Fame and Fortune

Jenna had to admit she was enjoying talking to him, and seeing the humorous side of him made her enjoy it even more. She laughed at his comment which caused him to smile back.

"I love when you smile," he said.

He used a different voice to say that; one she hadn't heard before. It was genuine and sincere, and she liked the way it made her feel.

"I know I just said 'thank you', but...thank you."

She hesitated then added, "You make it easy to smile."

"I'm glad," was all he said, and Jenna didn't need him to say anything more.

"Except when I look at that bloody mess you're shoving into your mouth."

Jenna 'willied' at the thought of eating rare meat, and Tyler had to ask a question.

"You're eating a club sandwich so you're obviously not a vegan. Are you possible a vegetarian? Perhaps a pesco-pollo vegetarian?"

"I'm impressed. Again," she said. "Yes, I meat fish, shrimp, and poultry. Just no red meat."

"Good. For a minute there I was afraid you were one of those New-Age kooks who 'doesn't eat anything with a face or anything whose mother had a face'."

This time, Jenna laughed to the point where she had to cover her mouth. Tyler clearly had no clue as to what made her laugh, so once she regained control she told him.

"I referred to your philosophy as 'New-Age nonsense' to Kami. She told me New Age was so 'twenty years ago'. And then you used the same phrase."

Tyler put his hand over his heart and said with dramatic effect, "I'm deeply hurt, Jenna."

She laughed again then said, "I don't think what you say is New Age or nonsense. Just...hackneyed."

"Oh, well that's better!" he said keeping up the pretense of being hurt. "Nothing says love like calling someone's life work unoriginal or trite."

"I don't think your ideas are...trite," Jenna said.

She smiled sweetly then said, "Maybe a little unoriginal, but not trite."

"Oh, well that's much better," Tyler said playing along one last time.

Jenna needed to leave, but as she sat there looking at him, she had to admit he'd grown on her. Yes, he was very easy on the eyes, but he was also easy to talk to. And he was genuinely funny. Maybe this 'get together' would even be pleasant rather than just tolerable.

When she told him she needed to get going, Tyler asked if he could walk with her.

"It's not too chilly outside, and unless you're taking a cab, I'd love to continue our conversation."

She tilted her head slightly, looked at him again, then said, "I suppose that would be okay. It's only three blocks, and it is reasonably nice today."

He insisted on paying for her meal, and Jenna let him then thanked him for doing so. The admiring 'throng' had thinned out, and the two of them were able to leave without anyone wanting anything else from Dr. Montgomery.

As they walked along, Tyler asked, "May I ask whether or not you're seeing anyone?"

"You may," she said without offering any information.

Tyler chuckled then tried again.

"Okay. Are you seeing anyone?"

"No. No one."

"Me, either," he told her. "Not seriously anyway."

"But you are seeing someone?" Jenna asked.

"Well, no. Not in the dating sense. I just meant..."

"It's okay. You're handsome, single, and...young. I understand," she said without judgment.

"But there is someone I'd like to see," he told her as he looked over and smiled at her as they walked.

"Don't put the cart ahead of the horse, okay?" she said politely.

"Sorry about that. It won't happen again."

"I agreed to see you again because you seem like a good, decent man, Tyler. But I'm really not looking to get involved. With anyone. So pushing me or pressuring me will backfire."

"So...you're saying there's a chance?" he said unable to avoid smiling.

Jenna had to laugh before saying, "I've seen Dumb and Dumber. Several times. It was one of Kami's favorite movies."

"Okay. I'm totally busted. But in the end he did get Lauren Holly. In the movie and in real life."

Jenna smiled, looked over at him, then told him, "Yes. And that marriage lasted all of about a year."

"I don't usually meet women who are as intelligent and well-rounded as you. Perhaps I'll try behaving for a change," he told her.

"For all the good it'll do you," Jenna said trying to sound like he really did have no chance.

The truth was she was warming up to him, but it was much too early to tell, and then there was this tiny little issue about him being a whopping 22 years younger than her.

They made small talk the last few minutes, then as they arrived at the Starbucks building, Tyler told her he'd had a very pleasant time.

"I enjoyed myself, too," she admitted.

"May I call you?" he asked.

