He had lunch with John that day and asked him for his sister's hand in
marriage. John was so thrilled; he'd bought the entire restaurant a round
of drinks. Tim had taken his suit out of the closet this morning after
Jennifer had gone to work, along with everything he needed to get ready.
He'd shower and change at Delko's. He'd called Jennifer and told her he
was picking her up for a nice dinner and asked her to wear the red dress
she'd bought several months before. She asked what time he'd be home. He
reminded her "I'll pick you up at seven, so be ready to go." He was
pumped.
At two minutes till seven, Tim Speedle stood outside his own front door, breathing deeply and exhaling slowly, trying desperately to slow down his racing heart. He looked at his watch, 6:59 - close enough. He knocked. "Coming!" he heard Jennifer shout from the other side of the door. He laughed. He imagined her hopping around on one foot, trying to buckle the strap on the black heels he knew she was wearing. She flung the door open. "TIM!" she exclaimed, "Why are you knocking? What has gotten into you?"
He smiled. She looked gorgeous. Her hair was pulled up and a few loose curls fell softly around her face. She was wearing an antique onyx necklace and earring set her grandmother had given her. "These are for you." He handed her a bouquet of twelve fire and ice roses - her favorite. He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Ready?" he asked. "Mmm-hmm" she softly replied, her eyes still closed from the kiss. "Let me get my wrap." Tim locked the front door as she exited and took her hand. "You look amazing," he told her. "Not so bad yourself, there," she teased.
The chauffer greeted them as they stepped on the curb. "Miss Hagen, Mr. Speedle, are we ready?" he asked politely, opening the door for Jennifer, who was staring, open-mouthed at Tim. "What?" he asked, a grin tugging at his mouth, "Your pumpkin awaits, Cinderella." Jennifer shot him a 'you've- totally-lost-your-mind' look as she stepped into the limo.
He held her hand the entire ride to the restaurant, and every couple of minutes, leaned in for another soft kiss. He'd already been by the restaurant. The maitre'd was in charge of the ring. He would carefully place it in the tiramisu Tim had already ordered. Everything was set.
They talked all through the candlelight dinner. Tim told her about his latest case. Jennifer told him about studying for the detective exam. The conversation reminded him of when they first began dating and the hours they'd spend talking. Tonight, they drank red wine. They laughed. They smiled. They held hands. Finally, mercifully, they were Tim and Jennifer again.
The waiter brought dessert. He laid the tiramisu in front of Jennifer, but she was busy holding Tim's hand and smiling lovingly at him. "Jen?" he lightly cleared his throat and motioned towards the plate. "Dessert?"
She laughed and picked up her dessert fork, finally focusing her attention on the tiramisu. Her smile faded almost immediately. Jennifer stared at the plate and then at Tim. He'd never seen such incredible hurt in her eyes before. She said nothing to him as she grabbed her wrap and her purse and bolted for the door.
Tim took off after her. He caught her outside, trying to hail a cab. He grabbed for her wrist, but she yanked it away. "Jennifer, please come back into the restaurant." She yanked her hand away from his and shouted for a taxi. One pulled up to the curb and Jennifer got in. The taxi sped away, leaving Tim standing on the curb in shock. He ran back in the restaurant, threw his credit card at the waiter, and told him he'd pick it up tomorrow. He jumped in the limo and yelled to the driver "Please take me home, fast."
Twenty minutes later, Tim arrived on his doorstep. The door had been flung open. He walked inside and shut the door, throwing his suit jacket on the couch. Jennifer was flying around the bedroom, a suitcase open on the bed. She was throwing clothes into the bag, wiping tears with the back of her hand. When she saw him in the doorway she stopped.
"I'm leaving."
"I can see that. Want to tell me why?"
"You know why, Tim."
"No, honestly, I don't."
"I just...I don't.How could.what were you."
"Jennifer, I love you. I want to marry you."
"You don't love me, Tim. You feel sorry for me. Do you think I need you to marry me now?"
"You're already my wife in my heart, Jennifer, I just want to make it legal."
"I lost the baby, Tim. There's no reason to get married now."
"There's every reason. Not the least of which is that I love you."
"If you loved me, Tim, then you'd know that I can't possibly.." Her voice trailed off. "You know what, forget it. I'm out of here."
"Where are you going?" Please say to Calleigh's, he thought. If she goes there, Calleigh will talk some sense in to her or at least figure out what's wrong with her.
"John's." Jennifer pushed the suitcase shut. She walked into the bathroom and began throwing things into a smaller bag.
Great, he thought, John's. Tim knew that John genuinely liked him and was thrilled when Tim asked for Jennifer's hand. But, he's her brother, and he's extremely protective. John would go into big brother mode the minute Jennifer arrived and not let Speed anywhere near her.
"I don't want you to leave, Jennifer. We can work this out." Tim Speedle ran a hand through his ebony hair and loosened his tie. He had never pleaded with anyone before in his life and he couldn't believe he was pleading with his girlfriend now.
"You know what, Tim, work this out - I don't need your pity or your." Jennifer was so angry she couldn't even finish her sentence.
