by Glazer, J B
“I really enjoy it. My mom is a brilliant designer, and I’m learning a lot from her. I’m still finishing up getting my degree, so I only do it part-time.”
“So it’s working out well,” I say again. Tara gives me a look. “What? I thought I was being funny.” We’re interrupted by my mom calling everyone to dinner.
We’ll be sitting in two separate rooms. Even though I’m a grown adult, I’m usually at the kids’ table in the kitchen. It appears that Jake has influence because he and I have graduated to the dining room. We’re sitting with my parents, Barbara, Larry, Aunt Sandra, Uncle Larry, and Doug. He’s in by default. They all ask Jake a lot of questions.
“Give him a chance to eat,” I joke.
“I’m fine,” he tells me.
To give Jake a break, I ask Doug about his job prospects. When there’s a pause in the conversation, Jake turns to my mom and says, “Everything is delicious. I can see where Lexi gets her cooking skills.”
“I don’t know about her cooking, but wait until you taste her cobbler,” she tells him.
“I’m very much looking forward to it. I actually helped her make it.”
“Really?” asks my aunt.
“Well, I peeled the apples, but I consider that participating in the process.”
Everyone laughs. After the meal I help my mom clear the table, and Jake heads into the family room with the men to watch football. I’m glad he seems to be fitting in, though I wasn’t that worried. I was most concerned about my dad. He seems to like Jake, but I sense a hesitation. I pull him aside and ask him what he thinks.
“He seems like a nice young man. He has a good head on his shoulders, and he treats you well. And he obviously makes you happy. I haven’t seen you glow like this in a long time.”
“Thanks, Dad. He does make me happy.”
“That’s all I want for you,” he says. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt like you were with Ben.”
“I know, and I really hope this works out. I actually think he and I are a better match. Our relationship is built on common interests and ambitions versus just a shared history.”
My dad considers this and says, “Just follow your heart, and the rest will work itself out.”
There’s a knock at the door, and in walks my Uncle Steve with Ryan. Tara rushes over to hug them.
“Where are Jonathan and Andrew?” she asks.
My uncle shrugs apologetically. “They decided now that they’re both engaged they had to split time between the two families. I’m afraid it’s just the two of us.”
“We’re happy to have you,” my mom says, giving Steve a warm hug.
I find Jake and bring him over. “Uncle Steve, Ryan, this is my boyfriend, Jake.” They all shake hands, and I tell Jake he’s lucky to have escaped the line of questioning from Jonathan. “He’s a tough negotiator, and he’d have drilled you.”
“I can stand in for him,” Ryan jokes.
“On that note I think it’s time for dessert,” my dad says.
We all head into the kitchen, and Ryan holds me back. I motion for Jake to go ahead. “Lookin’ good, cuz.”
“Thanks, you too.”
“I just wanted to see how things are going with the new guy.”
“Really good. I guess he’s not so new anymore. I just hadn’t introduced him to anyone yet. You know I’m kind of cautious these days.”
“I know. You were in a very different place last Thanksgiving. I’m glad to see you happy again.”
“I am happy.”
“I could tell from your e-mails. Just let Jake know that if he screws things up, I’ll kick his ass.”
I laugh. “Why don’t you tell him yourself?”
We head into the kitchen, and Ryan makes his way over to Jake. I decide to let Jake handle Ryan on his own. I fill my plate then head to the dining room and sit next to my Uncle Steve. He asks how my job is going, and I tell him about the cosmetics project and my work for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“That’s my Lexi, always trying to save the world.”
“Just one kid at a time,” I tell him.
“You’ve always had a big heart. I’m glad you have someone to share it with,” he says, nodding toward Jake.
“I hope I will after tonight. It looks like Ryan is giving him the third degree.” I meet Jake’s eye, and he gives me a reassuring smile. He and Ryan then head downstairs.
“We’re going to shoot a game of pool,” Jake tells me.
