Chapter 109 - Done Deal

Jon took a sip from his water bottle as he wandered through the villa’s living room. He had stopped on the way back to the hotel to pick up a few items for his evening with Cate, and he was now enjoying a few rare moments of relaxation.

Jon picked up the remote and clicked on the sound system, selecting a music channel that fit his lighthearted mood. With the upbeat music pulsing through the rooms, Jon moved to the French doors leading onto the deck.

He opened them wide, savoring the feel of the gentle ocean breeze ruffling through his hair. Jon strolled out onto the deck and dropped onto the chaise, gazing out at the calm waters of the Atlantic as they sparkled in the late afternoon sun.

He looked around the surrounding private beach and noticed the hotel staff had quickly accommodated his request. Jon grinned to himself as he pictured in his mind the scene of what was yet to come. It could turn out to be a very memorable evening, indeed.

Then again, every moment he had spent here with Cate had become a treasured memory for him. He hoped he could convince her to make more memories with him, after his assignment here ended. He was sure going to do his damndest to persuade her.

Jon heard a noise from inside the villa, the loud jangle from his Blackberry competing with the music. He pushed himself up off the chaise and stepped back through the doors to where he had left his Berry resting on the sideboard.

His lips pressed together in a firm line when he saw who was calling. What the fuck now? he thought with a sigh. He didn’t want anything to upset the happy contentment he was enjoying.

“Hello,” he answered shortly. “Please tell me this isn’t a waste of my time.” Jon flopped down onto the couch and put his feet up on the ottoman.

“It’s done, Buddy!” Ken answered brightly. “The whole deal.”

Jon’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “No shit? All of it? They backed down?”

“They backed down,” Ken repeated smugly. “I told you they were desperate to keep you in this project. Your fan base and marketability is their box office insurance.” Jon’s agent chuckled ironically. “Though you’re right; what you were asking for wasn’t that big of a deal, in the Grand Scheme.”

Jon nodded. “Yeah, I know. Just pisses me off that I have to go through all this bullshit, play this fucking game, so some Goddamned suit’s ego doesn’t get bruised.” He took another swig from his water bottle.

“Yeah, about that…” Ken paused. “Jon, you sure you can hold up your end of this deal? ‘Cause after all the waves you made, if this falls through you’re gonna look like a prick. You’re gonna get a reputation in this business as a demanding asshole. It ain’t gonna help you get more roles.”

Jon snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, well, I AM a demanding asshole. So who gives a shit? I have a perfectly good day job.”

Ken chuckled at his client’s obstinate reply. “Yeah, I know,” he agreed. “Okay, my assistant’s e-mailing you the docs as we speak. Get ‘em signed and back to me ASAP.”

“I’ll do it when I can,” Jon replied, not liking Ken’s attempt to rush him. “It’ll probably be Friday or Saturday.”

Ken heard the snarkiness in Jon’s voice. “Jon, the quicker you can get them back to me the sooner….”

“Gotta go, Ken. Thanks.” Jon cut him off, then pushed the button to end the call. He turned off the ringer on his Berry, then grinned to himself. Finally. Now it’s all coming together….

Jon headed for the bedroom, where he had left his briefcase and laptop. He went to the closet and pulled them both from the shelf, then carried them back into the living room. He busied himself pulling files from his briefcase while his computer booted up, laying out the papers in neat stacks on the ottoman.

When his computer was ready, Jon opened his e-mail and scanned the contents of his inbox. He grimaced when he saw the huge number of e-mails he had waiting, then smiled when he spied the one he was looking for. He clicked the mouse to open the attachments.

Jon spent the next hour perusing the documents Ken’s assistant had sent, carefully reading the clauses and comparing them with the text of his original contract. Then he matched up the salient points with the paperwork the Director’s office had provided him yesterday.

When he was finished with his review, Jon let out a satisfied sigh. Everything seemed to be in order. Jon closed his e-mail, then shut down his computer. In the morning he would print out the documents and deliver them to the Director’s office. Tonight he had other plans.

Jon glanced at the clock and saw that time had passed quickly. There were still a few things he wanted to do before Cate arrived, and if he didn’t get a move on he wouldn’t be able to surprise her. He wanted everything to be perfect. Jon grinned again as he imagined Cate’s reaction to what he had planned.

Jon quickly gathered up the papers that were now spread across the ottoman and stuffed them back into his briefcase. He slid his laptop back into its case, then carried both bags back to the bedroom closet. After placing the items back on their shelves, Jon stepped to the back of the closet.

