Indelible Love - Emily's Story by DW Cee Read Free Book Online Page B

thoughtful man brought me to the
one destination I’d been longing to visit. How could I not
appreciate the heart behind the action?
    Lunch began with an amuse bouche—the
legendary salmon tartare cornets, a savory black sesame seeded cone
filled with salmon tartare and red onion crème fraîche. Enjoying
every bite of this teaser course, the inquisition began.
    “Jake, tell me about your family. I
can’t wait to meet them.”
    “Well, as you know, I’m the oldest of
three kids. My sister below me, Jane, is a senior in law school
right now. Nick, the youngest is a senior in undergrad, and the
real genius in our family. Most likely med school is in his near
future but it’s a bit up in the air. He’s talented in so many ways,
he’s torn about what to do with his life. He’s also the foodie in
the family. You two will get along well.”
    “Did you all go to the same school?” I
asked while slurping my oyster with caviar.
    “Jane actually went to undergrad up
here. She’s the black sheep of the family,” he joked.
    “Huh? I don’t understand.”
    “My grandfather, my dad, his brothers,
most of their wives, and we children all went to the same school.
Gramps made a lot of money in real estate and was a generous man,
as he donated much of it. My sister liked the convenience of his
money, but not the notoriety it sometimes brought. So, she decided
to come up here and then go live in New York. The rest of us were
not as brave or as creative.
    “You’re quite the homogenous
group.”
    “Boring is a better
definition.”
    “You must have been a hot commodity at
school. The girls must have thrown themselves at you to become a
part of your family,” a hint of jealousy noted my voice.
    “I suppose, but I never met anyone
that made me want to settle down…” he trailed off. “After med
school, residency was at Valley Hospital, and since then I’ve been
at General Hospital, thanks to the chief selecting his nephew over
hundreds of applicants.”
    “Is the name Reid the reason why we
got a table here today as well?”
    He seemed abashed as he confessed that
one of his uncles was an investor in many restaurant
ventures.
    “I guess I’ve had it pretty easy all
my life. But, my parents encouraged us to work hard.”
    “Excellent! Good-looking,
hard-working, and great earning potential,” I joked. “You’re
definitely a keeper!”
    “OK, now your turn. Tell me
everything.”
    Before giving my autobiography, I
quickly savored the third course—cured hamachi belly.
    “It’s not too exciting. It’s probably
more tragic than anything else. I was born in Texas and spent most
of my childhood there. My dad was a structural engineer, and he
died when I was in eighth grade. He was at a job site for the city
when a part of the building fell on him. He died instantly,” I
explained.
    “I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize that
you were that young when your father passed away.”
    “Well, the story gets worse, so hold
that thought.” I sighed. “After my dad died, my mom and I came to
LA to live with my grandparents. My mom had never worked before so
she held odd jobs here and there, and we lived modestly. Mom missed
Dad terribly, and she was never truly happy again after his death.
This was hard on me because I felt the need to be happy around her,
always. It was my job to lift her spirits up. During my senior year
in high school, my mom died of a heart attack. That’s what the
doctor’s told me, but I think she died more of a broken
heart.”
    Jake reached out and put his hands
over mine when he saw the tears forming. He comforted me with a
loving smile. “Oh, Emily…that must have been very
painful.”
    My heart warmed, knowing his thoughts
were genuine. I composed myself and finished telling Jake that my
grandparents passed away a few years ago from old age, and how I’ve
been on my own pretty much since my senior year in high
school.
    “How did you pay for college and
living expenses? How did you buy a