by J. L. Ryan
Justin's father, Peter, also an attorney, stayed out of his wife's shameless matchmaking schemes. He was in his own little world, with a mistress of his own and a huge drinking problem.
Justin didn't invite Jodi to his grandmother's birthday party, and when he arrived, he was greeted at the door by one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. He never saw her before, and wondered who she was there with. Little did he know, his mother invited her in an attempt to get him interested in someone other than Jodi.
Her plan worked. Justin and the other women, whose name was Christine, hit it off almost instantly. He couldn't stop looking at her, and was intrigued by her New York accent.
Christine worked as an entertainment attorney, who represented a number of big name sports and music personalities. She even invited Justine to a sporting event which had been sold out for weeks.
Even though Justin had no intentions of breaking up with Jodi, he could no longer ignore his feelings for Christine. They soon started having lunch dates at 5 star hotels, and even managed to plan a getaway weekend to the Poconos.
When Justin started becoming increasingly distant from Jodi, she started to suspect the worst. By this time, Christine was pressuring Justine for a commitment. Although they've only been seeing each other for about a month, their relationship was growing more and more intense.
The sex was amazing, and Justin never experienced anything like it before. Christine was willing to try new things in bed, and seemed to want sex multiple times a day. Jodi, by contrast, was rather modest, and her sexual appetite was diminished by her escalating depression, and the side effects from the medication she was taking.
As the months passed, Jodi was getting ready to go to Florida for a hair show. She and Justin were drifting further and further apart, but they still managed to maintain a dim spark of excitement between them. On the evening before she was schedule to leave for her trip, Jodi and Justin went out for a romantic dinner, and then came home and spent the next three hours making love.
After their love fest, Justin turned over and went to sleep. Jodi, the eternal romantic, want to cuddle, but Justin rebuffed her advances. The next morning, Justin drove Jodi to the airport, and he couldn't help but feel profound relief. He would now be able to spend the next week with his new "friend," Christine, and called her as soon as Jodi boarded the plane.
For almost the entire week that Jodi was on her business trip, Justin stayed with Christine at her downtown apartment. The couple enjoyed cooking dinner together and waking up next to each other. Justin didn't know how he would tell Jodi that he no longer loved her, and he even wished that she would stay in Florida for the long-term.
He was not responsive to her text messages, and only took her phone calls sporadically during that entire week. The week flew by quickly, and before he knew it, Justin found himself at the airport once again, but only this time, he was picking Jodi up. She was elated to see him, but he cringed when they hugged.
Jodi sensed that something was wrong, and was starting to worry. Justin told her that he was tired because he spent the entire week working on a brief for an upcoming legal case.
The couple trudged through the holidays together, but as Valentine's Day approached, Justin could no longer suppress he desire to be with Christine. Although he knew that Valentine's week was not the most appropriate time to break up with Jodi, he felt it was necessary, because he wanted to spend Valentine's Day with Christine.
He didn't bother with formalities, and simply blurted it out. He told Jodi that he was no longer happy with her, but didn't volunteer any information about his other woman. He further explained that he just needed time to be "by himself," and that "maybe" he would come to his senses and come back home to be with her. After Jodi pressed him for answers, he finally came clean about Christine.
After hearing the news, Jodi broke down, and didn't think she would be able to function at work the next day. Of course, Justin told her that he didn't mean for it to happen, but when he met Christine, an instant connection was made. He didn't really want to divulge so much information about how he felt about Christine, but he felt that unless he "drove his point home," Jodi wouldn't take him seriously.
Jodi was blindsided by the breakup. She tried to keep busy with work and going out with friends, but she couldn't shake the despair she felt. Although she was asked out on dates, she always declined.
In Jodi's eyes, nobody would ever hold a candle to Justin, and she had no desire to date anyone because she knew it would never progress into anything further. In the meantime, Justin and Christine were seen around town at various restaurants and social events.
On one occasion, Jodi caught a glimpse of the couple getting out of a cab. This almost pushed her over the edge, but she managed to hold onto her dignity. After three years passed, Jodi's feelings for Justin were still as intense as they were when they first started dated. Justin's feelings for Jodi, on the other hand, were almost non-existent. Sure, he had fond memories of their time together, but never really felt as though Jodi was his soul mate.
Jodi eventually started seeing a counselor because she was not bouncing back from the breakup. Her sleep pattern was disrupted, her diet was poor, and she stopped socializing altogether. The only social stimulation she got was when she went to work, and even there, her social interactions were severely limited.
The counselor was worried for his patient's safety, and feared that she was spiraling into a deep, dark depression. Jodi was eventually referred to a psychiatrist, who adjusted her medication and sent her on her way. When the medication kicked in after a few weeks, Jodi's mood brightened, and she started considering dating again.
Jodi met a nice guy at the gym, and when he asked her out for coffee, she felt flattered. Like Justin, Brandon was older, distinguished and well-educated. Their coffee date was pleasant, but according to Jodi, there was no spark.
When Brandon asked her out for dinner, Jodi hesitated, but decided to give him another chance. She was very critical of other men, but hoped that she would once again, find love. Brandon took Jodi to dinner and a play, and as the date was coming to a close, Brandon leaned in for a kiss.
