***Two days later***
Jennifer was in their room, packing. She had to be at the airport in 4 hours. Jonathan was supposed to come home from the office to take her to the airport.
She was packing a lot less this time around, even though she was packing two outfits a day for two weeks.
She had all her bags downstairs and was finishing Jonathan's honey-do list when he got home.
"Hi baby".
"Hi honey".
She leaned up to kiss him.
"All my luggage is packed, and ready. Max headed to Vegas for a poker tournament about an hour ago. He said he won't be back for a week, so I made you some freezer meals. They are all labeled with the instructions, darling. All you have to do is heat them up like it says".
He wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Wonderful".
He kissed her cheek.
"How about a cocktail?"
"Sure".
He took her hand and led her to the living room and over to the bar. He made them both a cocktail and then they sat on the couch.
"I'm really going to miss you".
"I'm going to miss you too".
He set his cocktail down on the end table.
"Darling, we have the house to ourselves and we still have 3 hours till you have to be at the airport".
He leaned over and started kissing her neck.
"What a good idea".
They made love on the couch, and spent a few minutes just kissing and holding each other.
Finally they got up and got dressed and he drove her to the airport.
She met Marcia and Meredith outside the Delta terminal.
"We will meet you at the gate, here's your ticket".
"Thank you".
She turned to Jonathan.
"I love you, I'll call you when I land".
"I love you too. I hate that you have to go. I'll try and come fly to you next weekend".
"Sounds good".
She gave him several kisses.
"I love you, all my heart".
"I love you, all my heart".
He kissed her again.
When she started to walk away, he pulled her back.
"One more".
She gave him another kiss and then started to walk away again.
He pulled her back.
"One more".
"A thousand kisses upon your head."
She kissed him.
"I'd rather have a thousand of your kisses on my-"
"Jonathan!"
He smirked at her and kissed her.
"I love you, have a safe flight".
"I love you too, even though you're impossible".
She kissed him once more with enough passion to make his head spin.
When she broke the kiss, he had a glazed look on his face.
"That should hold you for two weeks. I love you, I'll call you tonight".
He watched her walk into the airport and then went back to the car.
***A week later***
Jennifer didn't know which end was up. The days were running together and if she wasn't signing books, she was taking pictures, and if she wasn't taking pictures, she was being interviewed. She barely had had 5 minutes to herself in 5 days and it was beginning to wane on her.
She and Marcia were in Kansas. They had just finished a book signing at a bookstore and now they were headed to the airport to fly to Colorado.
All she wanted to do was get to her hotel so she could call Jonathan.
She sent him a text while they rode to the airport.
'I love you. Headed to the airport. Will land in Colorado in about 3 hours. Will call you from the hotel'.
A few seconds later, he responded.
'I love you too. Working on the list. Tasted the cake today-strawberry ok? It was the only one that had any flavor, including chocolate. Can't wait till we talk'.
Marcia was filling her in on the schedule for tomorrow.
"We are due at the library at 10, so we are leaving the hotel by 9:30, and this event is scheduled to last 3 hours. You will get a 2 hour break and then we have to be at the bookstore tomorrow night from 4-7, and then we will head to the airport and fly to the other end of the state".
"Wonderful".
"I spoke with Leslie at the publishing office today. She said the sales have already doubled from last week. You are a sensation, Jennifer. I cannot tell you how many media requests I've gotten, and not just local ones, but big ones, like the Today Show, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News".
"Really?"
"Oh, yes. When we go to New York, we are going to have a couple days of nothing but media interviews."
"That sounds interesting".
"So, how is the wedding planning coming?"
"Limping along. I found my dress and booked the florist and the venue before I left, and Jonathan is having to do some of it. I left him a list of things to do, like find a baker, pick a DJ, things like that".
"Did you set a date?"
"Yes, we did. May 20th", in California. We are getting married at the California Inn and Vineyard in Morningside".
"Oh, that's a gorgeous place. I've never stayed the night there, but it's very nice".
She picked up dinner in the airport and managed to eat about half of it on her flight.
About an hour after they landed, she was finally in her hotel.
She locked the door, quickly undressed, and ran a bubble bath.
She grabbed a towel, and then grabbed her cellphone and called Jonathan.
He picked up on the first ring.
"Hi darling".
"Hi. Did I wake you?"
"No, you didn't wake me. I was just watching the news".
