***Bay Harbor apartments***

***Six Months later***

Jennifer Edwards is getting ready for work. She and Jonathan have a board meeting this morning and then a private meeting to discuss their strategy for an upcoming deal.

For the past six months, they have hung out as friends, and basically have become the best friends the other ever had. He has opened up to her about his life, and she to him about hers. He still wants more, but she still thinks it's a bad idea.

She chooses a short sleeved red wrap dress with a tie at the waist, and some black heels.

She is no longer living in the corporate apartment, she bought an apartment in the same building on the same floor.

She also bought a new Porsche Cayenne SUV, and this weekend, she is finally flying to New York, and renting a truck to bring her stuff out of storage.

She is walking out the door when she gets a text from Jonathan.

"Come to my office early, red. I have something I want to tell you".

She wondered what it was….

***Hart Industries***

Jennifer pulls into the parking garage, grabs her briefcase and her purse, and goes inside.

She gets to her office, and puts her stuff down and boots up her computer.

She knew Jonathan wasn't at the office yet, because his parking spot was empty.

She took her cup to the company kitchen and filled it with ice and water, and went back to her office.

She heard him as soon as he came in.

She headed to his office.

"Hey, you wanted to see me?"

"Hey, come on in. I made us reservations this weekend at Dominick's-and I got us two tickets to the Opera.

"Thanks, but I can't go. I'm going out of town".

"Out of town? Where?"

"New York. I have to get my stuff out of storage, so I am flying there and renting a U-haul and driving it all back".

"Well, you can't do that alone. How about we take my plane, and I will ship your stuff back for you if it won't fit on the plane?"

"That's very generous, thank you".

She grabbed her phone and canceled her plane ticket.

"I have a room at the Hilton right off Broadway on 75th. I will get you a room so that we can stay in the same place".

"Ok, fine".

She called and booked another room.

"I'm sorry about your tickets, but I planned this a few weeks ago".

"That's alright, don't worry about it. Plus, we'll be in New York City, and you can't beat that".

"Thanks again for letting me use the plane".

"Sure, anytime, red".

She walked back to her office.

They had their board meeting, and then she and Jonathan had a strategy meeting that went really well.

At the very end of the day, she was still in the office when he came by.

"Wanna grab dinner?"

"Sure, where?"

"My house. Max is cooking".

"I'll be there at 6".

"See you then".

She gathered her things and headed out. She wanted to go home and change first.

She was in the parking garage heading to her car when she saw Jonathan. He was in his convertible and it wouldn't start.

They tried to jump his car off hers, but it wouldn't work.

"How about I give you a ride home, since I am going there anyway?"

"Perfect".

She unlocked the car and he got in.

"We are stopping at my place, so I can quickly change and then we can go to your place."

"Sounds great".

She pulled up to her apartment and parked.

"Wanna come in? I won't be long, but you can have a beer or something".

"Sure".

She unlocked the door, and got him a beer and then she went to change.

She ended up in distressed skinny jeans, flip flops and a pink t-shirt.

He was sitting on her couch when she came out of her room, and they headed to his house.

They were on the freeway and had about 15 more minutes when she saw something.

She pulled over and he got out. It was a puppy, on the side of the road, just laying there on some carboard. It was malnourished and shaking.

He bundled him up and she grabbed a towel she had in the back and they wrapped him in it. Jonathan held him while she drove. They stopped and she ran inside a grocery store and got him some puppy food, and a collar. They had a dog bed, so she grabbed that and a few toys. She brought it all back to the car, and then they drove on to his house.

***Jonathan's house***

Jonathan had a small house in Bel Air. It was small because it was only 4 bedrooms. He had a 6 car garage out back though, so that made him more like his neighbors.

He had a horseshoe driveway, so Jennifer just pulled up and parked and they went inside. She got the groceries, and he carried the dog.

They took him to the kitchen, and gave him a bath, and then a bowl of food and some water.

"I wonder what your name will be, fella. You are such a cute little guy".

"What about Freeway? We did find him on the Freeway".

Jennifer looked at Freeway.

"Do you like that name?"

He raised his paw at her, as if to say yes.

"Freeway it is".

They took turns holding him all night, and he ate 3 big bowls of food.

Max had made a wonderful stuffed chicken, with wild rice and vegetables. It was wonderful.

After dinner, they headed to his living room, sat on the couch with Freeway.

He leaned over to her and put his arm around her.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, you know that".

"Remember when you first moved here and I took you to dinner, and we had an absolutely wonderful evening, and I told you that I wanted more of an adult relationship and you said you wanted to be just friends?"

"Yes, I remember".

"Have you changed your mind yet?"

"Are you still my boss?"

"I see."

She returned her focus to Freeway.

"Now, who's gonna keep Freeway?"

"I think I should keep him here. Max is here, and he can take him out, and your apartment has carpet, but my house doesn't. You can see him anytime you want though. Anytime you want".

She nodded.

