The Light Between The Shadows

by Tsukiko Spark

  He worked on the campaign with great motivation all through the afternoon, as his father had ordered. He finally took a break to have a quick meal with his good friend Fred.

  Fred was the son of a middle-class family and one of his childhood friend due to a close relationship between the families. Ben knew he could always trust Fred with anything, though the feeling was not mutual. Fred was the responsible one of the two and the only person in Ben’s milieu who was frank with him, as good friends should be.

  Fred had an average build and was slightly shorter than Ben. His pleasant smile, brown hair, and green eyes radiated kindness and an easy temperament. He also trained in aikido, and sometimes the two friends practiced together. Most of the time, these practices ended in bitter disappointment for Fred, mainly because Ben’s performance was of a higher level.

  They sat down in Sophie’s Bistro, which was on the first floor of an office building a few blocks away—it was Ben’s favorite restaurant in the area. It had a yellow-orange décor with white ornamentation, which gave it a 1980s murky retro look. The impeccable reputation of this expensive gourmet bistro meant it was always crowded at lunchtime and in the evening, but that didn’t bother him because he always got in without waiting in line.

  Many times, a slew of paparazzi ambushed him at Sophie’s, generating juicy photos of him in the company of beautiful women, which made it to the headlines. This time, there were no paparazzi in view. The restaurant was half empty. Most people had finished their lunch, and it was still too early for dinner.

  “Did my father get on your case today?” Ben inquired, seeing that Fred had a hard time handling his truffle dim sum dish.

  “Nah, I can handle your old man,” his friend answered gloomily.

  “Did you read the morning newspaper?” Ben asked, changing the subject and ignoring Fred’s mood.

  Though he never said so, he couldn’t resist the publicity that came along with dating La Belle Michelle, the sexy celebrity. Though he claimed he wasn’t going out with her for that reason, he rather liked having their relationship make the tabloids. Michelle was known as a bon vivant and an avid partygoer prone to temper tantrums and drinking. His appeal skyrocketed during the weeks they were dating—he was certain of that.

  Fred took a bite of one of the steamed dumplings. The juicy truffle filling drizzled out of it. “I hope this time you ended the affair nicely, not like the jerk you can be,” he said after finishing his bite.

  “Hey, let’s not use insults here. I ended it as I thought I should have,” he answered in good humor.

  “I’m sorry, Ben, but sometimes your style is a little—how shall we say—unkind, especially toward the women you date,” Fred explained, and then ate the rest of his dumpling.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about. It was a great relationship and it ended with a bang.” Ben praised himself as he continued, “I know how to handle women. You’re just bitter because you didn’t listen to me. After all, I was right about Josephine, wasn’t I?”

  “Yes… You were right. You know women,” Fred answered in frustration.

  “Don’t be so down about it; just thank me for saving you from her.”

  Fred remained silent.

  “Hey, get over her, man!” Ben patted his friend’s back. “You can’t be sinking into depression over a woman. I have an idea—I’ll introduce you to Jean tonight. She’s a real sport! You’ll have fun with her.”

  “Yeah, I bet,” Fred said sarcastically. He wasn’t cheered one bit.

  They continued to eat. Ben polished off his beef dish with thick rice noodles, filet mignon, broccoli, and shallots. Fred had only finished three dumplings by that time.

  The waiter served them dessert.

  Ben took one last sip from his water bottle. “I’ll see you tonight and we’ll finally snap you out of it! It’s been two months, man—you have to get a grip!” Ben stood up and walked away, leaving his friend to his thoughts as he stared at the untouched pineapple crumb cake.

  Back in his office, Ben continued working on the assignment his father had given him. He was somewhat excited when thinking about the new personal assistant who would be starting the next day. She would help him push the project forward as well as be a pretty, new face to get to know.

  It seemed as if his assistants were all cast from the same mold. They always looked as if they were straight out of a haute couture magazine and had very basic skills, and events unrelated to work always seemed to unfold. Then, when the relationship didn’t pan out as they hoped, they would resign. This time, he thought, the project was important enough for him to try and practice restraint and not go to bed with the new belle de jour during the first week. Perhaps only after the pressure subsides.

  Ben stayed late at his office; most of the employees had gone home. He was busy making final preparations before his new assistant arrived so that he could easily brief her and put her to work.

  He left his office exhausted but content. He switched off the light, shut the door, and turned toward the elevator. The light was out in the corridor—only the computer screens flickered in the dark. It seemed as though the last of the employees hadn’t noticed he was still working. Ben took the elevator down, and it stopped at the mezzanine floor. The doors opened, and Nora Frenkel from the PR department walked in aloofly.

  “Good evening, Nora. Working late for me, are you?” he said condescendingly.

  Nora was a tall and stern woman with green eyes and blond hair pulled back.

  “Your nonsense bores me; I’m surprised you haven’t been treated for it yet,” she answered coldly.

  “I don’t recall it boring you when you were in bed with me,” he bragged.

  “You know, it’s a shame your only talent with women is in bed and nothing more.”

