Jonathan and Jennifer had a snowball fight for almost an hour, when he finally gave up and let her win.
They came inside laughing.
"That was really fun".
"Yeah, it was. I think I really missed out on not growing up with snow".
They took off their winter clothes, and hung them up. Jennifer went upstairs and changed into some velour lounging pants and an old Columbia sweatshirt and some thick black socks.
They relaxed the rest of the day, and just enjoyed each other's company.
As they went to bed that night, Jennifer realized she didn't want the weekend to end.
***Monday***
Jennifer was back in the city, and headed to work. She was eager to put this Senate stuff behind her.
She stopped in the bathroom on her way in. While she was in the stall, she overheard two women talking.
"So, rumor has it, Walker Mattinson turned in his two weeks to the brass."
"Really? Wonder what brought that on".
"Not sure, but I heard that they have tapped Jeff from the newsroom to take his role".
"Well, that's interesting".
"Yeah, I thought so too."
She waited till the ladies left to come out of the stall.
She walked into the office and everyone clapped for her.
"Thanks guys".
"You were magnificent! You really defended the tenants of journalism and handled them perfectly".
She made her way through the well-wishers to her desk.
There was a note on her desk from her boss that said "See me".
She headed to his office.
"Hi".
"Hi, thanks for coming in. I have a few things I want to tell you. Would you consider having dinner with me?"
"Sure, we can do that".
"How about tonight, at Rigatoni's, at say, 7:30?"
"Sure, I'll meet you there".
"Great, see you then".
She headed back to her desk and got to work and worked hard all day.
Around 5 she headed home, and had just enough time to take a bubble bath before meeting Jeff.
She changed into a black jumpsuit with black lace sleeves, and some sparkly black heels. It was turning much colder, so she dug her black wool coat out of the closet and took it with her.
She got to Rigatoni's first, and got them a table.
Jeff showed up right on time.
"Hi".
"Hi, thanks for meeting me".
"No problem".
They placed their orders and then he looked at her.
"So, I'm sure you've heard the rumors."
"I heard one, but I wasn't sure if it was true".
"What did you hear?"
"About Walker and the brass upstairs".
"No, that's not true".
"I see. What rumors are you referring to?"
"Me and Olivia from accounting".
"I haven't heard anything about you two".
"Well, we've been dating for about 4 months. But it didn't work out, so we broke up".
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that".
"She's moved on with Hunter in Sales".
"He's a nice guy".
"And now, there's someone I've been interested in, since before she and I got together."
"Well, have you told that person how you feel?"
"Not yet. I'm working on it".
He poured himself another glass of chianti.
"Well, my advice is just to be honest with that person, and tell them how you really feel. If you lose, you lose, but you won't lose because you weren't honest".
"That's very good advice".
The waitress brought their meals then.
She told him all about the Senate hearing, and how nerve-racking it was.
"Well, I'm proud of you for testifying. That was very brave and courageous of you."
"The whole thing was stupid, in my opinion. They are sworn to serve and uphold the law and the Constitution. And the first amendment clearly protects Journalists from revealing their sources. It's insane to me that I had to take a day out of my life to go remind them of that".
"I agree. But maybe since you reminded them, they will go easy on the rest of us from now on".
He picked up the check when it came, and then pulled her chair out for her.
They walked outside and shared a cab.
She gave the cab driver her address, and then he slid in right next to her.
He leaned over and put his arm around her.
"I love the perfume you're wearing".
"Thank you".
"I love your hair. How do you make it curl like that?"
"With a curling iron".
"You know something? Out of everyone who works in the newsroom, I think you're my favorite. You are definitely the most professional, the classiest, and the smartest".
"I appreciate that".
The cab stopped at her building and they got out.
He insisted on walking her to her door.
"Jeff, I'm fine. I'm a big girl, I can get to my door by myself".
When they got right next to her door, he pushed her up against the wall.
"Jennifer, invite me in. I won't say no. You can take full advantage of me all night long if you want to".
"I'm the one you have feelings for?"
"I don't just have feelings for you, Jennifer. I have a deep longing for you. My body craves yours and there's a long, long list of things I want you to do to me and I want to do to you".
"I think you'd better go home now, Jeff".
"Jennifer, come on".
He leaned down and sloppily kissed her neck. She could feel him trying to grope her, but he kept missing.
"Jeff, I'm serious. I want to go inside and go to bed, alone. Thank you for dinner".
"You're just another office slut, just like the rest of them. To hell with all of you!", he screamed as he stormed off towards the stairs.
She went inside her apartment, shaken.
On impulse, she picked up the phone and made a phone call. There was no answer since it was after hours, so she left a message and then hung up.
She had just gotten out of the bathtub, when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Jonathan. Can you come meet me?"
"Right now?"
"Yeah, it's pretty important".
