Jake Singer's financial situation hadn't changed much since he had been incarcerated. He was extremely wealthy, so the lack of income over the last two years barely made a dent in his assets. His condo still belonged to him, the appropriate arrangements were made to ensure that over the full length of his sentence, and his bank accounts were still plentiful.
He knew at some point he would have to figure out employment, but there was no urgency for now. His focus would remain on Eddie Janko until she was back with him where she belonged.
With the Los Angeles traffic at a standstill, Jake was growing impatient. He had almost forgotten how bad it was. Anxiously bouncing his leg in the back of a cab as it idled, he took in the sights around him. It felt good to be free again, but right now, he needed to get home.
All he had with him was his wallet and house key. He hoped the cell phone he left in his condo two years ago still worked. He knew the service had been kept current, and he didn't want to have to make an extra stop for a new one right now. He just wanted to find Eddie. The delusional part of him even expected her to be at their condo, waiting for him to return.
Two hours later, the cab finally pulled up to the front of Jake's home. He reached into his wallet and tossed a one-hundred-dollar bill at the driver, exiting the car without saying a word. He pushed open the front door, his excitement building. He was delusional enough to think she would be there, still living the life he left her with, the life they shared together. In his mind, he had done nothing wrong, and she was the one who needed forgiveness, and he was prepared to give it to her.
But the house was dark and musty, no signs of the vibrant life he thought they shared together. Turning on lights as he walked through, he didn't care to open any windows to relieve the old smell, he was still searching for any signs of her. He found nothing. Everything remained in place as it was before, everything except his girlfriend's belongings.
Met with the cruel reality, his anger flares as he flings picture frames to the ground with a single swooping motion of his arm, glass shattering, just like his heart. Now, dropped to his knees in the middle of his living room, a tear threatens to fall.
He doesn't understand as a slew of emotions encompass his entire being, and everything is fuzzy. His obsession is in full force now, and he will not stop until he finds her. He stands slowly and brushes himself off.
Instantly the sadness in his eyes is replaced, as a sinister calmness washes over him. He knows exactly where she is. He keeps to himself for a few days, he needs to think. He needs to figure out his next move.
In a small Los Angeles suburb, dusk was creeping in as Lena Janko pulled her small four-door sedan into her driveway. She was oblivious to the black Porsche parked on the street three houses down as she walked inside.
Jake hadn't taken his eyes off their house in two hours. He knew that is where Eddie would be. She was too weak to live alone and take care of herself. She needed him, and since he couldn't be there, she had to have moved in with them. He was certain.
He was slouched in the driver's seat of his car, his left arm rested on the window, and he waited. It was getting late and still no sign of Eddie. He was growing anxious again, and his right leg was bouncing like it was in the cab a few days ago, as he watched the lights go off in the house, one by one.
Jake is jolted from his restless slumber at a tapping sound on the glass. Sometime during his watch, he had fallen asleep in his car, and his head was held up by the window. The sound startles him, but the incessant tapping on the glass vibrates his forehead and he sits up abruptly, blinking the sleep from his eyes.
"Move around, man," a voice echoes through the glass.
It takes him a second to realize what is happening. Apparently, the owner of the house he was parked in front of all night, wants him gone now. Jake nods through the window at the man, he doesn't want any problems today, and he starts his car. Before he can move, the man is already speeding off in his own car.
Thanks for the wake-up call, he thinks to himself as he turns his engine off, landing his eyes back on the house he is there for. It is still early, the sun barely peeking over the horizon, and he hopes if Eddie is staying there, he hasn't missed her leaving for work yet.
He watches Lena and Betty leave the house together around seven-thirty that morning and waits another hour. Still no sign of Eddie. He is growing frustrated as he steps out of his car and slams the door shut behind him.
He walks in the direction of their house, looking over his shoulder in both directions for anyone who might spot him before he commits another crime; breaking and entering, although he hopes just entering, he doesn't want to leave any signs he was here just yet.
Before he reaches for the doorknob, he looks over his shoulder again. All clear, he thinks to himself and turns it to the right. It doesn't move though, and he isn't surprised. Two old women who live alone, if they do, wouldn't leave the house without locking the doors behind him.
He looks around the porch and notices a flowerpot. It is the only one there and it is apparent to him that the pot full of dirt is not there because of its beautiful blooming flowers and curb appeal. He reaches down to shift it over and rolls his eyes at how easy they have made this for him, as he picks up the key to their front door.
