***Chapter 4***
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you".
"It's ok. I wasn't expecting you".
She walked past him and put her clutch and the award down, and then headed to the bedroom.
She was changing out of her gown in the bathroom when he came in.
"Can we talk?"
"I'm listening".
She had her pajamas on now, and was wiping off her makeup.
She put a coat of baby oil on before she came out of the bathroom.
Jonathan was sitting on the bed, so she went and sat next to him.
"I don't know what to say. I keep thinking I need some grand gesture to help me talk to you this time, but I don't have one. I didn't have time to get you flowers, or a fancy meal, or a string quartet. I just have me, and all I can say is I'm sorry".
"I don't need a grand gesture, Jonathan. I just need you. Do you hate me?"
"Of course I don't hate you. I love you so much. If I hated you, I wouldn't be here."
"We said some awful things to each other".
He nodded.
"I am sorry we fought, I am sorry I said those things about your work, and I am sorry I missed your ceremony".
She stared straight ahead.
"Jonathan, do you really think that your work is more important than mine?"
"No. Your work is just important to you as mine is to me".
She stood up and paced around the room.
"You still don't get it. When are you going to realize that I want my work to be important to you, because it's MY work? If you aren't proud of what I do, then we have no business being together. Part of why I married you was because of your character and the kind of person I thought you were. And till now, you have never shown me that I was wrong. And I thought you fell for me because of the same qualities".
"I did. I do value your work. But darling, you don't work near as much as I do, because I am able to provide everything for you."
"And I love that, and I appreciate it, but that doesn't mean that everything we have is all yours and none of it is mine. You had no right to throw your wealth in my face, Jonathan. My articles pay for plenty for you-they have paid for vacations, that Rolex on your arm, last month they paid for the gardener, the pool guy, and the property taxes on the beach house. I don't take my checks for my articles and put them in my account, I put them in ours. At least I thought it was ours. I didn't realize it was a competition".
"Jennifer, come here". He held his hands out and she took them. He embraced her and held her for a minute, and then they sat on the bed.
She was wiping tears away from her face.
"I am sorry that I said your work wasn't important. I realize that if that was true, you wouldn't have won an award tonight, that you so richly deserve. I should have never compared your work to mine. And I am sorry that I said our house and our money was all because of me-without you, none of it matters. You are the only thing that matters to me, I hope you know that. If I don't have you, baby, I don't need or want any of it. Please forgive me".
She grabbed his hands.
"I'm sorry that I said that you always put your business before me. It's just that sometimes I think you forget how much you and I need and enjoy our alone time. And normally, we have to cancel our lunch plans every once in a while, and every now and then we have to eat a late dinner. But this week, you blew me off for lunch, and then you didn't come home for dinner, and then….it was not the best timing. I should be more flexible. But darling, we have to find some common ground on this".
"I agree. You don't owe me any apologies, Jennifer. This was all my doing."
"I hate it when we fight. I hate sleeping without you, and not wanting to call you because I am mad. I have been so miserable since last night".
"I know, me too. I was so miserable at the office, that they split the work up and told me to go home".
She chuckled. "If only I had been there".
She swallowed hard.
"Darling, do you think you could hire someone who was strictly in charge of the mergers, and then you could delegate this stuff to them, so that things like this don't happen again?"
He nodded. "That's not a bad idea".
"And I will cut back on how many articles I write".
"No, I don't want you to do that. I want you to work as much as you want to, whenever, wherever. It's not my place to tell you what to do with your job".
She nodded.
She put her head on his shoulder and he comforted her.
"I'm sorry I said your merger was the only thing you care about. I didn't mean that, and I know that's not true. I should have been more understanding."
"It's ok, darling. Look, I think both of us said things we didn't mean. Babe, we love each other. Look at us, you are still just as gorgeous and beautiful and smokin' hot as you were when I met you, and I am more determined to succeed because of you. I want to make sure that you have anything and everything you ever want, no matter what it is, how big or how small. That's my focus, babe, it's always about you, I swear it. But as much as we love each other, surely we can get past this. I am sorry I hurt your feelings, darling. I love you so much, and I swear, you are the last one I would ever want to hurt".
She nodded and leaned up and kissed him.
"I'm sorry I hurt you, too".
He scooted back against the bed, and she moved to lay down with him.
"So, tell me about the ceremony".
"It was ok. The beginning was rather boring, with all the technical awards. But after that, it was ok. I loved what you said about me in the video, darling".
