The greatest love story

chapter 2

we kissed passionately and hugged with full naked bodies as we hadn't done before. Later I found out her husband was worried about her since she didn't come home until 11 pm. Grace felt some anxiety about this, but accepted the blame, and lied about her whereabouts. Aside from that awkward situation, I was higher than a kite and totally immersed in love with this woman. I thought to myself so many times "Why didn't anyone tell me about such feelings of love before" and "Why have I not experienced passionate kisses like that before". I puzzled over these things for many years. Why, when I was with Grace, did everyone else in the world disappear? Why did the world disappear? Why did I even not want to look at other women now?

Grace came up to Maryland to visit me on a business trip to deliver a report. I invited her into my office as a professional colleague, and saw her in a totally different light dressed in her blue business suit. We talked business for a while and then I asked if she wanted to see the poster that I kept behind the door. That would necessitate closing the door completely and then we could passionately kiss in private. We used that trick many times in the future and we both chuckled after we did it. That evening we took the Metro downtown to a restaurant in Dupont Circle and had a meal at a noisy restaurant where we couldn't talk. We walked around the Washington Monument on the Capitol Mall in the rainy foggy night air. We were so cozy huddling under my small umbrella. We stopped under a tree and kissed in the foggy cold night air. That warmed us

up from the inside and we could walk back to the Smithsonian Metro Station. We arrived at the Metro Parking lot at White Flint, found our car, and like a couple of teenage kids, kissed for a while in the car before driving back to my house and family where she was staying for the night. I noticed when she took her coat off that I had not buttoned up her blouse evenly and she had one extra button hole at the top. Oh well, perhaps no one would notice. I really didn't care, if they did notice. Early the next morning I went downstairs to the guest room and woke Grace gently with a soft meaningful kiss then went back to bed with my still-sleeping lifeless wife. I later heard Grace going into the guest bathroom for her shower, and so I got out of bed and proceeded into my master bath and thought "we can take a shower together with only a wall separating us". Later she said that she heard me showering and wished she could be my washcloth. After breakfast she had to leave to drive back to NC and so we shook hands goodbye in the driveway. I rubbed me eyes and she rubbed her nose and we both knew what that meant.

When Thanksgiving came this first year, I was especially thankful for God bringing Grace closer into my life and for the wonderful special love that we shared. I prayed that it would continue forever.

I was inspired to write several poems that first fall. Somehow the words and rhymes came to me without too much effort. I kept paper in my pocket all the time now, just on case the poetry poured out of my heart I could capture it before it was lost. You can read all the poetry inspired by this love affair in Somewhere, Sometime, Somehow: Love Poems and Short Stories by Jules Verne Orion, Xlibris Press, 2008.

Christmas arrived early in 1989 on the second weekend of December. I made up a business excuse to drive to NC once more to check on the office papers and projects. I called from a restaurant about one hour away to see if the "Coast was clear" for my arrival. Grace's husband was out of town, and when I arrived I drove straight into the garage and closed the door. Grace came downstairs and opened the garage inside door and we kissed softly. Hmm.. "Yes", I said "I would drive all day and night for one of those kisses". I went upstairs and made myself at home, while she put her little child to bed. That night we had our first real "goodnight kiss" as she stayed with me a little while in my downstairs "guest" bed, but her little one