"You hear that boy? You get to live here with Daddy, and Mommy's going to come visit us as much as she wants".

She kept petting his head and giving him kisses.

He fell asleep with his head on her chest.

She and Jonathan stretched out and watched TV while she held him.

They fixed him up a baby pool to live in and put it in the kitchen. Jonathan got some old towels and put them down for him, and Jennifer placed him on a towel and gave him several thousand kisses and then covered him with another blanket. He fell back asleep almost instantly.

"Well, I guess I'd better go. Thanks for a lovely evening and see you tomorrow".

"You don't have to leave. We can do whatever. Night's still young".

"Jonathan, you are my boss, what would people say?"

"I frankly don't care what people say. I am crazy about you, and I have been since the moment I met you. I will do anything for you, you know that. I just think we could be so much better if we stopped friend-zoning each other".

"Jonathan, I have feelings for you too. But I did that once, dating my boss. And it did nothing but left me brokenhearted and crying for 5 months. It was the worst 5 months of my life, and I don't think I can do that again. And the difference is, you and I have a friendship. He and I didn't. I would hate to lose everything with you if that didn't work out".

"I understand that. But the thing is, when I commit, I commit. So, you won't ever lose me and you won't ever lose our friendship, because I won't ever let that happen."

"I just need more time, ok?"

He nodded.

"What time do you want to leave tomorrow?"

"How about 9? I'll pick you up".

"Perfect."

She hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks again for dinner."

"Anytime. Be careful going home".

She made it to the car, and then to the end of his driveway before she burst into tears.

She knew at some point she was going to have to admit it to herself. She wanted him too. She was madly in love with him, and had been since the moment they met. She was just so scared of getting hurt.

***The next morning***

Jennifer got up and got ready. She packed a quick overnight bag, and a small tote bag to carry on with her, and put it by the door. She also had a bag that was heavy and full of packing supplies.

She grabbed a quick breakfast. She had just finished eating when she heard him honk from the driveway.

She struggled to carry it all to the car, and when he saw her struggling, he got out and helped her.

"Morning".

"What's all this?"

"Packing supplies, of course. Plus an overnight bag, and a carry on".

She locked the door and followed him to the car.

They got to the airport on time, after a very awkward ride. She hated that things were awkward between them after their talk the night before. But, she had to be honest with him and tell him.

Their flight took off on time, and they had very little turbulence. She read most of the flight, and he did work.

They were about 30 minutes from landing when he turned to her.

"Can we make a deal?"

"What kind of deal?"

"You give me one night to show you how much I care about you, and if you still don't feel anything, then we can call the whole thing off and I won't bring it up again".

"And do what, go back to being friends? I don't think that's possible".

"Do you honestly think I am going to hurt you?"

"Not on purpose. But I didn't think Bradford Kellington, III would either and he did".

"How did he hurt you?"

"I wanted to get married after 2 years of dating, and he refused to talk about it or think about it. So, I gave him an ultimatum, and he begged me to reconsider, but then I caught him with someone else".

"Well, there isn't anyone else for you to catch me with".

"Jonathan!"

"Ok, all kidding aside. If you haven't changed your mind, then I guess we are just friends".

"Thank you. I happen to think our friendship is amazing".

The plane landed and they got off and he had a car waiting.

She gave the driver the address of her storage unit.

They had about a 40 minute ride.

They got to the storage unit and he had called for a shipping company that he owns to come meet them there.

They spent the next 4 hours deciding what she was keeping and what she wasn't.

She had a very impressive painting collection, and opted to keep those. She had some nice pieces for the living room and the bedroom.

She got rid of an old kitchen table and chairs, her mattress, a bookcase and her couch.

Jonathan arranged for the unwanted items to be donated to a mission around the corner, and they decided to ship the rest. He had a freight company doing business in California anyways, so he was able to ship it for free.

They sent the truck on, and she turned in the key to the unit and paid the balance.

They decided to head to the hotel. The driver took them to their hotel, so they could check in.

She turned to him in the car.

"Thank you so much for helping me, I really appreciate it. I am taking you to dinner tonight, wherever you want to go".

"You don't have to do that".

"Are you kidding? You let me fly on your plane, you let me ship my stuff for free, and you flew all the way here and helped with it. It's the least I can do, and I insist".

He gave in.

***Hilton***

They checked in at the front desk. Their rooms were adjoining, which was convenient.

She took a quick shower and got ready for dinner. She chose to wear a purple spaghetti strap cocktail dress and black heels. She curled her hair this time, and after she had her makeup on, she knocked on the door between their rooms.

He opened it.

"Are you ready?'

"Sure".

He couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Look, I know you said you were paying for dinner, but I am a gentleman. So, let's compromise. You buy dinner and I buy the drinks".

"Ok, that's fair".

They headed to 21, and got a table.

He ordered them some champagne, and a martini for her. They ordered an appetizer also. The waitress brought their drinks, and then they ordered. It was 4 courses, so Jennifer got ravioli, agnolotti, filet mignon and baked Alaska. Jonathan got the crab cake, lobster ravioli, rack of lamb and chocolate soufflé.

