Lovestruck

by KT Grant

  "I need you to come in around nine tomorrow instead of noon. Ms. Jennings has scheduled a company meeting and wants all the employees there. She has an important announcement to make."

  Jenny ignored the buzzing in her ears. "Do you know what the meeting is for?"

  "You'll find out tomorrow, now won't you?" He snapped and walked away, growling under his breath.

  Jenny leaned against the wall. Barbara must have come to a decision about the St.

  Jennings and her employees. And if Jeffery was in a horrible mood, she knew it couldn't be good news.

  On her ride home, she decided she couldn't live like this, especially with the way things now stood between her and Barbara. After the doomsday meeting, as she had come to think of it over the past hour, she would talk to Barbara in a reasonable manner. She hoped the way things ended between them wouldn't ruin her chances at keeping her job.

  She expected to have a conversation about the meeting with Mike, but when she got home, his bedroom door was closed and his usual place at the kitchen table was vacant, meaning he was knee-deep in his writing. She sat there and made a sandwich, and then she stared at the wall, suddenly very afraid, more so than ever before. She could've called Tonya and talked to her about her fears, but didn't want to bother her friend who had more pressing matters to deal with than her own.

  Jenny slept like shit. Her nerves were shot. By the time she dozed off, the sun had risen, promising another gorgeous spring day.

  Even with the lack of sleep, Jenny made sure she arrived at work on time. She went through the motions of her job, just like she always did. When the clock struck ten, Jeffery walked in with Barbara and an incredibly attractive man.

  Coffee cup in hand, Barbara stood and chatted with the gorgeous man, who smiled down at her. They made a striking couple—both of them rich, well-dressed, good-looking. Jenny ignored the pang of jealousy bubbling low in her stomach. Jeffery stood off to one side, a disapproving scowl on his face.

  Barbara looked up, catching Jenny's eye, but Jenny quickly looked down at her computer and pretended to type something. She bit her lip and ignored the urge to wipe away the tears forming in her eyes. By the time she looked up again, the three had moved on, turning the corner toward the conference room.

  Soon after, the lobby started filling with other employees, many of them wearing street clothes because they had the day off. When Mike and Tonya made an appearance, Jenny smiled and waved at them. They walked over to her, each holding cups of Starbucks coffee. Mike, Jenny noticed, held two. She gave him a huge grin. "I hope one of those is for me."

  "Hey there, roomie. Absolutely. I figured you'd need this."

  Mike handed over the cup and she lifted it up to her nose and sniffed.

  Ah, manna of the gods. She took a sip, closing her eyes as she savored the taste.

  "Thanks. I didn't have time to stop for any this morning."

  Tonya leaned against the front desk. "You really need to do something about those dark bags under your eyes. Mike tells me you haven't been sleeping well."

  "Aw, thanks for caring." Jenny snorted. "Anyway, it's a long story. I guess you're here for the meeting?"

  "Yup." Tonya looked down at her Minnie Mouse watch, a gift she'd received from her soon-to-be ex-husband, Tom. Jenny was surprised Tonya still wore it.

  "Speaking of which, our little shindig starts in a few minutes. It better be something good to make me get up at the ass crack of dawn on a Sunday."

  Jenny and Mike shared a look.

  Tonya took a sip of her own coffee. "You two know something. What gives?" she asked.

  Jenny licked her lips and tried to think of something to tell Tonya, when Tia walked across the foyer and went behind the front desk. "Jenny, I'm here to take your place while you and the other full-timers attend the meeting. It's in the big conference room down the hall."

  "Oh, okay." Jenny grabbed her coffee and walked around the desk.

  Mike placed an arm around both Jenny and Tonya. They walked down the hall together. Jenny remained silent as Mike and Tonya chatted with one another.

  A hand-written sign taped to the door of the room indicated where they needed to be. More than half the room was filled and people sat and talked with one another. In the front of the room stood Barbara and the attractive man Jenny had noticed before.

  Jeffery sat in the front row.

  "Do you ladies want to sit in the back or closer to the front?" Mike asked.

