***Chapter 3***
***Stewart's dinner party***
Jennifer pulled up and parked. She didn't see Jonathan's car there yet.
She went inside and was greeted by Meredith Stewart.
"Hello Jennifer, you look sensational! So glad you could make it!"
"Thank you".
"Is Jonathan with you?"
"No, but he should be along anytime now".
"Very well. Food tables are open, find a seat wherever you like, and I hope you enjoy yourself".
"Thank you, Meredith."
Jennifer went and got a glass of wine at the bar, and mingled with the ladies some. Everyone was asking where Jonathan was.
"He had to go to the office for a little bit, he should be here soon".
She went and got a plate, and then purposely chose a seat at the very back of the room, where she was practically hidden by a big fake tree. She wanted to be able to watch Jonathan when he came in and see if he even looked for her.
She tried to save him a seat next to her, but someone took it and she didn't want to be rude.
If he was interested in sitting with her, then she would just get up and go to him. No big deal.
Jennifer ate and chatted with the people at her table. An hour after the party started, he still wasn't there.
They did the announcements and thanked everyone for coming. Jennifer looked around the room and saw Teresa Owens sitting at the back.
She noticed that Teresa wasn't wearing her wedding rings. Trouble in paradise, perhaps?
She noticed him the minute he came in. He looked around a little bit, and then accepted a drink from the waitress.
"The dance floor is now open, so please enjoy yourselves and thanks for coming".
Everyone got up and started moving around. Jennifer watched as Teresa went over to Jonathan, and started talking to him.
She leaned in close to his ear, and whispered something. He smiled and nodded, and then she took his hand.
They walked right past Jennifer, and onto the dance floor. Jennifer watched them for a couple seconds, and then got up and walked towards the door. She turned around to see if he had noticed, and saw that he hadn't.
She opened the door, and left.
She ran to the car, not even noticing that she had tears running down her face.
Jonathan and Teresa finished their dance and he immediately started looking for Jennifer. He went to bedroom where everyone was in line for the bathroom but didn't see her. He went to the kitchen and the dining room where the food was set up and didn't see her. He found Meredith and asked her if Jennifer had been there.
"Yes, I spoke to her when she came in. And she was sitting at that table when I made the announcement that the dance floor was open. Have you looked in all of the rooms?"
"Yes, I can't find her anywhere".
"What car is she in tonight?"
"White Porsche Cayenne".
"I will ask the security guy if he saw her. Hang on, I'll be right back".
Jonathan mentally replayed the evening's events. He had gotten the call at home that he had to go to the office to meet someone. He got there and they didn't show. He came to the party, and Teresa came in and asked him if he would share a dance with her, as parties like this made her lonely. He said sure, and she pulled him to the dance floor. He didn't get a chance to explain that he hadn't meant right then, but rather, at some point in the evening. As soon as the dance was over, he had started looking for Jennifer. So, if she had seen him, then she was upset and left. The security guy could confirm if her car was still there.
Meredith came back to him.
"Russell, our security guard confirmed that he saw her leave about 15 minutes ago. Please take her some leftovers for me. And thanks for coming Jonathan".
"Thank you, Meredith".
He picked up two leftovers boxes and took them to the car and headed to Willow Pond.
***Willow Pond***
Jonathan pulled up and parked. He didn't see her Porsche there. She was pretty mad if she hadn't gone home.
He went inside and put the boxes in the fridge. He came back to the foyer. That's when he saw the note and the pictures she had opened earlier. He sighed.
She was upset.
On a hunch, he called the beach house. No answer.
He went upstairs and changed into jeans and a t-shirt, and drove out to the beach house. Her car wasn't there. He went inside and left her a note that he was worried about her and to call her, and then he kept driving looking for her at the usual places. He was determined to find her and straighten this out.
***Jennifer***
Jennifer was sitting on the top deck of the Hart Industries parking garage. It had the best view of the lights of the city. She knew she could come up here and nobody would see her. Plus, she overheard Teresa and Harold talking at a party a long time ago about going up there and parking. If Teresa and Jonathan were going to be here, she wanted him to see her.
He had never before given her a reason to be suspicious. She wasn't a suspicious person by nature. However, this was like a puzzle, and when you put the pieces together, it was beginning to show a picture that was breaking her heart.
She sat there for an hour or two, and then decided to head back to the beach house.
***Beach house***
She came inside and found Jonathan's note. She put it to the side and decided she wasn't in the mood to talk to him just yet.
She kicked her shoes off, and then went upstairs to change clothes. She had just about fallen asleep when the phone rang. She figured it was Jonathan, so she didn't pick it up right away. Finally on the 5th ring, she picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Darling, we need to talk about this".
