Designs of Love (TP2)

1 -Jennifer Dixon, New York City

Jennifer had finished an interior design project on the Upper East Side. The client was a real piece of work. Sterling had handled her during the planning phase. He had a way about him, and he could tame any lioness and make her purr. He found their rich entitled clients a challenge. Jennifer did not. She referred to this one as the dragon lady, so she had spent the day tweaking her unique design of the gorgeous living room overlooking the park. She took a moment to take in her completed redesign and felt a swelling in her chest. Success was dizzying, as some days she felt like an imposter in someone else's life.

She needed a drink, but Avery, her best friend, had canceled on her. Avery was filthy rich and worked extreme hours in mergers and acquisitions. Jen, Avery, and Sterling had been a threesome since her college days. Avery knew everyone and could always cut to the front of any line and get the most sought-after reservations. Tickets to Hamilton? No problem for Avery.

Avery called Jen as she was boarding a corporate jet. "You know I can't tell you anything." She would often say if I told you, you could make millions in the stock market, but we'd both end up in jail.

So Avery was on her way to who knows where and Jennifer had finished with the dragon lady. Second best to drinks out was relaxing at home. She tried to text and call Sterling, but he wasn't answering. She couldn't remember if he had an appointment. They were a team. Sterling lured their wealthy clients in and Jennifer delivered the gorgeous interior designs that gave Dixon Designs its impeccable reputation. They were a couple professionally and personally, having been married for over six years. Together they had reinvented themselves into a successful cosmopolitan couple.

Sterling absolutely forbade her to let anyone know she grew up above a market in Maine. It didn't matter to him The Landing served renowned lobster rolls and awarded the best year after year or they wrote it up in magazines as that can't miss spot in all of southern Maine. Their lobster rolls were the best and the secret ingredients had been a family recipe handed down to Jen's mother from her grandmother.

The whole community loved her parents Rick and Alice. When Rick retired from the Coast Guard, he brought his wife back to her native Maine to raise their daughter. Jen or Jenny was just three. The Point was the only home she remembered until she ran off to design school in New York City.

It didn't matter to Sterling that plenty of wealthy people summered on The Point. Maine was a long way from Manhattan. To him, Manhattan was the top of the world. Responding to her argument, Sterling said, "No Jennifer that piece of land you called home is not Kennebunkport or Mount Desert Island." Somehow the only places in Maine worthy of mention by Sterling were the homes of former Presidents and Martha Stewart.

They had just rehashed this argument the day before when one of their clients, Sydney Thompson, asked if they would decorate her new home in Maine. Jennifer asked, where it was located.

"On a beautiful gem called The Point." Jen choked on her water. "Do you know it?"

Finished coughing, Jennifer said, "Yes. I've been there. Is it new construction? Did they tear something down?"

Sydney handed Jennifer her iPhone with a picture of a large partially constructed monstrosity of a home.

"Just some old cottages. It's a gorgeous spot on the ocean and the river tucked away at the end of the beach."

Jen knew exactly where she meant. She had walked past those cottages with her childhood best friend Megan more times than she could count. She had hated all the new construction that took place on The Point and Sydney's house was one of the worst. Jennifer ignored the fact that it was the gorgeous homes on The Point that piqued her interest in interior design.

Before she could respond, Sterling said, "We're not sure we can take on a job that far from home."

"We'll discuss it and let you know," Jennifer ignored Sterling's intense stare.

Later they argued. She reminded him it had been years since she'd seen her family. "We go to Georgia to see your family because they're rich and you've never even met my parents."

"You're Jennifer Dixon now... refined, talented, beautiful. You are not that girl from Maine anymore."

When she entered their impeccably decorated apartment, she was glad it was quiet and empty. She could call home ─ she missed her mother and father. When she went into the bedroom to change, she found Sterling in their bed and he wasn't alone.

Shocked, her heart was pounding. "I'm calling Sydney to tell her we're taking the project. I'll fly up tomorrow and start on measurements. I assume Trevor can handle things for me while I'm gone."

Before he could respond, she turned and was out the door.