The Best Laid Plans - Chapter 35
 

Dara looked at Jax with curiosity.

" And what do you have on your mind, Ms. Jensen?"

" The point of our ultimate destination, Mr. Jacks. Any hints?"

At this point, the pilot phones Jax to tell him that they are beginning their descent.

" Buckle up. We will arrive soon."

" Ok. Let me see if I recognize anything." Dara looks out the window, and sees a building. " Wait a minute. I've seen enough John Hughes Movies to know that building. It's the Sears Tower. We're going to Chicago?"

" Correct, Ms. Jensen." Jax looks over at Dara who has a puzzled look on her face. " Is there something wrong?"

" I don't know. I mean, I know of your reputation. Chicago just never occurred to me."

" Well, then, you're in for a treat. Now, let's get ready for the landing."

The plane lands at Meig's Field, the small commuter airport right on the lakefront. Jax has a limo waiting for them. And in less than 10 minutes, Jax and Dara are in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton. The Manager comes to greet them.

" Mr. Jacks. My name is Johnathan Humphrey. I am the Manager here at the Ritz Carlton. Ms. Jensen, it is a pleasure to meet you also."

" Well, Mr. Humprhey, please make sure that our luggage is delivered to our suites. I am assuming that the car is at our complete disposal."

" Of course."

" Thank you, then." Jax and Dara thank the Manager and get in the limo. Jax whispers something to the driver, and they are off.

" I suppose I should know better than to ask where we're going."

" Yep."

In a matter of minutes, the limo pulls up aside this big stone building. The buiding seems to take up the entire block. There is elaborate ornamentation on the building and clocks on the corner.

" Where are we?"

" We are at Chicago's Answer to Harrod's. Come on, Dara."

Dara walks into the store, and indeed, it is a fine department store. They go up the escalator a couple of flights, into what Dara would call the boutique section. They walk up to a desk with 'Shoppers' above it. The well dressed and coiffed African-American lady asks:

" May I help you?"

" Yes. My name is Jasper Jacks and I am looking for Melanie Richmond."

" I am Melanie Richmond, Mr. Jacks. I was expecting you."

" Ms. Richmond, I would like to introduce you to Ms. Dara Jensen."

" Ms. Jensen, nice to meet you."

Jax turns to Dara and says, " Well, I'll be going."

" What?"

" Yes. You'll be busy. Here's the phone number for the limo. When you are about 30 minutes from finishing, just call, and the driver will be back to pick you up."

" And what are you going to be doing?"

" Finalizing our plans."

" Jax. I never asked for any of this."

" I know. That's why it's so much fun." Jax turns to Melanie, " Remember, I know the motto of this store.."

" Give the lady what she wants.", Melanie replies. " She's in good hands, Mr. Jax. I'll take care of her."

Jax kisses Dara on the cheek and leaves.

Dara goes to Melanie and asks, " What is it that you do, Melanie?"

" I am a personal shopper. I am here to help you get a wardrobe for this weekend."

" And if I told you that I have all the clothes that I need."

(laughs) " I owe Mr. Jacks $100. He said those would be the first words out of your mouth after you asked me what I did."

" Oh, he did. Well, sorry to take up so much of your time. But, I really.."

" What? Resent Mr. Jacks?"

" Yes. In his presumptuousness about THIS! I am not some 'kept' woman."

" And I don't think that Mr. Jacks sees you as this either."

" Well, who else do you see, besides 'kept' women?"

" Professional women. Women whose men in their lives, just want them to be pampered a bit. Doesn't every woman deserve that?"

" I just don't want to him to think..."

" What? That you're easy? Ms. Jensen, I doubt that highly. Now, if you don't want to get anything, fine. Mr. Jacks has paid my fee for the day. I won't get the commission, but my paycheck is secure. But, when a man, as FINE as that, tells you to go shopping on him, well....you're a stronger woman than me. Cause I wouldn't be able to resist."

" I do see a few things that interest me..."

" NOW, you're talking my language. Let's see if we can find you some things."

" What were his instructions?"

" One. To never let you know the price of anything. Two. That you should have three choices of outfits for any occasion."

" Those are very interesting instructions. So, I'll be at your mercy, Melanie. Where shall we start?"

" What interests you: sportswear or evening."

" Let's go easy. Sportswear."

" Fine. Let's start at the Ralph Lauren Boutique and work our way around the floor."

Melanie and Dara spend the next four hours shopping. Dara didn't believe that she had really chosen anything, until Melanie called for help with the packages. When Dara saw all the merchandise, she nearly fainted. But then, she thought, why not? Jax said have fun. And she did. As the last of the packages were placed into the limo, Dara went up to Melanie and thanked her.

" You know Melanie, I had fun."

" I'm glad you did."

" You're not going to tell me how much he spent, are you?"

" Nope. Just enjoy the merchandise. And Ms. Jensen?"

" Yes."

" He's crazy about you."

" I bet you say that to all your clients."

" No. My polite line is, ' He certainly must think a great deal of you.' The 'He's crazy about you', is saved for the real ones. And Mr. Jax seems very real."

