CHAPTER
“Maybe he has something planned for later.”
I shake my head at Jess’ assessment of Axel having not wished me a happy birthday all day. He had called me close to midday as he usually did and I had hoped he remembered then but he didn’t. I guess I shouldn’t feel disappointed since we are recently a couple and dates usually take a while to stick. But I’m disappointment. It’s his fault for making me get used to his over the top gestures. Before, I hadn’t really cared much for my birthday. Just another day when I did nothing.
“No, I think he forgot,” I tell her. We are lying on lounge chairs by the pool side, sipping from a glass of Axel’s champagne. I am not much of a drinker but I think today calls for it.
“But how could he forget? It doesn’t sound like Axel.”
“Well, he does have a lot going on for him at work right now,” I explain, trying to find an explanation that would make me feel better than my husband had forgotten my birthday. “He’s making all these changes to the publishing house. Did I tell you, he found out that the accountant had been swindling money from the company? No wonder Mr. Cavil wasn’t making much by way of profit.”
“Yeah, I remember you saying something about it.”
“Plus, there was a fire at his hotel. Thank God it wasn’t really serious but the police think it’s arson.”
“So you really think he forgot?” she asks. “Didn’t you give him any hints?”
I shrug. “I’m not too good at being subtle. I’d have just blurt it out. Really, Jess it’s nothing.”
“Hmm. I wouldn’t be so calm if Roger forgot my birthday. I mean it’s not even the gift. It’s the remembering and the thought behind it.”
“There’s always next year.”
“Well, I think I should get going,” Jess states. “Tomorrow is in fact a school day and I’ve activities to plan.”
“Thanks for coming,” I tell her without getting up. She could find her own way out by now.
“No prob. I just wish I could have been here the entire day instead of just dropping by after work.”
“It was appreciated nevertheless. Let yourself out. Will you?”
She gives me a hug and head for the house to do just that. I take another sip of the glass of champagne and contemplate having another lap in the pool. I’m not just in a funk about my birthday but I’m bored. I want to be more than just Axel’s wife and to get back out there in the working world. Still I don’t think I could go back to a life of drudgery where I have no real passion for the job I’m doing.
It’s not so bad when Axel gets home but when he is at work during the days I am left with not much to do to while the time. Bored, I’ve done what Anne suggested and hired a landscaping and gardening company to maintain the lawn and gardens and a housekeeper and assistant. I don’t think we need a footman nor a cook since the housekeeper also takes care of food when we require her to.
“Joyce! He didn’t forget! He didn’t forget!”
I glance up to find Jessica running back out the sliding patio doors and to me. Her eyes are sparkling with excitement and she’s waving a card at me.
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
She thrust the card at me. “Read it.”
I take the card from her and flip it open. It’s signed by Axel wishing me a happy birthday and citing an address where I should meet him at five thirty.
“He didn’t forget,” I mumble, feeling much better.
“I knew it was too good to be true that Axel would forget such an important day.”
“But where did you get this?”
“From the delivery man?”
“Delivery man?”
“Come. It’s better for you to see yourself.”
I hurry inside the house after her and come to a standstill, my hands covering my mouth. The hall is lined with bright yellow roses. He even remembered the type of rose I like.
“How did this get here?” I ask in awe.
“The delivery men arrived when I opened the door. They were apologizing for being late. Something about running out of yellow roses.”
“They are beautiful but so many.”
“I count twenty-five individual bouquet,” she responds. “Anyway I’ve got to run and you do too. You barely have any time to get to that address.”
“You’re right!”
She leaves and I run up the stairs to take a quick shower. I am dressed in twenty minutes, taking care with my attire because I’ve no idea where the address on the card would lead to. I choose a blue off the shoulder dress I’ve never worn before. The bodice is a solid bright blue while the skirt which ends a little below mid-thigh is different shades of blue mixed with white. White cork wedges and matching shoulder bag complete my outfit. I put my hair up in a half top knot and leave the house driving his Caddy.
If I couldn’t drive the Caddy on my birthday then when would I?
