***Dinner Party***
That morning, Jennifer woke up with Jonathan and got ready. They were going to leave at the same time.
"Be careful darling. That stretch of highway is pretty desolate".
"I'll be fine, honey. Honest. Have fun at your party".
"You can come crash here if you want to when you get home".
She leaned up and kissed him.
"I love you".
"I love you, too".
She made it to the prison rather easily, and got all checked in for a visit.
This time, she was interviewing a lady who murdered her husband for the insurance money. She was sentenced to 40 years in prison. They talked about what it was like to see her kid grow up without her, and how weird it was to see life going on outside, while it seemed to stand still inside.
She stayed there all day with the lady, and was even given a special tour of the cells, the cafeteria, and the prison yard.
She left around 5:30, and headed back to LA.
***Jonathan***
Jonathan arrived at Susan and Drew's for the dinner party.
"Hi, come on in".
He stepped in, and took a glass of champagne from the waiter.
"Jonathan, where's Jennifer?"
He turned to look at Susan.
"She wasn't invited".
"What? I'm positive I invited her".
"Well, she didn't get an invite at her house. And she wasn't included on mine".
He pulled it out of his pocket and showed her.
"Is that what she was upset about at La Scala?"
"That was part of it. Look, I said I wasn't going to get involved- "
"Jonathan just tell me".
"The gist of it is, she feels as though you and the other ladies don't want to be friends with her any longer. I think it started with the cancellation of the cruise. Plus, she said something about how you called and asked her to lunch, but when she called back, your secretary told her you were all booked up and it was an oversight. And then the invitation came only addressed to me, and she got her feelings hurt".
"Jonathan, I'm sorry. I swear, she was invited. She's always welcome, we adore her".
"I know that, and you know that. But I don't think she knows that".
"And the cancellation of the trip-"
"I know. And I promise she will know, but she doesn't know yet".
"Call her and tell her to come over right now".
"I cannot. She took an out of town assignment today, and is probably still driving back".
"Well, I promise, I'll call her tomorrow and work things out".
"I think she would appreciate that".
He stayed at the party till it ended, around 11, and then headed home.
Jennifer was in bed, fast asleep.
He quietly changed and then slipped in bed beside her.
She woke up when he kissed her cheek.
"Hi, have a nice time?"
"Yeah, I guess. Susan asked about you, and swore to me you were invited."
"I see".
"How was your interview?"
"Eye opening. We pay all these tax dollars, and the prisons barely receive any of it. And the prisoners make pennies per hour at their jobs, not even a whole dollar per hour, and more than ¾ of it has to go to their basic living supplies. If they have restitution to pay, the rest has to go towards that, which means the person receiving it will only get a few dollars. That's not right. The whole system needs an overhaul".
They chatted till she fell back asleep on his chest.
He kept telling himself how lucky he was to have her in his life.
***The next week***
Jennifer hadn't heard from Susan, and wasn't expecting to. She told herself it was what it was, and put it out of her mind.
She was working on putting the final finishing touches of her prison article when she got a phone call.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Jennifer Edwards please".
"This is she".
"Hi, this is Andy Grandstone, and I am calling to offer you a position at a brand-new, about to launch newspaper. You would be the featured writer, and associate editor. You would have your own writing space, plum pick of assignments, and all your own equipment".
"Where is this located?"
"New York".
"Thank you, but I'm happy writing freelance."
She hung up, and got back to work. She and Jonathan were heading to dinner that night to celebrate his birthday.
She got all dressed up, in some black pants, a sparkly green wrap blouse, and some sparkly black heels. She put her hair up just the way he liked it, and put on some of his favorite perfume.
She headed to his house and was waiting on him when he got home.
"Hey gorgeous".
"Hi birthday boy".
She leaned up and kissed him.
"Just give me a minute to change and then we can go".
She kissed him again and then he headed to the bedroom.
"Where you taking him, Miss Edwards?"
