“I’m sure she loved it.” Ben grinned, running a hand through his hair. “She must’ve figured she had all the control, and he completely turned on her.”
Violet shrugged. “She was her own undoing, in the end. So, are you going to celebrate with the boys tonight?”
“Actually, I thought you and I might celebrate at my place tonight,” Ben replied, his voice darkening playfully. “I was hoping to start my weekend off by not sleeping at all.”
Violet’s eyes fluttered closed. A cozy bed, Netflix, and Ben nestled naked between her thighs—could it be any better than that? “I’d be crazy to say no, wouldn’t I?”
“That’s up to you. I’m just saying I’d rather be inside of you than drinking with my buddies in—”
The door to the office opened. Ben froze mid-sentence, his mouth left slightly agape as Violet’s heart threatened to stop. They were facing each other, but both turned to the office’s entrance like they’d just been caught. Jay walked in with a bright smile that immediately dimmed when he caught what must have been guilty expressions on their faces.
His eyes moved from Ben to Violet, his expression both amused and suspicious. “What did I just walk in on?”
Violet blinked, shaking her head. “Oh! Uh, I was talking to him about a variation I made to the cranberry apple muffins last night. I was thinking of bringing it to Wynne.”
“Well, aren’t we industrious,” Jay replied, his smile returning as he took a seat next to Violet. He nodded to the manila envelope on her keyboard. “Is that the recipe?”
She swept it up quickly and shoved it into her backpack. “No, no. That’s the—the order of protection. Court docs, you know.”
“Oh, right. I’m glad that’s over with. Are you okay now?”
“I’m good,” she answered brightly. “I’m still not icing yet, but I can do production and be the designated order-taker in the meantime. See? Still wrapped.” She displayed her wrist, held steady with the brace from her night at the ER. She continued, “I’m seeing the doctor in two days to see what’s next.”
Jay nodded. “I hope it all goes well. We miss having your gorgeous cakes on the floor!”
Violet chuckled. “Stop it. All the cakes are gorgeous.”
“Yeah, but no one’s got your swirl,” Jay teased, elbowing her with a laugh.
Ben stood as she and Jay shared a friendly chuckle. “I’ve gotta get upstairs and update the night manager before I leave. Are you all set with your stuff, Violet?”
“Yup,” she replied, keeping her eyes trained on the screen as she did her best to look as casual as possible. “Thanks for letting me know about that last-minute order. I’ll add it in.”
From the corner of her eye, she spotted Jay watching Ben as he left. It made her wonder briefly if Jay had an ulterior motive for showing up this afternoon. Sure enough, the moment she heard the door close, Jay leaned closer.
“Vi, we’ve gotta chat.”
She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as discreetly as possible. “We do?”
He paused, taking a deep breath. “There’s been some talk.”
Violet’s eyes closed as she did her best to stomach Jay’s trademark flair for the dramatic. “Who’s been talking about what?”
“Some people around here have been talking about you and Ben,” he replied. “They’re saying you’re using your relationship with him to get ahead in the company.”
Some people. It took Violet less than three seconds to add up all of Jay’s inquisitive conversation over the last few weeks and realize he’d been looking for something to say. A voice in her head cursed. She knew the rules, but broke them anyway, and here Jay was actually questioning what she thought she’d hidden well. “Does anyone remember I started here before him? And that Wynne trained me personally? How can I possibly be using Ben to get ahead in the company?”
“See, that’s what I thought,” Jay said, sounding like a Scooby-Doo cartoon when the case was about to be cracked. “But there’s something between you and Ben that I can’t explain. And that’s what worries me more than anything.”
Her tummy churned unpleasantly. “What are you saying, Jay?”
“I’m not saying anything. What I’m asking you is whether or not there’s something going on between you and Ben.”
She sighed deeply. “What makes you think there’s something going on with me and Ben?”
She kept her face trained on the computer screen and perused a couple of orders, doing her best to look uninterested in the accusation placed in front of her. She could feel Jay’s eyes on her like they had some sort of invisible heat beam. How long could he possibly need to watch her for a reaction?
“Well, for example, in the beginning, Wynne and I were concerned that you two would have to be separated because of all the head-bumping. And in a matter of weeks, you two are suddenly friends. Staff says the two of you stay in the office for hours, doing God knows what.”
“I spend the last two and a half hours of my shift in the office doing administrative work for the store. If I tried to do it at my station, I’d never get anything done. And that’s been going on since way before Ben was hired. So, what else is the staff saying?” It was a legitimate reason, there was no denying that. She kept herself calm and even, despite the fact that the panic alarm had been going off in her head for more than twenty-four hours. Getting upset would only be an admission of guilt, and Jay would be looking for that.
“A few people have spotted you talking amongst yourselves in different areas of the store, and it apparently looks like you’re hiding something.”
“I’m sorry, but do you realize how ridiculous this all sounds? I interact with Ben Preston as part of my job. And yes, we bumped heads for quite a while. But, like I told Wynne, we came to an understanding. Would you rather we fight all the time?”
