by Tia Wylder
He muttered, “Uh-huh. I said to her, this is a mistake you’re making’.”
“And then what?”
Arthur thought back and recalled that they had made one stop for gas and that Joanne had made a phone call.
“I dunno who she’s talkin’ to. Couldn’t hear. But after that, she was quiet.”
Jennifer leaned forward and hugged him.
“Thanks so much, Uncle Arthur!”
Then she rushed out to get Sean.
“I think I know where Joanne is!” Jennifer rushed outside, excited about her sudden revelation. Sean turned to her, his eyes lighting up and Jennifer stopped short of jumping into his arms.
Chapter Six
Jennifer still had Ken’s number on her cell and as soon as they were back in the car, she called him. When he didn’t answer, she left him a message saying she knew Joanne was with him and that she would give them eight hours to call her back or she would call the police and tell them Ken had abducted Joanne.
“Gutsy move,” Sean said, clearly impressed.
“It’s typical of Joanne really,” Jennifer said. “But what I don’t get is why she didn’t call us to let us know what was going on.”
“We’ve got a few hours to kill,” Sean said. “What’ll we do now?”
Jennifer shook her head.
“Let me show you some of the Dallas sights,” Sean said and they set off in the car. After driving through the city, Sean left the highways behind.
“Where are we going?” Jennifer asked.
“Be patient,” Sean said, rather mysteriously. He stopped at a store and made Jennifer wait in the car while he bought a few things, which he hid from her as soon as he got back.
“It’s a little surprise, come on,” he said, with a smile so charming that she couldn’t say no.
“A short while later, they arrived at White Rock Lake Park, a beautiful lake outside of the city. They got out and walked along the walkways next to the water. They didn’t talk much. Instead, there was a comfortable silence between them, which neither of them felt compelled to break.
Jennifer enjoyed the tranquility of the scenery. After the tension of the last few days, she was for the first time beginning to relax. She was sure that she would soon know where Joanne was and that nothing terrible had happened out here. She could unwind a bit and this was the perfect place for it.
When they had walked some distance, Sean stopped and spread out a blanket he had brought from the car. He laid out a bit of a picnic for her with some of the things he had bought at the shop along the way. Jennifer was famished, they had eaten all day, and she was touched by how thoughtful Sean was being.
“I’m sorry I was so mean to you earlier in the car,” she said.
Sean shook his head. “You were right. I am all of those things, a party boy and a flirt. At least, I used to be. Coming out here has changed much of that. And if I am behaving like I am interested in you then it is because I am. I would like to get to know you better.”
Jennifer didn’t know what to say to that.
“Maybe I’ve been coming on a bit strong; I’m not really used to girls like you.”
“Oh, really?” Jennifer said. “What kind of girls are those? Stuck up, conservative?”
Sean smiled. “Classy and decent, more like.”
She didn’t know what to say to that either. “You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met before,” he added. “A good person. Gorgeous too. The last thing I’d want to do is to offend you,” he said.
Jennifer was taken back by his words. She had no idea that he was feeling any of these emotions. She thought he was simply amusing himself.
“But we are from such different worlds,” she said. “And I’m leaving as soon as I have found Joanne.”
Sean took her hand, “But there is something between us, don’t you agree?”
Before she could answer him, her cell phone rang.
Jennifer jumped to pick it up.
“Yes?”
“Jen, that you?” It was her sister’s voice.
“Joanne! Are you okay?”
“Everything is fine, please, don’t call the cops,” her sister said.
“Where are you?” Jennifer asked again, stunned at hearing her sister’s voice after all this time of fearing the worst.
“I am with Ken, you were right about that. How did you find out?”
“Never mind that,” Jennifer said. “I want to see you, where are you?”
“We’re in Austin,” Joanne said.
They talked for a bit, then Jennifer said, “Give me your address. I will be there as soon as I can.”
“Please don’t, Jen,” Joanne started saying.
"It is either that or the cops," Jennifer insisted, and Joanne gave her the directions.
Sean packed up their picnic while Jennifer was on the phone.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“How far away is Austin?” Jennifer asked.
“A few hours,” he said. “I will take you.”
Jennifer protested, but he insisted. "It won't take long, and by tonight, it will be all over."
Jennifer thought about what her sister had put her family through over the past weeks. She called her mother and shared the good news with her. Angela burst into tears.
“She really is fine?”
Jennifer assured her that she was and that she would find out exactly what was going on as soon as she got to see Ken and Joanne.
“Ken? Are you sure she is with him?” Angela said sharply.
“Yes, why?” Jennifer asked.
She then heard for the first time that the reason why Joanne and Ken had broken up was because he was still married. Even though they had been separated for some time, they had not yet divorced. This was the reason why Angela had not approved of them being together and had, in fact, put pressure on Joanne not to see him.
When they arrived in Austin a few hours later, Joanne confirmed everything. When the sisters saw each other, Joanne burst into tears, and they embraced.
"I'm so sorry, sis," Joanne said. They went into the small flat that Joanne and Ken were renting, sitting down on a threadbare sofa. Ken came into the room and the way he looked at Joanne convinced Jennifer that they really were in love.
