Jonathan stayed downstairs to give Jennifer space. Last thing he wanted to do was fight with her.
He was a little disturbed by her lack of emotion though.
He went into the office and closed the door and picked up the phone.
He called Susan Kendall.
"Hello?"
"Hi, it's Jonathan. I have a question for you. Are you familiar with something called EMDR therapy?"
"Yes, I am. I don't have a big enough client base to practice it, but I have heard of it. It's a fascinating therapy".
"Great. So, Jennifer recently started doing it to deal with some past issues. She and I had a little bit of a disagreement tonight, nothing major. But I noticed that she barely raised her voice. She was like 1/8 the amount of emotional that she normally is, and I'm wondering if it's because of that therapy".
"Could be. I wouldn't worry about it though. When you go through something like that, your emotions get displaced. Give it time. Just be glad she wasn't screaming and yelling at you".
"That's a good point. Thanks for your help, Susan".
"Anytime".
They hung up and he went upstairs to change clothes.
She was in the tub. He quietly changed clothes and then headed back downstairs.
He made himself dinner and then ate in front of the tv. She came downstairs about an hour later and got a snack and then headed back upstairs to bed.
She took a sleeping pill and was dead to the world when Jonathan slipped into bed beside her.
He kissed her cheek and covered her up and then fell asleep next to her.
***The next morning***
Jonathan got up when his alarm went off and headed for the shower.
Jennifer hopped in the shower behind him. He was already downstairs and dressed when she got out.
She came downstairs to find Max and Jonathan talking about an article in the paper.
"Morning Miss Edwards. How about some breakfast?"
"None for me thanks. Listen, Max, do me a favor, please. From now on, whenever you accept a delivery for me, please tell me about it, regardless of what Jonathan says".
"Yes Miss Edwards".
Jonathan sighed.
"Bye you two, I'll be home later".
Jonathan got up and headed to the garage after Jennifer.
"Darling, wait".
"What?"
He came around to her side of the vehicle.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the flowers. I didn't want you to be upset, that's all".
"You should have told me, Jonathan. I don't want us to keep secrets from each other".
"I don't either".
He wrapped his arms around her. Eventually she hugged him back.
"I love you".
"I love you too".
"I have a light day, today. We can have another day date if you want".
"Nice try. I am meeting Susan for lunch and then I'm hoping I can get my hair done somewhere".
"Fine. You two have fun, and I'll see you tonight".
He gave her several kisses and then she got in the car and he headed inside.
He came back and took his plate to the sink.
"Miss Edwards sure has gotten a lot more forceful lately".
"Yeah, she has. Listen, don't take it personally Max. She found the flowers last night and got mad at me for not telling her they came. That's all that was. She's not mad at you, she's mad at me".
"Don't she realize that you were just protecting her?"
"Yeah, but it's like she said. She's either going to be upset that the flowers came or upset with me for not telling her. And out of all the stuff this madman is sending her, the flowers are the least creepy."
"You want I should make you twos dinner tonight, Mr. H.?"
"Yeah. Let's make something she likes a whole lot. How about grilled chicken salads with the basil lemon dressing you made a while back?"
"You got it, Mr. H."
***Biscayne's by the Bay***
Jennifer met Susan for lunch precisely at 11:30.
"Hey, thanks for meeting me".
"Well, thanks for the invite".
"So, how have you been?"
"Eh, so-so. Poor Jonathan, I feel like I've been taking all my frustrations out on him unfairly. I started doing a therapy called EMDR therapy, to deal with past traumas, and it wears me out and then I have nightmares and he has to deal with all of that. I just feel so bad".
"Let me ask you something. Now, I'm no relationship therapist. But how many nights have you woken up to find that he went to the guest room, or moved to the couch?"
"None".
"Exactly. If he was mad at you, you would have. If he was anything like my husband, you wouldn't wake up to find him there, he would start out there in the first place".
