by Nicole Smith
"Good man," Cody said.
"Excellent," Sam said.
Eric gave a thumb's up.
"Anyway, his hand wasn't broken, so we came back here to tell all of you the story," Beth finished.
William cleared his throat. "My question is will he stay away? Sure, I told him off and to never come back, but he was still mad when left."
"I'm on it," Sam said, grimly. "I have a protective service and I'll call and have them send some people down here, just in case. Plus, I'll have them keep track of this Benton for a while, just to see what he's up to and to make sure he stays away from Sully Point."
Beth almost spoke up to say her brother was going to too much trouble, but then she remembered the look on the director's face as he was leaving. Better to be safe, she realized.
* * * *
William watched her setting food out on the table from the microwave. She'd insisted on picking up a supper of white lasagna, with chicken and mushrooms, from Deb's Deli, so he'd have something good for dinner.
He was surprised at his behavior from earlier. Never in his adult life had he punched a man in the jaw. But it had been automatic, to come to Beth's rescue, to keep her safe, to make that jerk pay for threatening her.
It wasn't like him. Not at all. He rubbed a hand across his chin and sat back in his chair at the table. Beth handed him a drink, a glass of white wine.
"I drink Crown Royal," he said gruffly.
"So tonight you drink white wine. You don't need whiskey. Just sip your wine and relax."
"Hmph."
He tried a bit of the wine and discovered that it was a dry white, which wasn't bad. Beth hadn't asked him where anything was in the very modern kitchen, instead looking through cabinets on her own. She really was beautiful, he thought. And frowned. Nonsense. He couldn't--he wouldn't--let himself feel something for an actress. It was a hard and fast rule.
He realized she had only put one place setting at the table. "Aren't you eating with me?"
She looked at him with widened eyes. "I wasn't going to, but sure, if you'd like."
"There's plenty of that lasagna here. You might as well stay and eat."
"Thank you." She sat down and they both began to eat.
"Good food," he said.
"Yes. I'm impressed by that deli."
"You don't eat like most actresses I've met. You eat like a real woman."
She laughed. "I have great metabolism. I eat what I want. And I happen to love food. It's a hobby of mine."
"You cook?"
"Oh, heavens no. I eat. Out. A lot. I'll have to discover all the good places around here."
William smiled at her. "You're in luck. I'm also a foodie. I've got this place scoped out already, and I can tell you where to avoid and what places are good. The Diner, surprisingly, is one of the best."
"Interesting. I'll have to try it out."
"Are you okay, with what happened today?"
Beth frowned. "I don't know what to think about it. Sure, I'm okay, but I can't believe he came all the way out here and was so intent on my returning with him. He sounded...I don't know, obsessed or something. It was weird."
"Yes, it was. I think you need to be careful, Beth. Keep aware of your surroundings at all times."
"What...you think he'd come back? No, I don't think so. He has a show to put on out there. He'll be back and tied up in his work and forget all about me."
"I hope so, I really do. But keep your eyes open, okay?"
"Okay," she said. "How does your hand feel now?"
"Better since the ice...and the wine."
"So tell me about life on Broadway," she said. "You must have a million stories."
He gave a laugh. "Yes, about that many."
As he talked, he found her to be a good listener. Talk about plays led to talk about music and then they had coffee while discussing books. Suddenly he realized it had gotten quite late.
"I don't think I've talked that much at one time in quite a while," he said.
"It was fun," she said. "But you're right, the time got away from us. I'd better get home."
"Be careful."
"I will."
An awkward moment developed as they both stood at the door. She said, "Well, see you tomorrow, or rather, later today."
"Yes," he said, and watched her leave.
Yes? That was all he could think to say? He wondered at his lack of speech as he shut the door. What was it about her that made him feel awkward, protective, and turned on, all at once?
