Jennifer got ice for Jonathan, and went to quickly change clothes. She called the lobby and asked them to call her a cab.
She went with Jonathan to the hospital and filled out the paperwork for him.
They were there about 4 hours, and it was confirmed that he had a broken nose, and a concussion.
"I will discharge you, only if you promise that you won't be driving, you will be resting".
"Yes, I promise".
"I'll see to it that he does that".
"Can I still fly home on Sunday?"
"Yes, I think that might be ok. You will need to see your regular doctor in California in a week to get the splint off. And if you have any dizziness or any severe headaches, you need to alert a doctor to that as well".
"Thank you, doctor".
She helped him up and they walked out of the hospital.
He hailed them a cab and they took it back to her apartment.
The person on duty at the desk confirmed that he had been arrested and banned from the property.
"Thank you".
They went upstairs to her apartment and she got him some water with a straw.
"Jonathan, I feel horrible about all this. I mean, I never had any indication that he was watching us, or anything. I can't believe he did all this".
"It's not your fault. I don't blame you. I should have just gotten you in the bedroom so we could call the police or something."
"Why don't you stay here tonight? I'll wake you up so that you can take your medicine on time".
"Yeah, I'm ok with that".
She helped get him to bed, and get him settled, and then she changed into a nightgown and climbed into bed next to him.
They slept for 6 hours, and then she woke him up to take another pill.
He slept another 5 hours and then woke up by himself.
He found her in the den.
"Hi. I made some soup if you want some".
"I would love some".
"How do you feel?"
"Fine, I guess. Like I have a cold".
She got him some soup and he practically inhaled it.
They laid around the rest of the day and then he decided to go to his hotel that night.
"Thank you for letting me crash here and for taking care of me".
"You're welcome. When are you going to be back in New York?"
"I'm not sure, just yet".
She leaned forward and hugged him for a long time, and then kissed his cheek and saw him out.
***A few days later***
Jonathan was at his office, working on a merger.
Stanley came in.
"Mr. Hart, I'm sorry it took so long for me to get back to you on this, but I kept finding conflicting reports and I wanted to make sure I had the right information".
"That's ok, Stanley. What is it?"
"I looked into that Greg Scolari that you asked me to. And what I found is interesting. In New York, he's known as Greg Scolari. In Pennsylvania, he's known as Will Davidson. In Chicago, he's known as Barry Harper. And in Seattle, he's known as Mark Whitehead. But before all of that, he had another name, the one he was born with."
"I don't follow".
"He was born in Boston, lived there till he graduated high school. Then he went to college and came back to Boston, but soon he moved to New York. After he lost his job in New York, he started moving all over the country, using aliases. He has a long history of loving and leaving women, after they file charges against him of domestic violence, or fraud. And he always gets jobs in areas like sales, or with multi-level marketing firms, where his background wouldn't necessarily be brought in question. And he underwent several weeks of plastic surgeries and other operations to completely and totally change his appearance".
"Change it how?"
"He had complete and total plastic surgery. He changed his hairstyle, he had a birthmark removed and he even had surgery to his larynx and vocal cords to deepen his voice".
"I see. What was his name when he came to New York the first time?"
"Tim Bates".
"Thank you, Stanley. That will be all".
He picked up the phone and called the DA's office in New York.
He left a message for them to call him back regarding the Greg Scolari case.
About an hour later, his phone rang.
"Hello, this is Jonathan Hart".
"Hi Mr. Hart, this is Michelle Maxwell with the New York City District Attorney's office. I had a message to call you".
"Yes, thank you. So, I'm sure you are aware of the charges against Greg Scolari? I'm the one he assaulted".
"Yes, I have that file right here".
"Ok, so as it turns out, I was having him investigated before the assault, and just got the results. I'm happy to fax you a copy or overnight you a copy, whatever you like. But the results of the investigation reveal that he is dangerous. His real name is Tim Bates, and he goes by several other aliases, depending on what city he's in."
