CHAPTER 10

Who Are You?

As the days passed, the young couple began to further relax with each other. They would often tease each other relentlessly. Other times they sat quietly together, reading or listening to soft music in his penthouse suite. Leslee loved standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. She said it felt as though she were at the top of the world. Though her room was nice, her eyes lit up as she toured all the places in the suite. The bathroom included a huge shower, two beautiful marble sinks, and a step-down tub. Then there was a substantial king-sized bed with what seemed to be an overly plush comforter with a myriad of luxurious pillows. Leslee liked to nestle into the corner of the penthouse’s cushioned sofa. She would tuck her toes under the blanket that lay across its arm. At sundown, she and John would sit in the two chairs facing the window and watch as the Eiffel Tower light up the night sky. It felt comforting to have a companion with whom to share the quiet special moments—and even better, share those moments filled with laughter. Sightseeing exhausted them from time to time, and the calm times together were, as Leslee called them, “life replenishers.” One day during a relaxed moment, Leslee turned to John and said, “Who are you?” He looked at her quizzically as she continued: “I did not say that correctly. I meant we’ve spent a week together, and we have never talked about our lives away from here.”

As John prepared to speak, Leslee held up her hand. “Understand that you do not have to tell me about your life history; however, it would be nice to know more about you, other than your name is John. Don’t you think?”

John smiled. “I was wondering when we were going to get around to learning more about each other. Shall I go first?”

Leslee nodded, smiled sweetly, and sat down next to him. “I am the firstborn of five children, all boys, to John and Rosalind McLeod. My father is a rancher, and my mother is a homemaker. My father was happy about having five sons. He always saw us following in his footsteps; however, that is not what has happened. He has four doctors and one forensic accountant who will be receiving his doctorate in the fall. He is immensely proud