***The next morning***
Jennifer got to work right on time, and immediately got to work. She was working on an article about mental health practices and what provisions needed to be made.
It started snowing pretty good around 11, and she was dreading going home. It would be a miracle if she could get a cab, and a miserable walk home if she couldn't.
She ordered in some soup and a salad from the deli across the street. Just as it was about to be delivered, she got another delivery.
"Hi, I'm looking for Jennifer Edwards".
"That's me".
"Hi. I was asked to deliver this to you, along with this note".
"Thank you".
She took the paper bag from him, and opened it to find her coffee order from a local coffee shop.
Warm up, it's cold outside. Jonathan.
She happily took a sip and sighed.
The Times ended up closing early, so they were all told to leave around 2. She had just bundled up when her phone rang.
"Hello, this is Jennifer Edwards".
"Hi ma'am. This is Deanne, Mr. Hart's secretary. He wanted me to tell you that he sent the car service to take you home, and it should be arriving at the Times within 10 minutes, and will stay there until you can leave. Also, there are some surprises in the back seat for you".
"Oh my gosh, that's wonderful. Is he there, can I speak with him?"
"I'm sorry, he flew back to California this a.m. I'm in California, and I'll be seeing him, can I give him a message?"
"Yes, that would be great. Please tell him that I really appreciate his thoughtfulness and I hope we can talk again soon".
"Yes ma'am. Have a good day".
"Thank you, you too".
She got her things together, and then headed to the lobby.
When she climbed in the backseat, she found 2 boxes labeled "Jennifer".
She opened them and realized that he had gotten her some groceries to get through the snowstorm, along with a new fuzzy blanket and some Italian bubble bath.
The driver helped her with the boxes and carried them inside and set them down on the couch for her.
She thanked him profusely and then started to unpack them.
At the bottom, there was a note that said "Call Bryce and he'll deliver the rest".
She called the number on the note, and he promised to have it to her within an hour.
She had just changed clothes when there was a knock at her door.
She opened it to find Lindsey.
"Hey, come on in".
"So, I'm stranded. My furnace is out and my landlord says it won't be fixed for three days".
"Well, why don't you crash here with me?"
"I was hoping you would say that".
Just as she got settled, there was another knock at the door.
"Hi, I have some groceries for you".
"Yes, thank you so much".
She tipped him and then started putting the groceries away.
"Ok, so chili, or taco soup?"
"Chili".
They chatted while they assembled it, and Jennifer filled her in on everything-Jeff, the mental patient, and Jonathan.
"He has it bad for you".
"You think so?"
"Jennifer, he asked you to dinner, just because. He sent you coffee at the office today, sent his car service to make sure you got home in the snow, sent you groceries, took cabs with you and paid for them so that you didn't have to take them by yourself, walked you to your door, spent the night with you after you were traumatized and according to you, is the best kisser on the planet and gave one to you that made your toes curl. Yeah, I'd say you two are more than friends".
"Well, he lives in California, so unless he moves here or I move there, friends is all we can be".
"Would you be open to it being anything more than friends?"
"I'm not sure. At the end of the day, he's still my boss".
They put everything into the crock pot, and then sat down and watched a movie.
After it was over, they checked the chili, and then started another one. Jennifer started doing some projects that she had wanted to complete, like putting pictures in albums and going through her old magazines.
They had just finished eating when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's me, Jonathan".
"Hi. Thank you so much for the coffee and the groceries and the car service, that was very kind".
"You're welcome. Glad you made it home ok".
"Thanks. Did you make it home ok?"
"Yes, but it sure was cold this morning when I left".
"I bet".
"Listen, I promised that I would pass this along. I'm not telling you what to do or anything, I'm just the messenger. Jack, my pilot, wants to take you to dinner. He asked me if I would give him your number and I said no, because I didn't think it was my place to do that. So, he asked if I would give you his number, and I said yes. He says please call him, he promises to show you a good time and treat you like you deserve".
"Ok, what's his number?"
"424.682.9546".
"Ok, you gave it to me. You're officially off the hook".
"I like the way you think. And by the way, he'll be back in New York in 2 weekends".
"Is he bringing you?"
"Not unless I have a business emergency. I'm supposed to be in London then".
"Oh, I'm so jealous! I love London! My dad spends most of his time there".
"It's a great place. I'll only be there over a long weekend, but it's one of my favorite cities".
They chatted a few more minutes and then she hung up, after promising to talk to him soon.
"So, what did he call about?"
"His pilot wants my number. And when Jonathan wouldn't give it to him, he asked him to give me his number and ask me to call him. So, he was doing that".
"Are you going to call him?"
"Not tonight. Maybe this weekend".
They were just about to head to bed when the phone rang.
"Hello? Yes, she's right here".
She passed the phone to Lindsey, who chatted for a few minutes and then hung up.
"That was my landlord. He got my furnace fixed, but I have to be there because I have to call the fire department if it smells like gas".
"Boo. Well, be careful going home".
"I'll be fine. Thanks for dinner and letting me crash".
"You're welcome here anytime, you know that".
They shared a sweet hug and then Lindsey left, and Jennifer made herself another bowl of chili.
With every bite, she wished Jonathan was there with her.
***A week later***
Jennifer finally called Jack, and they agreed to have dinner the first night he was in town, on Wednesday.
Things at the office were going wonderfully; everyone adored the new editor. She was tough, but fair, and most importantly, she was respectful and she listened.