Jodi had no intentions of kissing him, and in fact, she had no intentions of ever seeing him again. All she could think about was Justin. Three years have passed, and still, her love was as strong as ever. Jodi's co-workers were worried about her, and when she had too much to drink one night and drunk dialed Justin, they really became concerned. Fortunately she hung up before he answered the phone, but her number showed up on his caller ID.
Justin was curious to find out what Jodi wanted. His relationship with Christine was starting to cool, and lately, he started thinking about how much Jodi loved him when they were together. He hesitated at first, but after a couple days, Justin returned Jodi's call.
You could have knocked her over with a feather when she saw Justin's number come up on her caller ID. She was shaking as she answered the phone, and as soon as she heard his voice, she broke down sobbing.
Something stirred in Justin's heart, because he too, felt tears welling up in his eyes. Their phone call was brief, and in fact, it lasted only seconds, because Christine walked into the room just as Jodi answered. Justin took this as a sign.
Jodi knew that Justin still felt a connection to her. She quickly put that phone call out of her mind, and tried to focus on her job. She went on a few more dates, and much to her surprise, Jodi found a guy with whom she clicked with.
Her friend introduced her to an accountant who was from the same town that she was from. In fact, they lived within a few blocks of each other when they were teenagers, but they went to different schools. He went to a private, all-boys school, and Jodi went to a public school.
At first, the relationship progressed slowly, but after a few months, Jodi started developing strong feelings for her new friend, whose name was Nathan. He took Jodi to meet his family in New Hampshire, and they absolutely loved her. Unlike Justin's mother, C
aroline, Nathan's mother, Kerry, felt that they were the perfect couple.
As their relationship grew stronger, Jodi's feelings for Justin were becoming distant memories. In fact, days went by where she didn't even think about Justin at all. Justin, on the other hand, couldn't get Jodi out of his mind. His relationship with Christine was hanging by a thread, and he yearned for the relationship he once shared with Jodi.
He was starting to realize that breaking up with her was a mistake, and he hoped that she was not involved with another man. Justin finally raised enough courage to call Jodi back, and when she answered, his heart stopped. He almost hung up, but was able to whisper out a weak, "Hi Jodi, how are you?" Jodi was gracious and warm, and replied, "Hi, Justin, it's nice to hear from you."
The conversation was strained and awkward, but in Justin's mind, the ice had been broken. He was certain that he could get back into Jodi's good graces once again, so that they could pick up where they left off. Their conversation consisted solely of small talk, and neither one asked about the other's personal life.
Jodi almost felt sick to her stomach when she heard Justin's voice, because it brought back the painful memories of their breakup. She was grateful that she had Nathan, because he filled the void that Justin left. When she told Nathan that Justin called, he became suspicious. Why, he thought, would Justin call Jodi, out of the blue, after three years apart. Did Jodi initiate the first call, he wondered? Jodi finally confessed to Nathan that she did, indeed, "drunk dial" Justin days before.
It seemed that now, the tables were turned. Justin was the one who was pining away for Jodi, while Jodi, on the other hand, was blissfully "in like" with someone else. It never occurred to Justin that Jodi would move on and start a new life with someone else. He also felt that Jodi was his "ace in the hole," in case his relationship with Christine didn't work out. Would he and Jodi ever reconcile, he wondered?
Even though Jodi was happy with Nathan, she couldn't get Justin out of her mind, and wanted to connect with him again, just to find out more about his relationship status with Christine.
Jodi felt a twinge of guilt for thinking about calling Justin because Nathan had been so good to her. She didn't want to be shady or go behind his back, so she talked to him about her intentions.
Jodi felt that she needed to get Justin out of her system once and for all before she would be able to move forward with her relationship with Nathan. A total commitment to Nathan was out of the question, in Jodi's mind, unless she was completely over Justin.
Nathan agreed that Jodi needed to get Justin out of her system before they could take the next step in their relationship, so he encouraged Jodi to make the phone call. Feeling better now that she confessed her feelings to Nathan about Justin, Jodi picked up the phone and dialed his number.
He answered on the first ring, and couldn't believe his good fortune that Jodi was calling him. "I want to see you," Jodi said, as soon as Justin answered the phone.
Justin was shocked, but elated. By this time, he and Chistine were barely speaking, and she was spending more and more time away from the apartment that they shared since the beginning of their relationship.
Jodi and Justin planned to go out for dinner so that could talk. Both were excited, anxious, but uncertain about a future together. When Jodi saw Justin for the first time in three years, she was surprised that her heart wasn't racing, and that she did not have butterflies in her stomach.
Although it was nice to see Justin, that intense spark of passion and love was not there. Justin, on the other hand, could barely contain his emotions, and started to cry when they hugged.
He apologized to Jodi for hurting her, but she was unfazed. The cold and uncaring manner in which he "dumped" Jodi always bothered Justin, but he never had the opportunity to tell Jodi how he felt. They talked about Justin's relationship with Christine, and how it started out so intensely, but then, over time, seemed to have burned itself out.
