee out of them, at least." I tried to sound convincing, but don't know if I succeeded.

"Uh huh," replied Joyce. I'm sure she wasn't convinced but had no evidence to the contrary.

She just stepped out of the motorhome when the front door of Gloria's house opened and Gloria, Jen, their husbands and assorted grandkids came running out screaming, "Surprise!"

She took a second to look back and give me a dirty look then was swept up in all the hugs and wishes from her family. I followed her out of the motorhome and locked it up. Gloria and Jen gave me welcoming hugs and introduced their husbands, Mike and Dave. The kids were still ganging up on Grandma; we adults were more or less being ignored so we headed into the house.

Gloria had everything set up on the deck. We were told to help ourselves to refreshments. The new car they had purchased for Joyce was sitting in the middle of the lawn with a sign that read "Happy Birthday Grandma" and a huge, red bow fastened on top of the roof. We stood around, sipping on a beverage, waiting for the kids to drag Grandma through the house to her birthday surprise. We could hear them before seeing them. The kids were almost beside themselves with excitement.

The look on Joyce's face when she saw the car was priceless. It went from wonder to shock to amazement in seconds, and then she began to cry. She let herself be pulled down to see her new wheels by the grandkids who were still giddy with excitement; a beautiful Magenta Toyota Avalon. Of course it wasn't licensed yet, but she could transfer the plates off her old car.

"I can't believe this," Joyce was crying as she walked slowly around the car. We had all moved down to help her enjoy the moment. "You, all of you, shouldn't have done this. It's far too much, too much."

"Grandma, Grandma. You have to sit in it. See, it's open," called her oldest grandson, all of seven years old, as he opened the driver's door.

Joyce dutifully sat in the driver seat and looked around her new ride. Cards and well wishes covered almost every surface. "I can't believe this, it's too much," she continued to cry. She got out of the car and began delivering hugs to everyone, saving me for last, "You bugger. You knew didn't you?"

"Well, sort of. I was told to deliver you to the house at 7:00PM precisely. I think we might have been a minute early," I laughed. "Blame Gloria, she set it all up."

We adjourned to the deck where Joyce cut the cake while Gloria and Jen added ice cream and handed plates to all of us. Except for me, it was all family. Some friends and neighbours would be arriving a bit later. It was going to be a huge 55th birthday party for a wonderful woman.

The friends and neighbours showed up and more cake and ice cream were served. Many had brought their own chairs so everyone had somewhere to sit. Except for my staff who were all present, most of the people didn't know me, oh they knew about me being Joyce's employer, but had never met me. I enjoyed getting to know them, and be known by them. About an hour after everyone had arrived and had their cake, I stood up.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I know that this is Joyce's birthday party. I have a few things I'd like to say, but before that let's give Gloria and Jen a big hand for arranging this surprise." A loud, long round of applause rang out, and then I continued, "This bit is for all the staff. You've all seen that huge bus out there. Well, that's my new toy. The staff all know about my little adventure after my divorce. I had so much enjoyment out of travelling with the rented RV, that I decided to buy one of my own," there was a murmur of appreciation. "When I bought this, I knew I wouldn't be using it every day, all year. So my announcement is that all staff and their families can use it for their vacation if they so choose. Naturally, I get first dibs, but after that, everyone can book it for their own vacations. I haven't worked out the details; we'll get together on that when things sort of get back to normal." Another murmur of appreciation was followed by applause.

"Now, I know that you all think you know Joyce quite well. I'm here to tell you that you might be a bit mistaken. When I first hired her, a couple of lifetimes ago, she wouldn't say boo to a goose. Oh, she was and is very good at her job then, but she would hardly talk to anyone, even me. Gradually she got more comfortable and even came to realize that the techs in back weren't really some kind of weird species." This got a laugh, especially from the four techs.

"Please bear with me. I'll get to the point soon. Now we have the techs, Lisa and even me living in fear of the wrath of Joyce." More laughter. "That being said, I'm happy to say she has become an integral and valued member of our team. But," I paused for effect, "all good things come to an end." Everyone was almost holding their breath; none of them knew what was coming. "Joyce, I'm afraid that for your birthday, I'm going to have to fire you." There was a collective gasp that quickly turned into a lot of yelling, chiefly at me. I waved my arms to quiet everyone, and gradually the uproar stopped. "You see, my dear, loving Joyce, I can't have my wife working for me, now, can I?" A totally stunned silence followed. It seemed that nobody either believed what I said, or they didn't understand it. I knelt down in front of Joyce and pulled the small black box from my pocket, "Joyce, would you do the honour of becoming my wife?"

Well, as I imagined, pandemonium ensued. Joyce wasn't able to speak, just nodded her head, and fell into my arms. Everyone was crying, well at least the adults were. The kids didn't really understand what was going on until Gloria explained that I would soon be their new Grandpa.

Things gradually settled down, and we were able to enjoy the remainder of the evening. Of course all of the women wanted to ogle the ring I had given Joyce, and the men wanted to shake my hand. Gloria tried to pretend that she was upset with me for having upstaged her birthday surprise. It was, of course, all in jest. She and Jen were thrilled for their Mom.

Eventually we were able to leave. Tomorrow was a work day, though I told Joyce to take the day off and get her new car all set up and registered and insured. I told her that if there were any additional costs to have the BCAA call me. On the way back to her apartment she was very subdued, almost as if reality was just now starting to sink in.