***Opening Day***
Jennifer and Jonathan are at home getting ready for Opening night.
Jennifer was going to wear a new gown she had bought just for this occasion- a gorgeous black one shoulder gown. The gown was textured and had a chiffon shoulder sweep. It looked amazing on her.
Jonathan was ready to go, and Jennifer was taking too long getting her hair done. He was getting kind of snippy with her. As a result, they weren't as lovey dovey while they were getting ready as they usually are.
Jonathan went to pull the car around, while Jennifer went to the study and checked on something. Just as she suspected. It was going to play big time into her secret project.
Because they were being snippy with each other, it was a quiet ride to the opening.
They were about ½ way there, when Jonathan pulled into the parking lot of the bank.
"We have to go in here and get the money".
She nodded.
He came around and opened her door and helped her out.
"You look absolutely gorgeous, darling. The extra time was worth it".
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Thank you".
They went inside the bank, and got the money, and a few minutes later, brought it to the car.
There was $100,000 in the pouches. They decided to tell Lauren it was 120,000.
They pulled up to the gallery and parked.
***HartStone Gallery***
Jonathan and Jennifer walked in and headed to the office. Sienna wasn't there yet, and Lauren had just arrived.
"Lauren, we brought some extra cash today to have on hand. I'm just going to put it in the vault."
"That's a lot of cash. Do you think we will need that much?"
"You would be surprised how fast $120 grand goes".
Jonathan put it in the safe and then locked it. Only he, Jennifer and Lauren had the combination.
From then on, things were happening at a very frantic pace. The caterers were setting up the food tables, the wait staff was being trained, the band was setting up.
Sienna was in charge of checking people in who had bought tickets. Most of the Hart Industries people were coming, as were lots of their friends in the neighborhood. All 6 local papers had advertised this opening, so there would lots of people they didn't know there as well.
The event was officially starting at 6. At 6:30, Jonathan and Jennifer took the stage.
They were set up just feet away from the secret project. It took up one whole wall of the room they were in.
"My wife and I would like to thank all of you for coming out tonight. We really appreciate it. Art is something I dabbled in before I met Jennifer, and she had quite a collection going when we met, and we have amassed a nice collection during our marriage, so it was only a matter of time before Hart Industries purchased an art gallery. And now we have two. One in Italy, and one here. We are dedicated to putting a spotlight on those who need a helping hand. Jennifer and I are always very charitable, because I was raised in an orphanage and someone helped me out, and because she, well, she just has the best heart out of everyone."
She smiled at him and kissed him.
"We want to help those who need a helping hand, and we are going to do that by showcasing artists who could benefit from selling a painting or two. Every month, we will have a new artist. So, tonight, I encourage you to take a look around, the whole gallery is open. Have a drink, eat some food, have a good time. Buy a painting if you find one you can't live without. The artists whose works are on display are here, and available to talk to anyone. And of course, tonight cannot be possible without us thanking our staff. Lauren Pleasant has ran the gallery since we purchased it. Sienna Overstreet has been an invaluable asset- she's a receptionist, a decorator, she's really done a little bit of everything. And Patrick Watson, he's been our resident heavy lifter, and handyman. Thank you doesn't seem to cover it, we are so grateful that you three helped us with this. Now, before the music plays, my beautiful wife is going to announce her secret project".
Everyone was clapping and Jennifer took the microphone from Jonathan.
"As my husband just told you, he was raised in an orphanage and he had someone who helped him out, just like we are trying to do for others. The idea for this project came to me while I was looking for pieces in our home collection to display. For those of you who know us well, you know that we are missing someone who is very close to us. We miss him every day. He is special to us because he is responsible for helping shape my husband into the wonderful man that he is, and he took such great care of us. He created a rose and named it after me, and he was more than a friend to us, he was family. We trusted him with absolutely every facet and detail of our lives. Today would have been his birthday, so it's only fitting that we honor him this way, today and always. Patrick, could you please remove the barrier."
Patrick started pulling the barrier away.
"Everyone, I present to you, and especially to Jonathan- the Max Brennan project. This is a collection of pictures of him, plus some of the works of art he collected over the years".
Jonathan was speechless. He was pinching the bridge of his nose, which he always did when he was emotional.
He took her hand and they walked over there and looked at it together.
Everyone was clapping, and the band started playing.
On the outside edges were some of the paintings he had collected. On the inside were their favorite pictures of him with them, and by themselves. In the very center was a picture of him, in a shadow box, with an eternal flame on the inside and a hardened preserved Jennifer Hart rose laying at the bottom of the shadow box.
He turned towards her.
"You are something else. This is wonderful". He kissed her.
"I am glad you are happy with it. And I think he would be too".