"Out for a nice dinner, and then to a surprise. Did you pack the bag for me?"
"I did. It's on the dining room table".
"Thanks, Max, you're the best".
She went and put the bag in his car, and then came back in.
"Darling, you ready?"
"Yes, I am".
"See you later, Max".
"Night, Max".
Jonathan insisted on driving, so Jennifer gave in.
She gave him directions and he got the biggest grin when he realized they were going to Palisades Steakhouse.
"Are you excited?"
"Yes, I am. I've always wanted to go here. How did you get us a table?"
"I have connections, darling".
He kissed the back of her hand.
They were seated immediately, and Jennifer ordered a bottle of wine for the table.
After they ordered their entrees, she pulled a box out of her purse and slid it across to him.
"Happy birthday, honey".
He leaned over and kissed her, and then opened it to find a pen made out of solid sterling silver. Engraved on the clip was "I believe in you-Jennifer".
"I love it!"
"When you sign the business deals, you need a nice pen to use".
They shared a few sweet kisses and then their dinner arrived.
She filled him in on her job offer, and how she turned it down.
"Darling, if you want to go work for a paper, I'll support that".
"I appreciate it. This was in New York".
"I see".
After dinner was over, Jennifer picked up the check and they held hands as they walked out to the car.
"Where to now?"
"My place".
He put the top down, and they drove to her place, and went inside.
When they got inside her apartment, she handed him the bag.
"You are going to change into what's in here, and then we will head to our next stop".
After they had both changed clothes, they headed back out. She gave him directions and they were about halfway there when he realized they were going to a Laker's game.
"Darling, did you get the tickets from Max?"
"No. We aren't sitting in those seats. We are sitting somewhere else".
When he realized they were sitting directly behind the bench, he had a smile on his face that couldn't be wiped off.
"How did you do this?"
"When you were away, I stood in line for 8 hours to get these tickets. And I purchased you the birthday package."
"What's the birthday package?"
"Well, you get an autographed jersey, one of the team towels, and we get unlimited drink and concession specials".
"This is great! I love this".
He leaned over and kissed her.
The game started a few minutes later, and Jennifer surprised herself by how much she really got into it.
Just before the end of the third quarter, the ref made a bad call. Jennifer got so mad she stood up and started yelling and cussing and threw him the finger. He tossed her out. She and Jonathan headed out and decided to go to a bar across the street to finish the game.
"I'm sorry, darling".
"It's ok. It was a bad call. I'm a little shocked, I've never seen you feisty like that".
"It happens from time to time".
The Lakers ended up winning by 45 points, which boosted their spirits a little bit.
They headed back to Jonathan's house.
As they settled into bed, Jonathan wrapped his arms around Jennifer.
"You made this the best birthday I've ever had. I love you, and I love everything you did".
She gave him several sweet kisses.
They made love for a couple hours and then fell asleep all wrapped up together.
***A few days later***
It was Valentines day. Jonathan and Jennifer had planned to have dinner at his house to celebrate. She had spent the night at her house the night before since he had to be up early for a breakfast meeting. Around 10, there was a delivery for her. It was a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, in a shimmery white square vase. The bouquet held purple foxglove, pink and white cabbage roses, and purple and white gladiolus.
She dug for the card.
Every day with you is Valentine's day. I love you more than you know-Jonathan.
He called her when his meeting was over.
"Hello?"
"Happy Valentine's Day, baby".
"Hi! Happy Valentine's day. And thank you for my flowers. They're beautiful".
"Glad you like them. I should be home around 5:30. Max says we can eat at 6".
"Want to have lunch?"
"Yes, but it would be us plus ten businessmen since I have a lunch meeting".
"I'll pass, thanks. Are you planning on us staying at your house tonight?"
"Well, there's somewhere I want to take you, but other than that, yeah, we are staying at my house".
"Ok. Where are you taking me?"
"All will be revealed soon, darling. I love you, I'll see you tonight".
"I love you too".
She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone and got back to work on her article.
