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One in a Billion
Chapter Eight
“Day Eight”
When they got back to the motel Donna told Jim she would
come to his room to talk after she made sure the kids were ok. Jim told her
that would be alright with him as he was just going to sit and rest for a bit.
Donna and the kids went to their room and started straightening it up some.
Donna told them after a few minutes that she was going next door to speak with
Jim about some matters and if they needed her to come and get her. Chrissy and
Josh both said that would be ok and that they were going to play on their
laptops. Donna then went out and stepped next door to Jim's door. She knocked
lightly and heard him tell her to come on in.
Donna entered the room to find Jim getting up from a chair
by the table. He asked her to sit and after she sat down, he then sat down
again. Donna seemed to notice he looked a little tense. Jim looked Donna in the
eye as he started to tell her that what he had to say wasn't easy for him, so
he would just start at the beginning and go from there. He then asked that if
she would to please not say anything at all until he was completely finished,
then if she had any questions or wished to say anything she could. He also told
her that no matter what happens after he told her what he was going to, that he
wanted her to promise that she would not mention it to anyone else, including
her kids for at least ten more days unless he told her otherwise. She looked at
the serious look on his face and then promised that no matter what happened she
would keep it a secret.
Jim started by explaining that he wasn't really who she
thought he was. He told her his real name was James Albert Davies, and about 4
months earlier a distant relative that he had never met had died leaving him
his total estate. There were orders in the will to sell everything except for
the factory, and it and the proceeds of all the sales were to go to him. He
told her he was worth a little over fourteen billion dollars at last count. The
attorneys that handled the inheritance told him he should sell the factory as
well. He had decided to first see what kind of people the workers employed at
it were and how much it meant to them. That is why he had used the name Jim
Davis and hired in at the factory. He then told Donna that he had never thought
in his wildest dreams that he would meet such a caring and devoted person as
she was while he was there. His arrival to the factory as the official new owner
wasn't scheduled until the upcoming Friday and then he would be telling
everyone who he was.
Jim went on to tell her he had decided to sell and not sell
the factory at the same time. By this he meant that he would sell shares of it
to the workers to reward them for their loyalty and this way they would also
have a say in some of the matters and receive some of the profits. Of course
there would be changes, the first of which would be Mrs. Wilcox retiring, and
that some of the changes may upset some, but overall he believed everyone would
like the place even more. He then looked Donna dead in the eye and told her
there was no way he could continue being around her until he had told her all
this as he didn't want to build a relationship on anything but the total truth.
Donna sat with a look of somewhat shock on her face as Jim spoke until his last
part, then she smiled. Jim continued by telling her that if she wanted to end
their friendship right then and there he would understand fully; however there was
a few more items he needed to discuss with her first. When he finished this he
handed her a large envelope and asked her to open it.
Donna took the envelope and opened the clasp on the end of
it; she then dumped it out on the table. She looked at the contents one by one.
As she read the first paper she started to cry, it was the deed to her mother's
house in her name now, with no restrictions or mortgages on it. The next item
was a title to a new minivan and also in her name. She them noticed the insurance
papers on the house and van, both already paid for two years in advance. She
could hardly see as she reached for two key rings, each had a set of keys on
them, one to the house and the other to the van. Donna stood up wiping her eyes
as she did so, and then she stepped to Jim. She hugged him as tight as she
could and then kissed him with the most passionate kiss she had ever given
anyone. After she kissed him she moved her mouth up next to his ear and asked
Jim what happens if she didn't want the friendship to end, but to continue and
even advance to more of a romantic and passionate one.
Jim just turned and kissed her back as
passionate as she had done to him. He let his hands slowly slide down her back
a little and then he released her from the kiss. He spoke in a kind gentle
voice as he told her that if she would permit him to he would like to start
courting her. He then quickly explained that he was a little old fashioned and
didn't believe in pre-marital sex or of people rushing into marriage without
knowing each other really well. He then asked if she still wanted to continue
the relationship. Donna told him yes and he had her permission to start
courting her as soon as he wanted to. Then they kissed again and it was as if
both had floated out into the sky as they felt lightheaded and somewhat dazed
by the kiss. Donna thought to herself, this must be true love and I am so lucky
to have it. Jim was thinking similar thoughts himself.