"No, not right now."
"Jennifer, be reasonable".
"I am being reasonable. I said no, not right now. I didn't say never".
"Jennifer, this isn't what you think."
"What I think, is that I said I didn't want to talk about it."
"Are you ok, can you at least tell me that?"
"I'm fine".
"I love you, Red".
"Goodnight, Jonathan Charles".
She hung up the phone and went to sleep.
***Sunday***
Jennifer was still at the beach house. She hadn't heard from Jonathan since their phone call the night before.
She was sitting out on the terrace deciding what she wanted to do. She could see a storm coming, so she decided to go watch movies on the couch and just zone out for the day.
She found a channel that played The Young and the Restless from the whole week, and got caught up. She was excited to see that the actress who played Hayley was back. In real life, she had a baby and had taken some time off. On the show, the character had gone on a trip around the world.
When her show was over, she changed the channel to a local station.
There was a breaking news alert.
"Police are about to hold a press conference regarding the death of Stacy Tipton. According to authorities, Brent Tipton, Stacy's husband received some photos in the mail yesterday that show his wife before she was found dead in her hotel room. She is with a man who has a mask on. The man that authorities were looking for earlier, Kenneth Masterson, has been cleared and is no longer a suspect in this case. Police are about to tell us who they suspect did this, and who they are looking for".
She listened on and off, and then saw Lt. Grey approach the microphone.
"We are looking for anyone who spent any time with Stacy that day to please come talk to us. What you think is unimportant might actually end up being the break in the case that we need".
She turned the TV off, and went to take a shower and get dressed. She ordered herself lunch from La Scala, and sat back down on the couch and decided to find a movie to watch.
She heard the knock at the door and jumped up.
"I'm coming, hang on please".
She grabbed her purse and got her wallet out, and then opened the door.
Jonathan was standing there with La Scala in his hand.
"Hi. Come on in".
"Hi. Brought you lunch".
"Did you pay the delivery guy, or do I need to run it out to him?"
"What delivery guy?"
"I ordered La Scala to be delivered".
"Oh. I went and picked this up and brought it to you. I didn't see a delivery guy".
"Oh. Well, thank you".
She grabbed the phone and called and canceled the delivery.
She hung up and turned around and saw that Jonathan had gotten out two plates and was getting everything ready.
She walked over and got them both a glass of water.
"You didn't have to do this, you know".
"I know. I wanted to".
She didn't know what to say. There was a heavy feel of awkwardness in the air.
"Did you see the news conference?"
"No, what was it about?"
"Stacy Tipton. Brent got photos in the mail and they want the person who is in the photos with her to come forward."
"Oh."
They sat down and ate, and barely talked at all. After they were done, she did the dishes and he took out the trash.
He came back in, and found her on the couch, and went and sat by her.
"Can we talk about this now?"
She nodded.
"It isn't what you think?"
"How do you know what I think?"
"Because I know you".
"Ok, so tell me what I think".
"I am not having an affair".
"Someone obviously wants me to think that you are".
"Well, I'm not".
"Let's look at the facts. First, I get stood up for lunch by you. So, I get in the car, head to your office to see what the hold up was, and then I see you and Teresa Owens coming out of L'Orangerie, yet you had clearly told me to meet you at the Bistro. Then I go home, and you come home and I made dinner. And when I go to the study to tell you that it's ready, you are on the phone and I hear you saying that you enjoyed the afternoon and that you couldn't wait to do it again and hopefully next time would be longer and more private. Then yesterday, the pictures came, and then I had to go to the dinner party without you, and you didn't even look for me when you came in. You just headed straight to the dance floor with her. Now, would you like to tell me how you aren't having an affair again? Jonathan, you know I am not a suspicious person, but a big reason why I am not is because you haven't ever given me a reason to be".
"Jennifer, I told you I couldn't have lunch with you that day because I couldn't have lunch with you. I had a meeting that was during lunch".
"You found time to have lunch with Teresa".
"Yes, because she and Harold set up the meeting and didn't tell me. His arraignment was the day before and I suspect they were going to ask me to hire him back on at the company. However, he's on an ankle monitor and so she was the only one who showed up".
"Why didn't you call me?"
"Because it was just a business meeting. We talked about the case, and why he wasn't allowed back at the company".
"Would you like to explain the phone call?"
"I had a 2 p.m. golf game. It was supposed to be 9 holes, but it got shortened to 3 because they were doing maintenance on the golf course. And the course was extremely crowded. It was impossible to talk business there because everyone would overhear us. So, I was telling my business associate, Ryan Goldberg, that I enjoyed it, but next time I hope it was longer and more private so that we could talk".
