***Chapter 4***
It had been 3 days since Jonathan joined Jennifer in New York. They had gone to Boston, then Chicago, and were now in Nashville. Tomorrow was Dallas, then Denver, then Salt Lake City, Seattle, and finally home in Los Angeles.
The routine in each city was the same-local TV station interviews, book signings, and a few private groups sprinkled in.
Jonathan was sitting in on one of her private groups today-another chapter of her sorority had requested a speak and sign.
Jennifer got there about an hour before Jonathan did. Her security detail ever present, was right outside the door.
Jennifer looked gorgeous, in long white wide legged pants, with a tight scoop neck black sweater, and black spiked heels.
The sorority girls were all gathered around her, asking her all kinds of questions about the book.
"Mrs. Hart, we cannot tell you how helpful this book is. We have read it cover to cover over and over. Our relationships as sisters are very strong-it's our relationships with our boyfriends that need bolstering. Can we apply these principles to that relationship as well?"
"Worth a shot. Every good relationship will fall apart if you aren't honestly communicating with each other."
"How do you and Mr. Hart keep your relationship going?"
"The thing about me and Jonathan, is we are devoted to each other. No matter what is happening, in the end, he always puts me first. We could be at a party, or at dinner, or behind home plate at the Dodger's game- and if he thinks I am the least bit uncomfortable, he will want to go home so that I feel better. And I do the same for him. Before I left to come on this book tour, I stocked the house with his favorite snacks and drinks so he would be comfortable. Even though he ended up joining me, he was still comfortable before he flew out to meet me. It's the little things that make up the big things. And we live by a few simple rules, one of them being 'Take care of the big things and the little things will take care of themselves'. He makes sure that I have whatever I want, and I make sure that we do things he likes to do. For example, there are nights when he will call before he leaves the office and ask what I have planned for us. I might say "Pick up dinner on your way home". He always lets me pick the restaurant. Always. So, I make sure to pick restaurants that he likes, and not just my favorite ones all the time."
They asked her more questions, and it took on a girlfriends chatting together vibe, instead of a formal Q&A.
"So what is a day in your life like?"
"Well, if he's going into the office, we will get up, have breakfast together and then he leaves. I can write from home, so if I'm writing that day, I usually start that after he leaves for the office. Sometimes, depending on his schedule, I might meet him for lunch, or if we have a dinner party that night, I will be ready when he gets home so we can go right away. Sometimes, we get ready together, which is nice because we are able to talk without being interrupted. And I always, always, always, have a cocktail waiting on him when he gets home if I am home first. And rarely will one of us go to bed without the other one. But it isn't just about what we do together, it's also things like how it's done. He never fails to tell me that I'm gorgeous or that he loves me. I never have to wonder how he feels about me, and I make sure he never has to wonder how I feel about him. If we didn't have that in our relationship, I don't know that we would have lasted long at all. I am not the kind of woman to settle for less. I hope that makes sense".
They were loving everything she was saying.
She suddenly had an idea.
"I tell you what. What if my next book was about intimate relationships, and all the sorority members were part of my launch team? Would you like that?"
They were all so excited.
"The sisters of Chi Beta Gamma would be happy to help you in anyway that you need us too".
"Well thank you, I appreciate it".
Just then, Jonathan came in.
"Hello ladies." He leaned down to Jennifer. "Hi beautiful". He kissed her.
"See what I mean, girls? Don't settle".
He sat down next to her and she scooted close to him.
"They were asking me how we make our relationship work. I told them the truth, darling…that I am perfect and you dote on me, hand and foot".
"That's about it".
Everyone was laughing.
"Girls, the bottom line is, if my inner vessel is full, and functioning properly and all of that, I can take care of him much better. It's like that old saying "Always fill your own cup first, and allow the world to benefit from your overflow".
"Darling, you don't take care of me, and I don't take care of you, we take care of each other".
"Yes, that's true". She turned back to the girls. "That's what I mean about don't settle. If I was taking care of him without him taking care of me, he and I wouldn't have lasted long at all. I wouldn't put up that. So, it's also about knowing what you deserve and not letting anyone treat you worse than that, or less than that."
"And it's also about paying attention. She pays attention to what I do, say, like, don't like, the whole nine yards. She knows what to order for me from places, and she knows exactly how I take my coffee, little things like that. She can look at me and tell by what I am saying or how I am acting if I am sick. Not a lot of people could do that. You have to be in tune with each other and you have to stay in tune."
"That's true. And we also genuinely enjoy each other's company".
"So tell us- how did you two meet?"
She looked at him and smiled. "Well, it's a long story. But the cliff's notes version is I was a journalist and I had two main agencies that I wrote for-one here in the states and one internationally. And I had been assigned to go to London and get an interview. He was in London to do a deal with Kingston Motors. But the thing was, Kingston Motors didn't want there to be any press about the deal until it was signed. And Mr. Hart here doesn't do interviews. So, when I found out I was interviewing him, I had my work cut out for me. I left him probably 20 messages, none of which he returned. So, I had to get creative. I called and pretended to be the manager of the hotel, and told him the bathroom above him was leaking and that I needed to come check for damages. But the problem with that was, he was in the penthouse. So, no leaks. He ended up taking the back stairs down to the bar. I went to his room, wasn't let in, and went to the bar myself. And as I am sitting down, I realize, I am sitting next to him".
"Oh that's so romantic!" The girls were all loving it.
"This is where it gets interesting. Go ahead, darling". Jonathan was smiling at her.
