"Jonathan! If that's what you think of me-"
"Jennifer. I was referring to you and me. You picked me up in a bar, darling."
She thought a moment.
"Ok fine. I picked you up. But I'm not a harlot, Jonathan. My mother raised me better than that".
He held her close.
"Shh…. It's ok. What she said-it was just words. Nothing else. I know you, darling. And I love you for who you are, and nothing anyone says to me or in front of me is going to change that".
"I don't mean to be so emotional, darling. I just feel like everything is so messed up. And out of everyone in my life, the person whose opinion of me matters the most to me is you".
"I know that and I appreciate it. I love you and I'm not going anywhere, I promise".
She kissed him passionately, with an urgent intensity that neither of them had felt in a long time.
"I can't get over the change in you, darling".
"What do you mean?"
"Ever since we went to your father's, you've been more passionate, more loving. I love it".
"You didn't think I was loving or passionate before?"
"I didn't say that".
"Yes you did".
"No, I didn't. I said-"
"I heard you loud and clear, Jonathan."
She got up and stormed into the kitchen to get some water.
He got up and followed her.
"Darling, I wasn't trying to offend you. I was saying I like this change".
"And by saying that you like the change, that means that you didn't like it before. Tell me something, is that why you went to Japan both times? Because I wasn't loving enough, I wasn't passionate enough?"
"No, I went to Japan for business. I told you that. And you were loving and passionate enough".
"Just not enough for you to stay, is that it?"
"Why are we arguing about why I went on a trip that I'm already home from?"
"We aren't. But if I'm not loving enough with you-"
"You are. You couldn't be more loving if you tried, darling. I swear it".
He pulled her close to him and hoped that whatever was causing these mood swings of hers would just let up.
"I have a great idea. As soon as our dinner gets here, and we eat, what if you take a long bubble bath and I give you one of my best massages?"
"Yes, I think I would love that".
She looked up at him.
"I think I'm going to go lay down. I don't know why I'm so emotional today. I'm sorry".
"It's ok".
She took his hand and led him to the bedroom, and then climbed in bed. He laid down next to her and held her till she fell asleep.
About 20 minutes after she fell asleep, their dinner arrived.
"Hey, sorry for the delay. We are short-handed tonight".
"It's quite alright."
Jonathan paid for their dinner and tipped the guy $20.
"Thank you!"
"Thank you".
He thought about it and decided not to wake Jennifer.
He ate without her, and watched a movie while she slept.
She woke up about an hour and a half later and came out of the bedroom.
"Hi".
"Hi. Feel better?"
"Much".
"I saved your dinner".
"Great. I'm famished".
They went to the kitchen and he heated up her soup while she cut up some veggies to add to her salad.
After she was done eating, she went to take a long bubble bath.
He set about getting the bed ready for her massage.
As soon as she was out of the bath, she dried off and came to the bedroom.
He was laying on the bed watching a game.
She laid down on her stomach, and he started to drizzle the massage oil on her.
"Oh, I love it when you warm the oil".
He massaged all of her knots and stress points.
"What are you doing tomorrow, darling?"
"Well, I guess I'm going to stay home and work on some freelance articles. I also need to book a flight to Boston and find a hotel room for the weekend. Are you going to be at the office all day?"
"I can probably come home for lunch".
"Great".
"Darling, would you….want to come with me to Grand-mere's funeral?"
"I would love to".
He finished her massage and then popped her back for her.
"Feel better?"
"Much. You are so good to me and I don't deserve it at all. I'm the lucky one, darling."
"We are both lucky".
She got up and put on a nightgown and then climbed back in bed with him.
They had mad passionate sex for a couple hours and then fell asleep.
***The next day***
Jennifer got up with Jonathan and made him breakfast and coffee.
"What do you want for lunch, honey? I'll make you whatever you like".
"I don't know how much time I'll have. Why don't I just grab us something and bring it with me?"
"That sounds great."
She sat with him while he ate, and sipped on her coffee.
"Feels strange to not be riding to work with you".
"We will get used to it. And just think, it will make the moment when I get home from the office that much sweeter".
She walked him to the door when he was ready to leave.
"I love you, see you at lunch time".
"I love you too. I'll be home before you know it".
She leaned up and gave him several kisses and then he left.
She headed back to bed and fell back asleep for a couple more hours.
When she woke up, she decided to surprise Jonathan.
She got all ready and put on some more new lingerie, and then a robe over it.
Around 10:30, there was a knock at the door.
She opened it to find a delivery man holding a nice large bouquet of flowers.
She tipped him and brought the flowers in and put them on the table.
They were in a tall skinny clear vase. The bouquet was purple orchids, purple fox glove, and white ranunculus. She took the card and read it.
"Airline and hotel accommodations have been taken care of. See you at 1. I love you, Jonathan".
She picked up the phone and called the front desk.
"Hi, this is Miss Edwards, and I'm staying in Mr. Hart's penthouse. Can you do me a favor and call me when he comes in? I have a surprise that I'm planning for him".
"Yes, ma'am. We can do that".
"Thank you".
She went to the kitchen and made them a special tray to go along with their lunch.
She ran around getting the room all set up-she found a ton of candles in the hall closet and set them around and lit them. She sprayed on some of his favorite perfume, and put fresh sheets on the bed.
The phone rang at 12:45. It was the front desk, telling her that he was on his way up.
She took her robe off, and then hurried to the couch.
She was wearing a black lace nightie, with pink mesh straps that extended down over her boobs. The back of the nightie was a lace thong. She looked absolutely amazing in it.
She positioned herself on the couch.
The door opened.
