Jonathan woke at the crack of dawn. He poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot that sat nearly full on the kitchen counter. Max must already be up and gone, he thought. He had slept very little that night, and when he did his dreams were of the beautiful young girl he had met the day before. He knew it was stupid to get involved with this girl, she would be going back to Maryland in a couple of days. But at least he could have some fun with her while she was here.
Max shuffled into the kitchen, still in his bathrobe and slippers. His hair was a mess and the look on his face told Jonathan that it must have been a rough night.
"You look like something the cat dragged in," Jonathan commented as Max poured himself a cup of coffee and joined him at the table in the kitchen of the small apartment the two shared.
Max merely grunted at him. Jonathan knew he had been out very late the night before at his weekly poker game.
"How’d ya do?" he inquired.
"Not bad kid, not bad at all," he answered, his deep, gravely voice sounding even rougher than it normally did. "I cleaned up in fact." He winked at the boy.
"I heard you come in pretty late. Or should I say pretty early this morning." Jonathan was prying for information. He loved hearing Max’s stories. "What was her name?"
"What makes you think there was a dame involved?" Max retorted, trying to sound gruff.
"Isn’t there always?" Jonathan laughed. "C’mon, tell me."
Max sipped his coffee and growled at Jonathan. Then a smirk crossed his face. His eyes lit up. "You shoulda seen her. Legs up to here," he bragged as he motioned with his hand. "And a face like an angel."
"So what’s she doin’ with a guy like you?" Jonathan said jokingly. He and Max loved to banter back and forth. Though they joked around all the time, they both thought the world of each other.
"You think you’re pretty funny, don’t ya kid?" Max snapped through his smile.
A few minutes and two cups of coffee later, Max asked, "You still gonna be able to run that errand for me this afternoon?"
"Sure. As soon as I get done with my papers I’ll head over there. I’ve got the envelope right here." He patted the back pocket of his jeans.
"Thanks. You’ll be home after that then?"
"Not till later," Jonathan explained. "I’m gonna spend the day with a friend. I’ll probably be home around seven or so."
"A friend?" Max could sense that Jonathan was holding out on him. "Is this someone I know?"
"No. It’s someone I met yesterday. A girl, actually." He was slightly embarrassed.
"And does this girl have a name?"
"Jennifer," he answered. For the first time he realized that he didn’t even know her last name. It didn’t matter though.
"And where did you meet this Jennifer?"
"At the corner I was selling at yesterday." He didn’t feel like volunteering a lot of information. Usually he was very forthcoming with Max but something about this made him feel secretive. "I’ve gotta be going," he said as he jumped up from his chair and grabbed his baseball cap. "I’ll see you later."
Max just shook his head as he watched Jonathan retreat from the room. That boy’s got it bad, he thought to himself.
At her hotel, Jennifer anxiously watched the clock. Her father had left hours ago and now, after getting showered and dressed, she paced the room with nervous energy. She had ordered room service hours ago and barely touched it. What was happening to her?
At noon she decided she couldn’t wait any longer. She didn’t want to appear too anxious so she tried to slow her pace as she headed toward the corner where she had met him the previous day. As she saw him waiting there, her heart skipped a beat. Maybe she was making a mistake. It wasn’t too late, she could still turn the other way and never see him again. Just then he turned to look in her direction and waved to her. There was no turning back now.
"Hi," he greeted her. "I was wondering if you were gonna show up."
"Am I late?" she asked.
"Nah, some days I just finish up earlier than others. Today was one of those days. You ready to go?"
"Where are we going?"
"You’re really not good with surprises, are you?" He laughed at her. "You’ll find out. C’mon, I’ve gotta stop somewhere for Max and then I’ll show you."
Without thinking, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. Liking the sensation of her hand in his, he loosened his grip but continued to hold it as they walked to the corner where Jonathan flagged down a cab. He opened the door for her, whispered their destination to the driver, and jumped into the back seat with her.
"Can you tell me where we are going now? Not the surprise, where do you have to go for Max?" Her inquisitive nature was getting the better of her.
"How do you feel about horses?"
Excitedly she replied, "I love them! Are we going riding? There can’t be any stables around here."
"Not exactly. You’ll see in a few minutes."
Within fifteen minutes the cab pulled up at their destination. The sign out front read "Hollywood Park."
"A racetrack?" Jennifer said curiously.
"This is Max’s favorite place in the entire world," Jonathan explained. "Have you ever been to a track? There is horse racing on the East coast too, I presume."
"Of course there is. I’ve just never been there," she answered.
"Well, it’ll just take me a few minutes to take care of Max’s business," he explained. "I hope you don’t mind. Maybe we could even take a walk through the stables and see the horses. We’re not really allowed down there but I think I might be able to get us in." He winked at her.
"I’d love to."
They entered through the main gate and headed up to the clubhouse. Seeing Jonathan, a man who was leaning against a far wall approached.
"Hey Johnny," the man said as he looked at Jonathan’s guest. "Where’s Maxie today? Out a little late with the ladies, I bet." He chuckled knowingly.
