***Willow Pond***
Jennifer is sitting at home, waiting on Jonathan to come home.
It's almost 6, so he should be home any minute. She had his cocktail all ready and waiting for him, and had already changed into some pajama pants and a tank top.
Things had been kind of tense for him at the office lately. Several mergers had fallen apart and he felt like everyone was losing faith in him. He had hired a new executive to try and turn things around. Mark Manchester had come highly recommended, but so far, they hadn't seen any results.
Jennifer had kind of had her heart set on going out to dinner tonight, but she knew that Jonathan would need a relaxing evening at home. Plus, they were forecasting a heavy storm, so she took one for the team and ordered in.
He came through the door at exactly 5:55, and she went to him.
After a long hug and kiss, they sat on the couch together and enjoyed their drinks.
"Things any better today?"
"No. And I am starting to regret hiring Mark. He hasn't shown any initiative or drive, and he isn't getting the results. Our stock prices are plummeting."
She hated to see him so stressed and upset.
"I have faith in you that you will figure out how to turn things around".
"Jennifer, this is serious. We might have to go under".
"Oh, Jonathan, surely not".
"Our stock value has dropped 100 points since yesterday. We have more people who are refusing to do business with us than those that will, and the board is growing antsy".
She started scratching his chest and kissed his shoulder.
"Darling, what if my company folds and I lose everything?"
She thought for a moment.
"Jonathan…there isn't a single thing in the world that would ever change the way I feel about you".
He nodded.
"I ordered your favorite dinner from Chasen's, it should be here soon. And I canceled my plans for tonight, so we can spend a relaxing evening here, just the two of us".
"Good, because I don't know that I could handle anything else".
"How about a hot tub date?"
"That sounds amazing".
They had just stood up and were about to get their suits on when the phone rang.
He walked over to the bar and answered it.
"Hello?"
She walked past him, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.
She stood there and hugged him while he took the call.
"Yes Stanley, I think that is a very good possibility."
They spoke for a little bit and then he hung up.
"What is it?"
"Stanley thinks this might be a takeover attempt. Someone is trying to get the stock prices low enough so that they can buy all the stock and then own more than me".
"Well, why don't we buy all the stock and then we will own all of it?"
"We can't do that. The SEC could get me for insider trading, since I know that the prices are plummeting".
Just then the doorbell rang.
She went and signed for their dinner, and then took it to the kitchen.
After they ate, they went to the hot tub.
She tried to massage his shoulders and make him feel better, but he just wasn't himself.
"Darling, what if I used my money and bought the stock? We could put it in my maiden name".
"Jennifer, there is a clause in the paperwork of the ownership of the company that states that if I was ever to divorce you, you would get ½ ownership of the company. So, if you were to own more than ½ the company without me signing a piece of paper giving you full ownership, then the SEC would come after us, and invalidate everything".
"So the answer is simple. Don't divorce me and the SEC won't have anything to investigate".
"Ha ha. They investigate things all the time".
"Oh. So, basically, we need someone to buy the stock, and then just hold on to it and not try to make a play for the company?"
"Yes. And the chances of that happening are zero".
She lovingly rubbed his back some and gave him a back scratch, which is always a favorite.
After she was done, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek.
"Jonathan, even if you and I are living in some apartment somewhere and eating Ramen noodles and spray cheese every night, I am still going to love you and have faith in you. Nothing is ever going to change that".
He reached up and grabbed her hand and kissed it.
"Would you believe on the way home, I thought about draining our accounts, and selling everything we had and taking you and flying us to some tropical location where we could forever live under assumed names and never have to have board meetings or worry about mergers and takeovers ever again?"
"I can be packed and ready in an hour".
He cracked half a smile.
They soaked for a long time, and then got out.
As they climbed into bed, she snuggled up to him and rested her head on his chest.
She gave him a chest rub and a few minutes later, he was fast asleep.
***Across town***
A man is in front of a mirror. He has just put a mask on, and is about to get dressed and go out. He goes to the closet and selects an outfit like "he" would wear. He sits down and uses makeup to cover up a tattoo on the inside of his wrist, a reminder of his college days. The tattoo is of a cross, with flames coming off it, and the greek letters of his fraternity in the middle of the cross. He covers the tattoo and then uses the makeup to blend the silicone mask into his neck, so that the edges aren't noticeable. Now that his look was complete, it was time for him to step out and make everyone think that he was really him.
He decided to practice in the mirror first.
"Hi, I'm Jonathan Hart".
***Middle of the night***
Jennifer woke up to go to the bathroom and realized that Jonathan wasn't in the bed.
She went downstairs to look for him and couldn't find him on the couch, in the study, or in the kitchen.
She figured he must have gone for a drive and didn't want to wake her up, so she went back to bed and fell back asleep.
***Next morning***
Jonathan's alarm went off, and Jennifer reached over and shut it off. He hadn't ever come back to bed.
She got up and went downstairs and made coffee. A few minutes later, he came into the kitchen.
"Darling, where were you? I looked all over for you".
"Couldn't sleep, and didn't want to wake you, so I went to the guest room."
"Oh. Coffee?"
He took it from her and went and sat down.
"Want me to make you some breakfast?"
"No thanks, I'm not hungry".
