Into the Sunset

Chapter 11

The week went by so fast between both of our jobs. Graysson and I barely saw each other, but he always called me before he went to bed. He said hearing my voice soothes him. On Friday afternoon, I called him up to see if he was available this weekend to go to the beach house, as I wanted to show him what I had created so far on site. We decided to make a picnic out of it. He packed lunch, and I got his favorite wine and juice for me as I decided to drive back so he could enjoy it.

I put the top down and blasted the music. Katty Perry was playing "Harleys in Hawaii". After a few minutes, he grabs my hand and keeps it in his.

As I promised, everything was transferred to the computer, down to the rendering. He loved everything, with minor changes. He was amazed at the number of details I thought of and was excited to start.

- Let's do this. Do you think you can be done by July?

We were in March, so 4 months should be more than enough as he will have his company with 2 shifts working on the project. We decided to set up a meeting with John and his company's top foremen for early next week, and he would send me the details via message.

Since the weather was beautiful, we decided to have the picnic on the private beach, which turned out to be an amazing idea. We spent the day just chatting, with me in his arms most of the time. The sunset was amazing.

As usual, me being me, I blurted out

- I don't think I can handle any more heartaches; I don't trust you in this, though I trust you as a person but not with my heart.

I feel him stiffen, so I turn around and say:

- I'm sorry, I just... I don't know, you're too handsome, and everywhere we go, so many women try to grab your attention. I mean, who knows, one day you can be drunk or, I don't know, find someone drop dead gorgeous and fall for her.

He got so angry when I said that.

- Don't you think I have insecurities about you? I see all the guys looking at you.

I frown and say:

- What guys? Im not pretty, so what, guys?

He stares at me and says:

- You don't know how drop-dead gorgeous and sexy you are.

- me? Are you kidding me?

- Yes, you; your innocence is your weapon. You have natural beauty. And you don't even wear makeup.

- Well, unless I have to, I can't be bothered.

- You have so many insecurities yet wearing makeup is not one of them.

I touch my face again and realize that he was right.

- Yaz, even some of the guys have a crush on you but apparently don't want to tell you because they don't want to lose the friendship you have with them.

That shocked me, to be honest, and got me curious to know who, but come to think of it, I never felt anything for any of them but friendship.

- So back to your topic: I will never disrespect you or the decisions you make.
then he sighs, looks me straight in the eyes, and says:

- look Yaz Im tired and lonely. Im tired of being with a different woman every day. I want someone stable in my life who will love me for me, not for my money or power.

I didn't know what to say to that, so I kept quiet. He sighs again and says,

- I'm sure the "Andrew incident" is not the only thing that made you become like this. I hope one day you are willing to trust me enough to tell me your story. Just remember, I am an open book; you can ask me anything you want. I will never lie to you, and you will always have my respect.

The work on Graysson's house was scheduled to start in 3 days, so I received a package this morning from his office. I opened it and found a black credit card with a note from John saying that Graysson gave me the reins on the expenses. It felt weird to have someone else's no-limit credit card. I guess it was his way of telling me he completely trusts me.

I send a message to John, telling him that the card was well received and that I will start ordering stuff. I spent the whole afternoon between ordering items online and going to local shops where I knew I could find all the items I needed. A few days later, John sends me the code to the house in case I need to go there alone.

The house was starting to look like a home. Three out of 5 bedrooms were already finished. The kitchen was renovated as well as the bathrooms and walk-in closets for each bedroom. I made those bedrooms look like an en suite, so if Graysson receives people over, they will each have their own space with a fireplace and a dining corner. Sometimes you just want to be alone, I think.

The master bedroom was my biggest challenge. I wanted Grayson's room to be very comfortable and cozy. So his bathroom had two sinks, a shower and a bathtub, his and hers walk-in closets, a double-sided fireplace that opened to the dining room, and a sitting area. I also made sure he had a deck where he could relax after a long day if he didn't want to use the backyard.

Things were going smoothly; I used Grayson's credit card for everything and kept the receipts on an Excel sheet and the hard copies in a folder to give to John once everything was done. I got many pieces from the flea market that I turned into beautiful pieces. It was almost time to deliver, and I was getting nervous. I wanted him to love his home. The office floor was almost done as well; it was accessible from the house and from a side entrance, so I was told. I didn't check it out since I had nothing to do with it.

I told Graysson that I would be able to deliver his house on July 26, which made him very happy.