The Long Way Home (14 page)

Ruthie got up and threw a twenty dollar bill on the table.

"I am sorry Ms. Waters, but that is the most selfish, stupid, stubborn things, I think I have ever heard anyone say. I don't want to have lunch with you anymore. So if you don't mind I will pay my own bill and get back to the office I have a lot of work to do." Ruthie turned and headed for the door.

Ruthie got outside and hailed a cab she felt stupid for leaving her umbrella in the limo. Right now she felt stupid for getting in the limo in first place. She got back to her office and wondered if Ms. Waters would fire her now for what she said in the restaurant Ruthie felt a little bad she felt like she may have over reacted a bit. She started to go through some papers she had on her desk when she heard the elevator doors open. Ruthie felt butterflies in her stomach in anticipating as Ms. Waters came up to the door. Jill flung the doors open in anger.

"How dare you. What gives you the fucking right to judge me and my decisions. You don't know a god damn thing; you don't know what I went through." Jill was livid and shaking with anger. Ruthie lost any sort of social graces at this point.

"First you run out on him, don't tell him that you just canceled his wedding and then you're shocked that he won't call you now you're angry at him. And then you don't even have the decency to tell anyone that his father died. I am sure every one would have understood a postponement due to a death in the family. What you did is the most asinine thing I have ever heard. Why didn't you ever call him? Why didn't you ever apologize for being a complete bitch and running out on him when quite possibly he needed you most? You left him while he was trying to piece his broken life together. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy you Ms. Waters a selfish, decrepit, coward. Don't you get it that's part of loving someone? You can't just bail on them the second things get a little rough. I hate to say it but sometimes life gets that way and if you really love someone then you help them through it not run away from it like a child." Ruthie and Jill were both in shock at what Ruthie had just said. There a long pause as the dust settled.

Jill with out saying a word went into her office and sat down at her chair and started to go through something in her drawer. After not finding what she was looking for she started to through things around her. Ruthie was watching all of this and decided to go in.

"What are you looking for?" Ruthie said.

"I am looking for Charlotte's phone number; I am going to find him. You're right, you're more right than you know." Jill said with her head in one of her file draws.

"Ms. Waters..." Ruthie said timidly.

"Don't interrupt me." Jill said.

"I have her number in my rolodex on my desk." Ruthie said with a smile. Jill looked at her and smiled she had a new love for her seemingly innocent assistant. Jill made a mental note as she was dialing Charlotte's number to give Ruthie a large raise as an apology for what she just put her through.

Jill looked at Ruthie as the phone rang hugged Ruthie and whispered. "Thank you".

Poor Ruthie started to cry.

Charlotte had just finished running on her treadmill in her living room and had settled down on the couch to watch Days of Our Lives when the phone rang. It was Grey he was also starting to watch Days.

"Hey before the show starts when should I expect to pick you guys from the airport?" Grey was very exited at the prospect of them coming.

"Mike decided that he could get off around the 16th of November so we figure after we get everything squared away we'll arrive on the 18th I'll tell you the exact time after we book the flights." Charlotte said.

"Oh, it's stating now. Quick what do you think Bo is going to do I mean she just found out that her boyfriend has been cheating her." Grey said with a giddy anticipation.

"I don't know if she doesn't give him a piece of her mind then she's just stupid." Charlotte was deeply concerned. When commercials came on there was a beep indicating that there was someone on the other line.

"Grey, hold on there's some one on the other line. I'll try to get them off the line before the show starts again." Charlotte was already annoyed at the who ever was on the other line. She pressed the flash button on her phone and switched to the other line.

"Hello?" Charlotte said.

"Is this Charlotte?"

"Yes, who is this?" Charlotte said curiously.

"This is Jill. Look I know I haven't called you recently but I need you." Jill was pleading. She never pleaded with anyone but now she was. Charlotte nearly choked.

"Recently you haven't called me in four years!" Charlotte even though she was a little mad was happy that Jill had called.

"What could the woman who has everything need from little old me?" Charlotte was joking.

"I need to see Grey." Jill was laying it on the line. Charlotte was didn't know what to say the times that she had talked to Jill in the past she had never spoken of Grey.

"Why?" Charlotte said the first thing that came to her mind.

"I think... I think that I am still in love with him. I want him back I realized that I made a mistake. I need you to help me find him." Jill didn't know what she was saying or why.

"Whoa let's just back up this horse and pony show just a little bit. What makes you think he'll get back together with you? I think you pretty much destroyed him when you ran out on him like that." Charlotte was defending Grey. Although they never spoke of it Charlotte could tell that he had never been the same. That and if Mike were to see her again he would probably kill her for destroying Grey. It was Mike who was with Grey after he found out that Jill had canceled the wedding and left without him.

"Well I think that I need to talk to him. I think that if I apologize he will be willing to understand and maybe even forgive me." Jill was grasping for strings. She had no idea how she was going to get Grey back but she knew that she had to.

"I just need to know if you know how to get a hold of him?" Jill said.

"Yeah I do I just don't think that it's a good idea that you talk to him right off the bat like that." Charlotte didn't know how Grey would react.

"I'll tell you what I'll do. Let me talk to him first then I'll call you back but you have to take my calls." Charlotte said.

"Okay when do you think you will be able to talk to him?" Jill said desperately.

"I talk to him as soon as we hang up. Then I will cal you right after wards probably in about an hour or so." Despite what ever crisis Jill maybe going through nothing was going to stop her from enjoying her soaps. Besides Charlotte had no intention of talking to Grey over the phone about Jill. She was already plotting how she was going to get these two back together again.