With a little smirk he grabbed the black and yellow duffel bag from the floor, then carried it out of the closet and over to the bed. He zipped open the bag and dumped its contents out onto the duvet. He paused for a minute to look at the items Obie had gathered at his request, then chuckled to himself as he shook his head.

This was gonna be fun.

*****

Cate walked naked from her bathroom into her bedroom, past the open French doors to her balcony. She relished the feel of the soft ocean breeze sweeping over her dewy skin. She had just showered, and her hair hung in damp waves down her back. Cate hummed contentedly to herself, feeling more relaxed and refreshed than she had in days.

Stepping over to the chair in the corner of her bedroom, Cate picked up her Soul jersey and smiled. She held it close to her face, drawing in the faint scent of Jon’s cologne that still lingered on the fabric, before slipping the garment over her head. She sighed happily as the slick material slithered down over her body, sending a tingle up her spine as it covered her.

Cate padded out of her bedroom and down the short hallway to her laundry nook. Seeing that the cycle was done, Cate transferred the load of range pants and polo shirts from the washer to the dryer, then put another load of colors in the washer. It seemed like weeks since she had last done laundry. Cate chuckled to herself. Spend all your time flirting with a rock star and see what happens? she thought.

That task done, Cate wandered into the kitchen and pulled a can of Diet Coke from the fridge. She popped the top and took a long drink of the cold beverage, then strolled back into the bedroom and out onto the balcony. With a little sigh she settled into the big wicker chair, curling her legs underneath her as she gazed out at the ocean. Now that she finally had some time alone, Cate could reflect upon all that had happened in the last few days.

Cate had left Jon with Mandy’s class for the exercise wrap-up, with a whispered promise to meet him later. After stopping by the office to check her e-mail and pick up the overflowing basket of dirty laundry from her locker, Cate headed home for the first time in nearly two days.

She had almost felt like a stranger walking through the door of her own home. There was no familiar, fuzzy-faced greeting; Jovi was still at Mandy’s house. Mandy had insisted on taking care of the big collie for the rest of the week, telling Cate with a dirty smirk that she now had no excuse for not spending every waking, non-working minute in bed with Jon.

As she had stood in the doorway looking around at the only place on earth that was truly hers, Cate realized she was right when she had so quickly dismissed Jon’s suggestion that he come home with her. This was her refuge, her reality. Jon’s opulent villa was a setting for her fantasy come to life. If she let her fantasy and her reality collide it would be too much.

She would need this refuge to deal with the heartache she knew was coming in just a few days. Her home was the only place she would be able to hide as she tried to erase Jon from her heart once he was gone.

Forty-eight hours. That’s all she had left of the fantasy. Cate felt her heart clench as she gazed unseeing out at the ocean. Two days from this exact minute, Jon would be gone. She would be alone again. Life would go on, but it would never be “normal” again.

Now that she was by herself, in her place of safety, Cate could let her guard down and dare to think about all the things she told Jon she had to block out. It was time to be honest with herself, to really consider what was happening to her, what she wanted, and what she was afraid of.

Cate took another sip from her soda, then sighed again at herself. Okay Cate, she thought. This is it. The clock is ticking, and you have to decide. Just like an investigation: facts versus theories. Identify the crime, then support the elements of proof with the evidence. Cate’s eyes narrowed slightly as her logical mind went to work.

The crime? That was easy. Grand Larceny. Jon had stolen one of her most valuable possessions -- her heart.

Evidence? Jon’s own words and deeds. Not to mention the confessions she had made to Danny and Mandy about what had happened between her and Jon, and about her feelings and fears. And probably a good amount of circumstantial physical evidence from their sexual encounters. Cate chuckled slightly, remembering Jon’s question earlier today, during the crime scene exercise. Yep, that UV light on the cruiser’s hood would likely reveal some pretty substantial evidence of their activities on the range.

Elements of proof for Grand Larceny? Cate remembered them well from many years of field work.

One: Taking possession or control of the property of another. Jon had done that almost effortlessly, with his smile, his voice, his charm, his kindness, his whispered promises.

Two: Movement or carrying away of the property. Cate sighed. Her heart may still be physically beating in her chest, but it was definitely under his control. Her heart unwisely yearned to be with his, wherever that was.

