***Willow Pond***
Jennifer and Jonathan were just waking up.
He didn't want to get out of bed, he wanted to stay and hold her all day. But, Hart Industries couldn't run without the CEO.
She stretched and yawned a little bit, and then rolled towards him and kissed him.
"Morning, darling".
"Morning. You are so beautiful". He kissed her a few times and then headed for the shower.
After they were both ready, they went downstairs to breakfast.
She made him eggs and bacon, just like he liked it, and even made him coffee to take with him in a travel cup. She had a secret ingredient that she used, and try as he might, he had never been able to figure it out.
"What are you going to be doing today?"
"Working on an article, mostly. I have a deadline for the end of the week".
"Well, don't work too hard- I want to take you to La Scala for dinner tonight".
"I want you to take me there too".
She kissed him goodbye and headed to the study.
As a freelance writer she was able to decide what she wanted to write about, and sometimes it was hard to pick a topic.
She finally decided to do a spotlight on some kids who made it through even when all odds were stacked against them. She sent an email to a source about lining up an interview and began to map out some questions.
Around 11, there was a delivery. She opened the gate and then went to the door.
She signed for it, and the deliveryman brought in 12 dozen roses.
There was a card for each one.
"12 years a little early….here is 12 reasons why I love you".
"You have the most genuine Heart of anyone I have ever met, Mrs. Hart". She smiled. He was so romantic.
"You have the two most beautiful eyes I have ever seen".
"You drive me just as wild now as you ever have, and it gets better each time".
"You always put me first, just like I do you".
"You give the best backrubs and back scratches"
"You put up with my crazy moods and crazy work schedule".
"You let me spoil you".
"You love Max just as much as I do".
"You look so sexy in my pajama tops".
"I love how you light up the room just by walking in it"
"I love how you make the world a better place just by being here".
She dug and dug in the vase for the final card. She finally found it.
"I love you simply because you make it so easy".
She had tears running down her face. He was the sweetest most romantic soul she had ever known. She was the lucky one, that's for sure.
She got an idea, and called his office.
"Deanne- can you get a message to Mr. Hart? Please tell him that there is an emergency at the beach house and I need him to meet me there, right away. Tell him I am heading there now, and he needs to head there as soon as he can. Thank you so much!".
She hung up, went upstairs and threw some things into a bag, and headed out.
"Max, I have some errands to run, I will be back later".
***Beach house***
She got to the beach house, and parked and went inside.
She grabbed some paper and left him a note on the door that said "Come upstairs".
She was waiting for him. She felt the garage door open about 10 minutes after she got there.
She had pulled the curtains, and made the room as dark as possible.
"Jennifer? Darling, where are you?"
"In here".
He followed her voice to the bedroom.
"What's the emergency?"
She went to him and wrapped her arms around him.
She kissed him.
"That's for the beautiful flowers you sent me and all the love notes to go with them".
She kissed him again.
"What was that one for?"
"Me".
"So the emergency is…"
"I needed to see you and thank you properly for the flowers and sweet notes. And I just couldn't wait till tonight, and I thought you might want a break from the office, darling".
"You are so clever".
He kissed her and picked her up and laid her on the bed. She was wearing one of his pajama tops and nothing else.
She unbuttoned his shirt some, and kissed his chest. She noticed he was staring at her.
"You aren't mad at me for getting you to come home, are you darling?"
"Mad at you? Darling…I love you. I could never be mad at you".
He kissed her tenderly, and then rolled her on top of him.
They made out for several minutes and then made love for about an hour.
"Darling…do you have to go back to the office?"
"Yes, but not till 4."
She set an alarm and they spent the rest of the afternoon making love and just being together.
"Did you make reservations for La Scala tonight?"
"No, I ordered it to go, and I figured we could eat at home without any distractions".
"Great plan. You always have the best plans". She kissed him.
"You pulled this one off all by yourself, darling".
"So I did". She kissed him again.
When the alarm went off, they got dressed again and went downstairs.
She stopped him in the kitchen, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Mr. H., what do you say to you scheduling a rendezvous with me here at the beach house on a regular basis?"
"I think that's a great idea, Mrs. H."
He kissed her passionately.
"Damn, I really gotta go, and I really don't want to. I will be home by 6 darling… we can pick up where we left off".
"I love you, Jonathan Charles".
"And I love you Jennifer Suzanne".
He kissed her again and then left.
She went and sat on the terrace for a bit and then headed back home.
***Willow Pond***
Jennifer was wracking her brains trying to figure out what to get Jonathan for their anniversary.
She wanted it to be special, but cute. Original and sentimental, not just something typical.
