***Monday***
Jennifer and Olivia were meeting in her office.
"Jonathan's employee Stanley researched Elliott Manning for me. And I hate to say it, but I don't feel like I can honestly write this article about him in glowing terms after what the research uncovered."
"Well, he hired us to write about his company, so that's all you are doing."
"Which one? The ones he's running into the ground? The ones he torched? Jonathan's boat was in a boat race in San Francisco. It was when we weren't speaking. He was the captain, and I had been assigned by the Chronicle to cover it, and work on a boat during the race. I was assigned to Jonathan's boat. It was hard at first, but it led us to where we are now, thankfully. Anyways, about 30 minutes into it, Jonathan's boat broke down. The sails snapped and the steering column broke in half. So, long story short, we got towed into a marina and then he had his boat taken to a marina that could repair it. Two weeks later, the marina and his boat, were burned to the ground. Total loss. So, unless this is going to become a factual piece about the Hotel company itself, I don't see how I can do it".
"I am totally fine with you focusing only on his hotels. I will approve that".
"Perfect. So, I will meet with him one more time, and write the piece, and then it will be done, and hopefully I won't have to see him again".
They went over a few other work details, and then Jennifer headed back to her office.
She had a busy couple of weeks coming up-she was covering a fashion show, doing several interviews with local chefs, and she and Jonathan had tickets to the Healthy Food, Healthy Bodies Fundraiser this weekend. Plus, next weekend was the boat race. She was filling it all in on her calendar.
She called Elliott's office.
"Hi Domonique-This is Jennifer Edwards. I need to schedule one more interview with him-an hour, max. Does he have anything today?"
"He has one appointment at 5."
"Ok, I'll take it".
"Thank you".
"Thank you".
She hung up and called Jonathan.
"Hello?"
"Hey, you busy?"
"Not at all."
"Good. So, I had a chat with Olivia. I told her I didn't think I could honestly and objectively do the Elliott interview anymore. She told me that it was ok if I wanted to just focus it on his hotel company and not dig much deeper. So, I'm going to do that, get it done and then be done with him".
"Sounds like a plan".
"So, that means I'm meeting with him at his office at 5. I won't be home till about 6:30 or so".
"Call me if you need me. And stay on your toes, baby. If he gives you a hard time, just leave. I'll assign Stanley to research his hotels and get you whatever you need for the article, ok?"
"If it comes to that, it's a deal. I'm hoping that if I stay firm tonight, he won't push the plate".
"I love you, baby. Do me a favor-tell Olivia where you are going, and if the meeting runs over an hour, call one of us?"
"I love you too, honey, and I promise you, I'll be just fine".
She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone.
She spent the rest of the afternoon preparing another list of possible questions to ask him and then headed to his office around 4:30.
***Manning Hotels***
Jennifer arrived at 4:50, and walked inside.
"Hi Domonique, I'm here to meet Elliott".
"Yes ma'am. He asked that you read through this first, and then head up to the top floor when you are finished."
"Thank you".
She took the stack of papers from Domonique and stepped over to the lobby couches and sat down and began to read.
It was nothing but copies of other articles about him, mostly written by his board of directors praising him for a business move.
Although she found it highly ostentatious, she also found it quite helpful, because she was able to find the answers to all of her questions in those pages.
She pulled out her laptop and started typing up the article. After 15 minutes, she had a really good rough draft.
She walked over to Domonique.
"Is there a printer somewhere that I can use to print this off? It should only be a couple pages".
"Certainly".
They walked into an office off the lobby and a few minutes later, her article was printed.
"Perfect. Thank you so much, you've been most helpful".
"You're welcome, ma'am".
She took the elevators to the top floor and expected to see an expansive business office.
Instead, she realized when the elevator doors opened, that she was stepping into Elliott's living room.
She looked around and didn't see him.
"Elliott? It's Jennifer Edwards. Are you here?"
"In here."
She followed the sound of his voice.
