Anything But Mine

by Justice, Barbara

  He smiled, thinking about how much more sexually adventurous Jennifer had become during the course of their relationship. He let his thoughts wander back to the night a week earlier when she initiated what he’d always remember as the “whipped cream night”, finding it difficult to reconcile the Jennifer of that night with what she had told him about her sexual history, revealing that he was only the third man she had ever slept with. The first time we made love, she was so shy and unsure of herself, he thought. I love that she was so sexually inexperienced. She was practically a virgin, but has proven herself to be a quick learner.

  Throughout the day of Catherine’s bachelorette party, Vince’s thoughts continued to wander towards Jennifer. He was distracted by the knowledge that she would not be coming home to him that night, and would instead be spending the night in her Brooklyn Heights apartment with Catherine and some other friends.

  Even though I’ll have a bodyguard stationed outside her apartment, I don’t like the idea of her voluntarily spending a night away from me, he thought, as he pondered where his relationship with Jennifer was heading. I need to lock it down, and make her mine forever, he thought, but wondered if it was too soon, after only a few, albeit intense, months together, to talk about marriage. I’ll have to talk to Seth about it tonight.

  Vince strolled into The Old Homestead, a steakhouse in the meatpacking district, a little after 7:00, greeting the host before making his way to a table in the dining room where his closest friend, Seth Jacobs, was already seated. Since their college days at the University of Pennsylvania, Vince had come to depend on Seth for his sound advice, legal and otherwise, and retained him as his personal counsel once Seth graduated from Yale Law School. “Sorry I’m late, buddy,” he said, shaking Seth’s hand. “I got stuck in traffic on the West Side Highway.”

  “It happens,” Seth replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Good to see you. We haven’t had the chance to get together much lately.”

  “I’ve been a little preoccupied. Let’s order, and I’ll fill you in.”

  Over steaks and a bottle of cabernet sauvignon, Vince confided, “I’m very seriously thinking of asking Jennifer to marry me. She’s the one, the only one, for me.”

  After nearly choking on a piece of bread, Seth blurted out, “What?”

  “She’s the one,” Vince repeated. “I want to marry her, and have a family with her.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “Very serious, Seth. Your thoughts on the subject, please,” Vince said, as he took a sip of wine and sat back in his chair.

  “She’s young, much younger than the women you usually date. And you’ve only been together a little while. Aren’t you rushing things a bit? You’ve never had a relationship last more than six months.”

  “We’ve been together about four months now,” Vince said. “And, don’t forget, I was with Daphne for eight months.”

  “Well, you’re going to need a pre-nuptial agreement. We’re going to have to compile a detailed list of all your assets and liabilities, and disclose it to her before we begin negotiations,” Seth said, switching from friend mode to lawyer mode.

  Seth watched as Vince shook his head and crossed his arms tightly across his chest. “Look, I’m just trying to protect you in the event of a divorce. Even though Jen probably makes millions of dollars as a model, based on the little bit I know about her, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to your net worth in the billions of dollars. A pre-nuptial agreement is the only way to safeguard your business and your personal fortune.”

  “I understand that I have to have a pre-nup, but I don’t like making plans for a divorce. Jennifer is the only woman for me. I will never let her go.”

  “Okay, but I guess I don’t get it, Vince. You’ve dated some of the most beautiful women in the world, and yet you never once mentioned to me that you were thinking of getting married. What makes this one, Jen, so special?”

  “You’re right, Seth. I’ve dated other beautiful women, but Jennifer is so much more than just a beautiful woman.”

  “How so?”

  “Jennifer is different. Remember that day last summer, at the polo match where I first saw her?” Vince watched as Seth nodded his head, before continuing, “Daphne called her ‘miss goody two shoes’ and said she was boring. What Daphne didn’t realize was that she put the nails in her own coffin by describing Jennifer that way. I’ve been looking for a good girl, a nice girl, my whole life. I want someone who loves me for me, and not for my wallet. From the time I started working on Wall Street, women have thrown themselves at me, and first dates have always ended up in bed because that’s what they thought I wanted. But all that told me was that they were desperate for my money and not for me, because they barely knew me after one date.”

  Seth again nodded his head. “And Jennifer?”

  Vince sighed, and smiled. “We dated for a month before we slept together.”

  “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “No kidding. It nearly killed me, but trust me, she was worth waiting for. So shy, so sweet, so innocent…she was just perfect,” he said with a sigh, remembering the first time they made love.

  “The shy and innocent thing is a novelty for you, Vince. Don’t you think you’ll get tired of that after a while?”

  “She’s a quick learner,” Vince said with a chuckle. He took another sip of wine, before continuing, “Look, I understand your concerns, Seth, but Jennifer is different. She doesn’t think the world revolves around her, and she doesn’t expect me to buy her affections, unlike all the other women I’ve dated in recent years. Do you know that she has never once asked me to fly her someplace on my jet? It just wouldn’t occur to her to ask me that. And she has her own place in the Hamptons, so she’s not going to ask me to rent her a place for the summer, like Daphne and the others did. She’s never once asked me for jewelry, or clothing, or for anything, in fact. It’s funny—the fact that she never asks me for anything just makes me want to give her everything.”