She pulled up to Willow Pond, and decided to go through his catalogs. Whenever he was thinking about something, he would circle it in a catalog, and then turn the page down.
She came in and grabbed the stack of catalogs and went to the couch.
She grabbed a legal pad and pen off the desk to make a list with.
He had circled a really expensive jersey that he wanted, for his favorite football team. He had also circled a new golf bag that he liked. She finally settled on new floor mats for the Bentley.
She called and placed the order, and asked for them to be gift wrapped.
Their anniversary was a week away, so she paid extra for shipping. She couldn't wait till he saw them- they were gray with two bright red interlocking hearts and a big red H. She placed the order, and saw how much it was going to be. She got a knot in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't spend that much….she and Jonathan had set a price limit on how much they would spend on each other. She hemmed and hawed about what to do, and decided to think on it.
She got up and took a walk outside to get some fresh air. She walked down to the gate and got the mail.
She was glancing through it as she walked back up to the house.
She had gotten an invitation to a party at one of their friends houses 2 days later.
It was an appraisal party- bring your jewelry and have it appraised. There would be a dealer there who might even buy it at the right price.
She was excited to go, it had been a few weeks since she had seen her friends. Life just got busy sometimes.
She went upstairs and started going through her jewelry box, and seeing what she was willing to sell and what she wasn't. She had been very fortunate that Jonathan had spoiled her rotten over the years with beautiful jewelry. She also had several pieces that she had bought herself, and some that she had inherited from her mother.
She decided to sell some of her chains-they were solid gold, so they would definitely be worth something, and some of her earrings that she had bought when she started working. They were tiny diamond studs, set in 24k gold. She also threw in a diamond tennis bracelet that she had been given by an ex-boyfriend, and a few gold and diamond rings she had acquired before she met Jonathan. She bagged it up, and then put the rest of her jewelry back where it belonged.
Max had made them appetizers, and then left for a poker game.
It was just going to be the two of them tonight. She slipped into a bright blue spaghetti strap nightgown, with a bright blue lacy bed jacket. She went downstairs and made herself and Jonathan a cocktail, and was waiting for him on the couch.
She had put the catalogs back so he wouldn't see what she had done, and hoped like hell he didn't check their bank statement for the next few days.
She had made them a tray with the appetizers and brought it to the den.
Jonathan came through the door at exactly 6:15. He seemed a little stressed.
"Hi handsome". She went to him and kissed him.
"Hi beautiful".
He kissed her back and then some.
She handed him his cocktail, and he joined her on the couch.
"How was your meeting this afternoon?"
"It was ok. I couldn't keep my mind on business though. You see, I met this redhead today and she stole my heart".
"Oh you did? Well, I have it on good authority that she doesn't intend to give it back".
She kissed him.
She snuggled up to his shoulder.
"Dinner should be here in about 45 minutes. And Max is gone to a poker game all night, so it's just you and me".
She finished her cocktail and set the glass down. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close.
She rested her head on his shoulder.
"You're awfully quiet tonight, darling".
"I'm sorry, It's just that meeting that I had this afternoon wasn't a good one".
"Oh?"
"Yeah. There's this businessman that I have tried to do deals with before and he always seems to outsmart me. And I swear I will never do business with him again, and then I go after a company that I think I could really do good things with, and he ends up being the owner and screws me over again".
"Well, what if you stopped going after the companies, and let them come to you? You could research them and then if you find out he's the owner, you will be able to walk away instead of him screwing you over".
He nodded.
"I just don't want anyone to think I can't hack it anymore. I did all this to give you the life you deserve, babe".
"Jonathan, there is not a single thing in the whole world that will ever change the way I feel about you. That includes business deals. You have already given me way more than I ever deserved just by loving little old fragile hearted me".
"You really have all the faith in the world in me, don't you?"
"And then some, darling. You are the toughest guy I know".
She kissed him.
She pulled him down on to the couch, and he set his cocktail down while he kissed her and held her in his arms.
They made love right there on the couch. He managed to get dressed before their dinner got there, but she had to stay under the blanket.
He paid the delivery guy, and then shut the door. She threw on her nightgown really quickly, and then they decided to eat out on the patio, under the lights. It was always romantic out there.
She told him about the jewelry party, and what she had decided to sell.
"That sounds like fun."
"Yeah, I thought so too".
After they ate dinner, they cleaned up the kitchen and then headed upstairs.
She had him lie on the bed and then gave him an hour long deep tissue massage followed by an extra-long back scratch. That was a serious treat, because they usually switched after 30 minutes each time.
He was seriously relaxed and almost asleep.
