Falling (11 page)

They laughed easily together and he realized that she was the one woman with whom he was completely relaxed. When he was with her, his worries lessened, his mind eased and his heart lifted. It was the kind of relationship people spoke of with awe and envy. One he'd not really believed existed. Until Jennifer walked into his life and turned everything upside down.

In barely four days.

As the light waned even further and the storm clouds gathered strength, Cris knew he was no closer to a solution than he had been at dawn. Jennifer would have packed by now…they had agreed to meet for dinner at the end of Cris's day. Although they'd wanted to spend every minute together, it was obvious to Cris that he wouldn't be able to work. And Jennifer knew that, admitting she was going to be an emotional wreck anyway and would rather deal with it privately.

He had half an hour to grab a shower and change. And then go to her, touch her, kiss her and try and figure out how to keep her with him forever. Or say goodbye to her and face a life that would be unbearably empty.

*~*~*~*

Jennifer's heart was heavy, a lead weight in her chest as she walked the hallway to the elevator and pressed the button to summon it. She was meeting Cris for dinner, and although every fiber of her being craved the sight of him, she knew that the end was near. She wasn't sure how to stand it.

The decision to have dinner had been fifty-fifty for a while; she'd wondered if perhaps it would be best just to leave it at that, to not see him again and try to deal with the loss.

But the call advising her that her guest was awaiting her in the dining room-probably a cute way for Cris to remind her he was there-had made her gather up the remnants of her courage.

She could do this. She could be adult, composed and in control. She would not cry her eyes out or make a scene. Honest. She'd wait until dinner was over. With a wry twist of her lips she stepped into the foyer and walked the now-familiar route to the dining room.

"Good evening, Ms. Hodges."

"Good evening Mike." She smiled at the maitre'd. "I believe you have a table for me?"

"I do indeed and your guest is already here." He smiled and led the way to a corner table.

A tall figure stood as she neared. And turned to look at her with a tentative smile.

She nearly tripped over her feet.

It was
David.

Chapter 14

Ohfuckohfuckohfuck.

How long she stood there with her mouth gaping open, Jen had no idea.

"I see I've surprised you." He smiled.

"No shit." She found her voice. "David, what the f-
hell
are you doing here?"

"Come sit down and we'll talk."

"Yeah. I think that would be a damned good idea. You know I'm heading back tomorrow, right?" She seated herself in the chair he'd pulled from the table.

"Yes. Your flights are in my calendar."

He sat as well, looking unusually awkward. He'd always been quite at home in every sort of social situation, remaining calm, somewhat aloof and inevitably in control. It was one of those little personality quirks of his that Jen had longed to puncture, since there were times it came off as decidedly pompous.

Now, however, there wasn't much of that self-control left.

"What's going on?" She frowned at him.

He fiddled with his water glass. "You look well. Rested."

"I've been on vacation. Vacations are supposed to make you look rested. Stop avoiding my question."

"Yes, well…dear…"

Jen narrowed her eyes. He only called her
dear
when something was very wrong. She leaned back and waited.

It unnerved him. "I'm not really sure how to begin."

"Try at the beginning? That's usually the best place."

"No need to get sarcastic."

She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it. Arguing at this point would be counterproductive and she refused to allow herself to be lured into it. She'd come to recognize some of David's conversational ploys and had learned to avoid most of them.

Yet another indication of how things had gone downhill between them. Why hadn't she noticed how often she'd been doing it before?

Also, he chewed his nails. Sheesh. He must be really edgy. They were down to nubs.

He darted a quick glance at her then a genuine smile crossed his face. But it wasn't aimed at her. Rather it was toward someone behind her.

"Here you are. I was afraid you'd gotten lost." He pushed his chair back and stood, holding out his hand to a woman who was even now rounding the table to take it and let him pull her close.

Jen's jaw dropped again as she watched.

Good God
. David had a
chickie
on the side.

