I Married a Master

by Melanie Marchande

  "So, what have you been up to lately?" Daniel asked, still frowning slightly. Ben shrugged.

  "You know. The usual. You've obviously been busy, though." He glanced meaningfully at Maddy. "I heard you've got a daughter now - congratulations."

  A bit of Daniel's icy demeanor melted, and I saw the proud father shining through. "Thank you," he said. "It's certainly been an adventure."

  "I never took you for a family man." Ben beckoned one of the servers in our direction. "Drinks are on me, everybody - what'll you have?"

  "I'm good, thanks," I said, resting my elbows on the table. The last thing I wanted to do was accept a free drink from this guy.

  "Oh, come on," said Maddy, nudging my arm lightly. "I'm not saying we have to do another Phi Beta Kappa drink-off, but don't be a wet blanket. I've only just started drinking again, I'll be easy to beat."

  Her eyes sparkled. She didn't often roll out the persuasive charm, but when she did, she was almost impossible to resist. I wondered if that was how you landed a billionaire.

  "Maybe just one," I conceded. "Vodka cranberry, please. But I'll open my own tab."

  "No, no, no," Ben was saying, as I tried not to look at him. "I insist, Jenna. Please."

  I shook my head. "Thank you, but no thank you, Ben." Shooting him a slight smile, I lowered my voice slightly. "You don't owe me anything."

  Maddy was watching me, puzzled. Before she had a chance to voice a question, I turned the tables back.

  "So," I said, glancing at the power couple. "You guys met at work, huh? That's crazy."

  A little bit of color rose in Maddy's cheeks. "Yeah, I was doing the graphic design thing, and I guess..." She cleared her throat, glancing at Daniel, as if waiting for some kind of cue.

  "I hired her for her talent," he said, with a halfway grin. "At least, that's what the file says."

  "Gets funnier every time," Maddy muttered, rolling her eyes.

  "She actually did beat out ten other candidates with her portfolio," said Daniel, glancing at her. "H.R. would never let me actually see anyone until they were past the final interview stages. I think they assumed I was shallow, for some reason."

  Ben snickered. "I can't imagine why."

  Daniel gave him a warning look.

  "I got very lucky," said Maddy. "In more ways than one."

  Ben smiled indulgently. "I guess it was only a matter of time before someone broke through that shell."

  "It'll happen to you, too," said Daniel, with a slight raise of his eyebrows. "Just wait. And I'll be here to make fun of you for a week straight - so brace yourself."

  "First of all, I'm not making fun," said Ben. "And secondly - I don't have a shell. I'm an open book. Just haven't met the right person yet."

  "Right," said Daniel, quietly, with a private smile.

  The drinks arrived, and I gratefully turned my attention to the vodka while the conversation went on around me. I could feel Ben's eyes watching me intently from time to time, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

  As we talked and laughed, I began to learn a little more about Grocery Store Jerk Ben. He owned a company called Chase Pharmaceuticals, which I looked up on my phone to find out that they basically owned the IP to every drug I'd ever heard of. I found myself giggling at his jokes - which I hated, but as my glass began to empty, I forgot exactly why.

  That wasn't accurate. I remembered our encounter, but I forgot why I cared so much.

  Before long, we needed another round, and our server seemed to have disappeared. Daniel finally declared he was going to the bar himself to put in the order, but he disappeared into the throng and didn't return before we'd all finished sipping the last of our melted ice from the bottom of our drinks.

  "What the hell is taking him so long?" Maddy twisted her head around, trying to catch sight of Daniel in the crowd of people at the bar. "Okay, hang on. I'd better go rescue him."

  Damn it.

  I sat there, quietly, waiting for Ben to say something. The tension in the air was palpable, and I knew he wanted to, but perhaps wasn't quite sure where to start.

  "Jenna," he said, finally.

  I looked at him, reluctantly. I didn't want to talk about it. I wanted to forget about it, to forget about him, but I was starting to wonder if that was entirely possible.

  "I wanted to apologize for my behavior at the store," he said. "I didn't want to bring it up in front of everyone, because quite frankly, it's embarrassing."

