It is a must to have Chicago Deep Dish Pizza in Chicago.
The walls are painted black with iron sconces displayed at every booth creating a warm environment in this narrow shotgun structure. Though there is minimal seating, the popular restaurant is packed with patrons wanting the authentic Italian tastes and craft beers. Their beer goblets and complimentary breadsticks are illuminated with the standard pair of votive candles glowing on the table.
Paulina and Jake are sitting across from Remy and Nick in a cozy booth. They are shoulder to shoulder; innocent brushes of his arm against hers. Jake shows off his babies with a few pictures he brought along. Until the food arrives, Jake's innocent actions take a turn south. He rests his left hand on her bare leg; this jester occurs inconspicuously. First, his pinky ruins the outside of her thigh starting at her knee up to the edge of her dress.
Paulina is loosely focusing on Remy's story, but maintains a false look of interest as her nerves are rampant by Jake's touch. Her mind is stumbling, "Oh god, he's doing it again. He knows what this does to me." She reaches for her cloth napkin on her lap and straightens it. At this point, she grabs his hand forcefully, yet gently to return it back to his own lap.
Before the last piece of the deep dish is declared, Remy asks again why they are in Chicago. Nick is just glad to hear his nieces are alive. She eagerly awaits the answer from the other side of the table.
"I'm here on business." Jake states before finishing off his beer.
"And I wanted to see you. It's a quick trip for each of us, so we carpooled." She quickly changes topics moving the conversation to other side of booth, "Remy, did you decide to take that sociology class this summer?"
After their shared meal, Paulina and Jake stroll along the Chicago River Walk back to the hotel. She tightens her grip on his arm recalling back to their meeting with the architect, "I really liked her sketches. She seems very capable and talented."
He clears his throat holding her hand, "Not as talented as me, though. I had you going at dinner."
She pinches his arm, "Yeah. Talented is a word… so is childish." Experiencing fun like this has not happened to either of them in years.
Returning back to the other topic, Jake makes an observation. "The idea of the master suite being two stories tall… with all those windows. I never thought of that."
"It's going to be magnificent." She rests her head on his shoulder as they walk side by side to their hotel room.
There is something Paulina has been meaning to revisit since Canada. She is apprehensive, but knows it needs to happen before they move any further. She plops herself on the sofa waiting for Jake to get off the phone with room service.
"Wine will be here soon." He smiles.
"Jake, we need to talk."
"Sure. About?"
Paulina rubs her hands together, takes a deep breath, and stands directly in front of Jake. "It's about why I stayed with Joe once I found out he knew you were still alive."
Putting his hands on his hips, "Okay. Let's talk about it."
"First and foremost, I'll never regret Dante."
He interrupts, "Whoa, whoa… I would never expect you to regret that kid; he's your son."
She continues, "What I do regret is how fast it all happened?" She walks past him admiring the city lights reflecting off the river from their room, on the eleventh floor. "As I told you before, I was completely distraught over you. Joe came into my life and I felt somehow lighter. I didn't feel the constant agony; that everlasting ache in my heart…"
"You're right; it did go fast. You grieved for a few months before dating him…" Jake displays his longing hurt and betrayal. "I thought you would love me forever." He throws his hands up in the air retreating from outrage. "I wasn't even 'dead' for a year and… and you were walking down the damn aisle!"
Paulina snaps around to face him, "Trust me. I know!" This conversation is ruffling her feathers more than she expected.
"Everything that happened with me: the lies, the amnesia, the whole Eberhardt debacle… I own that. I did that. And. I also own the fact that I fully expected your love for me to last." Jake runs his hand thru his hair in frustration. "We were never supposed give up on each other."
Paulina pulls up the defensive tact, "My love for you…"
"Wait!" Jake puts up his hands, "Tell me why it's so complicated." He posts himself on the sofa arm.
"You left me. You knowingly left me, McKinnon." She shoves her finger in his chest to drive the point.
Knock at the door, "Room Service."
Jake marches throwing the door open. Tears form and Paulina returns back to the window ignoring the Gumby-like boy and his cart. After hanging the 'Do Not Disturb' sign outside, Jake locks their door, "Continue… I left you."
She rolls her eyes and pushes her hair behind her ears, "Jake, I've thought a lot about this. Why the course of my life switched from being all about you to not. I mean… We were so happy, but then it all changed in a blink of an eye." She turns to face him, "Your lie grew and I couldn't keep up with the insanity. So, I chose Joe to stop the pain, stop the hurt, stop the doubt, and it didn't matter after everything you put me thru. I tried Jake, at least I thought I did. I thought I gave you all the opportunities I could swallow. And then, everything kept moving so fast."
Jake maintains an arm length between them, "You got pregnant."
Paulina nods, "So, I had to try with Joe. I had to see if you and I were better off apart. I mean, all along, was it me why we don't… didn't work?"
"And, now what?" Jake slams his hands into his pant pockets.
"You tell me, Jake. I just divulged a dirty secret I have been holding onto… does this change anything between what is happening between us now?" Uncertainty is plastered on her face waiting for his reply.
He holds her face in his palms feeling her exhale deeply, "Paulina, what I know is that every time I've been pushed into a defining life decision. There is only one thing that outweighs every concern, everything you thought you know, every instinct…" He moves his face a centimeter from hers, "Love."
She repeats his last word in a mumble, "Love."
"Do you trust me?" He stares into her blue eyes.
"Yes, Jake. I trust you."
Jake takes her hand leading her to the bedroom, "Take a shower with me." He catches her smile with tenderness.
They are standing face to face at the foot of the bed. "I just want to hold you. See you... all of you."
This moment is seductive with Jake setting the pace. The tentative touches with exposing skin as pieces of clothing drop to the floor. The fear subsiding as the fire surfaces. In only black boxer briefs, he guides her into the bathroom. She stands before him in only a semi-sheer black teddy. Their intimacy has always been very powerful; this being no different. They are both hanging by a thread holding onto the edge for the final reveal; the reveal that will be the first in several years. The steam from the hot shower creates a cloud. Pushing on the gas, they each remove their last piece of clothing. As the heat rises in the room, they find themselves studying their frown lines to their toes.
Paulina steps into the shower closing her eyes under the hot water. She feels his presence behind her and looks over her shoulder. "Is this real? This. You and me."
It is immediate. Their lips crash as he holds her body still under the waterfall. "It's real alright." He leaves a trail of kisses from her lips to the freckles on her left shoulder as he caresses her head. "I've missed you, Cupcake."
She turns in his arms and reaches on her tip toes to kiss the tip of his nose. "I've missed you more."