  The elevator doors opened to the lobby. Nora walked out first, without looking back, while Ben was too tired to come up with a smart answer.

  When he got back to his apartment, he went straight into the bedroom, dropped his stuff next to the bed, and collapsed into it. He had been asleep for an hour when his cell phone rang and woke him up. It was George’s voice on the other end, asking him for his estimated time of arrival.

  Ben tore himself from the bed, took a quick shower, got ready, fixed his hair, and took a quick glance in the mirror. He was fully awake, refreshed, and wearing his million-dollar smile, ready for the party and fashionably late.

  A new, spacious bar that had just opened a few months before was where the party was being hosted. The elaborate furniture and lighting were brand new and gave the place an expensive, trendy look. When he arrived, a big crowd of people, which included journalists, surrounded him outside. The word had spread about the big, fancy party Ben Brattler was throwing for his good friend.

  Typical partygoers waited in a crowded mass; most of them were refused entry. The bouncer at the door recognized him from a distance and cleared the crowd so he could enter easily. Two beauties tried to sneak in after him.

  “Sorry, ladies, it’s a private event,” said the bouncer.

  Ben turned around and saw the women. “It’s okay; they’re with me.”

  The bouncer quickly let them in.

  “Hey, ladies, come and meet the guest of honor.” He wrapped his arms around their shoulders, one woman on each side. They smiled victoriously.

  As soon as he entered the bar, the party started picking up. The guests were already there, but his presence made for a faster influx of energy, music, and alcohol.

  He noticed Fred sitting at one of the center tables, trying to handle a group of women who were distracting him. He started in his friend’s direction but didn’t get very far.

  “Hey Ben, it’s been a while… When are we getting together?” Tina asked seductively.

  “Hey, Tina. You know I’m a busy man. Maybe later this week.”

 
A few of his friends dragged him into the bar before he managed to finish his sentence. From afar, he manage to gesture to Tina that he would call her. A few more of his friends laughed loudly as they shoved chasers into his hands. And just like that, they were gone.

  Later, as he was wandering among the party guests, checking to make sure everyone was having a good time, he was suddenly pulled by the hand toward a group of women having a discussion.

  “Ah, Ben, we were just talking about you.” Tina dragged him into the circle of women. “I told them all about how we sat at that restaurant in Australia—I know you remember that amazing limoncello we drank there—and then, out of nowhere, a kangaroo bounced into the restaurant. Can you believe it? A kangaroo! The next thing you know it would have knocked over our table!” Tina laughed out loud and pulled Ben closer to her, trying to engage him in the conversation.

  He smiled at them courteously.

  “And then what happened?” one of the women asked.

  “The owner shooed it away with a broom like he was chasing away a cat, and the kangaroo ran off. It was crazy, wasn’t it, Ben?” Tina laughed.

  “Yes, it’s not a sight you see every day.” He kept smiling at them. “Excuse me, ladies, I have a few matters I have to take care of,” he said politely and hurried off.

  “He’s always like that,” Tina muttered. “But he always comes back to me. He’s like a little boy who doesn’t know what he wants. Everyone knows we’re a perfect match. One day he’ll understand it too.” She said proudly and took another sip from her drink.

  The other women looked at her with envy.

  Tina was the one woman Ben had maintained his longest and most stable relationship with, and they remained friends after it was over. Like other women he had dated, she possessed the looks of a model, with long black hair and green eyes. She wasn’t short of money, either. Her family was even wealthier than his.

  The evening went on, with beer and wine being poured like water. The music blasted from every corner, and Ben was happy to see everyone having a good time.

  When the party finally died, it was deemed a success, at least according to his standards. He had drunk a huge amount of alcohol, harassed the waitresses, and bought a huge bear statue, which was placed at the entrance to the bar after he and his friends destroyed it.

  He didn’t quite remember how he got home, but when he turned the light on in his bedroom, Tina was lying in his bed wearing sexy lingerie.

  “Ah, what a fabulous way to end this day,” he said.

  She smiled seductively and motioned him over. He didn’t hesitate.

  DAY 2

  Ben woke up early the next morning. Tina woke up next to him.

  He gave her a kiss. “That was very nice,” he said, and got up to get ready.

  “Just nice?” she asked in a girlish voice, trying to force out a compliment.

  “You know I always flatter when I can.”

  Tina sulked. She knew this man all too well, but she was still surprised at how callous and insensitive he could be. She quickly gathered her things.

  Ben didn’t notice her mood. He was in the middle of his morning workout when she left without saying a word. He finished his routine and left his apartment.

  When he arrived at his office, he noticed the new assistant waiting in the corridor next to Agnes’ desk. He approached her.

  “Welcome.” He extended his hand when he reached her.

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Brattler. I’m Shira, Shira Song.” She shook his hand.

  “Shira—what a lovely name. You can call me Ben,” he said in his usual charming tone.

