by Wren Mingua
"She never liked me," Zoe admitted. "And I don't know why. I'm pretty sure I didn't give her a reason to dislike me."
"Oh, it's not just you. Gemma hates everyone. I really do believe she's mental. I think she needs counseling... a heavy dose of pills..."
Chris might need counseling too. That's what Zoe wanted to say, but she kept it to herself, since Lewis had shown no interest in talking about his son. "Well... it's late. I better get back to my room."
"Zoe." Before she could move an inch, Lewis grabbed her arm. "Wait. I want to talk to you."
"About what?"
"Now that Gemma's leaving... now that we're officially separated..." Lewis leaned closer to Zoe and whispered in her ear. "We should go out sometime."
Was he serious? His wife hadn't even finished packing up her belongings, and he was already asking her out? At times like this, she could almost understand Gemma's point of view.
Almost.
"I... better get back to my room, Mr. Eastham," Zoe said, pleased at herself for calling him Mr. Eastham. Perhaps the added formality would put him in his place. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She tried to tug her arm from his grasp, but he was holding on too tightly. "You know I think you're gorgeous, don't you?"
"I... thanks." I really need to quit this job, Zoe's conscience screamed. "Now... do you think you could let go of me? I need to get some sleep."
Lewis heaved a tremendous sigh as he released her arm. "Goodnight, Zoe."
"Goodnight."
She sprinted down the hallway as fast as her legs could carry her, and she didn't look back.
Chapter Thirteen
Excerpt from Zoe's blog--
When I was at home, I used to watch a lot of BBC America. I was a total Anglophile, obsessed with British culture. But something happened once I got here. Now I find myself flipping around the channels, desperately searching for a North American accent. An American, a Canadian, anything!!!
The next morning, Gemma was truly gone. The telly was no longer blasting Hollyoaks and Eastenders, and Zoe was no longer her servant. It was, for once, completely and totally quiet in the Eastham house. Chris was at school, Lewis was at work, and Benjamin was off doing god-knows-what. For the first time since her arrival, she was blissfully alone.
She lay on the game room sofa, eyes closed, enjoying the silence. At that moment, nothing had ever sounded sweeter than the sound of pure, unadulterated silence, apart from the cheerful chirping of the birds outside the window. For the first time in a long time, she was totally relaxed.
Her peace didn't last long; it was soon destroyed by the sound of a roaring motorcycle on the lawn. Motorcycle? Zoe got up and went to the window, only to discover it wasn't quite the motorcycle she had in mind. A man in a helmet was zipping down the driveway in a Vespa. When he reached the end of the driveway, he turned around and started racing in circles.
"Is that..." Zoe leaned closer to the window, tapping the pane with her finger. "Ben?!"
Zoe ran outside, hoping to catch him before he departed. When he saw her running down the driveway, he stopped the Vespa and pulled off his helmet. His eyes danced with excitement at the thought of being caught with his toy.
"Zoe," he casually greeted her. "Do you like my new ride?" He patted the Vespa.
"It's... interesting."
"I went to Italy once... it was a few years ago. I went on a little cross-country European voyage with some of my friends," Ben explained. "Everyone in Rome had one of these, and I guess I fell in love."
"You never cease to surprise me," Zoe said with a chuckle. "First a horse, now this."
"Would you like to join me? I'll give you my helmet."
Zoe took a step backward. He was not going to talk her into this one! "Noooo thanks. You go ahead and keep enjoying yourself."
"Please?" He pouted at her like a child. Zoe was sure his adorable, pitiful, boyish face probably got him far with the ladies--but it wasn't going to work on her! "It would be so much more fun if I had a girl on my back."
"No."
"No?"
"No!" She was adamant this time.
"Are you sure?" Ben rose from the Vespa, took a step toward her, and plopped the helmet onto her head. "But you look so adorable like that! The helmet looks better on you than it does on me, that's for sure."
Zoe started to take off the helmet, but he fastened it beneath her chin. "You're really spoiled, aren't you?" she accused him.
"Huh?"
"You're used to getting your way? I can tell."
