by Molly Bryant
I looked past her at her alarm, it’s now eight in the morning on Wednesday. Two more days until she has to update my aunt on this stupid freaking article that my brilliant self just had to come up with. I am such a damn idiot. At the time it seemed like a good plan though not thinking of the consequences first. For some reason I feel as though teaching Vanessa to become a player is going to blow up in my face like a match in a gas tank. I have no idea where last night leaves Vanessa and I. If it were up to me, I would absolutely want to see where all of this goes. On Vanessa’s part? I have no clue. All I know is that she has Jordan, and Dr. Love hanging in the sidelines.
I decided it’s best to leave my stressful thoughts in the back of my mind and close my eyes. I wrapped my arms around Vanessa and held her tightly as I relished this perfect woman in my arms.
Vanessa
I fluttered my eyelashes. The smell of eggs, bacon, and toast filled my nose. I smiled looking over to see I am by myself and alone in my bed. Ben was making me breakfast. I laughed to myself. Last night was the most amazing night of my life. I had never dreamed that being intimate with someone could have been so fantastic, mind blowing, electric, and just so… explosive. I literally felt as though my body was going to burst with pleasure and delight. One moment as we were staring at one another, I could have sworn I had seen love and in Ben’s eyes. I think I am being too hopeful as I am not expecting anything out of last night. I will hang onto it for as long as I can, but in due time I need to let it go, and I will. I happily stretched my arms out to the sides and closed my eyes again.
“No you don’t, princess,” Ben laughed crawling onto the bed then stopped as he was hovering above me.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” he planted a kiss on my forehead.
On my forehead? Is that a way of saying thank you for last night? “What is that I smell?” I smiled.
“Your breakfast of course,” he winked.
“Ah, special treatment,” I chuckled. “Did you take your medicine?” I gave him a skeptical look.
“I did,” Ben nodded proudly. “The swelling is nearly gone already,” he waggled his brows.
“Much better, I can see that,” I yawned.
He leaned down to kiss me, this time he kissed me on the lips. Shocked, I lay there still for a moment before kissing him back. My body begins to feel as though it’s going to explode just like it did last night. I grabbed him around the neck and kissed him passionately. I needed him.
Ben started to laugh then pulled away from me. “Come on, let’s go eat, we have plans.” he grinned.
Great, he got what he wanted, fun is over. I frowned.
“No looking glum.” he tapped my bottom lip. “We have plenty of time for that,”
I watched him in his boxer briefs as he walked toward the bathroom. He grabbed my silk robe off of the back of the door and handed it to me.
“Thank you,” I took it as I stood up with the sheet wrapped around me.
“No, no, Vanessa,” he took a few steps toward me. Ben kissed me again as he unraveled the sheet, letting it fall to the floor. “Now you can put it on,” he eyed my body.
As embarrassing as it was, I hid it well and put my robe on.
“You are gorgeous, you know that?” he looks into my eyes.
“Yeah, okay.” I walked past him and out of my bedroom. “We should have had Chase give you a scan to make sure there was no permanent damage caused from the lack of oxygen to your brain,” I laughed.
I walked into the dining room to see the table is set for two- red roses in the middle of the table and each plate filled with eggs, bacon, toast and each a glass of orange juice.
“Benjamin!” I gasped. “You did all of this?”
“For you, of course I did,” he wrapped his arms tightly around my waist.
“B-but, why?” I stuttered. “You didn’t have to,” I turned to look him in the eyes.
“I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to,” he shrugged.
He pulled out the chair for me and I happily sat down staring at the food, it making my mouth water.
I looked at Ben and pointed to the plate. He laughed. “Go for it,”
So I dug in. The eggs were superb, and the bacon was perfectly crisp. The toast? Amazingly brown, and the fresh squeezed orange juice was perfectly tangy.
“You should be a chef, this is fabulous, Ben.” I took another bite of the eggs.
“Maybe I was saving my art of cooking for someone special?” he added.
I nodded. “Sure you are. Karen is special,”
“Ha-ha, funny.” sarcasm totally noted. “No, really… my mother taught me how to cook and told me not to cook for any girl unless she were special.”
I felt my heart take off flying at his words. Is he saying that I am special?
“You mean to tell me that you have never cooked for anyone but me?”
“Only you.” he smiled as he reached across the table for my hand. I placed my hand in his then Ben gave the back of my hand a quick kiss.
I gave him a look of uncertainty as he stood up taking our plates to the kitchen. I have got to be dreaming. I reached out and pinched my arm.
“Ouch,” escaped my lips as I rubbed my arm.
“You okay, Nessy?” Ben asked as he entered the dining room with a cup of coffee in each hand.
