Jennifer picked up the phone and called Jonathan.
"Hello?"
"What is it?"
"Hey. Are you ok?"
"Jonathan, what is it about the house?"
"Well, the house is lonely without you".
"That's it?"
"It's a big house, babe. It's a big kind of lonely".
"Jonathan, this wasn't fair. You tricked me".
"Jennifer, Marcy works for me. She didn't want anyone to know that she needed a job, so I agreed to hire her part-time. She was telling me that she didn't want to go on the ski trip because we are in the middle of a project and it's going to put us further and further behind".
"Does she know that you said her name in bed?"
"No, I didn't tell her that".
"I see".
"I bought you something tonight. Can I bring it to you?"
"Jonathan, I-"
"Please, babe? I won't stay long, I promise".
"Fine. I will be upstairs, come on up when you get here".
"See you in a few minutes".
She hung up the phone and then went to the car to get her bag.
She was upstairs changing when he came in.
"Hi".
"Hi".
He came and sat by her on the bed.
"First of all, I love you". He kissed her forehead.
"Second of all, I am sorry for all of this".
He took her hand and laced his fingers through it.
"Third, I am really going to miss you for the next 4 days".
He kissed her fingers.
"And finally, I bought you this".
He handed her a box.
She opened it and found a beautiful diamond bracelet.
She held her hand out and he put the bracelet on her wrist.
"Thank you".
"I know that you have put up with a lot lately, and a lot of it is my fault. I love you, and I hope that every time you wear that or look at it, you will remember that".
She nodded.
"What time are you leaving?"
"Susan is picking me up at 9".
"Mind if I stay with you tonight?"
"I'm ok with it".
She laid down and got comfortable, and then reached up and turned out the light.
He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the side of her head.
"Babe, what's your favorite memory you have of us here?"
"I am not sure. Maybe the first time you brought me here. Or maybe that day when I told you to come here and we had a secret rendezvous".
"Those are definitely some good ones".
"What's yours?"
"The time I raced you up here from the first floor".
"Yeah, that was fun".
"And you know what?"
"what?"
"There's no one else in the world I would rather chase".
He kissed her cheek.
"Then why did you stop chasing me?"
"what are you talking about? I didn't stop chasing you. I love you, you know that".
"I'm not talking about loving, I am talking about chasing".
"I don't see what you mean".
"Remember how we used to go out of our way to surprise each other and do sweet things for each other? Now, it's just reactive instead of proactive".
"Honey, I do things for you because I want to, not because I feel guilty".
"And I do things for you because I want to, not for any other reason. But come on, I find you with….her….and that's after you said her name in bed with me, and after I caught you hugging her in a way that you haven't hugged me in a long, long time, and then after I find you with her, you buy me a bracelet? And I am supposed to think it's not a guilt present?"
"Ok, I admit it, that looks bad".
"Throw in the fact that you fell asleep on me wearing your favorite lingerie, and you chose a game over me…. Jonathan, this isn't us".
He sighed.
"I know. We need a restart".
"I agree".
"Jonathan, can I ask you something?"
"Absolutely".
"Now, I want you to answer me honestly, don't spare my feelings".
"Ok".
"If I weren't in the picture, would you go after Marcy?"
"No."
"That was quick".
"Well, it's true. Think back. Remember the Jack Hanson deal, and you being gone for 9 months?"
"How could I forget?"
"I didn't go after anyone that whole time. Hell, I threw Stanley out of my office when he suggested it".
He grabbed her other hand, and then moved and pulled her to her back and threw her arms up over her head.
"You are the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world. I mean that. You truly are. And you are the kindest, most caring, passionate, tenacious, intelligent, sexiest woman I have ever known. I will do whatever it takes to make you understand that you are the only woman I want. I know that recent events look bad, and that's my fault. But in this case, looks are deceiving babe. I promise".
He leaned down and kissed her romantically and slowly, to the point where she couldn't ever remember another kiss that was more perfect.
He let her hands go, and she ran her fingers through his hair as she kissed him back.
Suddenly, the phone rang.
"Who could that be?"
"I have no idea. Are you expecting someone?"
