Jennifer nodded and began to double back on her steps along the porch. “Yeah, I was working a lot. He pays me well though so,” she shrugged at her own poor excuse. “Anyway, I still work for him.”
“Okay, well,” there was a pause, “well, tell me what’s been up? I haven’t talked to you in so long,” in an instant, Jennifer was beaming.
“Well, I called you because…” she tried to draw her announcement out, but found she couldn’t hold it back anymore, “guess where I am!”
“No way, are you here? In the city? Oh my god!”
“Oh, no, not in the city. I’m in New Jersey, in Summit.”
“Summit? Is that near Jersey City?”
“I dunno. We’re coming to the city for dinner though. Think we can meet up?”
“What time?” Nicole asked eagerly in a breath. “I’m on a short break right now but in the middle of rehearsal.”
“You’re in a show?” Jennifer exclaimed. Nicole gasped.
“Oh my god, that’s right! I never told you! Look, if you can wait until 7:30 for dinner, I can come and tell you everything.”
Jennifer’s face fell. She pulled the phone away from her face and checked the time. It was nearly five. Biting her lip, she pressed the phone back to her ear.
“Do you think you can wait until then?” Nicole’s voice was hopeful.
After a moment of hesitation, Jennifer answered. “I’ll have to talk to James and call you back.”
“No, don’t call. Rings in the middle of practice is a no go. Send a text or something.”
“Okay, will do.”
“It’s so good to hear you, girl,” Nicole said with satisfaction. “I hope I see you tonight. You can’t be this close and not see me. It won’t be right.”
Laughing, Jennifer agreed. “Okay. I’ll let you know as soon as I speak with James. Bye, Nicole!” They hung up and the dread sped to Jennifer’s gut. From what she gathered, they weren’t in a rush, but they weren’t looking for a nighttime flight back to Chicago either. She placed her phone into her purse and continued to pace.
What were the odds that James would be okay with waiting for two hours? What would they do? Jennifer frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. She caught eyes with the driver of the vehicle. He was dressed in a dark suit and missing the jacket, but leaned against the car leisurely. He smiled at her and tipped his head, a bald man with a flat chest.
Jennifer sighed. Maybe she was just being selfish. She really wanted to see Nicole though. It had been so long since the two of them had seen each other face to face. It had been years; but, more importantly, Jennifer needed a friend now more than anything.
She needed someone to talk to about her feelings with these two different men. It was something she didn’t understand. Of course it was possible to love many different people—but the type of love in question wasn’t right.
On one hand, she had a man she had known for the past five years. He just happened to be her boss. Was that right? On the other, there was a man who intrigued her more than she could ever remember anyone else doing before. This man was interested in her too. But wasn’t James?
Jennifer didn’t understand what was happening, but one thing was certain. For too much of the trip she felt like she was relieving the past three years all over again where she looked for any sign that she might mean something more to James than just his great assistant.
He had given her more than she could have ever asked for. There was the touching, the smiling—the sudden invitation to his life. What was all of that about? It was all the things she had prayed about for so long but two weeks too late. Right? It was too late, wasn’t it? Or did this mean she had a choice to make? And it was definitely a choice because she couldn’t have both right?
Jennifer thought about the drink she shared with James in his office. It seemed days away, yet she knew it had only been hours. He told her then that he stood by everything he had said on Friday. That had to mean that he still felt that way about her. That meant she had a choice. If she wanted to, she could finally have him; but was that what she really wanted?
The sound of the front door to the house opening jolted Jennifer from her thoughts. James met her eyes immediately. He smiled, but it was less enthused. She looked to Melony, who had followed him to the door. At the short woman’s side was her nearly adult daughter, big breasts and all. Jennifer pressed her lips together tightly. She would never understand the younger generation, she was sure of it.
The young teen gushed at James when he paused to face her. He kissed her forehead and stroked her chin. Melony watched him with a soft smile, as if to say, “Thank you.”
