It was New Year’s Eve and Ross was throwing a big bash at his mansion. The guests were arriving in droves. As he made to his way to the ballroom, he paused to take a look at himself in the mirror to make sure that he looked fine.
This year, he opted not to wear a tuxedo. Instead, he wore the dark blue suit which he had bought for the occasion. He could hear the voices and laughter of the guests as they arrived. He donned his jacket, walked over to the full length mirror in his bedroom. Satisfied with how he looked, he went to meet and greet his guests.
He shook the men’s hands and kissed the women who all looked very glamourous. Even as he laughed and spoke with them, at the back of him mind, he was thinking about Ruth. He had invited her, Gideon and Chelsey to his party but early that morning, Chelsey had called to tell him that Gideon had come down with a nasty cold and she wanted to stay home with him. She hadn’t mentioned if Ruth was still coming tonight. He worried that if she did, she wouldn’t come alone. The last thing he wanted was for her to show up with Nigel.
His eyes kept straying over to the foyer every time the door opened. She wouldn’t dare show up with Nigel, would she? He wouldn’t forgive her if she did.
“Ross?”
He shifted his gaze to the woman standing in front of him. It was his former secretary, Yvonne who . He smiled broadly and they hugged. “You look great!”
“So do you.”
“I’m so happy that you were able to come.”
“Ross, you should know by now that I wouldn’t miss any of your parties.”
Ross chuckled. “Where’s Ken?” he asked.
“He’s baby-sitting our grand-kids.”
“Oh.”
“I brought my niece, Leonie instead.”
Ross looked at the woman standing just behind Yvonne. As she stepped forward, his eyes traveled over her. She looked amazing. He held out his hand. “Hello.”
She placed her hand in his. “Hello. I hope you don’t mind that I came to your party.”
They shook hands. “I don’t mind at all. It’s a pleasure to meet you and I’m happy that you were able to come. I hope that you will enjoy the evening.”
“I’m sure I will,” Leonie replied.
Their eyes locked for several minutes before he released her hand. “Please help yourselves to some champagne or the punch and the tasty treats.”
“Thanks, we will,” Yvonne said and she and Leonie excused themselves.
Ross watched them go, his eyes lingering on Leonie.
“Is he married?” Leonie asked her aunt.
“No. He’s still single.”
“What about a girlfriend?”
“That’s something you will have to ask him.”
“You think I should?”
“Why not? Didn’t you notice the way he was looking at you?”
“Yes. He’s very good-looking.”
“Yes, and he’s a very nice man too. I’m sure that before the end of the night, you and he will get better acquainted.”
Aunt Yvonne was right. While she was mingling with the other guests, many of whom she used to work with, Ross wandered over to Leonie who was talking to a couple. Ross chatted with them for a while and then, they excused themselves. “Are you having a good time?” he asked Leonie.
She nodded. “You have a beautiful home,” she said.
“Thank you. Would you like a tour?”
“I don’t want to take you away from your guests.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be back before they miss us.”
She smiled as she followed him out of the ballroom. He took her to the drawing-room with a fire burning in the fireplace. It was huge with antique furniture, Christmas decorations and an enormous Christmas tree. “It’s nice and cozy in here,” she said.
“Yes. It’s where I spend most of my evenings during the cold months. My favorite room, though is the library. I like to sit in there and read or spend time on my laptop. Do you read much?”
“Yes, I do. I just finished reading In the Garden of Beasts. It’s a true story set during Hitler’s rise to power. I couldn’t put it down.”
“Hmm. I’ve never heard of that book. Do you still have it?”
“Yes. I got it as a Christmas gift. Would you like to borrow it?”
“Yes, I would. I’m currently reading In the Heart of the Sea. It is also a true story. It is believed that it inspired Herman Melville to write his classic, Moby Dick. “
“Really? What is In the Heart of the Sea about?”
“It’s about a twenty-man crew who feared that there were cannibals on the islands to the west so they made for the 3,000-mile-distant coast of South America in three tiny boats. During ninety days at sea under horrendous conditions, the survivors clung to life as one by one, they succumbed to hunger, thirst, disease, and fear. It’s a very fascinating read. If you’re interested, I can lend it to you when I’m finished.”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
They went to the library and she browsed the shelves, overwhelmed by the number of books he had. “You can visit me any time and see which books you would like to borrow.”
“Besides reading, what else do you like to do for fun?”
“I enjoy going for long walks, drives in the countryside, swimming, playing polo and shooting pool. What about you?”
“I too like going for walks, watching interesting documentaries, listening to music.”
“What sort of music do you listen to?”
“Gospel and Classical.”
“That’s what I listen to as well in addition to Smooth Jazz and Easy Listening instrumental music. I also like to travel. I visited Rome earlier this year. I learned something new when I was there.”
“What did you learn?”
“That one of the most famous Roman roads, the Appian Way was named for the Roman censor Appius Claudius who began its construction in 312 BC.”
“That’s very interesting. I’ve always wanted to visit Rome.”
“I hope that you have the opportunity to visit it one day. I promise you it will be an experience you will never forget.”
“Where else have you been besides Rome?”
“Let’s see. I’ve been to Athens, Olympia, Ephesus, Istanbul, Barcelona, Seville, Madrid, Paris, Nice, Monaco, different parts of Sicily, Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Prague, Nairobi, Cape Town and Cairo. I love Africa and plan to visit other places there soon.”
“You’ve been to a lot of places. I’ve only been to New York, Washington, Montego Bay and Nassau. I would love to see the rest of Europe and of course, different parts of Africa.”
“Plan a trip for next year if you can and visit another part of Europe or one part of Africa.”
“A trip would be nice. I would really like to hear about yours to the different places you mentioned.”
“Perhaps I could tell you about my travels over dinner one evening next week?”
She smiled again. “That would be nice.”
He finished his tour of the house and then, they returned to the ballroom. He was able to enjoy the rest of the evening because his manservant, Charles informed him that Ruth had called to say that she couldn’t come. Although he mingled with the other guests, he spent most of his time with Leonie. At midnight, when they rang in 2023, he was very optimistic about the future and it was all because of her.
Sources: Book Browse ; Live Bold and Bloom ; The New Open Bible NKJV, page 1316.
Notes to Women 