"You're right. I am terribly, horribly, despicably spoiled, and I refuse to take no for an answer." Ben slipped his arms around Zoe and lifted her a couple of inches off the ground. Despite her shriek of protest, he carried her toward the Vespa. "You'll come with me, won't you?"
"Uhhh..."
"Uhhh is better than no," Ben observed. "In fact, I would say uhh is practically a yes." He climbed onto the Vespa and motioned for her to sit behind him. "Get on."
"But I've never ridden a motorcycle before..."
"Is a Vespa a motorcycle? I think it's technically a scooter." Ben started bobbing up and down like an over-excited little boy. "Come on, or I'm liable to drive off without you."
"Go right ahead."
"Alright then. Your loss."
He drove the Vespa a few feet down the driveway. When Zoe saw him go, she shouted, "WAIT!"
He stopped, turned around, and grinned at her. "Changed your mind?"
"I... guess." Zoe was starting to wonder if Ben could talk her into anything. "You're a really bad influence on me, you know."
"I'm a good influence on you, you just don't know it yet." As she mounted the back of the Vespa, Ben's grin never left his face. It was a grin of victory. "Hold on tight, alright?"
Zoe wrapped her arms around Ben's body, which was surprisingly broad, and squeezed him as tightly as she could. Yesterday, he held onto her. Today, she was holding onto him. How did she keep ending up in situations that required involuntary cuddles? "Alright... go."
As Ben drove the Vespa down the remaining length of the driveway, Zoe squinted her eyes as tightly as she could. Then he went speeding down the road, much faster than necessary. So much for easing her in!
When Zoe finally opened her eyes, they were several blocks away from the house, on a road that was lined with hedges. She laid her cheek against Ben's back, if only to block out some of the whizzing scenery. As they sped along, she started to relax a bit, and her mind started to wander. The first thing she noticed was that there was no sidewalk, which made her wonder what a poor pedestrian was supposed to do.
"Ben?" she shouted his name, hoping he would hear her over the Vespa's buzzing.
"What is it?"
"Where are we going?!"
"It's a surprise," he teased her.
"Okay, but you better have me back in a few hours!" she yelled at him over his shoulder. "I need to be back in time to pick up Chris from school!"
"Don't worry your little head, love. I'll have you back."
Several minutes later, they rode into a town that was as quintessentially English as she could have possibly imagined. They rode over a stony, tree-lined bridge, down a road flanked by medieval houses. When she spotted a half-timbered cottage with a charming thatched roof, she had to smile. "Where are we?" she asked.
As they approached their destination, Ben slowed the Vespa. "Dorchester-on-Thames. Look." He pointed at an impressive old church. "There's the abbey over there."
"Neat." Her underwhelming choice of word was hardly enough to describe her inner awe.
"I think it's been around since the 1100's," he said. "And I think it was built on top of a Saxon cathedral."
"Aww. How cute are you right now?" Zoe teased him. "You're like a tour guide!"
"I try my best. Anyway..." He brought the Vespa to a stop outside of a pub called The Winged Wench. "Here we are."
"And where is here?"
"One of my favorite pubs." Ben got up and
helped her off of the Vespa. "It's about time you had some proper English food."
"You mean Walkers crisps and Chicago Town pizza don't count?"
"No," he chuckled. "No, they don't."
"You're not going to make me eat pie and mash, are you? You might get me on the back of a Vespa, but there is NO way you're going to get me to eat pie and mash. Or black pudding."
"What about my dream of taking you all the way to Scotland for some haggis?" Ben joked.
"Nope. Not gonna happen."
"Damn." Ben took her by the hand and led her into the pub. Once they were inside, she felt like she had stepped back into the Middle Ages, into some kind of bawdy tavern. "Can I treat you to an ale?"
"If you're expecting me to eat with you, you better be treating me to everything. I didn't bring my purse."
"Of course. A gentleman always pays," Ben said, "especially when he's out on a date." Before she could protest, Ben winked at her, then he went to the counter to get some ales. Zoe sat at a table at the far end of the room, though she was a bit reluctant to do so. She was feeling more out of her element than ever.
