To Meet a Hart – Chapter 1
The beautiful red haired woman barely made it to the plane and tugged the high end but worn leather tote bag more firmly on her shoulder as she turned the corner toward the main corridor of the airplane. The flight appeared full and she scanned the seats in first class with the assumption that one, she was one of the last passengers to board, and two, that the remaining empty seat was probably hers. Not bothering to double check her ticket for her assigned spot, she approached the one row with the empty seat and absently whispered excuse me to the man she needed to maneuver past to make it to the window.
When the man stood and stepped out of the row, she met his eyes and returned a genuine smile to express her appreciation of the kind gesture. Jennifer Edwards let her weary frame fall into the cushioned seat, though couldn't help but give a sideways glance to her seatmate, noticing he had quickly settled back into his own spot and signaled the stewardess to come over.
"The lady looks like she needs a drink, perhaps a white wine?" the voice that went with the handsome face said.
She nodded at the stewardess, "Yes, please," and then smiled again at the man. "Thanks, it's been one of those afternoons." She buckled her seatbelt as the crew prepared for take off noting that her seatmate did the same. After a sip of wine, the tired woman sat back, closed her eyes, and willed herself to relax. She was an old hand at flying, but sitting still for six hours was a challenge, and the two hour notice she'd been given to catch the flight had not made for an ideal situation.
"I have a confession to make."
'Was he talking to her?' She turned toward the man seated next to her and quickly realized that he was looking at her for a response. "It seems a little early in the flight to tell all of our secrets, but go ahead," she teased.
"I know who you are."
"Okay," she responded hesitantly.
"I was at a party in DC a couple of weeks ago and Mark Davis pointed you out to me."
"I remember that party, how do you know Mark?"
"We've had some business dealings over the years. He speaks very highly of you."
"Yes, well we've known each other since prep school days. He was always the class clown, but he's a good guy. So, if you saw me there, why didn't you get him to introduce you that night?"
"I think that was actually Mark's plan but then you walked away with a young, handsome guy with your hand nestled in the crook of his arm. We assumed it was a date, so therefore no introduction."
"Even if I was on a date, which I wasn't, there's no reason I couldn't meet a friend of a friend."
Her seatmate conceded that point with a nod, but responded, "It didn't seem like the right time."
She teased him, "but this does?"
He held out his hand, "I'm Jonathan Hart."
She reached for it, "Jennifer Edwards."
"Very nice to meet you."
"You too. But, I have to be honest, I know who you are too."
"You do?"
"Yes, you're the president of Hart Industries which is a global entity with a reputation for ethical business practices, treating employees well, and more recently, trying to help improve the conservation of natural resources."
"Wow, I'm impressed. And that's a very kind summary of what we do."
"Well, I'd hardly win any points if I'd said I'd heard of you because you date any blonde with two legs, your company does research at the edge of a fair number of controversial fronts, and you're known for doing business with people that the media isn't sure are on the right side of the law."
He laughed. "Now that list isn't quite as accurate. Let's see, I seldom date actually, but have dinner out with a lot of different ladies. They are often set up for me by colleagues or PR firms, but are enjoyable. Research isn't worth doing if it's not cutting edge and it is possible that we'll step on someone's toes. And the last one, oh yes, I do business with people that I know and I don't let the media be my gauge on the ethical nature of a business possibility, I draw my own conclusions, normally through personal one on one interaction."
"Is that what you're doing now?"
He looked puzzled by her question.
Jennifer turned toward him, crossing her legs toward him as she more fully engaged in their conversation. "Are you trying to get to know me through personal one on one interaction?"
He laughed, "I find the practice works well in both professional and personal situations."
She found it charming how he didn't exactly answer the question, but at the same time his response was flirtatious and friendly.
The two continued to talk for several hours through dinner and clean up, and drifted from topic to topic while most of the passengers were busy with their newspapers or sleeping. Jennifer considered herself a people person but had never felt this intellectual connection. Or sexual connection, her libido whispered.
"How long will you be in LA?" he asked.
"I'm not sure, I'm coming to do an interview, a last minute arrangement that my editor set up."
"Oh, anyone you can tell me about? Or is it top secret?"
"I'll be interviewing and shadowing a woman who has become known for several humanitarian start ups in and around California. It sounds like we'll be doing a series of articles, but that part isn't confirmed yet."
"It sounds fascinating."
The conversation paused while the first class steward brought around coffee for those passengers that were interested.