  "I'll say." Raising an eyebrow at him, I took another sip of my drink. "Just so you know, I'm not expecting one. I don't really think it's necessary. You can say you're sorry all day long, but you've already showed your true colors."

  Ben shook his head vigorously. "No. That's not me. You have to understand - I hadn't slept in two days. I barely even remember what I was doing. Just that it seemed really, really crucial to have some Karamel Sutra before I collapsed in bed."

  "You probably shouldn't have been out in public," I pointed out, feeling slightly mollified - but not wanting to show it. This could easily all be a lie.

  "I absolutely shouldn't have been out in public," he agreed. "Unfortunately, I live alone with two cats and neither one of them saw fit to stop me."

  I snorted into my drink. "Are you painting yourself as a lonely spinster so I'll feel sorry for you?"

  He nodded. "Absolutely. And it's working, isn't it?"

  "A little," I admitted, acknowledging his grin with a tiny smile of my own.

  I was acutely aware that I had to be careful. People like him were nothing but trouble. All he had to do was turn on the charm for a few minutes, and he could get away with murder. Hopefully not literally. But either way, I couldn't stand his type.

  Don't get sucked in, don't get sucked in...do not look him in the eyes...

  "So, I'm sorry," he said. "I hope you'll give me a second chance to make a first impression."

  I sighed. What did he want me to say? It wasn't like he thoughtlessly cut me off in traffic - he'd been deliberately rude to me in two separate encounters, and delirium or no delirium, I felt like I'd be foolish to ignore it.

  "Let me make it up to you," he said, quietly, chipping away at my resolve. "At least I should be able to buy you a drink - right?"

  "Fine," I said. "One drink. But for the record, I have a job."

  He blinked.

  "You said, 'some of us have jobs to get to.' Or something like that."

  "Oh." He chuckled slightly. "I don't remember what the hell I said. I'm surprised I even used real words."

  He was downplaying it so well. I almost believed him, I wanted to believe him, but there was something about the way he talked that made me think he wasn't being completely sincere.

  Right on cue, Maddy came back, Daniel and our drinks in tow.

  "They're very sorry about the slowness of the table service," she informed us. "They had three servers call in tonight. Apparently some big author is doing a book signing downtown and they didn't want to miss it."

  "You ever hear of Natalie McBride?" Daniel scowled slightly. "I haven't, but apparently she's worth missing a night of work over."

  "Oh, yeah," I said, taking my drink. "Those books. His Secretary or whatever. She's supposed to be the next E.L. James. Always been a hermit, so it's kind of a big deal that she's doing public appearances now."

  Ben was staring at me.

  "What?" I shrugged. "Some people read gossip about reality TV stars, I read gossip about authors. At least they're contributing something to society."

  "That's debatable," Daniel grumbled.

  "Oh, come on." Ben was smiling. "Think of all the marriages those kind of books have saved. Every couple years, somebody needs to come along and remind everyone that women actually do enjoy sex."

  "Nobody can have sex like they do in those books." Daniel was irritated; Maddy was amused.

  "How do you know?" She grinned, picking up her tiny straw and gesturing with it. "What have you been reading?"

  "Nothi
ng," Daniel insisted. "Because books are a dying medium, as anyone with half a brain cell should be able to see."

  Maddy let out a guffaw, glancing at me. "He thinks he can read the future in tea leaves, because he's got Eduardo Saverin on his speed-dial. This is the man I married, ladies and gentlemen."

  "I don't have Wardo on my speed dial." Daniel was smiling as he glanced at his wife. "I think that was just another one of your fantasies."

  "Damn it," she said, offering him a little smile in return. For a moment, they were completely absorbed in each other, sharing some private joke.

  "Nice guy," Ben put in, looking over at me. "Oddly enough, he's a lot more cut than he was in the movie. Maybe I should put in our next drink orders now, you think? We might get them some time this century."

  I shook my head. "I think I'm done for the night. Thanks, though."

  "Really?" He glanced down at his phone. "It's not even ten o'clock."

