Jennifer got to work and decided to focus solely on business so as not to spend all day thinking about Jonathan.
His hands roaming up and down her body.
His wonderful kisses. Oh, those kisses.
His dreamy eyes…his taut abs….his lips. Oh, yes, his lips.
She stopped herself from remembering too much and focused on her article.
Olivia walked by and hung over the top of her cubicle for a moment.
"Lunch today?"
"Sure".
"Great. 11:45, in the courtyard".
"Can we…possibly go somewhere a little more private?"
"Yeah. How about the terrace upstairs on the 8th floor?"
"Perfect".
She got back to work and really focused on her work. Around 11, Morgan, the receptionist brought a small vase of flowers to her desk.
"Thank you".
The vase was small, about 6 inches, and had a beautiful sunrise painted on it. It was filled with blue tulips.
She dug for the card and opened it.
"I miss you. Have to stay another month. Can't wait to see you when I get back-Ben".
'How sweet'.
She got back to work and about 15 minutes later, Morgan brought another delivery. Another vase of flowers.
"Someone has an admirer".
"Well I would love to know who it is".
This vase was clear, with bubbles in the glass and a scalloped edge. The vase was filled with pink tulips, pink stargazer lilies, pink hyacinth and pink gerber daisies. She dug for the card and opened it.
"Can't stop thinking about you. Hope you are thinking about me too. -J".
'If you only knew how much'.
She shoved the cards into her wallet and then got back to work till lunchtime. She and Olivia had a lot to talk about. Olivia wrote the advice column for the Times. She was perfect for venting.
Jennifer went and heated up her lunch, and then headed up to the terrace. She and Olivia were the only ones who ever came up there.
They sat down and started eating.
"So how are things with the roommate?"
"The same but yet a 1000 times more complicated".
"I don't understand".
"Can I talk to Miss Mary for a moment?"
"Sure".
"So, I recently moved in to a new place temporarily while my other place gets renovated. And I was kind of sort of dating this guy that lived across the hall from me. We'll call him Ben, because that's his name. He's very sweet, and very affectionate and complimentary. I have a wonderful time with him, I do. He helped me move in, he has come to my new place and helped me get settled. Sometimes, I don't have his full attention, but I've never been one who has to be the center of attention. So anyways, he and I were supposed to go to dinner last week. He was an hour late picking me up. No phone call or anything, but we had a marvelous time when we went out. There's just one problem".
"Sex?"
"You guessed it. I don't enjoy it with him. Granted, we've only done it twice, but I didn't enjoy it either time. And to make it worse, each time afterwards, he told me how great it was, which makes me feel horrible."
"So what does this have to do with the roommate?"
"Well, she and her boyfriend, we'll call him Jon, they broke my hammock chair".
"The one your dad gave you?"
"Yep. So, I decided to let Ben fix it and to have him install a deadbolt on my door. The roommate came out and yelled at me over the fact that Ben spent the night and that he was using power tools. Keep in mind her boyfriend Jon spent the night, and that he spent the first 4 nights that I lived there, but she wants advanced notice when Ben stays over. Whatever. So, anyways, Kristin left to work in Chicago for 2 months. And before she left, she named all these insane rules that again, only apply to me with her things, but not her with my things apparently. So things were tense before I left for work yesterday. And then Jon called and left a message for me to call him. So I did, and he apologized and stated that he wanted to make things right. Last night, he showed up with flowers for me and tried to fix the hammock frame but couldn't. So, he's buying me a new one. He also bought dinner, and made us some killer margaritas, and then one thing led to another and…."
"You didn't?"
"I did. I cannot believe it, but I did".
"And how was it?"
"Absolutely the most incredible, most amazing feeling ever. I literally saw rocket ships and fireworks when he touched me. I have experience but I'm not that experienced, but I'm experienced enough to know when it's good. And with him, it's amazing".
"So what happened?"
"He stayed the night and this morning we agreed not to tell her. She's coming home tonight."
"I see".
"I've already decided that she isn't the kind of person I want to be friends with after I move out or even while I live there. The fact that she works out of town during the week helps immensely. But what am I going to do when she's in town and he's there with her?"