"I just brought by the rough draft of the article. I'll wait for you out here in the living room".
"No, no. Don't do that. Come on in here-this won't take long".
She lingered near the door and looked around his room. It was the absolute tackiest room she could ever recall being in. There were steps on either side of the bed that led up to a hot tub with a waterfall in it. The bathroom was somewhere behind that. The ceiling was covered in large mirrored tiles.
All of a sudden, soft jazz music started playing and Elliott was standing at the top of the staircase in a short silk robe.
"Oh no. This is not happening. I told you, we had a strictly professional relationship".
"Forget that. I figure a little dancing, a little wine, and before too long, we will have a completely different type of relationship."
"That's not going to happen, Elliott".
She moved to go out the door, but he was faster than she was and he shut the door, locked it with a key, and dropped the key in his pocket.
"Elliott, come on. Let me have the key".
"Just relax, Jennifer. I won't hurt you. I promise you, it will be an experience you will never forget."
"Elliott, I'm not experiencing anything with you".
He grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs.
"I have an idea. Why don't you come up here and get in the hot tub? I'll make us some cocktails and you can read me the article you wrote".
"I don't want to get in the hot tub, I don't want to read you the article. I want to go home. Give me the key".
"Jennifer, you don't seem to understand. I have had a very emotional week, and I need your company. Now you seem like you have nice manners, so don't make me think otherwise, ok? Just stay a little while".
"Give me the key, Elliott".
***Jonathan***
Jonathan was at Jennifer's duplex. He had just taken his tie off when the phone rang. He picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Jonathan, it's Olivia, Jennifer's boss".
"Hi".
"Hey, did Jennifer make it home yet?"
"No, she didn't."
"She was meeting Elliott this afternoon, and he called to extend it by another hour, and left the message for her to come upstairs to his personal suite. Something about the way she was talking to me about him this morning is bothering me. Have her call me when she gets home, will you?"
"I'll do better than that. I'm going to go get her. Want to come with me?"
"I tell you what. I'll meet you there".
"Perfect. See you there".
***Elliott's suite***
"Give me the key, Elliott".
"Fine, I'll give you what you want, after you give me what I want".
He started to move towards her and she started backing away from him.
She managed to get away from him and lock herself in the bathroom.
"Jennifer, come on out. This is silly, I'm not going to hurt you".
"I'm not coming out till you slide the key under the door".
"Fine".
He slid a key under the door and she grabbed it.
She came out and ran to the door and tried like hell to put the key in the lock.
It wouldn't fit.
"You didn't really think I was going to give you the real key, did you?"
"Elliott, this isn't funny. I want to leave. You are holding me against my will. I could press charges against you for that".
"But you won't. You know you want me. Just admit it".
"What I want is for you to let me out of here. I am not enjoying this".
"And I want you to let me love you the way only I can".
"Never. I told you, I'm involved with someone".
"I know. You are involved with Jonathan Hart. He might have beaten me at business a few times, but I promise you, I've bedded more women than he could shake a stick at".
"You're disgusting."
"Tell me something. How many positions of the Karma Sutra is he good at? 3, 4, maybe? Well, baby cakes, I am proficient in all the positions. There are over 250 of them, and if you let me, I'll be glad to show them all to you. We can even call a few friends to join us, if you want".
"You are a vile, disgusting, moral less pig".
He backed her up till she was against the bed and she fell back.
He started to climb on top of her.
Panicking, she reached over and picked up a vase and conked him on the head with it.
He passed out on top of her.
She pushed him off her and started fumbling in his pockets for the key.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
"Jennifer! Jennifer, darling, are you in there?"
She ran to the door and unlocked it and found Jonathan on the other side.
She started to cry as soon as she opened it.
He immediately wrapped his arms around her.
"Oh baby, I was just so worried about you. Are you alright?"
"He….he locked me in here… he wouldn't let me go…."
"I'll destroy him".
He walked over to Elliott, who was just waking up. He stood up, very unsteady on his feet.