“Oh,” I smiled as I took my coffee. “I’m fine,” I am more than fine. But why is he being so damn nice to me?
“I say we take a shower,” Still in a daze, I ignored him.
“Please, don’t call me Nessy,” I mumbled.
“You caught that,” he pursed his lips.
I nodded. “Yup,”
We both laughed.
~
We took a shower and got dressed as Ben insisted that we had plans for the day.
“Will you tell me where we are going?” I pleaded from the passenger side of Ben’s BMW.
“Not a chance,” he turned the radio up loudly so I would stop asking where we were going.
We pulled up to Union Square and got out of the car.
“Oh, I love this place,” I put my sunglasses on.
“Yeah, me too,” Ben walked to my side and took my hand in his. He is holding my hand? In public no less?
We walked around the produce market purchasing some apples, oranges, peaches, and berries of all sorts. He continued to hold my hand nearly the entire time. We stopped at a vendor and bought a few waters deciding to take a seat at the fountain.
“I’m feeling snacky,” I turned sideways placing my legs across Ben’s lap. This day has never felt awkward in anyway at all whatsoever. Being with Ben felt so natural, I could be myself and he accepted me.
He reached in the bag we got from the produce market and grabbed the strawberries. He used his bottled water to rinse them off. I smiled as I watched how thoughtful and respectful this guy truly was. Who would have thought that Ben McGurthy would be a thoughtful person considering his player ways.
He readjusted the way we were sitting to where I was leaning back against his chest in between his legs. He started feeding me strawberries.
“This has been so much fun,” I chewed on a strawberry. “Seriously, I haven’t done anything like this is such a long time.”
“Vanessa,” Ben sat up a little straighter. “I brought you here for a reason,”
I turned my head so I could look at him. “Oh, yeah?”
He smiled at me. “Yeah,”
“Look,” he turned me around to face the by standers walking around Union Square. He wrapped his arm around my waist tightly, placing his chin on my shoulder as he pointed.
“Look at what?” I asked as I watched everyone walk by.
“Take a moment to really open your eyes, princess.” he whispered into my ear.
What in the world is he talking about? Is Ben McGurthy insane? All I am seeing are people-people everywhere. Young people, old people, children, teenagers, pets… it goes on and on and on. But I don’t give up, I keep watchin
g.
“People,” I said as he gave me another bite of strawberry.
“Exactly,” he placed his chin back onto my shoulder. “Shh, no more talking. Just watch them.”
So I do… I continued to stare at the people walking by with their significant others; some talking on their cell phones, some with briefcases, some on skateboards and some on skates. But I also saw people holding hands, smiling, touching, and laughing. I genuinely saw that they were happy.
“Vanessa,” he whispered in my ear. “Do you see what I see?”
I nodded. “People that-” I stopped, feeling as though I could start to cry, I swallowed hard. “That are happy,” I shrugged, pursing my lips as I watched this one young couple laughing while tossing the Frisbee back and fourth.
“I understand why you feel the way you do about relationships.” he squeezed me tighter against him. “But I want you to understand that even though there may be hundreds or even thousands of readers that write you emails everyday about how they got played or dumped or miss treated… but, princess, you need to look at the big picture. You have to see that the other hundreds, thousands, and even millions of people who are happy,”
As much as I always wanted to be right, I wasn’t. Ben was absolutely right indeed that I needed to stop being closed minded and see relationships for what they really are.
I sniffed, turning around. “Thank you,” I tried to smile but continued to cry.
“Don’t cry, princess,” he wiped the tear that rolled down my cheek.
“Relationships are possible,” I said quietly to myself as I lay still in Ben’s arms watching the happy couples enjoy themselves.
Ben
I think the best thing I could have ever done was take Vanessa to Union Square. She needed to stop being so judgmental and see that relationships do exist and that there really are happy people out there. That there is a world beyond Glow, period. Vanessa has a phenomenal career, however, she has to see it as a career only and not a way of life. Just like myself; I go to law school and take an internship at my fathers firm. I confidently take a case on Salmonella poisoning due to contaminated produce… but I didn’t stop eating it.
Vanessa was quiet for most of the afternoon, possibly from a reality shock.
“Are you sure you don’t want to be alone?” I asked her as she sits at the dining room table with a glass of Pinot.
She sighed. “No, I don’t want you to go, it’s just-” she stood up then walked over to the couch. “I feel like a whole new light is shining down on me, you know?”
I nodded as I fidgeted with my hands. “I do know,”
“It’s like I got so crazy with working long hours that I was literally breathing those damn articles,” she frowned looking down at her wine glass.