"Well, until they break up officially, he's off limits. Actually no, scratch that. Until they break up and you move out, he's off limits. She's liable to set your shit on fire if you make a move on him while you still live there. And to be fair, you need to break things off with Ben, if you are truly interested in Jon".
"Yes, but is it really fair for me to break up with him just because the sex is lousy?"
"Fair? It's essential. If he can't make your eyes roll back in your head, then you two have no business being together."
"I suppose that's true. It just seems so superficial".
"Bad sex might be the reason you break up with him. But you don't have to phrase it that way. Tell him that you met someone else, or that you lost interest while he's been out of town".
"I see your point".
"And if you move out and Jon makes a move on you and he's still with her, then you need to tell him that you aren't available till he isn't with her anymore".
Jennifer finished the last of her fajitas and then drank some water.
"I just feel so disappointed in myself. I cannot believe I did that".
"Girl, you are a sexy, vivacious, charismatic and intelligent woman. Most woman these days don't know what they want. Kudos to you for going after what you wanted."
"I am not a sex kitten, Olivia. I don't sleep around. Commitment means something to me".
"And that's good. But are you really committed to Ben?"
"No, I suppose I'm not".
"How committed do you think Jon is to Kristin?"
"He told me that he didn't think they would make it this far, but that she makes the weekends he spends here on business less lonely. And she told me when I first moved in that she was only in it for the sex".
"So see? You didn't ruin anything. You just maybe jumped the gun a little, but that's ok. This can all be fixed, one way or the other".
"Great point. I'm going to stop beating myself up about it. It is what it is, and until Jonathan breaks it off with her, I will refuse to let it happen again between us".
They cleaned up their lunch and headed back downstairs. They clocked in and went to their respective desks. Jennifer worked till 5 and then headed home.
Her plan was to run out and do some errands and then stay in her room all night, avoiding Kristin and Jonathan.
She came in and set her flowers down on the coffee table. She put the ones from Jonathan in her bedroom and the ones from Ben in the living room. She quickly changed out of her dress and into some black skinny jeans and a pink top and some black flats.
She went and ran her errands and then picked up a pizza on the way home.
She came in and set it down and reached up to get a plate.
Just then, the door opened. Kristin and Jonathan came in.
"Hi, have a nice trip?"
She tried to sound cheery.
"Yeah, it was ok. Oh great, you ordered pizza".
Kristin grabbed a plate and started piling pieces of pizza on to it, and then took it to her room.
"Jonathan and I are going to be very busy, so try not to disturb us, ok? And if a guy named Bryce calls, he has the wrong number. Thanks".
Jennifer was livid. Not only did Kristin leave her with one piece of pizza, one freaking tiny piece of pizza, she also expected her to be an answering service?! Not happening.
Jonathan came into the kitchen and got some water for the both of them.
He came over to Jennifer and shoved $100 dollars in her hand.
"I'm sorry about that-order some more on me. Here's a tip-she hates mushrooms. Keep the change".
He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and grabbed their waters.
"Jonathan….come on, baby. I'm waaaaaiiiiitttttiiiinnnngg".
"I'm coming".
He gave Jennifer a look that said "What else can I do?" and then returned to the bedroom.
Jennifer called and ordered another pizza for delivery, with extra mushrooms. She also walked over and turned off the answering machine.
She called and set up a new line in her room, and had her old line forwarded to it. So now, Kristin's phone was just that-Kristin's.
Her pizza arrived an hour later, and she took her plate to her bedroom.
She turned on a movie and was actually in bed asleep, by 11.
***Saturday***
Jennifer woke up and did a yoga workout in the living room. She was trying to be quiet to avoid the wrath of Kristin.
Around 11 am, she heard the telltale knocking of the headboard against the wall.
'Again? I'm surprised he has anything left after last night'.
She made herself a veggie wrap and was doing the dishes when Jonathan and Kristin finally emerged.
"Jonathan said you ordered another pizza last night. Where is it?"