"Yeah," Jonathan confirmed. Reaching into his jeans pocket he withdrew an envelope. "He said to give this to you though."
"Thanks kid. Who’s the young lady?"
"Oh…this is my friend, Jennifer." Turning to Jennifer, "Jennifer, this is Sid."
"Nice to meet you, Sid."
"You’re not from around here, are you?"
"No, I live back east actually. How did you know?"
"The accent. I’ve been all over this country, usually following the ponies, and I’ve gotten so that I can detect even the faintest accent. One of those useless skills I’ve acquired, I guess. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Jennifer." Then, attempting to embarrass Jonathan he added, "What? Did you run out of California girls?"
"Very funny, Sid," Jonathan answered, uncomfortable. "We’ve got to be going." He grabbed onto Jennifer’s hand and started pulling her away.
"Take care, kids," Sid replied, enjoying Jonathan’s unease. "Say hi to Maxie for me." Waving the envelope that Jonathan had given him, he added, "Tell him I’ll let him know what happens!"
As if in stereo, Jennifer and Jonathan replied, "Bye Sid" as they walked away hand in hand.
Outside in the sunshine, Jonathan released Jennifer’s hand, suddenly aware that he had been holding it. It had felt so natural to both of them that it wasn’t until they stopped walking that either of them even realized that it had happened.
"What do you want to do now?" he asked. "Want to go see some of the horses? Usually only owners, trainers, and track officials are allowed there but I think I just might be able to get us in." He wanted her to be impressed, for some reason it mattered. "I come down here with Max a lot. The first time we got in he made me carry a camera and we pretended that we were with the local newspaper doing a story. Max is always pulling stuff like that. But it worked." He sounded impressed with Max's ingenuity.
"Max sounds like a lot of fun."
"You don’t know the half of it! I hope you get to meet him while you’re here."
"Me too."
They stopped briefly at a small building, Jonathan ran inside while Jennifer waited patiently outside, taking in all of the new sights and sounds. This place was so different from anyplace she had ever been before. Just being there with Jonathan made it exciting. She felt more alive than she had in a long time. Was it the California air...or something else?
Arriving at the main stable entrance, a security guard detained them briefly. Pulling a laminated card from his pocket, Jonathan smiled at Jennifer. He handed the card to the guard confidently.
After studying both of them, and the card, briefly, the guard responded, "Ok, go ahead." He handed the card back to Jonathan hesitantly.
Once inside, Jennifer and Jonathan laughed quietly.
"How did you do that?" she asked.
"This," he said, showing her the card that he had presented to the guard, "will get us into anywhere at this track. It’s a VIP card. It gets you into the inner area of the track where the stables, the exercise area and all that stuff is."
"So how did you get it?"
"From a friend of Max. He works in the stable gate office. That’s where we stopped."
"Max has connections all over, huh?"
"Oh yeah. And some of them you might not want to come across in a dark alley!" he laughed.
Jennifer stroked the horse's mane gently. Just being there reminded her of home. "We've got horses at home," she told Jonathan. "I even have one of my own--Sweet Sue. My father got her for me as a gift."
"Wow, you've got your own horse? Do you live on a farm or something?"
"Not exactly. But we've got a stable and a riding ring and stuff. My father has always loved horses, I guess he passed that on to me."
"So you must be pretty rich, huh?"
"I guess you could say so. I've never wanted for anything."
Jonathan had a fleeting feeling of inadequacy. He knew she was out of his league--what was he doing? What would a girl like Jennifer ever see in someone like him? But if she wasn't interested, would she have met him today?
Jennifer saw the change in Jonathan. She hoped she hadn't made him feel inferior in any way but she sensed that was what she had unintentionally done. She wasn't "stuck up", she just hoped that Jonathan wouldn't see her that way. Where Jonathan came from didn't matter to her. She liked him for who he was.
"Do you want to get out of here?" Jonathan asked her.
"No, I'm having fun actually. Can we look at some more of the horses?" Her excitement bubbled through.
"Sure, if that's what you want." Jonathan perked up. "Want to see one of my favorites?"
"I'd love to."
"It'll take us a few minutes. She's in one of the stables down near the other end of the track."
Fortunately, they weren't required to show the VIP pass at each stable, only at the main entrance. Jonathan was glad, he wasn't sure his luck would have held out. They walked slowly through several stable areas, finally arriving at the last one within the track's parameters. Inside, they walked about halfway through the stable before stopping at the largest stall within. A half-door, which came about to Jonathan's armpits, was bolted shut. He lifted the bar and they gained entrance. The stall was huge, with bales of hay stacked up against one side and a rope separating the other side. Beyond the rope was one of the most beautiful horses Jennifer had ever laid eyes on.
"Her name is Passion's Chariot. But her owners usually just call her Cherry."
"Hi girl," Jennifer said softly as she approached the mare who eyed her with caution. She slowly reached out a hand as not to startle her. Cherry seemed to visibly relax with Jennifer's touch. "She's beautiful," Jennifer commented to Jonathan as she repeatedly ran her hand along her silky neck. "And the nickname Cherry fits her perfectly. I've never seen such a beautiful color." As the sunlight filtered through the stable, her coat glistened, an exquisite shade of mahogany with cherry colored highlights.