When he returned, Ben was carrying two ales, and he wagged a menu in front of her face. She took the menu and browsed through it, sneering at some of the culinary options. "Glazed Goat Cheese..." she read aloud. "Bangers and mash. Rarebit. I'm not even sure what rarebit is. Is it rabbit?"
Ben laughed. "No. Not quite. It's basically cheese on toast."
"Oh. Okaaay." Zoe kept browsing the menu, but nothing was jumping out at her as something she would actually like to consume. "I dunno. What do your recommend?"
"Well, seeing as you're a yank, we better start you off slow." Ben prodded the menu with his finger, and when she saw what he was pointing at, she breathed a sigh of relief. "You can't really go wrong with fish and chips."
"Sounds good to me."
After they ordered their food, Zoe decided it was time to try her ale. She sipped a bit of the foamy brim, and when she did, her face puckered. When Ben saw her reaction, he chuckled yet again.
"You don't like it?"
"Ummm..." She didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Let's put it this way. I don't really care for any alcohol."
"You don't?!"
"Nope."
"Hmph. Then what fun are you?" Ben took a giant gulp of his ale, leaving no doubt that their opinions were varied. "I'm teasing, by the way. I think you're great fun."
"Yeah, right."
"No. I'm serious. I think you're a riot, Zoe," Ben said. "I don't think I've been out with a girl who's made me laugh quite as much."
"If I'm making you laugh, it's probably unintentional. I'm not that funny," Zoe insisted. "Trust me."
Two girls in their late teens entered the pub, and when they did, their eyes were immediately drawn to Ben. As good-looking as he was, Zoe was sure he drew stares everywhere he went. And she had no idea why he was wasting his time with her.
"Those girls were looking at you."
"Were they?" Ben stole a glimpse of them over his mug of ale.
"Yeah. They were totally checking you out. Maybe you should go talk to them?"
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"No. Not at all!" Zoe threw up her hands in defense. "But they might be a bit more... age appropriate for you."
Ben's grin disappeared, and he raked a hand across his lips. The next time he spoke, he asked, "My age really bothers you, doesn't it?"
"No. It doesn't bother me," Zoe said. "I mean, we're friends, right?"
"Just friends?"
"Well..." Zoe glanced around the room, hoping a change of subject would spring to mind.
Nothing did.
"So... if I was to ask you out on another date, I take it you would decline?"
"Another date?" Zoe repeated, alerted by his choice of word.
"Yeah. I was hoping this could be our first date," Ben said. "Apparently not."
They were drawn into a moment of silence, during which their fish and chips arrived. Zoe tore off a piece of her fish, and when she did, her fingers were soaked in grease.
"Wow." She wiped her hands, leaving a slick grease trail on her napkin. "This is seriously greasy."
"But it's good, isn't it?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "It is."
Then the subject turned awkward again. "So what is it that you don't like about me?" Ben leaned forward in his chair, toward Zoe. "I'm no stranger to rejection. It's not like I expect every woman to fall at my feet, and it's not like I think I'm perfect, but I really like you. And every time you reject me, it kills me."
Zoe kept gnawing on her fish. She didn't quite know what to say.
"You don't think I'm attractive?" he asked.
"Oh, please." Zoe rolled her eyes. "You know you're cute, Ben."
"You think I'm too young, and you can't get past it?"
"Well..." His age was a bit of a deterrent, she had to admit. "You are really young."
"But what does it matter?" Ben asked, having completely abandoned his food. "It's hard to find chemistry with someone, especially chemistry like ours. Once you have it, you need to take it however it comes!"
"You think we have chemistry?"
"I do!" Ben held her hand. "I really, really do. I've never been drawn to someone like I'm drawn to you."
Zoe caught herself smirking a bit. She had never had someone as gorgeous as him pining for her before. As much as she hated to admit it, she enjoyed flirting with him.
