The Scientist and The Billionaire

  The snow fell steady on the grassy surfaces in front of Dina’s Ristorante. As beautiful and light as the first snow fell in the sleepy town of Stamford, New York, Jessica Brooke stared with interest knowing that the weather would only intensify as the night progressed.  The young scientist enjoyed observing nature at its finest through a large picture window while her dinner was being prepared. “Oh great, the snow started. There goes me getting home at a decent hour.” A male voice snapped with a firm tone. Her boyfriend of three years voice, broke the still of night she so sought after the long day she had as an alternative energy scientist with Edison Energy.  These days he had to have either the last word or turned everything in to the ‘Chad’ show.  She had been up since 4:30 preparing her year-end presentation.  Without it, she and her team would be in the same position they were in now which was assisting others in their quest for greatness, she vowed to them that next year would be her year. Her long brown hair fell around her shoulders and cascaded down her back.  She turned and glanced at him for a moment.  He was handsomely dressed in a dress shirt, charcoal grey slacks and a matching sports coat. His blonde hair and blue eyes made him look angelic Adonis, than a guy who of late bitched more than a fallen diva.  Her brown eyes were concealed by the black horn rimmed glasses she wore. Exhausted, she took them off and placed them in front of her at the table.  She opened her mouth for a second to retort only to realize that her silence for once was golden, even if it was only for one night. “Chad, it’s pretty outside, come watch with me. We’ll be fine going home. We can practically walk to my house.”  She explained. “Yes, we can walk to YOUR house. But tomorrow, after I dig my car out from either your long –ass driveway or this parking lot, I’m going to have to drive clear across town to get to my apartment to get ready for work and then, I’ll be late.”   he complained. She yawned and rolled her eyes as she turned back towards the window. Chad’s blue eyes flared.  He continued to stare at her with his arms folded as if he were a ten year old about to have yet another temper tantrum.  She was fed up with it, nothing she did or said lately made him happy.  So she decided to continue to look at the snow fall.  He cleared his throat in an attempt to get her attention.  She continued to watch the snow and take a sip of her water and place her glasses in their eye case and put them in her purse.  He eyes practically seared a hole in the back of her head.   If she said something, he’d start an argument, if she didn’t, he’d pick on her until she opened her mouth. It was a no-win situation that she was over with.  ‘This s**t is beyond old.’   She took another long sip of her water and proceeded to take in a couple of deep, relaxed breaths before any hunger pangs that gurgled into the pit of her stomach turned into a bile of nervous energy. ‘I wonder if he’d get really mad if I threw up on him?'  At least maybe I’d get some peace for a change.”  “Yes?” she asked. “What is your problem, Jess?”  he asked her after he finally decided to sit down next to her. “It’s been a long day. I’ve been up since 4:30 the last couple of mornings and working with the team on the annual year-end project. All I want to do is eat dinner in peace, get in a nice bubble bath with glass of wine and for a change not argue with you. What is going on with you lately? You’re worse than a female with PMS.” He shrugged put up his hands if he had surrendered to early defeat. “I don’t know, Jessie, you tell me. This is the first time we’ve really sat down together in over a month- “ She interrupted. “Well, then let’s not spending it arguing or bitching, ok? You know that this time of year is crazy for me, after tomorrow everything will be back to normal. “   “Yea, until you have the next project? What will it be this time?  Painting your home office or reorganizing the 1000’s of DVD’s you have perfectly lined up via genre in those clear organizational boxes?” he snarked. Chad began to pout. His eyes searched for a reason for the distance between them, but Jessie, had no answer. She buried herself either in work or a project in her new home that would take up a considerable amount of time in order to not deal with the issues she was fully aware the two of them had.    Her tired eyes lowered themselves for a minute before she looked back outside the window. “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?” she asked. Chad slammed the utensils down on the table.  “Why can’t we talk now? I know you’re tired. But we can’t keep on going like this.“ She gave up. He was going to confront her whether she wanted to do this or not. She rolled her eyes and looked towards him. “I agree. “ The angered glint in Chad’s eyes began to melt into a look of concern.  His long, athletic body that was hidden beneath his suit, untensed with every breath exhaled. “Ok, now we’re getting somewhere. I don’t want to argue with you but it seems like lately it is the only way we can talk.” “I agree.” She said with a nod of her head.  “It’s just I have so much to do since I got the house and with work.  I thought this home was something we wanted together?” “I never said I wanted a house.  I wanted to move in, but you could have moved in my place.”  He answered her.   “That house is a huge step. It’s brand new. Neighborhood is too quiet and for the hockey rink, it’s too far for me to get back and forth from most of the time.” He explained. “It’s a 30 minute drive to the rink. It’s no different than you riding with your team for several hours to another city or state when they have an away game.”   She retorted. “It is different. I’m not driving. We have a bus driver. It’s hard being away from you all this time.” Jessica realized that this was going to go nowhere fast.  She just wanted this to quickly be done and over with so that she could eat and go home.       “So now, the reason for our issues is the house?” she said with her eyes raised. He took a deep breath and replied. “Yeah, it is for me.” She looked at him with sadness and disbelief.  “I don’t believe you. “ “Jess, you’ve been living in the house for 6 months now. I’ve only been there 3 times.  It’s a beautiful house, but it’s just not for me. ” “Then why didn’t you say anything when I bought it? You knew you’d be staying in it, why did you agree?” Chad snickered. “Because you would have gotten your way.  When was the last time you’ve been to one of the games? I can tell you, a year in a half.  But I’ve been to every work dinner you’ve had, every awards ceremony and you could care less about what I do.   There is no arguing with you.  I did try to tell you about the house, but your mind was already made up the minute you stepped foot in the door that saying no was going to be an impossible feat. “ “I support you. I’m sorry that I haven’t been there, but you have to know that due to the long hours, it’s hard for me. I believe in you. If I could have been there, I would have. I didn’t think it meant so much to you. “ she told him. “It’s more than that. Every since we’ve moved here, it’s as if we’re not on the same page about anything. I tried, but I realized it, the minute you saw the house. I thought we’d move in together in a condo or something, not a 2500 square foot house?” he snarled. “You’re really mad at me getting a house? I thought we were starting a future. Your apartment is too small. I needed an office for what I do, you need an office for what you do.  Why not get a place to accommodate that?”   “Did we need a house right now, babe?   No. We went that day to look at condos. I tried telling you that I didn’t want to move into a house that was one so far from my job, but also one that was so big, but  those beautiful eyes lit up like one of those Christmas trees that are lined up along your manicured  street.   Those brown eyes are so beautiful when you’re happy. When it does, I savor it.  I love getting caught up in them. Everything you want and do when I see that makes we want to believe in you.  When that light is gone, I’m so scared of it not returning that I don’t know what to do at times.” Her face went blank. These were plans that had been in the works since they moved from their hometown in Nebraska three years ago. This wasn’t anything new to him.  Do I really seem that miserable? I love my home, my house. The only thing missing is him.