“Well, as it comes so highly recommended, the Coleshill Hotel it is,” said Ben, smiling.
They strolled up the high street looking like a perfectly-matched couple. Arianna glanced in Ben’s direction, took in his square jaw line, and noticed the cute dimple in his chin, which made her smile. She liked what she saw and was very much looking forward to getting to know more about him. She wondered why such a tall good-looking guy like Ben was single; she’d already noticed his wedding finger was devoid of a ring, which pleased her no end. Most men of their age were either married or divorced with children, she wondered if Ben had any children. Most likely, she thought, not deterred in any way as they turned and walked through the main entrance that led to the bar of the Coleshill Hotel.
Ben took out his wallet at the bar and turned to Arianna with an irresistible boyish smile. “So what is the lady drinking?”
Arianna’s face flushed at the intensity of his smile. “An apple juice, please. I don’t drink while I’m working, I would never make it through the day!” Arianna walked over to the booths at the back of the room and sat down. She watched intently as Ben waited for his order, taking in every inch of his six-foot muscular frame. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind she was attracted to him. She felt nervous and light-headed when he was near her and she liked the way he looked at her, like he could really see beneath her exterior shell. He made her feel beautiful.
“Okay ma’ lady, one apple juice with ice and a napkin and, following your lead as I have to drive back into Birmingham city centre, I have opted for an orange juice!” Ben took the seat opposite Arianna and watched in fascination as she circled the rim of her glass with her finger and then looked straight into his eyes. For a few silent moments, his eyes locked on hers and he felt a tingling sensation running down his spine; it was an intense feeling. Their connection was a strong one, and one they could not deny. The last thing Arianna wanted to do was go back to work, she wanted nothing more than to spend the whole day with Ben.
“So Ben, tell me something about yourself. What do you do when you’re not entertaining ladies for lunch?”
Ben pondered her question for a moment, unsure how much to reveal about his recent accident. Then he decided to just come right out with it and tell her. “Well since you ask so nicely, I am the chief engineer for an international company and also a partner in the firm. I recently had a near fatal accident and spent two months in hospital, one month of that was spent in an induced coma. So I am on leave, recovering right now.”
Arianna was unsure how to respond to Ben. She was completely thrown by his answer and never expected it in a million years. “You’re looking pretty good, considering what happened,” she replied curiously.
“I was following up on a big project. I had climbed the scaffolding to the top of the building when it collapsed, it was only the two small breaks on the way down that broke my fall mildly and the reason I am here today. So you see, I have everything to be thankful for. I have spent the last 12 to 15 years working myself into the ground; it was all about my career and the next project for me. I had stopped living and stopped going out because once I was home, I was too tired. I would go to work, go to the gym, and go home; that was the sum total of my day. I had no time for anything else. I believe my accident was a wake-up call; it made me re-evaluate my life and just how much I was missing out on. I realised I had let many friendships slide for my career and, as the years were passing by, I was taking fewer holidays and not really living at all. It took a near death experience to wake me up from a deep sleep! And believe me when I say I am truly wide awake now and ready to live, I mean it.”
Arianna listened intently as Ben told her all about the accident and his long stay in hospital. She was mesmerized by him and surprised he had survived such a horrific fall. “Anyway, that’s enough about me. Tell me about you and your obvious passion for art as it’s clear to me you absolutely love what you do.”
Arianna shifted on her seat, feeling slightly nervous now the spotlight was on her. “Yes, I am extremely passionate about art. Ever since I was a child, I have been drawn to beautiful paintings. My mother used to take me to the art galleries in Birmingham at my request while my friends were begging their parents to take them to the zoo or a theme park. I was always a bit quirky. I would spend hours upon hours drawing at home and I was always happiest when I had a sketch pad and a pencil. I studied art at university and once I graduated, I worked for an art gallery in Birmingham. I’ve always had an eye for art and it was my dream to own my own gallery so I worked hard and saved hard and then two years ago, I finally opened Freedom Gallery of Contemporary Art. It was the happiest day of my life. It was a struggle to stay a float in the beginning but I persevered and eventually I started to make a small profit.”
Ben was in complete awe of Arianna, and now even more so. Not only was she beautiful but she was independent and filled with a deep passion for what she did. She spoke with conviction about her gallery and it was clear to him that her gallery was everything to her. “That’s very impressive, you should be very proud of what you have achieved. Not many people follow through with their dreams, it takes a lot of determination and drive to achieve what you have and I really admire that.”
Arianna checked her watch and gasped. “Ben, I am so sorry, I would love to stay and talk longer but I have to get back to the gallery. Maybe we could do this again sometime.”
Ben’s heart sank, he really didn’t want his lunch date to end. “Look, I have been invited to a garden party this coming Saturday by my secretary, well, it’s more of a barbeque really. I would love for you to come, if you’re available?” Ben fidgeted on his seat, praying she would say yes.
Arianna’s eyes lit up and this did not go unnoticed by Ben. “That sounds perfect, I would love to come.”
Ben smiled and then handed Arianna his card. “If anything crops up and you can’t make it, just call me on this number. I already have your card so I will call you Friday to confirm what time I shall pick you up on Saturday.”