“I feel terrible about all of this,” Joanne said, looking at Sean. “I shouldn’t have led you on, I guess, but I was always hoping Ken was going to come to his senses. And when I called him from Texas, he said he was coming to get me.”
"It's true," Ken said. "The time without her was the worst of my life. I couldn't live without her. When Jo said she'd give me another chance I wanted to make sure that she didn't change her mind."
“But why didn’t you call us to tell us what was going on?” Jennifer said.
“I wanted to be sure things were good with me and Ken, that he really started the divorce proceedings and then I was going to let you guys know,” Joanne said in a low voice, glancing at Ken.
“We kinda lost track of time, didn’t we, honey?” Joanne said, leaning forward to kiss Ken.
“Jeez Joanne, you could’ve picked up the phone, you know!” Jennifer got up, suddenly furious. “Saved me the trip out here!”
Joanne got up too. “It’s none of your business, is it!”
“You made it my business when you disappeared without a trace!”
The two sisters glared at each other and Jennifer finally turned around and left with Sean right behind her.
Sean didn’t say anything until he was in the car. It was quite late and it had been a long day.
“I know of a little place where we can spend the night,” Sean said and Jennifer was too upset to protest.
But when he pulled up outside an impressive hotel with valets opening the door and helping them out, Jennifer had to look at him.
“This your idea of a little place?”
“Simply smile and say thank you,” he whispered in her ear and winked at her.
He then went up to th
e desk and asked for a suite with two adjoining rooms. Jennifer had never been in a hotel this luxurious or elegant. She felt completely out of place. Her room was huge and the furnishings so elegant. A large Victoria bath dominated the plush bathroom and she couldn’t wait to sink into a foam bath.
“Why don’t you try out that tub and I’ll order us a snack,” Sean said.
It was so nice to have him taking charge of everything. Jennifer felt exhausted all of a sudden. The confrontation with Joanne had left her deeply shaken and after the stress of her disappearance and the journey to Texas, Jennifer was relieved to have someone else take charge of the situation.
When she came out of the bathroom some time later, dressed only in the hotel bathrobe, there was a romantic dinner laid out with candles and roses.
“Champagne?” Jennifer asked as Sean picked up the bottle and opened it with a flourish, pouring two glasses.
“You deserve it!” Sean said, handing a flute to her. “You found Joanne and solved the mystery. A real detective!”
The champagne was delicious, going straight to her head. Jennifer stopped thinking and simply let herself enjoy the evening with Sean. She curled up on one of the lovely couches and tried to stop thinking of anything. Soon enough, she would have to go home, face her life again, start saving all over again. She didn’t want to think about any of that now, though. Sean told her stories about his former life, the antics he and his former colleagues used to come up with. They laughed and laughed, and Jennifer had to admit that she liked being with Sean.
Sean came over and sat down next to her. She was giddy with the champagne and his close proximity. He leaned closer.
“Jennifer,” he whispered, but he held back, as if unsure of what to do.
“Kiss me," she said, and before she had finished talking, he had taken her into his arms, his mouth on hers. She felt herself kissing him back, answering his passion with her own. Her robe came undone, and he gazed at her body in total adoration. "My God, you are so gorgeous," he said, kissing her neck and breasts. It felt fantastic, and Jennifer knew it was too late to turn back now.
She wanted him too much and what he was doing to her now simply felt too good. His touch was tender and yet firm, he was doing things with his tongue that stirred something deep inside her groin. She felt her desire awaken, and it was a force she could not resist. When Sean carried her to the romantic four-poster bed, she did not complain but could not wait for him to take off his clothes. His body was stunning, as she had known it would be, tight with muscle and tanned a deep golden brown. She pulled him down on top of her and moaned when he entered her with a deep thrust that made her long for more.
It was an unforgettable night. They made love several times, barely speaking; only their bodies communicating. Skin to skin, Jennifer felt him move beside her, and he only needed to touch her for her to respond in kind.
When she finally fell asleep, she was completely at peace.
Chapter Seven
When she woke up the following morning, the bed was empty. She felt for Sean next to her, but there was no one. Perhaps he had gone to the bathroom. She lay in bed for a while, savoring the fine cotton sheets and the oversize pillows. Jennifer had never been in such a big bed before either. She allowed her thoughts to go over the previous evening, the night they had spent together. It had been mind-blowing, truly amazing.
Jennifer never thought it was possible to feel such ecstasy and desire. Sean had awakened in her emotions she had not experienced before. She’d had sex before, of course, not many times, but she knew what it was about. Or at least, she thought she had. This was other-worldly though. They had spent hours playing with each other’s bodies, exploring every inch. For the first time, Jennifer was willing to believe that there really might be something between them; something real and meaningful.
She had no idea what this meant for the future. The feelings she had for Sean mattered, of this she was sure. He was meant to be in her life; she was certain of it. She didn't know what he thought about all of this, and as she waited for him to come back to bed, she wondered how the night had been for him. She remembered some of the things he had said to her in the night, blushing as she recalled how he had admired her body, the suppleness of her legs, kept slim by miles of walking to and from work each day.