"Darling, you are going to get me so relaxed I won't be able to concentrate to give you one".
"We aren't switching tonight, darling. Tonight is all about you".
He reached behind him and grabbed her butt. She lurched forward and halfway chuckled.
"Ok, sailor".
She finished his back scratch and then climbed off his back and stretched out beside him.
She heard him snoring and realized he had fallen asleep.
He never slept on his stomach, he always slept on his side, usually with his arms around her.
She was a little disappointed, but she knew that he was tired. And they had spent a very romantic afternoon together.
She reached up and turned out the light, and then covered him with the sheet and kissed his cheek. She fell asleep beside him.
***The next morning***
He woke up when the alarm went off, and found that she had already gotten up. She must have showered and gone downstairs already.
He got up and showered and dressed and found her downstairs making one of his favorite breakfasts, coconut French toast with bacon and hash browns.
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
"I love you, and I'm sorry".
She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I love you, and it's perfectly alright".
"I promise I will make it up to you".
"Darling, there's nothing to make up for. Honest".
She kissed him.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Like a rock. That massage you gave me did the trick".
"Perfect".
They went and sat down at the table, and had a lovely breakfast.
After they were done, she cleaned the kitchen, and they walked to the door together.
"Bye darling, have a good day. I love you".
"I love you more, Red. Are you sure you aren't mad?"
"I promise." She kissed him several times.
"Today's going to be boring compared to our awesome lunch date yesterday".
"I know. But we will still have tonight, darling. And we have the Bridger's dinner party. We need to leave by 6".
"I will be home after my 2 p.m. meeting".
"Perfect, you can help me get ready".
She kissed him. "I love you, see you tonight".
He left, and she went to the study and started working on her article again. She had a phone interview scheduled for 11, and it went very well. The young lady was extremely personable.
Jennifer really took to her story, and decided she wanted to talk to Jonathan about it later.
She started getting ready around 3. She took a long bath, and then picked out her gown. She decided to go with one that Jonathan hadn't seen on her yet- a form fitting champagne colored gown with a beaded bodice and a high slit. There was a small section across her midsection of sheer fabric that was embellished. It was strapless and fit her like a glove. She paired it with nude beaded strappy heels and a champagne colored clutch.
She usually curled her hair, but this time she decided to wear it straight and ½ pulled back. She curled the part that was down.
She was still in her robe when Jonathan got home. He had stopped and picked up her favorite coconut sweet tea from a restaurant that was near his office.
"Hi darling". He leaned down to kiss her.
"Hi honey". She saw the tea. "You are so sweet".
He didn't seem as stressed today.
She told him all about the interview she had done and what her idea was.
"Darling, I interviewed the most interesting lady today. She is in her 20's, but she was born with HIV and addicted to drugs. Her mom lost custody of her when she was a baby and she went to live with her aunt. And then her mom got married and got custody of her back from the aunt a few years later, but her stepdad did horrible, unspeakable things to her and the aunt finally got her back for good when she was around 6 or 7. But the doctors kept telling her family that she was going to die from HIV so her family mistreated her and didn't give her a chance to succeed like they did for her brothers".
"What do you mean?"
"Well, she said they put money aside for her brothers to go to college but not for her because they thought she wouldn't be alive then. And they did the same thing for her wedding. And now, she is married, has 3 kids, and she is the only one who graduated from college and she put herself through college, without any help, while her brothers just spent their college funds and didn't even go".
"That's amazing".
She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Darling, you know how each year, Hart Industries pays for someone's education? I want this year for it to be her kids. We need to make them college funds".
"You have such a giving heart darling, and I love that about you". He kissed the end of her nose.
"Yeah, so what'dya say?"
"I say sure. Call her back tomorrow and get her address and we will fly out and surprise her".
"Oh wonderful! You are the greatest". She kissed him a few times.
She went and put her gown on while he put on his tux. When she came out of the closet, he whistled at her.
"Babe, you are breathtaking".
"Well thank you".
She kissed him and they headed downstairs and to the car.
***The Prescott's***
Jonathan and Jennifer walked in, and started mingling. He went and got them cocktails and she started perusing the silent auction table.
"Darling, is this a business dinner?"
"Sort of. Jake Prescott is making a business announcement".
She nodded.
There were only about 40 people invited, so it wasn't totally intimate but it wasn't shoulder to shoulder either.
They went and got a plate and sat down.
A few minutes later, Jake Prescott went to the microphone.
