***Monday***
Jennifer was ready to go when Jonathan got home.
She had put on a cocktail dress that was zebra print on the top and solid black on the bottom, and some black peep toe stilettos.
She heard the garage door open, and stood up and grabbed her purse.
"Darling?"
"In here".
He came into the living room.
"Hi baby".
"Hi".
He came and kissed her a few times.
"Give me 5 minutes to change my tie and I'll be ready to go".
He kissed her cheek and then hurried to the bedroom.
They headed out as soon as he was ready.
He helped her into the car and then slid into the driver's seat.
"Where exactly are we going?"
"Pasadena. There's a hibachi place called Mitonya's. The company that is wanting to do business with me rented out the entire restaurant. If they are agreeing to my terms, they are going to announce it tonight".
"They would be stupid not to agree to do business with you".
They pulled up to the restaurant and parked and walked inside.
They were seated almost immediately.
Jennifer ordered the chicken and shrimp, while Jonathan ordered the steak and shrimp, and they agreed to split two lobster tails.
Jennifer got up and went to the bathroom right after they ordered. While she was gone, the head of the other company, Owen Barker came and sat by Jonathan.
"I thought about your deal, Jonathan. I think I can agree to it, provided we can compromise on one point. I will need to retain my seat on the board".
"Now Owen, I told you, I'm not interested in being a silent partner. I need to be able to run the company while I get it back on it's feet".
"I understand that, but I built this company from scratch, Jonathan. I can't just walk away and give up my board seat".
"Well, why don't you give me your proxy, and I'll consult you on all board decisions and vote the way you would? And as soon as the company is back on its feet, I will turn everything back over to you".
"I think that sounds like a great idea, Jonathan".
They shook hands, and Jonathan pulled the paperwork out of his jacket pocket.
Jennifer rejoined them and sat down.
"Owen, this is my fiancée Jennifer Edwards. Darling, this is Owen Barker, the head of the company I'm investing in".
"Hi, lovely to meet you".
"Lovely to meet you as well. Jonathan, my lawyer is at the table right over there. I want him to look over these papers one more time, if you don't mind".
"Certainly. We can talk after the meeting tonight".
"Sounds great. Listen you two, order whatever you want, it's on me. Enjoy yourselves and thanks for coming".
They shook hands again and Owen headed to his table.
Jonathan and Jennifer ended up being the only ones at their hibachi table which was nice.
After their chef came and cooked their meal, they sat there eating and chatting until Owen started the meeting.
It was pretty apparent from the beginning of the meeting that it was pointless for Jonathan and Jennifer to be there, as nothing that was said during the meeting pertained to them or Hart Industries.
After it was over, Jonathan grabbed Jennifer's hand and they headed to Owen's table.
He got up and walked with them to the door.
"I'm sorry Jonathan, but some other developments have come up that my lawyer thinks are more important, so at this time, I'm going to have to decline your deal".
He handed the paper work back to him.
"Ok, thank you."
They headed to the car.
"That was strange. He was all excited to sign the papers. I wonder what changed his mind".
"His loss, darling".
"It just doesn't make sense. Well, the jokes on him, because anyone else would offer him way, way less than what I can".
"Darling, what kind of wedding do you want? Daytime, or nighttime?"
"Well, I don't know. What do you want?"
"Well, if we do an outside ceremony, we could do it at sunset and then party inside or outside, with lots of lights. But if we did it inside, it wouldn't matter when the ceremony was".
"Darling, just plan the wedding you want, and I'll go along with whatever you decide".
They pulled up to the house and parked, and went inside.
Jennifer went to change clothes while Jonathan was in the kitchen with Max.
Jonathan came in the bedroom a few minutes later and changed out of his suit.
They went to the living room and snuggled up on the couch together. She gave him a backrub and scratched his back some.
"Oh, that feels amazing".
"So what is tomorrow's dinner meeting going to be like?"
"Well, they want to go to an Italian restaurant, and I'm hoping that we can hammer out an agreement".
They finished their movie, and then headed to bed.
She scooted over right next to him in bed, and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Darling, do you ever think about what kind of parents we will be?"
"No, I don't. Do you?"
