The Swap - Second Chances: Second Chances (2 page)

"Do we have to?" Will asked making a face.

"Well sure. What's wrong with it? It's just a backyard barbecue. I think it's nice of the Pickens to ask us over Saturday afternoon," Jenna said aggravated at Will's hesitation to have supper with her boss and his wife. She determined she’d go whether she could drag her husband along or not.

Will hesitantly agreed to go and Saturday afternoon he and Jenna drove in the streaming sunshine to the gated community of
High Tower
on the eastern side of town. An occasional cloud floated by dimming the light momentarily. The cottony clouds gave relief from the constant sunlight. The Pickens lived in a three story home complete with a service elevator. All the homes on the street had three stories at least. The vast sprawling lawns, many with paid gardeners attended the vegetation and worked furiously.

"Shit, how rich are these people?" Will asked Jenna when they pulled into the long circle drive. Will wished they had that kind of money. It’s the only reason he agreed to Jenna working for her ex, the money. He figured with Jenna’s good looks she could land nice raises. He didn’t mind her playing nice with the ex, as long as it paid off in the form of a nice salary. At least, in his mind, it took the edge of the serious jealousy he felt at the mention of Darnell Pickens, Jenna’s ex-boyfriend from high school.

Jenna had to admit she felt impressed looking at the giant grey stone mansion before her. The manicured lawn held little rock gardens and award-winning flowers of bright colored roses and an assortment of other blooming bulbs. Each tree had been trimmed to perfection. Not a blade of grass looked out of place. She remembered Darnell in high school came from wealth but not billionaires. Darnell worked hard by starting another company similar to Paper Works in Atlanta. He sold it and invested heavily in the stock market. Several of the stocks he had purchased split making him ultra-wealthy overnight.

"Let's just say they can own all of Timberville if they wanted," Jenna said looking around as they exited the car. Darnell's massive 4x4 truck sat just outside the three car garage.

"Probably no room with the Mercedes, Jag, and Beamer in the other slots," Will said under his breath. He began to regret having his wife being at the beck and call of a man this wealthy. In his mind it came to a battle of who could afford the best gifts and he knew he paled in comparison.

The opulent home had a bright and cheery decor. The spacious rooms sparkled as if a crew o maids had just come through with their white gloves. Both Jenna and Will looked around at the wealth with mouths agape. Darnell enjoyed showing the pair his home because he did indeed want to impress Jenna. Years ago he dreamt of making her the lady of his grand home. Now his heart wishes it had come true.

Macy came around the corner, her hair styled perfectly hanging in soft curls bouncing off her shoulders along with her designer clothing, manicured nails, and expertly applied make-up. She smoothed her blouse, which opened to show a nice amount of cleavage. Will’s eyes lit up as he gazed over her curvy petite body.

"Pleased to meet you both," Macy said, her brown eyes warm and smiling.

Jenna felt like a dump compared to her. Her chipper personality drew in the couple as she helped with the remaining tour. Jenna wanted to hate the woman but couldn't. In Jenna’s mind, Darnell did end up with the prettier of the two. In a way this made her happy, but in another way she felt insane jealousy over Macy’s attention from her husband.

After the tour the couple went out to the terrace where Darnell had a cook turning the steaks on the barbecue. Another servant stood in the kitchen tossing a salad. Both Macy and Darnell seemed right at home with this but Jenna and Will did not feel as if they belonged.

They served white wine in long-stemmed crystal before the meal, each standing on the edge of the lovely gardens sprawled before them. "To Jenna and Will, good friends," Darnell said with a nod holding up his glass.

Jenna, Will, and Macy held up their glasses and nodded before taking a sip. It felt odd to toast with white wine out of real crystal glasses before eating a barbecue meal prepared by the hired help in the back yard of the richest couple in Timberville. Another glass of wine with supper and a third after supper made Jenna feel a little tipsy though she tried to control it as best she could. Due to her small size she had trouble holding her liquor and rarely drank. Macy drank as much and being the same size surprised Jenna that she didn't act like the wine affected her.

Jenna finally had to excuse herself for the bathroom. Macy jumped up. "Oh I'll show you, right this way," she said walking in through the French doors.

She led Jenna down the wide hall to the right and into a posh downstairs bathroom. "Thank you," Jenna said as she shut the door to relieve herself. She wanted to discard her clothing and hop in the tub, surrounded by green plants and candles. A bottle of bubble bath perched on the side beckoning her to fill the giant tub. She giggled at the thought of taking a bubble bath while the others waited on the terrace for her return. When she finished she got lost in finding her way back to the terrace. The rooms had high ceilings with carved wood furniture, rich decor, fancy paintings and vases with both fresh and silk flowers.

"Oh drats, where the hell am I?" Jenna said out loud thinking no one would hear her. Suddenly she turned a corner and almost ran smack into Darnell. His concerned look turned into a quick smile as he held out his hands to steady Jenna on her feet.