The jaw closed abruptly, stifling the astounded gurgle of laughter that threatened to bubble from Jen's throat. All this time and she didn't have a clue. And all the guilt she'd shoved aside over the last few days-well, that evaporated quicker than a snowman outside the Florida Palms hotel.

A burden lifted from her shoulders even as the astonishment and curiosity began.

David remained standing, rather like the chairman of a meeting about to get underway. "Jennifer, I think some introductions are in order." He glanced down at the young woman now sitting next to him. And still holding his hand. "I'd like you to meet Madeline. Madeline Jackson, this is Jennifer Hodges."

The raven-haired young woman peered nervously at Jen. "Hello. I've…um…heard a lot about you."

Jen smiled back at her. "Hello Madeline. I've heard absolutely nothing about you at all. But that's probably for the best."

David blinked. "Huh?"

"Do sit down. You're looking all stuffy and uncomfortable."

"Jen, I-"

She silenced him with a firm gesture. How strange. She'd never been able to do that before. "David, really. I'm not a teenager." She glanced at Madeline. "Although perhaps…" She leaned forward a little. "Just how old
are
you, dear?"

"Jen, that's uncalled for."

"No it's not." Madeline chimed in shyly. "I'm twenty-four, Jennifer." She sucked in a breath and lifted her chin. "And I'm in love."

"Of course you are." Jen sighed gustily. "Everyone is at your age."

"With David."

"Got that. But thanks for the clarification."

"You're entitled to some explanation, Jen." David finally sat. "I know this has not been well done of me."

"That's a little Macbeth, isn't it?" Jennifer raised an eyebrow at his dramatic turn of phrase. "You fucked up, dude. Cheated on me behind my back."

"Well, I…er…it's not really like that."

"Oh?" Jennifer was rather enjoying herself. She drew out the question languidly while leaning back and crossing her arms in her chair. It was close to an Academy Award-winning performance.

And David, the man she thought she knew, didn't even realize it.

"No, it's not like that." He gripped Madeline's hand. "We met nearly three years ago at a conference. I'd gone to Baltimore. Not sure if you remember. You were somewhere else at the time."

Jen thought. "Yes. I remember. I'd gone to Maine for a few days I think."

"Whatever." David waved his free hand dismissively.

And there
, thought Jen,
there is the reason I really don't give a shit about any of this.

"Anyway, Maddy was at the conference and we…had drinks."

"And sex, I assume."

"
Jen
."

David's reprimand was immediate, but completely destroyed by his girlfriend. "Oh yes, Jen. It was amazing. David is a wonderful lover, isn't he?" Madeline's face glowed.

Poor kid. Jen shrugged to herself. They'd either figure it out or they wouldn't. Whatever happened, it was none of her concern.

"Anyway," repeated David determinedly. "We lost touch for quite a while. I will confess to emailing Madeline when I ran across her email address on one of the social networks. And she began to email me back."

He let go of Madeline's hand at last, with a smile. "I need to show Jen the photo, darling."

Darling
pouted, but then nodded. "All right. If you think it's the right thing to do."

David produced a photo from his inside jacket pocket. "I didn't know about this, about
her
, until about eight months or so ago."

Jen automatically took the picture and then stared, wordless, at the giggling infant. Who happened to be the exact image of David himself. There were big eyes of a distinctive soft honey brown, and the widow's peak…that was something she'd heard was a definite genetic hand-me-down.

She noticed the pink frills and the little curls over the ears…"A girl?" She looked up.

David nodded. "Yes. Kristin Anne." He straightened. "My daughter.
Our
daughter. Mine and Madeline's…"

"Jesus."

It was all she could think of to say as she handed the photo back.

"I named her Kristin." Madeline looked proud. "I love
Twilight
."

"Ahh." Jen, who wasn't a fan of the undead, tried to look knowledgeable.

"I didn't want to tell David, you know. I'm not that kind of girl. It was an accident, of course, but then she arrived and I loved her so much…well it wasn't long until David got the truth out of me and then he wanted to see her and then…well, he fell in love with her too. How could he not?"

