I Met My Hart in San Francisco
Chapter 1
Jennifer Edwards walked into the Mission Street Community Center not sure what to expect. As she pulled the large wood and glass door closed behind her, the tinkle of a brass bell overhead surprised her, but then the warmth of a noisy heater and smell of cookies baking enveloped her. Chocolate chip, she thought to herself.
She was supposed to meet her mother to volunteer at the Community Center this afternoon but a quick glance at her watch confirmed she had another 15 minutes until the time they'd agreed on. Jennifer took a seat on a well-worn wooden pew that lined the side of the large room and settled in to wait.
The long room was a sea of wood top tables and metal folding chairs. In one corner, there was a man perched on a ladder hanging Christmas garland along the wall, and in the back she noticed a couple of nuns in the kitchen through the pass-through window. Jennifer wondered what kind of work she could expect for herself this afternoon. "Why worry about it," she thought, "it's not like you have anything else to do back at the hotel but stare at a blank laptop screen."
Jennifer Edwards was a writer, and had you asked her a few months ago, she would have said a successful one, living an ideal life in New York City. Then one cool August day, she walked out of a coffee shop on her way home from a meeting with her publisher, and watched her boyfriend of two years lean down into an open convertible and kiss a young blonde behind the driver's seat. Her boyfriend Roger, was a successful New York investor, and they'd met through a friend of a friend. Their relationship had been comfortable, but in the last few months, Jennifer could tell things were changing. She recalled he had seemed shy when she had first met him, but more and more he was overly outspoken on what they did in their time together, how she looked, even who she spent time with when she wasn't with him. He didn't seem jealous, but his controlling nature was not attractive. The discovery of another woman had served as the catalyst for Jennifer to put a halt to their relationship, news Roger had not taken well.
"Jennifer, I'm sorry you saw what you did, but she's just one of the junior partners at the firm and I was saying thank you for her hard work for a new proposal we'd just wrapped up."
"I've never seen a thank you with tongue, corporate America sure has changed," Jennifer scoffed as she packed up a bag with a few things she'd left over at his Upper West Side apartment.
"Sarcasm is not attractive on you. Jennifer, stop overreacting and let me take you out to dinner. A nice meal will calm you down."
"I don't need to be calmed down, and stop talking to me like I'm a child. Roger, I no longer want to be associated with you in any way, shape, or form. You're a controlling, overbearing, egotistical bully and I'm glad that Barbie in the Corvette was in my line of sight today. It's made me realize that I deserve much more than you have to offer.
"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. The stress of my work is getting to me, don't let it be the reason we're not together."
"Are you serious? Roger, your work is not the reason we're not together, you are. Have a little personal responsibility."
With that, she pulled the large bag over her shoulder and headed out his door for the last time. The change was a positive one, and if she were honest with herself, had been a long time coming, though it still hurt. Thankfully, he'd never spent much time at her own smaller apartment, which had made this split that much easier. Jennifer's apartment served as her refuge, a place she could write and recharge without interruption. Two weeks after the break up, even though she thought she was fine emotionally, her creative juices had slowed to a painful trickle.
When she'd called her mother for their weekly chat to catch up, Jennifer had recapped the saga of the breakup, in every sordid detail, including the writer's block.
"Honey, come to California to see me for Christmas. Come for a few weeks, you can always work from here if you need to."
When presented like that, Jennifer hadn't hesitated to pack a bag and hop the next plane to Northern California. Though she made the trip rarely, she loved visiting her mother, and a little of the older woman's tough love might be just the thing she needed to get over whatever this was.
H2H2H2H
"Hi!" The man Jennifer had seen on the ladder a few minutes ago was now standing in front of her, interrupting her own thoughts.
"Hi yourself." From across the room, she hadn't paid much attention to the man, but close up it was difficult to ignore his charming smile and blue eyes. He looked to be about her age, handsome, dressed in jeans and a UCLA sweatshirt, and did she mention, handsome?
"Do you need some help?" he asked.
"What? No, I'm supposed to meet my mother here in a few minutes. She volunteered us to help out this afternoon."
"Oh, right, I heard we had some extra help today. Is your mother Frankie?"
"Her name is Francesca Edwards, I've never heard her called Frankie before."
"Red hair, quick wit, mouth like a sailor?"
"Sounds like you do know her after all," she chuckled. "I'm Jennifer, her daughter."
"I didn't even know she had a daughter, but you certainly favor her."
"Don't let her hear you say that! She thinks I look like my father, which is not typically intended as a compliment."
"I certainly meant it as a compliment. Hi, I'm Jonathan, or Charlie depending on who you talk to."
"Which is your actual name?"
"It's Jonathan Charles so both are fine. I grew up here at Mission Street and went by Charlie as a kid. As an adult, I'm usually called Jonathan."
"Well, it's very nice to meet you, whoever you are," she teased.
"You too. I guess I better get back to work. I'll see you around."