" I hope so."

Dara got into the limo and drove back to the hotel. She was barely in her suite when the phone rang.

" Hello?"

" Dara?"

" Hi, Jax."

" Did you enjoy shopping?"

" Yes. So, how should I dress this evening?"

" Slightly formal. But comfortable. I'll pick you up in an hour."

" Fine. See you then."

Dara chose a pale yellow linen pantsuit by Adrienne Vittadini. As she put on the sweater and adorned herself with some pearls, she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to find Jax there, with a bouquet of flowers.

" Hi, Jax."

" Dara. You look lovely."

" You were so vague in your description, that I didn't know if I had chosen correctly. "

" You did. So, shall we go?"

" Sure."

Jax and Dara were in the limo less than five minutes, when they drove up to the pier. They boarded a private yacht, and were shown to a private dinner for two, out on the deck.

" I thought that you should see what makes Chicago the most unique city in America."

" And what's the reason?"

" You'll see in a few minutes."

They are sitting on the deck, drinking champagne and eating appetizers, when the boat shuts down. Jax takes Dara's glass and tells her to close her eyes. She does. He turns her around and says, "Open them."

When Dara does, her mouth is almost agape. It's Chicago, at night, all lit up.

" Now, tell me, have you ever seen a skyline like that, in all the world? What impressed me about Chicago was how all their architecture seems to be have, at its most basic function, to add to the beauty and wonder of this skyline. Now, I've been all over the world, but there isn't another city in the Western Hemisphere with a skyline like this. Not even Manhattan, which I don't count, because it's an entire island. So, impressed?"

" Quite. I thought the view from the Staten Island Ferry was something else. This is special."

" And the boat is going to travel to several different vantage points. So, shall we have dinner?"

" Fine."

Dara and Jax spend the evening, on the yacht, dining, enjoying each other's company. When the boat stopped again, it wasn't in the same place.

" Where are we?"

" You'll see."

Dara and Jax got off the boat at Navy Pier. They walked up to this enormous Ferris Wheel.

" I would bet that the view from top of there is spectacular."

" Want to see, Dara?"

Jax takes her hand and they begin to walk up towards the Wheel.

" Uh, Jax. Don't we need tickets?"

" Not if you've rented it for the next hour."

" You did?"

" Actually, the next two. So, come on."

When they got to their cabin, there were some pastries and cognac waiting. They got in and it went to the top and stopped.

" So. Like the view?"

" I love it. It's wonderful. And so are you."

" Dara, why didn't you call me after our first date?"

" Because, I was scared."

" Of what? Me?"

" No. Me. I know what THIS is doing to me, Jax. What I don't know is, what is it doing to you?"

" I don't know, Dara. Right now, I know that I don't want to be anywhere else. But, the burns from Brenda are still here. Yet, not nearly as strong. After Miranda, I went into complete denial that she meant anything to me. I thought, cut her out, dispose of it, and all will be taken care of. Avoidance was the key. I was hoping that I learned a lesson from that and I wouldn't repeat it with Brenda. Yet, I can't help think that I have spent too much time on someone who didn't love me back. This is more real than I have been in years. With an equal. And someone that I have a chance of being with, without any haunting ghosts. I want to tell you I love you, Dara..."

" DON'T! Those three words come with way too much attached. I'm not at that point. I don't know if I ever will be. You scare me, Jax."

" Why?"

" Because, you're all or nothing. That's how you live your life. And any woman involved with you has to be the same way. And giving all is terrifying. It's like dropping off a precipice."

" But the ride is so fierce. So tough, so intense."

" It could burn you alive."

" Or set you free."

" Can we go back to the hotel?"

" Running again, Dara? Eventually your legs will give out. And I'll be there."

Dara shot a look at Jax. He motioned to the people to let down the Ferris Wheel. The limo was waiting for them. They rode back in complete silence, up until the moment that Dara put the key into her hotel door.

" Thank you, Jax. See you tomorrow." She closed the door without looking back at Jax.

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Dara met Jax the next morning. They went from their hotel, into the Mall in the adjacent building, Water Tower Place. They spent time riding up and down  the glass elevators and window shopping. After that, they went up and down Michigan Avenue, better known as the Magnificent Mile. They went up to the top of the John Hancock building, which, before the Sears Tower's entrance, was the main tourist site for height. From there, Dara saw just how expansive Chicago was, and how spread out it was. She saw all sorts of monuments from the view finders.
Walking back down the Mile, they made a stopover in FAO Schwartz. It was like stepping into a fantasyland, with all the toys. Dara made sure that she got her niece and nephew some books. They stopped by the original Water Tower, the only structure in downtown Chicago left standing after the fire in 1871. As they went down Michigan Avenue, they passed one great store after another: Tiffany, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Burberrys, Cartier. Of course, they stopped in Niketown to get her brothers some Michael Jordan stuff. They found themselves down in front of these two huge stone imposing buildings across from one another: One the Chicago Tribune Building. They went to the side of it, and read all the different headlines that had happened over the years: the 1871 Fire, The Hindenberg, WWI, Pearl Harbor, and of course, that famous one of "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN". Across the street is the equally impressive Wrigley building. They crossed the birdge over the Chicago River and continued their walk until they got to the Art Institute, with its imposing Lions standing guard. Jax had gotten tickets to the Monet show, which had been sold out for ages. Seeing so many of his paintings in one place, was truly a sight, for Dara. They spent quite awhile in there. Once they had their fill of culture, and had purchased souvenirs, Dara was starved. When they got back outside the Art Institute, she was suprised to see the limo there.