She raised adoring eyes to the father of her child, who looked strangely proud. "She's a lovely child. Hard to believe she's mine." He blushed a little. "Fate seems to have designated me father material. Came as a bit of a shock."

"I'll bet." Jen's voice was dry.

"Look." He suddenly remembered who he was talking to. "I admit I've been an utter scumbag here, Jen. No need to rake me over the coals for it, because I've been doing that myself for the last few months. There aren't any excuses so I won't even try. All I can say is that some things are just meant to be. And Madeline is one of mine. I knew when I saw her again that fate had brought us together for a reason. Kristin sealed the deal."

Jen sighed as he looked at her and knowing him as she did, she could read the plea for forgiveness. He had sinned and was looking for absolution. Or at least a way to get off the hook with a minimum of unpleasantness. The rat.

What to do?

Before she could decide on whether to rip him to shreds or let him loose, a warm hand descended on her shoulder and she turned to look up into a familiar dark gaze.

"Good evening,
querida
. I wasn't eavesdropping, but I couldn't help overhearing your conversation with your guests. You didn't tell me about your ex's offspring."

"An oversight." She gazed at him, seeing the delighted laughter in his eyes and knowing it was reflected in her own. "Since I didn't know until this moment, an understandable one, I hope. Forgive me?"

"Always." He slipped into the chair beside her and encircled her shoulders with one arm, tugging her into his side. "Won't you introduce me?"

"Is it worth it?" She lifted an eyebrow quizzically.

"
Mi Corazon
." He feigned shock. "How can you ask? Everything that matters to you matters to me." He turned to David and Madeline. "Do you not agree? When one loves so deeply, is it not so? I see you both will understand completely how it is when the heart is given to another…"

He smiled, showing a few more teeth than usual, thought Jen. She took a breath. "Very well. David, Madeline…this is Cristobal Martinez de la Rosa." She felt the smile begin. "And…" she paused, remembering something she'd read online somewhere recently. "
Eres el amor de mi vida."

Cris's face lit up. "Ahh, my Jennifer."

Completely ignoring anything but her, he hugged her tightly and pressed a light kiss on her lips.

Across the table, following the stunned silence created by the little public demonstration of affection, David cleared his throat. "Well."

Jen pulled back, smiled happily at Cris and then looked at her ex. "Don't even pretend to be shocked, okay? You've been hiding a girlfriend and a child for quite some time. I happen to have only just met the man of my dreams and had every intention of telling you about it. So although both of us have probably been quite foolish, I think I'm the one who's entitled to be pissy about this." She sniffed, then laughed. "But I won't be. I'm too damned happy to care about any of it. All I know is that I'm free to follow my heart now, as are you."

David sighed then, and slumped. "I can't hide that I'm surprised, Jen. But truly I wish you nothing but happiness. The kind of happiness I've found."

"Perhaps some champagne would be in order to celebrate this auspicious occasion." The socially-magnificent skills of her lover rose to the fore and champagne appeared on the table in short order, pleasing Jen and relieving the tension in the atmosphere.

They even managed to eat dinner in a civilized fashion, all four of them, without any blood being shed. Cris cleverly guided the conversation, which helped Jen relax even more, and she found herself discussing important matters in the most sensible and practical of ways. David was going to move in with Madeline and their child. He'd been looking for places where they could live and was even now arranging to open a new office just outside of Baltimore.

Their apartment would be Jen's until the lease expired toward the end of the year. They'd both known that perhaps it would be time to move but hadn't discussed it.

Such had been the stagnant and apathetic nature of their relationship.

It was so clear now, thought Jen. There'd been a friendship, a mutual respect and a habit. There hadn't been anything beneath it anymore.

For a moment she felt sad. Sad that she'd wasted time on something that was in trouble, fading and probably would have ended badly. But then she remembered the good times-and there had been more than a few of those. Nobody could predict the future and they'd gone into their lives together with hope and enthusiasm. It wasn't a bad deal, ever. It was a good deal that just didn't have enough power to sustain itself or to grow. Neither party was to blame.