"I...I don't know, Tyler. That seems a bit much, don't you think?"

"I think I'm not putting any carts ahead of any horses," he said with a smile. "But it might help make getting together again a little easier."

"Getting together. So it's not a date?" she said, enjoying getting the upper hand.

"Oh, you're good!" he told her as well as pointed at her and shook his index finger. "Very nicely played, Jenna."

"It's xxx-xxx-xxxx," she said very fast, knowing his phone was in his pocket.

Tyler pulled phone out as quickly as he could, but even in that very short amount of time he had to ask, "Could you possibly repeat that one more time?"

"Yes, I could," she said with a happy smile before opening the door and going inside.

He stood there and watched her walk away, and then he laughed. And then he smiled.

"You are one very amazing woman, Jenna," he said out loud to himself.

As he walked away to hail a cab, Tyler realized he only knew her first name and where she worked. But with the resources he now had at his disposal, finding out her last name and phone number shouldn't be too difficult. He shook his head when it hit him that he had an attorney, a personal assistant, and a part-time body guard. He was thinking about hiring a full-time driver, too, but for now, he enjoyed the freedom of moving around on his own.

He went straight to his office where he called the lawyer who represented him, and asked him if he knew a PI in the local area.

"Several of them. Why?"

"I met the most interesting and beautiful woman today," Tyler told him. He didn't bothering mentioning he'd seen her once before. He just let the older man know she worked at Starbucks and her name was Jenna.

"Jenna...Fox?" he asked.

"Maybe. I don't know. Why?"

"I um...I know Jenna Fox quite well," the attorney said with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Is she beautiful?" Tyler asked.

"Very. Looks 20 years younger than she is, too."

"Hmmm. That sounds like her. How do you know her?"

"We um...we...dated a while back," the man replied.

"Dated? Aren't you married?" Tyler asked now very concerned.

"Doctor Montgomery, I may not be in a position to continue serving as your attorney," the man said without answering his client's question.

"Let me guess. You didn't tell her you were married."

There was a very pregnant pause followed by a one-word answer.

"No."

"Then you're probably right," Tyler said without emotion.

"But before I officially resign, let me give you her number."

The number sounded like the one Jenna had rattled off, so Tyler wrote it down this time then sat there trying to calculate the odds of this one man even knowing this particular woman let alone having had an affair with her. It was so unlikely he gave up moments later, and yet it disturbed him to no end that he could have so cavalierly duped such a charming, beautiful woman. Not to mention the deceit involving his wife. Both of those things were equally inexplicable.

He sat there a few more minutes before deciding to send her a text.

"Jenna. I wanted to thank you again for a most pleasant and memorable conversation. I find myself unable to stop thinking about you and wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed meeting you. Well, really meeting you. I'm looking forward to our get-together/date/whatever you prefer to call it, even more. I hope that letting you know how much I like you isn't putting any animal in front of any conveyance! It's just that not telling you that isn't something I can do. I'll call once I think of a place to take you that's fitting for a woman as charming and beautiful as you are. Tyler."

Jenna was reviewing the files on the two new-hires when her phone buzzed. She glanced down to see if it was from Kami or her boss, hoping she could ignore it. When she saw it was from Tyler, she couldn't help but smile.

She closed the file on the person she'd be helping and read the text. It made her smile again, and a part of her found itself wishing he would call. No one seemed to call anymore. Email had put a huge dent in the time-honored tradition of the phone call, then texting had put it in a casket. It hadn't been nailed shut yet, but it was probably only a matter of time.

For the present moment, a text would have to do.

"Hi, Tyler," she wrote back.

"Thank you for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed our chat. I, too, had a very nice time. As to finding some sort of 'perfect place', please don't go to any trouble. I'm a simple girl who doesn't need much to make her happy. Honesty, integrity, and a sense of humor go a long way for me."

She sat there for a moment trying to decide if she should add anything else then decided she would.

"I promised I'd go out with you once, and I always keep my promises. I just want to say I really don't see any chance of this going anywhere. Perhaps it's nothing more than a function of...dare I say it? My...age...but this extremely large gap between us, chronologically speaking, is indeed huge, and I feel insurmountable. That said, I also look forward to seeing you again. Jenna."

