The Marriage List (10 page)

Grey was in love, head over heels in love and
planning to take Carrie to the mountains to see the colors change
over Columbus Day weekend with Jenna and Bill in a rented cabin
Grey. He picked up his phone and dialed Jenna. He needed to speak
with her to confirm their weekend plans and to confide in her his
plan for Thanksgiving.

"Jenna, ready for our trip to the mountains?"
Grey asked when she picked up the phone.

"Why did you have to wait until it's going to
be cold?" Jenna grumbled.

"It will be perfect. Great weather for
snuggling…or don't you and Bill do that anymore now that you're
married?"

"None of your business! So how's the third
item on your list going with Carrie?"

"Do you really want to know, because I'll
tell you. Carrie is…"

"That's enough! Stop. TMI, Grey, TMI…"

He laughed into the phone.

"So how is it going? The whole thing with
her?" Jenna asked.

"I'm inviting her for Thanksgiving," Grey
tossed off.

"What?"

"That's right. She'll be joining us…I
hope."

"You've never invited any woman to
Thanksgiving before. She must be pretty hot on the third item on
the marriage list, eh?"

"I offered to tell you but you didn't want to
know…"

"Still don't. You're actually going to bring
her to Thanksgiving?"

"That's what I said. Are you losing your
hearing?"

"Do mom and dad know?"

"Not yet. I'd better tell 'em slowly…"

"Are you kidding? This will be too good to
miss. I wanna be there when you do."

"Then I'm not going to tell you when I'm
making the call."

"Aw, come on, Grey."

"Pouting again? I'm immune," he chuckled.

"Didn't used to be."

"I was naïve then. Now I know you do that to
get your way. Not working this time. Butt out, Jenna." Grey started
pacing in his office.

"Okay, okay. But you'll tell me what they
say, right?"

"They'll say, 'how nice, Grey. We'd love to
meet her'," he said, imitating his mother's voice.

"Yeah but you know she'll be dying. The
minute you're out of the room she'll probably do a back flip…as
will dad. 'it's about time our son settled down'…I can hear him
now."

Grey laughed.

"I want to see you tear up your marriage
list, Grey, then I want to shop for a dress to wear to your
wedding."

"I'm getting there, don't rush me."

"Bill's home. Gotta go."

"Oh? Time for that third item on my list?" He
snickered.

"You're impossible. Good bye," Jenna said and
hung up the phone.

****

Carrie grabbed her purse and coat and ran to
the elevator. Grey's car would be waiting outside. She got in and
called him. The noise of the party in the background made it hard
to hear so he walked outside.

"You're in the car?"

"Yes, see you soon."

"Good. The three other horsemen are here and
I want you to meet them."

"Oh, no! The four horsemen together?"

"We always meet at this party. I want them to
meet you."

"Then I have to change. I'll have the driver
stop at my apartment. It won't take me long. I can't meet them
looking like this."

"But, Carrie, I'm sure you're…"

She clicked off her phone and leaned forward
from the backseat.

"Driver. We have to make one stop before the
museum."

She gave him the address then sat back making
a mental inventory of what she had to wear that was clean and
pressed.

The dark limousine pulled onto the
cobblestone drive leading under the giant pink stone arch of the
American Museum of Natural History. A rotunda before the arch was
filled with perfectly trimmed tiny hedges and clusters of marigolds
and zinnias in fall colors of orange and gold.

Grey was pacing out in front of the museum's
side entrance on 77
^th
Street when the car drove up. He
walked up and opened the door.

"Carrie, I thought I…" then he stopped and
simply stared at her.

She wore a fine-gauge cream-colored lined
cashmere knit dress. The dress had short sleeves and was low-cut,
revealing plenty of cleavage and clung to her like a second skin.
Around her neck was a chunky gold link necklace. The matching
bracelet clinked with another on her wrist. Small gold hoop
earrings were visible when she brushed back her luxurious hair.
Burnt orange leather spiked heels brought her closer to Grey's
height, though he still had six inches on her. Her lashes, thick
with mascara, a touch of blush and coral lipstick were all the
cosmetics she needed. A tiny burnt orange clutch bag and a dark,
chocolate brown taffeta coat completed the picture. Grey's mouth
hung open. Carrie smiled at him and closed the car door.

