by Lacey Legend
“That would be kind of great.” Liana’s voice was warmer.
“You two decide what you want and order. I’m just going to use the bathroom.” Spencer went out to the bathroom. He washed his hands and splashed cold water on his face.
“This could be a nightmare if you let it be,” he told himself as he stared in the mirror. “But instead of faking enthusiasm, see where it goes. Liana’s bright and she’s got a tongue on her. She cares about her sister and so do you. That’s something you have in common.”
In terms of his relationship with Jenna, they weren’t exactly at the stage where he should be meeting her family. In fact, he was nowhere close to it and he personally didn’t think he was in the wrong feeling uncomfortable with the situation. That said, the last time he’d made love to Jenna, he’d inadvertently put his foot in things by asking if she planned on leaving his bed before or after she’d done his cleaning. It wasn’t enough to make a grand gesture by arriving at her home and asking her on a second date. He owed it to her to make sure she didn’t feel used by him again.
He stepped out of the bathroom to see Liana on the phone reeling off an order. Walking slowly over, he took his place on the couch. Truthfully, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent an evening in watching TV. Mostly he split his time between work and going out. There was something quite pleasant about the warmth of Jenna snuggled up next to him.
Liana went to check on Zada.
“Why a black and white film?” he asked Jenna incredulously.
“Because it’s cultured and arty and I thought you were cultured and arty.”
“Do you know when that film was made?”
“The thirties?”
“Talkies were around then, but that film was made in 2011. It’s French and it won a lot of Oscars. I’ve already seen it.”
“I was right, though,” she said smugly.
“How?”
“It’s foreign and cultured and arty and you’ve seen it. Therein, my assumption that you’re cultured and arty is correct.”
“Wrong. I saw it because I attended the premiere. I don’t habitually watch black and white movies. They’re way before my time. I’m the kind of guy that likes to keep things current, hence my involvement with technology.”
“Oh.” Jenna was quiet. She felt foolish. Spencer probably attended loads of premieres. That was the point he’d made earlier. Their life experiences were vastly different and it was clearly going to affect their relationship.
“Don’t look down,” he said softly. “The whole point of us spending time together is to allow us to get to know one another. Now you know I like movie premieres but keep up with current trends.”
“And what do you know about me?”
“That you’re very quick in the shower and that you and sister can easily be at loggerheads with one another.”
“Sorry about Liana.”
“Don’t apologize on behalf of your sister. She didn’t say anything untrue. She’s upfront and she clearly cares about you.”
A sharp rap at the door had Liana sprinting out of her bedroom toward the front door. As Liana carted in an array of pizza boxes and ice cream, Spencer went to settle up the bill.
“Thanks, Spencer,” said Liana between mouthfuls of stuffed crust pizza. “I’m famished. This will give me the energy I need to get on with my assignments.”
“Li, you’re eating like you haven’t been fed in a month,” chastised Jenna.
“Don’t be precious. It smells heavenly and it tastes heavenly.”
“You aren’t eating for two anymore.”
Spencer smiled inwardly. He could see why Liana was carrying a few extra pounds on her sister, but the comment was harsh. Liana’s face was thunderous; her sister’s triumphant.
“Liana, about your coursework,” interjected Spencer before World War 3 broke out.
“Mmmhmmm.”
“Perhaps I could help you out a little and free up some time for you to invest in your studies.”
Jenna looked at him admiringly. He certainly was getting hands-on with involving himself in her family affairs.
“What were you thinking?” asked Liana.
“I have contacts with some personal nannies over here. If it helps at all, I’m using their services next week and would be happy to place Zada with my regular one.”
“Uh uh, no way,” answered Liana.
“Geez, Li. Can you think about how you sound?” frowned Jenna.
“What? I’m not having my baby placed with a stranger.”
“Of course,” agreed Spencer hoping to calm things. “It was a foolish suggestion.”
“It wasn’t a foolish suggestion,” countered Jenna putting a hand on his arm.
“I should make a move.”
“Spencer, no,” urged Jenna.
“I completely forgot I have my driver waiting downstairs. I shouldn’t leave him for hours on end.”
“Wow, you’ve been up here enjoying my sister’s...company...and stuffing your face while some poor sap’s minding your car. What a life.”
Spencer bit his tongue to refrain from saying that he and Jenna had barely had a chance to taste the pizza with Liana’s ravenous appetite.
“I’ll leave you two to it.”
“Let me walk you out,” insisted Jenna.
“No,” said Spencer, his voice verging on curt. “Stay in, where it’s safe and enjoy your dinner.”
“Will we speak later?” Jenna could hear her voice bleating. Spencer nodded and waited for Jenna to unbolt the door.
“Thanks for dinner Spencer,” shouted Liana.
“No problem.”
Spencer kissed Jenna’s forehead and walked out.
“What were you thinking behaving like that,” shouted Jenna at her sister after she shut the door.
“What?”
“How could you be so rude?”
“I’m not leaving my baby with a stranger.”
“Spencer clearly has a relationship with the nanny service. If he trusts them, then they aren’t strangers.”