  He studied her curiously. Something about her was different. She didn’t quite fit the personal assistant mold he was used to. Her figure was slightly full and very feminine, her black curly hair was half up, and her eyes shone in a deep-green hue. It looked like she allowed herself a healthy breakfast, not like his previous assistants.

  She’s not in my league, he thought. Still, she was genial and exuded self-confidence. He stared at her.

  “Shall we continue to your office?” she asked pleasantly.

  “Eh, yes, sure.” He snapped back into reality and gestured with his hand. “This way.”

  He wondered about the human resource manager tucked away in his office, choosing Ben’s personal assistants. What was the man thinking this time? He didn’t know the manager or his name, but he decided to pay him a visit next time, before a new assistant arrived. Right now, he had no time to fuss over a bad choice. He needed help then and there!

  Shira was not his type. Perhaps it’s for the best, he thought. That way he could concentrate better on his work.

  “Isn’t it here?” she asked and pointed to his office, seeing that he had walked right past it.

  “Eh, yes, yes. I just have a lot on my mind.”

  They entered the office, and Ben turned on the light.

  “Please sit down,” he said, and showed her to the armchairs that stood against the wall. He brought his laptop over to her, placed it on the coffee table, and sat down next to her.

  He had no time to get to know her, so he gave up on his usual etiquette. Instead, he updated her on the project and gave her as brief a training as possible. They sat together for three hours straight. To his satisfaction, she seemed to be catching on quickly.

  He gave her a few tasks and some paperwork to handle. She sat down to work at the small desk in the office.

  That cleared his mind to focus on building his campaign.

  During the day, he hardly took notice of Shira. Within the scope of his busy workday, she was almost invisible. She performed the tasks quickly, efficiently, and with a smile on her face, and she didn’t bother him.

  In the late afternoon, she finally approached him. “Aren’t you having lunch?”

  “No, I’m going to skip lunch today; I have a lot of work,” he said, distracted.

  “You must eat.”

  He lost his focus. “What about you? Did you finish your assignments?” he asked irritably.

  “Yes.” She smiled. “I thought I would pick up some food for us. What do you say?”

  He had nothing to say. He didn’t expect her to be done so fast. “As you wish. Just let me get on with my work.”

  He didn’t want to leave his office until he felt he’d made considerable progress with work. Shira left to buy them both lunch. She came back with quinoa burgers, red lentil soup, and grilled salmon.

  Ben enjoyed the meal, as he did his bottled water of choice, which she brought back especially for him.

  “Let’s continue to work,” he said as he rushed to finish his food.

  “But I’ve already completed everything you asked for.” She repeated herself.

  “Right. Well then, I have a few more assignments for you.” He had planned those assignments for the following morning but preferred not to waste her working hours that day.

  By evening, she had completed all of her tasks and went home. Ben stayed after hours to finish his day’s work.

  When he finally returned home, late once more, he collapsed on his bed. Not getting enough sleep in the last few nights caught up with him, and his body needed to make up for that time.

  DAY 3

  The following day, Ben arrived at the office early as usual. Shira was not there yet.

  He had a hard time finding more things for her to do to fill up an entire workday. There were only two phone calls and one document she needed to handle when she arrived. The thought of an employee having no work left to do disturbed him. He put a great deal of thought into it, and an excellent idea came to him: He could give her some of his simpler tasks to do. She’s smart, he thought. She’ll catch on quickly.

  Shira arrived slightly late. They sat down in the same armchairs in his office. He briefed her, instructing her on how to perfor
m a market survey on the Internet and work with the company in charge of their focus groups. It seemed as if she caught on quickly once again, and she was ready to get to work on her new tasks.

  Shira worked well and helped Ben make headway with his project.

  Over the next few days, he continued to give her some of his tasks as well as utilize her administrative skills. She saved him some valuable time, and two weeks later, they were ahead of schedule due to their excellent teamwork.

  DAY 14

  “I made plans to have lunch with my friend today. You’re welcome to join us if you want,” Ben told Shira one morning. He was pleased with their progress and felt they could allow themselves this time off.

  She also took advantage of the free time to schedule a few personal errands during the day. “I’d love to join you, but I can’t stay long,” she said.

  “Stay as long as you can; it’s okay with me.” He smiled at her.

  Shira had rarely seen Ben smile during the time they spent together. He worked tirelessly, hardly ever lifting his eyes from the computer screen.

  They worked until lunchtime and then walked together to Sophie’s. Passersby stared at them as they traveled down the street. She felt uncomfortable, but Ben wasn’t disturbed by the onlookers. He continued walking proudly, his head held high, with that irresistible smile on his face.

  “That’s what it’s like when you hang out with me. You just have to get used to it,” he said, after noticing her uneasiness. “Come this way.” He showed her into the restaurant.

  The place was crammed, and many people were waiting in line to get in. Ben noticed Fred already seated inside the restaurant and signaled the hostess to let them join his friend.

  “It’s a great change of atmosphere from the office,” he said once they were inside.

  “Yes,” she responded, impressed by the place and the aromas that filled it.

  They sat down at the table next to Fred.