"That's a good point. I just feel like I have turned his life upside down. I mean, he meets me, we get married so I can get my trust, it turns out to not be valid, there's inflammatory press published about him by my coworker, and then I move out here and it's like one issue after the other after the other. Sometimes I wonder why he hasn't run screaming for the hills".
"Because he loves you, Jennifer. I wish I had a video of Jonathan before he met Nikki. He was this up and coming businessman, and he was in the spotlight. But he was shy, and rarely opened up to anyone about anything. Then he met Nikki and for a while, things got better. He would bring her to the dinner parties and the poker games. And she was shallow and insecure and overly dramatic. She would complain and it was obvious that having dinner with us was the last thing she wanted to be doing. And after they broke up, Jonathan was even more closed off than before. And he made this declaration one night that he was never going to date again. It was too much trouble, wasn't worth it, and he wasn't interested. A few weeks later, he went to New York, and met you".
"He changed my life too. And I don't want things between us to end. I just want us to be more settled".
"I'm sure he wants that too, he's not a chaos-loving person".
They chatted about other stuff, and Jennifer felt so much better after their lunch ended. Opening up to a friend is sometimes the best medicine.
"How is the wedding planning?"
"Well, thanks to you guys helping, it's pretty much planned. I think I want to do something a little untraditional. I'm not sure if Jonathan will go for it, though".
She filled her in on her idea, and Susan thought it was an incredible idea.
"Would that be during the ceremony?"
"Yes".
"That's one of the things I love about you and Jonathan. You two have a way of pulling off extraordinary things that nobody else would think of and making them seem so totally run of the mill and ordinary".
"Aww, that's sweet. We love you two."
"So what are you guys doing this weekend?"
"Hart Industries is having a ball. So, Jonathan and I are going and we are going to announce our engagement on the red carpet beforehand. I assume he will announce it to his employees inside the ball as well".
"That sounds so sweet".
"I'm excited. We haven't had a night on the town in ages".
Jennifer sipped the rest of her wine.
"If Jonathan and I wanted to take engagement pictures in the vineyard, do we have to make an appointment?"
"No. Just show up during normal business hours".
"Wonderful. I think we are going to schedule that for next week".
"I did want to ask you-after the wedding, can the vineyards use pictures from your wedding to promote weddings at the vineyard?"
"Absolutely".
"Wonderful! That's going to be so helpful".
As soon as they paid their checks, they headed out.
"Well, I am sure we will see you guys soon".
"Yes, I'm looking forward to it. If you guys wanted to come to the ball, I'm sure Jonathan could make some tickets available."
"That sounds fun. I'll call him this afternoon".
"Great. Well, we will see you soon".
Jennifer hugged her and then climbed in the car.
She was driving along without a care in the world, when her car phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hi baby…are you headed home yet?"
"Yes, I am".
"Ok, well, something has come up. The air is out at the house. So, I asked Deanne to give me some recommendations about hair salons and she called her hairstylist and he said he will work you in about 30 minutes. His salon is called Barry's Hotheads, in Beverly Hills".
"Wonderful! Do we need to get a hotel for tonight or anything?"
"No, the ac guy is on his way to fix it. I just didn't want you to be uncomfortable".
"You're so sweet to me".
"You make it easy, trust me".
"Darling, Susan expressed an interest in going to the ball, so I told her to call you about tickets".
"Well, that sounds fun. I tell you what, I'll reserve us a table. You and me, Susan and Drew, Laura and James, Bill and Vanessa".
"Perfect idea!"
"I'll call Susan and have her spread the word."
"What time will you be home tonight?"
"Around 5:30".
"Wonderful."
They chatted till she arrived at the salon.
"Ok I'm here. I love you".
"I love you too, baby. See you in a little bit".
"I can't wait".
She blew him a kiss and then hung up.
After her hair appointment, she headed home.
She pulled into the garage and parked.
She found Max in the kitchen when she went inside.
