by Nancy Adams
The night before their walk, Sam had returned from Massachusetts and Jenna had been there at the helipad waiting for him. In the week that he’d been gone, she’d missed him more than ever and felt a hollow longing opening up in her more and more with each passing day. The moment the craft had landed and the door slid open, Jenna had run to him. Sam had instantly jumped out toward her and both of them came crashing into each other’s arms, kissing passionately on impact.
Even though he’d sincerely missed Jess and had been overjoyed to see her, Sam had still thought about Jenna in every spare moment while he was in Massachusetts. Of course, they had called one another every night, but this—as all long-distance lovers know—is never enough, and merely a weak substitution for the intimacy of each other’s company.
Jenna, who was slightly ahead of Sam, stopped and sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree, most of it rotten and returned to the forest floor, vines growing up from the ground and covering it all over. Sam came and sat down next to her, taking his water flask from his rucksack as he did. Above them was a gap in the thick canopy of tree branches and through it a collection of sunbeams that had made it through an opening in the clouds, rained down onto the gloomy forest floor.
Having finished with the water, Sam offered it to Jenna, who took it and began gulping from it. When she’d finished, Jenna placed the flask back in the side of Sam’s rucksack and then slid herself up next to him, placing her head on his shoulder as they gazed at the dancing sunbeams that cut through the dank air.
“I always find it so compelling,” Sam began as he gazed at the light, “when the sun’s rays enter a darkened place.”
Jenna let out a grin as she watched the raindrops glisten in the light beams.
“That’s what you are,” she said gleefully into his ear.
“What?”
“A sunbeam in a darkened place.”
Sam pulled her into him even tighter and the two kissed delicately under the trees and the gentle rain. Five minutes later, they were back on their feet and on their way down the steep bank of trees that led to the house from that side of the reserve. When they reached their destination almost an hour later, they walked through the doors to find Gary waiting for them.
“Guys,” he said as he stood up from his chair, “I’ve been waiting for hours for you both. It’s good news. The latest polls are in and it looks like you both have public backing. Congratulations.”
Jenna smiled at the news. Sam, however, merely shrugged.
“What type of world do we live in,” he began in a gruff tone, “when we need an approval rating to have a relationship?”
“The world of celebrity, Sam,” Gary replied.
“I didn’t get into computer technologies to be a celebrity.”
“Come, Sam,” Gary said with a gentle frown, “you can’t become the world’s youngest billionaire and founder of the world’s largest company and not expect that world to want to know you; to want to own you. It’s a two-way thing. Extreme success. You get all this”—he signaled the house with his arms—“but you’ve also got to give a little too. You can’t hide out here.”
“Well,” Jenna said, breaking into their conversation, “I obviously can’t speak for Sam, but thank you, Gary.”
Jenna stepped forward and hugged the man. At first he took it warmly, but then he realized how wet and dirty she was and he winced slightly. When Jenna stepped back from him, she looked at the mess on his white shirt and apologized.
Soon, Sam and Jenna were showering together and afterward they got changed into evening dress. When Jenna emerged out of the shower a few minutes behind Sam, she found a flat black box with the word Versace written across its top in gold lettering lying on the end of the bed.
“What’s this?” Jenna asked as she approached it in her towel.
“A gift for you,” Sam beamed.
Jenna came up to the box and carefully lifted its lid. She gasped as she saw the most beautiful silver silk evening gown. She picked it up out of the box and unfurled it to her feet. It had a single strap on the left shoulder and the cleavage swished down at a curved angle. Over the top of the silk was a criss-crossing, satin string mesh patterned in small, inch-long diamond shapes that hung down the gown from just below the cleavage. The whole thing was so beautiful that Jenna couldn’t help but hold the gown in her hands and gaze hypnotically at it.
“I hope you like it,” Sam said.
While still holding the Versace, she turned to him with glistening eyes and said, “It’s beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it. I’m not being forward am I? Telling you what to wear?”
“Not at all, Sam. But what’s the occasion?”
“We’re going for dinner tonight at Francois’s.”
“You haven’t booked the whole restaurant out again have you?”
“No,” he grinned. “Not this time.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“I thought it was about time we went out in public.”
A soft shudder worked its way up Jenna’s back and her face went blank.
“I’m not sure,” she said softly.
Sam moved up behind Jenna, took the dress from her hands, laid it back in its box and then tenderly turned her around so that she was facing him.
Gazing directly into her eyes, he pronounced, “We’re over the worst of this vicious storm, it’s now time we began holding our heads up high. We’ve done nothing wrong and we should act in that way. I haven’t been out in public for many years, Jenna. But I’m willing to do anything for us. Tonight is about us.”
With that, he leaned forward and kissed her fiercely. She instantly melted into his arms and he held her body as it dangled from them.