She thought that was reasonable and honest but maybe a tad harsh so she added as short PS:

"I'm not sure if you remembered my number or if you found me online or some other way. Either way, it was very nice hearing from you again."

Satisfied, she hit 'send' then reopened the file. She found the place where she'd left off then began concentrating on this person's future needs. She hadn't been reading for more than a few seconds when her phone buzzed again.

She laughed pleasantly this time when she saw it was from Tyler.

"Dear Jenna. While I appreciate your heartfelt 'warning' I feel it is my duty to warn you, as well. You see, while I would never get ahead of myself (or my horse) I need you to know I intend to win you over. I've never met anyone who made me even want to try that before, but you did that to me. Yes, you. So please don't blame me for something you did. That would be very rude and quite insulting."

He put in a couple of smiley emojis then finished the text.

"So while you see no way for this to really go anywhere, I can see no option other than it going somewhere. So...you've been warned, and as they say, 'forewarned is fair warned."

He threw in a few more smiley faces then hit 'send'.

For Tyler, concentrating was out of the question. Unless concentrating on this gorgeous, older woman counted. In that case, he was focused like a laser.

Jenna laughed out loud this time then found herself unable to resist replying again.

"I didn't take you for the cocky type. Self-confidence is one thing. Arrogance is quite another. You're getting very, very close to moving from the good kind to the bad kind here. Very close."

She, too, added in a few smiles then sent her text.

When Tyler saw it, he was hooked. His mood soared and he felt something he hadn't felt in a very long time. He felt...happy. And hopeful.

He replied, "It's worth the risk to walk that fine line. And I will do everything in my power to stay on the...good side...of that line."

He hesitated saying more, but knew he would so he did.

"I just wanted to tell you I've smiled more since I met you than I have in several years, Jenna. Is it too much too soon to say that you make me happy?"

Jenna was surprised the way reading his response made her feel. She, too, felt...happy. It was surely nothing more than enjoying a pleasant, playful exchange with someone, who for now at least, seemed like a decent guy. A very young, decent guy, but 'decent' went a long way in her book especially after the way she'd been deceived by a married man just when she was learning to trust again.

"Don't you have a job to do?" she teased in her reply. "I do, and you're making it very hard to do it."

She realized she was not only smiling again but feeling optimistic, and that felt very nice.

"Oh, and I suppose it's okay to let know me I make you happy. I'd say the same thing back, but your head would swell, and you'd slide straight into cocky, and that would be bad. Very bad. Now please, let me get some work done, okay?"

When Tyler got her reply, he did a fist pump and called out, "Yes!" so loud his personal assistant came to the door and asked if everything was okay.

"It is," he told her. "In fact, it couldn't be better."

Confused, she stood there for a moment then turned and walked out hoping her employer—and her crush—hadn't met someone. It seemed unlikely as he was surrounded, and at times—hounded—by women, and so far, at least, he hadn't shown any real interest in any of them. And yet he was so likable and gorgeous and...

She let out a big sigh knowing she really didn't have any chance with him. But until there was someone else in his life, she wasn't going to give up on her dream, even if it was little more than fantasy.

Tyler left well enough alone that day and didn't send any additional texts. He did reread their exchange a couple of times, but feared scaring her off were he to push things too fast. He understood that the cart & horse thing was playful, but he also knew there was a subtle but very real message behind it.

Unlike the constant parade of pretty girls who were in and out of his bedroom, he knew Jenna wasn't going to fall for anything that had worked in the past. Then again, he'd never really made an effort to do anything more than get a woman to sleep with him, and even that wasn't sleeping with him. It was sex and nothing more than sex.

So taking it slow made sense, because Tyler was well aware he was in uncharted territory here. He'd not only never tried to 'woo' a woman before, he'd never had feelings for one. But Jenna Fox was different, and the last thing he wanted to do was blow it with her.

In the meantime, his focus was on finding something unusual and hopefully romantic for their first date. Even if it was only 'getting together'.

He began searching the internet then realized he'd need to narrow things down. He tried 'romantic first-date ideas' and went through 50 of them then tried another site. The answer, once it hit him, was so simple it surprised him. While many of the suggestions sounded fun, this one seemed perfect. It was perfect because it involved the only other love of his life, and if Jenna didn't enjoy it, it may well mean the end of their budding relationship before anything had a chance to bloom.