About an hour later, there was a knock at the door.
She got up and answered it and found Max standing on the other side.
"Hi, come on in".
"Hi Miss Edwards. Mr. H. asked me to bring these to you. He says the instructions say it all".
"Ok, thanks".
After he left, she opened the box. There were books inside. She quickly realized they were house plans, in yearbook form.
Pick one and we'll go see it tonight.
She looked all through them and quickly realized that number 3 was her favorite. It was open, spacious, classic, but not archaic, and it was the layout that would afford them the most privacy.
When she got to the end, she found another note.
Call the office and tell Deanne which one you picked. See you tonight. I love you-J.
She picked up the phone and called Deanne.
"Hello, Hart Industries, how can I help you?"
"Deanne, hi. It's Jennifer. Can you please tell Jonathan I pick number 3?"
"Yes ma'am, I will".
"Thank you".
Jennifer decided to go grab a salad for lunch, so she got dressed and headed to the Mexican restaurant down the street.
She was just coming out with her to-go order when she heard her name.
"Jennifer?"
She turned around.
"Hi Susan".
"Hi. You got a minute?"
"Yeah, I do".
"I just wanted to apologize. It was never my intention for you to feel uninvited from the dinner party. I promise you, it was an oversight. And I wanted to call you a thousand times, but I've just been so busy with patients lately, that it just never seemed like a good time. I sincerely apologize".
"Thank you".
"How are you and Jonathan?"
"We're great".
"Good, I'm glad to hear it. What do you say to lunch and a pedicure soon?"
"Sure, just call me".
"I will, I promise. I really never meant to hurt your feelings".
They shared an awkward hug and then Jennifer headed back home.
***Later that afternoon***
Jennifer arrived at Jonathan's house and went inside.
"Hi Miss Edwards".
"Hi Max".
She handed him the box from earlier.
"How about some wine, Miss Edwards?"
"Yes, please".
She sat on the couch and Max brought her wine to her.
A few minutes later, she was all smiles when Jonathan pulled up.
He came and sat by her.
"Hi darling".
"Hi Valentine".
They shared several slow kisses and she did that thing with his lip that he craved.
"Dinner is…. whoa".
They broke the kiss.
"It's ok, Max".
"Dinner is served".
He took her hand and led her to the kitchen.
"Bacon Crusted stuffed chicken parmesan, chopped salad with cilantro avocado dressing, and lemon basil couscous".
"Thanks, Max".
"You're the greatest, Max".
The table was all elegantly set, with candles lit and a lovely centerpiece with roses and carnations.
After a lovely meal, they headed back to the living room.
"Ok, it's present time".
He brought over several boxes and placed them at Jennifer's feet.
She picked one and opened it. It was a pair of running shoes that she had told him she wanted. On top was a note that said "Not this one, the next one".
"Thank you, darling. I love them!"
She leaned over and kissed him. She grabbed his present off the side table and handed it to him.
He opened it to find three new ties, all in shades of blue and gray.
"Gorgeous. Thank you, darling". He leaned over and kissed her.
"Ok your turn again".
She picked another box and opened it to find an overnight bag. Right on top, was a note that said "Not this one, the next one".
She opened three more boxes-a throw for her couch, a waterproof back massage pad for the bathtub, and some new wine glasses. All three had a note that said "Not this one, the next one".
"Jonathan, what is this about?"
"All will be revealed soon, darling".
She opened the final box, which she noticed was much, much thinner than the others.
Inside was a piece of paper that said "Certificate of Ownership". All the other details had been covered in white-out.
"What exactly am I owning?"
"Well, let's go see".
He took her hand and led her to the kitchen.
"Darling, wait, let me get some water first."
She opened the fridge to grab her water bottle.
She noticed that Max had made a lot of appetizers.
"Max, what's all this food for?"
"Just trying out some new recipes, Miss Edwards".
"Darling, we have to go".
"I'm coming, I'm coming".
"We'll be back later, Max".
