The Light Between The Shadows

by Tsukiko Spark

  “Well?” Ben laughed. “Everyone’s waiting for you to kick off the party.”

  But Don didn’t move.

  “Are you going to fish out the letter or what?” Ben was agitated now as he awaited the grand finale of his sweet revenge.

  “No!” Don yelled, and kicked the pot with all his might. The heavy container tipped slightly and a small amount of liquid spilled on the floor next to Ben’s shoes.

  Ben was furious. His jaw clenched and his hands tightened into fists, but he didn’t move.

  “I’m not prepared to be treated this way! I did everything you asked me so far, and that wasn’t enough for you!” Don approached Ben until he was just an inch away. He had to look up because Ben was much taller than him.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Ben hissed.

  But Don was no longer afraid. “What I should have done from our first meeting, you arrogant prick!”

  Ben could hardly hold himself back. He really wanted to strike the insolent man with a painful blow that would take him out and shut him up, but the aikido rules he had learned as a youth prevented him from doing that. After all, Don could not really hurt him with his hands tied behind his back. Yet Ben was about to lose his self-control and break the rules he had learned.

  “Stop right here,” a voice near Shira said. Fred got up. The two men stared at him as he approached them and arrived at the center of the hall. “What funny chaps these two are. Give a round of applause to our two clowns this evening,” Fred said with a big smile.

  The crowd cheered.

  “That’s enough; he learned his lesson,” he whispered in Ben’s ear.

  “Everyone is invited to join the party!” Fred announced, and signaled the DJ. Loud party music came on. The overhead lights were dimmed and the dance floor lights began to flicker. Fred dragged the two men and the cart with the pot on it outside the banquet hall. Some of the guests got up to dance while others remained seated, but everyone seemed to have forgotten about the scene that just took place. The waiters walked among the guests, offering cocktails and appetizers, and the atmosphere was cheerful, fun, and happy, as in any event hosted by Ben Brattler.

  Shira remained seated.

  A while later, Ben and Fred returned to the banquet hall without Don, just as the affair was hitting its peak. It seemed they had both forgotten about the incident, and they joined the partying crowd on the dance floor.

  The party continued well into the night. Shira was at her table, keeping company to Rachel, an older secretary from the marketing department. Since neither of them were the dancing type, they passed the time in a one-sided conversation about the evening’s host.

  “Yes, I remember Ben from a young age, visiting his father’s office. He was gloomy even then. A ruthless child, angry at the world,” Rachel explained to Shira, as she often did to anyone who was willing to listen. “You must understand,” Rachel continued, as if Shira took an active part in the conversation, “while he comes from a wealthy family, he grew up in an unstable environment with an alcoholic mother and an absent big brother. He needed a role model more than anything. The family eventually crumbled and became dysfunctional. No one really raised Ben or disciplined him. He raised himself, learning on his own how to manipulate the world.

  “By the age of sixteen, his behavior had broken all limits. He didn’t listen to anyone—he was a real thug who got into trouble daily. His father tried to restrain him but failed. He was a relentless youth with no self-control. Rumor has it that his father wanted to put him in a military school as a last attempt to discipline him. I always thought the kid was a lost cause and would eventually find himself in prison or six feet under.” Rachel sighed for a dramatic pause in the story.

  “And then, one day, Ben disappeared; he went off on a trip to Asia and returned a year later. He came back a different person, I’ll say that. He was calmer, more focused, even polite, and he finally obeyed his father’s orders. However, I thought—and still do—that his anger and rebellion simply took on a different, darker nature.”

  Rachel left the story rather open-ended, Shira thought as she yawned. She glanced at her watch and saw it was already midnight; she wasn’t up for another discussion. Shira smiled politely. She bid Rachel good night, left the funny glasses on the table, and got up. She looked around for Ben, but she couldn’t find him. Finally, she gave up and left the banquet hall without saying good-bye.

  DAY 30

  The morning of the project deadline arrived. Ben showed up at the office early as usual, organized his things, and prepared to show the presentation to the client. He and his father had decided to leave the office before rush hour, and he was not planning to stay there for too long.

  He was surprised when Shira stormed into the office.

  “Wow…I ran here,” she said, trying to catch her breath. She was relieved to see Ben hadn’t left yet.

  “I wanted to wish you good luck. I couldn’t find you at the party last night,” she said after catching her breath. She moved closer to him to embrace or kiss him, but they settled for a somewhat awkward handshake.

  “See you later,” he said, and walked out of the office confidently. She stayed behind to finish her last assignments.

  He returned some time later. She was still working at her desk.

  “I think they like the campaign I created; it’s perfectly tailored to their needs. We’re just waiting on their final answer now.” He sat down on the sofa. He felt great. The presentation surpassed his expectations. He looked at Shira, who was busy finishing her work.

  “Shira?” Ben suddenly asked.

  “Yes?” she answered, looking up from the computer screen.

  “I’m inviting you on a date with me,” he said, keeping his promise to reward her.

  “Tonight?” She was surprised. She knew it was the last night before he left for his trip.

