Unforgettable

“Fools rush in…”  she sang quietly.
His head jerked up. “You won’t be sorry, Jenny. We’ll take it slow.”
Maybe it was the only way to discover once and for all what it was about this
man that put other men in the shade. She’d spent five years keeping busier than
ten people so as not to miss him. I Will Survive.  As the song had reminded her
Friday night, she had a lot of love to give. If Doug had frozen her heart, then
maybe he was the right one to melt it again or at least help her reach a closure
that worked. A final closure. So she’d be able to move on.
“It’s not the speed,” she whispered. “It’s the uncertainty. The trust.” She
extended her hand. “Give me your phone.”
##
Trust was a big one. The only one.  Doug couldn’t get the word out of his mind
all day as he finished setting up his apartment, made and answered phone calls,
and once more studied the script for The Sanctuary.  Jen had a trust problem
with him. Of course, she was wrong. He’d never hurt her. Never. In time, she’d
understand that.
Back in the theater on Monday morning, Doug greeted the play’s producer, who
had many projects behind him, and the young director, who’d already made a
name for herself locally. They wore big smiles, and exuded high energy and
anticipation. A great way to start.
“I’m thrilled that you’ve decided to stage this in Boston,” said Lynn, as she
shook Doug’s hand and sat down. She glanced at her cohort. “We both are.”
“You won’t be sorry,” added Jake. “Our theater group has won many awards due
to our high-quality performances, provided, I might add, at a fair price.”
“Two excellent attributes for a successful playhouse,” said Doug with a smile.
“Since I’m on staff at the university this year, I’d say it all worked out.” He held
up his well-worn script. “Can we get down to business now?”
Instantly, the conversation ceased, and the analysis began. Doug noted that each
of the others’ manuscripts looked as dog-eared as his. Theater was a risky
business, and no one wanted to fail.

---

Three hours went by before Doug’s stomach growled. He looked at his watch
and pushed his chair back. “I’m starving.”
But he felt Lynn’s hand on his arm. “Before we break, I just want to say how
much I love this play. I love each character. And I love the title. The Sanctuary.
It’s perfect.”
“Thanks,” said Doug. “It’s funny how sometimes a title comes hard, but this
one…? It whispered to me.”
“It’s a winner all around,” confirmed Jake. “The way I see it, our mission is to
cast it properly here, have a good run, and then you can bring it to New York.”
Doug’s stomach tightened. “Let’s take one step at a time.” Sure, Broadway was
the goal, but as he’d told Jen, he’d just be a consultant and commute to New
York as needed. “We’ll see what happens.”
He watched the other two exchange a quizzical glance. “We’ll see?” asked Lynn.
“There’s no ‘we’ll see’ about it. This is a powerful story. It deserves to be on
Broadway!”
Doug cocked his head and smiled appreciatively. “Nice to have a fan club, but
let’s just say, I’m paying it forward. My first play, The Broken Circle,  was
produced here when I was a lowly undergrad, and now it’s doing well in New
York.” He shook his head. “Sometimes I can hardly believe it myself.”
But his success had come with a price. A vision of Jen filled his mind—Jen in all
her moods – thoughtful, with a crinkle in her brow, happy, with a wide, beautiful
smile, loving, with a warmth in her eyes and gentle hands caressing his cheek.
He’d turned his world upside down because of her, always knew he would after
he’d tied up his loose ends in New York. Their story was not yet finished.
##
So much for giving him my cell number.  At ten that evening, after a full day of
client meetings followed by the training seminar, Jen yawned and prepared for
bed. She hadn’t heard from Doug all day, and the flash of disappointment she
felt annoyed her.
But just then she heard the whoosh of a text signal. She glanced at her phone and