"Well, I used to. I always thought I would have a boy and a girl, and that I would raise them to be mannerly and respectful. But then, when I couldn't get a date to save my life, I figured I wasn't meant to be a mommy, that it wasn't in the cards for me. But then I met you, and I knew right away that I wanted to have kids with you, at some point".
"Darling, when I was a kid in the orphanage, we would frequently play roller hockey or street hockey, without roller skates. We had a pretty good supply of sticks, and we had a nice selection of balls, and we had a couple of old soccer goals that we would snag and use for a goal. But there was one thing we didn't have."
"What's that?"
"Protective gear. And I took a lot of hits to my little friend, if you catch my drift".
"I see. Well, darling, that was a long, long time ago".
"I know that. But there are other reasons as to why I might not be able to have a child".
"Like what?"
"Well, when I was 12, I had this funky lung infection, in my right lung, that I just couldn't shake. Took me like 5 months to get over it. I remember the doctors telling the nuns that because of one of the antibiotics they gave me, that I more than likely won't ever be able to have children".
"I see".
"I know you're disappointed, and I hate that".
"I'm fine, Jonathan. It's not your fault. I do think you and I need to both get complete and total physicals and bloodwork done so that we start out on a good foot".
"Not a bad idea."
"And we can have your sperm tested to see if the doctors were correct".
"That's a bad idea".
"Why?"
"The thought of doing that in an office just doesn't excite me".
"Would you rather them take it from you with a needle?"
"No. I hate needles".
"I'm not fond of them myself".
"What if they say I can't conceive a child? What then?"
She sat up on one elbow and looked at him.
"Jonathan, there's not a single thing in the world that will ever change how I feel about you. If the doctor tells you that you can't have kids, then we'll deal with it. I have endometriosis, and for all I know, I might not ever be able to have a child either. And you know as well as I do, that there are tons of children who need a home, and we know of at least one orphanage where we can find a kid just waiting for a daddy like you".
"You're the greatest, you know that? I love you more than words can say".
He rolled on top of her and kissed her passionately.
"I love you too".
He made love to her and then they fell asleep together.
***Tuesday***
Jennifer had breakfast with Jonathan before he left for the office, and then ran several errands.
She had only been home a couple hours when he got home.
She was just getting out of the shower when he walked into the bathroom.
"Hi baby".
"Hi darling".
She kissed him a few times and then went to her closet to pick out something to wear.
"Darling…dressy? Not too dressy?"
"Dressy, but not formal".
She finally put on a purple one shoulder knee length dress, with a black tulle shoulder strap, and some strappy black heels.
Jonathan showered and changed clothes while she did her hair and makeup.
"So, what did you do today?"
"Well, I took a cab and went to the DMV, got a new license. I also went and test drove a few cars, and I called my insurance and looked up a few doctors out here so you and I can get that physical".
"You didn't have to take a cab, darling, you could have taken one of my cars".
"Well, I figured since I didn't have a license and I didn't know where I was going, that I should take a cab".
It didn't take them long to get ready, and they were headed out within the hour.
The Italian restaurant was so romantic and elegant.
Jonathan and Jennifer were seated at their table.
"Darling, we are meeting Mason Blackwell and his wife Ally. He owns Blackwell Electronics, and she is a relationship counselor".
"Sounds interesting".
Mason and Ally arrived about 5 minutes later.
"Hi, thanks for joining us. This is my wife Ally".
"Lovely to meet you. This is my fiancé, Jennifer".
Jennifer and Ally chatted while Jonathan and Mason talked about their business deal.
After they finished eating, they sat there chatting for a while.
Ally was telling Jennifer about her art collection.
"I really need to find a good art dealer. Ours passed away."
"Oh? My father is an art dealer. He has offices on the east coast, and also in London and Germany."
"What's his name?"
"Stephen Edwards".
"You're Jennifer Edwards? The Jennifer Edwards that wrote for the New York Times?"
"That's me".
Ally tapped Mason on the arm.
"Honey, this is Jennifer Edwards. She's the one that wrote all those columns that you liked in the New York Times".
"Oh yeah? I love your work!"
"Thank you".
