Jennifer Edwards was at her desk in the office of the London Herald.
Her friend, Ava, who also worked there, was trying to convince her to come have drinks at a bar that night.
"Come on, we've all had a hard week. And you and I haven't been out in forever".
"Ok, but I'm not staying too long. One drink. I really am tired, and I have to get up early in the morning".
Ava looked around and found Jennifer's boss Brooks.
"Hey Brooks! Can Jennifer and I have the day off tomorrow?"
"Sure".
"Ok, now you're on the hook for more than 1 drink".
Jennifer cracked up.
"Fine. I'll meet you at the Anchorman at 7".
"Perfect. And wear something sexy. You never know, it might just be your night".
She left the office shortly thereafter and went home to get ready.
She selected a short bright blue dress with a plunging neckline and spaghetti straps. She put on some sky high stilettos and touched up her makeup.
She was just about to walk out the door when her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey it's me. Anchorman is closed. What if we start at the Ritz?"
"Perfect. I'll meet you there in ten minutes".
***The Ritz***
Jennifer walked in and found Ava. She was talking to a tall dark headed man.
"Hey! You look smashing! Listen, I'm going to talk to him a little and then I'll meet you at the bar".
"Great".
She went and sat at the bar, the only seat left.
"What can I get for you, Miss?"
"Double vodka martini, straight up with a twist".
"Right away".
She reached for a napkin at the same time as the person on her left, and their arms bumped.
"Oh, I'm so sorry".
He turned to apologize and she found herself staring into the most gorgeous blue eyes she had ever seen.
"It's quite alright".
He handed her the napkin, and she took a sip of her drink.
"Rough week?"
"Yes, actually".
"I take it from your accent that you are an American".
"Yes, I am. And you?"
"Yes, I'm just here on business".
"How long are you in town?"
"This trip, I leave in two days. But I come across the pond a few times a year. London is one of my favorite cities".
"Yes, mine too".
"How often do you get to London?"
"I live here. I work at the Herald".
"Oh, I see. Well, tell me, what's the best restaurant where a lonely businessman can take a beautiful woman to dinner?"
"Well, that depends on what you are in the mood for. My absolute favorite restaurant here is Mercado. I've never had the same thing twice and I've always had an excellent meal".
"Well, what do you say to a lonely businessman taking you to Mercado for dinner?"
"Me? You want to have dinner with me?"
"Call it a London by night tour."
"Sure, I'd like that".
"Oh, and I'm Jonathan. I don't believe I caught your name".
"Jennifer".
"Lovely to meet you, Jennifer".
"Lovely to meet you as well, Jonathan. Let me just tell my friend I'm leaving".
She turned and looked, but couldn't find Ava anywhere.
"Oh, well. Seems I've been stood up".
"Shall we?"
"We shall".
He paid for their drinks and they left the Ritz and hailed a cab.
They pulled up to Mercado, and walked inside.
They were able to get a table fairly easily, and she was impressed when he pulled her chair out for her.
"Thank you".
He ordered them a bottle of champagne.
The waitress brought their champagne and poured them each a glass.
After they placed their order, he lifted his glass.
"To new friendships in far away cities".
"I'll drink to that".
They clinked glasses and took a sip.
The flow of conversation found them easily, and before she knew it, she had practically told him her entire life story.
"Ok, your turn".
"Well, I was born in San Francisco. My parents died when I was 2, and I was sent to live in an orphanage. I always hoped that I would be adopted, but I never was. So, when I was 11, they made me get a job. I got a job selling newspapers, and I met a guy named Max. He took me under his wing, and he's pretty much the only family I've ever known".
"That's beautiful".
"Yeah, he's been very good to me. I was very lucky that when I got out of the Navy, he paid for me to get an education. That allowed me to start my business, and it has been very successful. In fact, I recently set it up that both the business and my taking care of Max will continue in perpetuity after I'm gone, if he outlives me".
"That's very sweet".
"What about you? Are your parents still alive?"
"Well, my father is. My mother passed away when I was 12".
They chatted all through dinner, and then he paid the check.
"Well, what do you say to dessert at my favorite place here? A little hole in the wall, on the corner restaurant known as Cottingham's".
"That sounds lovely".
They hailed another cab and headed to Cottingham's.