"Hi Miss Edwards. You are just in time for a dinner taste test. This is a new recipe. Shrimp stir fry in a lemon parmesan sauce".
She tried a bite.
"Oh, my goodness, Max. That's fantastic!"
"Great! I hope Mr. H. likes it!"
"I'm sure he will".
She was in the bedroom when Jonathan got home.
She heard him come in, so she headed to the kitchen.
"Hi darling".
"Hi gorgeous".
He swept her up into his arms and kissed her.
"How was the salon?"
"I love it there".
"Well good. I'll tell Deanne her recommendation was a good one".
"It certainly was".
He brought her hands in front of him.
"How was your lunch with Susan?"
"Good. She's so sweet and always knows the right things to say".
"So, the pool guy said construction will start next week. Shouldn't take more than a few days to get the pool in. The waterfall and the deck will take longer, but we should be done with pool construction in about 8-10 weeks".
"Wonderful".
She kissed him a few times.
"Max made us a gourmet dinner. He let me taste it and it's amazing".
"Great. How about a snuggle by the fire after dinner?"
"That sounds amazing".
He took her hand and led her to the kitchen, and grabbed himself a beer. He poured her a glass of wine.
They stood up against the counter and she leaned back against him.
He wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Max, where did you find this recipe?"
"In a magazine that came today. It was on the cover."
"Smells great, Max".
"Wait till you taste it. It's great, darling."
"Ok, this has about 5 more minutes".
Jennifer set the table.
Just as they were about to eat, the phone rang. Jonathan walked over and answered it.
"Hello?"
He spoke for just a few minutes, and then hung up.
"Darling, do you have plans tomorrow night?"
"No, not that I can think of".
"Great. Stanley at the office just gave me some Opera tickets for tomorrow night. Want to go?"
"Sure, I love the opera".
"Great. We can go to dinner ahead of time if you want".
"That sounds lovely".
After they finished dinner, Jennifer did the dishes while Jonathan got the fire ready. Max headed to a poker game.
Jonathan came and got her when he was finished and led her to the living room.
He had gotten the futon mattress and put it on the floor in front of the fireplace with a bunch of cushions and pillows. He opened a bottle of Valpolicella and poured them each a glass.
"Thank you, darling".
She nestled back against his shoulder and took a sip.
"Darling, If I planned a trip for us, where is somewhere you want to go?"
"You mean for our honeymoon?"
"No. I mean for anything."
"Hmm. Well, I would be fine with anywhere, really."
She shifted and snuggled against his chest.
"How about a cruise?"
"That would be nice".
"Perfect. I'll make the arrangements".
"Now darling, I don't mean to rain on your parade. But things are kind of busy at the office right now. I might not be able to get away".
"At all?"
"I could swing Thursday and Friday of next week, if you wanted to go somewhere for a long weekend. But that's it".
"I can do that".
She leaned over and kissed him.
He set his wine glass down and started giving her a back rub.
She hung her head so he could rub her neck too.
After about 20 minutes she leaned back against him and he wrapped his arms around her chest. She reached up and held onto his arms.
"Darling, do you feel like Dr. Dawkins is helping you?"
"Yes, I do. I feel more confident, more secure. I don't want to see Elliott under any circumstances, but I feel like if I were to encounter him, I wouldn't be afraid to voice my feelings, voice my opinion, and stand up for myself."
"Well, that's good".
"I used to have a strong voice, and then I let him brow beat me into not having one. I feel like I'm getting back to my former self".
"I'd like to beat him myself, that's for sure".
"You're sweet for protecting me, but darling, no contact with him is the best way to go".
"I agree".
She was quiet for a few minutes. He planted a few kisses on her neck and shoulder.
"Susan and I were talking about the wedding today. I have this idea."
"What's that?"
"Well, darling, who is your best man?"
"Max".