  "Back." Jenny and Tonya said at the same time and laughed.

  Tonya and Jenny went in first and Mike sat in the chair near the aisle. Jenny looked to the front of the room and studied Barbara, noting how well rested and in good spirits she seemed. She wore one of her trademark dark suits, and she looked gorgeous.

  Barbara placed her hand on the suit who stood next to her. She squeezed his arm.

  Again Jenny felt a spurt of annoyance she could only describe as jealousy.

  "Oh my god. Do you know who that guy standing next to the Barra-erm Jennings is?" Mike whispered.

  Tonya looked over her cup. "Nope. But I wouldn't mind making his acquaintance. He is one hot puppy."

  "You got that right, sister. He's Kyle James, former sex god model for Abercrombie. He's uber-rich and buys and sells properties like nobody's business. He has to be worth billions. I wonder if he's gay?" Mike licked his lips as he looked Kyle up and down.

  "Mike, sometimes you're ridiculous. He's been fawning all over Barbara since the minute they walked into the hotel. He obviously has a thing for her. I'd say he's definitely not gay," Jenny said and crossed her arms.

  Tonya gave Jenny a strange glance, took another sip of her coffee and then sat up in her chair as if she'd been given an electric shock. She turned to Jenny. "Wait a minute there. You called The Barracuda by her first name. This crush of yours must be a serious one."

  Mike snorted. "You don't even know the half of it."

  Jenny kicked his shin and Mike groaned.

  Tonya raised a brow. "Something is going on between the two of you and I will be royally pissed if I've been left out."

  Jenny finished her coffee, knowing they were in trouble with Tonya. She would be like a dog after a bone until she found out what she wanted to know.

  Before Jenny could say another word, Barbara clapped her hands. The crowd turned their attention to the front of the room.

  "Hello everyone. Thank you all for coming in on your day off. For those who may not know me, I'm Barbara Jennings, President and CEO of the St Jennings Hotel chain. Standing beside me is real estate genius and well known entrepreneur, Kyle James."

  Kyle raised his hand and a few claps erupted from around the room. Mike rolled his eyes while Jenny looked down at her lap and fiddled with her cup. She had a very bad feeling about where this talk was heading.

  "The reason I called you in today is because there will be some changes at the St.

  Jennings. Some of you may have heard rumors about the possibility of the hotel closing or possible firings in the future. Well, I'm here to tell you, those weren't just rumors."

  Several people in the crowd mumbled their dismay and even Tonya looked shocked.

  "Oh shit." She whispered and Jenny patted her knee.

  Barbara held up her hands and quieted down the group. "The past few months have been pretty hard on my end because I was placed in a situation where I had to make a decision regarding the St. Jennings. I'll be honest with you, we are in the red, and the best course of action I had available was to close down a hotel that has been around for over one-hundred years. But after talking with some of my advisors and lawyers and going over the numbers, we found a way to save the hotel . . . at least for a few more years."

  Jenny looked up in surprise and for a moment Barbara locked eyes with her.

  "I wanted you to know you all are very important to me. That's why I've wanted to meet with each one of you. Times will be tough and I can't promise that there won't be cutbacks, but I'm going to try to
the best of my ability to keep the St. Jennings around for another century."

  A bigger round of applause and some cheers erupted in the room.

  "This is where Mr. James comes in. Kyle was very interested in purchasing the St.

  Jennings at first, but after a few talks between us, we came to an agreement. Kyle is well-known for helping corporations that are near bankruptcy restructure and reorganize, turning them around so they bring in a profit. He and I will be partners in this venture. We have some great ideas and a solid plan to keep the St. Jennings up and running and keep most of you on as employees. Again, thank you for all your hard work and dedication. It's more than appreciated. Both Kyle and I would love to answer any questions you may have. Perhaps you have some ideas that could help us."

  When Barbara finished with her speech, everyone stood and clapped. Mike and Tonya did the same while Jenny sat there stunned. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

  Mike nudged her with his elbow. "See, I told you everything would work out."

  Tonya put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. "Caffey, we need to talk.