Later that night, Jenna and Sam stepped out of his Limousine outside Francois’s. She was dressed in the Versace, which fitted flawlessly and suited her to perfection, gripping to her curvaceous body. On her feet she wore a pair of silver Versace two-inch heels, which raised the hem of the dress from the floor. Her blonde hair was tied back and in it she wore a sparkling diamond Van Cleef & Arpels hair clip that was in the shape of a snowflake. Like most Saturday nights at the famous restaurant, there were many paparazzi waiting outside. When they teemed around the Limousine and began snapping away as the couple left the car, Sam decided to stop for a moment in front of them and encouraged Jenna to come by his side for photographs. She was amazed at how willing he was to push away his insecurities for her. She came by him and Sam put his arm around her as they posed. When the reporters began posing questions, the pair politely refused to answer before continuing on their way into the restaurant.
Not long after that, they were both sitting up in the gallery with glasses of Spanish Tempranillo, waiting for their food. Around them, the restaurant bustled with a full house. Aware that they were in the company of America’s current hot topic, many of the tables couldn’t help themselves and would crane their necks every now and then to take a peek at the pair. Jenna found the experience a little unsettling, but Sam appeared to ignore it and merely went on with his wine, attempting to chat to Jenna in order to distract her from the glancing eyes that surrounded them.
“Don’t mind them,” Sam said. “Most of them have had their own moments in the spotlight. For instance, over there is the film star Johnny Tyrell.”
“Really?” Jenna exclaimed, glancing around to where Sam had motioned. “Oh, yeah,” she added as she spotted the famous movie star.
“And we all know what happened to Johnny five years ago.”
“Yeah,” Jenna mumbled as she gazed at Tyrell. “He’s only been out of prison for a year.”
“Yep—and he’s already making movies again. Who’d’ve thought it after he crashed his car while high on cocaine, killing that girl that was in the passenger seat. And over there,” he added motioning with a nod of the head in another direction. “There sits Albert Hitoshi, the famous film director. We all know what happened to him twenty-five years ago.”
“I know,” she muttered. “The girl was only thirteen and he had to pay her parents off with millions so that they wouldn’t prosecute.”
“And the man’s won three Oscars since!”
“They all look so comfortable,” Jenna remarked as she turned back to Sam.
“Of course they do,” Sam exclaimed as he brought his glass up to his mouth. “We’re the good guys compared to them. We’ve nothing to feel ashamed of, Jenna. Look how the bad guys react. They don't care, and neither should we.”
Jenna allowed herself to twinkle him a smile.
“See,” he said softly, “you can feel relaxed among the prying eyes of the world.”
Their food arrived shortly and Jenna enjoyed her favorite of filet steak, dauphinoise and asparagus, while Sam enjoyed ham and gruyere cheese in a filo pastry parcel, with new potatoes in mint and Parisian butter.
Finishing the food, they decided to order espresso instead of desert and were soon sitting with their coffees. Jenna was much more relaxed now and the tables around them weren’t looking as much as before. Indeed, several prominent people of L.A. had actually taken the time out of their meals to step across to Jenna and Sam’s table and give the couple words of support. One prominent Hollywood superstar had said, “It was terrible what they done to you. They don’t give a damn about the facts, just how many copies of their rag they sell. I think you’re so brave to take it on like you did.”
Feeling more encouraged, the two chatted away over coffee and it was then that Sam gave Jenna yet another surprise.
“Now that everything’s smoothed out,” he was saying, “I think that we should get away from it all for a month.”
“But what about Techsoft? I thought you were going to take a more hands-on role?”
“Techsoft’s okay for now,” Sam commented. “I’ll still vote in board meetings, I’ll just have to do it over the telephone or through web chat. Plus, Bormann’s reserving his energy for now, I don’t think he’ll try anything too soon. If he does, he’ll show his hand too much and I’ll be able to go for him. He’ll stay in the darkness for the moment weighing everything up. I can give him a month or so and return fully invigorated to take him on.”
“Well, if you think that it’s safe.”
“I do,” he assured her.
“Where were you thinking of going?”
“I have a yacht with its own crew.”
“Of course you do,” Jenna said with a wide grin.
“Anyway,” he smiled back, “I haven’t used it for three years and mostly lend it out for business deals that the company are taking part in. So I was wondering if you’d like to spend a month sailing along the Mediterranean, out of the way. I have places in Monaco, Sicily and then a small island off of Greece we could spend a week on, plus there’s Barcelona, Marseille, Naples and all the other beautiful little places to go. What do you say?”
Leaning across the table and gazing sumptuously into his eyes, Jenna declared, “That would be wonderful, Sam.”
This made him smile and he leaned forward. The two kissed amorously over the table, before settling back into their chairs and enjoying the rest of their evening, feeling the warmth of each other’s company and the warmth of the bright future that appeared to lie ahead for the two lovers.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It was the last day of their two-week trip to Colorado, and Paul and Claire were spending it around Beth and Will’s. June was working at the hospital tonight, so the couple had had their farewell dinner with the Prior family at a local restaurant the night before. This last night would be spent in the comforting presence of Claire’s best friend.
The girls were in the kitchen, Beth making coffee and Claire sitting at the small table at one end of the cramped room, the apartment one of the cramped type that specialize in first-time tenants with very little money. The boys, meanwhile, were in the lounge watching football on the television, both of them in high spirits, and could be heard in the background.
