Elvis and Ginger: Elvis Presley's Fiancée and Last Love Finally Tells Her Story by Ginger Alden Read Free Book Online

they are living.” It is only after their death that they are praised and honored.
    My first thought was,
Wow!
Some of the characteristics really seemed to fit him, but Elvis
lonely
? That was difficult for me to believe, given the number of people gathered downstairs on this night.
    Elvis stayed on the topic of numerology for a while, then lifted another, larger book off the floor and began leafing through it. “This is supposed to be an illustration of God,” he said, stopping on a certain page and showing it to me.
    It was a drawing of a man with a long white beard seated on a throne with symbols of fire, ice, rain, and wind at his sides. The book reminded me of a large illustrated Bible my mother had that she often read to my siblings and me when we were younger. Still holding the big book in his hands, Elvis settled farther back on the bed and motioned me up beside him.
    By now, I was feeling more comfortable and decided it was a harmless enough request; Elvis seemed absorbed by the book. I scooted up to sit right next to him with my back against a pillow. He then surprised me again by handing me the book and asking me to read aloud. I did, feeling shy about it. I didn’t want to make a mistake because I could feel him watching me closely.
    The subject matter in this book was different. I was again drawn into it while Elvis observed, periodically sipping ice water from a large glass jar sitting on his night table. Cool air was blowing from an air conditioner unit situated inside the bedroom’s front window. I was chilled, but Elvis seemed fine and I didn’t feel right asking him to turn it down.
    We took turns reading and talking into the early morning. At one point, Elvis went into the bathroom, leaving me to think that it had been an unforgettable night. I was going to have quite a story to tell my friends.
    Having been up almost twenty-four hours by now, however, I was starting to feel overwhelmed by fatigue. I hated it but could tell that I wasn’t going to be able to concentrate well anymore. Now that Elvis was out of the room, I also became aware that a lot of time had gone by and our parents still hadn’t heard from us. I was worried, too, about Terry and Rosemary having to wait for me.
    When Elvis returned from the bathroom, I politely said, “Elvis, I should find my sisters and probably leave. It’s really late.”
    He sat back down on the bed. “They’ve already gone,” he said casually. “Your sisters went home earlier.”
    I was stunned. They’d already
left
? I’d been at Graceland all this time without them? Puzzled, I wondered how he knew. Had Elvis arranged all this earlier with George?
    “Someone will take you home when you’re ready,” Elvis added, watching the confused expressions flit across my face.
    I decided that Elvis was probably tired, too. Thinking it was proper for me to go, I thanked him on behalf of my sisters and myself for the night. He moved to the edge of the bed and I inched my way beside him as he picked up a telephone receiver from his night table and asked someone to give me a ride home.
    To my shock, he added, “Please be sure and get her number,” before hanging up. Then he turned to me and said, “You should always politely ask someone to do something for you. Never tell a person what to do.”
    As I nodded, still dumbstruck, Elvis took a pen and a matchbook from the night table drawer, opened the matchbook, and asked, “What’s your phone number?”
    This can’t be happening!
My thoughts suddenly flashed on Larry, who hadn’t wanted me to come to Graceland tonight. Despite feeling conflicted, I gave Elvis my number. He wrote it down.
    As I looked at him, Elvis suddenly leaned in toward me, catching me totally off guard. He kept his hands on the bed and gave me a quick, light kiss on the lips. It was so quick I barely had time to register what had just happened, but I was stunned and excited.
    Afterward, I walked out of Graceland in a trance. As I rode