---

felt herself smile.
R U up?
Big day. Just about to go to bed.
Not yet.
The phone rang. “So how did your busy day go?”
“Hang on. I want to get comfortable.” She leaned back against her pillows
before replying. “Actually, my day went very well both personally and
professionally. Lisa’s home, and if all goes well, baby Brianna should be home
in a few days.”
“That’s really great. A load off your mind—off everyone’s mind—knowing how
close your family is.”
His last sentence echoed the past. “Nothing’s changed about that, Doug.” Her
voice hardened. “The Delaney-Brennan clan is tight. Always will be. So, if that’s
still a problem for you…?”
“Holy Toledo, Jen! Take a breath. Cool it.”
She waited.
He spoke again, his tone calm. “Of course, I know your family’s tight. And I
know you all had to be in order to survive. Okay? And now, you’re all grown up,
living a grown-up life.”
“Still in Boston.”
She heard his laugh. “So you are. And here I am, back here, too.”
Her muscles relaxed one by one, like a balloon slowly deflating. “I guess so. At
least, you seem to be—for now.”
“Count on it, Jenny. I’m not going anywhere. Now, tell me about your great day
in the office.”
Okay, he was trying. “Lots of training with more to come. All part of growing

---

my career.”
“So what do you actually do?”
She paused, wondered if he’d get it. “Simply put, I help clients plan for their
financial future. You know—the usual. Investment guidance, retirement
planning, income strategies, wealth management and even college planning. I’ve
got my Series 7 and 63 as well as my insurance licenses. I love doing this.”
A low whistle came through the line. “All that from the girl who computed the
family budget and told her big sister how much to spend?”
“Lisa couldn’t even balance a checkbook back then. I figured it out at sixteen.
And why do you remember that little factoid?”
“Henny-Penny, there isn’t anything about you that I don’t remember.”
Her breath caught. “Sounds scary.”
“Nope. Sounds like I’m getting your attention.”
Time to change the subject. “And how was your  day?”
“Want the good news first, or the bad news?”
“Bad news? Already? You just started. I swear, a career like yours would give
me hives.”
“And the stock market doesn’t go up and down?”
“We plan for that. We plan for all the contingencies.”
His quiet laughter came through the phone. “What a big word! Contingencies.
Sounds to me that it’s more about control. Sweetheart, no matter how hard you
work, you can’t control the world.”
“But I sure as shootin’ can control my  world.”
##
It was the way she said it, so seriously, as if she truly had total power, that

---

amused him as he said goodnight. Her tender spot. Her world had exploded
years ago but would never do so again—if Jen had anything to say about it.
When his phone rang, he saw Jen’s name and answered quickly.
“Anything wrong?”
“We talked about my  job, but you didn’t tell me about your day.”
A soft and sexy voice. No wonder she was a natural jazz singer.
“You’re right. So…”
“Good news first,” she interrupted. “Let me enjoy it before problems rear their
nasty heads.”
“Not your problems to solve, kiddo. I’ve got this.”
Silence met his ear. “Jen? Still there?”
“Y-e-s.” She sounded unsure.
“What?”
“Just thinking. You’re right. I don’t have to solve your problems. You’re an adult
now, too. With one show on Broadway, and one off-Broadway, you must be
earning a living. So, tell me the good news.”
“The producer and director for The Sanctuary  love the script, which means
they’ll go to hell and back to do it right. Tomorrow, we’re holding our first
auditions for the main characters. It’s an exciting time. And I’m betting on
Boston not to let me down.” She’d never understand the chance he was taking by
leaving New York.
“It won’t. Just like when The Broken Circle  was put on in school. It was— was
like magic. You almost cried.”
“You were supposed to forget about that!”
“Nah. I could see you were overwhelmed. Awestruck to see your printed words
brought to life.” She paused, and he waited. “Doug?”

---

“Yeah?”
“Is it still like that? Still awesome?”
“Every. Single. Time.”
She spoke softly then. So softly, he strained to hear her. “Then I guess you made
the right choice five years ago…and for the right reasons.”
He couldn’t breathe.
“And so did I,” she whispered.

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