They looked deeply into each other’s eyes as Arianna stood up ready to leave. “Ben, it’s been lovely getting to know you, thank you for lunch.” She wasn’t sure whether to shake his hand or just say goodbye when Ben took her hand and kissed her gently on the cheek.
“The pleasure was all mine. I shall see you Saturday, then.” He smiled nervously.
Arianna’s face flushed with teenage-like excitement. She couldn’t believe the effect that Ben was having on her and she knew she wanted to see more of him; she liked the way she was feeling, a lot. “Yes, Saturday it is.”
Ben watched as she left the bar and sat back down to finish his drink. He felt like punching the air with his fist he was so happy. Tristan was due at Ben’s apartment around eight o’clock and they had planned to watch the football and order a takeaway, which he was really looking forward to. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Tristan’s face when he told him he had a date, as it would be the last thing he would expect of him right now, especially after their heart-to-heart in Brighton. Thoughts of Arianna ran amok through his mind; he thought about kissing her full lips and simply could not wait for Saturday to arrive. He realised now that what he’d had with Dena was not real at all, as she never made him feel the way he was feeling for Arianna right now. The more he was getting to know her, the more he wanted to know. He dared to imagine what it would be like to hold her in his arms and that thought kept him smiling all the way back to Birmingham. Arianna had a way of making him feel at ease in her presence. Their conversation flowed effortlessly and he could have spent the whole day getting to know her.
Chapter twelve
At 41-years-old, Tristan was reassessing his life. His recent break up with long-term girlfriend Stephanie and then Ben’s tragic accident had given him much food for thought. He took a long look around his house and suddenly realised that the thing he wanted most was a family of his own. He was finally ready to settle down but not just with anyone, he wa
s looking for a very special someone. He wasn’t getting any younger and was not going to revert to his old playboy ways of the past. That old life no longer appealed to him, he had always worked hard and played hard, unlike Ben, who worked hard and worked even harder, leaving no room whatsoever to play. He wanted to share his life with someone who would complete him and not change him. A tall order, he thought as he grabbed his jacket and wallet off the coffee table and headed out of the door to Ben’s for a boy’s night.
Ben had spent an hour walking Charlie down by the canal and throwing him the ball until he was satisfied he had worn him out. He’d stocked up on beers and ordered an extra-large stuffed-crust pizza for Tristan’s arrival. Everything was set and Ben was looking forward to a good game followed by a heart-to-heart with his brother, as he was going to tell him about Arianna. Although it was very early days yet, he just knew he would be seeing a lot more of Arianna and couldn’t wait to tell Tristan all about her.
No sooner had Ben changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt than the bell rang. “Hey, all ready for the game I see, Ben.” Tristan strolled through the door in his usual laid back manner and headed straight for the fridge, relieving it of a can of beer.
“I sure am, I have a good feeling we’re going to win this evening.”
Tristan looked at his brother quizzically; there was something different about him, he just couldn’t quite figure out what it was.” What’s up with you today?” he asked with a wry smile on his face.
“Me, nothing, why do you ask?”
Tristan walked around Ben in a mocking manner, weighing him up and down before replying. “Come on then, spill it, Ben. I know you better than anyone and I am guessing someone has cheered you up lately, so who is she then?”
Ben was sporting a huge grin on his face; he hadn’t realised it was quite so obvious. “Okay, you’re right, of course. It’s a woman, a beautiful perfect woman called Arianna. I met her the other night; you know, at the art show in Coleshill I went to. I bought a painting and offered to pick it up rather than her gallery deliver it to me, to ensure I got to see her again!”
“Ah, very cunning of you, Ben, that’s exactly what I would have done.”
“Well, when I drove up there today to collect it, I asked her out for lunch and she accepted. At her suggestion, we went to lunch right there and then as she was about to take a break anyway. Tristan, that was the best hour I have spent in months. She is amazing, independent and most of all sincere. Not to mention she has killer legs that go on forever.”
Tristan smiled at his brother curiously, stroking his chin mockingly. “Oh God, I fear you may be falling for the mysterious Arianna! So when is your next date? You did arrange a second date, didn’t you?”
Ben lifted himself off the sofa and walked to the kitchen. Taking a beer out of the fridge, he pulled the ring back and took a swig of beer. “What do you take me for; of course I have a second date. Lisa invited me to her garden party this weekend and said I could bring a friend. The truth is, Tristan, I was going to invite you as I know how much you love Lisa’s parties but that was until I met Arianna!”
Tristan had a large grin on his face and looked at Ben, shaking his head. “Well it’s a good job I got my own personal invite this time! Lisa called me last night and invited me. So it looks like I get to meet the lovely Arianna, the woman who seems to have turned my brother into mush,” Tristan teased.
“That works out great, I no longer have to feel guilty then. So, are you going to bring anyone with you on Saturday?”
Tristan shook his head and swigged his beer. “No, just me, myself and I, and that’s the way I want it. Well, at least until I meet someone with a little depth for a change.”