"I have a question for you," she leaned his direction, as if to ask a secret of some kind.
"Sure, go ahead. I'm an open book."
"You are a wealthy man and do a lot of traveling I would imagine."
"I do travel a lot," he confirmed.
"Enough travel that a commercial flight, if I was guessing, is not your normal mode of transportation?"
Instead of responding, he took a sip of his after dinner coffee.
"I would even bet that you have a jet at your beck and call that transports you all over the world which is stocked with all of your favorite drinks and snacks with stewards that know your name and what you like and don't like." She leaned back curious to see how if he would evade this particular question.
"Those airplanes, while they're nice, don't have charming seat mates which make the flight much more enjoyable."
She couldn't miss his smirk, though she was sure it delighted his usual company. And then a though occurred to her. "Did you book this flight to meet me?" she asked, quickly willing her brain to make a decision if that was incredibly sweet and romantic or just plain creepy. She mentally landed on flattered.
"I had to get back home to LA, I was talking to our mutual friend Mark who knew you'd be going to LA, and I made a few calls."
"Mark works with my agent sometimes," she said, mostly to herself as she continued to think through the situation.
"See, it's all very logical. Just worked out nicely. This is a setting more conducive to getting to know someone than at a busy dinner party."
"Maybe, and it has been enjoyable but I don't enjoy being set up."
"Don't think of it as set up, think of it as a happy coincidence. A nice surprise, if you will."
"Wait a minute! Mark works with my agent, but did you set up the interview in LA?" She studied him for a brief moment, "You did!" she laughed in disbelief. "You thought of someone that would be interesting to me to interview, finagled it with Mark, and like putty in your hands, here I am." She crossed her arms and faced forward, the huff clearly evident in her body language.
"Yes, I wanted to meet you. However, it's not like you're not qualified to do this interview and this story. It is what you do and from what I have heard and have observed personally, you're very good at it."
"Still, it was arranged for a nefarious purpose."
"Hardly nefarious!" he laughed. "Look, someone was going to do this interview at some point in the near future. If you don't want to do it, call your agent and say no thank you. But I do want to get to know you better, and I do want to take you out for a drink once we get to LA and I do want you to say yes!"
"Sometimes, Mr. Hart, you don't get what you want."
"Sometimes, Ms. Edwards, a challenge makes a situation that much more irresistible."
The crew chose that moment to come through the cabin and remove the remnants of first class service, signaling it was time for their descent into Los Angeles. Jonathan and Jennifer both tidied their spaces for landing, and maintained silence until after the wheels of the plane touched down.
"Jennifer, will you please have a drink with me? I don't want to part ways with you thinking I'm not a nice guy."
"Why is my opinion of you important? Surely you've been turned down before."
"I have to admit, not very often, but that's not my main concern. Once we get to the terminal, can you give me just a minute to make a quick call? Please?"
"Sure, it's not like I've been on a long flight across the country, I'd love to hang out in the airport," she retorted. Jennifer rubbed her hand across her face and took a deep breath, "Wait, I'm sorry Jonathan, that was rude. I'm just tired and cranky."
"It's understandable." He stood as it was their row's turn to head out. "Two minutes, that's all I need, okay?" He quickly sent a text to let his driver know he'd landed, and then found the number he needed in his contacts and placed the phone to his ear. As they walked, the person on the other line answered, letting Jennifer hear the one sided conversation.
"Hello, sir, how are things with you?" While he talked, he guided them to an empty gate and motioned for her to make herself comfortable.
"Yes, it was a good trip, though I was wondering if you could help me out?"
"You guessed it, but maybe a character witness from you would help."
"I believe so, it's an investment I'm willing to make."
Jennifer would have paid good money to hear the other half of the exchange, but could do nothing but set her bag down and wait for whatever Jonathan needed to say. She combed her fingers through her shoulder length hair, hoping she didn't look as drained as she felt.
Her thoughts of slipping over to the ladies' room were interrupted with the words, "Here, there's someone on the other line that would like to talk to you."
She gave him a funny look but took the phone, "Hello?"
"Jennifer, darling, don't give Jonathan such a rough time of it."
"Dad?"
"Yes."
"Will you hold just a moment, Dad?" Before getting a response, she covered the phone with her hand and whispered at Jonathan. "You know my father?"
"Yes, I've known him for a while. A fabulous man, in every sense of the word."
"And just how do you know him? He's hardly ever on the west coast, and I can't imagine what the two of you would have in common."