"Thank you all for coming. This dinner is so that my company, SunGlow, can announce its latest venture. SeaPro is a line of luxury boats and yachts. As of today, we are adding a new line to the SeaPro family- jet skis. We wanted to have a fundraiser, but we wanted to be creative. So, we are going to have a pay to play game night. First will be the dance contest. 10 dances, 50 dollars per couple to enter. If you are the winner, you will get to pick a door prize. Afterwards, we will have a dart tournament, and then outside we will have a 4 hole croquet tournament. Darts are 40 dollars/couple to enter and the croquet is 100/couple".
Jonathan turned to Jennifer.
"May I have the next ten dances with you?"
"Certainly".
She took his hand and followed him to the dance floor.
The first 2 were slow dances. Jennifer and Jonathan fit together like a glove. The next two were up tempo, and he spun her and twirled her all over the dance floor. At the end of each song, the judges were eliminating people by tapping them on the shoulder.
By the end of the 8th dance, there were only 3 couples left.
"Ok judges, this is the love round. Now, in addition to being the best dancer, the couples have to look like they are enjoying each other's company".
"We got this, babe".
"We sure do".
The next song was a slow song, and Jennifer put her arms around his neck and they foxtrotted around the dance floor effortlessly.
The final song was a waltz. They assumed the position and then "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" started to play, and they sang along. They didn't even see anyone else in the room, they only had eyes for each other. The vote was unanimous, and they were declared the winners.
He dipped her and kissed her and they left the dance floor to claim their door prize.
They headed to the dart board and paid to play. Jennifer was very good at darts.
They did a women's tournament and a men's tournament, and then a final championship.
Jennifer was the women's winner, and she was going up against Edward Albritton, the men's winner.
"Ok, final round, is two darts a piece, highest combined score wins".
They handed them their darts.
"Ladies first".
"Why thank you".
Jennifer got a bullseye on her first shot.
Edward got a 9.
Jennifer got another bullseye, and then Edward did too.
"Jennifer Hart wins by 1 point".
There was a lovely round of applause and she got to pick another door prize.
They headed to the bar and got another cocktail, and then outside for the croquet tournament.
Everyone knew that Jonathan was the best at croquet, so nobody else wanted to enter. He was declared the winner by default.
The dance floor and all the games were now open to whomever wanted to play them, so they went to the dance floor again.
It was a slow song, which was their favorite.
"Thank you for dancing with me tonight, darling".
"Are you kidding? I love nothing better than to dance with my beautiful wife".
She kissed him.
"Do you realize that 12 years ago tomorrow, I was explaining to my father how I had chased you through London, trying my damnedest to get an interview from you, and you wouldn't give me one?"
"My loss".
"My gain".
After their dance was finished, they went to grab dessert and sat down at the tables. She fed him a bite of her devil's food cake, while he fed her a bite of his strawberry cheesecake.
"Darling, are you bidding on anything in the silent auction?"
"No, are you?"
"Nope".
"Well, we can go home whenever you are ready".
"Music to my ears".
She got up and took their plates to the trash and they said goodbye to the hosts.
They were home within 30 minutes.
***Willow Pond***
They came upstairs and he helped her unzip her dress. She put on one of his pajama tops and climbed into bed. She was opening the door prizes.
One was for a private yacht for 5 days out of San Francisco. The other was a gift card good for a year's free oil changes. She decided to keep that one and put it with the anniversary gift she was giving him.
He came and joined her in bed, and she showed him the yacht certificate.
"We will definitely use that".
She laid down and got comfy, and he snuggled with her a minute and stroked her hair.
"You were the best dance partner tonight, darling. You were positively angelic".
"You weren't so bad yourself, studmuffin".
She leaned up and kissed him.
"Those other couples didn't stand a chance".
He reached up and turned out the light, and wrapped his arms around her.
"You are so beautiful".
He kissed her long and slow, and then rolled on top of her. He was kissing her neck and removing her pajama top and panties.
They had mad, passionate sex and fell asleep in each other's arms.
***The next morning***
Jonathan snuck out of bed and let Jennifer sleep. He showered and got ready, and then leaned down and kissed her.
"Bye Red. I love you".
She halfway woke up and smirked at him.
"I love you too".
He left and she fell back asleep.
A few hours she woke up and got ready for her jewelry party.
She was excited.
She was about to head downstairs when their bedroom line rang.
"Hello?"
"I love you".
"I love you too, sailor".
"Do you have any plans tomorrow?"
"Well, now that you mention it, I need to find a date to celebrate my anniversary with".
"I will see if I can hire you someone. Do you think you could be ready at 5?"
"I am absolutely sure of it".
"Perfect. Enjoy your party and I will see you tonight".
"See you tonight".
She blew him a kiss and hung up the phone.