Missy's Gentle Giant (19 page)

“And you’ve told Ben?”

“Oh yes!”  She glanced up at
Gonzalo.  “He said he’d wait.  It’s just—” 

“Out with it.”

“He doesn’t kiss me or hold me
anymore like he did then.  I liked what he did until I remembered where it
would lead—”

Gonzalo sat down beside her. 
“I think he’s afraid too, Missy—I mean he’s afraid if he kisses you or touches
you he might get carried away.”

Missy glanced up and smiled. 
“He said the same thing.  It’s why Susan was in the room with us.”

“Susan?”

“She’s a doctor.  He said she
was our chaperone.”  Missy grinned.

“Oh.”  Gonzalo rolled his eyes
heavenward.  Ben even had them chaperoned?  Damn, the guy had lost
his mind.

“Then you don’t think he’s stopped
loving me?”  Missy picked at her nightgown.

“No way!”  Gonzalo
laughed.  “He loves you more than ever.”  He pulled Missy up, turned
her to the doorway and swatted her.  “Now you get to bed and quit
worrying.”  Gonzalo watched Missy go into her room and hurriedly got
dressed.

It was after one in the morning
when Ben glanced out to his side because he noticed a car slowly following him
as he ran.  He stopped, bent over, gasped to catch his breath and
waited.  What the hell did someone want?  It surprised him to look up
and see Gonzalo when the car pulled to a stop.

“What’s wrong?”  He opened the
car door and got in.

“Nothing, just wondered if you’re
getting ready for the Olympics.”  Gonzalo grinned.

Ben groaned.  “Yeah, sure.”

“Also wondered how you were
managing to stay the perfect gentleman.”

“So now you know.”  Ben’s eyes
flared with anger.

“Look man, I’m on your side. 
Missy’s liable to take a while to come around.”  He looked out the left
window.  “You know there’s a place across the border called ‘boy’s town’
where men go to get some physical relief.”

“A red light district?”  Ben’s
shocked eyes met Gonzalo’s.  He grabbed Gonzalo’s shirt really
angry.  “Are you suggesting—”

“Nope, not suggesting a thing.” 
Gonzalo grinned.  “As a matter of fact it pleases the hell out me you’d be
insulted.”

“Then why did you come?” 
Ben’s anger flared.  “To watch me suffer and laugh?”

“No, I had a talk with Missy. 
She’s worried you don’t love her as much anymore.”

“What?”

“She doesn’t understand what
foreplay is exactly and wonders why you stopped.”  He bit his lip and
decided not to rub in knowing Ben kept them chaperoned.

“Oh.  Damn Gonzalo, I don’t
know what to do.  The first night Susan was with us all night, and I just
stayed with her because I was worried.”

“And the second night?”

“She wanted Susan to leave.  I
nearly lost my mind.”

“So Missy can’t be in a family way;
right?”

“No, I kissed her and she started
shaking when I pulled her too close.  I just tried to touch her, but she’d
start shaking if I got too close to certain places.”  He glanced up. 
“Man, I can’t keep up with things she wants and not—”  He turned his eyes
to the right window, swallowed hard and chewed his thumb.  “I don’t want
to hurt her, and the doctor said all I can do is wait.

“You have my sympathy.  Worse,
I don’t have any idea what you should do.”  He stared at Ben.  “Well
at least this last week shouldn’t be so bad what with all that has to be done.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean this next week the only way
you’ll see Missy is to glimpse at her from afar.  The family will do
everything to keep you away from her—you know showers and things.  You’ll
need to take Mom and Dad down to see the new shopping center you’ve been working
on, so they’ll know you’ve got steady work.”  He chuckled.  “Pop will
be surprised as hell.  Also need to take them to your house and show them
where you’ll live.  It’s customary to put them at ease and prove their
daughter is marrying someone who can provide for her.  One night you’re
supposed to take the family to dinner.”  Gonzalo stopped the car in front
of Ben’s house.

“You guys sure have a lot of crazy
customs.”  Ben grinned.

“Yeah, I’ll help you get through it
since you don’t know what to do.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” 
Ben smiled.  “Look man, I’ll work it out.  Don’t worry about
Missy.  We’ll work it out.”  He got out of the car.

“Thanks.”  Gonzalo
smiled.  “Ben, if I were you, I think I’d come up with a good reason for
not taking a honeymoon until you’ve got things cleared up.”

