Jonathan got home at 5:30, and found Jennifer in the kitchen, setting the table.
"Hi darling".
"Hi handsome". She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.
"Dinner is almost ready".
"Smells wonderful."
"I hope you'll like it. I kind of mixed two recipes together".
"I'm sure I'll love it. How about a glass of wine?"
"That sounds lovely".
He walked over to the oven and took a peek.
"What are we having?"
"Well, I took my mom's recipe for spaghetti and meatballs and combined it with her lasagna recipe, so basically, we are having baked spaghetti and meatballs with momma's sauce".
"Sounds great".
He poured them both some Valpolicella, and turned on some soft music.
They started dancing right there in the kitchen, while they were waiting for the timer to go off.
"I love nights like this with you".
"I'll take any night with you".
She leaned up and kissed him, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"How did your meetings go this afternoon?"
"Well, actually. I think we are close to a merger with Pacific Coast Electronics".
"That's wonderful".
She gave him another long kiss and ran her fingers through his hair.
Just as he was deepening their kiss, the phone rang.
She leaned against his chest, and he finally stepped over and picked up the phone.
"Hello? Hi...I see…sure, that sounds great. We'll see you then".
He hung up the phone and returned to Jennifer.
"Susan is having dinner party Thursday night. She wants us to go and she wants us to bring an appetizer".
"Sounds fun".
The timer went off, so she got their dinner out of the oven, and made their plates. He helped her as much as he could, and they sat down to eat.
They had a lovely dinner, and then did the dishes together.
After they were finished, she turned to him.
"I'm going to go put on something more comfortable. Why don't you make us some cocktails?"
"Sounds wonderful".
She headed to the bedroom and came out a few minutes later in her nightgown and robe. He had poured them each a cocktail and was waiting for her on the couch.
They snuggled for a bit and sipped their cocktails.
They headed to bed about an hour or so later.
Jennifer snuggled up to Jonathan's chest when he climbed in bed. They watched a game for a bit and then turned off the tv.
He made love to her for a little bit, and then embraced her.
She was quiet, and he could tell something was wrong.
"Sweetheart, are you ok?"
"I suppose. I just feel so….unfulfilled. I need to make some changes in my life, Jonathan".
He reached over and turned on the light.
"What do you mean?"
She sat up on her elbow and looked at him.
"I mean, I moved here when I quit my job and I haven't done anything to replace it. And during the day, I'm bored out of my mind, Jonathan. I ordered a computer today, and I want to start writing again, but I have nobody to write for. And I've put in several applications, but they all say "Sorry, but we don't think you're right for the position". And I can't put my finger on it, but I just know that somehow, this either has something to do with Elliott or me testifying before the Senate. I'm not sure which, but I'm going crazy".
"Going crazy how? Are you thinking of moving back home?"
"No, nothing like that. I told you, I'm unfulfilled creatively. I have all this crazy energy that I don't know what to do with".
"Have you ever considered writing for yourself?"
"You mean freelance? I would love to do that. It would mean that I would have to either rent an office or set one up here at home, but I would be in charge of my own stories and all of that. I love that idea".
"As it turns out, the wife of one of my executives is a freelance editor. I can set up a meeting with her if you want".
"I want, Mr. H. I want".
"I'll make some calls tomorrow".
"I would need at least a week to get my resume together and get a few writing samples. And I think I need to drive back to San Diego to bring some more things here".
"I tell you what. Let's do that, this weekend, together. And when you and I get back here and you are ready, then I'll set up the meeting".
"I like that".
"I just have one question. It's strange to me that you were fine all evening and then we have sex and now you're thinking about this".
"Jonathan, I love you with all my heart, you know that. And I love our life together, this has nothing to do with you and me, I promise. If it did, I wouldn't be sleeping with you, I assure you".
He stretched out beside her and wrapped her up in a hug.
"If you want to come work for me at the office…"
"That's not a good idea".
"You're right. I wouldn't be able to concentrate".
"Neither would I".
"But…I do want you to come and shadow me for a day or two at some point".
"Why?"
"Well, if something ever happened to me, I want you to take it over and in order to do that, you need to know how to do the things I do".