"He starts talking to me, and then he gets a phone call at the bar, from a reporter. And he tells the bartender to take a message and then he starts going off to me about me, not realizing that it was me. So, then he asks me to dinner and I accepted, because I wanted to show him I wasn't the horrible person he had just described, and I was hoping he would drop some tidbits that I could use for my story. We had dinner, we went dancing, and then he invited me to his hotel room for a nightcap. We had already had 2 bottles of champagne, and when we got to his room, there was another one waiting. So, he starts to tell me why he's in London, and then he passes out, sitting up on the bed. So, I did the nice thing. I helped him lay down comfortably, took his shoes off him, covered him with a blanket. I whispered in his ear that I had a very lovely evening and then I left a rose on his pillow. I corked the champagne and put it in the mini-fridge, and then headed to my hotel. On the way out of the hotel, I called my editor and told him what I had found out. Here's the part where it gets really interesting. See, there was a company that didn't want the Kingsford Motors deal to go through, because it would put them out of business. So, when I was talking to my editor, someone was listening. After I hung up, they went to my editor, forced him to print the story with my name on it, and then killed my editor. The next morning, I showed up at Jonathan's hotel room because we had planned a breakfast date. But he had forgotten about it".
"I did not forget".
"Darling.."
"Ok, I forgot". Everyone was laughing.
"Anyways, he was mad because of the story that was printed. But, he still thought I was Louise, not Jennifer. So, it was ok. Then we spent the morning going all over the city and I managed to get away from him and go to my editor's office. I was the one who found him deceased, and right after I did, Jonathan walked in. And he thought I had killed him. So, then we are running all over the city because he wants to turn me into the police, and I am trying to explain myself to him, and all the while, the guy from the other company is shooting at us. So, we end up jumping onto a ferry, landing in a heap on the floor and we are finally able to talk. And this part here is key, girls. He looked into my eyes and said he believed me".
Jonathan knew what was coming…
"And then we get off the boat, the shooter guy is there, they fight, he takes me hostage and then Jonathan saves me. And by this point, I am beyond ready to get the hell out of London and get back to New York. So, we have to talk to the police, and I am finally convincing them that I didn't kill Brooks. And Jonathan walks over, and I am thinking, 'yes, he will tell them, and then we can leave'. And what does he say?"
She turns and grins at him.
"I told them she was a murderer, and used a fake name and shouldn't be trusted".
The girls gasped. And then they started yelling. "Why would you do that? That's so mean! I would be so mad!"
Jennifer was laughing.
"So they take me in, and I am steaming angry… and I resolve to never see him ever again. They question me, and let me go. I get to the airport, check in for my flight, and then someone from Scotland Yard tells me they need to question me further. So, they take me from the airport and we end up next to the Thames River, near the Tower Bridge. Jonathan comes over and opens the door and asks me to get out of the car. And I was like "No, I don't want to talk to you".
Everyone laughed.
"So, he convinced me that he only needed a minute. So, I was like fine, a minute. So, I get out, and he tells me to turn around. And when I did, he had 4 banners dropped from the bridge that said 'Will you marry me?' And I look at him like he's nuts, because we have only known each other for 24 hours, and in that time, we have been shot at, harassed, ran for our lives, and I was arrested and accused of murder. What a catch. So, I start telling him he's crazy, and that I have an apartment in New York and that I live in New York and what would my family say, and he has an answer for everything".
"Darling…let's do it for them".
She nodded, and turned to the girls.
"I said 'You're crazy'. And he said-"
"About you".
"And then I said, 'But I have an apartment in New York and you live in Los Angeles. And he said-"
"I don't want your apartment, I want you".
She turned to face him completely now.
"But my clothes are in New York".
"We have nice clothes in Los Angeles too,".
"What am I going to tell my father?"
"Tell him that someone loves you, and you are getting married".
She turned back to the girls. "Just then, this lady selling flowers came up and offered to sell us some. And I kept my eyes on Jonathan the whole time, but I handed her my ticket and said "Have you ever been to New York City?" And then we got into a horse drawn carriage that he had standing by and rode through the city. We were married a few months later, and have been happy ever since."
She leaned over and kissed him.
"That's so sweet!"
"When it's right, you know. That's why I keep saying don't settle. If it's not right, don't go through with it".
She looked at her watch. "Ok, so we have to get going. So, let me sign your books now, and then we can take a picture before I leave".
After she signed all of their books, they all hugged her and thanked her. They gathered around her and sang their sisterhood song, and then took a picture with her.
"Thank you girls for a lovely afternoon. Classy, Elegance, Sophistication, always".
They did the sign of the sorority, and then she and Jonathan left.
He had called them an Uber, and they took it to a restaurant to pick up dinner and then back to their hotel.
"Thanks for coming with me, that was so fun".
"Those girls adore you, almost as much as me".
He kissed her.
"You are always going to come in first".
She kissed him back.
They got on the elevator, and went to her room. As they came in and got settled on the bed, she turned to him.
"I think it was good that you came on this trip with me. I mean, good as in it helped you and me remember how we fell in love in the first place".
"I agree, remembering is good sometimes".
After they ate their dinner, she went to take a bubble bath in the whirlpool while he was returning some work calls.
Just as she was about to get out, he came in and slipped in behind her.
"Oh, good idea".
She scooted forward and then back against him.
He gave her a back massage and they just soaked for a long time.
"Darling…you haven't gotten a threat against me since you have been with me….can we call of the security detail?"
"Darling…I talked to Stanley earlier. I did get a threat. In fact, I got two".
