"Where to first?" They were just entering Beverly Hills, and Jonathan was behind the wheel once more. Only this time he'd chosen to bring out a sexy little Jaguar convertible. Living in New York, Jennifer didn't have a car of her own, but that didn't stop her from choosing her favorites if she did make such a purchase. The purr of this engine was enough to tickle her down to her toes.
He roared the engine at a stoplight and Jennifer bit her lip in barely contained glee. Perhaps, if she played her cards right, she could talk him into taking her out into the flat, open roads of Valencia and let her drive. She would certainly make it worth his while.
Not that they weren't headed for a day she would thoroughly enjoy, although she was still unsettled by the reason behind their trip. All of her clothing, save for what she had with her at the cabin, had been destroyed. Jeans and boots were fun in the moment, but they weren't very sensible in the city, certainly not when she had business to deal with. Then there was the cocktail party for World Team Medical. Dr. Menard invited her personally and it would be a great opportunity to find out why her article was shelved. If she didn't make any headway with Marcia beforehand. Either way, she needed a dress for that as well.
"Nothing too exotic. I just need a few things for the next few days." Jennifer watched the neighborhood roll by, the glimpses of mansion set back behind tall, full trees. It was beautiful, of course, but there was an artifice about it that made her uncomfortable. A little too Stepford, with its perfectly symmetrical landscaping and such.
"I wouldn't want to live in Beverly Hills," She said casually, watching a woman walking her very coiffed poodle glide along the sidewalk. Her needle thin heels were incredibly high and even at their clip Jennifer could see a great deal of expensive jewelry on the woman and the dog. "Did you see that?"
Jonathan didn't respond and when she glanced at him, he was very focused on the road. He shifted his gaze slightly to hers and his eyes were bright as a spring sky and not nearly as uncomplicated.
"I didn't realize that was an option," He said carefully, shifting once more to stare out the windshield. He was so careful not to push her that she could fall in love with him for that alone.
"It's…" She trailed off. She was about to tell him it wasn't, of course it wasn't. Her life was across the globe and her apartment was in Manhattan.
But the truth wasn't nearly so simple. It was silly - insane, even - to even contemplate a future with him. They hadn't even known each other properly for a week. Perhaps fifteen years ago, when she was younger and more naive, it would have made perfect sense to meet a man, fall in love and plan her entire future in a handful of days. That was just the sort of impulsive move she would have made.
But she wasn't that woman anymore. Was she?
"It's not an option." Jennifer said carefully, watching Jonathan's fingers tighten on the steering wheel. She wondered if he would argue with her…argue for her. The day was too beautiful for an a disagreement, though, so she gave him a little more truth. "But it's also not…not an option. I think."
Jonathan's lips curved into a small smile. "I can live with that."
"This cannot be fun for you." Jonathan hefted another armful of bags into the too-small trunk of the Jag. For someone who claimed to only need a few things, Jennifer was blazing through the boutiques of Rodeo with an impressive haul. She loved shopping, he could tell, and once she realized he was not there to offer criticism or complaint, she seemed to enjoy his company as well. She certainly seemed to like having an audience as she tried things on and he was pleased to find out she genuinely sought his input. He wasn't very much help, however, because he thought she was stunning in everything.
In the third, or was it fourth?, boutique, she'd balked when he prodded her to try on the evening dress that was featured in the front window. It was a gorgeous black floor length that would accentuate her trim waist and show off her back to perfection. He could just imagine her in it, and he had an idea of the pieces of jewelry she would need to complete the ensemble. She told him she had no occasion to wear it and he promised he'd come up with one if she'd just indulge him. He didn't insist on paying for anything except that dress and, when he theatrically batted his eyelashes at her, she'd given in with a laugh.
"I can't say no to you." She'd patted his cheek and brushed her thumb over his bottom lip before averting her eyes as though she'd said too much. Maybe she had.
So they shopped on. He would buy her every thread of clothing in every store if she asked, but she didn't ask and he didn't push.
"I enjoy watching a beautiful woman try on beautiful clothes." Jonathan strode around to open her door for her before getting in himself. "Where to next?"
It was then that Jennifer's stomach growled audibly and they both giggled. Jonathan found himself laughing more with Jennifer than just about anyone else. She was lively and witty and she didn't take herself too seriously. She even managed a few chuckles over his silly puns. Her tolerant adoration of his silliness made him seek to make her roll her eyes, or give him a playful jab in his ribs.