"How many people know about this?" she demanded.
"Just Calleigh and John." He replied.
"Well, I hope you can get your money back for the ring." With that, Jennifer picked up her bags and walked to the front door. She opened it, turned to Tim and said "Goodbye."
At two minutes till seven, Tim Speedle stood outside his own front door, breathing deeply and exhaling slowly, trying desperately to slow down his racing heart. He looked at his watch, 6:59 - close enough. He knocked. "Coming!" he heard Jennifer shout from the other side of the door. He laughed. He imagined her hopping around on one foot, trying to buckle the strap on the black heels he knew she was wearing. She flung the door open. "TIM!" she exclaimed, "Why are you knocking? What has gotten into you?"
He smiled. She looked gorgeous. Her hair was pulled up and a few loose curls fell softly around her face. She was wearing an antique onyx necklace and earring set her grandmother had given her. "These are for you." He handed her a bouquet of twelve fire and ice roses - her favorite. He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Ready?" he asked. "Mmm-hmm" she softly replied, her eyes still closed from the kiss. "Let me get my wrap." Tim locked the front door as she exited and took her hand. "You look amazing," he told her. "Not so bad yourself, there," she teased.
The chauffer greeted them as they stepped on the curb. "Miss Hagen, Mr. Speedle, are we ready?" he asked politely, opening the door for Jennifer, who was staring, open-mouthed at Tim. "What?" he asked, a grin tugging at his mouth, "Your pumpkin awaits, Cinderella." Jennifer shot him a 'you've- totally-lost-your-mind' look as she stepped into the limo.
He held her hand the entire ride to the restaurant, and every couple of minutes, leaned in for another soft kiss. He'd already been by the restaurant. The maitre'd was in charge of the ring. He would carefully place it in the tiramisu Tim had already ordered. Everything was set.
They talked all through the candlelight dinner. Tim told her about his latest case. Jennifer told him about studying for the detective exam. The conversation reminded him of when they first began dating and the hours they'd spend talking. Tonight, they drank red wine. They laughed. They smiled. They held hands. Finally, mercifully, they were Tim and Jennifer again.
The waiter brought dessert. He laid the tiramisu in front of Jennifer, but she was busy holding Tim's hand and smiling lovingly at him. "Jen?" he lightly cleared his throat and motioned towards the plate. "Dessert?"
She laughed and picked up her dessert fork, finally focusing her attention on the tiramisu. Her smile faded almost immediately. Jennifer stared at the plate and then at Tim. He'd never seen such incredible hurt in her eyes before. She said nothing to him as she grabbed her wrap and her purse and bolted for the door.
Tim took off after her. He caught her outside, trying to hail a cab. He grabbed for her wrist, but she yanked it away. "Jennifer, please come back into the restaurant." She yanked her hand away from his and shouted for a taxi. One pulled up to the curb and Jennifer got in. The taxi sped away, leaving Tim standing on the curb in shock. He ran back in the restaurant, threw his credit card at the waiter, and told him he'd pick it up tomorrow. He jumped in the limo and yelled to the driver "Please take me home, fast."
Twenty minutes later, Tim arrived on his doorstep. The door had been flung open. He walked inside and shut the door, throwing his suit jacket on the couch. Jennifer was flying around the bedroom, a suitcase open on the bed. She was throwing clothes into the bag, wiping tears with the back of her hand. When she saw him in the doorway she stopped.
"I'm leaving."
"I can see that. Want to tell me why?"
"You know why, Tim."
"No, honestly, I don't."
"I just...I don't.How could.what were you."
"Jennifer, I love you. I want to marry you."
"You don't love me, Tim. You feel sorry for me. Do you think I need you to marry me now?"
"You're already my wife in my heart, Jennifer, I just want to make it legal."
"I lost the baby, Tim. There's no reason to get married now."
"There's every reason. Not the least of which is that I love you."
"If you loved me, Tim, then you'd know that I can't possibly.." Her voice trailed off. "You know what, forget it. I'm out of here."
"Where are you going?" Please say to Calleigh's, he thought. If she goes there, Calleigh will talk some sense in to her or at least figure out what's wrong with her.
"John's." Jennifer pushed the suitcase shut. She walked into the bathroom and began throwing things into a smaller bag.
Great, he thought, John's. Tim knew that John genuinely liked him and was thrilled when Tim asked for Jennifer's hand. But, he's her brother, and he's extremely protective. John would go into big brother mode the minute Jennifer arrived and not let Speed anywhere near her.
"I don't want you to leave, Jennifer. We can work this out." Tim Speedle ran a hand through his ebony hair and loosened his tie. He had never pleaded with anyone before in his life and he couldn't believe he was pleading with his girlfriend now.
"You know what, Tim, work this out - I don't need your pity or your." Jennifer was so angry she couldn't even finish her sentence.
"How many people know about this?" she demanded.
"Just Calleigh and John." He replied.
"Well, I hope you can get your money back for the ring." With that, Jennifer picked up her bags and walked to the front door. She opened it, turned to Tim and said "Goodbye."