“Are you guys coming with?” Jennifer asked.
Melony shook her head, and her daughter pouted. “I’m afraid not, Ms. Jennifer. Maybe next time?” The woman was so sweet, Jennifer couldn’t help but feel the same sentiment towards her.
“If only,” Jennifer answered.
Is that what she really wanted? Jennifer looked down and scratched her forehead. She remembered Andrew’s email. She should read it, maybe even call him. That would help. To hear his voice and remember; she needed to him his voice again. That would help her choose, right? Or maybe it would just confuse her even more.
“Well, it was nice to finally meet you,” Melony offered again. Jennifer turned to her and smiled weakly. She gave a nod and then looked to James. He gave the stunning duo a final wave and joined Jennifer at the short steps that led to the front porch.
After another round of polite goodbyes and good wishes for their return trip, they were free to retreat into the car. Inside, James coughed into his hands and rubbed them together as if it was cold outside, but it wasn’t.
Jennifer watched him and for the first time, wondered what took him so long while he was inside the house. He turned to her and met her eyes. After a moment, he beamed.
“So, are we going to pick up your friend or what?”
“Oh, yeah, that,” Jennifer stuttered. Her face fell and she instinctively pulled out her phone. She stared at the blank screen. “Um, we might need to eat without her,” she continued in a small voice. “She’s in a rehearsal right now and won’t be free until 7:30.” Jennifer avoided James’s eyes.
She heard him move at her side from within the car. The driver was still resting outside the vehicle calmly. At her side, James checked his watch. When he didn't say anything, Jennifer finally looked at him. For a moment, they simply watched one another.
“What are you thinking?” Jennifer asked at last, unable to read James’s face.
“If we wait until 7:30, we’ll have to sleep in the city.”
Jennifer raised a brow. “Really? We can’t fly back at night?”
“We can, but I don’t do it with chartered flights. I pay by the hour when I want a jet to wait for me so the pilot doesn’t usually change.” James explained. Jennifer nodded in agreement, but still didn’t understand.
“So why can’t we fly back?” She asked at length.
“It’s just a precaution I take,” James continued. “You know, private jet charters have a lot of crashes and deaths associated with them,” he nearly whispered the last part. Jennifer’s jaw dropped.
“Are you serious?”
James shrugged. “Yes.”
“And you still use them?”
Laughing, James nodded. “Of course. It’s usually just because of pilot error. They don’t have the same regulation of commercial flights because of the private sector,” he paused, “so private pilots tend to be more subject to the wrath of those that pay for the charters. I’m pretty relaxed about it, but others really give the guys a real hard time. Not me. If they can’t see the runway, I’ll miss my connecting flight. It’s not worth my death. If there’s a chance my pilot might be tired, I’ll spend the night so that he can sleep.”
Jennifer nodded, but then squinted at him. “Are you just making this up to get me to spend a night with you in New York?”
James laughed lo
udly. “No, you can look it up, it’s true!”
The only thing that had been on her agenda for the next day were interviews. At the moment, she couldn’t remember what James had planned, and that was rare. Her mind was too giddy with the thought of seeing Nicole.
They met each other’s gaze again. For a brief moment, Jennifer wondered if the better thing would be to just go back home and end the close proximity to James. When she opened her mouth though, she was surprised at what came out.
“I don’t know,” she stammered.
James frowned. “You don’t know what?” He asked with an awkward chortle.
Jennifer sighed and shrugged. She could have at least picked one or the other, but the truth was that she wanted them both and was terrible at making decisions. She opened her mouth, but James raised a finger.
“What do you want to do?”
“I don’t want to leave,” she replied without hesitation. The truth slipped out all too easy. It unnerved him and altered the air between them. James looked her over quietly.
“We don’t have to leave,” he said with a smile. James ran his eyes over her. “When’s the last time you saw your friend?”