She poured herself some coffee and then came and sat with him.
He was being quiet and didn't seem to want to talk, so she got up and went outside and got the paper.
She brought it to him and sat down next to him.
He was focused on the business pages, and she grabbed the entertainment section.
"Darling, did you leave the house last night?"
"No, why?"
"Well, either this is an old picture or you have a twin. There's a picture in the paper here, and you or someone who looks exactly like you is in the background".
He looked at it and didn't say anything.
She decided not to pursue it, and got up and refilled his coffee.
"I will be down by the office later today, want to have lunch?"
"Sure, that's fine".
She walked him to the door and kissed him goodbye before going upstairs and taking a shower.
She was at home, around 11, working on an article when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hi, darling. Listen, I have to go to an emergency meeting, so I can't have lunch. I will make it up to you, I swear it".
"Oh, don't worry about that. It's fine, I understand".
"Thanks, babe. You're the best. I love you".
"I love you too".
She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone.
***Across town***
A man is working at his desk, when his alarm goes off. He quickly turns it off, and grabs his keys and heads for the elevator. He gets in his car, drives to a parking garage 3 blocks away, and parks in a remote spot. He puts his mask on, does the makeup blending, and covers his tattoo. After he drives to his lunch location, he valet parks the car and heads into the restaurant.
"Welcome to L'Orangerie, your table is available".
He thanks them, and heads to his table, stopping to talk to George Christy, the gossip columnist.
"Well, hello Jonathan. What a treat! How are things at Hart Industries?"
***Willow Pond***
It's 5 p.m. Jennifer is working hard on her article. She is almost finished, and wants to be finished with it before Jonathan comes home so that she can focus on him.
Jonathan is home by 6, and she starts dinner. They are having one of his favorites, shrimp parmesan.
"Wanna help me cook?"
"Not tonight, babe. I need to return some phone calls. Call me when it's ready".
He kisses her and heads to the study.
She makes their dinner, and comes and tells him it's ready.
"Be there in a few, darling".
She nods and goes back to the kitchen.
She put the pan in the oven on low to keep it warm.
An hour later, he's still not off the phone.
She makes herself a plate, and eats without him. She makes him a plate, and puts it at his seat, and then does the dishes.
By the time he gets off the phone, she is upstairs, asleep.
***Across town***
The same man is about to put the mask on again, and go out on the town.
This time, he selects a seedier part of Los Angeles.
He pulls up to the Purple Orchid, a gentleman's club, and parks. He opens the glove box, puts on a fake wedding band, and goes inside.
***The next morning***
Jennifer wakes up early, and makes coffee and breakfast.
She's sitting out on the patio with the paper when Jonathan comes downstairs.
"Morning darling".
He kisses her cheek.
She looks at him and smiles.
"Morning".
They have a quiet breakfast together and then he leaves for the office.
She kisses him goodbye and goes to work on her next article.
Around 9, she gets a phone call.
"Hello?"
"Mrs. Hart, this is Phillippe from L'Orangerie. Your husband was in yesterday, and left his cuff links. We have them at the reservation stand whenever you or him would like to pick them up. They are the ones with the Playboy bunny, no?"
"Oh, Jonathan would never wear a pair of cufflinks like that."
"Well ma'am, we found them at his table just after he left yesterday. He was the only one who could have left them behind as we clean each table between customers".
"Ok, if you are sure. I will tell him. Thank you".
She hangs up, not knowing what to make of the situation.
She finally calls Jonathan at the office.
"Hello?"
"Hi darling. Listen, Phillippe from L'Orangerie called and said you left your cufflinks there yesterday. They are at the reservation stand if you want to go get them".
"Jennifer, I didn't go to L'Orangerie yesterday. And I didn't lose any cufflinks".
"All I am telling you is he called, he said you left them, he swears they are yours because he says they clean off the table between customers, and you were the last person at the table. He said they have the Playboy bunny on them".
"I'm telling you, I didn't go there yesterday, and also, I don't have cufflinks with the Playboy bunny on them".
"Well, I didn't think you did, but he insisted they were yours. So, I told him I would tell you".
"Ok. Great. You told me. Can I get back to work now or did you need something else?"
She couldn't believe how snippy he was being.
"Bye darling".
She hung up the phone.
He instantly regretted it, and resolved to make it up to her later, in person.
***Later that afternoon***
Jennifer was in the study, around 4:30, researching another article. She was trying to do a story about a lady who found out that her friend's husband was cheating, so she started a private investigation firm. After becoming immensely successful, she found out her own husband was cheating on her, and used her skills to catch him. For whatever reason, Jennifer was having a hard time finding contact information for the lady.
The phone rang and she picked it up. She could use the distraction.
"Hello?"
"Hi Mrs. Hart, this is Deanne. Mr. Hart wanted me to call and tell you that he is sorry, but he is going to be here till at least 8 tonight. He says not to wait dinner for him, he will just find something when he gets home".
"Ok, thanks Deanne".
She hung up the phone.
She went and got the paper, and decided to see what movies were playing.
As soon as she turned to the Entertainment section, George Christy's column caught her eye.
There, in black and white, was a picture of Jonathan, eating at L'Orangerie.
She folded the paper back up, grabbed her keys and her purse, and headed out.