Designs of Love (TP2)

12 - Sterling/ Jen

Jen could answer this any way she cared to, but seeing as Megan had experience with marital issues, she said, "No, probably not."

"Do you think you can work it out? That was my biggest mistake."

"Probably not. We could stay married for the sake of the business, but it would compromise my happiness."

"What is it you want that you're not getting?"

Jen thought about the best way to answer and focused on how she had been increasingly unhappy in her marriage, even without Sterling's infidelity and sexuality. Her desire for children was growing and Sterling was adamantly against having any.

"One thing is that he doesn't want children and I do."

Megan took a sip of wine. "I couldn't imagine my life without my kids."

"Where are they?"

"The twins are having a sleepover with my parents. Abbie is asleep." Finishing her wine she said, "Let's go downstairs. I like to distract Peter and screw up his game."

"Are they playing for money?" Jen asked, laughing.

"Yes, but it's okay."

Jen followed behind Megan. There were seven players, including Alex. She should have known. He had showered and changed out of his work clothes and was wearing a decent shirt. He had also shaved. Much of the time he had a few days of growth which she found sexy. There she admitted that he could look sexy, really sexy. He looked up at her and nodded. She smiled, but he didn't return a smile since he was concentrating on his cards.

Megan announced, "Every one this is my friend, Jen. Jen, this is everyone."

Most of the men murmured hello. She watched as Megan stood behind Peter and put her hand on his shoulder. The easy, natural way she touched him struck Jen. She thought she and Sterling had that once, but now she wondered if it was one-sided. Megan leaned in and whispered, and one man, a really built guy, called out.

"Hey no whispering lady!"

Megan laughed. "You don't know what I said."

The guy she recognized from The Landing said, "Knowing these two, it was probably very personal."

"Dan, is your wife still spying on us?" Peter asked.

"She's mad at Alex for putting your bedroom in the back of the house."

"Don't get me involved." Alex protested with a laugh.

When he laughed, his eyes sparkled. She looked around the room. They were friends and cared for one another. She didn't have a group of friends like that. In New York, the people she knew were superficial. Only Avery was a real friend.

Jen suspected the wine was going to Megan's head because when Peter got up for a beer, she followed him into the kitchen and pressed against him.

The big guy yelled, "Come on, you two act like you were separated for six or seven years! This isn't your honeymoon. The cards are waiting!"

Megan called out. "Hey John, I'd be careful. You're the one who's almost the newlywed." Everyone laughed.

Finally, another guy said, "Ms. Brenner, go away. You're ruining our game."

"Okay, okay," Megan said, as she grabbed some brownies off a plate.

Once upstairs, Jen asked who they were. "Just friends, John is Pete's close friend, but he's also marrying his sister. That was my friend, Matt who ordered us upstairs. He teaches math at the high school."

"I don't have friends like that. Things are so different here. People are real. In New York everyone is fake. Even me most of the time." Jen confessed.

"Are you your real self with your husband?"

"Mostly, but he's definitely isn't with me. The only thing is that I didn't realize it until recently."

"I'm sorry. If you want to tell me, I'll listen, but if not I understand completely. Sometimes it's just too hard."

"Thanks for the offer. I'm probably going back soon, but I'll come home again. Maybe I'll be ready another time."

"Will I ever get to meet Sterling?"

"Probably not. Did Peter tell you anything? Because he wasn't nice to him."

"That was it, but he said he remembered that you were happy, except that you missed your parents."

Peter had come to New York once for a conference. Did he notice more about Sterling? Perhaps she would ask him someday. They visited a while longer, and when they went back downstairs, the game had broken up. Jen hugged Peter and whispered, "She's had plenty of wine!"

Actually, Jen was feeling a buzz herself, as she approached the door Alex followed behind her. He opened the door and offered for her to go first by gently touching her back. She felt the touch again radiate through her body and instantly blamed it on the wine. As she started walking he followed her, because his truck was ahead.

"Do you want a ride home?"

"No thanks, I can walk."

"I'll walk you to the corner."

"You don't have to. I wanted to tell you I'll probably be leaving soon, but I'll keep up with your progress."

She walked away and felt him watching her. He really wasn't so bad.