Jennifer opened her mouth, but then froze. She looked away from James and searched for a window. Nicole left Chicago around two and half years after she started working for James. It wasn’t likely that Nicole would have been able to make enough money to come back from the New York, but Jennifer could have saved and flown out. She never did.
“It’s been a long time,” Jennifer said softly, still staring out the window. A pinch at her elbow made her turn and face James. He had touched her and his fingertips still lingered against the sleeve of the blazer she wore.
“How long?” He asked again.
Jennifer cleared her throat. “Over three years.”
“Wow,” he whistled for emphasis, and nodded out the window. Seconds later, the driver opened the car door and slipped in. James caught his attention immediately. “What’s your take on traffic into Manhattan?” James asked the man. The driver pinched a pair of dark glasses on the bridge of his nose.
“At least an hour,” he replied curtly.
James frowned. “Well, that won’t do.” Jennifer watched him carefully.
“It can be a good way to pass the time,” Jennifer offered a weak grin. James looked at her with a steady smile.
“I can think of better ways. Driver, can you head to Newark International? Should be about 20 minutes away, right?”
“15, sir. I can get there in ten,” the driver started the car less than a second later and revved the engine for good measure. James chuckled.
“Don’t get caught and watch out for old ladies crossing the road,” James advised. He received a laugh in response, before the driver stepped on the gas. Jennifer watched James curiously.
“What’s at the airport?”
James glanced at Jennifer and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He began to scroll through a menu.
“A heliport.”
Jennifer blinked. She struggled to keep a level of calm in her voice. “Like for a helicopter? That kind of heliport?”
Pausing, James met Jennifer’s eyes again and nodded. His face was blank.
“Is something wrong with that?”
Jennifer shook her head quickly. “No, no.”
James smiled brightly. “Good. It’ll be about a 10 minute flight from the airport to 34th street,” as an afterthought, he nudged Jennifer and joked, “you might even see a star or two.”
Chapter Twelve
Glitter and Falling Stardust
The driver stayed true to his word. Within 10 minutes, they had made it to Newark International, and within 15, they were being led to the helicopter that would take them into New York City. Anticipation bubbled within Jennifer. She eyed the helicopter suspiciously. It seemed big, too large for what they needed it for. Still, James led the way and chatted comfortably with someone who looked like an air traffic controller.
As they neared their destination, the blades began to spin, creating too much noise to speak freely. They were helped into the cabin, and Jennifer’s draw dropped. Inside were two rotating leather chairs that faced a back row of two more seats with a large console separating them. There were two monitors, one facing each grouping of seats.
It looked like the inside of a limousine, but larger. She paused and glanced to the left and right, checking to make sure it was still a helicopter they were entering. James turned and laughed at her shock. He gestured at her to make her way inside.
He chose a seat on the left and waited patiently for Jennifer to choose her seat. She thought about sitting opposite him, but it was only for a fleeting thought. Her body moved to slip into a seat adjacent to the large console. Jennifer ran her hands over the leather. This was arguably nicer than her own car, and that thing was a beast.
“What is this?” She asked finally. “I didn’t even know helicopters could look like this.”
James smiled at her. “It’s a Sikorsky S-76D executive transport helicopter. It’s supposed to make impressions.”
Laughing, Jennifer looked around and eyed the champagne glasses secured to the back of the separating console between them.
“Is this a refrigerator or something?” Jennifer asked, looking at the front of the console. She ran her hand down it and tried to pull. It opened easily, sliding forward to reveal several bottles of wine and chilled water bottles. She whistled. “How long did you say it takes to fly into Manhattan?”
“About 10 minutes. It’d take even less if we used Air Pegasus or Downtown Manhattan but,” he shrugged, “I wanted to get in closer to Midtown. I hate New York traffic.”
Jennifer nodded. She wasn’t sure she understood anything he said, or grasped what difference it made. She was riding in a luxury helicopter. She grinned wildly like a little girl in a candy shop and itched to check out the wine. Her fingers toyed with the top of the glass bottles while her eyes danced with James’s teasing smile.
