Three ladies walked in the shop, all eyeing Josh as they smiled at Chloe.
“Uh, um, I don’t have time for lunch. If you look at my office, it’s a complete mess. I’m in the middle of inventory, and I’m ordering new stock,” Chloe said, talking so fast that she nearly stumbled over her words.
“Oh, c’mon, Chloe, I promised I would come by today. I know you’re upset. I’m so—”
She held up her hands. “You don’t have to apologize, Josh. I’m just a friend. You don’t need to explain it to me.”
“Chloe, you were upset last night but nothing happened. Heather tried to kiss me. I was caught off guard. I would have never let it happen if I had known it was coming.” Chloe gave him a poker face. “Chloe, did you hear what I said? Nothing happened,” Josh said, staring at her.
She felt her resolve slipping. “I guess I could use some lunch,” she admitted reluctantly, opening the door.
She took him to her office. The desk was overflowing, so they sat on the loveseat and used the coffee table as their lunch counter. “These are really good sandwiches, thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I love grilled chicken sandwiches. They’re my favorite,” Josh said, taking a bite of his sandwich.
She felt her face warm and hoped he didn’t notice. “Really? Mine too.”
Josh took a sip of his coke. “Neat shop you have here.”
“Thanks, I really enjoy what I do.”
“So, when do I meet the groom to be?”
She looked out the window, stalling for time as he took another bite of his sandwich and didn’t say a word.
Fortunately, the phone rang and she quickly dug through her purse. She looked at Caller ID. It’s Richard. Do I answer? She signaled to Josh that she needed to take the call. “Hi, how are you?” she said, standing and walking to the far corner of the room.
“I’ve been busy meeting with clients. You said your message was urgent, and I can only talk for two minutes,” Richard said, his words rushed.
She turned her back to Josh. “I was wondering if you could help Nicole’s mom. Her house is about to be foreclosed by the bank. They’ve given her thirty days to pack up and leave. Her dad stopped pa—”
Chloe could hear Richard take a long drag from his cigarette before answering. “Okay, enough with the long story. Tell your friend that her mom’s lucky that they gave her thirty days to vacate the property. What was she thinking? How could she not pay her mortgage for a year? She has passed her redemption period and California law states that you have to give the borrower a twenty day notice before a foreclosure sale. ”
“She’s aware of the law. It was her dad’s fault. He lied to them and told them the house was paid in full. Isn’t there any way that you can help her?” Chloe begged, turning back toward Josh, who was sitting across from her and giving her a sweet smile.
“Her situation is a dead end. I know you mean well Chloe, but I don’t have time for this,” Richard said.
Chloe sighed before she hung up. “Okay, I’ll talk to you later then.”
“That was quick,” Josh said.
Chloe shook her head. She hated it that Richard was always so busy. Back in their early days of dating, he’d had more time for her, even doted on her. “He’s just busy with his deals. I was hoping he could help Nicole. You’re aware of her situation, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, that’s too bad. It happened to one of my surfing buddies, and he was able to refinance his loan with some company. If you like, I can ask him,” Josh offered.
“Will you do that? I really want to help Nicole.”
“Sure, no sweat.”
Fancy him helping Nicole, while Richard doesn’t give a damn about my friend. “Thanks, Josh.” She put her phone away, and then came to sit beside him and finish her lunch.
“Hey, anytime. We’re friends, remember?”
“Yes, we are,” she said, although deep in her heart she felt that he was more than a friend to her.
“What does Richard say about the love letters?”
She shrugged, chewing the last bite of her sandwich. “He’s not interested. He said ‘What’s in the past should stay in the past’.”
Josh patted her back. “Sorry to hear that.”
“Seriously, Josh, I feel compelled to find this man. I did a Google search, and it took me to the day the Natividad docked in San Francisco for a week. January 5, 1968. Can you believe it? Only a week and my mom was head over heels with this man.”
Josh shrugged. “It must have been true love, Chloe. That’s what real love is. It doesn’t have to make sense.”