After a while, Jennifer got up and walked through the hotel room, looking for Sean. It dawned on her that he was not in the suite at all. This made no sense to her. Where would he have gone? There was no note, not message for her. But his clothes were gone. It was as if he had never been there.
Slowly, Jennifer came to the realization that he had left her there, alone.
Perhaps, this was what he had been after all along. He wanted to get her into bed, have his way with her and nothing more. It was all part of a game, one he had played extremely well and in which she was a total amateur.
Tears streamed down her face when she realized how he had used her, how he had played her and she had fallen into his arms like a bimbo. How stupid she had been! She had never been much good at relationships or with men; had deliberately kept away from them, in fact, precisely for this reason. How many friends did she have who had big dreams for their future, only to have them derailed by pregnancy and a man?
Even her own sister, Joanne, had her life ruled by her heart. And what good did that bring her?
Jennifer thought bitterly of her last meeting with her sister, how selfish and ungrateful Joanne had been. Jennifer was going back home, empty-handed, her money gone and her heart broken.
After a good cry, she went to wash her face and got dressed. She went down to reception and found out that the rooms had been paid for. Mr. Perry had left very early that morning, she heard, leaving his key behind. She asked the hotel to call her a taxi to the airport. She wanted to get out of Texas as quickly as possible and go home.
She sat down in the lobby of the hotel, waiting, thinking about the last few days and everything that had happened to her. She couldn’t believe what had happened to her. She was devastated.
The taxi arrived, and she gathered her things and went out to meet it. As she opened the door to get in, she heard someone call out her name.
“Jennifer?”
It was Sean, looking at her in shock. “You’re leaving?”
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “I thought you’d gone.”
“I ….I went to get Joanne,” Sean said.
Jennifer saw that Joanne was standing behind Sean.
“I saw how distressed you were last night and thought you guys needed to sort this out before it tore your family apart.” Sean came forward and took Jennifer’s hands. “I would never leave you like that,” he whispered to her.
“Madam, do you want the taxi or not?” the taxi driver asked.
Jennifer was confused by everything that had happened and once again, Sean took over.
“No, she doesn’t. Thanks, man,” Sean said, paying the taxi driver for coming out.
Joanne stepped forward.
“Sean came to our place this morning, telling me of all the trouble you went through to find me. I’m sorry I made you and mom worry about me like that. I’ve really messed up. Can you forgive me?”
“I am just glad that you are okay,” Jennifer said, pulling her sister into a hug. It felt good to set things right between them.
“Sean has offered to pay for a divorce lawyer to sort out Ken’s problems with his first wife,” Joanne said. “They’ve been separated for years so it should be a formality.”
Jennifer turned to Sean. “You’d do that?”
Sean smiled, having eyes only for her. “For you? Are you kidding? I’d do anything to make you happy.”
Jennifer could not believe her ears. She thought he only wanted to get her into bed, but here he was, offering to sort out her sister's boyfriend troubles, the very woman who had caused him so much trouble.
Joanne seemed to be thinking the same thing. “This one’s a keeper!”
she said, laughingly pointing at Sean. “How come you were never like this with me?”
Sean put his arm around Jennifer and pulled her close. “Turns out I wanted the other sister,” he said, kissing Jennifer’s cheek.
Joanne didn’t seem to mind, though. She said she was happy for them and told Jennifer she would call their mother right away to talk to her about what was going on in her life. Sean gave her some money to get a cab back home.
“You and I need to have a little talk first!” he said to Jennifer, pulling her back into the hotel lobby. Then he went to check that their room was still available and asked that a full breakfast be sent up.
“After a night like last night, a man is hungry!” he said, winking at Jennifer.
Then he picked her up and kissed her long and hard. Jennifer wanted to kiss him back, but it is hard to get over the feelings she'd had only a short while ago.
She wasn’t sure of him anymore.
Chapter Eight
As soon as they were back in their room, Sean embraced Jennifer and kissed her again, deeply. He felt her holding back and pulled back.
“Are you okay?”
Jennifer bit her lip. “Last night….”
“Was wonderful, right?” Sean said. “Or is it only me?”
“I woke up and you weren’t there….why didn’t you leave a note?”
“I woke up very early. To be honest, I didn’t get much sleep last night,” he said, with a dirty smile at Jennifer that made her blush.
“I was watching you sleep and you looked so lovely, so peaceful. I wanted to do something to make you happy and I thought about how upset you were after seeing Joanne last night. I figured if you guys couldn’t smooth things over, you’d feel much better.”
“That was very thoughtful of you,” Jennifer admitted. “I am glad I saw her again before I leave.”
“Now about that,” Sean said, pulling Jennifer back to bed to lie next to him.
“Please say you can stay a little longer. Let us get to know each other better, see where this develops?”
“I don’t know,” Jennifer said, hesitantly. “I have a job in New York, my mom needs me to contribute financially.”