"No, well, not really".
He rolled off her and rolled over to the nightstand and picked it up.
"Hello?...Again? Did you flip the….Ok. Ok. I will come see if I can fix it. I will be there as soon as I can".
He hung up, and rolled back to her.
"I'm sorry babe, honest".
She nodded.
"Want me to come with you?"
"No, you need to rest. You have a flight in the morning. I tell you what. When I am done, I will come back here, how's that?"
She nodded.
She walked downstairs with him, and locked the door behind him after kissing him goodbye, and headed back to bed.
***The next morning***
Jennifer woke up around 5 a.m. and realized that Jonathan never came back to the beach house.
She grabbed the phone and called the house. No answer.
She dialed his office number.
"Hello?"
He sounded half asleep.
"Hey sailor, remember me?"
"Jennifer!"
Jennifer heard "I'm leaving, see you next week" in the background. It was a female's voice and one that she knew really well.
"She's there with you, isn't she? You didn't come back here because she was there. I'm done, Jonathan. I swear to you, I'm done".
She slammed the phone down before the tears started to fall.
She got up and took a shower, and got ready.
She went downstairs to make some coffee and some breakfast.
She heard him before she saw him.
She didn't stop him from coming in, but she didn't run to him when he did either.
She turned to him and held her hand up.
"I am not discussing this with you now. I mean that".
"Ok, that's fair. I didn't come here to tell you anything anyways, other than I love you and have a good trip and I am going to miss you".
He walked over and pulled her into an embrace.
"And now that I have you like this and I'm not letting you go, nothing happened, we worked all night and she finished up while I napped on my couch. There were two other people there with us till 4, swear it".
"Jonathan!"
He pulled her back for another hug.
"Let me make you breakfast".
"I'm not hungry".
He took her hand and led her to the couch and sat down and pulled her into his lap.
"I really am going to miss you. The house really is going to be lonely".
"4 days honey, not 4 weeks".
"I know, but still."
He started kissing her neck.
"It might rain while you are gone".
She chuckled.
"I think you will manage".
She put her hands on his chest.
"I'm sorry, honey. I know I haven't been the easiest person to live with lately".
"Not your fault, Jennifer. I love you, and that's never going to change".
He kissed her.
They stayed on the couch, cuddling and kissing, till Susan called to say she was on her way.
"I will see you in 4 days. I love you".
"I love you too".
After several kisses, he left and headed home.
Susan picked her up and they headed to pick up Marcy.
***Marcy's house***
Jennifer stayed in the car and didn't speak to Marcy when they picked her up.
Susan turned the radio on and everyone listened to that instead of trying to talk to each other.
It was a short 40-minute ride to the airport, and they got busy checking their bags in and heading through security.
They met the others at the gate, and they all went to the bar and had some mimosas before their flight.
It was a 2-hour flight. Jennifer and Susan were in the front of the plane, and everyone else was scattered throughout.
They landed, and got their bags and took a shuttle to the resort.
***Park City Ski resort***
They checked into their cabins, which were side by side.
Jennifer, Susan, Natalie and Jessica were in one cabin, and Marcy, Kelly and Angie were in the other one.
"Y'all can come over to our cabin when you get settled in, we will have appetizers and drinks".
Jennifer got settled in and then went to the back porch.
She took the phone and called Jonathan.
"Hello?"
"Hi".
"Hey, you get there ok?"
"I did. Everything ok at the office?"
"Yes, thankfully. Hard part will come later".
"What do you mean?"
"When I have to go to bed and you aren't there".
"That's sweet".
"I miss you".
"I miss you too. I love you".
"I love you too, Red."
"Call you tonight?"
"Absolutely, can't wait".
She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone and then she went back inside.
Everyone was at their cabin a few minutes later.
Jennifer kept herself busy so that she could avoid Marcy. She didn't want it to be awkward, and honestly, she didn't know what to say.
After some drinks and appetizers, they decided to go ski, so they all got ready.
They were on the slopes within an hour, and Jennifer was doing blue diamond runs back to back. She didn't stop to ski with anyone or talk to anyone. She just kept skiing and riding the lift and skiing again.
