Jane Adler stepped out of her taxi and took a deep breath, closing her eyes and letting her face soak up the little bit of sun that was to be offered despite the gigantic buildings of the city. New York. The last time she was in the big apple, it was to see her son Luke off to college. Here she was again 4 years later with her daughters Gabby and Lauren, as well as her soon to be son-in-law Harley, to see Luke graduate. She opened her eyes and looked up at The Park Regent Hotel, their home away from home for the next few days, and cringed as she remembered that her ex-husband Jake, his new wife, and her child were going to be staying in the same hotel. These thoughts were swept away though, when she saw her son running up the busy sideway toward her and his siblings.
"Luuuke!" Gabby and Lauren yelled, running into their little brother's arms, Harley and Jane not too far behind. Jane hugged him tightly in her arms, realizing just how much she missed her youngest child and silently thanking God that he would be returning to the West Coast with them in a few short days.
Jane's children chattered restlessly as they grabbed their luggage and made their way into the hotel. Jane quickly checked in, innocently inquiring as to whether or not the "other Adler's" had checked in yet, which they hadn't. When she turned around, she found four sets of pleading eyes looking at her. She had been a mother long enough to know what that look meant. They needed money.
Luke spoke first. "Mom, we're going to have a party tonight…"
"And…?" Jane asked inquisitively.
"And… we'd love your credit card," Gabby answered.
Jane just rolled her eyes and handed it over. "That's what I thought. Just don't go too crazy, okay?"
"Thanks, Mom!" they chimed in unison, then ran off to their respective rooms to unpack and then get ready to hit the streets of New York.
And there Jane was, alone once more. She walked into the elevator and just as the doors were about to close, a couple walked in. They were probably oblivious to Jane's presence in the small elevator with them, as they were staring into one another's eyes, radiating an aura of love. It made Jane want to hit her face against the wall. When was the last time she was like that with a man? Certainly over 10 years ago… she had barely dated anyone since her divorce from Jake. Even when she did date, she didn't particularly enjoy it. They were all duds, so to speak. She was very convinced that all the normal, good looking, and faithful men her age were already married.
Jane sighed deeply and stepped out of the elevator onto her floor. When she got to her room, she unpacked her things and then let herself fall onto the bed in the middle of the room. Staring up at the ceiling, Jane realized that this is what it would be like from now on. All of her children were leaving the nest, and she was going to be left alone in her big house. No. She had to stop this negative nonsense. She needed a drink.
Jane threw on a maroon cocktail dress, pinned her hair up loosely, and headed downstairs to the hotel bar. It was still pretty early, so there were only a few people here and there. She took a seat at the bar and started to order a light wine, but changed her mind and ordered a martini instead. She needed something to get her mind off of the current state of her life. She was too old to be feeling like this… these were supposed to be the golden years. Whatever.
She easily drank her martini and then ordered another. More and more people were coming into the bar each minute and the atmosphere was slowly changing. Now feeling the slight effects that the alcohol was having on her, Jane allowed herself to loosen slightly and look around the crowded bar. She noticed a dashingly handsome man glancing at her from his seat down at the other end of the bar. She smirked to herself and averted her gaze quickly. She wasn't imagining things, right? He was looking at her? When Jane looked up again, she noticed the man standing up, his gaze still locked firmly on her. Oh shit, was he coming to talk to her?
Jane smiled despite herself as the mystery man took a seat next to her. "Hi, I'm Sam Carmichael," he said with great confidence.
Jane held out her hand to Sam. "Sam… I'm Jane Adler," she said as she watched Sam take her hand and press his warm lips to her knuckles. She blushed deeply, not expecting that.
"Pleased to meet you, Jane. I couldn't help but notice you sitting over here alone. Are you by yourself tonight?" he asked coyly.
"Unfortunately, I am… but I needed a drink so badly that I couldn't help coming down here alone," she admitted.
Sam smiled widely. "Do you mind if I join you, then? I'm alone tonight too. Drinks on me?"
"Be my guest," Jane said coyly. She could feel the butterflies flare up in her stomach just because of his presence beside her. Sam Carmichael oozed charm and confidence – Jane could see that and she'd only known him for about a minute.
Sam ordered them a bottle of wine and then looked over at Jane. "Are you staying here in the hotel?"
"Yeah, I'm here for a few days. My son – my youngest child– is graduating from college tomorrow. I'm here from California," she answered with a proud smile.
Sam nodded. "Wow, all the way from California. What college?"
"NYU," Jane answered.
"Small world! My youngest son is at NYU, but he graduates next year," Sam revealed.
Jane laughed. "How many children do you have?"
"Just two boys, Bryan and James. And also a possible daughter – I kind of act as Godfather to her – I might have to explain that later. It's a long story, trust me. But anyway, Bryan works at a law office here in Manhattan and James is studying engineering at NYU. He lives with his mother in Tribeca," Sam explained.
"You're divorced too, then?" she asked.
"Yeah, I've been divorced – and single – for quite a while. It gets old, but that's how it is."
Jane chuckled. "I know exactly what you mean. I've been divorced for ten years and it never really gets easier."