"Good. I wish I was cuddled up next to you".
"Yeah, that would be nice".
"So what flavors of cake did you try?"
"Almond, strawberry, white, lemon, chocolate. I promise you, the strawberry was the only one that tasted good".
"I'm ok with strawberry cake".
"Wonderful. And she said she can definitely do the design you want and I picked out a couple cake toppers for you to approve and decide on. As long as we get the one we want to her by the Wednesday before the wedding, we should be ok".
"Splendid."
"How was the book signing?"
"Packed. Standing room only. I think I signed "Happiness, Jennifer Edwards" about 3000 times".
"Darling, the realtor called. There's a couple houses she wants us to look at. I told her you weren't here, and she said we can hook up a video phone and do it that way. So, tomorrow, call Deanne and give her the name of the hotel you will be at next Tuesday, and I'll have her send it there and have it waiting on you".
"Ok, that sounds good".
They chatted a little longer and then she put him down and put him on speaker while she was drying off.
"What are you doing, you sound far away?"
"I just got out of the bath and I'm drying off."
"Darling, do you think from now on you could stay in hotels that have cameras?"
"Ha ha ha ha ha".
"Can't blame a guy for trying".
She slipped a nightgown on and picked the phone back up.
"Ok, I'm back. I'm about to head to bed, darling. I'm beat. I love you".
"I love you too. I'll call you in the morning".
"Ok sounds good. Sweet dreams".
"Only if you're in them. Goodnight, darling".
"Goodnight".
She hung up the phone and climbed into bed, wishing he was with her.
***The next morning***
Jennifer woke up and immediately texted Jonathan.
'Good morning, I love you. I will be in Montana this weekend, Friday night and most of Saturday. Want to come join me?'
She got in the shower and got dressed, and then decided to go downstairs to the lobby restaurant for breakfast.
She was ready when Marcia and Meredith came down and joined her.
"Jennifer, we have a box of books that you will need to sign before the event tonight."
"Ok, sounds good".
She checked her phone. Still no response from Jonathan.
She headed to the library for the first engagement. This was more of a meet and greet, informal chat session with Jennifer. It was standing room only. They asked her questions about the process of writing a book and other aspects of it.
"Is this book based on a real love story?"
"Not as far as my life goes. I imagine it could have happened like this for someone, but it didn't happen like this for me".
After the engagement was over, Jennifer and Marcia and Meredith headed to a little Mexican restaurant and had lunch before returning to the hotel.
As soon as she came into her hotel room, she called Jonathan.
"Hello?"
"Hi. Remember me?"
"Hi."
"I sent you a text this morning, you didn't respond. What gives?"
"Jennifer, I'm very busy. I'm up to my eyeballs in this acquisition and I don't know if I'll be able to come to Montana this weekend".
"I see".
"I have a meeting that's about to start, but I'm going to transfer you to Deanne. She's been doing some of the wedding tasks on the lists you left me and-"
"She's what?! Jonathan! She shouldn't be the one doing those things!"
"Jennifer, I'm too busy to do them, and she is wonderful at helping out".
"It doesn't matter! Our wedding is supposed to be a reflection of you and me, not me and your secretary".
"I highly doubt that our guests will be looking at the DJ and saying "Oh, I bet his secretary picked him out".
"Jonathan, you know what I mean! I cannot believe you had her do this. What has she done so far?"
"She has picked the DJ, she has picked the caterer, and she has put together a few choices for invitations".
"I see."
"Why?"
"Just wanted to know what she had done so I can undo it".
"That's not fair. And it's also not necessary".
"Oh, it's definitely necessary. What's not fair is you delegating your responsibility to your secretary."
"Look, I don't want to argue with you. And like I said, I have to get to this meeting. I love you, I'll call you tonight and we can work this out then".
"I love you too".
She hung up and immediately changed into some lounge clothes.
She headed downstairs to the gym and ran 8 miles on the treadmill, and then headed back upstairs to her room to shower and get ready for the bookstore.
She had just finished signing all the books when Marcia knocked on her door.
"Hi, ready to go?"
"Yeah, I think so. These books are done, they just need to be packed into this box."
She stepped into the bathroom to freshen up her makeup.
"Ok, I'm taking this box downstairs, and I'll meet you in the lobby".
"Sounds good, I'm right behind you".