"Jonashan…what are you doing here…"
"What's your dog's name?"
"What dog?"
"That's what I thought". Jonathan promptly decked him 3 times.
Jennifer ran to Jonathan and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Are you sure you're alright?"
She nodded.
Olivia suddenly appeared in the doorway.
"What the hell is this place, the Playboy mansion?"
"I was wondering the same thing. An indoor waterfall? Really?"
"Darling, look up".
Jonathan looked up.
"Wow. This has got to be the tackiest place on earth".
"Jennifer, are you alright?"
She came over and hugged her.
"I'm fine. You're sweet to come check on me. I promise, I'm just shaken up, but I'm ok".
"Who knocked him out?"
"Well, first it was me, then it was Jonathan".
"Speaking of knocking him out, we should probably go. Something tells me he won't be in the mood for company when he wakes up".
"Good point".
Olivia pulled a notepad out and started writing on it.
"What are you doing?"
"Just leaving him a note to tell him that he can consider his subscription canceled because the Times doesn't do business with predators".
They took the elevator downstairs and walked to the receptionist's desk.
"Domonique, do me a favor please. Erase my contact information from all of Mr. Manning's address books".
"Certainly, ma'am".
They headed to the parking garage.
"Well, here's my rough draft of the article. You can do with it what you wish".
Olivia took it from her and promptly tossed it into a trash can.
"Wonderful idea".
Jonathan walked Jennifer to her car.
"I'm going to follow you home. I love you".
"I love you too, I'll see you at home".
20 minutes later, they were home.
***Duplex***
They came inside and she set her stuff down and kicked her shoes off.
He took her in his arms and just held her.
"I'm ok, Jonathan".
"I know. I'm so glad".
He poured them both a cocktail, and they sat down on the couch.
"Darling, tell me what happened".
"Well, when I got there, Domonique said he wanted me to look through a book of pages. And they were all about him-accolades for this business venture or that business venture. The strange thing was, they were all written by his board of directors".
"That's because nobody else will have anything to do with him".
"So, it was actually helpful because I had brought along some questions with me and I was able to get them all answered while I leafed through that ego book of his. So I quickly typed my article, Domonique helped me print it, and then she told me that he had said I could just come upstairs to the top floor. So, I got up there expecting to see a top floor office, like your office floor. When I realized it was his home, I yelled for him and he yelled back for me to come to him. I realized he was in the bedroom, and I told him I would wait for him out in the living room. He said no, that he would be right out, and then the music started, he was standing there in that hideous robe, and he was trying to get me into the hot tub. I locked myself in the bathroom, and told him I wasn't coming out till he put the key to the door under the bathroom door. He slid it under there, and I came out and ran to the door. It was the wrong key, so he taunted me and started telling me what he had planned."
"Was it more than I think it was?"
"Darling, if I did everything he was planning, I would need penicillin! There aren't enough days in the week to do everything he wanted".
"So then what?"
"Then he started chasing me around the room, in an intimidating sort of way, and I was telling him to give me the key and then he backed me up and I fell on the bed and he climbed on top of me, and I grabbed the vase and hit him. Then I got the door unlocked, and you were there".
He rubbed his hands up and down her back.
"I swear to god if I ever see him again, I will pound him into dust".
"He knows that you and I are together. I don't know how, I didn't tell him anything about us. But when I reiterated to him again that I am unavailable, he said "I know. You're seeing Jonathan Hart. He's beaten me in business a few times, but I've bedded more women than he can shake a stick at. I can love you way better than he can. And he asked me a very disgusting, very personal question about our sex life".
Jonathan's lips were pursed, like they always were when he was angry.
"I called Lt. Gray with the LAPD on my way home, darling. I told him that he had held you against your will and tried to coerce you into bed. I was honest and told him that you had hit him in self-defense, and that I had punched him a few times out of anger. He said that unfortunately, since he didn't physically harm you, it's your word against his, and no charges can be filed. If he tries to press charges against you for hitting him, it would be ruled self-defense".