would soon come looking for her in her upstairs master bed room. So

I slept alone, but dreamed of a day when we could sleep together

undisturbed. Later the next day we walked in the University

Arboretum, and the cold fresh December air only made us talk of

warmer times. That night I waited in the living room listened to soft

music and waited for Grace to finish putting her son to bed. After 2

hours of waiting Grace appeared in her pajamas with a red Christmas

Blanket and a bottle on Sparkling wine. We danced and shared

Christmas gifts with each other. I gave her a diamond pendant

necklace and gold pair of hearts "joined as one" on a gold chain. I

had written a poem to accompany the gift. She gave me a small

"Christmas" house which we would fill with our memories. We

kissed and danced and listened to Christmas music until the wee

hours and found ourselves sleeping in each other's arms. The next

day I left early in the bitter cold to return to my home and all I could

remember was Grace standing in her driveway waving goodbye to

me. She had given me a bag of peanut brittle that she had made, and I

ate part this for lunch, knowing she had made it gave me some

warmth. But still I felt colder and colder as I left NC and drove back

to MD alone to an unloving cold house. Grace had given me a

Christmas card with the instructions on not to open the card until

Christmas Day. So after the Christmas Eve Candlelight Services

were over at 1 am, I retrieved the letter and read it alone next to my

Christmas tree. It was such a sweet, caring card full of love, it made

me cry. My heart was still with Grace and when Christmas morning

came around, but I had to act happy for my family, but I looked

southward and wished I was with Grace so much that day to share the

joy of Christmas. The week between Christmas and New Year's was

always spend driving to Grandma's house in Pennsylvania and

celebrating Christmas with both our parents. Needless to say it went

by slowly without any communication with Grace. I felt a big hole in

my life, even though I was surrounded by my family. Right before

midnight on New Year's Eve I went outside looked up at the

constellation Orion and blew a final kiss of 1989 southward to Grace

and wished her well in the New Year. This year the Auld Lang Syne

song took on new meaning as I sang 'Should old acquaintances be

forgot and never brought to mind". Yes I had a new acquaintance and

I missed her so very much, more than anyone else nearby.

At the end of December I sent Grace a list of wishes for the New Year:

My Wishes for the New Year

Making many new happy memories for 1990 Saying a lot of "hellos" to you. Making you happy inside (and outside) That our love harmonizes with our lives. That we find lots of quality time together That you keep sending sweet thoughts. That 10 o'clock remains our time together That our friendship and love grows and grows stronger That your tears are always happy tears. Saying "goodnight" again in person. That you teach me TM, and we meditate together. That you grow professionally. That you have a new healthy baby That you keep a warm spot in your heart for me. That our love motivates and strengthens us That we use this motivation and strength to accomplish great things.

That we can turn minutes into hours when we're together and, days into minutes when we're apart.

I looked forward to the New Year with much anticipation of times with Grace.

One Hundred and One Memories of 1989

1. A very warm July afternoon in my old office on my birthday. You removed your shirt and bra to entice me with your "ample" charms. I thought "WOW" she really loves me to do this aggressive and seductive move. Later I discovered my pants zipper was pulled down and wondered where this might have gone, if I hadn't leave

2. 3. Looking for a lunar eclipse in D.C. Evenings at the White Flint Metro stop

4. The Mall and Washington monument on a rainy, foggy night

5. Our first hug on East Campus under a tree

6. Meeting at Rossini's at 2pm for ice cream on a warm spring day

7. Hello's in the foyer at NTC at 7 pm on Friday nights.

8.

A candlelit dinner for two at Anotherthyme

9. Touching your hand in a Seville in Orlando

10. An ever so warm and cozy rainy Saturday morning

11. Lunch at the RTP Holiday Inn telling you I was leaving NC

12. Lunch at Anotherthyme when we couldn't eat.

13. Lunch at Dragon Garden when we couldn't speak.

14. Our first kiss.....in my hotel room in Orlando. My knees were so weak, I almost fell over. I went for a long walk after you left to wonder at the power of your kiss over me. On June 15, 1989 it marked our Anniversary.

15. Standing under our oak tree at Duke Gardens, picturing you.

16. Sitting in Duke Chapel feeling the power and grace of

our love.

17. Walking at Eno Park on a brisk fall afternoon in the waning sunlight

18. Sharing ice cream on the conference room table.

19. Finally telling you about my love for you.

20. A warm neck rub in our office by monitor light.

21. Seeing you arrive safely at the Metro station at NIH campus

22. Sharing Christmas music with you alone in the dark...

23. Watching you making breakfast in your kitchen in the morning

24. Enjoying dinner at James III with candlelight on your radiant face

25. Talking to you on the phone by a mountain lake on a summer night.

26. Writing and receiving letters on floppy disks.

27. Saying goodnight on the phone at my apartment (304B).

28. Waking you up in my family room at 5 am

29. Exchanging flowers at Sarah P. Duke Gardens

30. At Governor's Inn on a Saturday morning you came to my room while I was still in bed to say goodbye, but you put your head under my blankets and sucked me dry. WOW! I thought you really do love me!!