" Jax, I'm hungry."

" So am I. But, where we're going, we'll be fed. I promise."

Jax and Dara are in the limo for a bit. Dara has only rested her eyes for a few minutes when Jax says, "Dara, we're here."

Dara gets out of the limo and realizes that she and Jax are at....WRIGLEY FIELD!

" A BASEBALL GAME?!?"

" Not just any baseball game. The Cubs and the Mets at Wrigley Field."

" Do you even like baseball?"

" Not particularly. But, baseball is the last thing at Wrigley Field. Shall we?"

" Sure."

Dara was never a baseball fan, although her father, brothers and uncles loved it. They always spoke of places that you just HAD to see a baseball game. Fenway Park in Boston, Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, The new Camden Yards in Baltimore, and Wrigley Field. They said REAL baseball people knew what they meant when they named off these places. And they always all nodded in agreement, like some cult members. She and Jax were shown to some box seats. Waiting there were progams, pencils, and someone to explain how to keep a scoresheet. They also got small radios with earpieces in order to keep up with the famous Cub Broadcaster, the legendary Haray Caray.

" OK, Jax. Where's the food."

At that moment, these two guys come up with these trays of food. Dara was looking at it all. They laid it all out on the concrete that was over the dugout.

" WHAT is this?"

" Some of Chicago's favorites, Ma'am. There's some deep dish pizza from Giordano's, A double-dipped with all peppers Italian Beef, from Mr. Beef, and some Chicago style hotdogs from Portillo's. "

"THOSE are hotdogs. Where? It looks like a salad on a bun." Dara picked up one of them. She wasn't kidding about the salad: on top of a hotdog, they had mustard, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers,  dill pickle, hot peppers and celery salt.

"Where's the ketchup."

The man looked offended. " There IS no ketchup on a Chicago hotdog."

" Sorry, I asked."

" Now, here are some tamales on a bun. Same fixings as the hotdogs, but with a tamale underneath. "And..", he opened this styrofoam container, " here are your french fries."

" Where?"

" Underneath."

Dara looked at the container. All she could see was chili, onions, hot peppers, jalpeno's, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese. If there were any fries, they weren't visible to her.

" Well, Thanks, Mr. Johnson."

" Now, don't forget. For snacks, there's some roasted peanuts, some Tootsie Rolls, local company you know, and for dessert, Eli's Cheesecake. Enjoy yourselves."

" We will.", Jax said.

" Jax. We can't possibly eat all this food."

" I know. But, let's soak up all the ambiance and enjoy the game."

Dara had to admit, that she and Jax had a great time. She didn't even like baseball, but found the intimacy and the charm of Wrigley Field to be indeed be unique. And, despite what she had said, she and Jax finished off everything. She felt like a whale, but the food seemed to taste even better when cold. She knew that she must be losing it. They decided against the limo, and walked from the ballpark, to Lake Shore Drive. As she and Jax walked along the beach, she found her hand in his. And when she looked down, things began to get a bit blurry for her. Cause, even though, her milk chocolate skin clearly was distinguishable from his tan, it was hard to tell where one hand ended and the other began. When he looked at her with those dimples, she couldn't even remember what day of the week it was anymore.

Jax, for his part, was thinking of how happy he was that Dara was here, holding his hand. He feared that he had seen some major backpeddling going on with her last night. Why had he been so stupid as to bring up love? Because, he was scared out of his mind. As an adult, not the boy he was when he married Miranda, nothing in his life had felt as right as Dara. She didn't fit in with the playboy image that he had crafted for himself. She was REAL. Depth. Substance. A Keeper. She was a woman with a future. And Jax knew that he wanted to be a part of it. Whatever it was. But he knew that he wouldn't bring up love again. She wouldn't get another reason from him to bolt.

Jax and Dara walked the miles from the ballpark back to the hotel. They both were exhausted. Jax walked Dara to her room.

" Jax, I had the best day. Everything was wonderful. But, I'm pooped. You have things planned tomorrow?"

" Of course. I'll see you, then. Nite."

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The next day Jax and Dara go to the Shedd Aquarium, where they attend the Dolphin shows, and Jax even gets permission for him and Dara to go below and visit with the whales.

Next, they hit the Adler Planetarium, where they joke and kid with one another during the Space Show.

Finally, they wind up at the Museum of Science and Industry, where they watch baby chicks being born, go into a real WWII Submarine, as well as numerous other exhibits. They are sitting, having a sundae in an old-fashioned soda shop when Jax looks at his watch, " Oops. We have to go."

" Why?"

" Our dinner plans. They won't wait."

" OK."