“You mean let her stay there at
home after we’re married?”

“No, I’ll talk to Mom and see if
she can talk to Missy, but as long as she’s got this problem, maybe you should
just plan on sticking around here in case she gives you too much trouble or
you’re sorry.”

Ben stood with his hands on his
hips and watched Gonzalo drive off.  What the hell did he mean?

Gonzalo was right about the
week.  Every time Ben called, Missy was gone for a shower or fitting or
something.  Monday he took her parents down to see where the shopping
center would be.  He took them up to his office and explained his
job.  Mr. Sanchez was more than impressed.  Tuesday he took them to
his house and introduced them to staff.  Mrs. Sanchez and Mrs. Diaz hit it
off right away and went to the kitchen.  Ben took Missy’s father to the
library and showed him plans for the shopping center.  They walked around
the grounds while his cook and Missy’s mother talked.  Mrs. Sanchez came
away with a wide smile.  Wednesday he took the whole Sanchez family to
dinner at the Towers, and Gonzalo was right.  He managed to glimpse Missy
from a distance.

Thursday and Friday Ben didn’t see
Missy at all because he ran into problems with work and was needed.  All
he managed to do was talk to her Mother on the phone for a few minutes Thursday
night.  He brought up the subject of a honeymoon, explained he might not
be able to take off for one and waited while Mrs. Sanchez told Missy. 
When Missy grabbed the phone to tell him it was all right, he could sense the
relief in her voice.

Ben was out jogging Friday evening
when four cars screeched to a stop in front of him, and all nine Sanchez
brothers got out.  Ben stopped.  What now?  Another fight? 
He was surprised when he was pulled into one of the cars and taken to a local
hot spot.

“Forgot about the bachelor party
did you?”  Marco grinned.

Ben felt numb inside as he was led
to a private room.  Missy’s brothers had a ball entertaining the dancers
they hired.  Ben and Gonzalo reminisced about Iraq.  He was glad they
were just drinking beer.  He could handle it.  Since the night he
proposed, he’d felt no desire to drink scotch.  Still he was really
laughing and enjoying himself when Gonzalo helped him up to his room.

Saturday morning when Gonzalo came
by, Ben was a nervous wreck.  He couldn’t find a thing while he
dressed.  He lost the ring three times.  His head was killing him,
and the aspirin didn’t work.  Gonzalo and Mrs. Diaz shoved him like a
zombie into the car.  Then the wait at the Church was interminable.

Tears came to Ben’s eyes when he
finally saw Missy in her beautiful white gown holding her father’s arm at the
end of the church aisle.  She was a vision of loveliness and all his
doubts were permanently removed.  At that moment he became hers
forever.  During the ceremony, he was especially conscious of their
promises, her promises to him.  And Missy’s eyes opened even wider in
surprise when Ben added the words he’d never hurt her.  But after their
teensy kiss when the priest declared them one, the rest was a complete
surprise.  Everyone threw rice and rose petals at them as they left the
Church.  The entire neighborhood was present.  Rather than drive to
the reception, a Mariachi group serenaded them while Ben walked Missy back to
her parents’ house.  Her parents and brothers followed behind them as did
the entire neighborhood.

He then learned their reception had
been planned as a street dance.  Dinner was served to the neighborhood
buffet style from the Sanchez yard while musicians set up to play.  They
danced the first dance, drank champagne, cut the cake and re-promised
themselves to each other.  Ben danced with her mother and others while she
danced with her father and brothers too.  It surprised him when her brothers
picked him up and carried him around, even started undressing him as guests
chased after him, and how Missy, swept in gathering his clothes and tried to
protect him.  Jealousy sparked in his eyes as he went through the ritual
of allowing her to dance with every male who paid for a dance.  He saw the
same flicker in her eyes when he danced with women who paid to dance with
him.  He didn’t understand the customs and drank too much champagne. 
Then suddenly kidnapped by Gonzalo, they were swept into Ben’s car and the chauffeur
took them to their home.

Reality hit Ben.  No more
chaperones!  Now what?  Nervously he led Missy upstairs to their
room, glanced around, mumbled something about her changing and left.  He
thought maybe Missy would want something to eat, raced downstairs to find Mrs.
Diaz and discovered absolutely no one was in the house.  Slowly he walked
back upstairs and paced in front of the bedroom for several minutes.  Then
he took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.

