by Alexis Gold
She shook her head. “No, what does it mean?”
He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers while they took each other in for a moment, and Jenna felt that familiar warmth in her middle. Then he leaned back, rested his hand across her shoulders, and pulled her close.
“That I want to spend as much time as possible, as much as you will allow me, by your side—learning more about you every day, and more about who you are.”
She smiled as he held her. The genuine response he had given her immediately silenced her fears and anxieties. Relieved, she listened to the music and the sound of his heart near her chest. Then she felt the plane roll and take off into the sky and heard the white noise behind the album as they flew through the clouds.
At some point, Jenna had nodded off. She awoke to Lance rubbing her back as the jet made its descent toward the New York skyline. She sat up. He had tucked a pillow under her head, elevated her legs, and covered her with a blanket. She smiled at how comfortable this was compared to other plane rides.
“Morning, sunshine.” He smirked at her, and she gave him a playful shove.
“How long was I out?” She yawned and stretched.
“About ten hours.” He raised an eyebrow at her.
She shrugged in return. “I was tired.”
“Well, sleepy head, we’ll be landing shortly. You ready to be back home?”
Jenna thought for a moment. “I would have enjoyed more of a vacation than an ass kicking.”
Lance chuckled. “I would agree with that statement.”
The plane landed without a hitch, and the two grabbed their belongings and headed out the doors into the night. The private airport was quiet, but two cars sat waiting in the driveway. Jenna saw Mr. Pierce and two drivers.
Lance turned to her and embraced her in a hug. “Breakfast date tomorrow?”
She squeezed him, not wanting to let go. “You got it, handsome.”
*
The next morning Jenna awoke extra early to do a little work before their breakfast date. She ran through emails, checked up with potential clients, and touched base with her leads at the department. It felt good to be back on a routine. She had missed her favorite coffee shop; they had the best croissants and the best cup of joe in New York City.
After she had caught up, she decided to take a run around her block. She was fond of her neighborhood: block after block of apartments, restaurants, little hidden bookstores, toy shops, delis, and yoga studios. She had lived here for years and could tell you the best spot for Thai food, or the best shop to go grab a gift for Mom.
She got back and took a shower, the smell of the water familiar, not like the earth scent of that at the beach house in Buenos Aires. She sighed at the thought of it; only a day later and it already felt like a dream, so long ago. She thought of Lance and smiled. He would be here in just a few minutes.
She pulled on her jeans, her floral-patterned dress top, and her gold hoop earrings. Then she slipped on her red flats. She was ready for her breakfast date.
The doorbell rang and Lance stood in the frame. He held his hand out, and she accepted it with a smile.
“Heard you know a pretty good breakfast joint around here?” he asked as they stepped out onto the sidewalk.
“I do. Best omelets in New York.”
The two strolled down the lane at an easy pace, chatting away about the local events and shows they wanted to see. Jenna stopped at the entrance to a tiny place and held out her hand.
“Here’s our stop.”
Lance opened the door. “Ladies first.”
She walked in and looked up to see Danielle waving furiously at her from the corner table.
“Jenna! Over here!” She patted the seat next to her.
She chuckled as she sat next to her friend and gave her a hug. Lance sat down and, after they broke away with a giggle, reached a hand over the table.
“Danielle, pleasure to finally meet you.” He smiled as she excitedly grasped his hand.
“It’s great to meet you, mystery man!” Danielle gave Jenna a mischievous glance, and Lance could see her grow embarrassed.
“No longer a mystery! So, who wants omelets?”
The three chatted over the next few hours. Jenna and Lance told Danielle the entire story, and for the first time, the other was actually finding out what had gone down during those hours they were separated.
“Wait, you have a secret stuff room in the beach house?!” Jenna said in an excited whisper, her eyes looking around to see if anyone was watching them.
Lance chuckled. “Quite often, I actually forget it’s there; we stock all the homes with them.”
Danielle’s eyes were wide in astonishment behind her glasses. “That is the coolest fucking thing I have ever heard.”
“So, what happened next?!” Jenna asked as eagerly as Danielle.
“Got the boat out, headed over to the warehouse and up to the rooftop. I was kicking myself for parking so far later on, but it worked out to my advantage in the beginning. I snuck out the back and up, then used the skylights to figure out how I was going to get to you.”
Jenna nodded. “He almost had me until Franco used his face to open the door.”
Lance shrugged. “My face is really good for opening doors.”
“So, how did you find her when you woke up? You’re so lucky you got up before that bomb went off!” Danielle threw her hands out to mimic the explosion.
“I watched them leave and kept my eyes on the boat. It took me a bit to catch up but my machine was better and they hit the storm before me.”