He hustled her into the car, and they headed out.
"Darling, slip this on".
He handed her a blindfold.
After she had it in place, he laced his fingers through hers for the rest of the drive.
"Darling, I feel so silly".
"We're almost there, I promise. And you look adorable in a blindfold".
"When do I get to find out what I now own?"
"Just as soon as we get to the llama farm, darling".
"You bought me a llama?!"
"Maybe. Maybe I bought you an ostrich".
"Gee, thanks".
They pulled up to their destination, and she felt him park the car.
"Ok, darling. Stay put, and I'll come around and help you out of the car".
After he got her out of the car, he helped her to the best place for the reveal, and then took her hands in his.
"Ok, I'm going to slip off the blindfold".
He kissed her as he slipped it off.
She could tell they were in a room, but it wasn't one that she recognized.
"Darling, where- "
"Take this. Start with room number 1 and follow them in order. I'm going to check some things in another room, and I'll come find you".
She looked down and realized that the piece of paper he handed her was a map.
She headed to room 1.
The first room was a bedroom and bath. It was decorated very nicely, with all the walls painted an eggshell color. It was reasonably spacious.
She headed to room number 2, the living room. She loved all the big windows, and how it had two entrances. The next few rooms were the kitchen, the laundry room, and an office. Then she headed upstairs.
She started on the far end of the hall, in a room that she thought would make a great library. She kept telling herself she hoped this was a house for sale, that she and Jonathan could afford.
After she saw the two bedrooms on that end of the hall, she headed down the other way, and checked out those rooms. She ended up in the final bedroom. There were pictures of them spread all around the room. There were also candles lit next to each picture and bouquets of flowers all around.
Jonathan walked in and came over and kissed her cheek.
"Darling, what is all this?"
"Well, this picture, I took right after I first met you. I knew then that I loved your eyes. And I noticed that your smile lights up a room, darling. And then, as we kept spending time together, I realized that your laugh is even better than your smile. It's contagious, and it's the sweetest sound. And then we went to Vegas and started spending nights together and I figured out that you give the best back scratches ever, and that you make me want to be a better person in everything that I do. And then when I realized I had fallen in love with you, it hit me. Loving you is the easy part-it's like breathing. It just happens. And I started thinking about all the other things about you that I love, like how you always want to hold my hand, and how you are always the prettiest woman in every room, and how you always ask about my day. And then when I finally had to confront my past, I was scared. Scared to death, but with you by my side, it was easy. And I realized that you believing in me makes me want to believe in me."
She grabbed his face and kissed him.
"Darling, remember when Max brought you the box today and it had three books of house plans in it? And you picked one?"
She nodded.
"This is the one you picked. And it was also the one I liked the best, out of the three. And I purchased it, this afternoon. So, the certificate of ownership that you have-it's for this house".
"You bought us a house?"
"Yes, I did. And we will make whatever renovations you want to, I promise".
"I can't believe you did all this. I don't know what to say".
"And I wanted us to start our lives here at this house with you never having to question or wonder how I feel about you. So, I hired someone to paint all the things I love about you, on the wall here. And when we are ready, we will paint over them and seal them into the foundation, so to speak, of our home".
She was so touched she couldn't control the tears.
"I absolutely love this!"
He turned on the lights and let her read everything. After she was done, she turned to him and kissed him. He pulled her hands to his chest.
"Baby, when I met you, I was stunned. I was stunned by how naturally beautiful you are, by how you completely captivated me, by how you accepted me at my worst, long before you ever saw me at my best. And we've grown together and we've dealt with things that neither of us should have ever had to deal with, ever. And you were a rock through it all, and you modeled for me the best way to deal with things. And now, I want to return the favor. I want to be that rock for you. I want to wake up with you every morning, and go to bed with you every night, and I want more than anything to make all your dreams come true."
She let go of his hand and wiped the tears from her face.
He dropped to one knee and held up a ring.
"Jennifer Suzanne, will you marry me?"