"Am I late?" She asked, her eyes dancing.

"Oh my God," he muttered when he caught his
breath.

"What?" She asked, pretending not to know
what he was talking about.

"You look…you look…amazing. Amazing,
Carrie."

She gave him a peck on the cheek then folded
her arm through his and turned him towards the door. They walked
into the large entry way decorated with bronze busts of the
founders of the museum. They could hear the far-away laughter and
clinking of glasses from an exhibit hall where the party was being
held.

"This way to the party?" She asked, following
the festive sounds.

He gave a nod and moved forward, his gaze
glued to her.

"Amazing," he repeated while she laughed.

****

The museum usually held their parties in the
large exhibit hall on the first floor. The exhibits, mostly in
glass cases, lined the walls, leaving a long center hall completely
free. Food and drink stations at either end allowed people to
mingle and wander through the exhibits, chatting, looking at the
items on display and replenish their drinks and reload their plates
on the other side. Often they show a movie of their progress on new
exhibits in their IMAX theater so these big contributors could see
where their money is going.

Carrie's heels tapped on the dark marble
floor polished to a sheen as she moved toward the food. Draped on
Grey's arm, the other three Horsemen couldn't help but notice her.
Will, Spence and Bobby were talking together and laughing when
Spence spied Grey and Carrie. He stopped talking and stared as
Carrie approached, elbowing Will to his right. Will and Bobby
turned to see what he was watching.

"Carrie, this is Spence, Will and Bobby…the
other three horsemen. Guys this is Carrie Tucker."

The men muttered greetings as their eyes
raked Carrie up and down, giving her the kind of look she was more
used to getting in a bar than she would have expected from Grey's
friends. She shifted a little, uncomfortably. He pulled her a
little closer to him. Spence took Carrie's hand and led her over to
the bar.

"Tell me, Carrie. How long have you and Grey
been…together?"

"A few months, I think."

"Where have you been hiding her, Grey?" Will
asked.

"A few months? Hmmm. You must meet the
requirements on the list," Spence said, dropping her hand.

"Grey doesn't see anyone that long who
doesn't pass that test…" Bobby said.

"Guys! Guys, hey, give her some breathing
room here," Grey said, taking Carrie's hand and pulling her
away.

"List?" Carrie asked, her eyebrows raised as
she looked at Grey.

"I don't know what he's talking about. Let's
get something to eat. I'm starved," Grey said, cupping Carrie's
elbow with his hand.

Grey maneuvered Carrie away from the other
horsemen and over to the food table. He introduced her to the head
of development for the museum, Lila Samuels.

"Grey told me that you're in advertising? We
sure could use some help with our holiday fund-raising promotion.
We have bigger goals to reach this year."

"Don't you have an agency?"

"We're a pro bono account, Carrie. Our
agencies work for free. Sometimes that works against us. I don't
think they always spend enough time on our business."

"I'd be happy to meet you for lunch and
brainstorm some ideas."

"That would be fabulous!"

While the women were comparing calendars and
making dates, Grey rejoined his buddies.

"Hey, who told you to bring up the list?" he
asked Spence.

"Sorry, guy. Doesn't she know about the
list?" Spence replied.

"Would you tell a girl about your list?"

"Hell, no. But I've never had a list," Spence
said, lifting his wineglass for a sip.

"Maybe you'd be happier if you had," Grey
shot back at him.

The smile fell off Spence's face. "You
insulting Susan? Wanna step outside and say that again?" Spence
said, anger flashing in his eyes.

"I didn't mean anything by it, let's forget
it, Spence. You always complain about her. Maybe if you had a list,
you'd have everything you want in a woman."

"You're crazy," Spence said turning away from
his friend.

"Am I? I have everything I want in
Carrie."

The three men stopped in their tracks. Will
and Bobby smiled at him.

"It's about time. So when is the big
wedding?" Will asked.

"Haven't asked her yet."

"Why not?" Bobby twirled his empty wine
glass.

"It's pretty new. Thought I'd wait till the
holidays, just to be sure," he said, a blush creeping up his
neck.