  “Yes.” He felt as if he had just given a generous tip to a waiter at a restaurant.

  “Won’t you be tired? Don’t you want to rest before the flight?”

  “Come on, I know how to treat a lady when she deserves it,” he bragged.

  “Okay,” she answered cheerfully. “I agree, as long as the date is at my place.”

  That was a slightly strange request, he thought, but he had heard even stranger ones. He agreed without giving it much thought.

  Shira finished her last assignment and sat down on the sofa facing him, exhausted but happy that everything had fallen into place.

  The intercom buzzed. “Ben, your father wants to see you upstairs,” Agnes said over the speaker.

  They both went up to the top floor.

  “Come in,” Amos said when they arrived at his office, anxiously awaiting the client’s decision.

  “All in all,” Amos began, “they like the campaign, but there are a few changes that must be addressed. If you ask me, it’s a miracle they even liked it!” His tone was stern and reprimanding. “These critical points can be the difference between a good project and a really bad one. I had a long conversation with them over the phone, and I promised them we will handle every point seriously!” He said reproachfully, “It looks like, once again, I will have to see to it that the job gets done properly. There’s no use expecting you to take responsibility, is there?” He raised his voice as he scolded and stared at his son.

  “I know your flight is tomorrow,” he continued in the same tone. “I want you to sit down tonight, finalize the last details, and organize all the project’s materials neatly before you pass it on. I’ll give George the campaign in the hopes he knows what he’s doing.”

  Ben looked down, but Shira continued to stare directly at the man.

  “Shira, is that your name?” Amos spoke to her more softly.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “We thank you for your work. I’ve heard only good things about you fr
om the staff. I believe your part in the project was quite considerable. Too bad you won’t be continuing with us. Is there any way we can change your mind?”

  “Not at all,” she answered confidently.

  Amos walked toward her and spoke to her in a more personal note. “I hope it’s not because of him.” He pointed to his son disapprovingly.

  “No, I have previous commitments,” she said.

  “Fine. Please see to it that Ben completes the work and hands it over to George tomorrow. You are free to leave.”

  They left the office.

  “What a nightmare, huh?” she said.

  “Yes,” he replied, gripping his head in desperation.

  “I think we did a good job overall; it just needs to be adjusted to the client, that’s all. The basic idea works, which is what we put most of our effort into, didn’t we?”

  “Leave me alone!” He lashed out at her.

  “But I just want to tell you that from my perspective, it looks pretty good,” she continued. “It also fits perfectly with our plan. Meet me at my place, I’ll make dinner, and then we can work.”

  “All right, just shut up—I’m trying to think.” He was disturbed by his father’s words.

  “There’s no reason to be rude.”

  “Rude? Don’t you get it! I asked you to be quiet, and you continue interrupting me!”

  “Okay, I’m leaving. See you tonight. I hope your mood improves by then.” She left before he could say anything else.

  Ben went down to his office to collect his things. He was irritated and distracted and now had to work on the last night before his trip. His mind was so preoccupied that he found it hard to concentrate and everything took him longer to do.

  He bumped into George on the way to the elevator while carrying a large cardboard box.

  “Ah, Ben, I just got out of a meeting with your father. So, you’re going on vacation and leaving me behind to finish off the work? Don’t worry, I’ll mess it up, just the way you like it,” George joked.

  “I don’t have time for jokes right now. I still have to pack, go to Shira’s, and probably spend the whole night working on this nonsense,” Ben said, annoyed.

  “Yeah, too bad about the timing. But hey, that’s what friends are for. I’ll handle your project the best I can!” he said with a big smile. “And speaking of Shira…”George lowered his voice.“…do you have other plans for tonight besides work?”

  “What kind of a question is that?” Ben said, irritated.

  “I’m helping you with the project… I thought it would be nice if you put in a good word for me since you’re meeting her today before you leave,” George said expectantly.

  “Really? With Shira? Why Shira? Are you trying to push yourself where you don’t belong again? I guess you already forgot how the story ended with that girl on vacation two years ago. I did you a favor, and you took out your frustration on me in return!” Ben was mad. “So I’ve learned not to do you any favors.” He felt bitter and angry, and George only made him more so.

  He ended the conversation and continued toward the elevator, leaving George frozen in place, shocked, refusing to believe that his friend had brought up that incident again.

  ❧

  At Sophie’s, Ben banged on the small table angrily. The table shook, and Fred managed to catch the empty glass that rolled off it.

  “I don’t understand; I’ve put so much time and effort into it!” Ben muttered. “And in the end, Shira gets all the credit for the hard work and I get blamed for what needs fixing. My dad also wants me to meet her tonight to continue working on the project, and she’s planning this big event and a dinner at her place. I think I’ll skip it.”

  Now it was Fred’s turn to bang on the table—a rather unusual reaction, since he was usually a calm man who tried to solve problems without creating unnecessary conflict. “Now you listen to me! Don’t you dare let Shira down, or else I’ll personally see to it that you never go back to working at your father’s firm. All I need is one serious talk with Amos and you’ll have no job to come back to!”