"And she's a champion too! This is the first year that her owner has brought her here. But from what Max has told me, she's been hot at some of the other tracks. Believe me, Max would know!"
As Cherry turned her attention to the food placed in the back of her stall, Jennifer and Jonathan sat on the bales of hay and watched her. Jennifer was mesmerized, though she wasn't sure if Jonathan or Cherry was the cause. Sitting close together, Jonathan finally worked up the courage to take her hand in his once again.
"So, when did you say you were leaving?" he asked, unsure if he really wanted to hear the answer.
"Tomorrow afternoon. My father has a meeting at one o'clock and I think our flight is at four."
"I wish you weren't leaving so soon," he said sullenly. Then, not wanting her to see his true feelings, he added, "I mean, there's so much here that I wanted to show you."
"I wish I wasn't leaving either," she said glumly. "But there's no way I could ever convince my father to stay longer."
They gazed into each other's eyes, feeling as if they were already being torn apart. Neither of them had ever felt anything like this, they didn't really know what it was but neither of them wanted it to end.
"Do you think you will ever come back here?" he wanted to know.
"I hope so. My father does come here quite a bit on business. Perhaps if I don't get myself into trouble this time he'll let me come again."
"I hope so too."
Silence filled the air. Their eyes met and at that moment the connection between them was undeniable. He had been around many girls but never had had it felt so right. With Jennifer he could talk about anything--his past, Max, his dreams for the future. And she never made him feel like he wasn't good enough, despite the differences in their backgrounds. It was hard to believe that he had just met her yesterday--and that tomorrow she would be gone. He didn't want to waste a single minute. Carefully he reached out and ran his hand down the soft skin of her cheek. She reached up and took his hand in hers again. She didn't want to let go.
As if a magnetic field was drawing them together, they slowly leaned their heads toward each other. They looked into each other's eyes and then moved closer. Their lips touched each other's, ever so gently, before they pulled back and their eyes met yet again. Jonathan then leaned in to her till they touched once more, this time with more passion. Neither of them had ever felt so connected in all their lives.
When they separated a few seconds later, he gently pulled her into his arms, feeling her warmth against him. Her chin rested on his shoulder as she held onto him tightly.
The slamming of a stall door startled them out of their private world. Suddenly, angry voices filled the air. Jonathan jumped from the bail of hay and peeked over the door. Jennifer quickly crept up behind him to see what was happening.
Two men appeared in the stable, outside the door of the stall directly across from Cherry's. They both appeared to be quite angry.
"No," a short, pudgy man carrying what looked like a medical bag said forcefully. "I told you I didn't want to be involved in this anymore." Despite the strength of his voice, he seemed threatened by the other man's presence.
The other man had a tall and imposing frame. He was very well kept, dressed in a suit with his hair slicked back. The gold and diamonds of his pinky ring flashed as he swung his arm around and grabbed the back of the coat of the first man, who was now attempting to leave.
"You're not going anywhere, Dr. Andrews!" he yelled angrily, pulling him back. "You'll do what I tell you. NOW!" He released his grip on his shirt.
"I told you, Marshall....I don't want to be involved in this anymore....please!" His voice begged for him.
"You don't have any choice! Now get in there and take care of it."
"No, I won't..."
"Did you hear me, Doctor? I don't think you want me to tell the authorities what I know, do you?"
A defeated look crossed the face of Dr. Andrews. He reluctantly entered the stall, and set his medical bag down next to the black, elegant quarter horse that was stabled there. He turned back to face the taller man who appeared to be standing guard at the stall entrance. "This is the last time, Marshall. I don't care what you do."
"Just shut up and get it done!"
He drew a vial and a syringe from the black bag. Sticking the needle into the glass vial, he drew out some of the liquid. Turning his attention away from his task for just a moment, he turned and glared at the other man who was watching nervously for anyone who might enter the stable. Jonathan and Jennifer ducked to avoid being seen.
The doctor rubbed the mare's front left leg. "I'm sorry about this girl," he said to her softly. He then took the needle and inserted it into her leg, just above the hoof, and pushed the plunger of the syringe to administer the shot. The horse whinnied and shifted her weight from side to side. He rubbed the spot of the injection after he was finished and looked at her with compassion. He then proceeded to repeat the process on her other leg. After returning his supplies to his bag and closing it quickly he rose from his kneeling position and came face to face with his adversary. "You're on your own now, I'm out!"
"You don't really believe that, do you?" the man who had been addressed as Marshall said. He laughed in the other man's face.
Just then Jennifer, in an attempt to see better, accidentally kicked a metal bucket which rested near her feet. The sound of tin echoed through the quiet stable. Both men turned toward the stall, fearful that there were witnesses to their activities. Marshall strode across to Cherry's stall door. He pulled out a gun that had been stuck in his waistband--a precaution in case the doctor hadn't agreed to cooperate. Just as he was about to open the door, Jonathan burst through it, clutching Jennifer's hand. They ran out of the stable without looking back. Both men followed in pursuit.