Goose bumps raced up Chloe’s arms. True love? Oh, why does he sound just like me?
“So what do the letters say?” he asked.
“He talked about how much he missed her. He wrote to her from every port and she wrote back,” Chloe said, taking a last bite of her sandwich.
Josh perked his ears. “Tell me more.”
“They were sharing stories about their dreams. He said my mother wanted to be a Broadway actress. My mother, a Broadway actress?” Chloe laughed out loud.
Josh chuckled. “You never knew about this?”
“She never told me … or my dad. My mom met my dad on October 1968 at a party. They got married six months later, and had me after fifteen years. They called me a miracle baby because my mom said just when she had given up on having kids, she got pregnant with me.”
“That makes you special. I’m intrigued – why did she get married right away?” Josh said, tucking his hair behind his ear.
“Listen, do you want to come over tonight so we can finish reading the letters?” Oh why did I invite him?
Josh gave her a wide smile. “Sounds good.”
“Great, I’ll order some pizza.”
As she walked him to the door, she heard the three ladies who had entered earlier arguing by the fitting room. “Excuse me for a moment, Josh. I need to take care of something.”
Josh nodded as he admired the shop.
Chloe called into the fitting room where all three ladies were camped inside. “Is everything okay? Can I help you?”
A young lady, a little on the heavy side, opened the door. She had on a wedding dress that seemed too tight for her. She smiled sheepishly. “Hi, I really like this dress but my sisters keep saying it doesn’t flatter me.”
Her two sisters came outside with guilty looks on their faces. Both were much taller and thinner than the sister who was to be married soon. They also looked much older than her. “I’m only trying to help,” the sister with dark hair said.
“Yeah, Hannah, Lisa’s only trying to tell you the truth,” the other sister chimed in.
Hannah glared at them. “I’ve had enough of both of you telling me what to do. This is my wedding and I get to decide.”
The two sisters looked at Chloe as though hoping she’d take their side.
Hannah turned to Chloe who took her inside the fitting room again while the two sisters peered from the outside. “So, are you excited about your wedding?”
Hannah’s eyes were shining. “I can hardly wait.”
“Just tell her the truth,” Lisa said.
“Will you cut it out,” Hannah called, and then turned back to Chloe giving her a puppy dog look. “I’m sorry. I’m the youngest and my sisters don’t realize that I’m all grown up now.”
“It must be difficult for you, being the youngest,” Chloe said. “I’m getting married too.”
“You are?” The young bride brightened.
“Yes, and it’s important that you have the perfect dress,” Chloe said looking at the size of the dress Hannah was wearing. “So, how many dresses have you tried so far?”
“A lot and I look fat in all of them.” Hannah sighed. “This one is the best, but my sisters don’t agree. I’m tired of trying on gowns.”
Fortunately, the two sisters left the outside of the fitting room to go look at more wedding gowns.
Chloe bent down to check the length of the Oscar d
e la Renta gown, ivory silk with satin embroidery. “Hey, this is your wedding day so don’t worry about how many dresses you try. You want it to be perfect.”
Hannah grew teary-eyed.
“It’s okay to be emotional,” Chloe said, rubbing her shoulders. “Do you want to know what I think about this dress?”
Hannah nodded.
“I think this dress would look beautiful if it were one size bigger,” Chloe said. “And the good news is that I have this in a size fourteen. It also comes with a light shawl which adds to the accent. Let me get the dress. It’s in the back,” Chloe said, walking out of the fitting room.
Josh was standing outside the room and gave her a big smile.
She came back with a size fourteen for Hannah to try.
When Hannah came out shrieking with delight, Chloe called her two sisters to come see. The two sisters were speechless.
“You look beautiful and I’m sure your wedding will be perfect,” Chloe said.
Hannah gave Chloe a big hug. “Thank you so much.”
Chloe smiled and left them as she walked towards Josh.