  But first I think we should go and say hello to Mr. Sexy James."

  Mike rubbed his hands together. "Oh yeah. Sounds good to me. You coming Jenny?"

  Jenny shook her head. "You two go ahead. I have to get back on the floor anyway."

  "Catch ya later." Mike reached down and squeezed Jenny's hand. Again they shared a knowing look and she smiled up at him.

  Tonya let out a huff. "You two need to get a room with all those lusty stares you keep sharing. Jenny, I'm calling you later and you're going to tell me what the fuck is going on." She slid out of the aisle and stomped up to the front of the room without waiting for Mike. He laughed and followed her.

  Jenny watched as a large group surrounded both Barbara and Kyle. She noticed Jeffery remained seated, obviously angry, if one could judge by the scowl that crossed his face. She couldn't help but wonder if he thought he was being pushed to the side.

  She stood, and at the same moment Barbara looked over at her. Jenny gave her a small smile. Barbara returned it and Jenny nodded and went back to work. This time her step felt a bit lighter and she wasn't as nervous as before.

  Things were definitely looking up.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jenny was exhausted by the end of her shift. The day had been busier than usual, and the staff was buzzing about the morning's meeting. Jenny hoped Barbara would search her out so they could talk, but as soon as everyone went back to work, Barbara and her new buddy Kyle walked out of the hotel. Barbara didn't give her a second glance. Jenny could only stare after her retreating back and wonder what would happen next.

  Because she had come in early, she left a little after five. The sun was high in the sky and the late afternoon had become too hot and humid for her liking. Summer was right around the corner, trying to push spring out of the way. Jenny took off her uniform jacket, unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt and walked toward the subway. As she waited for the light to change, she watched the familiar limo stop around the corner and double parked.

  "Jennifer!" Barbara leaned out the back window and waved.

  Jenny considered ignoring Barbara's request, but curiosity got the better of her.

  And besides, she longed to talk to Barbara again, to apologize for the way she had acted at her apartment. As she made her way over to the car, Ted, the driver got out and walked around and held the car door open.

  Jenny stood there biting her lip. Barbara leaned her head out the door and frowned up at her.

  "What are you waiting for? Get in."

  "I'm not sure if I should get in the car with you."

  Barbara sighed and stepped out. Ted moved a respectful distance away, giving the two women their privacy.

  Barbara grabbed Jenny's hand and leaned in close. "If you don't get in this car I will kiss you senseless in front of all Manhattan." She whispered in her ear.

  Jenny's eyes grew wide and she looked over at Ted, who stared off into the distance. Barbara squeezed her hand and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

  "Please, Jennifer. We need to talk."

  Jenny heard the urgency in Barbara's voice. "Alright."

  Barbara smiled, tugging her into the back seat.

  Barbara settled in and Jenny sat there trying to decide if she should take her hand back. Oh, what the hell, she thought. She liked the feel of Barbara's hand in hers.

  Ted climbed back into the limo and the pulled away from the curb.

  "Where are we going?" Jenny asked.

  Barbara tilted her head. "Are you hungry? We can go get a bite to eat."

  Jenny thought of the last time she went out to eat with Barbara and shook her head. She wasn't up for some place fancy. She also didn't think Barbara would enjoy bar or diner food. "I'm hungry, but I'm not sure where we could go."

  "We can always go back to my place if you want? We can order take out."

  Jenny decided to test her. "Why don't we go back to my place instead? I have a pizza in the freezer and some vegetables to make salad."

  Barbara seemed to mull over the idea. "Is Mike going to be there?"

  "I'm not sure. He may be. Will it be a problem?" Jenny asked and waited for Barbara to recommend some place else.

  "No, that's fine. I think it's time I meet some of your friends, don't you think?"

  Barbara pushed away a piece of hair that had fallen over Jenny's right eye. She kept her hand against Jenny's cheek for a second and smiled at the shocked reaction Jenny couldn't hide.

