Designs of Love (TP2) Novel – When Jennifer walked into the bedroom while talking on the phone, she found her husband Sterling in their bed and he wasn’t alone. He was cheating on her with their employee. 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.” she said into the phone. Before he could respond, she turned and was out the door. She must leave this place, this wanker.
Jennifer’s POV 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 partners 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. Jennifer couldn’t believe what she saw. Did she stay calm? She didn’t feel calm. Her head was spinning, and her heart was pounding. She stood in a shadow across the street and waited as they both left the building and separated. Sterling probably assumed she had gone to Avery’s and didn’t know Avery was thirty-nine thousand feet up. He had his phone out and hers vibrated, but she refused to answer. He hailed a cab. The minute it set off through the snarled evening traffic, she formulated her plan. She wouldn’t have very long. If Sterling had walked the ten blocks, she’d have longer, but it was a cold and drizzly evening.
Quickly she crossed the street and returned to their apartment. She packed enough clothes for a week, but she had so little that would work on The Point. She included some work outfits, but she would be overdressed when she wasn’t meeting her client. She packed her sweats and jeans which she rarely wore. She took her cosmetics and toothbrush knowing they would confirm to him she was gone. She needed her work bag with her laptop and files she took everywhere. The last thing she grabbed was her winter coat. It was only March. Once she was on the elevator heading down to the parking level, she let out her breath. The minute she reached their car and successfully avoided a confrontation, her muscles relaxed. She didn’t know what she needed the most – to avoid the fact that he was cheating on her with their employee or to go home.
She focused on going home. She wanted to hear the bell on The Landing door and see her father look up from behind the counter and smile. She wanted to hug her mother and walk to the ocean. She wanted to see her best friends and finally meet their children. She wanted a lobster roll. She wanted to breathe deeply and answer to Jen and even, if Sterling knew he’d be appalled, Jenny. It took time to get out of the city and to make her way north on Ninety-five. She often drove the car when she had clients away from the city. She had jobs in every exclusive town within commuting distance. The past summer she had spent a month working in The Hamptons. They only had the one car, but Sterling rarely drove and conducted his end of the business from the city. “And apparently the bedroom!” she yelled. She was so stupid! Why didn’t she see it?
Did she miss signs or clues between them? Did Sterling love her? Did he ever love her? She had so many questions. As she drove north, her phone rang and rang with Sterling’s ringtone, a jazz instrumental. Eventually, just before midnight, she heard Avery’s ringtone, The Gilmore Girls theme song that drove Sterling crazy. She answered hands free. “What is going on? I had twenty messages from Sterling when I landed!” “What did he say?” “Something about you taking off. Where are you?” “I’m driving. We have a client who bought a new home in Maine and I’m going home.” “Tonight! Why tonight? Besides, I thought you said that you weren’t taking that job.” “Sterling didn’t want me too, but I haven’t been home in nine years. I haven’t seen my parents and they’re not getting any younger. I’ve never seen Megan’s kids, but you know all this already.”
“So why tonight?” “You’ve been encouraging me to do this for years.” “I know. I’ve watched the Jen I know let Sterling control her for years, but he’s frantic. You better call him.” “I will when I stop driving which will be soon.” Jen promised. “I have a few more miles before I plan to stop.” “There’s something you’re not telling me.” “Avery, I’m driving.” “Fine. Drive safe. I’ll call you tomorrow.” The call disconnected and Jen said out loud, “Yeah there’s something I’m not telling you, like the fact my husband, your good friend is a cheat. Worse he was sleeping with… with… I don’t want to think about it.” Sterling’s POV Sterling was frantic.
How had this happened? She was going out with Avery. She had reminded him three times, so he wouldn’t forget. It was unlikely he would forget. The second she mentioned her plans, he made his own. It was nearly impossible to get any time alone in the office. They would talk, but touching was out of the question. Even when they talked, he felt scrutinizing eyes on him. Perhaps he was paranoid or guilty. Well, of course, he was guilty if his mother knew he’d get an earful about sin, even though she didn’t like Jennifer. When no one was at Avery’s apartment, he went home expecting to find Jennifer. Knowing his wife, she walked around the block to cool off. Only Jennifer walked in the rain. To him walking around the city was plebeian. The only thing worse was the walking to the beach last summer. He couldn’t understand why after walking to the beach, she would go for a walk on the beach. Entering their apartment, he heard only the hum of the refrigerator.
She hadn’t returned. He called her, but she was ignoring him. He called Avery, but she wasn’t picking up either. He sent a text, This is a disaster. I can’t find Jennifer. The response came back. She was going to find out, eventually. Sterling loved Jennifer not the way he should, but they were perfect partners. He identified her talent when she was just an intern. Once he smoothed off her rough edges, there was no stopping them. Marrying her was not part of his original plan, but it strengthened their partnership. He walked into the bathroom to splash water on his face. Wiping his face with the plush towel something odd caught his eye. Jennifer always left one lipstick by the sink. She argued if she put it away, she’d forget to put it on.
She, of all people, should have understood that stray cosmetics ruined the aesthetics of the room. Where was her lipstick now? It was gone! He opened drawers to find most everything gone ─ her toothbrush and all of her makeup. He rushed to the bedroom closet and sighed. Her clothes were there, but he couldn’t tell if some were missing. Next, he checked her drawers, and he saw the one containing her underthings was nearly empty. Back to the closet, the big suitcase was missing. Where did she go? She said that she was calling Sydney. She wouldn’t have defied him like that or would she? He looked in the kitchen drawer for the car keys. They were gone! Was she driving to Maine? He paced like a caged animal.
This was a disaster! She knew he didn’t want her to take that job. She was doing it to punish him. Jennifer Dixon of Dixon Designs was not from Maine. He feared a trip back home would undo all his work transforming her. He had been keeping her away for years and now she defied him. He felt like the life he built was on the verge of crumbling. He sat down at the kitchen table with a bottle of scotch and called her again and again. She sent him a text after midnight at least she was safe. He should be angry with himself, but it was easier to be angry with Jennifer for leaving. He was losing control because she was slipping away from the woman he created. First she started that crazy talk about wanting a baby a baby was not in the plan. Now she was going off to Maine, which was definitely not part of the plan the plan that was unraveling with every moment. He couldn’t let things go on like this.