"I'll be waiting please don't take too long." Jill said the hung up the phone.

Charlotte pushed the flash button to pick up Grey again.

"Gosh what took you so long you missed it Bo just told her boyfriend that he was a complete loser. Then he asked her to marry him she doesn't know what to do. What an idiot." Grey comment seemed somehow fitting Charlotte thought.

"Hey I was wondering when you think you will be able to come down here to LA." Charlotte said inquisitively.

"I don't know my boss said something about me having to go down there for a meeting or something after the New Year. But I will probably know when you guys come up. Then I can stay over. Ooh then we could have a sleep over or something." Grey often stayed there when he had to fly down to LA for big meetings.

"Cool sounds good." Charlotte said. The two of them enjoyed the rest of Days of ours lives. When it was over and Grey hung up Charlotte debated as to when she would call Jill back. Charlotte knew that the only way to get this work would be to get them on neutral territory; Los Angeles was the perfect place they would feel comfortable there. She just had to keep Jill busy so that she would just show up at Grey's house and ruin the whole thing. She dialed Jill's number and it didn't even complete the first ring when Jill answered.

"So what did he say?" Jill said eagerly.

"He will meet you here in Los Angeles sometime after the New Year. He has a lot of work to do and then he will be willing to see you again." Charlotte told a little white lie but she knew that she could convince Grey to see Jill.

"He will give me a more accurate time around the end of the year. His schedule is a bit hectic he says." Charlotte thought she was lying pretty good right off the cuff.

"Well can I talk to him before that?" Jill said.

"No I am afraid not. Grey doesn't want to get distracted he is really busy right now and the sooner he gets done with his current project the sooner he will be able to come and meet you. He wants to save all of his attention and time for you." Charlotte knew she was pushing it but she knew that she had to be convincing.

"I'll give you my cell phone number and you are to call me as soon as you hear anything." Jill didn't expect this sort of reaction. Yet at the same time she was glad he was being so reasonable about all of this. It meant that she still had a chance. Charlotte took down Jill's cell phone number down and put in her phone book in her purse.

Jill couldn't believe that he was so willing to talk to her. She had expected him to at least be upset that she wanted to talk to him. It even made her a little mad that he was being so easy about it.

Charlotte knew that she was going to have to play this smooth. She didn't know how Grey was going to react to this news but she had nearly two months with the man to tell him and convince him to meet Jill in LA.

Charlotte's other concern was whether or not she should tell Mike. In all their years together she had never hid anything from him. She wondered if she could do if it came to that. Charlotte was worried about how this was going to go over but at the same time she knew that she could do it. She was really unsure about Mike would react to any news of this and how it would go not telling him. She knew that she had to do something only she didn't know what to do.

As soon as she put down the phone Jill looked up and Ruthie was standing the looking at her.

"I need you to plan a trip to L.A. meaning that all of the clients have to be taken care of. Also any and all meetings have to be rescheduled to before the end of the year. We are going to L.A. to resurrect my love life. I hope that you don't mind."

Ruthie looked both fearful and happy she didn't know what was going to come of all this.

"Miss Waters, I've never been to out of the city and I don't..." She paused not knowing what to say or do. She looked up at her idol with searching eyes.

"Look I know that this is bit drastic but I need someone to there with me to help me run the firm from five thousand miles away. You will be going as both my companion and personal assistant. You are the only one who knows enough of what I know to be able to make decisions and execute orders. And being that you will be working as my personal assistant I will of course pay you. I need someone who can basically be me if I end up taking longer than I expected. I hope that you understand. Ruthie I really need you. I will of course take care of all expenses and double you salary for the trouble."

Ruthie ran over and hugged Jill. "You don't have to pay me anything I would do it for free."

"Don't be silly. Although we're friends I will not have you go uncompensated. Besides you are going to be my personal assistant we can get a new secretary." At that moment Jill realized over the last few years Ruthie was her only real friend.

Then Ruthie regained her composure took a step back bore a look of determination. "Well I guess I have a lot of work to do." With that Jill's assistant left with almost a swagger she guessed.

After she left Jill sat down at her desk and started to work out in her own mind what she was going to do to get Grey to at least talk to her. She wasn't so misguided as to think that she would just show up and he would be head over hells for her all again. She knew that the best she could expect was that he was at least willing to talk to her so that she could at least apologize to him. She also hadn't full decided what she wanted either. She knew one thing though and that was that she had to impinge on him thereby drawing his attention back over to her.

After about an hour of speculation she had a sudden bright idea that would help with all of her worries, at least for the moment. She got up and went to her door. "Ruthie what are you doing tomorrow?" Ruthie who was busy filing turned and looked at her boss.

"Well tomorrow is Saturday...I normally just stay home or something. I could come in if you want it won't be..." Jill cut her off. "No it's not that at all we have to go shopping, we have to get new outfits I need to make an impression. Also I don't think you know what January in L.A. is like so we'll have to buy you a new wardrobe." Ruthie turned and looked at Jill with amazement. She had always wanted to go to Los Angeles. With a grin she said "Well okay if you say so." Jill went back into her office then turned around and said "Come over to my place around noon then we will go from there."

With that she returned to her office, she sat and looked out her window at the sky that reminded her so much of the man and life she once had. She thought of what things would be like if she would have stayed with him. In between sorrow and regret she decided not to think about it.