* * * *
Beth drove home slowly, thinking. He was a fascinating man. Once he stopped being the control freak director, he was also sophisticated, yet personable and intriguing. And attractive. He had an innate charisma that included sexiness she couldn't avoid noticing.
Once inside her apartment, she locked the door and sighed. No matter how sexy he was, he was a director. She didn't need that in her life. She turned out the living room light and went into the bedroom, tugging her boots off.
The apartment door rattled in the silence. Beth froze. Was that the wind?
The doorknob was being turned right and left. Then a loud bang sounded, like someone was beating on the door.
Unbelieving and yet sure there was someone trying to get in, she grabbed her phone out of her pocket and hit the redial button.
"Hello? Beth?" William said.
"William?" she whispered. "I thought I dialed Sam, but never mind. Call the police, call Sam, call anybody but I think Benton is at my door pounding on it trying to get in."
"What?"
"Hurry!" she said, as the pounding got louder.
She turned off the phone and dashed into the kitchen to look for something to use for defense. She grabbed a frying pan, and dialed 911 on her phone.
"This is Sheriff Jones," she heard.
"The apartment above the bakery," she said, gasping for breath out of fear. "This is Beth. A guy is trying to break down the door."
"I'm already on the way, Miss Carter. Mr. Christopher called me. He said he was on the way there too. I'm on the edge of downtown now, just hang on."
She heard a loud crack. "He's getting in!" She started to run across the living room for the bathroom which had a lock on the door.
"Two minutes," Sheriff Jones said.
"Too late," she whispered. The door crashed open.
* * * *
William crashed through the remains of the front door after flying up the stairs. He heard a scream and saw Benton reach out to shove Beth...who swung a frying pan and connected with the side of his head.
William shook off his surprise and grabbed Benton, who appeared a bit wobbly.
"One move, pal, and you're history," he said gruffly, shoving Benton up against the nearest wall.
The sound of a siren came floating through the door, as he turned to look at Beth. She was standing in the same place, arm at her side with the frying pan dangling. Dressed in tight black pants and a red sweater, green eyes wide, he thought she was magnificent. Then he realized her face was very pale, and he wondered if she was going into shock.
"Beth? You still with me?"
"Uh..."
"Come on Beth, you did great, don't go into shock now."
"Right." She shook her head and then glanced up at him. "You've got him, right?"
William nodded. "Yes, he's not going anywhere, and here comes the sheriff now. You were amazing, Beth. I think he still doesn't know what hit him."
"Wow, I need to sit down," she said weakly.
Sheriff Jones walked in and looked from Beth to William to Benton.
"I hit him with this," Beth said, holding out the frying pan.
"He was going to shove her down and that's when she hit him," William said.
The sheriff walked over and put handcuffs on a dazed looking Andy Benton. His rights were read to him as William walked over to Beth's side. He gently loosened her grip on the pan, and set it down on an end table. He took her by the arm and led her over t
o the sofa to sit down.
"I'm glad you got here when you did," she said.
"I'm glad you thought of that frying pan."
"Dad always told us, if you're attacked, go down fighting. I wasn't going to go down." She let out a sigh and William sat next to her. She leaned against his shoulder and he put an arm around her.
"I'm feeling a little wobbly now that it's over."
"I know the feeling," he said.
* * * *
Beth's apartment filled up quickly after she asked William to make a call to Sam. She got up and went into the bathroom to splash water on her face. Her hands were shaking and she ended up staring at her reflection in the mirror.
"Close call," she whispered. After a moment her lips firmed and she straightened her shoulders. Thrusting her hands through her hair, she shoved it behind her ears. "Okay. I'm okay."
She walked back into the living room to find it empty. "William? You're still here, right? William?" She hated that her voice sounded shaky, but she wanted someone here and he made her feel safe.
"Coming," he called out. "Just making some coffee. You have anything alcoholic we can add to it?"
"Sure," she said. She pulled a bottle out of the liquor cabinet and took it into the kitchen to him. "That sounds like a great idea. I'm going to need some kind of makeshift door. The living room is getting chilly."