Missy was sitting on the side of
the bed in a beautiful, frilly, white night gown which sent blood racing
through his body.  She shook nervously, and tears rolled down her
cheeks.  Reality had hit her too, and now as Mrs. Ben Spinelli, she had
wifely obligations to fulfill.  Her mother had told her all about how from
now on she must not deny her husband his needs.  And then her mother
warned her: if she wanted to keep her man faithful, she must smile and appear
to happily do his bidding.

Ben raced to her and hauled her
into his arms.  “Please don’t be afraid of me.”

“I—I—I’m—no—not—Ben.”  She
cried and shook more.

He kissed her hair and tried to
comfort her.  “I won’t hurt you.”  But when he pulled her close she
shuddered more.

“Ben I—”

“Go on and get into bed,
honey.”  He pulled away and held her at arms length.  “I’ll sleep in
another room.”  Stifling a groan, he turned her away and pushed her toward
the bed.  As he held the covers up, he fought with his urges, covered her,
bent over her and kissed her lightly.  “Missy I love you.”  He swept to
a bureau to get some clothes and was gone.

Ben alternately cursed and groaned
in the next bedroom while he took off his tux and put on a sweat suit. 
Still dying inside, he started running at the top of the stairs.  The way
he felt, he might have to run all night.  Damn!  Tomorrow he’d take
her out sightseeing or something to make up for trying to push her.

Guilt and fear riddled Missy so
much she got out of bed and went to the window.  It surprised her when she
saw Ben running away from the house.  For a long time she stood at the
window while his figure receded from her view.  Had she married a nut who
ran at night?  Eventually she became tired of seeing nothing and went back
to bed.  She was sure now Ben didn’t want her and had married her only
because she said she was in a family way and to please her parents.

As with many nights before, Ben ran
until he hurt and was forced to walk home.  By now, after so many nights,
anyone but a fool would run halfway, so he could run back, but Ben ran to
exhaustion and forced himself to walk back.  In agony he climbed the
stairs slowly, breathing heavily and dropped on the bed in the other
bedroom.  What else could he do?

Chapter Ten

At seven in the morning Missy
opened her eyes and saw Ben standing in front of the bed with a breakfast
tray.  Quickly she scooted up to sitting and hugged her legs.

“Thought I’d bring you some
breakfast before I have to leave.”  He stiffly put the tray down.  It
hadn’t been in his plans to go to work, but he’d received an emergency call and
was already dressed.

“Thank you.  You’re going to
work?”  She watched as he pulled a jacket from the closet.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, honey, but they
called and need me—”

“No, it’s all right.”  She
forced a smile.  Had he really received a call?

“Mrs. Diaz will be here around
nine, and the people working on the pool should come around ten.”  He
turned away and glanced at her through the mirror while he adjusted his clothes
and brushed his hair.  Picking up his billfold, he took a deep breath and
then turned to her.  “Ask Mrs. Diaz if you want anything.”  He
glanced at his billfold, walked over to her and dropped it on the bed.  “I
won’t be in until around six, but Geevers will take you anywhere you like if
you decide you want to go out.  If you do go and get an urge to buy
something, you can use any of the credit cards.”  He glanced away and then
back at her with a forced smile.  “Missy, I love you.”  He bent and
kissed her forehead before he turned away and was gone.

After a near sleepless night,
Missy’s day was miserable.  Without even touching her breakfast, she rose,
dressed and carried the breakfast tray downstairs.  She was wandering
aimlessly about the house when Mrs. Diaz came in wearing a knowing look. 
Ben must have called her.  Instantly Missy felt her face turn crimson and
ran sobbing to the bedroom.  When she threw herself on the bed, it made
her angry to have Ben’s billfold poke her in the ribs, so she grabbed it, threw
it across the room and cried herself to sleep.  Just after ten she awakened,
got up and saw the men were working on the pool.  She forced herself to go
downstairs and face Mrs. Diaz.

“What time shall I plan
dinner?”  Mrs. Diaz smiled.

“Ben said he’d be
in about six.”  Missy wandered out on the grounds.  It surprised her
when Mrs. Diaz came out just after one and told her she was wanted on the
phone.  Missy felt a rush of excitement hoping it was Ben.  Instead
she stood by the phone while Mrs. Diaz told Missy her mother wanted to know if
everything was all right.