After they had a table, Jonathan ordered them another bottle of champagne.
The music started, so he turned to her and leaned in close.
"Would you care to dance?"
She nodded.
He took her hand and led her to the dance floor.
They fit together like they had always belonged together, and they shared several dances. She rubbed his back while they danced, and rested her cheek against his.
After several dances, they headed back to the table and drank their champagne.
They left Cottingham's when it closed at midnight, and hailed another cab.
"Want to continue this party at my apartment?"
"Certainly".
She gave the cab driver her address and linked her fingers through Jonathan's.
A few minutes later, they were outside her building.
He paid the cab driver and they walked inside.
They got in the elevator and she pushed the button for the 10th floor.
It took them up a couple floors, and then abruptly stopped.
"What happened?"
"I think we are stuck".
She opened the hatch and used the phone to call the front desk.
"We will send maintenance to help you right away, ma'am".
She hung up and grabbed ahold of Jonathan's arm.
She leaned down and took her shoes off.
"Ahhh, much better".
"Why don't we distract ourselves?"
"How do you propose we do that?"
"We can play a game. What if I say a word and you tell me the first thing you think of?"
"Ok".
"London".
"Bridge".
"Cocktail".
"Thirsty".
"Italian".
"Pasta".
"Gorgeous".
"Handsome".
"Bed".
"Cuddle".
"Kiss"
"Me".
She leaned forward and kissed him. It was just supposed to be a peck, but he quickly turned it into something more. The kiss was so good it left them both struggling for words. One thing they both knew though, was that it was the best first kiss that both of them had ever had.
While they were kissing, the elevator roared back to life and took them up to her floor.
When the doors opened, she broke the kiss, and then leaned down and picked up her shoes.
She took his hand and led him to her apartment and dug her keys out of her purse.
He opened the door for them, and she locked it behind them.
"Nice place".
"Thank you. It's quiet, which is my favorite part. I'm the only one who lives on this floor".
"That must be really nice".
"It has its advantages".
She stepped into the kitchen.
"Can I make you another cocktail?"
"No, let me make you one".
She got out the glasses and rinsed them, while he surveyed the contents of her liquor cabinet.
"How about a vodka tonic?"
"That sounds wonderful".
He made both of them vodka tonics, and they went and sat on the couch.
He loosened his tie and took off his jacket.
They chatted about a few things, and then he leaned over and kissed her again.
She reached up and turned out the light next to the couch.
"I'm actually looking for an apartment in London, so I don't have to stay in hotels all the time. How big is this one?"
"Well, let me give you a tour".
She took his hand and led him all around the apartment and then finally they walked into her bedroom.
"And this is the bedroom".
"Nice".
She wrapped her arms around his waist.
"I-"
He leaned down and kissed her passionately, and started unzipping her dress.
She started unbuttoning his dress shirt and pulling the bottom of his shirt out of his pants.
"I'm so glad you came back here with me", she murmured into his kiss.
"Me too".
When they were both naked, he gently leaned her back on to the bed and climbed on top of her.
He leaned down and put his wallet on the nightstand.
She grabbed his hair and pulled him closer to her, kissing him with an intensity that seemed to come from nowhere.
He moved his lips to her neck and kissed a spot by her ear that made her see stars.
"Ohhh".
He flipped them so he was on his back and she was straddling him, and pulled her down on top of him, so he could take her nipples into his mouth.
"Mmmmm oh yessss".
"You like that?"
"Mmmmhmmmm. Don't stop".
He sucked on her nipples for a few minutes and enjoyed the moans that his mouth elicited from her.
He lightly nibbled on her taut nipples, and then found his way to her lips again.
He flipped her onto her back again, and shifted his weight between her legs.
She reached down and gave him a good squeeze.
"Come on".
"Hang on a second".
He climbed off her and reached for his wallet and pulled out a condom.
"Um….can you also open the drawer and get the lube?"
"Certainly".
He put the condom on, and then grabbed the lube.
She lathered him with a generous coating and then he easily entered her and began thrusting in and out.
"Ohhhhhh yes".
He sucked her nipples as he thrusted, and she gripped his shoulders.
"Oh god….Jona….than…"
"Jenn…..iffer…"
They came together and it was the most intense, exhilarating, mind-blowing orgasm that either one of them had ever had.