Ben just smiled and then turned up the TV as the Aston Villa game was about to start. He’d noticed a huge change in Tristan of late; he was displaying a more sensitive side and seeing this side of him was going to take a lot of getting used to. Ben knew in his heart of hearts Tristan was ready to settle down, it had just taken him longer than most guys to realise it, as he had refused to grow up and was having way too much fun with ladies in the past. Tristan had always been a magnet for the female sex and simply couldn’t turn his back on the attention that was always coming his way. He was a gentleman and treated women with a great deal of respect; he just had a natural way with them that required very little effort on his part. He never liked to make a woman feel bad or used in any way at all and was always calling on Ben’s advice whenever he was struggling to get the message through to one woman or another, that he was not interested. He simply hated to hurt their feelings and was never very good at calling it a day, and this had got him into some hot water over the years to say the least. Then, when he reached his thirties, he calmed down somewhat and was less of a playboy.
“You haven’t mentioned work for a while, Tristan, what’s the score?” Ben was curious as normally work was always Tristan’s second most talked about subject after women, and it had been a while since he had mentioned his company.
“Truth is, Ben, I am considering a change of direction; my business is doing well and in these times of recession that is quite incredible really. I am just ready for a change, remaining in the same business just a different direction is all.” Tristan was an excellent freelance photographer, working for companies, papers, magazines and, of course, individuals. He had made a great name for himself over the years and was in high demand these days. He was extremely passionate about his work and he took it very seriously.
“What sort of direction and why now?” Ben was not sure now was the right time to change course. The recession had hit many people and companies hard and many new companies were going under as well as established companies that had been around for years and were the heart of Britain. These were hard times for sure; the face of Britain was changing.
“Well, like I said, not a complete change, I was thinking about doing more on the graphic design side. I had three requests recently to design book covers for authors. There is a high demand for eBook cover designers right now and so I thought I would add an extra string to my bow. I just need more challenges and to keep evolving, Ben. You know me!”
“That sounds like a great idea, and there is a lot of money in it to. You have already built a great name for yourself and this is more of an addition to what you are currently doing. It makes your business more diverse and therefore should increase your demand. Pure genius, Tristan.”
Ben admired his brother’s work ethic. It was one sure thing they had in common and always had, ever since they were teenagers.
“I have already completed the design for one author and they loved it; in fact, they were pretty blown away by my design and asked if they could add my name and website to their acknowledgements page. Of course I agreed. I am hoping by word of mouth that I will get more requests for cover designs. I have updated my business website now to include book cover designs, so we shall see what happens. I have a job for the Birmingham Evening mail this week for my photography skills and two magazine jobs the following week. Business is good. I can’t complain. Like I said, I just want to diversify.”
“How’s your own personal collection of photography coming along? Have you added any new prints to your collection recently?” enquired Ben.
“It’s growing for sure. You should see my latest one, Ben, it’s truly beautiful, a work of art, if I say so myself. I took an early morning drive out to Ryder Falls in North Wales a few weeks ago. I caught the falls as the sun was rising in the background. It was a sight for sure. I went through three films that morning, one colour film and two black and white. You know what a huge fan of black and white photos I am. It’s about time you dropped by and viewed my latest work,” suggested Tristan.
“You’re right, it’s been way too long. I will drop by soon, I promise. You should consider showing them as a collection. Some of your older work is sublime; I never really understood why you never considered showcasing your work.”
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��Truth is, Ben, I was always more interested in building up my freelance business for a long time, as you know. Now I have done that and achieved everything I wanted to, I am ready for new challenges now, hence the addition of book cover designs to my business. Since the revolution of the eBook market, it’s now a booming business. My own private collection was a personal thing for me, something I loved to do on a weekend to get a way from the city and relax. But yes, maybe I will consider showing my collection in the future, who knows.
“Oh, look they are coming out now, turn it up, Ben.” The villa team were coming out onto the pitch and the crowd were going crazy. Tristan pulled the ring off another can of beer and scooped up a handful of nuts out of the bowl situated on the coffee table. “Okay, what do you reckon tonight’s score will be?”
Ben pondered Tristan’s question for a while before answering. “I am going with 2-1 to us.”
Tristan laughed. “You have no faith, and I am going with 3-1 to us. They’re in excellent form right now. Twenty quid on the table then.” Tristan placed a £20 pound note down onto the coffee table and Ben did the same. “You’ve got no chance, Ben, that money is mine!” Ben laughed and they both got stuck into the game for the next 90 minutes, shouting at the screen for the most part and working their way through several more beers!
“Ha, ha, you were far too confident, Tristan. So come on, hand it over.”
Tristan shook his head vigorously from side to side, not quite believing he had lost the bet. “Okay here you go, I don’t want it said I welched on a bet. I think I need another beer.” Ben handed Tristan a beer from the fridge but decided not to have another one himself. He knew he shouldn’t be drinking while taking his medication but he felt throwing caution to the wind for one night wouldn’t hurt. “Are you not having one, Ben?”
“No, I’ve had more than I should have already. I need a pint of water.”
Tristan looked at his brother, remembering he was on strong meds. “Probably for the best, Ben, don’t overdo it. I always was a bad influence on you.”
Tears of Endurance (Romantic Drama) Book #1 Page 7