“They’re strangers to me and you and they’d be a stranger to Zada.”
“They’d provide excellent care and you’d have had a way to continue your studies in assignment week without interruption,” argued Jenna.
“The best care for my daughter is from family.”
“And what if Spencer becomes family one day?”
“Listen to yourself, Jenna. You’ve had one date with the guy and now you’re marrying him? Get over the fairytale complex. It’s not going to last. You’re a novelty for him. He wants a taste of what it’s like to rough it.”
Liana’s comments stung. It was what Jenna feared about dating Spencer. It was one thing her thinking it, but if her sister was as well, did that mean everyone doubted Spencer’s intentions? Tears pricked her eyes. She didn’t want Liana to know she’d delivered a blow to her confidence.
“If he wanted to taste common, he’d have chosen to date you and not me.”
Liana jumped up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Look at yourself, Li. You come in and make vulgar comments to someone upon your first meeting with them. The second he offers to buy dinner, you go to town and over-order. Then when he tries to constructively offer help, you treat him like dirt. You hardly came across as the picture of civility.”
“At least I’m not trying to be someone I’m not.”
“I would never treat another human being the way you did.”
“Not when he’s got billions in his bank account,” said Liana snidely.
“I wouldn’t care if he had cents in his account. He didn’t deserve that.”
“He’s trying to worm his way in, Jen. We’re a case study for him; a family for him to play philanthropist to while increasing his public profile. You’re totally deluded if you think otherwise.”
“You’re totally deluded if you think I’m going to spend my nights in babysitting and missing out on time with Spenc
er so you can attend night classes.”
“Well I’m glad you know where your loyalties lie,” hissed Liana.
“Family loyalty means you support one another’s dreams - not destroy them. I’ll be surprised if Spencer ever wants to talk to me again.”
*
Jenna was mortified by her sister’s behavior. She rang Spencer to apologize but his phone went straight through to voicemail. She sent a text but that too went unanswered.
Spencer stared up at the intricate plasterwork of his white bedroom ceiling. Jenna wasn’t responsible for her sister’s attitude. Punishing her wasn’t fair, but at the same time the interaction highlighted that Spencer was out of touch with the ‘common people’ and socially didn’t blend well in a family environment. Yet, he seemed to have had a normal upbringing and considered his own family to be tight knit.
Perhaps brotherhood was easier than having mixed siblings. Spencer had a close bond with both his brothers. They certainly hadn’t clashed the way Jenna and Liana did. At first he’d found the sibling rivalry amusing, but it hadn’t taken long for it to turn to discomfort. He was only glad Jenna’s mother hadn’t been present.
Too much estrogen and not enough testosterone, he thought glibly. This would be a lot easier to walk away from if I hadn’t enjoyed Jenna’s company.
He had and because of that, he wasn’t prepared to close the door on the relationship quite yet. Being unfamiliar with the situation made it difficult for him to decide what his next move should be. He needed to get out of bed and prepare for the gym before the cleaner arrived, but he was finding it hard to muster the incentive. The idea of Mrs. Kozak arriving and finding him lounging naked in his bed was not a pleasant scenario. Dragging himself out of bed, he flung on his gym attire, thankful his apartment building had its own gym.
Opening his front door, he was surprised to see Jenna there.
“Are you back to clean my apartment?” he asked cheekily.
Jenna put a hand to his face. She’d expected coolness or anger, not gentle teasing. His understanding touched her.
“Forgive me?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Jenna.”
“No, but I shouldn’t have put you in that position.”
“You didn’t, I did.” he said firmly, implying that no woman ran or controlled his schedule. “You actually gave me the go ahead to leave, if memory serves correctly.”
“Bet you wished you’d taken me up on the offer and not tried to be so gallant.”
Mrs. Kozak appeared. Head down, she nodded politely.
“God I hope she doesn’t report that to Ms. Princely,” muttered Jenna.
“She won’t and even if she did, there’s nothing that can be done now. The whole purpose of moving you from my apartment was so that we could see each other again.”
“Until my sister opened her stupid mouth, preventing you from ever wanting to see me again.”
Spencer began heading to the elevator. Jenna picked up her pace to keep up with him. “Jenna, do you actually think I’m so weak-willed that your sister’s behavior would affect my feelings for you?”
“Not exactly. I think her rudeness last night makes me an unattractive prospect.”
“Trust me, there is nothing unattractive about you,” said Spencer, punching the basement button.
“Where do we go from here then?”
Spencer studied her. Jenna was forthright like her sister but there was a warmth and sincerity to her. He admired her boldness. Not a lot of women would risk rejection by initiating a conversation in regard to the second date.
“You aren’t babysitting Saturday night?”
“No,” replied Jenna quickly.
“We’ll do something Saturday then.”
“As in tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“Are you going to tell me what we’ll be doing?”
Jenna pressed the ground floor button to let herself out, sensing the conversation had reached a natural end.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“You’re being very mysterious.”
“I thought women liked surprises.”
“Yes, but given recent events I’d like to ensure I have the correct wardrobe for any surprises.”
“I’ll call you,” he promised as the door to the lift opened.