"Your brother will know who to call. Here have a sip of this to warm you up." He held out a large mug.
Wrapping both hands around it, she took a sip. "Ooh, that is nice." She sat down at the kitchen table and William joined her.
"I meant to tell you, thank you. For showing up so fast, for being here," she said.
His eyebrows rose. "No need to thank me, you saved yourself. I was there for clean-up. That's good swing you've got there."
She gave a tremulous laugh. "Yes, I guess the years of softball paid off. Will he go to jail, do you think?"
"I'm sure he will. We may have to testify."
"I'll be glad to." She shuddered. "I thought...for a few seconds there...I thought he'd get me."
"But he didn't. You were brilliant. Here, drink up now."
She obediently sipped the drink. Warmth coursed through her as the alcohol hit. They both turned at the sound of people coming up the stairs.
"Beth? You okay? Beth?" Sam called.
"I'm here, in the kitchen," she said.
Sam came running into the kitchen and stopped at the sight of her. "Beth, what happened? The door, the police downstairs..."
Maggie, Eric, and Frank, and Cody all pushed in behind Sam and suddenly the little kitchen was packed.
"Let's all go back into the living room," William suggested. "Anyone need coffee laced with spirits?"
After they were all settled with coffee on the chairs and sofa, Beth explained what happened, with occasional help from William.
"You hit him with a frying pan?" Maggie asked, sounding unsure whether to laugh or be worried.
"Yes, well, it was the quickest thing I could reach in the house that I thought might stop him."
"Good thinking," Frank said from the doorway. He was looking at the door to see what could be done with it. "You know, I think we could just hang a new door. I've got doors down at the store. The framing isn't damaged, you just need a door without a hole in it."
"Wait," Maggie said. "So then what, he just fell down?"
"No, it didn't knock him out. That's when William came in and he grabbed him and shoved him against a wall. Then the sheriff came and took him away. And that's it."
"Glad you showed up when you did, William," Sam said. "She might have had her hands full without you."
William shook his head. "I think Beth could have handled the situation. She still had the frying pan after all."
Everyone looked at each other and then Cody burst out laughing. "I'm sorry! Sorry, but...a frying pan!"
And then they all ended up laughing in what Beth felt was a release of tension. She found she felt better after the belly laugh.
"I hope they can keep him in jail," she said softly, as they all stopped laughing.
"I'm hiring a lawyer to look into things and to represent your side of things," Sam said. "Plus a detective to investigate this man. I'll bet he's done other things out in L.A."
"I have no idea," Beth said.
"We can get this door put in first thing in the morning," Frank said. "But for tonight, you should stay with one of us."
"Come home with me," Maggie asked, reaching out to hold Beth's hand. "I have a beautiful guest room that hasn't even been used yet."
Beth smiled at her sister. "Okay, I think I will do that. But I want all of you to know, I'm not running away from this apartment. I plan to be living back here as soon as the new door is up."
"Good girl," Frank said. "I'm going to go get a piece of plywood to put up here for the night. You want to give me a hand, Cody?"
"Sure, Dad. But I have to call Julia first and let her know what's happening. She had to stay home with Jennifer."
"Same here," Sam said. "Anna will be freaking out."
"Go get your pajamas and some clothes for tomorrow," Maggie said. "Then we'll go."
Beth stood up and turned to face William who was leaning against the fireplace. "I just want to say it again. Thank you, so much, for coming."
He looked down and then back up, almost as if he was flustered, which would be unusual. "I'm glad I got here when I did. But you were terrific. Don't worry about work tomorrow. Take the day off. This kind of thing can shake you up."
"No, I want to work. I want everything to get back to normal."
"Okay then. I'll be off, and I'll see you in the morning."
"Okay." She watched him leave and only then realized that the room had been completely silent and everyone was looking at her.
"What?" she said. "I'll get my things."