“You were amazing,” he said, giving her the same look he had thirteen years ago when he told her that he loved her. “I had a nice time today.”
She walked him towards the door. “Thanks for lunch and for waiting for me, Josh. I’ll see you later.”
“Hey, no sweat.”
After he was gone, Hannah came over to her, a smile on her face. “Is that your fiancé? You two look like you would be perfect for each other.” Before Chloe had a chance to answer, Hannah rushed back to her sisters and the three women all chattered at once.
The woman’s words played in her head. Perfect for each other. Just one problem. She was marrying Richard.
***
Chloe changed to denim shorts and a gray tee later that evening. The pizza arrived minutes before Josh was due to arrive. Fortunately, Richard was so busy with his latest merger that he’d called her to say he would be out most of the evening and to watch one of her chick flicks now, since after they were married they would be watching more sports. Those last words made her feel a little less guilty about seeing Josh tonight. Just then the doorbell rang.
“You’re just in time, Josh, the pizza’s here,” Chloe said, as she opened the door.
Josh walked in wearing jeans and a blue sweatshirt. “I must be psychic.”
Chloe couldn’t help but stare at him. His spicy cologne wasn’t making it any easier for her. “I hope you like Round Table.”
“Round Table’s my favorite. Did you order the Smo—?”
“Smokehouse combo it is,” Chloe interrupted, taking out two plates.
“Geez, you remembered. I’m impressed.”
How could she forget? Josh wasn’t only her boyfriend when she was younger; he was her best friend. She had lost a part of herself when he left. Now she had him back, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. She sighed. “Have a seat. Do you want a beer?”
Josh rubbed his hands together. “Ah, beer and pizza… perfect combination.”
Although the heater was on, goose bumps ran up Chloe’s arms from the cold. More like déjà vous. Even now she felt very comfortable with Josh, unlike Richard, who always made her feel as though she had to pick the perfect time to talk to him.
Greta came down from Chloe’s room to see who was there. The French bulldog immediately jumped in Josh’s arms and began licking him.
Chloe stood there open mouthed the beer she’d retrieved from the refrigerator still in her hand. “She likes you.”
“Yup, I don’t blame her.” Josh laughed, stroking her velvety hair.
They ate some pizza and drank two beers in cans, laughing about the good old days.
Chloe stood up and brought the dishes to the kitchen. “Make yourself comfortable on the couch while I get the letters.”
Greta followed Josh to the couch, never leaving his side. “Sure.”
Chloe came down with the big brown envelope of letters and the printouts from her Google search.
She covered her mouth when she saw Josh holding the big teddy bear he had given her before he left. His eyes were gleaming. “You still have this, Chloe?”
Why did I have to leave it on the couch? “Oh, uh, I actually used to collect stuffed toys and thought it might be worth a fortune someday.” She flushed with embarrassment at the white lie.
Josh laughed. “You cried so hard before I left for Oregon that I thought this teddy bear would keep you company. Did you name him?”
He remembered. “Of course he has a name. It’s Benjie.”
“Benjie.” He bit his lip as though thinking the name over, and then nodded. “I like it. By the way I never got to ask you if –”
“If what?”
He shook his head. “Never mind. So, you have the letters.”
Chloe frowned. What did he want to ask me? “Here you go, you read letters one to five and we can read letters six to eleven together.”
Josh opened the envelope and smiled at Chloe while she took a sip of her beer. She watched Josh in amusement as he read the first five. They were seated so close that she hoped he couldn’t hear her heart beating. She felt guilty that she wasn’t being truthful to Richard. She needed to tell him about Josh, but how?
“Are you all right?” Josh asked, peering at her.
“So where are you in the letters?” she asked, changing the subject.
“I’m on letter number five.”
Chloe nodded and turned on the TV to distract her from his nearness. “So what do you think?”
“It seems to me that they had a serious relationship. His letters get deeper and longer as the months go by.”
“Okay, let’s read letter number six.”