"My pizza? Oh, my pizza is in the fridge".
Kristin pulled it out and opened the box.
"Oh great, you got mushrooms. Excuse me while I vomit".
Just to prove a point, Jennifer got out a plate and put a piece with several mushrooms on it, and stuck it in the microwave.
Jonathan winked at her.
"Jonathan, can we order in from Takura?"
"Sure".
He got out the menu and they figured out what they wanted. Jennifer stood there, watching them, as she ate her pizza.
"Jennifer, would you like something?"
Kristin shot him a glance that didn't go unnoticed my Jennifer.
"No thank you".
He called and placed the order and then they went back to the bedroom.
Pretty soon, Jennifer heard "Oh Jonathan…..Oh Jonathan…." over and over again.
She decided to go run in the park a few blocks down.
She did about 8 miles and then came back to the apartment.
Kristin and Jonathan were sitting together on the living room terrace. She was in his lap and he was looking at her adoringly.
Jennifer went into her room, locked the door behind her and took a long, hot shower.
She took herself to the movies afterwards, intending on being out till after they were in bed.
In order to properly delay going home, she decided to walk home instead of taking a cab.
She had just turned the corner onto Madison when she saw him.
He was coming out of Port 188, a new bar that had opened. She was about to call out to him, when all of a sudden, he was joined by a blonde.
She watched in silent horror as they kissed and held hands and then got into a cab.
Ben Danvers had been lying to her the whole time.
She fought back the tears as she walked home.
She came into the apartment and went straight to her room. Kristin and Jonathan were on the couch. Kristin barely noticed that Jennifer was crying, but Jonathan did.
"Hey-are you ok?"
She popped her head back out of her room.
"I'm fine".
She closed the door and locked it behind her. She grabbed the phone and called Olivia and took it to her terrace.
"Hello?"
"Hey. So, it's officially over. I mean, we didn't talk, but that's really on account of I'm never talking to him ever again".
"What happened?"
"So, the couple is here and I had to get away. I just couldn't stand it any longer. So, I went to the movies. And I walked home and as I'm walking home, I see him coming out of Port 188, with a blonde. He kissed her and then they got into a cab."
"Wanna go bust him?"
"I'd love to. But what am I going to say?"
"We'll figure it out on the way. Now put on that bright blue bandage dress that hugs you in all the right places, and your sparkly black peep toe wedges and grab your makeup bag and get over here".
"See you in 20 minutes".
She dried her eyes, and then put on the dress and the heels and grabbed her makeup bag and her purse.
She came out and locked her door.
Jennifer could tell out of the corner of her eye that Jonathan's mouth had dropped open. Kristin was asleep.
She gave him a sly smirk as she walked out the door.
***Olivia's***
She got to Olivia's and they got her all fixed up. Olivia showed her the easiest way to put on lipstick, and eye shadow.
"You just make a line and then fill in the shapes. Easy peasy".
"I'll have to try that".
They took a cab to Jennifer's old building and went inside.
"Ok, now I'm going to knock on the door. When he opens it, you pop out and ask him how Wichita is? I will stick my foot in the door so he can't close it on us".
"Perfect plan".
They walked to his door and Jennifer flattened herself against the wall. Olivia knocked.
"Coming".
Ben opened the door.
"Can I help you?"
"Hi, I just need to ask you something".
Jennifer popped over then into his line of sight.
"Tell me-how's Wichita?"
"Jennifer-what, what".
"What am I doing here? I could ask you the same thing. You said you were going to be in Wichita for a month".
"I….I…."
"Save it. I saw you coming out of Port 188 tonight. If you weren't interested in me, you should have said something."
"I am interested in you, baby. But we never said we were exclusive".
"We never said we weren't either."
"Jennifer-I didn't mean to hurt you. You gotta believe me".
"No, I don't."
"Look. I'm sorry, I should have called you when I got back in town. I messed up. We can try again. Let's figure it out".
"No thank you. I think the damage has been done. Goodbye, Ben".
She turned and walked away, and Olivia followed her.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, actually. One problem solved, another to go".