Jake enters the house swiftly and shuts the door behind him. He stands still in the small foyer for a moment as he glances around the house and listens for any noise coming from any of the other rooms. Once he is certain no one is there, he heads down the hallway towards the bedrooms.
He is looking for any evidence Eddie lives there and peers into each of the three bedrooms. It is obvious to him quickly which bedrooms are currently being used, by which old woman, he isn't sure, but he doesn't really care.
He walks into the only other bedroom that could be Eddie's. It is furnished, but bare. He pulls open dresser drawers only to find them empty and then shuts them with force. His anger is getting worse as he sees the bare closet too and slams the door shut.
"Where the hell are you," he yells to the empty house.
The fury in his voice fills the air as he makes his way into the kitchen.
He realizes she likely hasn't been living there for the last two years, and he has to figure out where she is. Standing in the kitchen, he looks around for any clues that might help him when his eyes catch a glimpse of her beautiful blonde hair and lock in there.
He takes a step closer towards the refrigerator.
"Who the hell is this," he growls, as he reaches for the picture held there by a plain black magnet.
It is a picture of Jamie and Eddie on Christmas Day, and Jake's blood is boiling. He wants to crumple the picture in his hand, and now he has to find Eddie and whoever this guy is. Where the hell are you? He thinks to himself.
He snaps a shot of the picture on this phone and hangs it back on the fridge and then notices a large manila envelope on the counter with Eddie's name on it. The mail they had yet to send her, he now holds in his hand.
His knuckles are turning white from the grip he has as he reads the address.
"New York…never saw that coming," he says to the empty kitchen, shaking his head.
She is going to make this harder on him than he expected, but he is certainly up for the challenge. He snaps a picture of the address and tosses the envelope back on the counter, and then he leaves.
Back in his condo, Jake spent the rest of the morning searching the internet endlessly for any other confirmation that Eddie moved to New York when an article finally appeared in one of the search results that told him exactly what he needed to know.
It was an article from the New York Times about a case that Eddie was involved in. Her name was listed in the article as a prosecutor for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
His next search was flights from Los Angeles to New York. He found one that departed at six o'clock the next morning, and he booked it.
Eddie woke up early Friday morning, grateful that her agonizingly long week was finally coming to an end. She missed Jamie fiercely and silently encouraged herself to get through the next eight hours as she dragged her exhausted body from her bed.
This weekend would be a year since they started dating, and Jamie promised they would celebrate for the next two days. She loved that a year later, he was still gentle, and kind, and caring, and full of romantic gestures, and she couldn't wait to see him later.
She was especially grateful that he hadn't pushed her for any more explanation from that night the week before. She just wanted to put it behind her. She was struggling though. She couldn't figure out why, after all this time, Jake still had a hold on her life. Her happiness. Her sanity.
She was so deeply in love with Jamie and she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She had to figure out what triggered this, but she really just wanted to forget about it. She would lock it away for now. She had an anniversary weekend to look forward to and she didn't want anything to ruin it.
She left for work a few minutes before she normally would that morning. She had the perfect little black dress she wanted to wear tonight and needed to drop it at the cleaners on her way in. As she grabbed it out of her closet, she imagined Jamie sliding it off of her later, and the thought sent little shivers through her body. She really needed the next eight hours to go by quickly.
Halfway through her day, she passes on an invitation to join Erin for lunch so she could leave a little early when she is interrupted by a soft tap on her office door. She smiles when she sees the beautiful bouquet of carnations being delivered by the receptionist and reaches her hand out for them.
She lifts the cluster of flowers to her nose, still smiling as she gracefully inhales their glorious aroma, and she thinks about the man who had them delivered. She pulls out the small square card nestled inside the bundle and opens it:
I hope you wear that
little black dress tonight.
I can't wait to take it off you later.
Happy Anniversary
I love you
Jamie
Laughing to herself after she reads his note, she wonders how the hell she is supposed to get through the next few hours now. She sets the flowers on her desk and reaches for her phone to send a text to Jamie.
"I am wearing that little black dress tonight, and I can't wait for you to take off of me later. Happy Anniversary, I love you too."
She bookends her message with hearts and tosses her phone on the desk as she leans back in her chair. She might as well leave now, there is no way she will get anything productive done the rest of the day. She does her best for a couple more hours and then decides it is time to go.
Jake is weaving in and out of the crowded streets of Manhattan, trying to find Eddie's building. He is overwhelmed as the city buzzes around him, and growing more frustrated with each accidental bump and shove as everyone seems to be in a hurry.