"And you?"
"He's my poker buddy. He would tell him that it was his word against mine".
She grabbed his hand and kissed his knuckles a few times.
"Honey, I want you to know something. Even if I hadn't been able to knock him out and open the door, there's no way I would have let what he was wanting to happen actually take place. You are the only one in my heart".
"You don't have to explain that to me, darling. I know you. I love you. I know you wouldn't have done that".
He gave her a sweet kiss.
"Are you hungry? Why don't we order dinner?"
"You can. I don't have an appetite".
"Now darling, you have to eat. I hate to see you like this. It wasn't your fault and you are ok, and that's all that matters".
"I love you so much".
She kissed him a few times, and then got up and headed to change into her pajamas.
She came back and agreed to order dinner with him.
Their dinner came shortly after that, and she managed to eat about half of it.
They snuggled on the couch, and she fell asleep on his shoulder.
He woke her up when the news came on and they headed to bed.
He climbed into bed next to her and turned out the light.
Once the lights were out, he could feel her sort of open up some. She started trembling.
"It's alright, darling. You're safe now".
"I've never been so scared…"
"I know. Try not to think about it".
He kissed her forehead a few times.
"Want me to hold you?"
"Of course".
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek.
Neither of them moved, all night long.
***The next morning***
Jennifer got up and got a shower when her alarm went off. Jonathan got up and started the coffee.
He brought her some when she stepped out of the shower.
He stepped in behind her, and in half an hour, they were both ready to walk out the door.
He could tell she was a little jittery, which was to be expected.
"Darling, if you need me, I want you to call me, ok? Tell Deanne it's an emergency, and she will come get me no matter what".
"I'll be fine, honey. Thank you".
He walked her to the car and kissed her goodbye.
"I love you. See you tonight".
"I love you too. If you hear from Elliott, call me".
A few kisses later, she was headed to the Times.
***Los Angeles Times***
Jennifer walked in and sat down at her desk.
Olivia came in to see her.
"Hi. How are you this morning?"
"I'm fine. I'm trying not to think about it, honestly".
"Well, I just wanted you to know that if you feel you need to be at home today, I'm fine with it."
"Thanks, but really, I'll be ok. Listen, did Jonathan talk to you about hiring me to do an article on the Hart Industries boat race?"
"No".
"Well, he said he was going to. He just bought a new boat, and next weekend, his company is having a boat race to benefit the orphanage that he grew up in. It's from here to Hawaii. So, he wants me to come with him, and he said we would sail there in a few days, spend two days in Hawaii and then sail home. And he wants me to cover it for the paper. So, I'll be gone for two weeks".
"Certainly".
"Thank you".
"This just arrived also. Can you go to this grand opening tonight, and cover it for the paper tomorrow?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"A new restaurant, down on 5th. It's called By the Bucket".
"Sounds interesting".
She left the office then, and Jennifer picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Hello, Hart Industries, how can I help you?"
"Hi Deanne, it's Jennifer. Can I speak to Jonathan please?"
"Certainly. One moment".
He picked up a few minutes later.
"Hey, everything ok?"
"Yes, everything is fine. I was just wondering if you would let me take you to dinner tonight".
"Sure. Any dinner with you is sure to be a good time".
"Wonderful. I have to cover the restaurant's grand opening for the paper, so come hungry and be prepared to sample a lot of dishes".
"You got it".
"Olivia approved the two weeks off for the boat race, darling".
"Wonderful. Well, the marina called me today and said that only minor upgrades were needed to the boat. And my insurance company called and said Manning's insurance company finally paid up".
"Splendid. Maybe things are finally going to go our way for a bit. I better let you get back to work".
"Are you sure you're ok?"
"I'm positive. I love you".
"I love you too. See you tonight".
She hung up the phone and worked the rest of the day, pushing any and all thoughts of Elliott from her mind.