"No hard feelings, Grey. Didn't know you were
that serious," Spence said, extending his hand.

"Yeah, me, too. Susan's great. Keep the list
thing to yourselves, guys," Grey said, shaking Spence's hand.

"If you wanted it a deep dark secret, you
shouldn't have told Bobby and Spence," Will chuckled.

"Got that right," Grey said, smiling.

"Met your family yet?" Bobby asked, handing
the bartender his glass for a refill.

"I'm taking her for a weekend away with Jenna
and Bill. Then I thought I'd invite her for Thanksgiving…"

"Thanksgiving? Whoa, that is serious," Will
said, raising his eyebrows.

"The holy Andrews Thanksgiving invaded by an
outsider. Your parents will flip," Spence said.

"Probably. I need to be sure before I bring
her into that lion's den," Grey confided.

"Why don't you wait another ten years, Grey,
to be
absolutely
certain? Geesh," Bobby smirked.

"Family…that's the ultimate test. Hell, any
woman who looks like her…we like her, right? But your family…Hell,
that's different." Spence said.

The guys nodded.

"My mother will be happy she has two arms,
two legs and is breathing. It shouldn't be a problem," Grey
joked.

"Who's breathing?" Carrie asked, walking up
behind Grey.

"You are, honey," Grey remarked, a little
color flushing his cheeks. He put his arm around her and hoped she
didn't hear any more of the conversation than that.

"What did you say you did for a living,
Carrie?" Will asked as he raised his glass to his lips.

Grey let out a sigh of relief as Carrie got
involved in a discussion with Will about advertising.

Chapter Twelve

"It's a perfect day for a drive to the
country," Grey said, standing at her window.

"I was lucky to get this weekend off. I'm
exhausted," Carrie said, collapsing onto the sofa.

"Come on, pack your stuff, I'm ready to go.
The mountain air will be good for you…invigorating!" Grey took her
limp hand in his and yanked on it, trying to get her to stand.

"Just let me have a few more minutes like
this." She curled up on the sofa and closed her eyes.

"You're going to sleep?"

Carrie opened one eye but didn't move.

"You can sleep in the car, Honey." Grey
scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom, placing her on the
bed. "A couple of days with fresh air, in the country, with my
sister and her husband. Do you good." Grey sat down on the bed next
to her, picked up her foot and started massaging it.

"Ummm, that feels good. Don't stop." She
rubbed his leg with her other foot.

"If you do that, we'll never get out of
here," he chuckled.

"What's your sister like?" Carrie removed her
foot from his leg.

"Jenna? I'm closest to her in the family.
She's a big tease, so don't believe anything she says."

"What if she says you're terrific?"

"I give you permission to believe that." He
reached for her other foot.

"Oooo. I already know."

He leaned over and kissed her.

"What if she doesn't like me?"

"Never happen. She's going to love you."

"How do you know?"

"Because I love you and she's always loved
what I loved." He stopped the massage.

"You love me?" Carrie opened her eyes and sat
up.

"Of course. Didn't you know?"

She shook her head, "You've never said it
before."

"Aren't you supposed to say something here?"
He ran his hand through her hair.

"I love you, too. But that went without
saying," Carrie tossed off.

"It never goes without saying."

Carrie pulled him down until their lips met
in a sweet kiss. When they broke, they stared at each other for a
moment before Grey sat up.

"I'll pack." Carrie swung her legs over the
side of the bed.

"Right. We can continue this in the cabin."
Grey loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his
shirt.

****

Carrie picked out clothes and Grey packed
them. By 1:30 in the afternoon, they were driving across the George
Washington Bridge. The sun was bright and the air cool. Carrie
looked out the window and spied leaves changing color on both banks
of the Hudson River. Grey steered the XK masterfully over the
bridge and onto the Palisades Parkway. The riot of color on the
parkway was glorious and though Carrie wanted to sleep, the
changing scenes kept her attention. She opened her window, zipped
up her blue fleece jacket and settled down in her seat. A sense of
contentment washed over her. Expecting to feel afraid and reluctant
to meet Grey's beloved sister, instead excitement and good feeling
kept her alert. He was right…getting away, a change of scenery and
fresh air did invigorate her.