“Have fun.”
I’m glad to see them getting along so well.
I help my mom clear the table and start washing some of the dishes. “Thanks, Lexi. I appreciate the help, but you go enjoy yourself.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Dad and I will take care of it when everyone leaves.”
I head to the basement and find Jake and Ryan engaged in an intense game of pool. “Who’s winning?” I ask them.
“Jake,” Ryan says in a mock bitter tone. “You didn’t tell me he was a good pool player.”
“I didn’t know, but it doesn’t surprise me. Jake is good at everything,” I say, rolling my eyes. He smiles at me and holds my gaze as he sinks a ball into the pocket. “Show-off.”
“Do you want to take my next shot?” Jake asks.
“Do you want to win?”
“Yes, but you can help even things up a bit for poor Ryan here.”
“OK.” I take the next shot and sink it in. Jake looks at me with a surprised expression. “What? You think I grew up with a pool table and don’t know how to play?”
“You asked me if I wanted to win. I thought that meant you would put me behind.”
“On the contrary,” I tell him as I sink the next shot.
“I may as well leave,” Ryan jokes. “Lexi is a hell of a pool player.”
“Well, it looks like I still have more to learn about you too,” Jake says.
“You two carry on. I’m going upstairs to find Charlie,” I say.
I head upstairs and find him playing a game with Larry. “Can I join?”
“Sure, Auntie Lex. You can be on my team.”
“OK, what are we playing?”
“Go Fish.”
Jules comes over a short while later and informs Charlie it’s time to go. I give him a big hug and tell him I’ll see him soon.
“Wait!” he says. “I have to say good-bye to Jake.”
“Oh, I’ll go get him.” I go downstairs and tell Jake that Charlie wants to say good-bye.
“I’ll be right up. We’re just about done with our game anyway.” Jake comes upstairs and gives Charlie a big high five. “Thanks for playing basketball with me,” Jake says. “Let’s play again sometime.”
“OK, you can come over with my Auntie Lex.”
I look at Jake and ask, “Are you ready to go?”
“Whenever you are.”
We say our good-byes, and Jake thanks my parents for having him.
“It was a real pleasure,” my mom tells him.
On the ride home, Jake says, “You look happy.”
“That’s because I am. I think everyone really liked you.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see him smile.
“And this surprised you?”
“Of course not. It was just nice having you there.”
“Thank you for inviting me. I know how protective you are of your family.”
“Jake, I know you’ve been wanting to meet them, and I’ve really wanted to introduce you. My parents were so disappointed when things didn’t work out with Ben that I’ve just been cautious about introducing them to someone unless I knew for certain where it was headed. My dad once told me he didn’t need to meet anyone unless I knew the guy was the one for me.” I let the words hang there for a minute.
Jake takes my hand and brings it to his lips. “Lexi, I’ve known you were ‘the one’ for a while. I was just waiting for you to catch up.”
I smile back at him as I let the words sink in. We drive home in comfort
able silence, each of us lost in our thoughts. Now that Jake officially has met my family, I feel like the last piece of the puzzle finally has fallen into place. Well, almost the last. Now Jake just needs to tell his uncle about us. Why do I have a nagging feeling that’s easier said than done?
After Thanksgiving the office is abuzz with news of the holiday party. Everyone is trying to guess this year’s theme and where the after party will be. Apparently they always pick a hot, trendy place. As excited as I am about my first Hartman & Taylor holiday party, my attention is focused on preparing for a presentation to Aura’s senior management at the beginning of next week. We’re sharing our ideas for the name of the cosmetics line, our campaign idea, and promotional launch strategies. This is our chance to nail the account, so everything has to be exactly right. I meet with Simon to review the work. It took a bit of coaching, but I’m really happy with the end result. Simon and I are flying to Boston on Friday to meet with Eric, who wants to review everything one final time and prepare a joint presentation. His reputation is on the line because it was his sole decision to bring us in and not put out an RFP. As such, he has a vested interest in making sure we look good so he looks good. The meeting is on Monday, so I expect we’ll be working the whole weekend. I tell Jake not to bother coming home from San Francisco, and I’ll see him the following Friday.