“So,” Beth said as she made coffee for them, “how’s it been back at your folks after so long?”
“It was good to see mom and Kyle,” Claire admitted.
“What about your grumpy dad?”
“He was okay, I guess. We don’t really talk much at the best of times. Plus, he was away for most of it, busy with opening his new stores, so we never really saw each other. Last night he had to fly out to Nebraska on business, so it was only the four of us who had dinner, so that was nice.”
“Your old man’s not that bad, Claire.”
“It’s like I said: we’re just not close. I never said he was bad.”
Beth finished with the drinks and came and sat down opposite Claire, planting a coffee in front of her. Beth then brought her own coffee mug up to her mouth and as she did, she paused and gazed dreamily into space.
“Ohhh!” she cooed softly. “How I had such a crush on your dad when I was younger—heck, how I still do! Mr. Prior. Joe Prior. Dreams!”
Beth blew on her coffee before taking a sip, her eyes still blankly gazing out.
“Okay,” Claire said, “let’s not talk about how you’ve longed for my dad since you were fifteen, it makes me feel sick.”
“Sorry,” Beth said with a cheeky shrug. Then, changing the subject slightly, she inquired, “What did your folks think of Paul? I bet they loved him.”
A wide smile grew instantly on Claire’s face.
“Of course,” she beamed.
“‘Of course,’ she says,” Beth repeated with a face. “He’s like parental gold! College boy: check! Training to be a doctor: check! Comes from a respectable family of medics: check! Handsome: check! Is polite: check! check! Is dependable: check! check! check! How could parents not like him, huh?”
“He spent a lot of time with mom chatting.”
“Oh, she musta loved that!” Beth exclaimed gently. “If there’s one thing your ma loves, it’s to chat. That’s why her and my ma are such good friends; because they both like nothing more that to talk the hind legs off a horse!”
Both girls began giggling.
“How is your ma?” Claire asked, still laughing. “Ma said she’s still worried about you and Will.”
“Huh! What can I say?” Beth softly cried. “She comes around at least once every week with bags full of shopping. She sits where you’re sitting right now and she interrogates me about my finances, about Will, about everything. She offers me money, tells me I’m wasting my life and then leaves. And I have to put up with it!”
“Are you struggling?”
“No! That’s my point. It annoys me that she assumes we’re failing. I keep telling her that although I appreciate her concern, I don’t need her to overfill my cupboards with unnecessary groceries.”
“What does Will say?”
“He says we should stop buying groceries and simply live off of what she brings round!”
“Figures,” Claire muttered as she sipped her coffee. Then, once she had, she added, “How’s things between your folks and Will? They talking yet?”
“Kinda. The old man’s always had a soft spot for Will, but, as you know, he has to toe my ma’s line! He always says hello to Will whenever he sees him and he’s always nice when he comes around. You know my old man; he wouldn’t have a bad word to say against the Devil.”
“What about your ma?”
Beth frowned at Claire, as if to say, ‘You should know.’
“Ma, of course,” she began, “hasn’t eased up much. Although one development has been that she’s stopped making sure that he’s out before she comes around. Though, I’m not sure if that’s better, because now I have to listen to them bicker every now and then.”
“It’ll get better, Beth. You’ve just gotta give it time.”
“I know, I just wish that they’d get on now; that mom would accept that me and Will are doing it on our own and that we really mean it. We’ve both got jobs and sure they’re no
t the best, most well-paid jobs, but we’re surviving. We put a little money away each month just like everybody else. We should have the right to be left alone. She should be happy for us; there’s thousands of people our age with no jobs, no college, living off their parents. At least me and Will are doing it on our own. She should be proud, not sad.”
“She will be one day, Beth,” Claire assured her.
“Sure,” Beth let out a little despondently, gazing pensively into space.
The two sat in silence for a moment before Beth suddenly shook herself and said, “I been meaning to ask you, but I was afraid to bring it up…In fact, I’m not sure I should say anything.”
“What are you meaning to ask?” Claire inquired in a sardonic tone.
Beth got up out of her seat and closed the door between the kitchen and the lounge, blocking out the men in the other room. She then came and sat back down, before leaning forward and whispering, “What’s your thoughts on Burgess and that woman?”
“Oh, Beth! Come on,” Claire muttered in annoyance. “Does it really matter what I think?”
“But the bastard’s already moved on to another—”
“Please, Beth,” Claire interrupted her. “I had his child only three-and-a-half weeks ago, the last thing I want to discuss is Sam Burgess’s love life. Unlike everyone else in the world, I don’t give a damn.”
“Sorry,” Beth said softly, hanging her head slightly as she did. “I was just wondering how you felt. I’ve been meaning to ask, but I couldn’t find the moment on the phone. I was worrying about you.”
“I’m with Paul now,” Claire said with assertion. “I had the baby and I gave him away. This I had to do. That I didn’t tell Sam about it will always be something that I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life. Now that it’s nearly all over, I just wanna get on with my life and leave it all behind.”