31. Sitting with you by a stream at Umstead Park one afternoon

32. Working at the "hood" with you in my old lab.

33. Playing Lionel Richie's "Hello" song for you.

34. A real goodnight kiss..

35. Holding you so....so close.

36. Staying late at work on Fridays last Spring thinking of future times.

37. Sharing breakfast in Orlando on the last day of the TCA meeting

38. Listening to you play and sing your song to me.

39. Writing poetry to someone special

40. Experiencing new feelings of being in heaven.

41. Dinner at the Governors in on an October evening after a business meeting and you suggested that we "get naked under the sheets". WOW I thought she really does love me!!! We only rubbed together feeling ecstasy..

42. A small Christmas house full of these memories.

43. Roses, for me?! They were as lovely as you, and I cherished them.

44. Eating ice cream at Ben and Jerry's on a spring afternoon in CH

45. A warm feeling in my heart on a cold wintry night in MD

46. Waking from wonderful dreams. Hmmm...

47. Seeing your eyes closed

48. Saying "goodbye" on a foggy rainy parking lot

49. Saying "hello" at your front door. 50. Working on the computer beside you.

51. Seeing you as a professional guest in my new office.

52. Sitting beside you on a carriage ride one warm night in Orlando

53. Saying goodbye to you at my house on Kelly Road

54. Watching you look through the microscope in my old lab

55. Following you in your car down I-40 at night

56. Walking through the UNC arboretum on a cold December night

57. Trying to stretch minutes into hours, while hours turned into minutes.

58. Sitting beside you at the business meeting feeling a warmth on my side.

59. Opening a small freezer vial of "White Linen" and closing my eyes.

60. Nine o'clock warm feelings, changed to ten o'clock.

61. Learning about quantum healing with you

62. Feeling young in spirit again

63. Wearing contact lenses again

64. Locking and unlocking my briefcase (the combination is 121)

65. Seeing you making a presentation on TM at UNC

66. Counting days, looking forward to dates like a kid.

67. Going to the Post Office Box 4604 in Rockville often.

68. Finding the right card to send.

69. Wishing, wishing, and more wishing....

70. Now what was that password again?

71. Wearing a warm blue scarf

72. Wearing a NTI tee-shirt one night

73. Feeling lonely for the first time in a long time.

74. Seeing our shadows side by side on a sidewalk in MD

75. Becoming a "hopeless" romantic soul

76. Saying "I hope your experiment is going well" often

77. Doing ATP assays with you on cold January and February afternoons

78. An April 28 lunch with you, Mark, and Betsy at Landlubbers

79. Looking at Orion in a different way.

80. Reading notes left under my office door.

81. My first foot rub.

82. Sharing black paste from the same spoon

83. Sighing a lot, while remembering special moments

84. Seeing tears in your eyes

85. A chocolate floppy disk that tasted so good

86. A small blue bird on your window

87. Watching you work across the hall last spring

88. A chocolate and somber farewell party at your house in June

89. Watching KD while you went to class, so much of you is in him.

90. Feeling new strength and purpose

91. A special four-leaf clover picked on East Campus of Duke

92. Eating your homemade peanut brittle at Christmas time.

93. Walking on the beach thinking of you.

94. Two months by myself in an apartment on Fredrick Ave

95. Warm Personal memories of you which elude words

96. Reading your wonderful letters

97. Singing along I-95 in Virginia

98. Waiting for your phone calls.

99. Opening your Christmas Eve letter at 10 pm and feeling your presence

100. Seeing your sweet smile

101. Somehow, somewhere, someday....

102. Listening to "still, still, still" with you

103. Blowing you one last kiss of 1989 at 11:59:59pm.