Finally, when it started to get dark, she headed back to the cabin. Everyone else was already inside.
"There you are, we were getting worried about you".
"I'm sorry. I was just skiing".
"Well, we fixed dinner, and we are just hanging out."
"Great. I am going to grab a shower and I will be right back out".
After her shower, she put on her yoga pants and one of Jonathan's long-sleeved Henley tees, and her fuzzy slippers.
She made herself a plate, and a drink and went and sat with the others.
They were all chatting about various things. Eventually, the conversation turned to their husbands.
Everyone was talking about what their husbands did that drove them crazy.
The only ones not contributing to the conversation were Jennifer and Susan.
"Susan, we know why you aren't complaining, but Jennifer, doesn't Jonathan drive you crazy sometimes?"
"Not really, no".
"What's his quirkiest habit?"
"Quirkiest? Well, we typically try to have cooked vegetables with each dinner. But let's say we don't, and for whatever reason, it's been 3 days since he had them, he will eat them for breakfast. Every single time, he will eat them for breakfast".
"What's the best quality about him?"
While she was thinking, the phone rang.
Susan reached behind her and answered it.
"Jennifer, it's for you".
She handed her the phone.
"Hello? Hi darling…the girls were just asking me about you…yeah, they wanted to know what your best quality is….Jonathan! I am not telling them that…..you are incorrigible….Yes, I will call you when I go to bed…..love you too….".
She hung up the phone.
"Ok, so where were we?"
"You were about to tell us his best quality".
"Generosity. He is so generous. He loves me and gives me stuff of course, but if someone is in need, he will help them however he is able".
Not all of them knew how Jonathan and Jennifer met, so she told them the story. By the end of it they were all laughing and teary-eyed.
They made hot chocolate, and planned out their day for tomorrow, and then everyone went to bed.
About 20 minutes later, there was a knock on the cabin door.
Susan opened it, and saw the other 4 women standing there with their bags and pillows.
"We have no heat. Can we bunk with you guys?"
"Sure, come on in".
They all started figuring out where they were going to sleep.
"we have two empty beds and two empty couches. Take your pick".
Susan and Jennifer made up the couches, and the ladies all got comfortable.
Jennifer went back to bed and was just about to call Jonathan when there was a soft knock on the door.
"Mind if I bunk in here with you, all the other spots are taken?"
It was Marcy.
"Sure, come on".
She dialed Jonathan, and got the machine. So, she told him she loved him and then hung up.
She reached over and turned on the light on Marcy's side of the nightstand, and turned hers off.
"Take your time getting settled. Good night".
"Jennifer, can we chat for a second?"
She rolled back over to face Marcy.
"Sure".
"I swear to you, there is nothing between me and Jonathan. Come on, you know me better than that. More importantly, you know him better than that. I'm sorry if I made you think there was something going on".
"Between the two of you, ya'll are batting a 1000".
"That's low."
"It's true. First, you were hugging him. And to be fair, I didn't blame you for that, I blamed him. I can't remember the last time he hugged me like that. Not to mention the fact that if the situation was reversed, you would have heard from me before an hour had passed and I haven't heard from you, in days. Then, I find out that he asked you to come spend time with me, so that you could get information from me for him. And I felt so betrayed. By both of you. Then, he slips up and says your name during a moment when he should have said mine. And of course, there is the office incident, where you two were talking about anything but business. So yeah, I would say the two of you are batting a 1000. Plus, you and I are supposed to be friends, and you get a job from my husband and don't even tell me? Thanks a lot".
"Jennifer, this is silly. Either you trust me or you don't".
"Why does it always come back to me having to be trusting, or me having to be the one forgiving the other person? You guys did this to me. I forgave him because he is my husband, but my eyes are open. And you know what, my circle of friends might be getting a little smaller".
"Jennifer, that's absurd. There is a good reason for all of this. It's personal, but it's there. I would never hurt you, I love you. I just thought-"
"Well you thought wrong. I am going to bed now. Good night".
She turned over and went to sleep, leaving Marcy staring at her.