Jenna knew she didn't have great inhibitions when a little tipsy and she knew she should keep her mouth shut. However, since running into Darnell Pickens again she's done nothing but dream about the man. She looked steadfast into his blue eyes, his dark skin flawless. She saw the young man she had fallen for years ago and longed to find out what if.

"What if?" Jenna said looking into Darnell's eyes. She kept steady wanting him to take her into his arms.

"What if what, dear?" Darnell asked as he stared back restraining himself.

"What if we had stayed in touch after you left?" A legitimate question considering the many conversations the young couple had about their future and the sudden moving of Darnell. He had asked that same question over and over through the years. He never dreamed he’d run into Jenna again. And yet here she is, standing in front of him, asking.

He cocked his head to the side and lowered his voice. "I've often asked that question. I don't know honestly. I think life took us where it was supposed to go, don't you?" Darnell said it but didn’t fully believe it in his heart.

Jenna gave him a half smile. "And yet, here we are, together again. Sort of..." She pushed past him knowing full well she needed to move on and not tempt the moment. The truth pounding in her head seemed to tell her had they kept in touch she may be the lady of the mansion and not Macy.

Too many moments like this occurred this past week between Darnell and Jenna. It unnerved her and then he invited her and Will to dinner. Macy seemed like such a bubbly lady, pretty, petite, and sweet. Jenna knew that Darnell attracted that type of person to him. He's super smart and very lovable.

On the way home Jenna kept thinking along those lines of the
what if
scenario. Will kept his thoughts to himself, he and Macy seemed to hit it off well. Once she stepped into the picture he lit up like a Christmas tree with the peppy talk about college life and their very similar taste in music. While Jenna and Darnell just kept glancing at one another as if to say
wish we could talk like this too.

"I'm heading to bed," Jenna said once they reached their modest home. She showered and curled up on her side as Will stayed in the family room watching a late night movie, oblivious to his wife's doubts while she fell asleep dreaming of Darnell.

Darnell dressed impeccably that morning, buttoning his grey silk suit coat the first morning Jenna would come to work for him. He still couldn't believe after all these years the
one that got away
came back into his life, as if fate handed her to him on a silver platter.

"Well, don't you look handsome," Macy said as she popped back into the room to change her earrings. Macy's personality drew Darnell to her in the first place but her cute body and honest concern for those around her cinched the deal. Darnell met her in college and his parents took a liking to her where they had turned their noses up over Jenna.

Ever since Jenna came back into his life he's struggled with his obsession with her all over again. Back in high school and even before that Darnell thought of Jenna as his soul mate. His parents didn't like her because she came from white parents.
You need to find a girl from your own people
his mother kept saying. He didn't let that stop him until they moved to San Diego and he had to go away. He came back in hopes of finding her in college, but life took him down a different path and he met Macy.

When he told Macy about Jenna she flat out asked him, "Is she the one?"

He hesitated a little too long when he answered. She nodded, not smiling.

"I married you babe. That was so long ago. She's married, I'm married. We have different lives," Darnell said hoping his wife couldn't read the turmoil he felt in his mind.

Darnell loves his wife, but he never got over Jenna. He and Jenna spent so much time sneaking away back in high school since neither one was old enough to drive. They would take the bus and go to Gulf Shores and spend the day walking hand-in-hand at the beach and on the boardwalks, dreaming about life. Back then he couldn't imagine a life without her. It devastated him when his parents up and moved to San Diego after his grandfather died. He barely had time to say good-bye before being whisked off to the other side of the country. He shook his head as he arrived at work, the smile on his face evident because now the girl is back in his life.

"Good morning sir, ready to report for work," Jenna said her fresh face aglow with a smile that melted Darnell's heart. She wore a light blue cotton dress that hit above her knees, her shapely legs stretching down to her sandals revealing silky smooth skin. He always loved her soft skin and as they would traverse the beaches he would rub her legs, enjoying how silky smooth she felt. He felt shivers flow down his neck at the memory.

In spite of being in love with his wife Darnell found Jenna still got under his skin. He questioned why he hired her. He hadn't sought after her. She just appeared. When he first moved back to Alabama after he graduated high school he did attempt to look for her, but he came up empty. Jenna had also changed schools and he just chalked it up to fate. He met Macy, they fell in love and got married. End of story, or is it? He now has his doubts.

He sighed after that first day realizing how hard it will be working with Jenna. Macy surprised him with her idea. "Let's have Jenna and her husband over for a barbecue this weekend, what do you say?" Macy suggested.

When Darnell agreed to the barbecue he wasn't so sure it was a good idea. He dared not share with his wife about how much it got to him to have Jenna back in his life. It felt like someone dangling a steak in front of a starving dog. But he mustered up the smiles and sent the invitation. He hoped she wouldn't accept, but she did.

It went well for the barbecue at first. Macy sure seemed to hit it off with Will Stuart. Will's a funny man, smart and has a lot in common with Macy. Darnell kept quiet while Will and Macy dominated the conversation. He watched Jenna down three glasses of wine, which she obviously didn't do too often. She stumbled into the house in search of a bathroom, Macy hopped up to show her giving Darnell a chance to talk to Will alone.