Three: Tresspass in the taking; the property is taken without consent of the owner. Despite her resistance, despite the walls she had put up to try to keep him away, Jon had crept in and committed the theft. He wouldn’t give up until he had what he wanted, and now he couldn’t give her heart back, even if he wanted to.

Four: Owner must have right of possession. No argument there. No one else was entitled to control her heart. It was something she had to give away. She had sure as hell learned that the hard way.

Five: Property must be tangible, real property. Cate smirked at that one. Okay, so her heart wasn’t something someone could actually rip from her chest and carry away. Damnit, the case would never hold up in federal court. Jon would walk away a free man. But, as she always told her students, acquittal doesn’t necessarily equal innocence.

Six: Intent to permanently deprive the owner of possession. Cate felt her eyes moisten as she considered that statement. Jon had made it no secret that he did not consider her a “fling.” It was clear he wanted to carry things further, to have a real relationship with her. But he had never said “forever.”

Cate thought about that for a long while. How would she feel about all this if Jon had said “forever?” If he had told her he loved her?

Cate knew the answer to that without hesitation. She wouldn’t have believed him. She would have thought he was lying. There was no way Jon could be in love with her. He had only known her for ten days.

Cate knew all too well the dangers of declarations of undying love at the beginning of a relationship. Back when she was young and foolish she had been swept away on the tide of lust, letting the euphoria lead her to embrace the illusion of a happily ever after with Kevin. She had paid the price for that foolishness.

No, she wouldn’t have trusted him.

But Jon hadn’t told Cate he loved her. He had said he wanted her, he needed her. But not that he loved her.

Did that make him honest? Did that mean he was telling the truth when he told her she had claimed a place in his heart, in his soul? That he wanted to build a relationship with her? That he would always protect her, even from herself? That he would do anything to keep from having to walk away from her?

Cate’s mind went back to the conversation she had overheard this morning, between Jon and the man Cate assumed to be his agent. He had threatened to drop out of the movie if the studio didn’t meet his demands, whatever they might be. She remembered the surge of excitement she hadn’t been able to control when she realized what that might mean. It might mean that Jon wouldn’t have to leave.

Was that what she wanted? Really, truly, honestly?

When Jon had asked her, Cate had told him she wanted time to stop so he would never have to leave. She had meant the words when she uttered them, wrapped up in the moment. But in the harsh light of day, did she really want Jon to stay here with her?

What if he asked her, if he put the decision in her hands? Could she tell him to walk away from the role, to stay here with her?

Cate fluttered her lashes as she felt little tears form in the corners of her eyes. She didn’t even have to debate that possibility with herself. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t tell Jon to give up his role for her. That would be as unfair as him telling her to quit her job and follow him to California.

Besides, even if Jon did quit the movie and stay here with her, it would only be delaying the inevitable. Soon he would be off touring the world with his band, doing the job he loved. And she’d be here alone, living her life in the real world.

No, she couldn’t ask him to stay, any more than he could ask her to go with him.

So that left only two options. Live in the moment and enjoy the fantasy for two more days, or try to build a relationship over time and distance. Face the heartbreak and get through it, or delay the inevitable and prolong the agony.

Cate sighed. Her analysis had come full circle, and still the question remained.

What do I really want?

The answer was simple.

I want Jon.

But the answer was impossible.

Wanting him wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough for her to face another long-distance, globe-hopping relationship. It wasn’t enough for her put herself through the lonely nights, wishing he was holding her and wondering what he was doing and who he was with and if he was thinking of her. It wasn’t enough for her to share him with the world and wonder whether he would be the same man when and if he came back to her quiet little corner of reality.

The only choice was to live in the fantasy, to collect the sweet memories, then to walk away. At least she would always have the ghosts of his kisses on her lips, of his hands on her body, of his whispered words in her ear. A little bit of Jon would always be with her, that way. The memories would be happy ones, not of bitter words and shattered dreams.

He would always be her fantasy.

Cate swept her hand across her eyes, brushing away her tears, then she smiled gently. She pulled in, then blew out a deep breath, letting go of her turmoil. She had made her decision. Now she could move forward.

She had a date to keep, and she didn’t want to waste another moment of precious time agonizing over something that wasn’t meant to be. She was choosing to be happy while Jon was here with her. For the next two days she was going to live like there was no tomorrow. Cate chuckled to herself as she realized that her resolution sounded like a lyric from a Bon Jovi song.

Rising from her chair, Cate took another deep breath of fresh ocean air. Then she turned and went back into her bedroom to pack a bag for her night with her fantasy man.