"I meant every word. You mean everything to me, Jennifer. I have been so stupid."
"Jonathan, it was just a fight. It's not like you cheated on me".
"All night at the office, all I could see was that hurt look on your face. I feel so bad, Jennifer. I promise I will make it up to you".
"You being here is all I need".
"Darling, as soon as we get home, I am going to make some changes at the office. I am going to start taking Fridays off. Thursday nights will be our date night, and we can spend Fridays together too, or we can take the weekend and go places. And if the board doesn't like that, then screw them. It's our company, we can set the rules".
"I like that idea. Jonathan, I wasn't upset with you because I wanted you to work less- I just wanted you to value my work as much as you value yours".
"I understand that. And I promise you that I do value your work, I was just being stupid and selfish. I am so proud of you, honest. You could write the phone book and I would show it off".
He turned to look at her.
"I love you, Red".
She smiled at him.
"I love you too, Jonathan Charles".
***The next morning***
They slept late and ordered breakfast from the deli down the street. Jonathan had managed to get them Broadway tickets for that night, and had arranged for a horse drawn carriage to take them to Broadway.
They did some shopping, and then went to lunch. They came back to the penthouse, and laid around a bit, before they were going to get ready.
She put on a gorgeous black capri jumpsuit, with sparkles in it, and some strappy black heels. Jonathan had on his suit, and together they looked amazing.
After the play, they stopped and got dinner to go, and brought it back to the penthouse.
They sat down on the couch, and started to eat.
The phone rang, and Jonathan knew it had to be the office. He looked at Jennifer.
"Don't be silly. Answer it".
She patted his hand reassuringly as he picked the phone up.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Hart, it's Stanley. I just wanted to let you know that a process server just came by here, and was looking to serve you with some papers. I told him you were in New York, and he said ok and left. I went to my office really quick, and heard him on the phone at the elevator, and he said someone from the New York office would serve you there within the hour".
"Ok thank you, Stanley".
They hung up, and he turned the news on. One of the channels they paid extra for was a satellite broadcast of the LA news channels.
They were watching the news when there was a knock at the door. Jonathan got up and went to get it.
"Mr. Jonathan Hart?"
"I am Jonathan Hart".
"You've been served". They put the envelope in his hand, and then walked away.
He shut the door and brought the envelope back to the den.
"Who was it?"
"Process server".
He opened the envelope and pulled out the papers.
Charlie was suing him for $35 million dollars, for sexual harassment and hostile work environment.
Jonathan sighed and put the papers on the table.
"Darling, what is it?"
"Charlie, the executive I fired last week, is suing Hart Industries, claiming that there was sexual harassment going on at the office each day and that it made for a hostile work environment".
"How much is the suit for?"
"$35 million dollars".
"Do the papers say who the suit alleges the harasser is?"
"Yes, me".
"Oh, Jonathan, that's ridiculous! You would never sexually harass anyone, but for sure, never a-"
They turned their attention to the TV.
"Breaking News: a former executive at Hart Industries has filed suit against founder and CEO, Jonathan Hart, charging him with sexual harassment and hostile work environment". Pictures of Jonathan and Jennifer flooded the screen, while the story continued.
"Charlotte Watkins, who goes by Charlie, alleges that Jonathan Hart sexually harassed her while they worked on a project together, and made it a hostile work environment, before he fired her for refusing his advances. She is asking for more than $30 million in damages".
The story cut to video of Charlie and her lawyer giving a statement.
"I was in his office and he ripped my blouse open, exposing my bra, and then when I told him that he was married and I wasn't interested, he fired me. On another occasion, he and I were working late, and the internet went down. I live about 5 minutes from the office, so I allowed him to come to my home so we could keep working, and he ended up drinking too much alcohol. I graciously allowed him to stay in my guest room that night, and just after I had gone to bed, he appeared in my room, and tried to force himself on me. If he had not passed out during his attempts to force himself on me, he would be charged with rape right now. The next morning at the office, I was trying to remain professional, and he told me point blank that he always gets what he wants, and last night was just the beginning".
Jennifer turned to look at Jonathan.
"So Charlie is a woman? That's where you stayed that night, was at her house? You spent the night at another woman's house?"
"Yes, but darling you have to believe me, nothing happened".
"Something happened, maybe not what she is describing. But something definitely happened, that is obvious".
"What do you mean?"
"You lied to me, Jonathan. That's what I mean. You lied to me".