As she was leaving her hotel room, her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey it's me. I'm sorry for the way we left things earlier, and I just wanted to tell you-"
"Jonathan, I can't talk to you right now. I'm headed to a book signing. We will have to talk later".
She hung up before he could tell her loved her.
***Later that night***
Jennifer came back from her book signing and packed her things and headed straight to the airport.
After they landed, they headed straight to the hotel. Jennifer was absolutely starving so she called and ordered dinner to be delivered and then changed into her nightgown.
She turned her phone on and saw that Jonathan had called.
She quickly called him back.
"Hello?"
"Hi."
"Hi, I've been trying to reach you for an hour".
"I was on a flight. We just landed and now I'm at the hotel."
"Have a good flight?"
"Yeah, it wasn't too bad. I was in coach, but I was at the front of coach and it wasn't a full flight so I had an entire row to myself."
"That's great".
"Can you do me a favor?"
"Sure".
"Can you text me the names of the DJ and the Caterer that Deanne picked? I want to make sure I cancel them before we owe them any money".
"Why would you cancel them? It's possible that she made good choices".
"She shouldn't have been making choices at all".
"Jennifer, she was picking a DJ and a caterer based off the menu choices. It's not like she was picking out our monograms or writing our vows".
"It should still be choices that you and I are making, Jonathan. Not someone else".
"Fine. I will have her cancel the bookings, and you can make all the choices".
"And just when do you expect me to do that, Jonathan? I'm doing two or more engagements a day. I'm lucky to find 10 seconds to myself each day, if that."
"And I'm trying to run a company, I'm trying to complete some big deals so that you and I can focus on ourselves for a little bit when you finally come home and I'm treading water. I'm also trying to buy us a house and move you out of your apartment and into my house. You think you're the only one that's busy? Think again".
"If you weren't willing to help with the planning, you should have said so from the very beginning".
"I didn't say I wasn't willing. I said I don't have time".
"Fine. So, you are working this weekend, are you going to be able to stay out of the office next weekend when I'm home?"
"I have no idea right now. If the Babcock merger goes through, then it's possible".
"Why don't we table this and do it together when I'm home?"
"I'm open to that".
"Good."
"Do you still want her to cancel the bookings?"
"No, I want to look at them myself and decide if we are going to keep them. But no more delegating to your secretary".
"Ok, I will agree to that".
They chatted a little longer and then hung up and Jennifer headed to bed.
***4 days later***
Jennifer was in North Dakota. She had 3 engagements to get through and then she would be home with Jonathan for a few days.
She had just gotten up and gotten out of the shower when she heard her phone go off.
"I love you. Call me-Jonathan".
She got dressed and headed down to breakfast with Marcia.
She sat down at the table and ordered.
She intended on calling Jonathan but Meredith insisted on going over that day's activities instead.
It was another hour before she could find a few minutes to contact him.
No answer. She hung up and called his office phone.
"Hello, Hart Industries, how may I help you?"
"Hi, this is Jennifer. Is Jonathan available?"
"I'm sorry Miss Edwards, he's in a meeting. Want me to have him call you?"
"Please, thank you".
She hung up and focused on her book signing. In the middle of it, her phone started ringing. She handed it to Meredith.
"Take a message please".
About 2 hours later, her book signing was over and they were headed to the hotel for a couple hours.
"Meredith, can I have my phone please?"
"Oh yes, it's right here. And Jonathan was the caller, and he wants you to call him".
"Thank you".
She walked into her hotel room and kicked her shoes off and called him.
"Hi Miss Edwards, he just stepped into another meeting. I'll tell him you called".
"Thank you. Can you tell him I will be finished with my book signing at 8, and available to talk after 9?"
"Certainly".
"Thank you".
She hung up and laid down on the bed to relax a few minutes.
Before she knew it, it was time to head to the next book signing.
The evening went by in a blur. By 8:30, she was absolutely exhausted and couldn't wait to climb into bed.
She grabbed her phone and sent Jonathan a text.
"I love you, I'm headed to the hotel to grab my things and then we are headed to the airport. When we land in South Dakota tonight, I'll call you".
3 hours later, she had landed in South Dakota and was in a cab headed to the hotel.
As soon as she got into her room, she changed clothes and called him.
"Hello?"
"Hi".
"Hi…where are you now?"
"South Dakota, I think. All these places are starting to look the same".
"I bet. Darling, I have to tell you something".
"What is it?"
"I bought us a house today".