"You know, Jenna is thankful to have the position with Paper Works. Thank you for hiring her," Will said.

"Of the five applicants she was the most qualified. This company is on the upswing, so I need an assistant who is able to keep up with the growth," Darnell said.

"Someday she and I plan to start a family. What are your terms for that sort of thing?" Will asked his eyes on Darnell.

At first it felt like a bomb went off in his heart, but Darnell did well to hide it. He and Macy hadn't had children yet either and right now he really didn't want to. "Um, well, I'm sure the typical maternity leave is fine. The insurance covers maternity, should she need it. I wasn't aware of this when I interviewed her," Darnell said hiding his disappointment.

"Oh she's not pregnant yet. We're just talking about it. More me talking. I just wanted to have something to argue about when I bring it up again," Will said.

Darnell took it to mean Jenna didn't want children right away and Will did. He smiled about that. When Macy came back alone he waited for a few minutes for Jenna to return. Macy and Will picked up with their conversation so Darnell went to look for Jenna.

He realized the wine must have lowered her inhibitions. He also realized the wine took off the pretenses and sometimes the truth comes out whether we intend it or not. When he ran into Jenna inside the house she had been lost. For that split moment it took everything he had not to kiss her. Then she had to open her mouth and say what he had thought all along.
What if...

The barbecue had gone well with exception to drinking too much wine. Jenna swore off it determining to make her marriage work. She figured if she could get through this silly crush she had developed on Darnell then she and Will could survive anything.

Work proved to make it difficult though. She was, after all, Darnell's assistant. She had to learn the company inside and out which meant she'd be by his side a lot. She hated that her little life suddenly took on turmoil that she couldn't share with anyone else, so she suffered in silence. It didn't help that Darnell was still the same sweet person she knew way back, with his endearing blue eyes, his concern over her well-being, the way he looked at her. It still melted her heart and she hated herself for it.

Darnell started by having Jenna redo the files in her office. After he outlined what he expected of her she went to work trying to make sense of the plethora of papers that haphazardly lay on the shelves in her office. When Darnell checked on her he felt sorry for the mess so he joined her in the cleanup effort.

Jenna sat in the middle of her floor, papers strewed everywhere, as she methodically and painstakingly read through each one before depositing it in a pile. Darnell stood back away from her view just watching her before finally stepping in to offer help.

Ahem.
Jenna's eyes snapped up from her intense work and she smiled upon seeing Darnell. "What are you doing dear?" Darnell asked as he stepped into the room.

"Oh, I'm sorting these papers. They need filed in different folders. Many are past documents, but it's always best to keep impeccable records. So that's all I'm doing," Jenna said and proceeded to explain what each pile represented.

So the two sat in the floor and reminisced about old times, laughing and chatting on and on. At one point Jenna paused and looked at Darnell. "About the other night..."

Darnell shook his head. "No need Jen. You had wine, it was a moment," Darnell tried to say.

"No, it was inappropriate. I guess I had a lot on my mind that day. Wine and fatigue don't mix. Plus running into you, well it sort of threw me for a loop," Jenna said keeping her eyes on the papers.

"Hey, stop." Darnell put his hand on Jenna's causing her to momentarily cease the paperwork. "It's okay. I suppose it needed to be said. And it's good we can talk about this out in the open."

Jenna smiled and withdrew her hand. "Okay. I won't beat myself up for asking it."

"Truth is, I've asked myself that same question. The answer is I honestly don't know."

"How could we know without turning back the clock? You moved off, I stayed here. Life went on. It just well, we never had closure," Jenna said as she shuffled through another pile of papers. It felt good to talk to Darnell about it even though it felt a little taboo at the same time. She could never bring this up with Will.

After that it didn't take much to keep encountering little moments, the almost moments, the pauses and deep looks into one another's eyes. The gentle brushes of their hands when working side-by-side kept the feelings electric between them.

Darnell couldn't help it. When Jenna walked up the hall he'd lean over to watch like he did so many years ago. She had a nice budding ass then and now she's like fine silver. He couldn't take his eyes off her even for a second. She turned out to be everything he ever thought possible and more.

The weeks turned into months Jenna showed up for work. It took all the restraint Darnell had to keep his hands to himself. She almost made it too easy by just being there. He shared things with her he didn't share with Macy and for that he felt bad.

Jenna's dreams kept going. Her feelings flooded back and Darnell consumed her every waking moment. It became harder and harder to focus on Will and their marriage. Her heart stayed at work and caught up with Darnell.

While neither acted upon the sexual impulses each felt daily now, they fought it. At home their marriages began to suffer. Macy noticed Darnell had a preoccupation with work, which wasn't always unusual. She pinpointed it back to the day Jenna arrived back in his life though and it really concerned her.

Will also felt the brunt of what he thought to be stress from Jenna's job. In actuality she struggled with her growing feelings toward Darnell and in trying to keep her marriage intact. Neither Jenna nor Darnell spoke to each other about the tension they now experienced with their spouses, instead they reveled in their daily work life and suddenly that's what kept the two going more than home life.