There was silence on the line, then the detective spoke. "Subtle, very subtle. As you've said, he's insinuated but not made any direct demands."
"He wants another meeting and I'm fairly certain if I refuse to meet him or refuse to meet his demands, then it won't be long before rumours start."
"Is he aware that you know he paid for Ben's services?" Jacobs asked.
"No. I made sure not to say anything, and it was a friend who knew Ben, not Edward."
"Of course it was. The classic friend line. How can I help you?"
"I wanted to record the next meeting. It's blackmail regardless of how he does it."
"I agree, but as you said, he hasn't said anything outright."
"So, what can I do? He's a solicitor, so he knows how to play this situation."
The detective sighed, then asked, "What's his name?"
"Edward Chambers."
"Edward Chambers? As in Edward Chambers of Chambers and Chambers?"
"Yes. Why?" Geoff asked her, puzzled by her response when he named Edward.
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that. When is this meeting?"
"Nothing has been arranged yet. I'm expecting a call Monday or Tuesday."
"Call me when you know and we'll be there."
"Okay, thanks."
"I don't need to tell you that the fewer people who know about this, the better."
"Yes, I understand."
"Oh, and have Mr Foster come in and make a statement as to what's happened between them. That will help any case we might have."
"I'll speak to him now."
"Goodbye, and thanks for the call."
"You're welcome."
Geoff hung up and thought about the conversation he'd just had. It sounded like they knew something about Edward and his business dealings. So, those rumours could hold some truth to them. It had always surprised him when certain long-standing and supposedly reputable companies had sold to Chambers and Chambers.
Sighing, he picked up the phone and spoke to Seb, asking him to come to his office. A couple of minutes later, Seb was sat in front of him, patiently waiting for Geoff to speak.
"I need Tom to go with Ben to the police station to make a statement."
"So, it's on."
"The fewer details people know, the better the outcome."
"No, I understand. I'll go tell Tom and ask him to go after work." Seb started to stand when he saw Geoff shaking his head.
"No. I would like it to be done now. I'll call Ben and let him know."
"Alright. I'll tell Tom now." As Seb walked towards the door, Geoff spoke.
"Thanks for this, Seb."
Seb held the door open with his hand and faced Geoff. "Everyone deserves a second chance, don't they? Why should Ben have to have his past held over him, forced to do something he doesn't want to. He wants to be with you, but we both know that he doesn't want his past to affect you either. Not so long ago, he would have just walked, but now? Now he wants to stay, and that's down to you."
Seb closed the door behind him after he finished speaking, and Geoff stared at it for a long time going over what Seb had just said. Seb was right. Ben would have been long gone weeks ago if this situation had occurred then. Geoff reached over and picked up the phone, calling Ben. He answered on the second ring.
"Well?"
Geoff chuckled quietly. "'Hi Geoff. How did the meeting go?' Well, Ben. It went as we thought it would do, but don't worry, I've spoken to the detective and everything will be alright."
"Okay, sorry, but I've been sat here shitting myself, thinking all sorts of stuff. Wondering what the fuck was going on?"
"It's alright, Ben. Really it is. Tom's on his way over and you're going the station to make a statement. The detective will be waiting for you."
"So, they're on board then?"
"Looks that way. Will you be alright? I know this isn't going to be easy for you."
"No, it's not." Ben laughed humourlessly. "But, it needs to be done." Geoff heard him exhale heavily. "I'll have Tom with me."
"Want me to come as well?"
"No, but thanks anyway. Do your thing and I'll see you tonight. It's lamb for dinner."
"My favourite."
Ben laughed again. "I'll let you know how it goes when you get home tonight. Love you."
"Love you too."
Geoff dropped the phone on the desk, stood and walked over to the window. He stood staring out at the people below as they hurried about. Tom would be on his way over to Ben now, even though Ben had told him he didn't need him to accompany him. A huge part of Geoff wanted to be there with him. Ben had made great progress since he had tried to kill himself, their sex life being one of them, but issues like this might set him back. Having to go to the police and discuss what it was you had to do to survive, especially with someone like Edward, must be appalling for him.
Geoff sighed, walking back to his desk and sitting down on the chair. Why couldn't life be simple? Two men meet and fall in love, but life didn't always happen like that. Life was full of ups and downs and bumps in the road. He was lucky he had such a supportive family and good friends to help him through those difficult times. Shaking his head, Geoff brought up his itinerary for the rest of the day and began to go through his work.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
To say the experience at the police station had been humiliating and degrading would have been a massive understatement. The detective had been wonderful though and had tried her best to put Ben at ease, but the questions she had asked? And having to go through his time with Edward and tell a stranger what he'd allowed Edward to do to him. It had left a sour taste in his mouth and he'd squirmed on the hard chair as he'd gone through the details. Ben had never been so happy to leave a place as he was when he was finally able to walk out. Fortunately, Tom had stayed with him the entire time, and the woman had even allowed him to come into the interview, which he thought they wouldn't have.
