by Tremay, Joy
“I didn’t say that,” Jake said in a frustrated tone.
“Yes, you did. You just said that it’s not as if I couldn’t get another job like mine in New York.”
“It came out wrong. I just want you to be with me, that’s all,” he said placatingly.
Biting her lower lip, Diana looked at him for a moment. He was so handsome lying there on her pink sheets that she could feel her anger start to drain away, but she was still smarting from his unintended insult.
“I think you should leave,” she said quietly.
“What?” Jake asked in a slightly astonished voice.
“You heard me. I need some time to think. Alone.”
Jake stared at her for a few seconds before rising. He left her bed and stood up before her, naked and upset.
“I’m sorry. Apparently, I’ve said all the wrong things to you, but we’re not done talking, Diana.”
“For now, we are,” she said with a finality that made it clear that the conversation was over.
Jake sighed and then picked up his clothes from a nearby chair. Without another word, he left her bedroom and shut her door gently. Diana stared at the closed door for a few seconds before flinging herself on her bed and allowing herself to have a good, long cry.
~
“Dammit, why can’t she just be reasonable about all this?” Jake muttered to himself as he sat at his desk at work and gripped a pen in his hand.
It had been a very long, grueling day and he had instructed his secretary to inform future callers that he had already left the office for the evening. This morning’s argument with Diana had started him off on the wrong foot and he had developed a throbbing headache as the day had slowly progressed.
He had not meant to belittle Diana’s job as a preschool teacher, but he had been taken aback by her refusal. He desperately wanted her to come with him to Manhattan and he had been certain that she would readily agree. He had never before asked any woman to live with him and he had assumed that she would jump at the opportunity to continue their relationship even if she had to move out of state. Apparently, he had misjudged her strong ties to her job, family, and friends. Hurt pervaded his being at the thought that she didn’t care about him enough to leave everything behind.
Jake winced at the unfairness of that thought. He hadn’t exactly told her that he loved her. He felt possessive, protective, and caring, but was that love? The only thing he was certain about was that he couldn’t imagine his life without her. A startling solution suddenly came to his mind making him pause. He slowly smiled, relief flooding his heart as he pictured Diana beaming with happiness. He had been blind and stupid not to have seen how simple it was to fix things between them. Now it was up to him to make things right and he was determined not to fail because his future depended on it.
~
“Of all the asinine assumptions,” Diana fumed as she forcefully unpacked groceries in her mother’s kitchen.
“Be careful, darling. You’re going to break the eggs,” cautioned Trina, watching her daughter shove the egg carrier back into place and slam the vegetable drawer shut.
“He’s got some nerve,” Diana grumbled as she continued to toss frozen meat into the freezer.
“Uh, honey, let me put away the groceries. I think you should just sit down and have some tea,” said Trina carefully.
“It’s not every day that a man asks you to just leave everything and live with him. I guess that his next move would be to toss me over his shoulder and carry me to his secret lair, Neanderthal style.”
“Ranting and raving is not healthy, dear. You need to talk to him.”
“I don’t want to talk to him,” said Diana crossly as she stalked out of the kitchen and into the living room. She sat on the sofa and crossed her arms against her chest staring moodily at the wall in front of her.
Trina followed her into the living room and stared down at her disgruntled daughter.
“You’re behaving like a child.”
Diana sighed and looked up at her mother apologetically.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Trina sat down next to her and stroked her daughter’s hair back, which helped soothe Diana’s raw nerves.
“You love him, don’t you, darling?” Trina asked gently.
Diana looked into Trina’s understanding eyes for a few seconds before nodding reluctantly. She placed her head on her mother’s shoulder, sighing deeply.
“If you want to go with him to New York, I would understand and so would Murray.”
Lifting her head, Diana looked at her mother searchingly.
“But...I couldn’t leave you, Mom. We’ve always been together.”
“Sweetheart, Jake loves you and you love him. You belong together. Murray and I can always visit you in New York or you can visit us.”
“But I don’t know if he loves me...” Diana said morosely.
Trina let out a little laugh.
“I saw the way he was looking at you when you both came to visit us last weekend. That man loves you, darling. Trust me.”
Diana frowned disbelievingly at her mother’s words.
“He hasn’t said so.”
“He does,” Trina nodded wisely. “Sometimes men are just a little bit dense, dear. You have to be patient with them.”
Diana smiled at her mother’s statement, but then frowned again.
“I don’t want to leave you,” she said and took her mother’s hand in hers.
“I’ll miss you, Diana, but your life is with him now. I know you would be unhappy if he left and you stayed behind here in Vegas.”
Diana was silent for a long moment before she looked at her mother again.
“I do love him, Mom.”
“I know you do. Trust your heart, sweetheart.”
Diana’s feelings were in turmoil, but her heart was strong in its conviction. She needed to find a way to get Jake to reveal his true feelings for her. She knew that if he left without her, she would be devastated, but she still wasn’t ready to leave Las Vegas unless she knew without a doubt that he loved her. Her mother’s reassurances gave her the courage to question him, but apprehension still gripped her heart.