“I can’t believe you guys battled people on boats in a storm. That sounds horrible.” Danielle took a sip of her cola.
Lance reached up and touched his temple, the spot still tender. “Yeah, it kinda was.”
Danielle looked at her phone and frowned.
“Sorry to cut it short guys, but I have a late afternoon meeting. Let’s do this again soon, though. I need to hear more of these stories!” She stood up and waved a goodbye, then hugged Jenna and leaned in as she did so.
“He’s cute. You get it, girl.”
Jenna laughed as her friend left and then returned her attention to Lance.
“So what do you have going on the rest of the day, handsome?” She reached across the table and took his hand; he squeezed back with a look of concern on his face.
“Unfortunately, dad and I have to go to the facility where they’re holding Lia. It’s down in Florida so I’m going to be gone the next couple days.”
Jenna slumped a bit and pouted at him, “Not the answer I wanted.”
He squeezed her hand again. “No. But would you like to go on a date with me when I return home on Saturday?”
She perked up. “A date?”
“Yeah, where instead of getting beat to hell, we eat, drink, and be merry.”
She laughed. “I like the sound of that. What time can I expect you on Saturday?”
“How does five sound?”
“Works for me.”
The two finished their coffees and headed out the door. They strolled home in the summer afternoon, Jenna listening to Lance as he talked about some of the other places he had been. He asked her about her time on the force, curious how she had become such a good detective.
Before they knew it, they were at her door. Lance looked up at the door then wrapped his arms around Jenna and playfully pretended to pull her away.
She laughed and pulled him close for a hug. “I’m looking forward to Saturday, handsome.”
He kissed her forehead and squeezed her back. “Me too, beautiful.”
The Final ChapterThe next few days dragged slowly by. Jenna met up with clients, began research on a new case about a stolen family heirloom, and ran her daily errands. Grocery shopping, yoga class, a night at the bar with friends, and still Saturday night hadn’t come. Jenna shook her head at her own thoughts; she was head over heels for Lance.
Saturday she spent the entire after
noon getting ready, something she rarely did because she was always in a hurry and likely to get dirty with the places she had to go. But tonight was different. Tonight she was meeting the man with whom she had found such a deep connection, and it was for a date, of all things. She smiled at the thought.
Finally ready, she checked herself in the full length mirror one more time. Her dress flowed beautifully to her knees, and the high waist emphasized her curved, athletic build. The folds of fabric receded around her chest, the neck low. To further accentuate her curves, she wore a gold necklace with a large, intricate design. Her hoop earrings shone in the light, and her bright red lipstick matched her dress perfectly. She’d even had her nails done, and her hair was styled with perfect curls.
She heard the knock on the door and ran to open it. Lance stood there dressed in a suit and tie, a rose in his hand. His eyes went wide when he saw her and he beamed with a big smile.
“You’re stunning.”
Jenna smiled. “Look pretty good yourself.”
He handed her the rose. She took it with a smile, walked over to her kitchen, and filled a vase with water.
“So, where are we going?”
“Oh, a place on the outskirts of town I think you might like.” Lance looked at the photos of Jenna and her family that were hung on the walls.
She set the rose in the vase and put it on the table.
“Element of surprise?” She went to pull on her coat, and he assisted her.
“My favorite kind.”
Lance was driving his 1968 Corvette, and the glistening black car did not go unnoticed as people passed by. Jenna watched people giving a look as they drove through town, and she turned to look at him.
“I think you like the attention the cars bring you.” She gave him a soft shove.
He chuckled. “I think so, but I always thought the souped-up new cars looked lame. So, if I was going to get noticed in a car, it was going to be for something classic.”
Jenna nodded her head. “I can get behind that.” After a moment, she let out a sigh and her face grew solemn. “How did it go with Lia?”
He swallowed, and his eyes saddened. “Not great,”
She sat up and put her hand on his knee. “What happened?”
He paused and took a breath to say something, then paused again and knit his brow as he tried to find the words. “The only way I can describe it, is that it is like she joined a cult. She doesn’t care about me or my father anymore and only goes on about the people she met down there. Her love for Gavin… it’s like she has been completely brainwashed.”
“Do you think they did something to her?”
He shrugged with a sigh. “I really have no idea. She could have her strange days, but I never imagined anything like this. For now, the case will proceed but either way, dad has signed her into a psych ward for now.”
She lowered her head at the news. Although Lia had gone mad on her, she didn’t think a human being suffering was ever a thing to be joyful about. Lance grabbed her hand and squeezed it. His eyes met hers, and he nodded.