As soon as Ben had walked through the front door, he'd taken a long, hot shower to try and wash the dirt away. He'd dressed in clean clothes then started preparing dinner in an attempt to forget about his visit to the police station. As the meat was cooking, he sat at the table and wrote in his journal. The writing had turned out to be a cathartic experience for him and he'd been surprised at what he had written. The memories he'd suppressed came rushing back to the surface and he was able to write them down. When he read them again, he found they didn't hold quite the same power over him that they once had.
He checked the time and went to put the finishing touches to the meal. Geoff arrived home then, and immediately went over to him, pulling him into a tight hug.
"Are you alright?"
Ben nodded into his chest. "Yeah. I knew it would be difficult, so I'm glad Tom was there with me. Thanks for sending him." Ben looked up into Geoff's eyes.
"He wanted to be there with you. Did it go well?"
"Yeah. She was nice, surprisingly. She didn't seem to judge me. Normally, the cops look at you like scum, but not her."
"The few dealings I've had with her, she always comes across as genuine."
"She said my statement will help. When will you meet him again?" Ben asked him. He wanted to know when all this would finally be over. Just when he thought he was finally getting his life back on track, Edward came worming his way into it.
"I'm expecting a call Monday or Tuesday. With a meeting to be arranged. Everything's set up with the police so we'll just have to wait and see." Walking over to the oven, Geoff peered inside. "That lamb smells wonderful. How long?"
"Enough time for you to freshen up. Go and get ready. I'll start serving when you come back down."
Geoff kissed him before leaving the kitchen and Ben smiled to himself as he started to serve the veg he'd cooked to go with the lamb. A few minutes later, Geoff came back into the kitchen and took a couple of bottle of beers from the fridge.
"Beer with lamb?" Ben questioned him.
Geoff shrugged. "Fe
el like a beer tonight."
Ben shook his head as he finished serving up the food. They sat down to eat, and there was silence for a good ten minutes as they ate.
Geoff leaned back when he had finished and patted his full stomach. "That was great, Ben!"
"Thanks. The beer went well too." Ben smirked at him.
"Hey. I can do a beer every now and again, and after Edward, I needed one." Geoff frowned as he talked.
Ben stood and started to clear the dishes. After loading up the dishwasher, he walked into the living room to find Geoff rummaging through the DVDs there. He held a couple up for him before asking, "Fancy one?"
Ben had a quick look. "Indiana Jones?"
"My choice too. Grab us another couple of beers and I'll set it up."
Within a few minutes, they were both sat on the sofa, Geoff's arm around Ben's shoulders, as the film started. Ben rested his head on Geoff's chest and felt like he could truly relax for the first time that day.
❊❊❊
The week went quickly, but Edward didn't call to arrange another meeting. Ben wasn't sure why, unless he was delaying contacting Geoff on purpose, to cause anxiety. On Saturday, they went out into the city centre and browsed the shops before having a heavenly Italian meal at this little restaurant that Geoff frequented. On Sunday, they went out with Tom and Seb for a few hours then popped back to their house and had dinner there with Matt and Luke. It was nice to catch up with everyone again. It had seemed such a long time ago that all four of them had sat in the same room as each other when they had discussed Adam's funeral. Ben liked the fact that they were all starting to get on with their lives.
Matt and Luke would be doing their A-Levels with him, and Tom was going to do his GCSEs. Tom had told Ben that he wanted to do the same job as Seb, so he knew he had a lot of studying ahead of him, but he seemed happy; in fact, they all did. It was hard to think that this time the year before they had been struggling to survive. Doing whatever they had to just to be able to afford to eat and drink, living in an abandoned house that was cold and damp. When they finally left and got home, Ben was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Monday found him sat in the kitchen, unable to concentrate on anything. Would Edward call today? Would he arrange a meeting with Geoff? What about the police? Would they get involved? There had been no calls over the weekend, well, none that he knew about, so what would happen? He sat on the stool, leg bouncing as he tried to do some research on the courses he planned on taking at college. He'd always loved science, learning how things were made or how they evolved, how certain chemicals came together or how something invisible like gravity could affect so much around it. He'd never felt a leaning towards one type of science but had loved all science.
The phone rang, startling him and he hurried over to it. "Hello."
"It's me, Ben." Geoff answered him.
"Has he been in touch?" Ben asked, his stomach tied up in knots.
"Yes. Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday. Police know and will be here recording it."
"So they want to be involved?"
"Appears that way. Seems they've been after Edward for some time, but have never been able to get anything solid on him."
"You'll have to get him to talk then."
"Yeah." Ben heard Geoff sigh over the phone. "Not sure how yet, other than to just keep refusing, try and call his bluff."
"When I had... when I was with him..." Ben paused. How could he talk about his times with Edward?
"It's alright, Ben. Say what you need to."
Ben inhaled deeply then blew out. "Edward likes to be in charge. If I didn't do what he wanted when he wanted it, I was punished. He would hurt me. He liked it, inflicting pain, and he would remind me who was in charge, who had control over my body. Not like when I'm with you, though. You make me feel like the most important person in the room." Ben took a deep breath in then released it. "So, what I'm trying to say is I would think if he felt like he wasn't in control of the situation you might see his true colours."