He gave her some light kisses as they recovered.
"That was incredible".
"You are so beautiful".
They fell asleep all wrapped up together.
***The next morning***
Jennifer was awoken by a persistent knocking noise.
She woke up enough to realize that someone was knocking on her door.
She climbed out from under Jonathan, and grabbed her robe and headed to see who it was.
Her head was pounding and she was starving.
She opened the door to find Ava on the other side.
"Oh my stars, you won't believe what a great night I had last night! And I saw you talking to a hotty also".
"Keep your voice down!"
She went and quietly shut the bedroom door.
"You mean he's still here? Nice".
"Look, I'm incredibly hungover and seriously famished. So, if you just came here to chat, can we please do it later?"
"Certainly. I'll catch you in the office tomorrow".
"I won't be in till next week. I'm flying home to surprise my father for his birthday".
"Great. Well, I'm glad you had a nice time last night, and I hope you have a nice trip".
"Thanks. I'll talk to you soon".
She closed the door when Ava left, and then started some coffee.
She quickly ate a mini muffin while she waited on the coffee and then poured two cups and took them with her to the bedroom.
She set his coffee down on the nightstand on his side of the bed, and then walked around to the other side of the bed.
She set her coffee down and then climbed back into bed and settled back into his arms.
They slept for another 3 hours.
He finally woke up and started kissing her cheek.
"I made us some coffee. It's cold by now though, but I can make some more".
"You're an angel".
They spent the rest of the day snuggling in bed, making love and just being together.
He stayed the night again, and they slept all wrapped up together once more.
***The next morning***
Jennifer woke up around 6, and headed for the shower.
When she came out, she found that he had dressed and made them coffee.
She quickly packed her suitcase and then brought it to the door.
"I ordered us some breakfast. It should be here any minute".
"Great. I have to be at the airport in about 3 hours".
"Me too. I'm flying back to the states today".
"Yeah? I am too. I decided to surprise my father".
"Well, why don't we share a cab to the airport?"
"We can".
She dug a business card out of her wallet and wrote her address and phone number on the back.
She slipped it in his shirt pocket as she kissed him.
"Just in case".
Their breakfast arrived and she got out plates and silverware while he paid for it.
After they ate, they shared a cab to the airport.
"We have some time, want to have a drink before our planes take off?"
"Actually, there's a bookstore that I always shop at before a flight".
"Well, thank you for a wonderful two days. It was wonderful to have met you. Next time you're in London, give me a call".
"That's very sweet. But I should have told you this already. I'm not looking for anything serious, and I don't usually do second dates, I tend to do first dates and then move on from there".
"I see".
"Look, all I'm saying is I had a nice time with you, but don't get your hopes up on me contacting you every time I'm in the city. It's very rare for me to date a woman twice".
She turned and stared out the window.
Nobody spoke again for the remainder of the ride.
She hopped out of the cab and got in line to check her luggage.
About 35 minutes later, she was sitting at her gate.
"Now Boarding Flight 6782 to Dulles, with a stop in New York City".
She boarded the plane and got settled into her seat. She was flying first class and had selected the window.
She opened her book to read when she saw someone put a bag in the seat next to her. She looked up to see Jonathan standing there.
"What are you doing here?"
"I believe I have this seat."
"Jonathan…did you plan this?"
"No, I didn't. I usually fly in my own plane. But my pilot had a family emergency, so I had to fly home commercial this time".
"Are you going to Dulles too?"
"No, I'm getting off in New York. I have a board meeting day after tomorrow".
He pulled out his wallet and wrote a number and address on it.
"I was a little short with you in the cab. I apologize. Here's my phone number and address in case you ever need or want to contact me".
"Perfect". She put it in the front pocket of her wallet, right behind the card with her father's number.
"We have the pods that recline, so we can sleep".
"I know. This is my first time getting a pod, I'm excited to try it out".
"Did you know you can link two pods together?"
She chuckled.
"No, I didn't".
He showed her how to link it, along with all the other features of the pod. After he was done, he reached forward and got them each a blanket.
They were all snuggled up before takeoff.
As they drifted off to sleep, Jennifer couldn't help but think that even though it didn't end up in anything long term, she was still happy to have met Jonathan.