"No, Jonathan. We are not talking about this".
"Jennifer-"
"You dying is an off-limits topic for me, ok?"
"I understand that. I'm just trying to prepare ahead".
"Are you sick? Do you feel ok? Is there something you're not telling me?"
"I'm fine, honest. I'm just thinking ahead. That's all".
"Thinking ahead is great. Talking about you dying is not".
"Darling-"
"No, Jonathan. I'm not talking about you dying".
"Ok, I'm sorry. We will talk about it later".
She glared at him.
"NO, we won't!"
In a flash, she was up and out of the bed, and headed for the bathroom.
She came out a few minutes later with her nightgown on, and climbed into bed and rolled away from him.
"Can we talk about this now?"
"Goodnight, Jonathan".
He waited till she was asleep, and then leaned over and kissed her head.
"Goodnight, I love you".
He wrapped his arms around her and fell asleep next to her.
***The next morning***
Jennifer got up early and quietly got ready.
She left a note on the counter downstairs that she was going for a run and would be back later.
She came in just as Jonathan was about to head to the office.
"There you are, I was worried about you".
"I'm fine. I just went for a run".
"How far did you go?"
"About 10 miles, I think".
She quickly drank a large glass of water, and then grabbed a banana.
Jonathan came over to the sink next to her and put his dishes in and then kissed the side of her face.
"I'm glad I got to see you before I left".
She finished her banana and put the peel in the trash.
Jonathan wrapped his arms around her and hugged her for a minute.
"I love you, I'll be home as soon as I can".
"I love you too".
She gave him a kiss and then headed to shower while he headed to the office.
About an hour later, there was a delivery of flowers for her. All the flowers were purple, with one perfect hot pink rose in the middle. Jennifer loved it, and thought it was absolutely gorgeous.
She dug for the card and opened it.
I love you, and I hope we have many, many years ahead of us-lunch today? Call Deanne-Jonathan.
She picked up the phone and called his office. Deanne answered.
"Hart Industries, how can I help you?"
"Hi Deanne. It's Jennifer. Can you please tell Jonathan yes to his lunch offer?"
"Hi Miss Edwards. Mr. Hart says come to the office at 11:30 and he will take care of the rest".
"Thank you".
***Hart Industries***
Jennifer arrived at Hart Industries a few minutes early and parked right next to Jonathan.
She took the elevator to his floor and headed towards his office.
"Hi Deanne, how are you?"
"HI Miss Edwards, I'm well, thank you. You can go on in, Mr. Hart is expecting you".
"Thank you".
She opened the door to his office, and found him on the phone.
He stood up and motioned for her to come to him and held his arm out to her.
"Ok Dave, I trust you. Just do me a favor, can you send me a copy of the report from the appraiser? Thank you".
He hung up the phone and turned to her.
"Hi beautiful".
"Hi handsome".
He gave her a few kisses.
"Thank you for my beautiful flowers".
"You're welcome".
He took her hand and led her to the couch. She sat next to him.
"I had Deanne order us a spread from The Bistro".
"Sounds yummy".
He took her hands and kissed her fingers.
"Darling, everything I do is with you in mind, whether it's to protect you, or provide for you, or just to make you happy. I wasn't trying to upset you last night, when I brought up leaving the company to you. I am trying to protect you, and the reality is, we don't know how long we have here, and I want to make sure that you are taken care of and provided for, after I'm gone as well as while I'm here. That's all I'm trying to do, honest".
"I appreciate that. I just can't think about a time when you aren't here, Jonathan. You mean so much to me, and I refuse to accept that we won't go together or that one of us will ever have to live without the other".
"At some point we are going to have to make out a will or some kind of formal legal document to address this".
"Jonathan, you and I aren't married. Can we leave each other our stuff even if we just live together for the rest of our lives?"
"I think so. But I tell you what, I'll ask my legal team and find out".
"Good idea".
"Do you want to get married?"
"I would marry you. But I don't necessarily need to be married. And I think our relationship would survive either way. What about you, what do you want?"
"As long as I have you, and I know that you will be protected and taken care of and provided for, I'm fine either way, really".