"I see. Well, we can definitely take a look at that. I can tell you that he hasn't bonded out of jail yet, and the judge required that his bail be all in cash, so he might not".
"That's great news".
"Overnight me a copy of your report and I'll take it to the judge and see if he can reverse it to no bond".
"Thank you, I appreciate that".
He hung up the phone and headed to his doctor's appointment.
***3 days later***
Jonathan was sleeping, about an hour before his alarm was supposed to go off.
He woke up with a start.
He laid there thinking about everything and realized that he wasn't going to go back to sleep.
He knew what he wanted to do, so he got up and got ready for the day.
He went straight to the office and made some phone calls. He then made some adjustments to his calendar, and then got to work.
***Jennifer***
Jennifer came into the Times and put her stuff down at her desk. She went to get coffee and came back.
She was working on her article when she got a delivery of flowers.
She dug for the card and stared at the flowers for a moment. Soft pink roses, white tulips and purple heather were all in a square white vase.
The card said "We have a lot to talk about. Dress up and go to the gift shop at the Empire State building at 7:15 tomorrow night. Give the lady behind the counter your name. Any questions, ask your boss".
She got up and went to talk to her boss.
"I have been sworn to secrecy about who it is. However, I can promise you that it's not Greg Scolari, or anyone connected to him."
"Am I meeting a male or a female?"
"I cannot reveal that information. However, I can tell you that you will know them when you see them."
"Ok, thank you".
She worked all day and then headed home, thinking about this nonstop.
She called the New York office of Hart Industries.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hart isn't scheduled to be here for at least another month".
"Ok."
'So, it's not Greg. And it's not Jonathan. So, who could it be?'
She studied the card again. Not handwritten, so that didn't help. No obviously identifying clues that she could pick out.
Typically, Jennifer would never go to something like this. But, she figured she didn't really have anything to lose. She trusted her boss, so she knew that it was safe. Plus, the Empire State building is usually pretty populated, so it's not like she would be alone.
She decided to throw caution to the wind and enjoy herself.
***The next day***
Jennifer worked all day, and then around 4:30, she left and headed home.
She put on a light purple strapless evening gown with a black lace edge, and some black strappy heels. She decided to wear her hair up, so she clipped it up and then curled the ends. Her makeup was flawless, as always.
At precisely 7:10, she went to the gift shop.
"Hi, I'm Jennifer Edwards. I'm supposed to tell you that I'm here".
"Yes. Take this bag and go to the front of the line for the roof. Tell the security guard that Gloria said to give you a bypass and give him this ticket. And I'm supposed to tell you not to open the bag".
"Ok, thank you".
She headed to the front of the line and handed him the ticket like she had been told to do.
"Ok miss, you are going to want to go to the left, to the corner when you get upstairs".
He let her skip the line and she stepped through the door.
She headed to the left corner and waited. She was watching everyone and didn't see anyone that she knew.
It was a gorgeous night, with the city all lit up. Not too cloudy, and not too dark.
"Hi".
She turned to see Jonathan there. He had one hand behind his back.
"Hi Jonathan. Listen, I'm meeting someone, so I can't talk too long-"
"You are meeting me, Jennifer".
"You? You sent me the flowers that said to come here?"
"Yes, I did".
"But I called your office, and they said you wouldn't be here for another month".
"I didn't tell them I was coming".
He leaned forward and hugged her and then gave her the red roses he was holding.
"Jonathan, what is going on?"
"I woke up the other morning, Jennifer, and I remembered. I remembered everything-falling in love with you, being in love with you, us taking care of the kids, you moving out to California with me, the whole bit. And I'm so sorry I sent you away when I couldn't remember. I was just trying to protect you. There were many days when I thought I would never remember. I was certain more than once that what we had was gone forever. But I do remember now, and I want you to know that most importantly, I still love you".
Before she could say anything, he leaned forward and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her.
"That's more like it".
She put her forehead on his and rubbed his chest for a minute.
"I missed you. What do you say we get out of here and go back to my apartment?"
"Sure, but there's something we have to do first".