After the kiss ended, Jim then explained that she could move
into the house as long as there wasn’t any heavy traffic in the kitchen area as
that floor wasn’t completely cured yet. Jim asked Donna if she would like to
take the kids and their stuff to her house now. Donna said yes and told him she
would get the kids started on loading his van right away. Jim told her ok, he
would help them. She quickly went back to her room and told the kids they were
moving out of the motel, and to gather their stuff and load it in Jim's van.
After about 45 minutes all of their stuff was in the van and the four of them
were on their way to Donna's house. Jim drove with one hand as Donna held his
other hand while she stared at him and smiled. Donna was still wondering if
this was all a dream or if it was real. She wondered what she had done to
deserve a great man like Jim and at the very minute in her life when she needed
help the most.
When they pulled into the driveway of Donna's house the
garage doors were both closed so she didn't see the minivan or her car right
away. Of course she wouldn't have even seen the house except Jim announced they
were there and she finally took her eyes off him. They all got out and the kids
just stood wide eyed and with a look of disbelief on their faces. Jim walked
Donna to the door and she used one of her keys to unlock the door, then she
opened it. She started crying immediately, it was as it had been when she lived
there before, except the paint was fresh and the floors shown with new finishes
on them. Jim told them to go ahead in and look around that he would start
unloading the van.
After about 30 minutes they had the van unloaded. Jim told
Donna that she would need furniture for the house and he wondered about buying
some for her or trying to find the original furniture and buying it. Donna said
that all the furniture had been bought by one place, and the last she had
looked, they still had it all. Jim told her and the kids to get in the van that
they were going to go immediately and get it if they could. Donna felt as if
she was in heaven, Jim had thought of everything and everything he did made her
feel so special and wonderful. She thought that if they did marry, would he
always be this thoughtful and caring, then she thought of course he would for
it was his nature. I am the luckiest woman alive on earth, thought Donna to
herself as she stared at Jim and held his hand while they drove to the
furniture store to get her mother's furniture.
When they reached the place that had bought all Donna’s
mother’ furniture, Jim spoke to the owner privately. He told the man that he
would pay him three times what he paid for it, if the man could deliver it
immediately. The man smiled and told Jim that would be a little tricky, but he
thought they could do it and started looking for the receipt of how much he
paid for it all. He found it and then made a call to get his delivery men
started on loading it into the trucks before telling Jim the total. Jim had him
put the purchase on his credit card. The man asked Jim if there would be
someone home to show the delivery crew where to put the furniture. Jim assured
him there would and then he gathered the others and they left heading back to
Donna’s house.
About thirty minutes after they had gotten to Donna’s the
first load of furniture arrived along with four men to unload it. The second
load arrived about 45 minutes after the first and had two more men to help in
the unloading. After about two and a half hours the furniture was all back in
place, including her mother’s set of china that sold with the china cabinet. Donna
was very happy that to have the furniture back in the house and especially the
china.
Donna went through the stuff they had brought from the
motel and found the box she had packed bed sheets into when they moved into her
car. She went to making the beds for her and the two kids. Jim had left earlier
and had gone after some food for them. He now announced as he came back in that
he had pizzas and soft drinks. They all took a well deserved break and ate
quietly and somewhat quickly. After eating, Jim told Donna that he was going to
go back to his motel room unless she needed him for something. She told him
that would be ok and they hugged each other tightly and kissed, then said
goodnight. Jim arrived back at his motel room so tired he almost went to bed
without taking a shower. Donna and the kids soon had their showers taken and
were snuggled in their own beds sleeping as well.
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