"We have something very special in common, you. However, for the sake of full disclosure, I met him at a charity event in Washington D.C. held at his gallery last year."
"What charity?"
"Women in Arts, I believe."
"I was at that fundraiser."
"Yes, I know."
"Jonathan, can you please give me a straight answer?"
He nodded at the phone, still in her hand. "Tell your dad that you'll call him later, when you get to your hotel."
Flustered, she followed his direction, and then handed him back the phone.
"I met your father at that fundraiser, and saw you for the first time." He leaned forward to make their discussion more intimate. "I'd never seen anyone more beautiful in my life."
Jennifer blushed, and couldn't help but smile. "Mr. Hart, you are nothing if not charming, and though I appreciate the compliment, I'm not going to just fall into your arms."
"I'd be disappointed if you did."
"Really?" she asked doubtfully.
"Certainly, nothing worth having comes easy," his glance dropped to her lips for a half second and then returned to her eyes.
"So what happens next?"
"How about a ride to your hotel? I have a chauffeured car outside, so there's a chaperone if you feel you need one."
"Jonathan, I'm sorry I've been so, I don't know, difficult. You are a very nice man and I really have enjoyed getting to know you."
"You know how to keep a man's ego in check, don't you? Nice is not what I was going for."
"Okay, how about flirtatious, controlling, and manipulative," she teased.
"So that's a yes to the ride?"
"Sure, why not? If I don't make it safely, at least my father knows who I was with."
"Let's go get your luggage, how many bags do you have?"
"No checked bags, just what I have with me."
"Wait a minute, you just brought that one bag for an indefinite stay in another city?" he asked incredulously.
"It's L.A., not Mars, and indefinite is a bit of a stretch. Besides, I have a couple of changes of clothes in the bottom of my bag and there are stores here."
"You are a very fascinating woman."
"I thought that was why you liked me," she flirted as they walked toward the exit to the airport.
"It is, absolutely. Let's go."
H2H2H2H2H2H
"But the reservation has to be there!" Jennifer looked back at Jonathan who was leaning against a sofa in the hotel's lobby.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we are overbooked. I'm sure I can find you another room at a nearby hotel."
"Is there a problem?" Even tired after a long flight, Jonathan Hart's demeanor set a tone of executive expectation, veiled with charm and patience. Jennifer watched him take over the situation.
"No sir, but I was explaining to the lady that her reservation was abandoned and we gave the room to another guest. But I can find her a room nearby."
"She's had a long day, surely there's a suite not in use?" he offered.
"I'm afraid not, sir. I really do apologize."
Jonathan turned to a very weary Jennifer. "Just for tonight, would you consider my guest room? I know it's not your preference but it is available, and not that far from here."
"Just for tonight?" She turned to the clerk, "You can have a room for me starting tomorrow night?"
"Yes, of course."
"Very well," she said, too weary to give it much more thought and let Jonathan guide her back to the car.
H2H2H2H2H2H
Jennifer watched as Jonathan tipped the driver, and then followed him into the large ranch style house. "Your home is lovely."
"We like it."
"We?"
"Max helps me out around here, you'll probably meet him in the morning. I'll give you a tour then too, okay? You look like you're about to drop."
"I am, actually."
He pulled the leather bag off her shoulder and led his guest up the stairs, past his own bedroom door to the main guest room. He opened the door and turned on a lamp, placed her bag on the bed, and then returned to the hall. "There's an en suite bathroom and a small bar with a mini fridge. Help yourself to anything you see."
"Thank you, Jonathan, I really do appreciate the hospitality."
"You're welcome." He leaned back against the door jamb and gave a brief smile. "Jennifer, I know you feel like I've manipulated the situation of you coming here for the interview, and though I admit I have arranged for some happy coincidences to work out in my favor, the one thing I have absolutely no control over is how you feel about me. Like I said, when I saw you across the room that night I was mesmerized, and with every minute I spend in your company, I find myself more and more charmed. My interest in you is not professional, it is personal. And there, Ms. Edwards, you have all the power. All my manipulations, as you call them, brought us to this point, but anything further is completely in your court. Don't forget to call your father so he doesn't worry, ok?" He bent down and kissed her cheek, whispered a soft good night, and walked toward his own bedroom.
"Jonathan, wait!" He turned, not quite sure what to expect. He watched as she nervously toyed with the belt on her jacket, the uncertainty obvious in her expression. "You still owe me a drink, so maybe tomorrow?"
To be continued…
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