Jennifer watched the man walk away and tried not to notice how his smile had reached his attractive eyes and she certainly didn't dwell on how he filled out his jeans as he straddled the ladder and went back to work. At least you're not off men completely, old girl.
H2H2H2H2H
"Darling, you look wonderful!"
Jennifer stood to embrace her gorgeous mother. "You do too, Mom."
Francesca Edwards tucked her arm into her daughter's and guided her toward the back of the room. "You know I thought it would take more of an effort to get you to the West Coast."
"You were right when you told me I needed a change. I admit I may be floundering a bit right now from the break up. Maybe that's impacting my creative juices more than I'd like to admit."
"Roger was a jerk, he was never good enough for you."
Jennifer stopped walking. "I've been dating him for over two years, you're just now telling me this?"
"It's your life darling, I assumed you'd come to the same conclusion eventually. Besides, even a bad relationship has learnings."
"You would know," she said coyly.
"Leave my relationships out of it. I enjoy men, and I'm not going to apologize for that."
"You have nothing to apologize for, I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated by men in general, and even more so that it's created some type of writer's block. I'm glad you invited me to come visit, really."
"I'm glad you could come, I miss you, you know. Are you sure you don't want to stay with me?"
"You have your own life, Mom, and not a lot of extra room. I'm pampering myself with a suite at the Fairmont, thanks to Daddy."
"Good girl! You don't take advantage of him near enough."
"I leave that to you, Daddy likes it that way."
Francesca ignored her daughter's jab, true though it was. "I know you need your own space, but if you change your mind, let me know, okay?"
Jennifer put her arm around her mother's shoulders and squeezed, "I will, Mom, I promise."
"Let's get started. Follow me, we need to find Maggie. She'll know where they need help today."
H2H2H2H
"Ah, Francesca! I'm so glad you could join us today. And is this your daughter?"
"Yes, this is Jennifer. Jennifer, this is Sister Margaret. I've known her since we were in high school."
"You were friends with a nun?"
Jennifer's mother laughed, "No, I was friends with the wild child of my class who later found a different path in life."
"I heard earlier that you go by Frankie around here. I can't wait to hear more about that one!"
"That's from Max, he has a nickname for everyone. It's just a term of endearment."
"I haven't met Max, I met a Charlie, or Jonathan."
"Max works with Charlie, I'm sure you'll meet him later. So you met Charlie then? Good, because I think you'll be perfect to help him this afternoon while your mother helps me in the kitchen."
"Charlie! Come here, I found you some help!" the spunky sister called across the large room.
Jonathan, or Charlie, finished attaching the garland he'd been working with, then climbed down the ladder and headed toward the group of ladies.
"Charlie, you've met Jennifer? Why don't you have her help you get all the Christmas decorations up?"
"We've met, and I'd be glad for the help. This way to fun and frolic," he teased.
Jennifer followed him over to the boxes and watched him lean down and open a large cardboard box full of a giant tangled mess of stringed lights.
"I hope you're up to a challenge."
"You want me to help you get that all sorted out?"
"Well I would, but I have to finish hanging the garland on this side of the room."
"I see how it is, give the volunteer the really fun job."
"Hey, I'm a volunteer too, I just got here first."
Jennifer laughed, "Fair enough, but if you don't hear from me for a while, come check that this mess," she held up a large knot of string lights, "hasn't sucked me in."
"I will, good luck!"
Twenty minutes passed without conversation, but Jonathan looked up every so often to follow Jennifer's progress.
"You okay over there?"
"Yes, I think I just about have it conquered. Do you mind to helping me get them wrapped around the tree?"
"Not at all, I'll go get the ladder. I'll be right back."
Within minutes, he brought the ladder and set it up next to the tree. "Do you want to climb up and I'll stay down here?"
"Sure," Jennifer climbed up with a healthy length of lights wrapped around her arm. She reached out and tried to circle the cording around the top of the tree, but the distance was longer than she could reach.
"Hold on a minute," Jonathan came towards her, "hold on to the ladder."
Once she dropped down one step, she braced herself, and then felt his large warm hand on the back of her jean clad thigh. She gasped, and he pulled his hand down a little, "Sorry, just give me a second to pull you over."
Jonathan pulled the ladder closer to the tree, and once in a better position, let go of both the ladder and her leg. The warmth of his hand remained, but she did her best to ignore the sensations that shot to her core as she got back to work.
H2H2H2H
"Maggie, I told you, we have to be careful. If Jennifer smells a set up, it will never work. That girl's stubborn streak is a mile wide."
"Hmm, wonder who she got that from?"
"I'm serious, Maggie. We have to make it seem like we had nothing to do with them meeting and can't encourage it in any way."
"I do get it, Frankie, really. I feel the same way about Charlie. He's a great guy, has the biggest heart in the world, but when it comes to women, he hasn't found the one yet."
"It's a good thing they have us to help point them in the right direction."
To be continued!