"I'm a mess… I just got out of the tub…"
"It's ok. Just put on some sweats or something, and I'll tell you what, I'll do the same. I'll send a car to bring you here so you won't have to take a cab".
"Fine. Give me about 20 minutes".
"You got it".
She quickly fixed her hair and put on some makeup, and then put on some black lounging pants, her silver UGG boots and a green Vassar t-shirt. She grabbed a black hoodie jacket, and threw that on, and was ready right when the driver knocked on her door.
She opened the door.
"Hello?"
"Hi, I'm here to pick up Jennifer Edwards, at the request of a Mr. Jonathan Hart".
"That's me".
She grabbed her purse and keys and they headed out.
20 minutes later, they stopped at his building.
He came around and opened the door for her.
"Take this to the elevator, and there will be a track pad that you hold it in front of. It will take you to Mr. Hart's floor. Have a nice evening, ma'am".
"Thank you".
She headed to the elevator, and followed the instructions.
A few minutes later, she was stepping off the elevator in a hallway. There was only one door, so she knocked on it.
Jonathan opened it.
"Hi, thanks for coming".
"Thanks for the ride. What's the big emergency?"
"Here, let me take your jacket".
"Oh, that's ok. I'm fine".
She followed him down the hall into the living room. It was the blandest room she had ever seen. All the furniture was black. The walls were white, and there was literally not another color other than white or black.
"Here, have a seat".
They sat on the couch.
"So, I'm waiting on word about a business deal. If it goes the way I think, then we will close tomorrow and if it doesn't, then we won't. Either way, I asked for them to call and leave me a message. So, I called into my voicemail to check the messages and there's a message from you saying that you want to be released from your contract and transferred to another city if possible."
"Yes, that's correct".
"Would you mind telling me why?"
"I don't want to get anyone in trouble. And let me start by saying that I think the other person here is going through an emotional crisis of sorts, and that what happened absolutely in no way took place at the office".
"Glad to hear it. What happened?"
"Well, when I got to work yesterday, I went to the bathroom, and I overheard someone talking to someone else about a rumor they heard that this person was involved in. So, then this person asked me to meet them for dinner, and I agreed, and I assumed that they wanted to talk to me about the rumor. And they did, kind of".
"What do you mean, kind of?"
"I mean, they wanted to talk to me about a rumor that they thought I heard and not the one I actually overheard".
Jonathan was confused, but he told her to go on.
"So, this person quashed the rumor that I heard, and then told me the rumor that I hadn't heard. And then I got all mistaken and thought they wanted my advice. So I gave it to them. And it backfired, because they did what I told them to do, to me".
"What did you tell them to do?"
"I told them to be honest. And they were, and now it's going to be awkward when I see the person, and I would rather avoid that".
"So, you want to transfer, completely uproot your life and everything and move to another state because someone was honest with you?"
"I know that sounds strange."
"Oh, it's strange. On a 1-10 scale, it's up there. It's at least a 9".
"I know. But if I told you word for word and action for action what took place, you would understand".
"Ok, so tell me".
She took a deep breath.
"Ok. So, we were at the restaurant and I was advising them to be honest. Then we leave, and get in a cab, and they started flirting with me. I didn't think anything about it, because they had been drinking at the table."
"How much?"
"I personally saw this person drink at least 4 glasses of Chianti."
"Ok, so what next?"
"They insisted on walking me to my door, and I told them I got it. I'm a big girl. I know how a door works, I can manage. And then they shoved me up against a wall, and pinned me against it. They told me to invite them in, that they would literally do anything I wanted. I clarified that I was in fact the person they had feelings for at the office, and they said yes, but that it was more than feelings. Something about a deep internal longing for me and cravings that only I could fill. And then they started kissing my neck and trying to grope me, but they missed. I turned them down again, and they screamed at me that I was the office slut, and to hell with all of us and they left".
"Ok, who is this person?"
"Jeff, my managing editor".
"Do you feel unsafe around him?"
"I haven't, until tonight. And I do honestly think that the biggest portion of this was what he's going through".
"What's he going through?"
"According to him-I haven't seen anything at work about this or heard anything at work about this-he's been dating someone in accounting and she's moved on to someone in sales. So, if that's true, I think that was a very large portion of this, and then the alcohol on top of it, and it all just blew up in his face. And it's not that I'm not attracted to him. He's very attractive, and he's always been very nice to me. But even if I was open to dating him, I'm not willing to move anywhere near as fast as he is. I mean, he's wanting to ride the fastest rollercoaster in the amusement park 8 times in a row, and I'm still trying to work up the courage to ride it a second time".
"Jennifer, you have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't do anything wrong".
"So, are you going to let me transfer?"
"No, I'm not. I'm going to transfer him. Are you sure you're ok?"
"Physically yes".
"Good, glad to hear it".
"Well, I've bothered you enough. I should go".
"You haven't bothered me at all, don't be silly. I was actually sitting here earlier craving some of that pickle stuff you made".