“Actually I have good news,” he says. “I don’t have to go back to San Francisco until January. We just wrapped up a pitch, and with the holidays coming, things are quieting down.”
“Jake, that’s awesome. I’m looking forward to finally being in the same city as you for an extended time. Although it figures that when you’re coming home, I’m leaving.”
On Friday, Simon and I head to Boston to meet up with Eric. He and I have a very good working relationship, but it’s a grueling weekend. Eric wants to make the presentation very corporate, whereas Simon and I are used to telling a story that leads up to the big reveal. We end up compromising and decide Eric will do a lot of the upfront introduction. Simon tells him he can weave in as many charts and as much data as he wants as long as he has free reign over the creative portion. Eric agrees, so Simon and I focus on perfecting our story. Once it’s in a good place, we review it with Eric on Sunday night. He has a few suggestions, and then he shares his portion of the deck with us. All the content is locked, but it takes me a while to format the deck so it all looks the same and has a unified voice.
Simon and I don’t get back to our hotel until after ten. “We’re ready,” he assures me before we part ways. I know we’re ready; I just hope Aura likes the campaign. I have a lot riding on this too.
We start at 8:00 a.m. sharp the next morning. We have ninety minutes to present our work followed by a half-hour Q&A session. I was expecting the meeting to be more of a discussion, but it’s very formal, and the executives don’t engage in any kind of dialogue about the work as Simon is presenting. I can’t read the room, and I really wish Jake were here. The CEO is present, and I feel out of my element. It’s really Eric’s meeting, and he does a good job setting the stage for why our work is the right approach. Simon is very dynamic, and I interject a comment here and there, but it’s his show. When it comes time for the Q&A, most of the questions are about our fee. I share our approach and discuss how we’d structure the team. They thank us for our time, and then the meeting is over. Eric walks us to the elevators and tells me he’ll be in touch.
“How do you think it went?” I ask Simon.
“Swimmingly.”
“Seriously?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. It was a tough crowd.”
“I know,” I tell him. “It’s like they all had poker faces. I don’t get it. This wasn’t a pitch, so why couldn’t they engage in more of a discussion and give us feedback?”
“It is a pitch, in a way. We’re just pitching against ourselves.”
“Well, in that case, I hope we win.”
We head to the airport, and my cell phone rings while we’re at the gate. “It’s Eric,” I tell Simon. I take a deep breath and answer. “Hi, Eric. I hope you’re calling with good news.”
He’s silent for a minute then says, “They loved it. They’re buying your first idea—as is.”
Oh, my God. He fills me in on the conversation after we left the room, and I hang up, stunned.
“What? The suspense is killing me.”
“They’re buying our first idea. They want to put us on retainer immediately.”
Simon smiles at me. “I guess I’m looking at Hartman and Taylor’s next vice president.”
On Tuesday morning a company-wide e-mail goes out with news of our cosmetics win. The agency is throwing a special happy hour to celebrate. I haven’t seen Jake yet, so he and I plan to go down for a few drinks then meet up and have a celebratory dinner. At five I head downstairs with Nicole and hang out with her and Courtney for a while. I work the room, talking with my creative team then Simon.
“How are things going?” he asks me.
“Good, really good. I’m still on a high. What about you?”
“Same here. Winning never gets old.”
“Cheers to that,” I say as we clink glasses.
“I’m glad we got to work on this project together. I feel like I hardly see you anymore. Just because you’re practically married, you can still stop by and see me from time to time,” he says a bit haughtily.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t been intentionally neglecting you. And who said anything about marriage?”
“You don’t have to. I can see the writing on the wall. Haven’t you two discussed it?”
