It goes without saying you should read 'Promises Made and Promises Kept Pts. 02 and 03' first before reading this story. This story picks up right after 'Promises Made and Promises Kept Pt. 02.'
Note: PM&PK needs to be told from both Points of View (PoV). To do that, I am alternating between Virginia and Judy in each part of PM&PK. Because of this, the five parts of this story will overlap each other, so you will see some scenes from both PoVs. Parts 1, 3, and 5 are written from Virginia's PoV, while parts 2 and 4 are written from Judy's PoV. For example, the first half (roughly) of this story (from Judy's PoV) overlaps the last half (roughly) of 'PM&PK Pt. 03' (from Virginia's PoV). Conversely, the last half of this story (from Judy's PoV) will be covered in the first half of 'PM&PK Pt. 05' (from Virginia's PoV). Keep in mind that each woman will also have unique experiences that will not be seen from the other woman's PoV.
Β© 2020 Candy_Kane54
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November 1994
Virginia looked surprised, but after a short pause, her face lit up with a huge smile as she said, "I'd love to, Judy."
My heart leaped for joy at her answer. A wide smile came over my face, and I walked in and sat down across from Virginia. I leaned in and said, "The menu will be chicken fettuccine Alfredo, stuffed calamari, and salad. Would that be okay?"
"That sounds delicious," Virginia replied, leaning in. "Shall I bring a bottle of wine?"
"Sure," I answered, thrilled that Virginia was really into the idea of dinner with me and the girls. "We'll be eating around 7 PM." I couldn't help but notice how kissable her lips were.
"Great," Virginia said. "I'm looking forward to seeing Amy and Emily. They sound like sweet girls."
My mission accomplished, I got up to leave, and Virginia stood up too. She walked around her desk and walked me to the door. When we got there, Virginia said, "I can't wait for Friday. Thank you."
I could feel a blush going up my throat as I said, "See you then." I turned and walked down the hall toward my office. I could feel Virginia's eyes on me, so I put a little extra in my walk.
As I passed Sue's desk on my way into my office, I noticed she had just gotten off the phone, and she had a big smile for me when she said, "Good morning, Judy."
"Good morning, Sue," I replied, returning her smile. I was so happy I was tempted to share with Sue, but I didn't want to out myself until I was sure Virginia and I would be a thing.
Steve had finally given us the go-ahead to start developing Phase 2 of the e-PUT update. I got with Bob Spiegel to make sure everything was ready to go. We spent the day going over the schedule to ensure we'd have the needed resources at every breakpoint. At the end of the day, we were confident the Phase 2 development could start tomorrow. I told Bob to make it happen while I started working on the tentative schedule for Phase 3.
***
I was so nervous when it was time for Virginia to arrive. The girls were excited about meeting Virginia. When we heard a car pull into the driveway, the girls ran out to the front door. "Wait for her to knock," I called out to them as I finished putting the stuffed calamari in the warmer.
As I started walking out of the kitchen, I heard the front door open, and the two girls said, together, "Hello, Ms. Hanratty. Come on in, please."
I then heard Virginia say, "Hello Amy and Emily. Please, call me Virginia."
As I entered the hallway, Amy hugged Virginia and said, "Hello, Virginia."
As I came to the door, Emily hugged Virginia and said, "Hello, Virginia."
The girls saw me and stepped aside, giving me a view of Virginia. She was standing there in a lovely denim dress, and she looked stunning. My heart jumped into my throat as I stepped up and pulled her in for a hug. As Virginia responded to my hug and hugged me back, I said, "Hello, Virginia. I'm glad you came."
We parted, not dragging out the hug, and Virginia handed a bottle of wine to me and said, "Here's some wine for dinner."
I looked at the bottle and noted it was a nice AlbariΓ±o, which would go nicely with dinner, and said, "Thank you, Virginia."
I turned to the girls, who had been standing there with big smiles on their faces, and said, "Why don't you girls take Virginia into the living room while I finish with dinner?"
I headed back to the kitchen while Virginia followed the girls into the living room. I knew the girls would be peppering Virginia with questions, so I knew I'd better get dinner ready as quickly as possible. When I got to the kitchen, I opened the bottle of wine to allow it to breathe.
I finished putting the salad together and took it in to set on the dinner table. I could hear the girls talking in the living room. I went back into the kitchen and pulled the food out of the warmer. I took them in and put them on the table. Finally, I took the wine into the dining room and poured a glass for Virginia and me. The girls would just be drinking San Pellegrino, which they both loved.
I stepped back, taking one last look to make sure nothing was missing or out-of-place. Once I was sure, I went to the living room entrance, finding Virginia sitting on the couch with the girls on either side of her. I stood there for a moment, watching the interaction between my girls and Virginia. My heart thrilled as I noted how comfortable Virginia was with my girls and how the girls were enjoying talking to Virginia.
After a moment, I stepped into the living room and said, "Dinner is ready."
Virginia and the girls got up and followed me into the dining room. Amy showed Virginia to her seat across from me before taking her place to my right. Emily took the seat to my left. Once we were seated, I looked over to Virginia and said, "We always pray before we eat. I hope you don't mind?"
Virginia shook her head and said, "No, I don't mind."
I then bowed my head while crossing myself, and Virginia and the girls all followed suit. I then prayed, "Bless us, Oh Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen." When I finished, we all said "Amen" and crossed ourselves again.
We started eating. The girls made sure Virginia and I got served first. I anxiously watched as Virginia tried the stuffed calamari. I had really worked hard on getting it right, calling Mom a couple of times to make sure I was doing it right. When I saw the look of enjoyment on her face, I smiled. I had tasted it, and I thought it was the best I had ever made. Virginia said, "This is incredible, Judy." The girls both chimed in, agreeing with Virginia's assessment.
I tried the wine Virginia brought, and it was delicious. It went so well with the food, and I wondered if Virginia was a sommelier or knew someone who was. I said, "Virginia, this wine is incredible, and it goes perfectly with both dishes."
Virginia smiled and said, "Well, I have to admit I asked someone I know, and he recommended this one."
With that, the girls started peppering Virginia with questions about her military career. She gave as good as she got and asked the girls about their swimming exploits. I just sat there, enjoying the atmosphere as Virginia interacted so smoothly with my girls. I could tell they were impressed with her and liked her very much. They would occasionally take turns looking at me with a satisfied look on their face as Virginia answered the other girl's question.
I only had eyes for Virginia, and when Virginia wasn't directly answering a question, she would lock eyes with me. I could see she really liked the girls and was enjoying herself. Soon, the food was finished, and the conversations started winding down. I declared dinner was over, and we all got up. Amy and Emily volunteered to clean up, so Virginia and I refreshed our wine glasses and headed into the living room. We each took a seat in a chair and talked about work, not wanting to get too personal.
Our eyes locked while we were talking. Virginia flicked her eyes up to the mantle and said, "I couldn't help but notice how handsome Jon was."
"Yes, he was," I said, thinking how kind Virginia was for saying that. Trying not to tear up, I added, "Jon was a great father, too."
"Amy and Emily are proof that he was," Virginia said, aware of my fragile emotions. "They are incredible girls, and you should be extremely proud of them."
I just sat there with a big smile on my face. My heart swelled with pride for my girls, and I really appreciated Virginia making an effort to care for them. Before I could say anything, I heard the girls heading toward the living room, so I remained silent.