He took the bag the lady at the gift shop handed her and opened it. Inside was a travel camera.
They had someone take a few pictures of them, kissing and not kissing.
"Thank you".
"There's just one more thing to do". He handed the camera back to the person.
He got on one knee and took her ring out of his pocket.
"You are the best thing that ever happened to me, and I know without a doubt that I want to spend every second of every day for the rest of our lives loving you and telling you that you are beautiful and making every dream of yours come true. The best version of me is the one that his arms around you, darling. Jennifer Suzanne Edwards, will you marry me?"
She wiped the tears from her face and nodded.
"Yes, I'll marry you".
He slipped the ring on her finger again and then leaned forward and kissed her.
She hugged him as he stood up, and they stood there kissing for several minutes.
"I'm so happy".
"Me too".
"I love you, more than words".
"I love you too, darling".
He kissed her again, and everyone on the roof was clapping for them.
He took the camera back from the person, and handed it to Jennifer.
He leaned down and picked her up and carried her to the elevators.
"We're engaged, folks! She said yes!"
Everyone in line clapped for them as Jennifer kissed his cheek.
He set her down at the elevator, and they rode the elevator down to the lobby.
Waiting for them outside was a lit up horse drawn carriage.
He helped her up into the carriage and then climbed in after her.
She snuggled up to him as they rode along.
"We can go to dinner somewhere, or we can order dinner to be delivered to your apartment, or we can go to my hotel if you want. It's up to you".
"Why don't we go back to my apartment, and I'll pack a bag and then we can go to your hotel? We can pick up dinner and take it with us".
"Perfect. I got a new room this time, so I hope you like it".
"I'm sure I will".
They got to her apartment and walked in. They took the elevator to her floor and he unlocked the door for them.
After they were safely inside, she turned to him.
"I didn't even ask you, how is your nose, darling?"
"Better. Good as new".
"Yay!"
She kissed him a few times and then went to pack her clothes.
"Jennifer, I need to tell you something".
"What is it?"
"Well, after Savanna's party, I had Stanley investigate Greg. I felt like there was something about him that I was trying to remember. And it took him a while but he finally got back to me, after I got back to Los Angeles last week. Greg Scolari isn't his real name. He has multiple names in multiple cities".
"What's his real name?"
"Tim Bates".
"I see".
"I called the DA and overnighted them a copy of Stanley's report. They took it to the judge and got his bond changed from a $40,000 cash bond to no bond. And as soon as he is sentenced for assaulting me, he will be extradited to Chicago to face charges there. Stanley found out that he had undergone multiple plastic surgeries in order to completely change his appearance. He even had surgery to deepen his voice".
She leaned forward and hugged and kissed him.
"I'm sorry I brought him into your life".
"I don't blame you. I love you, I'm just glad I was here and could protect you".
She put on some Miss Me Jeans, and a black short sleeved top, and some black strappy wedges.
As soon as her stuff was packed, they headed out, hand in hand.
She stopped them before they got to the door.
"Darling, what does your weekend look like?"
"Well, there's this absolutely gorgeous redhead in it. And we are doing whatever she wants to".
"Well, I hope whomever she is won't be too upset that you are spending all your time with me".
"I think she'll understand".
"Can we take a trip to see my father?"
"I would love to".
She leaned up and kissed him and then sat down on the couch.
She called the house and told Walter she was coming tomorrow and bringing a friend.
"I'll be sure to tell your father, Miss Jennifer".
They hung up and headed downstairs.
They walked a few blocks to Create A Bowl, and then took a cab to his hotel.
"Where are you staying?"
"At the W".
"Honey, that's so swanky".
"Yeah, I figured if you said yes to me, then you would like it. And if you said no, it would lift my spirits".
She smiled at him and kissed him.
"I love you, Mr. Hart".
"I love you, Miss Edwards".
They pulled up to the hotel and walked inside. He insisted on carrying her bag, so she carried their dinner.
He stopped at the front desk and ordered a beverage cart to be brought to their room, with champagne, water, and white wine.