Sam nodded. "Anyway… tell me about yourself. What about your children? How many?"
"I have two daughters, Lauren and Gabby, and my son, Luke. Lauren is getting married in a few months and Gabby just moved into her own apartment in SoCal. Luke is graduating tomorrow, and coming back to Cali next week. I'm beginning to feel very alone," Jane said with a light laugh.
"Oh, I know exactly how you feel. I don't know where the time has gone… I have two grown children. I don't feel old enough to have two grown children," Sam exclaimed as Jane nodded in agreement. "Hey, the bar's getting kind of crowded. Would you like to grab a table with me?" he asked.
"That sounds great," Jane said, really enjoying her and Sam's conversation. They informed the bartender that they were moving, and found a corner booth where things were a bit quieter and where they could keep talking.
"So, I'm guessing that you live in New York, and you're not just at the hotel for the night," Jane inquired.
"That would be correct. I was actually here for a business meeting. I decided to grab a drink afterward, and then I saw the most gorgeous woman and just had to go talk to her," he flirted.
Jane blushed and smiled, but ignored his blatant attempt at flirting with her. The sight of him sitting next to her smirking and winking stirred feelings inside of her that she hadn't felt in a long while. She was frightened, but also deeply excited by it all. "What kind of business? What do you do, I mean?"
"I'm an architect. I was meeting with some possible clients. Boring stuff, you know. And what do you do, Ms. Adler?" Sam asked, admiring the way Jane's blonde curls fell on her shoulders. He wasn't just being coy, she really was an incredibly gorgeous woman. She had the warmest smile, the most impressive cheek bones, and her skin had a wonderful glow.
Jane laughed. "I own and run a bakery back in Santa Barbara. It takes up a great deal of my time. Sometimes I wish I would have never even opened it, but it's very rewarding. It makes me happy usually." Jane looked up and immediately spotted Jake and Agnes standing near the entrance of the bar. "Oh, shit," she said as she ducked down slightly.
"What's the matter, Jane?" Sam asked, looking around to find out what or who she had seen.
Jane rolled her eyes. "My ex-husband and his wife just walked in. I don't have a real problem with them, I just don't want them to see me… they'll try to talk to us or sit with us or something. They don't know what privacy is."
Sam laughed at her actions and quickly tried to think of a solution for her problem. "Are you hungry, Jane? I know a great place two blocks down."
She smiled slightly and hesitated. She just met this man, what was she thinking? Could she even trust him? Did she even care? "That sounds wonderful. Just get me away from them."
They watched Jake and Agnes make their way over to the bar and then Sam grabbed Jane's hand and quickly led her out of the hotel and into the New York night. Jane laughed heartily at the thought of what they had just done – she felt sneaky. Jane didn't mind being hand in hand with Sam as they walked down the street. In fact, she leaned into his hold, using his body to steady herself over the dizzying effects of all of the alcohol she had consumed. She could smell his cologne; it was wonderful. Sam led them into a quaint restaurant that was several blocks away from Jane's hotel. It was much quieter there than in the hotel bar, despite there still being a lot of people.
Jane fixed her windblown hair as Sam found them a table near the window and got the attention of one of the passing waitresses. They were handed menus and their drink orders were taken, both ordering from the wine list. Jane ordered a salad, not finding anything on the menu that intrigued her taste buds, and Sam ordered a fresh sub sandwich…
"Thanks for getting me out of there, Sam. I just wasn't very much in the mood for their dry rambling tonight. I'd much rather talk to you," Jane said. "And not to mention the non-stop questions that would certainly get fired at me if Jake saw me having a drink with such an attractive stranger on the eve of our son's graduation."
"The pleasure's all mine," Sam replied, smiling cheekily. "I was quite hungry anyway. How's your salad?"
Jane nodded. "It's very good. So… tell me about this possible-ish maybe daughter of yours. You've got me curious now, Mr. Carmichael."
Sam thought about how to explain the situation to a woman that he was interested in without it seeming too weird – which it was, no doubt. "Umm… well, when I was a young guy, I got engaged to the woman who would later become the mother of my children – Lorraine. We lived just outside of New York City at the time, and I got commissioned for some business stuff overseas all over Europe. One night in Paris, I went to this really great nightclub with a live band – Donna and the Dynamos – they were wonderful, but I got really enthralled by the lead singer and decided to strike up a conversation with her. Long story short, I followed Donna and her two crazy Dynamos to Greece, where she lived, and I fell completely and totally in love with her. I know it sounds really bad, but I couldn't help it. It felt so right. I couldn't think about Lorraine; all I could see was Donna. We had one night of passion, and then I had to tell her that I had to leave – I was engaged to someone else. By the time I got back to New York, I realized what a huge mistake I had made by leaving her, so I called off my engagement and flew back to Greece. Only, it was too late then, because I found out that the love of my life was off with some rebound guy."
Jane frowned. "Oh Sam, that's awful."
He smiled to reassure her. "I came back to New York and for some reason, Lorraine took me back and married me. Bryan and James came later, and I'm so thankful for them, but things were never quite right with mine and Lorraine's marriage. We got divorced about 15 years later."