Thankfully, the city had dug its way out from under the snow, and while it was still cold, it was just cold, and not cold and snowy. Jennifer loved the snow, but only if she could stay home and play in it.
Jack picked her up at 6, and they headed to a hibachi restaurant.
They had a nice time, and Jennifer felt bad, but she didn't feel anything towards him. He was lightyears more of a gentleman this time than he had been in D.C., and she appreciated that. However, you can't make something out of nothing.
He walked her to the door afterwards, and she hugged him and thanked him for a lovely evening.
"You're welcome. I promised Jonathan I would give you this, at the end of the night and have you back here by 10, so here you go".
He put an envelope in her hands and then kissed her cheek and headed out.
She came inside and opened the envelope to find a first-class round-trip ticket to London, and a note.
Come join me. I'll show you all my favorite spots, if you show me yours. And by the way, I cleared it with your boss. Call this number when he hands you this. 212.277.3644.
She squealed and immediately picked up the phone and called the number.
Jonathan answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey! Thanks for the ticket! Of course, I'll come with you".
"Good. Tell me something, did you and Jack have alcohol tonight?"
"No, we did not".
"Ok, so in that case, we will pick you up at midnight and take off right after. So that gives you about two hours to pack, is that enough time?"
"Yes, it is."
"So, I checked the weather, and it's supposed to be cold, rainy, and not snowy in London".
"Great".
"I'll see you at midnight".
"See you then".
She quickly called Lindsey and told her she was going on a work trip, and that she would call her when she got back.
It only took her about an hour to pack her bag.
She had all her things ready when he knocked on her door.
She let him in and gave him the biggest hug.
"You have no idea how happy I am!"
"I figured you would like this".
She quickly packed 3 empty duffle bags into one, and then started packing a carry-on.
"What are the empty bags for?"
"Shopping, of course".
She was in the kitchen trying to find a to-go mug.
"Do you think this will make it past security?"
"We aren't going through security".
"My ticket is first-class".
"Yeah, but that was just how I printed it. We are taking my plane".
"Wonderful".
She quickly made herself some tea, and then packed it to go, and they headed out.
He stopped and picked up 2 pizzas on the way.
"You're eating now?"
"It's a tradition. I always get a pizza to take with me when I fly to London, and when I fly to London, I always fly at night".
"Interesting".
"So, how was your date?"
"It was ok. He was polite, respectful, and definitely more of a gentleman than he was in D.C."
"Do you think you'll go out with him again?"
"No, I'm positive I won't".
"When did he tell you about London?"
"At the end of the date when he walked me to my door".
"Good, glad to hear it".
They got to the airport and boarded the plane.
Jennifer thought it would be awkward seeing Jack, but it wasn't.
She and Jonathan got comfortable, put their seatbelts on, and then he handed her pizza to her.
"You got me a pizza?"
"Of course, I did. I wasn't going to just eat pizza right in front of you".
"I wish everyone was as kind as you".
She opened the pizza box and discovered that he had gotten her a personal pan veggie supreme pizza with cauliflower crust.
She was touched that he remembered.
"You remembered".
"I did. And if you've never had Carliano's, it's the best. I got some of their house dipping sauce. Drizzle some on the pizza, trust me. It's amazing".
He turned on the tv and found them a movie, and they just relaxed and ate pizza.
As soon as they were done eating, Jonathan put their trash in the garbage.
He noticed Jennifer stretching out and trying to get comfortable.
"If you want to go use the bed, you're more than welcome to it".
"I don't want to put you out".
"You won't. We've shared a bed 3 times now. I'm almost positive we can do it again".
She agreed and they headed to the bedroom.
She got comfortable in the bathroom, and then came out and climbed into bed.
He was already under the covers.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You can ask me anything, you know that".
"How do you feel about long-distance relationships?"
"I hate them. There's nothing worse than wanting to be with someone who is so far away you can't get to them".
"I agree. Totally not worth it".
She sat up and started trying to reach the middle of her back.
He reached up and started scratching it for her, and she laid back down and let him continue.
A few minutes later, she was fast asleep.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her all night long.
***Several hours later***
Jonathan woke up about an hour before they landed. He eased out of bed and went and showered and dressed.
Jennifer was just waking up when Jonathan came out of the bathroom.
"Hey, morning."
"Morning".
"Sleep well?"
"Like a rock. How much time do we have before we land?"
"I'll go check".
He came right back about a minute later.
"Jack says 45 minutes".
"Can I take a quick shower?"
"Certainly".
She showered and then dressed and then came out to the cabin.
"I made some fresh coffee. It won't be up to the standards of your almond milk latte, but it's pretty good".
She smirked at him.
He handed her a cup and she took a sip and gave him a thumbs up.
"So, what's the first thing you're going to do in London?"
"Wait for the plane to stop moving".
"Very funny".
"I'll probably find a restaurant to have breakfast in. What about you?"
"I think I want to go see my father, and then I'll probably find breakfast somewhere. What time do you have to go to the office?"
"Not till the late afternoon".
"I reserved us a two-room suite at the Ritz".
"How nice. Let me pay you for that".
"No, no. It's alright".
"Well, then I insist that dinner tonight will be on me".
"Deal".
Jack came over the intercom and told them they were about to land, so they buckled up and prepared for landing.
There was a car waiting for them, and they exited the plane and got into it.
"Ok, let's go see your father".