I get to the venue ten minutes late, frowning when I find myself at a non-descript building. It looks abandoned and I can’t rightly tell what it is. I would have driven back home if not for Axel standing outside, waiting for me. He is on the phone balking orders by the serious look on his face but when I drive up and park, he gets off the phone and comes to open the door for me.
“I see you finally got my message,” he says with a smile. “Happy birthday baby. I’ve wanted to say that all day but the flower company took forever to send the damn flowers.”
“They are beautiful, thank you,” I tell him as he helps me out the car. “What are we doing here though? This looks like an abandoned building.”
“It was up for sale,” he answers and his hand slipping around my waste, guide me to the front door. He produces a key which he uses to unlock the padlock and chains at the front. “It’s in prime business territory if you didn’t notice all the other businesses surrounding it. Close to real estate offices too.”
“I thought you wanted to get the publishing house up and running strong before you ventured into another business,” I comment as he turns on the light. The space is empty but larger than I’d thought from the outside.
“But I won’t be getting distracted by this since I’m not the one going to be in charge here.”
“What do you mean?” I ask him. I feel he’s talking in riddles deliberately. I let go his hand and walk around, taking in the bland walls.
“I mean I bought it for you.”
I spin around to him. “For me?”
With a lazy smile, he approaches me, his hands resting about my waist in an all too familiar gesture. “Yes, for you. I know you’ve been bored especially since that weekend with my parents and you saw how active Anne is. I’ve been scoping out offices for you for a while and when I saw this, I thought the location was perfect.”
“You bought me an office?”
“Yes so you can follow your dreams, Joyce. Make that dream of yours to be an interior designer come to true. This is my gift to you for this birthday. Making your dream real.”
“You’re serious?” I ask him.
“Yes, babe. This is all yours. I’ve got the deed to prove it. With your name on it. Hundred per cent yours.”
I burst into tears startling both of us with my reaction. I don’t mean to cry but once I start, I can’t help it. The tears just keep coming.
“I- I don’t mean to cry,” I sniffed when he pulls me into his arms. “I’m just so happy.”
He breathes a sigh of relief. “Great. For a minute there, I thought I’d done something wrong.”
“No, everything is so right. Thank you. I love it. I love you!”
“You’re welcome. And now may we go. I’d sure like to get you through dinner before you start thinking of what you want to do to this place.”
I laugh but nod. Truth is my mind is already reeling with different ideas od refurbishing the office. That color wall paint and the old-fashioned windows just have to go.
“Why’d you buy me a fixer-upper type office?” I ask him curiously as we leave the office. It turns out I took the right move by driving the Caddy because he had been dropped at the office by his driver.
“I thought you’d appreciate it more than just another ready-made office,” he replies. “I figured you’d feel more pride if you made the palce your own. Of course we can always buy something else if-”
“No, it’s perfect!” I respond, marveling at his ability to read me so well. “It’s freaky sometimes the way you know me.”
“Because I pay attention to the people I care about.”
Smiling at him, I reach over and take his free hand, holding it. I still have a hard time believing my good fortune in meeting Axel. I chuckle now as I remember how we met and all the antagonism between us those two first days.
“What is it?” he asks.
“Just remembering when I first ran into you at Cavil’s.”
We reminisce about those days again and chat until we arrive at a docking station overlooking the Detroit river. There are boats of all sizes anchored.
“You wouldn’t be planning to drown me after buying me that office, would you?” I joke as he parks and we get out of the vehicle. The sight was beautiful as the sun is already setting about the water and the orange light glistened off the water.
He throws his head back and laughs as we walk on, passing the smaller boats. “The only drowning that will be done tonight is you drowning from my loving tonight. Come on, we’re going to be dining on my boat tonight.”
He brings me over to one of the bigger and more luxurious boats docked at the harbor. I gasp to find my name on the side of the white finishing of the boat.
“Oh Axel.”
“I had it done when we got back from our honeymoon,” he replies. “I’ve been saving it for our honeymoon. Do you like it?”
Like it? I am ecstatic. I’ve no idea what I’ve done to deserve all this good but I am so thankful. I’ve never felt more loved in all my life. Only by my gram and that kind of love is different. This love between Axel and me is empowering and makes me complete.
“I love it.”