  Vince paused again, noting Seth’s raised eyebrows. “Even though Jennifer is so young and innocent, at the same time she is independent, and very smart. Did you know she’s a college graduate? Not many models are. She studied art history at LaSalle in Philadelphia, before finishing her last two classes here in New York. She’s a good businesswoman, too—she’s made some nice real estate investments so far, and has her eye on another possible deal.” He took a deep breath, sighed, and said, “She gives me everything I need, everything I crave, and I’ve never been more attracted to a woman in my life.”

  Seth’s instinct to cross examine Vince kicked in. “I thought you mentioned that you gave her a car and driver, and a bodyguard. She didn’t ask for those?”

  “No, she didn’t. In fact, she resisted them at first. I assigned them to her after she was attacked. I couldn’t bear it if anything else happened to her. That’s why I had her move into my apartment—so she would be safe.”

  “And she agreed to this?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, it sounds like you have her under your, or your staff’s, constant watch,” Seth replied, sitting back in his chair. “I just hope it doesn’t get out of control this time, Vince,” he said, alluding to their college days at Penn when Seth had to talk more than a few girls out of reporting Vince to campus security because he became obsessed with any girl he went out with, and stalked each of them after only a couple of dates.

  Vince’s eyes narrowed into dark slits. “That was years ago, Seth,” he growled. “Everything is under control this time. Jennifer agreed to move in with me right after she was attacked because I could provide her with the best security and keep her safe. Even her parents insisted she stay with me.” Noting Seth’s surprised look, he continued, “She has her freedom, and she’s even having a girls’ night tonight—a bachelorette party for one of her friends—and I’m not following her around.”
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br />   Seth challenged Vince, “But one of your employees is following her tonight, right? Does she know about it?”

  “Yes, actually, she is the one who suggested it, knowing it would make me feel better about her safety.”

  Seth was silent for a moment, raising his eyebrows and nodding his head before replying, “Maybe you do have it all under control this time, Vince.” He took a deep sip of wine, and said, “Good for you, buddy.”

  When Vince returned home later that evening, he rummaged through Jennifer’s dressing room, looking for an opal and diamond ring he occasionally saw her wear on her left ring finger. After searching through each of the drawers in her built-in dresser, he finally found the ring in a small jewelry box at the back of her lingerie drawer. She really needs to use the safe I had installed for her, he thought.

  He removed the ring and traced the inner and outer circumference on a blank piece of paper in order to note her ring size, before returning the ring to the jewelry box, and placing the piece of paper with her ring size inside his wallet for future reference.

  After returning the jewelry box to her lingerie drawer, Vince took the time to fondle some of Jennifer’s underwear, gently touching each satin or lace panty. He lifted a few of her panties to his face so he could inhale the faint, sweet vanilla-sugar scent of Jennifer’s favorite perfume that infused the sachets she kept in the drawers of her dresser and armoire. I miss you so much tonight, he thought. I wish I knew what you were doing right now.

  As Vince closed the drawer, he felt a vibration in his pants pocket, and realized his cell phone was still in the vibrate-only mode he placed it in while at dinner. He took it out, looked at the display and was pleased when he saw a text message from Jennifer: “Having a great time, but miss you. Hope you had a good dinner with Seth. Love you lots.”

  He immediately texted her back: “Dinner was good. Skipped dessert and will have it when you come home tomorrow. Love you more.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  The first Saturday in May was sunny and seasonably warm, a perfect day for Catherine and Luke’s wedding. Jen stepped out of the stretch limousine along with the rest of the bridesmaids, and watched as her friend was assisted out of the limo by her father. Jen turned towards the church steps, and caught a glimpse of Chris standing at the top. He smiled and waved, and she acknowledged him with a nod of her head. No need to be antagonistic today, she thought. Today is about celebrating Catherine and Luke, and their love for each other.

  Jen turned back towards Catherine, and asked, “Ready?”

  Catherine seemed somewhat nervous, but nodded her head. “Yes.”

  Jen smiled and whispered in her ear, “Just think of the aisle as a long runway. Work it, baby!”

  Catherine laughed out loud, and gave Jen a hug. “That’s why I love you! You always can find a way to make me laugh.”

  They stepped inside the church, and a few minutes later it was time to walk down the aisle. Tyeisha went first, and Jen followed her, searching the faces in the pews for Vince and for Drew. About halfway down the aisle, she saw Drew smiling broadly at her. At first her heart skipped a beat, but then she noticed he was holding hands with a tall, obviously bleached-blond woman in a low-cut, cleavage-enhancing red dress. I think I’m going to throw up, she thought, as the smile on her face quickly faded.