“Do you come to New York often?” She asked, trying to mask her excitement.
With another relaxed shrug, James took a deep breath. “Sometimes, but not every time I’m in Jersey.”
Nodding, Jennifer looked down at the wine. She lifted a bottle and peered at the label. It was a 1998 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame from Champagne, France. Her mouth began to water. Wetting her lips, she glanced at James. He watched her quietly.
“Can we have a glass?” Jennifer’s voice sounded a little pathetic.
“What are you, a wino?” James asked with a playful smirk. Jennifer smiled sheepishly and shrugged.
“Maybe just a little.”
“It’s a 10 minute flight, Jenn,” James said softly. His head fell into a tilt. “There will be hardly enough time to enjoy a full glass.” Jennifer’s face fell. “But, if you want to throw in a tour of New York and extend the ride another 40 minutes, sure, I’ll have a glass or two with you.”
Jennifer’s mouth had fallen open again. James held her gaze steady. She could only nod.
“Yeah. Let’s do that.”
James grinned and nodded at length. “Whatever you say, Precious.”
Her cheeks ran with heat at his words. Maybe sharing a bottle of wine wasn’t a good idea, but it was nothing she and James hadn’t done before. Then again, when they had semi-intimate encounters, there hadn’t been all the flirting either. All the pet name calling and goo-goo eyes. Back then, it was just a touch of relaxation with a heavy emphasis on work.
Jennifer wasn’t exactly sure what this was. She barely even remembered what they were doing in New Jersey in the first place. She remembered Melony and the sparkling eyes of her young daughter as she peered at James and accepted his kisses to her forehead. It wasn’t awkward though. James was clearly a loved father figure to the young girl. That was attractive in ways Jennifer didn’t think she’d even care about.
After James contacted the pilot about the change of plans, they removed
two glasses and opened the bottle. The wine was smooth and warm going down. It prickled Jennifer’s cheeks and left her feeling richly toasty in the cool, air-conditioned cabin of the luxury helicopter.
The jitters within her were finally starting to simmer. He took a thin sip of the wine and closed his eyes to savor the liquid.
“Wow,” he breathed. “That’s good.”
“I’ve had better,” Jennifer commented, adding in a smirk when James faced her with a straight face. He seemed serious suddenly, and let his eyes pour over her face slowly. He met Jennifer’s eyes and raised a brow.
“But this is still really good,” Jennifer added with a playful giggle playing with her words. There was something about the way James held her gaze that took her breath away. Heat returned to her face and she swallowed. “This is a good, close second.”
James nodded, his eyes trailing a path to Jennifer’s lips. “I’m glad you like it.” He met her eyes again with a thin smile.
They held the gaze for longer than what was appropriate between superior and subordinate. Jennifer’s left hand clawed its way to her neck and she scratched, breaking their contact moments later. Her heart raced within her chest. She wasn’t sure when that started, the heart pounding, but each beat felt like her body was shaking. The console was at least a foot wide; that kept James at bay, but she honestly didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to keep him at a distance.
Looking around the cabin, she spotted her briefcase on one of the opposite seats. James must have grabbed it for her because her purse sat in her lap. Her fingers played with the thick fabric of her bag.
“You know, you’re a really incredible man,” Jennifer said softly. James remained silent. “You and Melony seem like great friends. Her daughter adores you,” she looked to James again. He was smiling.
“I love her daughter too. She’s an incredibly sweet girl,” he spoke calmly with her, naturally. Jennifer nodded at his words.
“You and Melony are close?”
James looked over Jennifer again with a piercing gaze. He nodded at length. “I was great friends with her husband,” he paused, “but even then, before they were married, I knew Melony from school. She was a couple of grades below me but her brother and I were good friends.”
Millionaire Romance: In Love With My Personal Assistant - A Contemporary Romance (Millionaire Romance, Contemporary Romance, Comedy Romance Book 2) Page 11