As he walked in, Jennifer said "Miss me, sailor?"
As he walked in, he said "Come on in Stanley, I'll get the documents you need really quickly".
They both stood there staring at her.
Jennifer screamed and ran for the bedroom and shut the door.
"I'm sorry Stanley. Hang on a second".
He set their lunch down, and then headed to his study and got Stanley the documents.
"Here you go. Thank you for your help".
"Certainly, sir".
He headed to the bedroom to check on Jennifer and found her blowing out all the candles.
"I'm so humiliated".
"Darling, it was a misunderstanding."
"How could you not tell me you were bringing him here?!"
"Well had I known what you had planned I would have. He wasn't coming to stay, he was coming to pick something up".
"I couldn't tell you what I had planned, it was a surprise".
She put her robe on, and sat on the bed and wiped the tears from her eyes.
He came over and held her.
"I'm sorry, darling."
After a few minutes, he stood up.
"I brought us lunch, you hungry?"
She nodded.
He took her hand and led her out of the bedroom.
They were both surprised to find Stanley still in the living room.
"I'm sorry Mr. Hart. These papers are on the Williamson electronics merger. But I thought you wanted me to look over the Mendelson deal papers".
"That's right. I apologize".
Jonathan took the papers from him and went to the study to get the correct ones, leaving Jennifer and Stanley in awkward silence.
He came out a few minutes later, and handed him the file.
"Thank you sir. I hope you guys have a nice lunch, and I apologize for interrupting whatever it was that I….interrupted".
Jonathan noticed that Stanley wasn't looking at Jennifer.
Jennifer's face turned about 1000 shades of red.
"Stanley, there's a meeting at the office at 2, with Kyle Owens and his team, to talk about the terms of their merger deal. Can you handle that for me?"
"Certainly sir".
"Perfect. Then, I'll see you at the office tomorrow".
He saw Stanley out and then closed the door behind him.
He took his tie off and hung it over the back of the chair.
He held his hand out to Jennifer, and they walked to the kitchen.
She pulled herself up on the counter in her usual spot, and he started getting their lunch out.
"I picked us up 2 lunch combos from Carmine's. One is seafood based, the other is marinara based".
"Sounds yummy".
She leaned over and kissed him on the neck.
He fed her a bite of lobster ravioli.
"Good gosh, that's amazing".
She leaned over and grabbed a fork and fed him a bite.
"Mmmmmmm".
He stood in front of her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Thank you for my lovely flowers and for making the hotel reservations".
"We are flying on my plane, and I reserved us a room at the Boston Harbor Hotel".
"Darling, if you have business to take care of, I can go by myself".
"You don't want me to come with you?"
"Of course I want you with me. I always want you with me. I'm just saying that if you have business stuff to handle, I understand."
"You are more important to me than the company. I am not making the mistake of putting the company ahead of us again."
He leaned down and kissed her.
She barely kissed him back.
"Now come on, that's not up to our usual standards".
She kissed him again with more passion.
"That's more like it".
"I love you".
"I love you too".
"Oh yeah? How much?"
He picked her up off the counter and carried her to the bedroom.
He laid her on the bed, and then quickly undressed.
He climbed on top of her and took her in his arms.
He kissed her and wound his fingers through her hair.
He rolled them till he was on his back and she was straddling his waist.
She gently lifted the halter straps of her nightie over her head, freeing her voluptuous breasts.
He rolled them again so that she was on her back, and pulled the rest of the nightie off of her.
She wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him close.
"So I take it you liked the new nightie I had on?"
"I loved it. But I love you more".
He leaned down and suckled her nipples for a few moments.
She was writhing from pleasure in his arms and he was loving it.
She ran her fingers through his hair.
She drew her knees up and pulled him closer to her.
He kissed his way up to her soft lips and then over to her earlobe.
He kissed that spot on her neck just below her ear that drove her crazy.
"Mmm. Right there".
"You like that?"
"I love it".
"You are absolutely adorable".
A few passionate kisses later, he climbed off her and grabbed a condom.
He quickly returned to her and buried himself inside of her.
"Oh!"
He kissed her as he thrust his hips in and out of her.
She lifted her hips to maximize the intensity, and held him as close to her as possible.
He leaned down and kissed her neck.
"Don't hold back, baby".
Jennifer got louder and laced her fingers through his.
They climaxed together a few minutes later, and kissed each other as they calmed down.
"I love you".
"I love you more".
They spent the next couple hours making love and holding each other. Before they knew it, it was dinner time.
She followed him to the kitchen and they heated up their food from Carmine's.
"Baby, I've been thinking about something. Now, hear me out. You and I came back to New York for the hearing, and your boss didn't have any openings for you at the Times. So, what if we re-structure things a little bit?"
"What do you mean?"
"What if you move to Los Angeles with me? If you are going to write freelance, you can do that from anywhere, right? And the majority of my business is in Los Angeles, plus Max is there. It just makes sense".
"You want me to live with you?"
"Of course I want you to live with me. You're living with me here, why not live with me in Los Angeles?"
"That's a valid point. I'm just afraid. I don't want you to get sick of me".
"Get sick of you? It's just the opposite. I can't get enough of you".
"Moving across the country is a big step though."
"Yeah, but it's one we will make together".
"I love you, I do. I just need some time to think about it, ok?"
"Take all the time you need".
He kissed her forehead and hugged her for a few moments.
They spent a relaxing evening together, but Jennifer's head was a million miles away. She loved Jonathan and she wanted to be with him, but she loved New York too. She had never worked in California. She was scared it wouldn't work out. The last thing she wanted was to be a burden to him.
In moments like these, she really missed her mother.