Jodi listened quietly as Justin spoke about how Christine was a workaholic, and how she never cooked a meal for him in three years. Not only didn't she cook, she never cleaned either. Justin finally hired a cleaning service to come in twice a month to tidy up, but he wished that Christine was a little more domesticated. She wasn't into the "housewife" thing, and she certainly didn't have any maternal instincts either. Jodi couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction while Justin was droning on about his faltering relationship with Christine.
Justin was the type of guy who enjoyed home-cooked meals, who liked a clean home, and who wanted to start a family some day. Jodi wanted to start a family too, but it was becoming more apparent to Jodi, that instead of wanting to start a family with Justin, she wanted to start one with Nathan.
Throughout the entire dinner, Justin talked about himself and his relationship with Christine. He didn't ask Jod what was going on in her life until it was almost time for them to leave.
Justin was certain that Jodi had been waiting around for him to come back all this time, and was profoundly disappointed when Jodi told him that she had met someone else. What made Justin feel even worse was when Jodi told him that she was falling in love with Nathan. Justin asked, "how could you have fallen out of love with me?" Jodi replied, " It took a long time, but I finally found someone who appreciates me, embraces me for who I am, and whose family loves me." On one hand, Justin was happy for Jodi, but on the other hand, he was jealous, hurt and angry.
How could he have let Jodi go? He knew what a great woman she was, but he let his mother's silly opinion of Jodi get in the way. Justin now realizes that Jodi was the "one that got away," and his hopes of finding his one true love have been dashed.
As their dinner date was ending, Justin felt that he had lost Jodi forever. He decided to swallow his pride and beg Jodi for another chance. He realized the error of his ways, and vowed that if she would give him another chance, he would do everything in his power to make her the happiest women alive.
Although tempting, Jodi gently declined. Her feelings for Justin had changed, and she knew that she would never be able to love him like she once had. Justin wouldn't let up on his request for another chance, and Jodi, who kept politely turning him down, was getting increasingly aggravated by his persistence. Jodi once thought that the sun rose and set on Justin, but now, she was beginning to see his true colors emerge.
Justin had always been on the arrogant side, and was accustomed to getting his way all the time. He was spoiled as a child, and always seemed to have the upper hand when it came to relationships. If he didn't get what he wanted, he became pushy, overbearing and selfish.
Justin was sure that if he kissed Jodi, that old spark would re-ignite in her soul. Not only did Jodi turn away from Justin's attempt at a kiss, she was repelled by it. He no longer had the same effect on her, and in fact, she wished that she could have snapped her fingers to bring her back home to Nathan. She felt safe with him because he was so genuine and kind. There was not an arrogant or selfish bone in his body.
Jodi always lived on the edge with Justin, and always questioned his feelings for her. She knows that Nathan is in love with her, and only her. He is not on the lookout for someone better, or for someone who is on the same level as he is educationally. Even though Jodi doesn't have a college education, she is extremely bright, quick witted, wise and perceptive. Qualities that Justin never saw in her.
He criticized Jodi because of the way she spoke and because she never attended college. He wanted to pay for her college education so that she could "better herself," however, Jodi believes that he only wanted her to go to college because he was concerned that she wasn't "scholarly" enough, and that it didn't look good for him to be with an "uneducated" woman.
Just to make sure that Justin was completely out of her system, Jodi relented an kissed him. The kiss soon became more intense, and Jod could sense that Justin was getting overly enthusiastic. Since she wasn't feeling the same way, she retreated. She now knew, for sure, that Justin wasn't the man for h
er. When she kissed Nathan, passion stirred inside her, but when she kissed Justin, she felt nothing.
Although Jodi felt guilty about kissing Justin because she knew it would hurt Nathan, she just had to know for sure if the excitement, love and passion were still there. They were for Justin, but not for Jodi. It was then and there, that she decided to say good-bye, once and for all. Jodi would never turn back, and would finally close that chapter in her life.
After a year had gone by, Jody and Nathan started planning their wedding. They were now totally committed to each other, and were living together. Jodi quit her job as a hair stylist, and was now working for Nathan. This allowed them to spend all day together, which they cherished. Some couples enjoy the time they spend away from each other while they are both at their respective jobs, but for Jodi and Nathan, working together in the same office works well for them. In addition to being soul mates, they are best friends, and can let their respective guards down when they are together.
Although Nathan is technically Jodi's boss, he never plays that card. He is also careful, however, to never show favoritism to Jodi in front of his other employees. He treats everyone with respect, and no one is treated better than anyone else. Many of Nathan's employees have been with his for years, which is a true testament to his character. Jodi is proud to be his life partner, both personally and professionally.
Jodi was getting excited for her wedding, and before the big day, members of her bridal party gave her a bachelorette party. Jodi almost forgot what it was like to have a good time with her friends, because the last time they all went out together, Jodi was in a funk over Justin.
She is grateful that her friends saw her through her ordeal, and is honored to have them be a part of her wedding day. The celebration started off at a neighborhood bar where the ladies indulged in a few tropical drinks, then it was off to Jodi's favorite restaurant. The night was exciting and fun, and Jodi couldn't remember when she had such a fun time with her friends.