  "Yeah, but I have to get up early in the morning. Gotta get on schedule for my new job."

  "Oh, congratulations." He threw back the rest of his vodka. "What set are you on?"

  Damn it. I'd already forgotten that Maddy told him I wanted to be an actor. At the moment, I really didn't want to even think about my ambitions, let alone discuss my utter failures with a stranger.

  "Oh, some commercial," I lied quickly. "I don't even remember. I think maybe it was a broom, or a new kind of frozen lasagne or some shit. Ads are way too abstract these days, right? It's not like I'm going to know from the copy."

  The center of his forehead creased a bit, and I could tell I was laying it on too thick. But I couldn't just admit that I was going to be the Thornes' nanny. Not when Maddy had let my plans spill - I didn't blame her. She had no reason to think I was hiding it.

  And I wasn't - I just didn't need to give Ben another opportunity to feel superior.

  Not that he was showing any signs of that tonight. At least, I didn't think so. It was hard to tell, with him. Everything about him seemed so disingenuous. Like he was putting on an act. A certain bravado, just saying what he thought I wanted to hear - or what he thought everyone else at the table wanted to hear. He was like a politician. Always pivoting, adjusting, calculating just the right thing to say at the right time. I didn't like it. I wanted him to act like a real person, for just five minutes.

  Then again - maybe our encounter in the store was him acting like a real person. Maybe the only modes he had were "politician" and "asshole." He certainly wouldn't be the only one.

  "Well, I hope it goes well," he said. "That was lucky, to land something so fast - when did you get into town?"

  I shrugged. "God, I don't know, a couple weeks ago? I've lost all track of time, I swear. Things have just been so crazy." I let out what I hoped was a lighthearted laugh. "I didn't start completely from scratch, though. I've got this cousin in the area."

  What was wrong with me? Why was I laying down the lies, so thick and fast? Did I really think I could get away with this?

  Well, yeah. It's just for tonight. Not like you're going to see this guy again. Even if he's a friend, your job is to take care of their baby when they go out. This'll probably be the last time you all hang out together.

  ***

  The night started to wind down. After we vacated our table, Maddy and I headed to the restroom, and I ended up escaping the crowds around the door before she did. As I rounded the corner of the hallway, I heard Ben's voice, a little elevated - enough to make me stop in my tracks and prick up my ears.

  "...and I don't see why you won't at least give it a chance." Ben sounded exasperated.

  "I don't do that anymore." Daniel was glancing over his shoulder - not in my direction, thankfully, but I ducked back behind the wall anyway. "At least, not with strangers."

  "They're not strangers," Ben insisted. "Don't you miss them? At least come for the social hour. Bring Maddy. I'm assuming she's aware of your tastes."

  There was a moment of silence, where I swore I could almost hear Daniel gritting his teeth. "She's not used to...all that. It's private. Between us. Not a fucking social hour."

  "I don't know what you're so afraid of." Ben sounded exasperated. I pretended to fiddle with my phone as people pushed past me, as if anyone cared what I was doing. "Give me one good reason why you don't want to come back, and I won't go straight to your wife and tell her what a pussy you are."

  I expected to hear the sound of a fist connecting with a jaw. Instead, Daniel's voice was dangerously quiet. I had to strain to hear him. "If you so much as breathe one word of this to her, I'll have you killed. I know the head of Blackwater, and he owes me a favor."

  Ben laughed. "Fine. Have it your way. But if she starts asking me pointed questions, I can't promise I'm going to be discreet."

  "And I can't promise you'll live through the night," said Daniel, calmly. "Seems like a fair trade to me."

  What the hell were they talking about? What tastes?

  My head was swimming. I felt like I should tell Maddy about what I'd heard, but why? Ben seemed to think she already knew, even though she didn't know about him. Daniel must have some kind of wildness in his past that he'd tamed, but hadn't completely left behind.

  When Maddy finally emerged, we all gathered by the door to say our goodbyes. After Daniel and Maddy disappeared into their town car, I turned to Ben.

  "You come here often?" he asked, with a cheeky grin.