"Take away his perceived control." Silence from Geoff, then he said, "Yeah, I can work with that. You're right, he likes to dictate. In pretty much every meeting I've seen him in, he likes to take control of it. Turn the meeting in the direction he wanted it to go in. So, I need to set the tone as soon as he walks in that I'm in charge, and nothing he has to say will change that."
Ben nodded to himself. "Yeah. It'll frustrate him that he can't get what he wants and that in turn will anger him. He obviously believes that because he knows me and what I used to do, he can use that to his advantage. He probably thinks I haven't told you about him, but really, who in their right mind would think that?"
"He could think that you would be too ashamed to mention it. Who knows? Look, I've got to get going but I wanted you to know, alright? I'll see you at home. Oh, and Ben? You are the most important person to me. Don't ever forget that."
Ben stood by the counter staring absently at the phone he'd put down. Wednesday was the day he would finally be able to be free of his past, finally be able to move on with his life. It had taken such a long time to get here, though he was honest enough to admit he hadn't helped himself, and he felt like he was finally able to breathe again.
Geoff.
Ben wouldn't be where he was today if it weren't for Geoff. God, he'd hated the man at first. Ben chuckled to himself. But Geoff had turned out to be the one person who wanted to be with him, regardless of his past. The sex was amazing and after everything he had been forced to do, sex had been the last thing on his mind, yet with Geoff, he was discovering parts of himself he never knew existed. Who knew he liked to be dominated in bed? The fact that Geoff always made sure he had as much pleasure as possible, that he always made sure he was taken care of, was amazing. He'd never had any of that when he was on the streets. It was always a quick fuck or more often, a blow job. He only had sex if he was really desperate for money. Adam and Tom had taught him that.
He sighed, gently shaking his head. Now wasn't the time to think about it. That was the past, and even though he could never change it, he certainly could move on from it. His sessions with Clara had shown him that. The way Geoff treated him showed him that. He took a deep breath and held it for a minute before releasing it and smiling. It would all be over soon.
❊❊❊
Wednesday came around too soon, and Geoff sat in his office waiting for Edward to arrive. The meeting had been arranged for nine, and the police had already been in and set up all their equipment and now Geoff was sat at his desk waiting. Though he was a patient man and usually found these quiet times relaxing, he felt restless and uneasy, his body jittery. He found he couldn't settle and had to constantly move, doing anything to distract himself from what was happening. He wanted this to be over and done with.
Geoff's secretary buzzed him, alerting him to Edward's arrival. He wiped his hands on his pants, realising that he was sweating and walked to his office door, opening it. He smiled at Sue and then extended his hand to Edward.
"Good Morning, Edward. Please come in." He turned to Sue. "Could you get us some coffee, please?"
Sue rolled her eyes at him. "Of course." She winked at him as she stood and walked towards the small break area.
Geoff closed the door behind him and sat behind his desk. He looked up at Edward and smiled. "How was your weekend, Edward? Did you have a nice time with your family?"
"Yes, yes. Now, have you had a chance to look at the details I left on Friday?"
So, straight down to business. "Yes, I have, thanks. Again, I'm sorry, but at this time we aren't currently looking for a merger or to sell the business."
Geoff noticed Edward frown slightly.
"Really? I thought the details were quite favourable for you."
"Yes, they were, but we're happy as we are." Geoff heard the knock on the door as Sue entered with their coffees. "Thank you, Sue."
Sue stood behind Edward's back and stuck her t
ongue out at him. Geoff looked at her with a raised brow, but she merely shrugged and closed the door behind her.
"How was Ben when you ended things with him?"
"Oh, we haven't ended things."
"Really? Him being a prostitute doesn't concern you?"
"He was a prostitute, Edward. He isn't one now."
Edward smiled slightly, reaching for his coffee, and took a sip. Geoff needed him to say something, anything to incriminate himself. He wanted Ben to be free from him.
"It doesn't concern you that if your clients found out about him, it may impact your business? You're willing to lose potential customers?"
Geoff spread his arms wide. "How would they find out, Edward? Only you and I know about his past, and we wouldn't tell anyone, would we?" Come on, take the bait!
Edward sighed dramatically, seeming to look genuinely sorry as he spoke. "Well, I couldn't keep something like that a secret. People have a right to know the type of man they would be employing, don't you think? How would it look? The man they were trusting to win their case was consorting with a known prostitute and God knows what else. I can't imagine he relied on prostitution alone to survive, can you? I wonder what other criminal acts he perpetrated. You really can't afford that type of information to get out can you?"
"So, you think I should finish things with him and then what? What will become of him?"
Edward gave him a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, someone as good looking as him will no doubt find someone to take care of him. You know it's best for you to end things, don't you?"
"No. I don't think I want to end things with him. I'm happy with him, and his past doesn't bother me."
"Well, you leave me no choice then, Geoff." Edward sat back in his chair and folded his hands together looking at Geoff contemplatively.
"No choice?" Geoff played dumb.
"I'll have to let my business partners know about Ben. It's a shame really, I like you, Geoff. I was hoping we could work together in the future."
New Beginnings (Second Chances Book 2) Page 18