"I'm not going to give up," Ben insisted. "You know how I am... I don't like to take no for an answer. I'm persistent. If you're not attracted to me in the least, then so be it... tell me now. But if you are attracted to me, even a little bit, then it will happen, mark my words. I won't give up."
"But I--"
"So you should save us both some time, Zoe," he went on. "Just throw yourself into my arms right now, and we can skip to the good bits." He held his arms open, as if expecting her to fly into them. But she didn't. "No?"
"Ben..."
He crossed his arms over his chest and turned his attention back to his food. "Very well. I'll just have to try harder."
"Ben!"
"Hmm?" He shoved a giant piece of beer-battered fish into his mouth.
"It's not that I don't find you attractive, and it's not your age..." Zoe said. "It's just that... I got out of a bad relationship recently."
With his mouth full, he shrieked. "Wha--?!" As soon as he finished swallowing, he asked, "I thought you were engaged?!"
"I... was," Zoe confessed. "We broke up right before I came here. I'm sorry I lied." Ben just shook his head with disbelief, so she continued. "It was... a bad experience. We were supposed to get married in three weeks, but I found out he'd been cheating on me."
"Cheated on you..." Ben repeated quietly. "Who in their right mind would cheat on you?"
"Kyle, apparently. He was cheating on me with his ex-girlfriend. I don't know how long it had been going on, but one time was bad enough for me. I called off our wedding... and I left." Zoe shrugged. "I guess I just needed to escape. And honestly, I'm in no hurry to get back in another relationship."
Ben reached over and grabbed her hand, which she wished he hadn't done, since her fingers were covered in fish grease. "I would never cheat on you, Zoe. Never."
Zoe's mind was clouded by images of various blonde girls sitting on Ben's lap. Somehow, he just didn't strike her as a model of fidelity. "Anyway, Ben, I've been thinking about going home soon... back to the US. So that's another reason why we shouldn't date."
His eyes were as pitiful as anything she had ever seen. "Maybe I... could give you a reason to stay?"
"I really shouldn't," she insisted. "I feel like I've ruined your brother's marriage... for reasons unbeknownst to me. And Chris doesn't like me, so..." An image of Chris' bruises flashed before her eyes. "By the way, I'm concerned about Chris. I think his parents' relationship has really been bothering him."
"Really?"
/> "Yeah. I found him in the bathroom the other day, punching himself."
Ben's eyes were lit with alarm. "Are you serious?!"
"Yeah. I'm serious. And I tried to talk to Lewis about it, but he wasn't paying any attention to me." Zoe shrugged. "Do you think you could have a word with him? With your brother and with Chris? He seems to like you more than anyone."
"Of course. I'll have a chat with him." Ben, who had somehow finished his food in the middle of their conversation, reached over Zoe's arm and pilfered a few of her chips. "Well, Zoe, if you ever change your mind, you know I'd love to go out with you."
Zoe frowned. He sounded so casual now, as if he'd lost all his passion. "I'll keep that in mind."
Then she caught him eyeing the two girls who were staring at him before, which made her think he had already moved on.
Chapter Fourteen
Excerpt from Zoe's blog--
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
You'll have to forgive my moment of unbridled elation. I just realized they have Papa John's pizza here!
By the time she finished her fourth slice, Zoe had to lean back on the couch and unbutton her jeans. She clutched her stomach, which was a bit poofy after she gorged herself on pizza.
Chris and Ben were sitting on either side of her. Somehow, they were still eating. Ben pulled off a pepperoni and held it to her mouth. She turned her head away and groaned.
"Ooof!" Zoe started rubbing on her stomach. "I am STUFFED!"
"You're right..." Ben leaned toward her and tapped her earlobe. "I think I see a bit of stuff and fluff coming out of your ear."
She smacked his hand away. "No, seriously! I haven't been this full in a long time! I feel like I've been impregnated by pizza!"
Chris toppled to his side, giggling, and Zoe was impressed with herself. It was the first time she heard him laugh.
"If you're impregnated by pizza, who's the father? Papa John?" Ben asked, his brown eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Uh-huh. That's my dirty secret," Zoe said. "I'm having his calzone."