"He would be telling us this wasn't necessary. But we both know that it is".
They went and got some champagne then, and something to eat. After they were done eating, they headed to the dance floor and danced several dances. Everyone was watching them, like always. They had a magic that was evident when they danced.
Jennifer looked over and saw that Sienna and Patrick were dancing.
"Aww…they are so cute together. He's such a nice young man. He will treat her right".
"Yes, I agree".
After they were done dancing, Jennifer went to the bathroom and Jonathan went to get some more champagne. Jennifer came out of the bathroom and he was dancing with Lauren.
Jennifer was mingling with people, and noticed that Jonathan wasn't looking so well.
She excused herself and went to him.
"Darling, are you alright?"
"My head is hurting and the room is spinning but I'm fine".
"Why don't you go lie down in the office?"
Just then, Sienna came over.
"Mrs. Hart, there's someone who wants to talk to you about having a showing".
"Mrs. Hart, I can take Jonathan to the office, if you need to go deal with that".
"Thank you, Lauren".
Lauren helped Jonathan to the back room. Jennifer went to help Sienna.
They booked a few showings and sold a few paintings. Jennifer stuck around at the desk with Sienna because she had a line going.
They ran out of receipt paper, so Sienna went to grab some more.
Jennifer was giving people hand written receipts. When Sienna didn't come back right away, Jennifer grabbed Lauren.
"Fill in for me here, I am going to go see what's keeping Sienna".
Jennifer walked in the office, and saw Jonathan lying on the couch. Sienna was lying on top of him. Sienna's dress was off, and she was only wearing a bra and underwear. Jonathan's dress shirt was unbuttoned and his pants were unzipped. There were lip prints all over his face and neck.
Jennifer grabbed some receipt tape and several receipt books and took them to Lauren. She grabbed one of the accountants from the office, begged her to help Lauren out at the desk and went back to the office.
They were still passed out.
Jennifer had a hunch that this was supposed to look like something that it wasn't.
She went to the safe, and opened it. Sure enough, there was about #40,000 missing from the pouches they had brought in earlier.
She went to the door and locked it, and then went to the desk and opened the bottom drawer. She could see the money peeking out of the top of Lauren's purse.
Jennifer grabbed the phone and called the police, and requested an ambulance.
She managed to roll Sienna off Jonathan, and onto the loveseat chair next to the couch.
She slipped her dress over her head, and then focused on trying to wake Jonathan up.
She was shaking him and talking to him. "Darling, wake up….darling….come on, wake up".
Lauren knocked on the door, and Jennifer got up and opened it, and the police were there.
"Thank you Lauren".
She explained what had happened to the police.
"Please, don't let Lauren leave the building".
One of the officers went and stood by the door, and the other remained with Jennifer and Jonathan in the office.
The EMT's came back, and started giving Sienna oxygen to wake her up.
She woke up pretty quickly, and then started crying. Jennifer was trying to comfort her.
"It's alright. I think you were hit on the head, sweetie. Let the paramedics help you".
Sienna nodded.
The police were asking her what she remembered.
"All I remember is I came in here and Lauren was in the safe. And I grabbed the receipt paper and then it all goes black".
The paramedics gave Jonathan some oxygen and he woke up as well.
"Darling…how do you feel?"
"Dizzy. My head hurts."
"You were passed out here on the couch".
They started asking him some questions and he indicated that he had finished a glass of champagne when he started feeling like this.
"Mr. Hart, we need to transport you to the hospital, in case you were drugged."
He nodded.
Jennifer agreed to stay behind and close up the gallery and then come join him at the hospital.
She reassured him several times that she would be ok, and then she kissed him a few times.
The paramedics pulled the ambulance around to the back, and used the loading dock to get him on a stretcher and take him to Community hospital.
"I love you, Jonathan Charles. I will see you soon".
She kissed him and they loaded him into the ambulance.
She went back to the office and explained to the police that she and her husband suspected Lauren of embezzling. She showed them the money in her purse, in the desk, and she opened the safe for them to see the pouches.
"We picked up $100,000 at the bank today. We told her it was 120. We figured she would skim some off the top, after the discrepancy earlier this week. But she didn't just skim off the top, she went deeper and took about $40000."
They took a report and agreed to stay behind and question her.
Jennifer went to the front and saw that people were leaving.
Lauren and Isabella, the accountant were almost finished ringing people up.
"Ladies when you are finished, can you please join us in the office".
They both nodded.
Jennifer went back to the office, and waited.
About 10 minutes later, the ladies came in with the cash box and the receipts.
Lauren was all smiles.
"What a great night! It was so fun and entertaining".
Jennifer looked at her dead on.
"Well, get ready for the second act. Something tells me you won't enjoy it".