* * * *
Maggie's house was an old Victorian on the outside, but inside it had been completely renovated. Small rooms had given way to larger combined rooms so that it had an open feel. Lovely golden hardwood floors scattered with cushiony rugs, made the place feel warm and inviting, Beth thought.
"Everything is updated so it's really energy efficient," Eric explained on the tour of the house.
"Oh what a great kitchen!" Beth said as they entered a large room with a French country look to it and a fireplace at one end. The appliances were faced with cabinetry that matched everything else in a rich cream color. Highlights of buttery yellow and country red were scattered throughout.
"As you know, I've never been big on cooking, but I've gotten much better since we finished the kitchen," Maggie said. "My fudge brownies are to die for, and my chicken pasta alfredo is yummy too."
"You'll have to make those brownies for me, Mags. In fact, do you have any already made? Or anything else sweet to eat? I want comfort food."
"Did you get a chance to eat dinner tonight, with everything that happened?"
"Yes. I had lasagna at William's earlier."
"At William's?" Maggie asked. "Who cooked?"
"Deb's Deli."
"I've got some cookies from the Bakery. Chocolate chip and pecan." Maggie opened a cabinet and pulled out a plastic container filled with cookies. "How many did you want?"
"Just give me the whole thing, with a glass of milk if you have any," Beth said. She moved to sit at a large oval farmhouse table near the fireplace. "I love your house, you guys. You've done a great job with it."
"Thanks, Beth," Eric said, sitting down at the table with her. "We like it here."
Maggie brought over a gallon of milk and three glasses. "So. Tell me. What's going on with you and Mr. Christopher."
Beth sputtered her gulp of milk all over the table.
"Beth!" Maggie jumped up and got a towel to clean it up.
"What do you mean, what's going on? Nothing's going on. Absolutely nothing. Why? Did it look like something was going on? What could be going on?"
"Whoa, hold on there," Eric said, smiling.
"Bethie, we all couldn't help but notice the, you know, the tension, the attraction between you two tonight," Maggie said.
"I noticed nothing," Eric declared.
Maggie punched him in the arm. "You did too. You like him, don't you Beth? Mr. Christopher?"
"Well, sure, I mean, he's my boss. And my director. Sure, I like him."
"You know that's not what I mean. But isn't he a lot older than you?"
"Only ten years," Beth said immediately. "Not that much older. Not that it matters, of course, because I'm sure he'd never see me that way." She took another cookie and munched rather glumly.
"So you are attracted to him," Maggie said with a somewhat worried voice.
"How could I not be?" Beth said. "He's cultured, sophisticated, funny, handsome, smart, sexy, easy to talk to, excellent at his work..."
"But?" Maggie asked.
"But I think he sees me as too young. Plus, I'm an actress and he's been known to have said he'd never date an actress again. Oh, let's not talk about it. It's depressing."
Maggie looked like she was going to say something else, but Eric reached out a hand and patted her on the shoulder. "Not now, hon. Come on, Beth. Let's show you the upstairs, if you're done with the cookies."
"Yeah, I think I am," Beth said.
They walked upstairs to bedrooms laid out on either side of a hall. "Here's the baby's room," Maggie said, opening a door.
"It's wonderful!" Beth said. The room was done in rich shades of purple, red, green and blue, with a big rocking chair at the center of the room.
"You like it? Anna says she'll do a fun mural on one wall. Maybe something with trucks and cars and a village or else a forest scene. I can't decide which I'd prefer. I'm still working on a quilt for the baby's bed, but here's a small one I did for when he or she is a newborn."
Beth picked up the small blanket and opened it. It was done in pastels with floral appliques. "I like it. I can't believe you're going to be a mom. Are you nervous?"
"Sometimes, but mostly I'm excited. Let's go check out your room now."
Eric led the way into a restful room done in lavender, sage green and gray. "It's lovely, Maggie. I think I can sleep here, even after tonight."