"Do you have pickles, and cream cheese, and dried beef and crackers?"
"No, but I can call and order it".
"2 blocks of cream cheese, one jar of Gherkins pickles, and one jar of dried beef, and one box of Ritz crackers".
He called and placed the order, and they promised him it would be delivered in 20 minutes.
He hung up the phone and looked at her.
"So, did you at least get a nice meal out of this date?"
"It was not a date. And yes, I did".
"Where did he take you?"
"Rigatoni's."
"Nice place".
"Yes, it is. Where are you going to transfer him?"
"Well, the editor at the Boston Globe wants to transfer to New York to be closer to her mother, so I think I'll make an even swap."
"Thank you".
"Just between you and me, the minute I took over as owner of the paper, I was given a file. And in that file were letters that people had written to the previous owner about Jeff and what a womanizer he apparently is. At least 10 women in the accounting and sales department have written that he has groped them, made inappropriate comments and made suggestive comments towards them. But it always happened in an elevator or in a stairwell. I've honestly just been waiting for him to make his next move, and that was going to be it. But since it didn't happen at the office, I'm going to give him one more shot".
"That's very kind of you. Can you just promise me one thing?"
"I'll keep your name out of it".
"Thank you".
"Did anyone give you any flack about the hearing today?"
"No, they didn't. Actually, they were all pretty proud of me".
"They should be, you did a great job".
"Thank you".
Just then, the phone rang. He reached over and picked it up.
"Hello?...Ok, thank you".
"Groceries are here".
They got up and he met them at the door and then brought it into the kitchen.
"Ok, so what do we need? A bowl?"
She smirked at him.
"That would keep it from getting all over the counter".
"Funny".
"A spoon will help with the mixing. And do you have a cutting board and a knife?"
"Sure".
He got it all out while she washed her hands.
She cut the pickles while he opened the jar of beef and the blocks of cream cheese.
"Do you have any kitchen scissors?"
"Kitchen scissors?"
"Yes, kitchen scissors. Ones you only use for cutting food".
He pulled some out of the drawer and handed them to her.
"Thank you".
She cut the beef up in tiny pieces, and then finished dicing the pickles. "How pickly do you want it?"
"How pickly?"
"Yes".
He could barely contain the smile on his face.
"Pickly is not a word".
"Yes, it is. We are talking about pickle dip. Do you want it regular pickly, or extra pickly, or less pickly?"
"Extra pickly will do just fine".
She added almost all the pickles, and then mixed it really well. She picked up another spoon, and spooned some and fed it to him.
"Here, taste".
"It's perfect".
"Great. Now, let this chill in the fridge for about an hour, and then it will be ready".
"Got it".
She started rinsing all the dishes, and then he loaded the dishwasher.
"Thanks for making that".
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it".
When they were finished, he pulled off some paper towels and handed them to her.
"Thanks. Well, I guess I better go. The boss doesn't like it if I'm late in the morning".
"Well, speaking as your boss, promise me you'll still come to work tomorrow?"
"I promise. When were you thinking of moving him?"
"First thing. I'll probably swing by the newsroom at 8 and talk to him".
"Don't".
"Why not?"
"He never gets there before 9:30".
"I see. Ok, well then I guess I'll be there at 9:30. I want to talk to him first thing".
"Is this going to be one of those things where he has two weeks to say goodbye to all of us?"
"Not at all. He will be told that he is to report to the newsroom in Boston at 9 a.m. on Friday".
"I appreciate that".
"If you can just get through tomorrow, I promise that everything will be ok".
"Thank you, I appreciate it".
"Tell me something. How would you describe him as a boss?"
"Fair, not too strict, not too lenient. He obviously plays favorites, but it works for you until you cross him".
"Like how?"
"My article on the Senate. He told me I was trustworthy and that he didn't ever have to worry about what I turned in. When you turn in an article to him, he stamps it with an 'ok' symbol, then sends it to editing and they put it into the layout. He told me that day to stamp it myself and turn it in, so I did. And then the next morning, when it came out, he freaked because he didn't know anything about it, he said. I'm the only one he's ever given carte blanche to stamp their own articles. But now that I've rejected his advances, I'm sure that will never happen again".
"Ok, that's helpful. Perhaps I'll have him go through the management training again, along with the sexual harassment training and the appropriate actions in the workplace training".
"I think that all the women in Boston would appreciate that".
He picked up the phone and called his driver.
"Hi, can you come pick up a friend of mine and take her home please? Oh, I see. Ok, thank you".
He hung up.
"It's too late for the car service, so I'll get you a cab".
"Thank you".
He called the doorman and got her a cab and then they headed downstairs.
Their cab arrived and he opened the door for her and she climbed in.
"Thank you".
He climbed in next to her.
"What are you doing?"
"Making sure you get home ok".
Jennifer couldn't believe how good it felt to be in the presence of a gentleman.