I stood up from the couch then grabbed her hands. I held them tightly in mine. She slowly looked up at me and smiled.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“You’re welcome,” I took a step closer.
“Why are you doing all of this, Ben?” she questioned.
“All of what?” I furrowed my brows. Ah, God, where is she going with this?
“Just, I don’t know… the breakfast, the roses, holding my hand most of the day, Union Square,” she shrugged.
I didn’t know what to say to Vanessa. I didn’t want to tell her that I am in love with her due to a crush I had since we were little kids. Then it would lead to this whole article thing I’ve got going with my aunt. I can’t tell her what happened last night was the best night of my entire life and something I have been dreaming about for years…I have no idea what she would say to all of that.
I sighed. “I wanted you to finally see that there is such a thing as being happy with someone. That happy relationships are real,”
“Oh,” she dropped her hands to her sides. “I see what you were doing,”
“What are you talking about?” I tried to wrap my hand around the small of her back but she backed away.
“You have been doing all of this to prove me wrong,” she huffed crossing her arms.
“What?! No,” I shook my head. “Why would you think that?”
“Because of the argument we had in my mother’s kitchen. You said I was being closed minded and stubborn about relationships and I refused to listen to anything you had to say. So you took advantage of my letting you close to me last night just so you could prove me wrong, unbelievable.” Vanessa turned around to walk away.
“Vanessa,” I pleaded.
“Ben, this is one giant game to you isn’t it?” her cheeks were red and a look of anger took over her pleasant features. I had never seen her this angry.
She took a step closer.
“Since I met you on Friday you have lied to me about being my brothers best friend, talked about my private life with my brother of all people, broke my date with Jordan causing me to be in an accident, and now you feel the need to shove this shit in my face?”
“No, you don’t understand. If you would just let me explain.” I grabbed her face with my hands placing my forehead upon hers. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, so I continued.
“Vanessa, I am trying to help you,” I sighed. “When I look at you I see this intelligent, talented, fun, witty, and confident person who I might add is the most gorgeous female that I have ever laid eyes on. I also see that you are lonely, sad, and are so damn busy all the time that you have zero time for yourself. I wanted to show you that there is more to life than that stupid magazine. I want you to know that there is happiness out there, happiness for you, Vanessa.”
She looked into my eyes and for a split second I saw something spark until her eyes turned cold again, filling with tears.
She inhaled deeply letting a sob escape. “Do you know what I see Ben?” she wiped the tears from her cheek.
I shook my head ‘no’. Wait for it, Ben… wait for it. Brace yourself, because here comes the match in the gas tank.
“I see a smart, eccentric, charming, sexy man in front of me who I might add thinks he is God’s gift to woman that lives his life based on his rule book of ‘player codes’. To me, Benjamin, that makes a sad excuse for a male… it makes you a little boy.”
Holy shit! BOOM!
“Wow,” was all I could say. I was in shock.
Vanessa gasped and clutching her hand over her mouth, quite possibly from the crushed look upon my face. That’s what I was; crushed.
“That’s seriously what you think of me, Vanessa?” I asked in monotone staring blankly at her. I could see it in her eyes that she didn't mean it, but the words still hurt.
“You have given me no choice but to think those things about you. I will not finish this article without you,” she stomped over to the front door. “Get out, Ben.” she swung it open.
I tried to make my feet move but they wouldn’t as though they had a mind of their own.
“Get out!” she cried.
I could say that I understood why she was acting out this way. Firstly, I didn’t make the greatest first impression; hell, or a good second or third impression.
I forced my legs to get moving and walked towards the door stopping in the doorway. My heart was aching so badly. I had no clue what was going to happen after I walked out of her front door. Would I ever get to see her beautiful face again? Or hear her voice? I had no clue.
I turned my head towards her. “Just for the record…I’ve had better,”
Yes, I said the worst thing you could ever say to a female you have slept with. Especially one that you love. I didn’t want to say it, it just flew out of my mouth like the words were coated in oil. Did I expect what happened next? You bet your ass I did.
Slap!
Right across the face. I clenched my teeth as I took those torturous few steps out of her doorway and before the rubber on the bottom of my sneakers touched the porch, slam, the door closed right on my heels.
Vanessa
I slammed the door as Ben was walking out. Did the
door hit him on the ass? I really don’t give a damn. I knew that this morning with the breakfast, flowers, and our day at Union Square were too good to be true. He wasn’t doing those things to be a gentleman. He was doing those things to teach me a lesson on the ignorance I have for relationships. The one thing I do give him credit for was showing me that the grass is actually greener on the other side. But how he went about doing it was horribly wrong. Instead of being all ’lovey-dovey’ with me, he should have took me out as a friend.