  Three pews down the aisle, Vince was staring at her with his arms crossed tightly against his chest and a stern look on his face. Oh my God, I hope he didn’t see me looking at Drew, she thought. He gets so jealous, and I just don’t want to deal with it today. As she approached Vince, she smiled her best smile and winked at him, causing the corners of his mouth to turn up in a smile. Thank God. Maybe he isn’t as upset as I thought he was.

  Just as Jen reached the first pew, she saw Chris staring at her from across the aisle. This is like walking through a minefield, she thought. She turned and faced the aisle, watching as Catherine made her way to the altar, escorted by her father, who wiped away a tear as he gave his daughter away to Luke.

  At the reception following the wedding ceremony, during Luke and Catherine’s first dance, Vince leaned over to Jen and said, “They seem very happy.”

  Jen smiled and nodded her head as she watched the newlyweds move across the dance floor. “They are,” she replied with a contented sigh.

  When the rest of the guests were invited to join them in the dance, Vince stood up and offered his hand to Jen, guiding her out onto the dance floor. He held Jen close, and whispered in her ear, “This is our first dance together too.” As they moved to the music, Vince caught Drew staring at them, and he pulled Jen even closer to him, kissing her, first on the cheek and then on her lips. He stared back at Drew, and ran his hands up and down Jen’s back, as if to telegraph his thoughts. She is mine.

  When they returned to their table, Drew sat to the right of Jen, and Collette sat to Drew’s right. Jen re-introduced Drew and Vince, reminding them that they met briefly the night of the charity auction.

  Drew, in turn, introduced Jen and Vince to Collette. As they made small talk, Jen felt tense, sandwiched between her boyfriend, and the love that had slipped away from her. Each time she looked to her right, she found Collette staring in her direction. I wonder why she is staring at me. It’s as if she knows Drew’s and my history together, she thought. She is making me so uncomfortable.

  After she was introduced to Vince and Jen, Collette began to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I get it now, she thought. Drew told me he had been “more than friends” with a woman named Jen in New York, and this is her, she thought, staring at Jen. Vince pays me to keep Drew’s body and mind occupied, and off of his girlfriend – who happens to be Jennifer LaBella, the supermodel. As Collette continued to stare at Jen, she realized, this could be a big payday for me.

  Once the toasts were concluded, Collette excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. “I’ll be back in a minute,” she said.

  A few moments later Vince’s cell phone rang. “I have to take this,” he said, when he looked at the display and saw it was Collette calling him. “Drew, feel free to steal a dance with Jennifer, if you want to, while I’m outside.”

  The band began playing a slow ballad, and Drew asked Jen to dance. Together they stepped onto the dance floor, and held each other for the first time in months as they swayed to the music. “I’ve missed you,” Drew said.

  “I’ve missed you too,” replied Jen. “How have you been?”

  “Okay.” Drew smoothed Jen’s hair, causing her to wince slightly. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” he said. “It’s just a natural reaction, being close to you.”

  “I know, but please don’t do that again. You’re here with your new girlfriend, and I’m here with my boyfriend,” she said. Drew didn’t answer her, and they danced for a few more moments, before Jen continued, “Collette seems nice. Are you happy?”

  “Yes, but not as happy as I would be if I was with you.”

  “Drew, we could have still been together, if you hadn’t pushed me away. It was your choice, not mine,” Jen said, annoyed.

  “I know, and I’m sorry,” he replied. “I just didn’t want either of us to be hurt.”

  “Well, despite your good intentions, unfortunately, I think we both ended up hurt anyway,” she said, as the bitter heartache she felt over Drew’s rejection that had been buried deep inside her bubbled to the surface. They continued to move to the music while the band played a song about missed opportunities, and two lovers wondering what might have been if they’d had the chance to be together. “Wow, this is a weird song for a wedding,” Jen said. “What are they thinking?”

  “It’s almost as if they are trying to tell us something,” Drew said. “We’ve both moved on, and there is no way to know what might have been.”

  Jen nodded and fought back tears. As the song came to an end, she excused herself and went to the ladi
es’ room to freshen up. On the way there, she caught a glimpse of Vince and Collette down the hallway, involved in what seemed to be an intense, heated conversation. I wonder what that’s about?

  Vince listened impatiently, as Collette taunted him and threatened him, demanding a $100,000 bonus on top of her already large monthly stipend, to buy her silence. “You really don’t want your girlfriend to find out that you pay me to sleep with Drew and keep him away from her, do you?”

  “I don’t take kindly to threats, Collette. You don’t intimidate me at all,” Vince replied in a stern, but even voice.

  “If you don’t give me the money, I’ll go in there right now and tell both of them what you did to keep them apart.”

  Vince laughed. “Go ahead. Be my guest.” When Collette just looked at him, dumbfounded, Vince continued, “It will expose you as the whore that you are, and you will lose the big paycheck you get every month.”