  Ben was taken aback by his good friend’s reaction. He usually didn’t respond so aggressively.

  “Ben, I understand it’s not an easy thing to leave for vacation knowing the work is unfinished, but you must understand you cannot turn back time and you have to take responsibility for this situation. Therefore, you need to keep your promises. You should go to Shira and finish your work, then go on your trip knowing you did your part.”

  “Okay, okay. What are you so edgy about? I’ll go to her. Geez… Why is everyone so serious today?”

  “But no nonsense this time. She knows you’re leaving tomorrow. Walk away respectfully, all right?”

  “Yeah, yeah, don’t worry.” Ben said.

  ❧

  Packing his bags back at his apartment took longer than Ben originally planned, leaving him no time to rest. Once finished, he took a quick shower, getting out just as the intercom buzzed. The doorman notified him that Tina was on her way up to his apartment. He hurried to get dressed before she arrived, noticing that it was getting late and he needed to get to Shira’s soon.

  “Going away again without a farewell, are you?” He heard Tina’s voice near the door. “I’m starting to think Ben Brattler don’t want me anymore.” Tina showed up in his bedroom with a long overcoat covering her entire body. He knew she wasn’t wearing much of anything underneath.

  “It’s nice to see you, Tina, and I’m sure you had some enticing plans for me, but I have to go,” he said while fixing his clothes and hair.

  “How predictable, spending your last night before taking off with some groupie,” she scoffed.

  “Not really.” He sighed and lifted his suitcases. “I still have to work with Shira tonight.”

  “Shira? Your personal pet? Oh, I bet you’ll be doing a lot of work,” she mocked him.

  “I don’t care what you think.” He turned toward the door, surprised to find Michelle standing at the entrance.

  “What is she doing here!” Tina roared and gestured toward Michelle.

  “Where are you going, mon chéri?” Michelle asked with faux naiveté.

  “He’s going to Shira, his personal pet,” Tina shot angrily behind his back.

  “I have no patience for this nonsense.” Ben picked up the intercom receiver and instructed the doorman to prepare his car and send a bellboy to pick up his suitcases. “You’re both crazy. Good thing I’m going on vacation,” he added, and left his apartment.

  Tina stayed behind in the apartment, while Michelle chased after him along the hallway.

  “I’m shocked!” Michelle launched her dramatic speech. “To think that moi, La Belle Michelle, needs to chase after you. You think I’m strong, a grande celebrity, that all men want to sleep with me, but I’m also a human being—I have feelings.”

  Ben entered the elevator.

  Michelle pushed in and continued her pathetic monologue. “I wanted to show you what real love is, l’amour, but all you did was ruin every chance we had. You hurt my soul and humiliated me in all the newspapers. Is good sex all I ever meant to you?”

  He didn’t answer. He seemed detached as he waited for the elevator to reach the lobby. At some point, he had tuned out his ex-girlfriend completely. She was switching back and forth between French and English, and Ben didn’t know French anyway. She always did that when she got upset. The angrier she got, the more French she spoke.

  “You’re only embarrassing yourself,” he said when they were finally near his car. “I suggest you take a few deep breaths, realize what you’re doing, and take off.”

  “Merde! You are so annoying!” Michelle muttered. She felt helpless in the face of his insolent behavior—he couldn’t care less. “Someone is going to have to straighten you out, teach you how to behave!”

 
He climbed into the car.

  “Merde,” she muttered again, and began to cry, standing alone on the sidewalk.

  Ben drove off to Shira’s. He took his luggage with him in case he had to leave directly for the airport from her house. It took him about an hour to drive to her home in the outskirts of the city.

  The houses seemed further and further apart the closer he got to his destination, and her house was even more secluded than the rest. Hers was a modest, one-story home. The front yard was shabby looking, and he was happy no photographers were around to see him walk into a house of that sort. He parked his car near the entrance in what looked like a parking spot.

  ❧

  He knocked on the old wooden door.

  “Welcome to my home,” Shira said as she opened the door. “Come in, come in.” She motioned him in, excited.

  The house was cozy on the inside, and the smell of homemade food lingered in the air. Ben was surprised to see that, unlike the front yard, the house was tidy and neat with a light, airy, and pleasant design. The living room was very spacious, with a sectional sofa in its center and a flat screen TV opposite it. Bordering the other side of the room was an expansive, lavish kitchen, and between the kitchen and the living room, opposite the entrance, were two massive wooden doors.

  “Come see my studio,” she said excitedly. “I think you’ll appreciate it since you like practicing aikido in your own, right?”

  Ben nodded and followed her. She opened the heavy doors and they entered the room.

  He looked in amazement at the magnificent studio. It was huge, with large gray tiling. One of the walls had a long kitchenette that stretched all the way to the corner; to its left was a wide desk and a busy computer station. Near them was a small, elevated wooden platform where Shira’s bed stood. In the remaining corner of the room was a large solid-wood dining table. Near the entrance was a white door that led to a small storage space, with another brown door opposite it, which led to the bathroom.

  He agreed with her. The space seemed like the perfect place to practice aikido, especially since half of it was spacious and vacant.