Jenna kissed him firmly on the mouth.
“Make sure you do.”
It wasn’t until he was running on the treadmill that Spencer was able to clear his head. Next week was going to be busy. His niece would be over to see a specialist regarding her condition. What he didn’t want was anything interfering with that aspect of his life. His love life was still of tabloid interest. Doing something public with Jenna could generate unwanted publicity. It’d be best to play things down for the moment. That didn’t mean he couldn’t treat Jenna to something special – it just couldn’t be local.
The big question was what to do tonight. It’d been a week ago that he’d taken Jenna as his date to the charity gala dinner. Since then, his nights had been spent in the apartment as he’d attempted to mend his mistakes with Jenna and rectify her working situation. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d spent six nights keeping a low profile. After last night’s blow up, he wanted to let off some steam and be by himself and free of the trials and tribulations that appeared to come with dating Jenna King.
On no account was he intending to return to Jenna’s apartment in the near future after Liana’s tepid welcome. As she was due to babysit, it made sense that Spencer do his own thing. It wasn’t as if he were chained to Jenna or obligated to spend his every free moments with her.
***
Jenna spent her Friday night indoors taking care of Zada and packing an overnight case. Spencer had called during the day telling her that he’d be sending a car for her at 6 am Saturday morning and to wear something comfortable and to expect to stay overnight. It sounded casual enough, and given he’d bought her outfit to the charity gala dinner he clearly knew the limitations of her wardrobe. If he genuinely wanted to get to know her better, maybe the plan was to spend the weekend cozied up in his apartment. It might be intimate and give them time together, but she couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed that he wasn’t taking her out on the town. The charity gala dinner had been fun and Jenna had proved she could work the scene with ease. She’d been hoping for something similar on their second date.
When the car arrived for Jenna early Saturday morning, she was surprised to see a sleepy looking Spencer in the back seat, waiting for her with a lazy kiss.
“You look as though you haven’t been to bed,” she remarked.
His lip curling in a smile suggested he hadn’t. Jenna wasn’t sure whether she liked the idea of him being out all night. If he had been – where had he been and with whom?
“Champagne?” offered Spencer grandly.
“Spencer, it’s just past 6 am. Isn’t it a bit early?”
“It’s midday where we’re headed. I’d say it’s exactly the right time to start the celebrations.”
“What do you mean where we’re headed?”
Jenna realized they were on the way to JFK airport. The car followed a private route that took them directly onto a secluded part of the tarmac.
“Paris. Dinner tonight.”
“But I haven’t bought anything to wear,” screeched Jenna.
“Don’t worry. There’ll be time to shop when we arrive.”
Jenna knocked back the champagne. She was heady with excitement. The chartered plane was slick and sleek. The pilot and a pretty flight attendant greeted them. Jenna noted Spencer’s surname “Lawson” on the tail of the plane and guessed he owned the private aircraft.
“There’s a tail wind so we’ll make good time,” said the pilot over the intercom.
“I can’t believe I was disappointed by your lack of imagination,” said a shamefaced Jenna.
“What? Did you think I was going to lock you in my apartment for the weekend
and make you watch black and white movies?” mocked a somewhat more animated Spencer.
“Something like that.”
“I’m glad I’m not overly predictable. I suspect most women would think I am.”
“Well, I’m not like most women.”
“Time will tell,” said Spencer cynically.
Spencer’s cynicism disappeared over the course of the weekend. Without the pressure of work or family, the twosome were able to relax. Spencer enjoyed seeing old things through new eyes. Having a helicopter on the tarmac of Charles De Gaulle airport to fly him to the helipad of the Hotel Georg V was standard practice for Spencer. Jenna, however, had never travelled in a helicopter before, let alone stayed at a hotel where a helicopter could land. Bought up with permanently stretching household finances meant that this was Jenna’s first trip out of the United States.
Visiting Macy’s for a makeover to attend the charity gala dinner had been one thing, but shopping at the exclusive Gallerias Lafayette department store was something else altogether. Jenna felt out of her depth, wandering through the women’s fashion department, but with Spencer by her side, she was treated like royalty.
Now I really do feel like I’m in a romantic movie, she thought.
She couldn’t have been any more in awe of the Parisian vibe than being treated to a six course meal at the Le Jules Verne restaurant nested in the Eiffel Tower itself. The food was exquisite, as were the views.
Upon entering the Royal Suite to prepare for bed, Jenna was in a marble bathroom with sauna and steam room. Crystal chandeliers lit the room that was perfumed by vases of pale pink roses and decorated with French antiques. The four-poster sumptuous bed was as divine as Spencer’s lovemaking.
Breakfast in bed after a night of passion and endless chatter was the perfect end to their brief visit to Paris. Landing back in JFK, it was as if the weekend were a dream concocted by Jenna’s vividly romantic notions.
“Will I see you this week?” asked Jenna, aware of Spencer’s commitment to his niece during her stay.
“We’ll sort something out.”
He kissed her gently, feeling something like a cross between deep caring and huge likability in his heart for the innocent, but realistic social worker-to-be.
