disrespect me just because you think you can. That will never happen again."
"Then don't give a reason to," he barked.
"Not a problem," said sharply.
She quickly stood and moved toward the door, staggering for just a second before gaining her footing.
"Where do you think you're going this time?" he retorted.
"The hell out of here!" she yelled.
She ran to the door.
"Jen!" he yelled.
She stormed out of the house and down the path. She could hear him running after her. She ran as fast as she could but knew that he would soon catch her. She felt his large hands clasp her bare arms. She struggled wildly against him.
"Jen, stop it!" he said urgently.
"No, London. Let me go!" she cried.
"I will not, Jen. Come back to the house," he said.
"No. Now let go of me," she said calmly and resolutely.
London heard the finality in her voice. He released her arms.
"Jen, listen. We can talk this out," he said quietly, aware that he had gone too far.
"We've talked quite enough. I've had my fill," she said stiffly.
She turned and moved swiftly down the street. Soon she was engulfed in the crowd. London let her go, watching her until she disappeared into the throng and wondering how things had gone so wrong.
*****
Jennifer lay in the hammock on her on patio, gently swinging back and forth. Her head was throbbing but she refused to call London to get her pills. If she died that night from excruciating pain then at least her pride would still be intact.
She had recalled her argument with London a million times. It had exploded within a matter of seconds and all hell had broken loose. She was still mad at how he had spoken to her. He'd been cruel and vicious. But a tiny nagging voice kept asking her if he'd been right; however badly he'd expressed himself. She began to wonder if she truly had left the house in search of amusement to satisfy her ego.
She was used to the jet-setter lifestyle and it was the tedium and boredom of The Sea View that had brought her to Tahiti. Was it a search for unbridled excitement that ultimately landed her, bruised and battered, in a dumpster? It was mortifying to think that she may actually be so self-absorbing and egotistical.
As she drifted back and forth in the calm breeze, she began to realize that he'd only acted the way he had because he cared about her. It sounded crazy to say that when he'd only known her for one day but, for some reason, she knew it was true. And she felt the same way about him.
But despite feeling like she owed him an apology, his words hurt about as much as her head did now and she just couldn't bring herself to call him. After all, she deserved an apology from him as well. His words may have been accurate but his delivery was abominable.
She rubbed her temples and moaned. She really wished she had her pain pills.
"Take this. It will ease the pain."
She looked over her shoulder and saw London walking toward her. He held a glass of water and what she guessed to be one of her pills in his closed fist. He extended the glass to her and opened his palm. She was right.
Jennifer did not hesitate to take his offering. Without a word, she popped the pill into her mouth and swallowed a gulp of water. She knew she should thank him but she couldn't push the words to her lips. She was still too angry. He smiled sardonically.
"Move over," he said.
She didn't move. He could sit in one of the chairs if he wanted to stay. But he had other ideas; simply climbing into the hammock and forcing her to scoot over.
"There are plenty of chairs that you could sit in. There's no reason to practically push me out of the hammock," she pouted. "I already have a head injury. I don't need another."
"Don't worry. I won't let you fall, Jen," he said.
He let out a big sigh.
"Listen," he added. "I want to apologize and I want to do so with you in my
"Then don't give a reason to," he barked.
"Not a problem," said sharply.
She quickly stood and moved toward the door, staggering for just a second before gaining her footing.
"Where do you think you're going this time?" he retorted.
"The hell out of here!" she yelled.
She ran to the door.
"Jen!" he yelled.
She stormed out of the house and down the path. She could hear him running after her. She ran as fast as she could but knew that he would soon catch her. She felt his large hands clasp her bare arms. She struggled wildly against him.
"Jen, stop it!" he said urgently.
"No, London. Let me go!" she cried.
"I will not, Jen. Come back to the house," he said.
"No. Now let go of me," she said calmly and resolutely.
London heard the finality in her voice. He released her arms.
"Jen, listen. We can talk this out," he said quietly, aware that he had gone too far.
"We've talked quite enough. I've had my fill," she said stiffly.
She turned and moved swiftly down the street. Soon she was engulfed in the crowd. London let her go, watching her until she disappeared into the throng and wondering how things had gone so wrong.
*****
Jennifer lay in the hammock on her on patio, gently swinging back and forth. Her head was throbbing but she refused to call London to get her pills. If she died that night from excruciating pain then at least her pride would still be intact.
She had recalled her argument with London a million times. It had exploded within a matter of seconds and all hell had broken loose. She was still mad at how he had spoken to her. He'd been cruel and vicious. But a tiny nagging voice kept asking her if he'd been right; however badly he'd expressed himself. She began to wonder if she truly had left the house in search of amusement to satisfy her ego.
She was used to the jet-setter lifestyle and it was the tedium and boredom of The Sea View that had brought her to Tahiti. Was it a search for unbridled excitement that ultimately landed her, bruised and battered, in a dumpster? It was mortifying to think that she may actually be so self-absorbing and egotistical.
As she drifted back and forth in the calm breeze, she began to realize that he'd only acted the way he had because he cared about her. It sounded crazy to say that when he'd only known her for one day but, for some reason, she knew it was true. And she felt the same way about him.
But despite feeling like she owed him an apology, his words hurt about as much as her head did now and she just couldn't bring herself to call him. After all, she deserved an apology from him as well. His words may have been accurate but his delivery was abominable.
She rubbed her temples and moaned. She really wished she had her pain pills.
"Take this. It will ease the pain."
She looked over her shoulder and saw London walking toward her. He held a glass of water and what she guessed to be one of her pills in his closed fist. He extended the glass to her and opened his palm. She was right.
Jennifer did not hesitate to take his offering. Without a word, she popped the pill into her mouth and swallowed a gulp of water. She knew she should thank him but she couldn't push the words to her lips. She was still too angry. He smiled sardonically.
"Move over," he said.
She didn't move. He could sit in one of the chairs if he wanted to stay. But he had other ideas; simply climbing into the hammock and forcing her to scoot over.
"There are plenty of chairs that you could sit in. There's no reason to practically push me out of the hammock," she pouted. "I already have a head injury. I don't need another."
"Don't worry. I won't let you fall, Jen," he said.
He let out a big sigh.
"Listen," he added. "I want to apologize and I want to do so with you in my
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