As soon as they were inside their room, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
"We need to make a phone call".
"Ok".
He picked up the phone and dialed the number. She started kissing his neck while they waited.
"Max? Hi, it's me. I am just calling to let you know that Jennifer said yes. We are coming home in a few days".
"That's the best news I've heard in a month Mr. H. Tell her I'm overjoyed and can't wait to see her".
"Darling, he says he's overjoyed and can't wait to see you".
"Me too, Max".
"Max, she says her too. Ok, we gotta go, we will see you soon".
He hung up and wrapped his arms around Jennifer.
There was a knock at the door, so he went to answer it. It was their beverage cart.
He wheeled it in, and then popped the champagne and poured them each a glass.
Jennifer got their dinner set up on the table, and got everything out of the bag.
They fed each other bites of their bowls, and drank their champagne.
Jennifer had gotten penne pasta with meatballs, pesto, mozzarella, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes.
Jonathan had gotten cheese ravioli with sausage, meat sauce, mushrooms, bell peppers and mozzarella.
"So, we fly to my father's for a couple days. And then, we can come back here and I will pack my stuff and move to California with you again".
"Great plan. And this time, we will start looking for a bigger house".
"As long as I'm with you, I can make anything work".
"And as long as I'm with you, I will do whatever I can to give you whatever you want".
They finished their dinner and then got ready for bed.
He took the champagne to the bedside table.
She came out of the bathroom in a short bright blue lacy nightgown.
She climbed into bed with him and he kissed her as he handed her more champagne.
"Thank you".
They chatted about things while they drank their champagne, and then she put her glass on the nightstand.
"Do you want some more?"
"No thank you."
He reached up and turned out the light.
He finished his champagne, and then set the glass on the nightstand.
He rolled over to her and kissed her with an intensity that neither of them had ever felt before.
He ran his arms up and down her back while he kissed her neck.
She ran her fingers through his hair, and gripped his neck and shoulders while he moved his kisses lower.
He pulled her nightgown up and kissed her nipple.
She gasped and let out a moan, then pulled her nightgown up over her head.
She reached down and started pushing his pajama pants down, while he hooked his fingers around the waistband of her lace panties and pulled them down. He planted some kisses on her legs as he erotically pulled her panties off.
He stood up and shed his pajama pants, and then climbed back on top of her.
She wrapped her legs around the bottom of his, and grabbed his butt.
He was kissing her neck and moaned when she grabbed him.
He kissed every inch of her neck and chest and then returned his kisses to her lips once more.
He easily connected his body with hers and, began to rock his hips towards her repeatedly.
She eagerly accepted him and pulled him closer to her.
When he finally took her to her peak, her reaction was loud, frantic, exciting, and unpredictable.
As the waves of her orgasm washed over her, his own did the same to him.
They calmed down by holding each other and kissing each other softly.
He reached up and turned on one of the lights by the bed, and got up and got them both some water.
"We have wine too, if you want some".
"No thanks. Let's take that with us to my father's".
"Good idea".
She drank some water and then snuggled up to him.
"Darling, I know that I went on dates with Greg. But did you….date…anyone else?"
"I had a half of a date".
"A half of a date?"
"Yes. She wasn't my type and Susan saw me and convinced me of that, and I ended it early".
"I'm glad".
"Trust me, there's no way I would have ended up with her. She had a nose ring, the kind that's between your nostrils. And she smoked".
Jennifer let out a hearty laugh trying to picture that.
"So, you didn't even dance with her?"
"No, I didn't. We didn't even eat together. We just had a drink".
"I see".
"What about you and Greg? How far did things go?"
"We were never intimate. I kept telling him I wasn't ready. Besides, he was so busy criticizing me that we didn't really have time for anything else".
"Criticizing you?"
"Yeah. What I wore, what I ate, all of it."
"I promise you right now, that I will never do that to you, ever".
"I believe you".
He held her till she fell asleep, and then fell asleep himself, now that he knew his world was complete.