  "I'm sure I'll see you again sometime," I said, brightly.

  He frowned. "It's a big city."

  "Yeah, well, apparently we buy our ice cream in the same place."

  And with that, I turned and walked away, feeling triumphant.

  Chapter Five

  Jenna

  It wasn't long before I saw him again.

  My first day with Laura was a delight. Mostly. She threw a fit when I wouldn't let her eat the corner of the rug, but we mostly subsisted in a state of quiet mutual respect. Despite her serious expressions, she was still a kid who cried at the drop of a hat and giggled when I read her favorite storybook with different voices for all the characters.

  After lunch, she seemed a little stir-crazy. She kept pressing her nose against the window longingly, and I decided I could use some fresh air too.

  "What do you think, want to head out to the park?" I asked her.

  Her face lit up. "YES," she declared, running over to me.

  She was toddling around pretty well, but not quite ready to handle city sidewalks, so I trundled her into the stroller and headed outside. The air was crisp and clear, and we both basked in the sun as we made our way through the crowds.

  While I walked, I tried to understand what it was about this city that everyone found so magical. Sure, it was alive - people everywhere, to the point where you could practically hear a heartbeat. But it was exhausting, too. I almost felt like I could hear the buzzing of everyone's thoughts, their worries, the hum of nervous energy that kept everyone swarming around in all directions like so many ants.

  The park was a little more peaceful. I walked slowly, enjoying the dappled sunlight through the leaves and letting the noise of the city fade into the distance.

  "Fancy meeting you here."

  I stopped in my tracks, turning towards the sound. Ben was ambling towards me, hands in his pockets, wearing an easy smile.

  "You didn't mention the little bundle of joy." He grinned at me, and I couldn't tell if he was messing with me or not. She was Daniel's spitting image, but he might not have looked close enough to notice.

  "Just doing a favor for our mutual friends," I said, forcing a polite smile.

  "Hey, now that you mention, I do see the resemblance." He crouched down by the stroller, catching Laura's attention with a little wave. "How's it going, Ms. Thorne?"

  She glanced at him, and then quickly back down at her own hands, squirming.

  "She can be a little shy around strangers," I said, as Ben stood back up.

  "Well, that's no surprise." He
shrugged. "But I'm sure she'll do absolutely fine for herself."

  Laughing, I gently rolled the stroller back and forth a little. "That's a fair bet. It helps to have billionaire parents."

  "Successful parents," Ben said. "Money can't buy ambition."

  "Right. I'm sure you were voted most likely to succeed among all the other trust fund babies."

  He looked a little surprised. "What makes you think I'm a trust fund baby?"

  Rolling my eyes, I didn't bother answering. Let him think that it rolled off of him in waves - he didn't need to know I was basically the Horse Whisperer when it came to sniffing out the idle rich.

  Ben folded his arms across his chest, his eyes glinting a little as he gave me an assessing look. Out in the sunlight, I could see the little gold flecks in his irises. "You haven't really forgiven me for the ice cream incident, have you?"

  I shrugged. "Doesn't really matter, does it?"

  "It matters to me." He had his hands buried in his pockets, shoulders hunched slightly - a posture that was intended to make him seem less threatening. Or maybe it wasn't calculated.

  Hell, this was a billionaire businessman I was talking about. What were the odds of that?

  I wasn't sure why he cared so much. Unless, of course, it was just the sheer irritation of some plebe seeing him for who he really was. I couldn't imagine that was uncommon for him, but maybe his charisma managed to win people over in spite of the current cultural disdain towards men like him.

  "Why don't you like me, Jenna?" He looked like he actually wanted to know. For crying out loud.

  I just laughed a little, finding it difficult to believe that I was really having this conversation. "What's your investment in this? Now that I'm the Thornes' babysitter, I doubt we'll be spending much time together socially. You can just move on with your life and conveniently forget that I ever existed."

  "But I don't want to forget," he said, sounding remarkably sincere.

  Oh my God, was he hitting on me?

  I frowned at him. Was it possible? Did he actually think, after the way we met...