Jay shook his head. “Look, I understand why you’d be offended or upset. If I were being accused of—”
“It’s not even that, Jay. What offends me most is that the staff is talking behind my back. Would it have hurt anyone to just come to me or Ben personally? And the fact that people seem to think I’m making my way through Wynne’s Kitchen on anything other than my culinary degree and talent hurts.”
“I get it, Vi. Just answer me honestly. Is there something going on between you and Ben?”
Violet took a deep breath. “No.”
His lips were pressed together as he stared at the computer; Violet couldn’t get a read on his reaction. Finally, he seemed to snap out of it. “Okay. If you say there’s nothing going on, I believe you. But you know Wynne’s stance on fraternization.”
“I do,” she answered, her heart growing heavy.
After a brief pause, they said in unison, “Don’t do it.’”
“Exactly,” Jay finished, patting her on the shoulder. “Give me a call if you need me.”
And with that, he was gone. Violet slumped in her seat. She’d known this particular stretch of peace was too good to be true. She knew she had no business being upset or bitter about it; she had gotten herself into this situation. And as far as Jay confronting her, she was right not to trust him. He was a nice guy, but he was out for number one. Violet knew Wynne’s Kitchen meant something to him but for different reasons. He wanted power and recognition, and she wouldn’t put it past him to be the kind of guy to blow something like this out of the water for his own benefit.
Violet was closer than ever to having to make a decision—Ben or a lengthy career with the bakery? The thought of choosing hurt; she didn’t want to pick one or the other. She loved being at The Rock, and that included working with the very people who were currently talking behind her back. But, unfortunately, she’d fallen head over heels for Ben. She knew she’d brought this on herself. If she’d just listened to that little voice in her head and not gotten involved, she wouldn’t be on the cusp of facing some serious consequences.
• • •
Later that night, Ben sat
with Tommy and Ethan at Crif Dogs, a gastropub with some of the greatest hot dogs known to man, located on St. Mark’s Avenue in the lower part of Manhattan. Violet had promised to meet him at his place at midnight—and now, like a lovesick pup, he found himself sitting in front of a beer and one of the most insane, bacon-wrapped hot dogs he’d ever laid eyes on, counting down the minutes until he could be in a cab headed home.
Tommy gave Ethan a playful elbow. “Look at this guy. He’s got a hot dog wrapped in bacon in front of him, and he still can’t stop thinking about his lady.”
“Easy, I’m just wondering how to start this damn thing,” Ben said.
“Humph.” Tommy sipped his beer. “How does it feel to be a free man?”
“I gotta say, it feels awesome,” Ben replied, holding up his beer bottle in salute. “And I owe it to you and Ethan.”
“Are you gonna be ring shopping for Violet now that the ink on the divorce papers is dry?” Tommy asked with a wink.
Ben laughed. “Hey now, one step at a time. I’m not rushing anything with her. I’d like this relationship to actually work out.”
“So everything’s good with you guys, then?” Ethan managed to get a word in edgewise.
“For sure,” Ben answered. “Everything’s falling into place, it’s finally quiet, and we’ll just focus on each other.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Tommy remarked. “What are you going to do about the work situation?”
“What work situation? Nothing’s gotten in the way of us doing our jobs, and we’ve kept our personal lives separate, as far as I can tell.”
“He’s talking about the company’s fraternization policy. Or do they not have one?” Ethan asked.
Ben rolled his eyes. “Of course they have one. I just … yeah, I ignored it.”
Tommy laughed. “Well, now that you’ve blatantly admitted to breaking policy on purpose, I have to ask—do you see this going somewhere beyond this? I know you don’t want to rush, but if you had to, would you rush with her?”
Ben put his beer down, sat back, and folded his arms. “Okay, what’s this actually about?”
Tommy slapped his hands on the table, pushing his chair back and standing. “It’s about me, the consummate bachelor, being the voice of reason in your life … again. From the way Violet talks about that bakery, she’s there for the long run. It’s where she wants to be right now. And your secret may be safe for now, but what about tomorrow? Or next week? It all comes out in the wash, pal. And you’re putting your girl at risk.”
“The only other time you were the voice of reason in my life was to tell me to either step up or break up. Do you actually want me to leave her?”
Tommy dropped his head. “If that’s what you took away from what I just said, then I can’t help you.”
“You want to help me? Go get me another beer.”
Tommy, already a little sauced, pointed an unsteady finger. “Do right by this girl. She’s a thousand times the woman Elena could ever even hope to be.”
He turned and began to walk in the direction of the restroom. Ethan laughed as he took another swig of his beer. Ben turned to face his old friend, with whom he’d still been on shaky ground since re-entering each other’s lives.
“Do you have anything to say about it?”
Ethan held up his hands. “Hey, I’m still trying to prove myself here. I’ll say whatever you want to hear at this point.”
Ben raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“You know what I mean,” Ethan insisted. “But, since you really want to know what I think, I’ll tell you. Tommy’s right. Violet seems to have been really good for you, and if you value her, you’ll make a decision. It’s the job or her, bro. I don’t see it going down any other way.”
Ben had been hoping for weeks that it wouldn’t come to this. He had been extra careful around Violet at work, especially since he had begun quietly coaching her as Wynne requested. However, he was skeptical—as busy as the store was on a normal basis, there was no way anyone in the company was paying that much attention.