He could imagine days and weeks just like this, simply being together. Domestic bliss for a man who didn't think he would ever be domesticated.
But first, he had to feed her.
"Lunch," They said at the same time.
Jonathan's first suggestion was the posh and beautiful L'Orangerie. It was such a trendy place, teeming with the who's who of Los Angeles glitterati. Of course the food was top notch, but Jennifer didn't want to see or be seen. They were in such a lovely little bubble, with no gossips or busybodies to interfere. Jonathan was a kind and gregarious man who, no doubt, knew many people. Jennifer had no desire to try to define her relationship with him to the friends and acquaintances who would no doubt want to stop in for a quick hello. Or the women who viewed her as a threat to his bachelorhood. How could she tell them anything, when she wasn't sure it all was herself?
Her silence must have been damning, because Jonathan nodded to himself. "I hear you. I know just the place." He headed west and it took only a few short turns before he pulled up in front of an unassuming cafe.
"Doughboys." Jennifer read the sign aloud. "Well."
"You're gonna love this." Jonathan promised, before expertly maneuvering into a tiny street-side spot.
The cafe itself was packed to capacity and bustling with the noise of happy, hungry people. Fortunately the wait was short and before long they were tucked into a table by a front window, so small that their knees touched beneath the chipped formica. The menu was enormous, with every breakfast item you could imagine and Jennifer felt her stomach rumble again at the delicious maple-scented air.
The lingered over the menu before each settled on a different kinds of eggs benedict.
"We'll take a red velvet cake to go." Jonathan promised when the server whisked away their menus with promises to bring their coffees right out.
"You know what I like." Jennifer purred, and Jonathan's grin turned devilish.
"I absolutely do."
"Naughty." Jennifer chided without heat, then decided to broach the subject that had niggled at her all day. "What kind of man with an empire like yours can simply steal away for a day of shopping? It's good to be king?"
Jonathan shrugged. "Sort of. Building an empire means hiring people you trust to take care of the parts of the business you can't oversee. I trust my people to do their jobs. And, to be honest, I'm in a bit of a hold pattern on my newest venture, while I wait for the results of an independent investigation."
The waitress delivered two steaming cups of coffee, a tiny pitcher of cream and a handful of sugar and sweetener packets. Jennifer picked up a pink packet and dumped it into her coffee.
"That sounds serious." She stirred the coffee and propped her chin on her hand. Jonathan added just a dollop of cream to his coffee and sipped.
"A friend of mine owns McDowell Aviation. He wants me to buy it, something I've been after for years."
"But…?" She sensed his hesitation and more than that, she was delighted that he was sharing so much with her. If men she was seeing did bother to "bore her with the details", they were usually fairly tight-lipped because she was "the press". Jonathan didn't seem to care at all.
"But he has a son who's poised to take it over. Not the one he wanted to inherit, because his oldest was killed in an accident some years ago. But Peter…he's bright and driven, just in a different way than Bill."
"You don't want to step into something like that unless you're sure."
"Exactly." He reached across the tiny table and brushed his fingers against Jennifer's. Just a nudge, but Jennifer turned her hand over so that his palm rested against hers.
They fit together, in that mystical and unbelievable way. She felt more steady with his hand in hers, their fingers twining easily.
Too easily.
"And what about you? I bet you've already got your next story lined up." He asked, with such genuine interest that Jennifer felt her heart thud hard in her chest. It wasn't a cheap line, or a maneuver that meant he could talk about himself a little bit more.
That laughter - that genuine giddiness that seemed to bubble up whenever Jonathan was around, welled again. He made her so happy.
She leaned across the table to kiss him and he met her more than halfway.
He was always meeting her more than halfway.
"I could fall in love with you." Jennifer heard herself saying, her skin glowing with the intensity of the revelation. Her mind had run away with her mouth before her insecurities could stop it. She felt exposed and vulnerable. Icy hot and freezing cold in the same breath, the soft skin of his hand the only thing anchoring her to the moment.
She hadn't meant to say it, but Jonathan didn't miss a beat. He squeezed her hand and her heart when he flashed that devastating smile, now even brighter. "Me, too."