Chapter Eight
The meadow was sweet smelling and the grass was lush as Jake surveyed it from a distance. Two days after their row, he had managed to convince Diana to join him at this meadow in Mt. Charleston, not far from her mother’s house. He had been nervous that she would refuse, but he could sense that she wasn’t as upset with him as she had been two days ago. He had asked Liz to pack them a picnic basket and she had made sure that there were plenty of chocolate-covered strawberries, specialty cheeses, deli meats, gourmet bread and red wine in the basket. He wanted this picnic to be perfect for Diana because he wanted her to remember it for the rest of her life.
~
Diana drove up to the meadow and parked her Mazda right behind Jake’s car. He was leaning against his black Porsche casually wearing faded blue jeans and a light blue T-shirt. His tall, lean, muscular figure made her heart leap as she stepped out of her car wearing a yellow, sleeveless top and a flared, white mini-skirt. Her frustration with him had dissipated after her talk with her mother a few days ago. Now all she wanted was to open his stubborn mind to the possibility that he did love her after all.
~
“Hi, there,” he said softly, his eyes admiring as he took in Diana’s tanned arms and slender legs.
“Hi,” answered Diana quietly and allowed him to draw her into his arms. He leaned back against his Porsche and stroked her back gently. “I’ve missed you, Diana.”
Diana wrapped her arms around his waist and enjoyed the feel of his hard body against hers.
“I’ve missed you too, Jake,” she replied as she breathed in his masculine scent and reveled being in his arms again.
Two days had gone by since their argument at her apartment and, for some reason, it had felt longer. She now realized that it would be impossible to continue to live
in Vegas without Jake. She needed to be with him like she needed air to breathe.
“Thank you for spending today with me,” he said, nuzzling her hair.
“You’re welcome.”
Jake reluctantly released her and walked over to the trunk of his car. She watched him as he lifted an enormous picnic basket out with a grunt of exasperation.
“This is heavier than I thought it would be,” he smiled wryly.
“What’s in it?” Diana asked curiously.
“I told Liz to pack a bottle of wine and a few other things, but I think she packed a restaurant instead.”
Letting out an amused laugh, Diana followed him to the meadow. He settled the basket in a grassy clearing. There was nobody else around and it was very quiet for a Saturday morning. The only sounds they heard were of birds chirping in the trees and the wind gently rustling the tree branches overhead. The sky was cloudless and the sun warmed their skin without scorching it. A pine tree provided shade as Jake spread a red and white checkered blanket on the ground. Grinning, he indicated to Diana to have a seat. She sat cross-legged on the blanket and dove eagerly into the large picnic basket.
“Wow, Liz really packed a lot of food,” marveled Diana as she took out several types of cheeses, a loaf of French bread, two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine.
Jake chuckled as he watched her take out grapes, gourmet deli meats packed in Tupperware, and chocolate-covered strawberries.
“I hope you’re hungry,” he said as he took out plastic plates and utensils from the basket.
Smiling, Diana shook her head in amazement as she continued to dig into the picnic basket.
“It’s a bottomless basket,” she said as she took out napkins and bottled water. “Liz has thought of everything.”
“Come here,” Jake said in a low voice.
Diana looked up and caught his hungry gaze. She leaned over the picnic basket as he placed a hand under her chin and tilted her head up to his.
Parting her lips, she felt him gently delve into her mouth with his tongue and explore her searchingly. She heard his moan and answered him with one of her own. She completely forgot where she was; the only thing that mattered was him and his kiss.
After almost a full minute of kissing, Jake leaned away and smiled at her.
“I’ve missed your sexy mouth,” he said, his voice deep, his eyes simmering with passion.
To keep him from affecting her again, she reached over to get a slice of cheese and French bread.
“Suddenly, I’m feeling quite famished,” she said, biting into the Havarti cheese and bread.
“Me, too,” Jake said, his grin still in place.
“We need to talk,” said Diana quietly.
Jake nodded, seeing the serious look in her eyes.
“I’m sorry that I -”
“I’m sorry -”
They both started speaking at the same time and both stopped abruptly. Diana let out a nervous laugh, sweeping her dark brown hair away from her face as she glanced at Jake under her eyelashes.
“Okay, you start,” she said softly.
Jake took her hand in his and gently stroked her knuckles with his fingertips causing her breath to hitch.
“I’m sorry that I made you mad at me,” Jake said apologetically. “I literally put my foot in my mouth and I’ve been kicking myself ever since. I didn’t realize I was being so insensitive and dictatorial.”
Diana looked deeply into his eyes and read the sincerity there. She found that she could forgive him almost anything by just looking into his stunning, green eyes.
“You forgot arrogant,” she said wryly. She paused then said, “I’m sorry that I lost my temper though.”
Jake lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles, causing her emotions to go into overdrive again.
“You’re beautiful when you’re angry,” he said huskily.
“You should see me when I’m having a full blown temper tantrum.”
Jake laughed. “I’d rather not.” He paused before continuing solemnly, “I’ve missed you these past two days, sweetheart.”