They kept on drinking, after they were finished eating. By the end of the night, they had drank 4 bottles of champagne between the two of them, and they were both a little light on their feet.

"Where to now?"

"Back to the hotel. We can order a movie and play a drinking game"

"Sounds good".

They took a cab back to the hotel, and came into her room. She took her heels off and stumbled a bit.

Jonathan called room service and ordered a cocktail cart.

"What's a cocktail cart?"

"It's a cart from room service with all of the ingredients to make any kind of cocktail you like".

He went to his room and took his tie off and changed into track pants and a t-shirt. She changed into yoga pants and a tank top.

"Ok, sailor. What kind of drinking game are we going to play?"

"Beer pong".

They got set up, and were getting drinks ready.

"How did you find the stuff for beer pong?"

"I brought it in my suitcase. Just in case".

"You are so strange, so very, very strange."

She was giggling, which meant she had consumed way too much champagne.

They played about 4 rounds of beer pong, and she lost horribly each time. By the 4th round, she could barely speak without slurring.

She passed out on the bed at a weird angle. He tried to cover her up, and then he passed out right next to her.

They slept till about 9 the next morning.

***The next day***

Jennifer rolled over and groaned. She was incredibly hung over, and had the worst headache.

She sat up and saw that Jonathan was in her bed.

"Oh no…"

She stumbled to the cocktail cart and made herself a bloody mary. She made him one too and set it aside.

She drank the bloody mary, and then hopped in the shower.

When she got out, Jonathan was awake.

"What time are we leaving, sailor?"

"As soon as we can get to the airport. How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit by a truck".

"Same".

"Why don't we get some breakfast and then head to the airport?"

"Sounds like a plan".

He drank his Bloody Mary, and then headed to his room to change and pack up.

She yelled to him that she would meet him in the lobby. She had a couple water bottles in her tote bag. She poured one of them out, and made herself another bloody Mary and poured it into the bottle, and threw that into her bag. She took her stuff downstairs, and checked out, and settled up with the hotel.

She was sitting in the lobby sipping the bloody Mary she had made in the room. As soon as he came down, she downed the rest of it, and put the glass on the coffee table.

He called for a car service and they only had to wait about 10 minutes.

They headed to breakfast at a little diner near the airport, and after they were done eating, they headed straight to the tarmac and loaded Jonathan's plane. She opened the Bloody Mary water bottle she had and shared it with him.

"Thanks".

They both slept on the plane the whole way there. Jennifer woke up as they were landing.

She woke Jonathan up and they took his car back to her place. He helped her with her bags and she invited him to hang out for a bit.

She was in the kitchen making them a snack, and he noticed that her back was hurting, and she was holding it funny.

"Here, let me".

He came up behind her and gave her an awesome back rub that really got the kinks out.

After he was done, she turned and hugged him.

"What would I do without a friend like you? You hire me to work for you 30 seconds after we meet, you fly me across the country, you fly me back and ship my stuff, and you teach me to play beer pong, and then give me a backrub after I pull a muscle playing it."

"Just imagine if I was your boyfriend, and not your best friend".

"Jonathan, we have been all through this".

"I know. And no matter what, I keep coming back to the same conclusion".

"Do you want me to fake being happy? I am scared that I am going to get hurt, and I just don't think it's wise for us to date right now".

"I have a solution to all of this".

"I'd love to hear it".

"You find a new job and then I am not your boss anymore".

"Who is going to pay me as much as you?"

"Probably nobody. But money isn't everything".

"No it's not, but it helps. And if we were to break up, I would lose you as a friend too".

He sighed. "Well, the offer is still on the table. Give me one night to romance you the way you deserve, and then we will decide".

"Let me sleep on it, and I will let you know tomorrow".

"I promise you, I would never hurt you. Just remember that".

He kissed her cheek, and then he left.

She closed the door behind him, more confused than ever.

***Monday***

Jonathan sent her pictures of Freeway as soon as he got home.

Jennifer was looking at them in the morning before she went to work.

She pulled into the parking garage and saw that he was already there.

She saw them as soon as she stepped off the elevator. There on her desk, in a big vase- 24 dozen roses. All different colors. Bells of Ireland, purple heather, and some wild violets rounded out the bouquet.

She went over and smelled them and then found the card.

"Thank you for a lovely weekend".

She smiled, and then went to his office for the meeting.

He was standing by the window, staring at the view.

She came up behind him and put her hands on his back.

"Thank you for the flowers".

He leaned towards her.

"You're welcome, Red".

He pulled out his phone and showed her videos of the puppy he had taken last night.

She saw in the video how he was holding Freeway and singing to him and playing with him. Something stirred in her that she hadn't allowed herself to feel before.

She suddenly knew what the answer to his proposal was going to be.

"Jonathan?"

He turned to look at her.

Their eyes met.

"Yes".