“Bah,” Ben huffed, reaching for his beer. “Can’t we just have a happy medium? Where we get to enjoy each other both in our personal and professional lives?”
“In a perfect world, I guess. But you and I both know that world doesn’t exist.”
• • •
By a quarter to midnight, Ben was happily headed uptown to his condo, where he knew Violet was waiting for him. He popped an Altoid in his mouth as he stared out the cab window, feeling a little guilty that he’d be arriving home with the smell of hot dog and a six-pack on his breath. His head swam as they made their way up the West Side Highway and, try as he might to enjoy the buzz, he couldn’t help but go back to what Tommy said. Deep down, Ben knew he couldn’t continue to play roulette with their careers.
There wasn’t a doubt in his mind about his relationship with Violet—he wouldn’t be ring shopping tomorrow or next week, but he knew it was coming. Violet was a woman to love and a woman to marry. She not only made life and love effortless, but she made it worth fighting for, as well. He could easily envision a life with her, and if the two of them working together would eventually become a problem, then it was one he needed to solve.
He’d discuss it with her tonight. They could look at everything objectively, talk about it, and go from there.
All thoughts of rational discussion disappeared, however, when he opened the door to his condo and found a trail of rose petals leading to the bathroom. The door was open, candlelight flickered from inside, and the sound of the shower mingled with Violet’s soft melodic voice as she hummed an unknown tune.
Deciding that no words would be necessary for the moment, he kicked off his shoes at the door. He then headed down the hall, peeling off his clothing layer by layer until he stood before the bathroom, stark naked. He could see Violet’s silhouette through the shower curtain as she stood under the water stream, soaking her hair and running her hands over her flat tummy and rounded hips. He licked his lips briefly, and her soft singing stopped.
“Welcome home,” she murmured, the smile on her face apparent though he couldn’t see her.
“What a welcome home it is.”
“Do I have to ask you to come in, Ben?”
He reached for the shower curtain, slowly tugging it back. “No, but I plan on making you beg later.”
Violet giggled as he stepped in. “We’ll see about that.”
His back arched as he lifted her chin with one crooked finger and leaned in for a kiss. She sighed against his mouth, pressing her body into his and submitting to his touch immediately. Ben cupped the back of her head as he deepened their kiss. There would be time for talking later.
• • •
Ben sat up in bed early the next morning, taking care not to wake the sleeping sex kitten next to him. He smiled, thinking with a silent chuckle that Violet might kill him before either of them had to worry about the folks at Wynne’s finding out about them. He stepped out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him gently as he carried an armful of clothes to the bathroom. They were both off today; he had a couple of appointments to keep this morning, but there was no reason to disturb Violet. He’d even bring back something tasty for breakfast, for the purpose of refueling, of course. He imagined spending the rest of the day making love to the curvaceous goddess sleeping in his bed. He crept out of the condo at about seven, planning on being back as fast as he feasibly could.
Ben met with his accountant and financial advisor first, dropping off his proof of the divorce settlement so that there would be no confusion where alimony was concerned. He ended up having coffee with them and discussing his investment portfolio, which, he was surprised to learn, was doing better than anticipated. Afterward, he had coffee at a small table in Grand Central Station with an old friend from the industry, who happened to be a regional manager for 5 Napkin Restaurants.
So Ben was running a couple of hours behind on his
errands, but he walked through Midtown with a genuine smile on his face. Life was, suffice it to say, close to perfect. Something caught Ben’s eye as he made his way down Lexington Avenue; he stopped in front of a jewelry store to stare at a bevy of opulent engagement rings.
He leaned in, perusing the selection. Most of the rings were priced higher than what his condo cost. But Violet was worth every penny, and he’d gladly risk going broke to make her happy. He straightened with a start when someone cleared their throat behind him.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get in the … ”
Elena stood before him, arms folded as she tapped her red Manolo heel impatiently. “Is this what you’re doing already? Do you think that girl’s actually going to marry you?”
Ben tilted his head back, letting out a sigh. “Where did you come from? Are you following me again?”
“Maybe I am, but only because I’ve got something that can’t wait.”
“Is it cancer?”
Elena clucked her tongue at him. “Now, now, don’t be bitter. You stopped me from getting what I want, isn’t that enough?”
“Jesus, Elena,” he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “I can’t believe I actually married you.”
“I can’t believe I married you either, Ben. And I can’t believe that, after you managed to take away everything that was rightfully mine, I still managed to get such an amazing present.”
“Okay, fine. What are we talking about?”
Elena smiled, batting her false eyelashes at him. “Well, my parents came up from Virginia over the weekend. And of course, they wanted to do the tourist thing. So I took them all over the city, and they mentioned that the city never seemed this interesting when you were around, and I said—”
“The point, Elena.”
“Right, the point. We headed over to Rockefeller Center and took pictures of everything. The skating rink, the statues, and the sign above the entrance to CBS Studios—we got it all. Then they wanted to go see some world-famous bakery called Wynne’s Kitchen. You’ve heard of it, haven’t you?”
Ben held his breath. “I have. Go on.”
Company Ink Page 17