"Why the hell would anyone want to live here", he growls under his breath, clenching his fists as he attempts to keep the pace with the local foot traffic. Looking at the map on his phone, he realizes he is just a few blocks away and walks a little faster.
He is standing on the corner, a few yards away from the entrance to her building, and his excitement is growing. He is not sure if she will be home, but it is after six now and he thinks the odds are in his favor and his hands start shaking in anticipation.
It has been over two years and he wonders how she will react to seeing him, especially in New York, especially since she seems to have run away from him. The more he thinks about that part, the angrier he becomes, and he knows he has to control his emotions.
If he is going to take her back to California with him, he can't scare her. He is about to move towards the entrance when a familiar face approaches. Before the man reaches him, he is turning to walk up the steps of Eddie's building.
Rage consumes him as he realizes the familiar face is the face from the picture on Betty's refrigerator. Jake is frozen in that spot as the painful reality sinks in. She is going to make this harder than it has to be, he thinks to himself.
Jamie lets himself into Eddie's apartment, announcing his arrival as he enters.
"Hey babe," he shouts from the entryway when he doesn't see her.
"In here," her voice echoes from the bedroom as he moves towards the sound.
The moment he sees her, he is breathless. A year later and she still has that effect on him. She is standing in front of the mirror, her back to him as she is applying the finishing touches to her face, an effort Jamie thinks is unnecessary.
She is so naturally beautiful. She catches his reflection in the mirror as he approaches, and she doesn't miss the sultry look in his eyes.
"Hey, I need your help," she says as she points over her shoulder at the back of her little black dress that was left open, exposing her golden skin to his view.
He reaches for the zipper, grasping it between his thumb and forefinger as he lands his other hand at the base of her hip and slowly draws the zipper upward. He is having a difficult time controlling himself right now and thinks it wouldn't be a bad idea to just skip dinner.
She feels his movement stop halfway and his hand sneaks around her waist to her stomach, and his warm breath on her neck is enticing. She leans into him as he slowly peppers a trail of kisses down her neck to her bare shoulder, and now he is pushing the thin strap down her arm.
She inhales a deep breath and turns around in his arms, smiling. The look he is giving her is almost enough to make her want to skip dinner too, but she is really hungry, and she doesn't want to rush their celebration. She knows it will be worth it later if they take their time, and she presses her palms against his chest.
"Later…I promise," she says.
He pouts like a child, but he knows she is right. Their reservations weren't easy to get, and they will need sustenance for the night anyway.
"Now zip, please," she instructs as she turns back around.
Moments later, they are walking down the steps of her building, arm in arm, both oblivious to the pair of eyes glaring at them from the corner as they disappear in the opposite direction.
Jake watches them dissolve into the throng of bodies, but not before he sees her smile up at Jamie as he leans in to brush a kiss over her lips. Jake explodes with jealous fury from within. Eddie belongs to him and this man is going to be a problem. Neither of them will get away with this, he thinks.
Jake's head is spinning as he surveys his surroundings, looking for the closest hotel. He sees one across the street and it's fate, he thinks, as he makes his way there. Approaching guest services, he reaches for his wallet as he asks the clerk behind the desk for a room.
Insisting on a view of West 51st Street, he slides his credit card across the counter. The clerk is annoyed at his lack of manners but reaches for the card.
"Of course, sir. And how long will you be staying?"
He is trying to tame his fidgety hands as he looks at the woman.
"As long as it takes."
Jake's room was on the third floor, and coincidentally enough, so was Eddie's. He didn't know that yet, he was just glad the front entrance of her building was in perfect view from his window.
Jamie might be a hindrance in his plan to take back what belonged to him, but this room couldn't have fallen more flawlessly into place for him. He dropped his backpack on the bed and pulled the chair in front of the window. Slinging the curtains out of the way, he propped his feet on the ledge and waited.
Jamie and Eddie finished their dinner unusually fast and opted for their dessert to go, both impatient to get back to Eddie's apartment. They walked up the steps of her building the same way they left, arm in arm, and Jake watched. Fuming, he banged on his window, rage consuming him again.
He would make them pay, and he spent the rest of the night formulating his devilish plan. Jamie kept Eddie's mind completely clear for the rest of the night, neither aware of the torment that was about to transpire.
A/N: How long before Jake let's Eddie and Jamie know he's there?