"Ok, so I propose that we figure out how we want our estate handled and get it set up and then we don't have to talk about it again. I really don't like thinking about a time where you and I won't be together".
"I like that idea".
She looked at him incredulously.
"I meant us talking about it and figuring it out, not us not being together".
"Oh. Good".
"So, you being upset with me last night, is that why you went running this morning?"
"Not entirely. I love to run, and I feel like I can get a clear head and I can most of the time get creatively inspired when I go running. You can go running with me next time if you want".
"I hate running".
"Never mind."
"What time did you leave this morning?"
"Before the sun came up, around 6".
"Want me to get you a treadmill for the house?"
"Sure, but I'm still going to run outside. Nothing beats fresh air. But I can use it on rainy days or something".
"Yeah, you could".
"So, this weekend we are going to San Diego?"
"Yeah, we can make a weekend of it. Go down Friday, come home Sunday".
"I'd like that. We'll have to eat out though, as there are absolutely zero groceries in my townhouse".
"That's fine with me".
She linked her arm through his.
"How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?"
"I don't know, because I'm the lucky one to have you".
He leaned over and kissed her a few times.
Deanne brought their lunch in, and then went and got them drinks from the break room.
They had a lovely romantic lunch, and then Jennifer left, promising to see him when he got home.
"I love you".
"I love you too".
She gave him a few kisses and then headed out.
***Jonathan's house***
Jennifer arrived home and came inside.
"Hi Miss Edwards. There were a couple of deliveries for you. I put them on the bar".
"Thanks, Max".
She headed to the bar and started looking at her deliveries.
Her computer had arrived, and so had some clothes she had ordered.
The final one was a flat, brown envelope. She opened it, and pulled out a stack of papers.
He supposedly loves you. If that's so, why did he buy life insurance for me? Smartest thing you can do now is walk away.
Jennifer moved the note aside and saw a policy that indicated that Jonathan had bought Fallon a life insurance policy for 400,000 dollars.
She was shocked, but she figured there was something else going on.
She went to the bedroom and closed the door and called his office.
"Hi Deanne, can I speak to Jonathan? Tell him it's important, please".
"Certainly, ma'am. One moment".
He came on the line a few seconds later.
"Hey darling."
"Hi. There was a delivery when I got home. Did you buy Fallon a life insurance policy?"
"What? Absolutely not!"
"Well, then she must have done it in your name. it's for 400,000 dollars. And she enclosed the policy in the envelope along with a nasty note."
"What's the company?"
"Price Mutual".
"I'll have Owen call them and straighten it out. I promise you, I didn't buy her anything. Darling, my meeting is here so I have to go".
"Jonathan, this is important!"
"And so is this meeting. I promise you, Owen will straighten it out. I love you".
"I love you too".
She hung up the phone and went and set up her computer.
An hour later, there was another delivery with Jennifer's name on it.
She signed for it, and brought it inside.
It was a box with a heavy picture frame inside. Inside the frame was a picture of Jonathan and Jennifer smashed to pieces.
She put it on their bed and then got back to work.
At 4 p.m., there was another delivery.
Again, she signed for it and brought it in.
It was another big box, addressed to Jennifer.
She opened it and found a wedding dress. She pulled it out to look at it and realized it was covered in a red liquid appearing to be blood.
There was a note pinned to the back of the dress.
Is he really worth it? Just let me have him, and you can avoid all of this unhappiness.
Jennifer grew very scared.
"Max? Max, can you do me a favor?"
"Sure, Miss Edwards. What is it?"
"Can you call Jonathan's police buddy, please and have him come over?"
"Sure".
"Thank you".
***An hour later***
Jonathan was driving home, listening to the radio as he drove.
He turned on to his street, in his own little world, headed towards the house.
As soon as he recognized the police car out front, he started to have a panic attack, and couldn't get inside the house fast enough.
He parked at the end of the driveway and ran inside.
"Darling, are you ok? Max, you ok?"
"In here, Mr. H."
He came into the living room to find Jennifer, Max, and his friend Herschel sitting on the couch.
"What's going on?"
"It's very simple, Jonathan. Either we press charges against Fallon and see them through, or I'm leaving you and moving out. Your choice".