“Suzanne dearest,
Your letter today has given me great hope. How wonderful that you have decided to pursue your dream, despite your parents’ wishes. You’re quite a strong woman and I truly support you. It’s our dreams that keep us alive, especially for me when all I see is the ocean. Being an electrician on the ship allows me to use my hands, but if you ask me, I’d rather be an architect.
During my free time, I have drawn models of houses and buildings. Travelling around the globe has added a whole new perspective to my models. The more I’m aware of my dream and my willingness to pursue it, the more excited I get. At times, life may take us down paths we never wish to take, but I believe there is a reason for everything. Joining the navy has strengthened my dream, and has led me to you. It’s what I call, destiny.
You’re a wonderful woman, Suzanne, and though we only spent a very brief time together, I feel that I have known you forever. The captain has informed me that we will be back in San Francisco by December. By then, it will have been eleven months since we first met. I know it is too much to ask, but will you wait for me? I want to personally ask for your hand in marriage and take you as my wife. I love you too much to be apart. We can go to New York and pursue our dreams together, you as a Broadway actress and I as an architect.
I love you with all my heart and look forward to seeing you soon.
Faithfully,
Ignacio Rodriguez
June 1968”
Josh put down the letter and took a sip of his beer. “Man, this is heavy stuff. Who would have ever guessed that your mother would have experienced something like this?”
“I’m sad that she never told me she was interested in Broadway. I don’t understand why she never pursued her dream.”
“There’s probably more that we don’t know,” Josh said, folding the letter.
“I’m sure there is. Would you like another beer?”
“I can help myself,” Josh said, walking to the kitchen with Greta following close on his heels.
“Okay, let’s read the next one when you come back.”
Josh returned, moments later, and sat closer to Chloe as she breathed his heavenly scent. “This is odd. Did you see the date? It’s September 1968.
”
“Oh no, that means that he didn’t write to her for three months,” Chloe said, counting on her fingers.
“Either that or maybe she stopped writing.”
“All right, let’s quit speculating and start reading.”
Her phone rang. “Hold on, it’s Nicole.” She punched in the talk button. “Hi, Nicole, how are you?”
“Not too good. Mom received another letter reminding her about her deadline. She’s been on a crying frenzy, and she expects me to handle everything. I don’t know what to do.” Nicole cried.
“Take a deep breath, Nicole. You know I’m always here for you and your mom.”
“Thanks, but I can’t believe what’s happening. Did you talk to Richard?”
She didn’t want to lie to her best friend, but what was she supposed to tell her? “I know how you feel, Nicole. I told Richard about it and he said he’ll see what he can do.”
“Is that Nicole?” Josh whispered.
“Who’s over there?” Nicole asked.
“Oh, it’s Josh. He came by earlier. We’re reading the letters to Mom from Ignacio.” Chloe turned away from Josh so he wouldn’t see her smile.
“Huh? You mean Josh went there just to read those letters?” She snorted. “I don’t think so! He went there because he likes you.”
“You’re funny, you know that?” Chloe laughed.
“Hey, can I talk to Nicole?” Josh asked.
“Nic, Josh wants to speak to you.”
Josh informed Nicole about his friend who had been through some program that had helped and told her he’d get more information tomorrow. He passed the phone back to Chloe.
“I still think he likes you, Chloe,” Nicole teased, sniffing.
“Whatever, I’m not going to argue with you.” Chloe giggled.
“Okay, girl, I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Au revoir.”
“So shall we read the seventh letter?” Chloe asked, after hanging up with Nicole.
Josh opened the seventh letter. He seemed to be enjoying every moment he shared with Chloe.
“Ever dearest Suzanne,
I am very sorry for not writing you for three months. It has been a depressing time for me. My mother passed away three months ago, due to a heart attack. It was very difficult for me to accept what happened, since I wasn’t there when it occurred. I have every reason to believe that I do not belong here. This job has taken me away from my loved ones. I can hardly wait until I reach America.