He forced himself to wait until noon the following day then dialed her number.

Jenna was working from home, and had wondered if she'd run him off by essentially telling him to leave her alone. She'd expected at least a follow-on text but nothing came. When she woke up, there was still nothing there from him. And after waiting all morning, there was still nothing but a blank screen where she hoped to at least see a text.

That he was actually calling rather than texting immediately brightened her day.

"Hi," she said pleasantly. "I thought I'd scared you away."

"Me?" he asked with genuine surprise. "How so?"

"I don't know. Perhaps my comment about letting me get some work done may have come across as less than friendly."

"I took it as friendly," he told her.

"I'm glad. I meant it that way, and when you didn't text again, I had to at least wonder."

"No. Not at all. I'm minding my 'p's and 'q's' where you're concerned so you don't get scared away."

Jenna laughed then said, "I'm glad you called, Tyler."

He laughed, too, largely out of a nervousness, something he couldn't remember feeling since he was a junior in high school calling a girl he thought was gorgeous. She'd said 'yes' to his request for a date, and since that time, Tyler had never felt anything but confidence when he spoke to a woman. But again, Jenna wasn't just any woman.

"I was calling to see if you might be free on Saturday to um...get together," he told her.

"I'll have to check my social calendar to be sure, but I could probably squeeze you in somewhere," she said just as playfully as she'd been before.

"Great. There's someone I'd like you to meet, and this friend of mine absolutely loves being outdoors. I was thinking we might be able to head over to Frink Park and spend some time walking around the trails."

Jenna had never given any thought to him being a single parent, and the thought of him having a small child not only didn't bother her, she found it quite lovely.

"I'd like that very much," she told him. "I'm not a big outdoor girl, but that's mostly because I spend so much time at work or...working out which is all indoor stuff. So, yes, it sounds very nice. I haven't been there in ages, but I do love Frink Park."

"You didn't tell me, but I'm guessing you're into things like spinning and Pilates. Am I right?"

"Partly, yes. I'd love to spin, but between Pilates and Yoga then all my other hobbies and activities, I don't see how I could fit it in."

"No worries. There won't be any bicycles involved."

He paused then said, "This time, at least."

He could tell she was smiling when she asked, "This...friend of yours. Would it be a boy or a girl?"

"Boy," Tyler said immediately.

"I won't ask his age, but I do love children," she told him.

Tyler smiled then replied, "He's four. And very playful."

"Well, I can't wait to meet him," Jenna told him sincerely.

"Can I pick you up around noon?" he asked.

"That sounds fine. I'll look forward to it. Do you know where I live?"

She felt pretty sure he did. If he was able to track her down that quickly she assumed he also had her address. It was public record as all property owners were listed under the country tax assessor's homepage, and she had no reason to think he was some kind of stalker so if he did, it wouldn't bother her at all.

"I don't actually," he told her without saying that was true only because he hadn't asked for the address.

She gave it to him then said she really was looking forward to meeting him. Or rather...them. Both of them.

"Well, he'll be very excited to meet you, too," Tyler assured her.

"Then I'll see you Saturday?" she said very pleasantly.

"You will. I'll be there right at noon, Jenna. Both of us."

"Okay. See you then," she said before hanging up.

That evening Jenna had a chance to talk with Kami and told her she'd bumped into someone at the restaurant. Kami had been off and her cell phone was on the fritz so she had no idea who'd been in the restaurant right after she left.

"Your New Age guru stopped in for lunch."

"Tyler? Tyler Montgomery? Are you serious?" Kami asked with genuine excitement.

"He did. And as you might imagine he created quite a stir."

"Duh! Did you notice how gorgeous he is?"

Her mom laughed then said, "I'm old, honey, not blind."

Kami ignored her mom's reply and said, "Tell me everything! Did you get to talk to him? Did he remember you? Or me?"

"Well, funny thing. He did recognize me, and asked if he could sit down and have lunch with me."

"Oh, my God! You are so kidding, right?" her daughter bubbled. "You did let him, didn't you? Please tell me you let him sit down."

"I did," her mom said as though it was no big deal.