"Ok, great. I'll probably ask Susan to be my maid of honor. So, I was thinking of having them hold something special in the wedding, and then instead of us doing the unity sand or anything like that, we could do something with what they are holding".
She explained it all to him, and he agreed.
"Sounds fine to me".
"We need to meet with the photographer and have our engagement photos done. Probably week after next".
"Engagement photos? Why do we need those?"
"Darling, we want to memorialize our engagement on film. Plus, the engagement photo is the one we put in the paper with our engagement announcement".
"I see".
"Do you enjoy planning the wedding with me? Be honest".
"I enjoy making you happy. And I only intend for us to have one wedding day for the rest of our lives, so I want you to have the wedding of your dreams".
She moved to sit beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I'm not so much worried about the wedding, as much as I am worried about being the wife you always dreamed of".
"You already are, darling. You already are".
She leaned up and kissed him nice and slowly. She grazed his cheek with her fingertips as he kissed her. It started as a normal, slow kiss, but quickly turned into a romantic kiss that they both were hoping went on forever.
She laced her fingers through his, and leaned in as close to him as humanly possible. He let go of her hand, wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her onto his lap, having her straddle him.
He ran his hands up her sweater, and unclasped her bra.
She quickly pulled her top off over her head and tossed it on the couch behind him.
He wasted no time getting her bra off and taking one of her nipples into his mouth.
She scratched his head as he gently nibbled on her breast.
He reached down and untied the drawstring on her pants.
She moved to stand up to take them off, but he grabbed her hips and held her firmly in place.
"No baby, stay right here".
She started to unbutton his shirt, but he stopped her.
"No baby, this is all for you".
He loosened the waist band on her pants and slipped his hands under the edge to firmly grasp her backside.
She leaned forward and kissed him, and nibbled on his lower lip just a little bit.
He moved his hands to the front of her pants, and slipped a finger under the edge of her lace thong.
She moaned and gyrated against him as he ran his fingers back and forth across her hot, wet, center.
She bit her lip as he continued to run his fingers back and forth.
"Oh Jonathan! Ooooooohhhhh".
"Honey…."
"On it".
He picked her up and gently laid her down on the cushions, before stepping out of his clothes.
After quickly protecting them, he climbed on top of her and plunged himself inside of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and lifted her hips to meet his.
He crushed his lips on hers as he rocked his hips forward time and time again. They climaxed together and collapsed onto the cushions with their arms wrapped around each other. He reached up and grabbed the blanket and covered them.
He smoothed a stray curl off her forehead and kissed her.
"I love you more than anyone else in the world".
"I love you too".
She started dragging her fingernails up and down his back as she kissed his chest.
She shivered a little bit.
"Darling, the fire is going out".
"I'll get it". He kissed her and then got up and threw his pants on, before running upstairs to put on his pajamas. He came back downstairs a few minutes later, and tossed her a nightgown and her robe and slippers.
"Thank you, darling".
He ran outside and got some more fire wood while she got dressed.
She scooped her clothes up and took them to the laundry room with his clothes too.
She was sitting on the couch under the blanket sipping a glass of Valpolicella when he got back inside with the firewood.
He joined her on the couch and she nestled up against him and put her head on his shoulder.
"What are you doing tomorrow?"
"Well, I have meetings from 10 until probably 2, maybe 3. And after that, I planned on coming home and taking you out to dinner".
"That sounds lovely".
"What do you have planned?"
"Buying a dress for the ball, or finding shoes to go with a dress I already have. Figuring out what jewelry I want to wear and how I plan on doing my hair".
"Sounds fascinating".
"I promise, you'll love the end result".
"I already do". He leaned over and kissed her a few times.
They heard Max coming in.
A few minutes later, he came into the living room.
"Hey you two".
"Hey Max."
"How was the poker game?"
"Nice. I cleaned up and then headed home".
"Great strategy".
"You two have a nice evening?"
Jennifer smiled at Jonathan.
"The best".