“I’ve missed you too, Jake. It has been pretty awful.”
“Then let’s start over and enjoy this picnic,” he suggested.
Diana nodded and, conceding to the wishes of her growling stomach, dug into the picnic food with relish.
By the time Diana had eaten the last chocolate-covered strawberry, she was ready to take a nap on Jake’s lap. A young family of four had arrived at the meadow and was playing Frisbee while an elderly couple had set up camping chairs nearby and looked to be set on bird watching with their binoculars.
“I wanted to give you something,” Jake said suddenly, his voice serious.
Diana’s eyes widened in astonishment as she watched him take out a small, black velvet box from the back pocket of his jeans.
“Jake, what -” Diana started, but he held out his hand to stop her from continuing.
“Just listen to me for a minute,” Jake said earnestly.
He opened the lid of the box and Diana’s eyes widened farther at seeing the large diamond ring nestled inside.
“Oh, wow, Jake,” she said slowly. “That is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen.”
Diana’s heart was galloping a mile a minute as her mind tried to wrap itself around the fact that Jake was about to propose to her.
“Will you marry me, Diana?”
Jake’s voice was full of emotion as he asked her the question. She couldn’t look away from his intense gaze and her heart melted when she read the tenderness there.
“Jake...this is so unexpected.”
Diana was at a loss for words. His marriage proposal was honestly the last thing she had expected from him.
“Say yes,” he said urgently, the intensity in his gaze deepening.
Diana was tempted to throw caution to the wind and say yes immediately, but something held her back. She needed to hear the words that would make both her heart and mind agree to accept his proposal.
“Why do you want to marry me, Jake?”
“Because you’re the one woman in the world whom I can’t live without,” he said softly.
It was close, but it wasn’t enough for Diana.
“And?” she persisted, her hands clenched as she willed him to say the words she needed to hear.
“And?” he repeated, frowning.
“What else?” she prodded him.
“Well...I know you and I are compatible in bed and out of it.” He paused and added, “And I know that you’ll love New York.”
He stopped, looking momentarily stymied, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The man she loved had proposed, but for reasons that were completely unacceptable. Her heart dropped like a stone into her stomach at the acute disappointment she felt at his answer.
“You’re joking, right?” she asked, becoming upset. “You know that you’re proposing for reasons that are so unacceptable that they’re almost ludicrous.”
“What is wrong, Diana?” he asked in genuine surprise. “I thought you’d be happy.”
“If all you’re looking for is a bed buddy, then count me out,” she said stiffly.
“That is not what you are to me and you know that, Diana,” Jake answered in an aggravated tone. He swept his blond hair back in frustration.
“I need a better reason for uprooting my whole life and moving to New York with you.”
“Isn’t marriage a good enough reason? Besides, it’s not as though you would suffer with the lifestyle I can provide for you, Diana.”
Diana eyes narrowed at his slightly pompous statement.
“What do you mean?” she asked stiffly.
“I’m sure you could adjust to living with me. I have a beautiful town house in Manhattan and I also own a vacation house in the Bahamas. I can provide you with anything you want,” he said with confidence.
Diana was completely affronted. Did he think that his money could sway her into marriage?
“You think that material things are very important to me, Jake?” She suddenly started feeling sad at his estimation of her. When had she shown him that she only cared for his wealth?
Jake stared at her for a moment. She could see that it had finally dawned on him that he had said one too many blunders, but it was too late. She was no longer sure if could spend one more minute in his presence without wanting to slap him.
“I’m just saying that I’m wealthy and you would want for nothing.”
“Do I look poor or something?” Disgusted by his focus on money, she looked away. “When have I ever made you think that I was materialistic?” “I -”Jake stopped and sighed, running his hands through his hair again. “I’m sorry, Diana. I just want you to be happy. I’ll be a good husband...and a good father.”
The mention of parenthood affected Diana in an unanticipated way. She had always wanted to be a mother, but she had not seriously considered it until now. She pictured an adorable, green-eyed little boy in her arms and the ache inside her intensified.
“I know we’d be good together, Diana. We already are,” persisted Jake. He took her hand in his and kissed her palm. She drew her hand away and shook her head.
“But how do you really feel about me, Jake? Please, be honest,” she said, staring into his eyes. She mentally willed him to open up his heart to her.
“Diana, you mean so much to me. I - I can’t envision my future without you.” Jake paused and then sighed. “What more can I say?”
For a moment, the confusion on his face made her sympathize with him and indecision made her hesitate.
“I - I care about you, Jake,” she said, but she wasn’t going to tell him she loved him. It would leave her too vulnerable, especially since he clearly didn’t love her back. “But marrying you would be a mistake.”
Diana stood up on shaky legs, wanting nothing more than to go home and lick her wounds. She had so desperately wanted to accept his marriage proposal and be his bride, but she realized now that Jake wasn’t in love with her and she couldn’t force him to be.
“Diana, wait,” Jake said in an urgent voice as he stood and placed his hands on her shoulders.