The bill came and Jonathan paid it, and then he pulled out the papers and slid them across to Mason.
"Darling do you have a pen in your purse?"
"Yes, I do".
She started to get it but Mason stopped her.
"Don't worry about it. Jonathan, unless you can give me 20% more stock in your company, I'm afraid we don't have a deal".
"Mason, I'm already giving you a 100 shares. I can't give you anymore than that".
"I'm sorry Jonathan. Hopefully we will do business in the future".
They shook hands and everyone stood up to leave.
They walked to the parking lot and said their goodbyes.
As Ally hugged Jennifer goodbye, she whispered in her ear "Elliott says hi".
Jennifer was taken aback, but she didn't know what to say so she just said nothing.
She waited till they were home and changed for bed before she mentioned it to Jonathan.
"Darling, do you think Elliott has ties to Los Angeles?"
"I'm not sure. Why, did he contact you? Are you afraid?"
"No, nothing like that. It's something Ally said."
"What was it?"
"When we were in the parking lot, saying goodbye, she leaned forward and gave me a hug and she whispered to me that Elliott says hi".
"That's strange. I can have Stanley research it, though. See if he can find anything".
"Probably wouldn't be a bad idea".
"If you see him, I want you to call me right away, alright?"
"Darling, I'm fine. I'm going to be fine".
He leaned forward and kissed her and just held her for a few minutes.
"I'm sorry you lost your business deal because of me".
"It's not your fault. They made their choice. There will be other deals".
"I know that. But I don't want to cause you business issues, darling".
"You aren't. I'm not going to let that happen. And if it all falls apart, then screw it. I'll have you, I'll have Max, and I will start again".
"I just know in my gut he's behind this".
"Well, if he is, Stanley will figure it out".
They climbed in bed and he gave her a back rub.
"Darling, I made you an appointment for a physical on Thursday. We are seeing Dr. Whitaker".
"Ok. Are you sure we need to?"
"I'm positive. We can't start our marriage not knowing if we are completely healthy, darling. Plus, we need to decide if I am going to go on your insurance, if you are going to go on mine, if we want to get life insurance on each other".
"I will add you to my insurance at work, and yes, we need life insurance on each other. At least one policy".
He wrapped his arms around her.
"When is your appointment for a physical?"
"The day after yours".
"I just want us to spend the next 50 years together, that's all."
"Well that's good. And I know just how we can spend it".
He reached up and turned out the light.
***Thursday afternoon***
Jennifer met Jonathan at Dr. Whitaker's office for his physical.
"Darling, what kind of doctor is this?"
"He specializes in men's health".
They filled out the paperwork and then they were called back.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Whitaker. How can I help you today?"
"Just your regular, every day, comprehensive physical."
"Ok, I can do that. Is there any reason you are doing this?"
"Yes. Her". He pointed at Jennifer.
"Jonathan!"
"I didn't mean it like that. What I mean is, we are engaged and she made a valid point to me that we should start our marriage knowing we are as healthy as possible."
"She's right."
Dr. Whitaker did a basic physical, an eye test, and a blood test.
"Ok, last thing. I need you to ejaculate into this cup-I will then test it to see if your sperm are viable. You don't have to do it in here, you can do it in a room across the hall. There are motivational materials in there to help you if you need it. As soon as you are done, the test will only take about 15 minutes tops".
Jonathan nodded.
"Have you ever been told you can't have kids?"
"Yes, when I was younger. I was raised in an orphanage, and I had a funky lung infection for about 5 months, and the doctor told the nuns at the orphanage that I more than likely will never be able to conceive".
"Any other reasons? Accidents, or traumatic injuries?"
"Well, I played hockey a lot, but athletic cups were never in the orphanage budget and I took a lot of hits".
"Ok, well, we will just see what we are dealing with. Sometimes those things resolve themselves over time".
He handed Jonathan the cup and showed him to the room across the hall.
Jennifer sat there and read a magazine while she waited for him.
After about 10 minutes, the nurse came in.
"Mr. Hart would like to know if you could come to the room. He wants to speak to you".
"Certainly".
She walked to the room he was in and knocked on the door.
He opened it and let her in.
"Baby, I don't think this is going to work out".