"So when does the daughter come in?" Jane asked with her brow furrowed.
"A couple of years ago, I got a letter from Donna in the mail inviting me to her daughter's wedding. The possibility of the child being mine never even crossed my mind. I just thought that Donna might want to see me again – and I was a free man, so I went for it. I had nothing to lose," he explained.
"And she introduced you to your daughter when you got there? Oh gosh…"
"Well, not quite. As it turns out, Donna wasn't even the one who sent the invite. She had no idea that I was even coming. She was pretty pissed to find me there actually," he said.
"Oh no… so that means…" Jane was enthralled.
"Yep. It was Sophie. Sophie sent the invite. And I wasn't the only man to receive one either. Bill and Harry, Donna's rebound guys, also showed up!"
Jane's mouth fell opened. "Are you joking?!"
He laughed at the thought of how ridiculous this all must seem to Jane. "Not in the slightest. So long story short, the guys and I eventually figured out what was going on and it didn't take us long to calculate Sophie's age with the time period that we were with Donna."
"That's absolutely crazy. So how did you find out that Sophie was yours?"
Sam chuckled again. "I didn't. She didn't want to know. Bill, Harry, and I all grew kind of attached to her… and she liked the idea of having three dads better than the idea of having one. So we all agreed to keep it a mystery. She might be mine, but there's just as much a chance that she's Bill's or Harry's."
"Wow. Doesn't it drive you crazy not knowing?" Jane asked, bewildered.
"Not really," Sam said laughing. "It works out pretty nicely, as weird as it all sounds."
Jane sat on this new information for a moment. "So, did anything else happen with Donna, if you don't mind me asking about it? You seemed pretty hung up on her."
"Funnily enough, she was engaged to be married when we all arrived. So imagine her surprise when three of her old lovers showed up on her little island for her daughter's wedding. She was livid, poor woman. We talked things over and left it at that. She seemed extremely happy with her fiancé. I could tell they loved each other very much," Sam reflected.
"Weren't you disappointed?" Jane asked.
"At first I was, but then I realized that after 21 years apart, it was probably best not to even try to rekindle anything with her. We just left the past in the past."
"At least you got some closure," Jane said. "That's a wild story, Sam. I've never heard anything quite like that. I'm glad it all worked out. It had the potential to get pretty messy."
Sam laughed heartily. "That's for sure… So, I still see Sophie on holidays and stuff like that. She married a boy named Sky and they're actually expecting a baby at the end of the summer – a girl."
Jane placed a hand over her heart. "Oh, that's wonderful! You'll be a grandfather!"
He smiled widely. "I know! I can't wait to meet my sweet little granddaughter."
"I'm so looking forward to becoming a grandmother one day. My friend Joanne says that it's the most wonderful thing," Jane said, smiling at the mention of one of her girlfriends.
Sam and Jane sat in that café for the next hour and a half, talking, flirting, and just getting to know one another. Neither of them could remember a time when they felt so comfortable around someone that they were actually interested in.
"Sam," Jane spoke, "I swear I could sit at this table and talk to you all night long, but I have to be up fairly early in the morning. It's going to be a big day and I need to get some sleep."
Smiling regretfully, Sam said, "That's alright, darling. I have an early start tomorrow too. Come on, I'll walk you back to your hotel."
Having already settled the bill, Jane followed Sam once again out into the streets of New York. The air was cooler than it was when they left the hotel, but it wasn't unbearable. Sam extended his bent arm to Jane, and she gently placed her hand on it as he escorted her back to her hotel. They were blanketed with silence, but they were content nonetheless.
The pair stopped walking when they reached the door of the Park Regent Hotel. "Jane, thank you very much for spending the evening with me. I really enjoyed getting to know you. I've known you for a very short time, but I can already see what an extraordinary woman you are," Sam gushed. He watched Jane's face blush fervently and he took one of her hands in his own.
"You have no idea how much I needed your company tonight, Mr. Carmichael. Thank you for everything," Jane said with a sideways smirk on her face.
"I want to see you again, Jane," Sam said truthfully.
Jane thought about that for a moment. "I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, Sam… I don't know if-…"
"I don't care how much time we have," Sam interrupted. "I just want to see you again. I need to know that this isn't the last time that I'm going to see your lovely face."
Jane sighed. "Okay. I'm having dinner with my family tomorrow after Luke's graduation… then I'm free to do whatever you want to."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Whatever I want to do, eh?"
Jane laughed and hit him in the chest. "Within reason, Mr. Carmichael. Be in the lobby at 7 if you want to see me."
Sam reached into his pocket and took out one of his business cards. "This has my work, home, and cell numbers on it. Call me if you need anything… or if you just want to talk, okay?"
Jane took his card and smiled. "Okay. I have to go, Sam. Seriously."
"Right… Well, good night, Beauty," said Sam. Jane watched him lean toward her and place a tender and polite kiss on her blushing cheek.
Jane sighed at the feeling. "Good night, Sam Carmichael. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, she turned away from him and walked into the hotel. When she got into the elevator and turned around, she saw him still standing there watching her until finally, the elevator doors slid shut and lifted her to her floor.
Neither of them got much sleep that night.