“Not in so many words,” I tell him. “Maybe he doesn’t want to bring it up because of what happened with Ben.”
“Do you still believe in marriage?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Do you want to be married to Jake?”
I glance over to where I see Jake standing and say, “Yes, without a doubt. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, and it’s absolutely what I want. I’ve been hoping he’ll bring up the subject, but he hasn’t, and it’s not going to come from me.”
Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be ready to commit my life to someone less than a year after my previous engagement. In a way I think Jake is more right for me than Ben ever was. I loved Ben and think we would have had a great marriage, but as I told my dad, a lot of our relationship was based on a shared history. With Jake everything we built was from the ground up, and we formed such a strong bond in a short time. He always encourages me to share my feelings and is very open with me. I feel I can tell him anything. He probably knows me better than I know myself. If Ben hadn’t cheated and I had to go back and choose again, I’d choose Jake.
Our eyes meet across the room, and he gives me a slow, sexy smile. I don’t think there ever will come a day when I don’t find him utterly attractive. He’s finishing up his conversation, so I make my way over to where he’s standing. We have a rare moment alone together.
“Hi, Mr. Hartman. How’s it going?” I ask coyly.
“Good, Ms. Winters.”
“Any big plans for this evening?”
“As a matter of fact, I have a hot dinner date,” he says.
“Really? I hadn’t heard you were seeing anyone.”
“Oh, yes. It’s quite serious.”
“Really? I happen to be seeing someone too.”
“Oh, what’s he like?”
“Smart, successful, and extremely sexy.”
“Lucky girl.”
“I am,” I say, touching him lightly on the arm.
“And I’d say he’s one lucky guy. You’re looking mighty fine these days,” he says, eyeing my dress.
“Jake,” I admonish, “don’t you know it’s inappropriate to leer at a coworker?”
He leans in closely and says, “If you think that’s inappropriate, wait until I get my hands on you later. It’s taking all my willpower not to do inappropriate things to you
right here, right now.”
The color rises in my face as I whisper in his ear, “The more inappropriate, the better.”
He smiles at me, and I glance over at the bar and see Michelle watching us. I motion for her to come over. “What are you guys talking about so intently?” she asks.
“Lexi was just telling me about her boyfriend.”
“I’ve heard a lot about this mystery boyfriend. I’m dying to meet him.” Michelle looks at us closely and says, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you two were dating.” I see Jake looking uneasy.
“What makes you say that?” I ask, trying to laugh it off.
“I don’t know. You two just seem very comfortable with each other.”
I try to think of a reply, but Jake jumps in. “No, we’re definitely not dating. Just good friends. You obviously would have heard about it if we were together. And besides, Lexi is far from the type of girl I typically date.”
I open my mouth to say something but then close it. I’m rendered momentarily speechless. I’m so furious that I need to leave this situation before I say something I’ll regret. I look at my watch. “Well, I should be going. I don’t want to keep my date waiting. See you, Michelle, Jake,” I say, giving him a curt nod. I storm out of the bar. It’s one thing not to tell people about us, but it’s another to blatantly lie about it.
I head home, stewing, and think of what I plan to say to Jake. Twenty minutes later, I hear a knock. It’s interesting that he didn’t use his key. I open the door and motion for Jake to come inside. He knows I’m pissed. I don’t say a word; I’m too angry to speak.
“Look, she totally caught me off guard,” he says, trying to placate me. “I didn’t know what to say.”
“Well, you didn’t have to lie about it. You keep saying you plan to come clean about us. You had your chance, and you chose not to act on it.”
“With Michelle? You think she’s going to be the first to know?”
“Well, no, but you haven’t told anyone else now, have you? I’m beginning to think you never had any intention of going public about us.” Suddenly I feel like a naïve mistress who keeps believing her lover when he tells her he’s going to leave his wife. In the end, though, he never does. “Are you ashamed of me?” I ask quietly.