“It will take time, but hopefully one day we can get back the sister I know.”
The two pulled up to the parking lot of a small Italian restaurant. Jenna was surprised it wasn’t an extra fancy joint downtown. She looked at Lance questioningly as he killed the engine.
He grinned. “Well, I mean, sometimes I gotta mesh with the common folk.”
He winked at her, and she slapped him on the shoulder. “Mhmm, alright ‘Mr. I Have a Private Jet’ .”
The two stepped out of the car and headed toward the red brick building. She could hear live music from inside and smell the scent of cooking tomato sauce, sausage, and wine. Jenna felt her stomach rumble at the delicious smells. She had been too excited to eat earlier and now felt like she hadn’t had anything in days.
As Lance led her through the wooden door, the music grew louder and the smells became even more mouthwatering. The place was dimly lit, with candles and roses on the tables, each adorned with a white tablecloth, beautiful silverware, and crystal wine glasses. Half of the restaurant held the space for the live band; some string and air instruments played Italian music, and a few couples slow-danced to it.
A waiter approached them. He smiled and laughed as he approached Lance and wrapped him in a hug.
“Lance! Good to see you again, how’s it going?”
“Doing well, Dillian. I’d like you to meet my date, Miss. Jenna. We have a reservation.”
“Of course, of course! Follow me.”
They were led to a table in the back corner where they had the view of the entire place. Jenna sat and Lance ordered them a bottle of wine. The warm candlelight danced on their faces as they silently observed the place and waited for the music to hush so they could talk. Once the band quieted and dispersed to mingle with the people who had attended, Lance looked to Jenna.
“The shrimp scampi here is to die for. Also, the cheese ravioli is absolutely the tastiest thing you will put in your mouth.”
“Hmm, that all sounds delicious, but what about the veal?
“They get the most tender cuts in the tri-state area; the things cut like butter.”
Dillian returned with the bottle of wine, reached down and grabbed Jenna’s glass, and poured the deep, bold red liquid into the sparkling glass. He did the same with Lance’s and then paused to look at both of them
“Shall we start with any appetizers?”
Lance nodded. “Calamari would be great, let's start with that.”
Dillian smiled and nodded. Then he was off to put in their order.
Jenna turned her attention back to Lance. “So, I need to know something. Where did you learn all those crazy military grade combat skills? I thought you went to school for business?”
“Well, I did go to school for business and got a degree in it, but I also secretly studied combative search and rescue, meaning I could do regular search and rescue, but also go into war zones for search and rescue.”
Lance sipped his wine, and she swirled hers in her glass, giving him a surprised look.
“What made you decide to pursue that career choice?”
He paused. “I guess I always wanted to help people. When we were kids, my parents tried to keep us grounded by going into impoverished countries and staying there for a few months to help with the aid work. It really was an eye-opening experience, to see all the horrible things in the world at a young age, but it made me want to help others.”
Jenna sat back. “Damn, I had no idea.”
He smiled. “No one really does. As we grew older, I showed interest in it. I also realized that the family still very much wanted kids who would keep the profits growing. And, well, as you can imagine, volunteer work doesn’t exactly bring in the big money.”
“I see, so you gained all these great skills and then had to…?” She trailed off.
“Had to start following my dad around to learn what I would be taking over.”
“Ok, so are you doing that now? I thought you took a five year hiatus to travel the world?”
“I’ve done both, I’ve worked under my dad on and off the last six years, taking my vacations here and there to go help out where I can. I traveled all of college and had a pretty good idea of the places I wanted to go and do volunteer work for, but I never got to do any search and rescue. My family deemed it too dangerous and too much of a risk for the family.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I guess I can see that.”
He folded his hands under his chin and gave her a small smirk. “What about you, Jenna? You went for criminal justice and ended up at NYPD. Tell me more.”
She sipped her wine and watched the people pass by for a moment, then returned her attention to Lance.
“My father was a cop in a small town in Ohio. I always wanted to grow up and be like him. But, as I grew older I found that small town life just wasn’t for me. So, I moved to the big city and decided to get into criminal justice. There was som
ething about trying to bring calm to this chaos that I absolutely loved.”
“I’m sure there was a lot of chaos that needed your work on the force.”
She nodded in agreement. “Oh yeah, that’s one way to put it.”
“Why’d you decide to leave and go private?”
She paused and her face grew heavy. “It was a lot, ya know? I’ve seen things that people should never see. I’ve had to arrest people who did things that weren’t even human. I knew if I went private I could pick and choose my cases, and I still wanted to help people, was still okay with seeing terrible things if it meant bringing closure, but I needed more control than the force could offer.”