  *

  Jenny climbed her stairs and Barbara followed. Neither said a word as she opened the door. She walked into the kitchen, put her bag down on the kitchen table and took a quick peek into Mike's bedroom. Empty. The living room was deserted as well. She checked her cell phone and saw a text message Mike had left about attending his weekly writing group and that he'd be back later.

  As Barbara looked over the various CDs and DVDs arranged on a shelf in the living room, Jenny went into the kitchen and took out the frozen pizza. Her hands were shaking. She pre-set the oven to warm it up and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

  "Would you like something to drink?" she asked, playing good hostess.

  "That would be great. I'll have either water or iced tea."

  Jenny took out the pitcher of iced tea and grabbed some glasses from the cabinet.

  "Must be nice to have a driver at your disposal," she commented as she poured.

  Barbara walked back into the kitchen and stood next to Jenny. "Yes, I guess you could say I'm spoiled that way. But I'm not the type of woman who expects her staff to wait around for me. I've sent Ted home for the night. I can always call a taxi or . . . . "

  "Or?" Jenny asked as she took a sip of her tea.

  "Or call him to come pick me up tomorrow morning." Barbara grinned and took a sip of her drink.

  "You have a lot of gumption assuming you'll be spending the night," Jenny said in a huff and sat down. She couldn't stand so close to Barbara without wanting to kiss her.

  Barbara sat down at the table. A bing went off and Jenny stood to put the pizza in the oven.

  Jenny turned and caught Barbara staring at her ass. She gave the older woman a pointed look, but Barbara simply smiled.

  Exasperated, Jenny resumed her seat at the table and wrapped her hands around her glass. "You said you wanted to talk."

  "Yes. I hated the way we ended things. Jennifer, I've been so lonely without you these past few days. I'm—well, it's never easy for me to admit when I've done something wrong, but I'm doing that now. I'm sorry. I hated the way I made you feel, as if I betrayed you. I never meant to hurt you. And I never expected—" She took a big gulp of her drink.

  "You never expected what?" Jenny asked as she looked down at the table.

  "I never expected to fall in love with you."

  Jenny looked back up. "How can you say you are in love with me when you've only known me f
or little over a week?"

  "My intuition has always been right on. I've never had these deep feelings for another woman before. Even when I had an affair or relationship it has never been this intense. I can't stop thinking about you, wanting to be with you. I want to kiss you, touch your body and hold you against mine. I want to wake up with you in the morning and make you come as the sun rises. I want to be your woman . . . ." Barbara took in a deep inhale. "And have an exclusive relationship."

  Jenny blushed. "Wow. I don't know what to say."

  Barbara folded her hands on the table. "Don't say anything, kiddo. That's the way it is on my end. I'd hope you'd have some of these same feelings for me."

  "I do." Jenny whispered and wiped her wet eyes.

  "Oh, Jennifer." Barbara stood, knelt and placed her arms around her.

  Jenny began to cry and hugged Barbara back. "I-I think I may love you too. Oh, god, I'm so scared. What if . . . shit, I don't know."

  Barbara tilted Jenny's chin up and looked her straight in the eye. "Kid, I'm scared also. In the past, I've always kept my . . . dating situation . . . under wraps. My father disapproved of my lifestyle and because of our differences, we would only speak if it was business related. He treated me as an employee rather than as a daughter. We never reconciled when he died. He went to the grave ashamed his daughter was a lesbian. But I no longer want to hide. I want to be out in the open and I want to show everyone how much you mean to me."

  Jenny let out a watery laugh. "I want that too, but . . . ."

  "But what, dearest?" Barbara played with Jenny's hair.

  "I'm not sure if I can give you what you need. I can hardly keep my life together as it is. I don't want you to think I'm with you because of your money or to keep my job."

  Barbara took Jenny's face in her hands. "Jennifer, I don't think that. Do you know you're the reason the hotel's been saved? I started thinking about all your ideas—the ones you told me about over breakfast that morning—on ways we could improve and modernize, and I mentioned them to Kyle. You changed his mind. So many people should be thanking you, not me." Barbara placed her forehead against Jenny's. "Forgive me." Barbara whispered.