"I see. And what about the pictures?"
"I have no idea who sent the pictures. I didn't even know they were being taken."
"I didn't mean where they came from. I meant what was happening in the pictures. Why were you leaning in so close to her?"
"Because she was whispering and saying that she couldn't talk and I was trying to hear her".
"I see. And I suppose she needed you to dance with her last night, as well?"
"She told me that you asked her to dance with me while you were in the bathroom and that you were going to come cut in as soon as you got back to the dance floor".
"I never spoke to her last night. I haven't spoken to her since Wednesday".
He picked up her hand and laced his fingers through hers. She didn't fight it.
"What happened after your dance?"
"She went and got in line for the bathroom and I walked all around looking for you. And she came out and hung on me and tried to keep getting me to dance with her again until I finally had to just leave her while she went to get a plate. And I drove all around looking for you".
"I went to a secret spot and then I came here".
"What's the secret spot?"
"Top of the parking garage at Hart Industries".
"Why there?"
"Best views of the city are up there. Plus, Teresa Owens told me at a party a long time ago that she and Harold go up there and park a lot, and I figured if you were going to go somewhere with her, somewhere more private where you could stay for longer, that you might go there".
"I didn't go anywhere with her, darling".
"One of the pictures clearly shows you giving her a ride in your car somewhere, after lunch".
"I gave her a ride home because her car wouldn't start. I wasn't going to just leave her there".
"Like you left me sitting at the Bistro?"
"What are you talking about? I never told you to meet me at the Bistro. Remember, I told you that I couldn't go to lunch with you, because of the meeting".
"Yes, but the card in the flowers that you sent said "Can't wait to see you at the Bistro".
"Jennifer, I didn't send you flowers. Honest".
"If you didn't send me flowers, who would have?"
He stared at her.
"I think the common denominator here, is Teresa Owens".
She nodded.
"But why?"
"I am not sure. I think that will all depend on what her husband told her happened that night he came for dinner".
"So you think this was a revenge plot?"
"Makes sense to me".
"Surely, she doesn't think I was after Harold".
"We won't know till we either catch her, or till we find out what he told her".
"What happened when you went to the office before the party?"
"Nothing happened. The person I was supposed to meet didn't show up".
"Who were you meeting?"
"A PI that I hired last week to investigate a company I am thinking of purchasing".
"How does that fit in with the rest of it?"
"I am not sure, unless she thought maybe you would get to the party and then get tired of waiting for me and leave before I got there".
"Jonathan, this is all so strange. Why would someone do this to you and me?"
"I don't know, but I intend to find out".
She got up and got some more water.
"Want anymore water?"
"Sure, thank you".
She opened the cabinet and tried to reach the glasses but couldn't. She dragged a chair over to climb up.
"Here, let me help you".
He got up and went and grabbed the glasses for her, and then helped her down off the chair.
"Thanks".
He wrapped his arms around her.
"I promise you, I am not having an affair. You know me better than that, Jennifer. I only have eyes for you. I accept that this time, it looks bad. But I promise you, I am not thinking about anyone besides you. I love you so much it hurts, darling. I would never do that to you".
She teared up.
"I didn't want to believe that you were….but then the shower thing happened, and then you were dancing with her…"
"What shower thing?"
"You didn't look".
"I didn't look at what?"
"Me, getting out of the shower. I told you not to look, like I always do. And normally, you sneak a look anyways. But yesterday, you didn't. So, it made me upset. That's why I went shopping, so I could buy a dress to knock your socks off. And I told you that if you came into the party and looked for me, things were ok. But instead, you came in and danced with her right away".
He pulled her close to him.
"Jennifer, I never heard you tell me not to look. And yes, I always look, because I can't keep my eyes off you, honey. You are so attractive and gorgeous and beautiful that it makes my heart skip a beat when you come in the room."
"You're sweet". She wiped her tears from her face.
He pulled her into a long hug.
"Baby, I promise you, I am going to get to the bottom of this and we are going to find out what is going on. But, regardless of what we find out, I want you to know that there is nothing going on between me and anyone else, ok?"
She nodded.
"I'm sorry, I should have just asked you right away".
"It's not your fault. If I was an outsider, I would think I was cheating too, based on all this. It's alright".
She leaned up and kissed him.
"I don't deserve you. You should be so angry at me right now, and instead you are trying to make me feel better".
"Darling, I could never get angry at you. This isn't your fault".
She kissed him.
"Since you didn't get to see my dress last night, how about a private fashion show right now?"
"Race you upstairs".