Yet, it is possible and that has her sitting at a corner table of the Ty Bar remembering what the note accompanying the packages stated. ‘These all belongs to you, gifts and you are to keep everything that I ever do give to you, your Cory.’
At that moment, a very tall blond woman steps up to the table wearing a prim white button up femininely styled blouse and white dress slacks that are boot cute even though she too wears Jimmy Choo sandaled heels.
“Good evening, my beautiful Eleena and thank you for coming.” With that spoken El looks up in the gorgeous facial features of Cortland Aldrich as the five foot ten blond winks and smiles a Cheshire grin while continuing a greeting. “You should know that you have shocked me with coming here and with doing exactly as I asked of you. But something else that you need to know is that I hope that you do not make a habit of doing ‘exactly’ what I suggest that you do. After all, the next three years will be extremely boring for us both, if you do.”
“Three years! Why three years?” El inquires as Cortland gestures of permission to sit on the chair at the opposite side of the table. “Yes, please have seat.”
“Uhm, three years, years it is that.” Ponders Cortland out loud as she settles in with seeing a waiter arriving with a bottle of red wine and two wine goblets. And with such occurring, she hesitates to allow wine pouring but chooses to continue with the answering. “My doctors sent to you all of my medical records and med history. It is my wish that you read it all. Or at least I do hope that you read the summaries. If you have not read any of it, then please do read the summaries. I want nothing hidden from you. So, please, read anything that I suggest for reading. I am fully open to you knowing everything about me, so investigate me and know whatever you want to. But for now, I say this about the documents and the three years.”
She stops at that point while the waiter begins to walk away serves the wine when he does there come a demand that the bottle is left on the table and no more interruptions take place. Thus, with his departure, Cortland continues talking in the same tone of factual directness and sincerity. “El, so far our interactions are direct, honest and open. It is to remain that way no matter what occurs between us. I demand that. I do for I need to trust one other person with all that is my life. So here, here is why I said three years.”
She looks El dead straight in the eyes to begin talking without ceasing for a long time. “It exists as fact that I am diagnosed with a rare Cancer and my life term is dated at three years from last month. The vast amounts of tumours are growing rapidly. I have settled my material wealth into a testament and etc. Anyone of importance in my life is provided for and all assets are as they need to be.”
She then reaches for the wine glass but holds no smile as she raises it to tap El`s wine glass with no cheers being spoken but she does further talk. “Added to that I go to therapy of various types and do a medical regime that is beyond daunting. And it all claims that I have a hope of living for more than three years but the cures are not working either. So, I am scheduled to be dead but I will fight. Fighting for my life but I want my woman at my side while doing it.”
At this point, both women enjoy sipping the fruity red wine for a moment before El gestures that she is going saying something. However, Cortland`s right-hand rises to proclaim stop. “Please, please allow me to say what I must say before you say what you must say.”
Then with taking another sip, Cortland sits the wine goblet down with clearing her throat before once more conveying what she needs to. She does it while El diligently listens with sipping the wine too.
“It does not matter if you believe what I do, you don’t need to believe that we are soulmates. I know that you don’t believe, but in all honesty, it only is important that you are willingly spending the next three years of your life with me, the years before I die. So, I am here tonight to offer you my world, literally my world for three years. I want you to accompany me on this journey to my end.” And with that Cortland picks up the wine glass and takes a deep breath while wiping away the flash of tiny tears before swallowing the hard lump in her throat.
El, on the other hand, sits on the glided chair wide-eyed while mentally being in the middle of claiming that all of it is unbelievable. Nonetheless, in her heart, she can tell that every ounce of it abides as real. She can see that truth for it possesses the eyes of Cortland Aldrich. Thus, the reporter sits stunned about what is shared.
“El it is okay to tell me no about anything. But, please take a week to think about my offer. The offer as you know includes you being a month-long occupant of a suite of rooms here at this hotel. And, I admit that I too am living in a suite for a month, with mine on the floor above yours. This exists so that we hold open access to each other for twenty-four hours during the next thirty some days.”
El instantly shatters the silence with, “Yes, I know about…”
But Cortland immediately hushes it with, “Let me finish this, please but please just a little more needs explained, okay, okay, my darling.” And that delivers a deep breath from Cortland before the continuing of chat.
“I admit to stepping over boundaries with asking your bosses at the New Yorker and the Post to allow you to work out of the suite for the next month. They each accepted it after a generous donation and a promise of dinner. And, that is strange when considering both men are good personal friends, but the money went to the Cancer charity.” As that arrives being said it actually promotes a smile to crisp the lips of Cortland, the first smile since telling El that El is beautiful.
It becomes noticed by El who felt like she should apologize for the Cancer that is now killing Cortland for no one should die that way. Not of something so horrific as what exist written in the medical documents. Of Course, there is no reason to apologize and that leaves a numbed silence that abides between them. It sanctions them both to be staring and not daring to talk but each just breathing. Breathing the same air while the pain rests on their faces and the words get caught in the throat as El eyes begin to tear up.
“Breathe, El, I need you to breathe.” Sharply proclaims Cortland as a tear slip onto the pretty cheek of Cortland Aldrich. “Please, breathe with me for three years, please my darling, please your Cory won’t ask anything more of you ever.”
Yet, it is too late. It is for the tear find tear friends that flow nicely in a stream as El gathers her reporter`s instinct and the audacity to be a woman that can handle anything, anything and that especially involves handling the truth when she hears it. “'My Cory', you say that often. Interesting of you to say that but I say this about all of it. You better be telling me all of the truth. Because you need to know that I am one woman that is capable of making you die multiple times. And that is even though all but one of those times will be a fictional death.”
The reply sounds coldly calculated but in the facts of it, El abides lost about what transpires on this night. Such obviously is expected and that comes because of the content, tone and the understanding that Cortland is a woman that normally never would beg anyone for anything. Yet, on this day she does that very thing to a total stranger.
That brings Cortland to merely stare at her before downing the remainder of the wine goblet`s contents to then crisply say, “Stay the week, give me a week before you answer my pleading wish of being my girl for three years. And in that staying for a week you will discover that I bought you an entire wardrobe of clothing that is already located in your suite. All the things that you need are provided and if you need more than that, then that it will be given to you too. However, you do need to pick up your work materials and take up living in the suite. And, if you are willing to give me a week to convince you that you should be my girl for three years then please be in your suite by noon tomorrow. It is then that our first lunch meal may occur.”
As Cortland finishes saying that El begins to speak. But Cortland rises up to stand before El as she shares, “Good night, my darling and sleep well. I plan to answer all questions starting tomorrow. But for now, jet leg owns me. Thank you for listening and for the drinks. My limo driver is under your command for the remainder of the night.”
That, of course, seems a bit strange to depart so fast but El instantly stands up too, with her then extending her hand for shaking, as she replies “You need to know that you create breathless moments while you say that you only want me breathing.” This creates smiles between the two women as El finishes what she wishes to share. “And yes, I have many questions. However, we both deserve to sleep, and I have managed very little of it this week. So sweet dreams, Cory.”
“Sweet dreams, my Eleena and yes, I want you breathless in many ways.”
