Private Affair (The Private Series) (13 page)

It’s nearly dinner time and I am famished after the hours of Ben giving me my birthday present over and over again since we got home. I have to admit this is the best birthday of my life. I made Ben promise that he doesn’t need to get me anything for my birthday ever again as long as we can just spend most of the day in bed for my future birthdays.

I am getting out of the shower and I am heading to the closet to pick out a dress for tonight’s event, which Ben has told me nothing, just to get dressed up. So that is the mission I am on. I am holding up a black peplum dress in-front of my body in the full length mirror, when I hear Ben from the other room. His voice is slightly raised, but I hear no other voices so I assume he is on the phone.

I tiptoe out to the hall to get a better listen, but as soon as I make it to the entry way he sees me and hangs up the phone. “Everything okay?” I ask concerned. His forehead is creased and I know he is stressed about something, but what?

He sets the cell down on the counter and stalks to me. “Yeah, I am just fine, seeing you wet and in your underwear.”

I tuck my hair behind my ears and squeeze my thighs together, trying to subside my sudden pulsating core. He is always trying to distract me with sex. “No, really, I heard you raise your voice. What’s wrong?”

He lets out a rough sigh and tosses his hands through his hair. “Just stuff with Dan.”

“Oh?”

Ben places a hand on my lower back and leads me back to the bedroom, “Here, I’ll explain as we get ready.”

I pull my dress out and put it on the edge of the bed and wait for him to start talking, just as I am about to ask again, he finally starts.

“You remember all of the stuff that had happened with Dan and Caroline right?”

“How could I forget?” I mean really it’s not something one just forgets, that an older good looking guy goes after an attracting, mature seeming teen girl. Am I mad at Dan? No, but damn that was a messed up thing to do, to lead her on like that.

“Well, he keeps asking how Caroline is doing, even though I asked him to keep a distance.” He explains.

I go into the bathroom to dry my hair and he follows me in, “He hasn’t seen her since everything right? I mean he is probably concerned with how she is doing. That’s normal Ben.”

Before he can answer I turn on my hair dryer and let him stew on that for a minute. When I turn it off he begins to talk again, “I suppose and no he hasn’t seen her. I think he knows that I will go after his ass if he did.”

“You have to be reasonable Ben. He is your best friend and she is your sister, there will be occasions when paths will cross. A wedding for example.”

I meet his eyes in the mirror. Ha, speechless.

“Okay, okay, you made a point. Still doesn’t mean I am happy about it. They cannot be alone. Caroline is just starting to get better.”

“I know, but maybe if they talk it could help,” I try to reason with him.

“We’ll see.”

I walk into a building blindfolded. I have no clue where Ben as brought me. He is always full of surprises, so this could be anywhere and anything involved. It is absolutely silent. Ben is guiding me and when I feel his hand at the back of my head about to undo the fabric from my eyes, I open them.

“Surprise!” The room yells and I scream. Completely shocked shitless and I am taken back. I take a quick look around to see that I am in Chatz and the room is full of pink peonies and candles. And best of all my friends and family.

Ben leans into my ear and whispers, “You said you never had a birthday party … I hope this makes up for it. Happy birthday Punky, I love you.”

I whip around and wrap my arms around his neck and plant a big wet kiss on his mouth. “Thank you and I love you so effing much.”

I am pulled away from Ben by my Mom, “Happy birthday sweetheart! Wow, I cannot believe you are twenty-three and getting married. Where has the time gone?”

“Time flies when you’re having fun. Isn’t that what they say?” I play with my mom.

She reaches up and smooth’s my hair, she has a content smile on her face and I can tell for once she is relaxed and happy. “I am not going to stay long, I want you to have fun tonight and enjoy your friends, without your old Mom around.” She laughs.

I hug her, “Thank you for coming, I’ll call you soon so we can have a mother daughter day.”

“Sounds great Tess and we can start to plan this wedding of yours! Which by the way we need a date.”

I sigh and look back to Ben who is talking to Charles over at the Bar. “We will nail it this week. I promise, Mom.”

“Good.” She reaches into her purse and pulls out a little wrapped gift.

I tip my head to the side and rolls my eyes at her, “Mom, I don’t need anything, I have everything I could ever want.”

“Shut up and take the gift!” She playfully smacks my shoulder, I love my mom’s sense of humor.

I take the boxed shaped gift. It is wrapped in blue paper with cute little foxes on the paper. She still remembers how much I love foxes. I look up at her and smile. I carefully open the paper, because now I want to keep it. I see the red velvet box, I open it to find a pair of earrings. “Mom?”

“I got these for you when you were still a baby. I kept them, waiting for the day when I knew you were a woman and getting married to the love of your life. I want nothing but happiness for you sweetie.”

I start to tear up and I grab a hold of my mother as fast and hard as I can. “I love them. Thank you so much.” I pull back and look back down at the little posts. I carefully touch the delicate small pearls and tiny diamond that adorns the top of it. Simply Elegant. “I am going to wear them on my wedding day.” I confess.

Mom just smiles and wipes a small tear that escapes from her eyes. “Okay, have fun with your Brit and your friends. I am going to go say goodbye to James and this old lady is going home.”

“You’re not old!” I yell to her as she is nearing James. She just laughs and waves.

I feel a tap on the shoulder from behind me, I turn to meet my red-headed friend, and “happy birthday!” she screeches at me. We have talked since the big blow up that took place on New Year’s Eve, but it has been different, I will admit. Even more awkward with me and James, we have only really texted a few times since. I wasn’t going to push, that was some earth shaking news to come out, but it had to I think.

“Long time no see.” I say.

Her face drops, “I know and I’m sorry. I was working on things with James and a lot of school crap and helping my Dad at his office.”

I hug her, “Its fine Erin. I just want to move forward. I am not mad and honestly I don’t think I ever was, which was odd, anyone of Ben’s other pasts I would have lost it again.”

James comes over with two drinks in his hands, gives one to Erin and one to me. “Happy birthday Tessy,” he kisses my cheek.

“Thanks bro! I’ve missed you!”

He takes a deep breath in, “Yeah, well…”

He doesn’t need to explain, “I know, thank you for coming!”

“Like I would miss my baby sister’s birthday.”

Ben finally joins us and I am tensing up. I know things aren’t one-hundred percent copasetic with him and James. And with Erin, well it’s awkward. I am getting so tired of awkward.

“There is something I would like to say, while I have all of you here,” I start. My favorite three people stare at me with confused expressions on their faces. “Enough.”

“Enough?” Erin asks.

“Yes, enough. Enough of the awkwardness and the silent treatment. We are all adults and yes some shit went down and things got a little weird, but so what! No one deliberately hurt one another. It’s not like Erin hooked up with Ben last week or him cheating on me. Erin didn’t cheat on you James and Yes Ben has his pasts, but so do you and Erin. Get over it. He hasn’t hurt me. Do you think that I would be marrying a man who was emotionally abusive to me?”

“No,” James answers.

“Okay then. Erin, you know I am not upset right?”

“I know and I am so thankful for that.” I can see her body relax.

I look into Ben’s eyes now, “I know you have been with your fair share of women, but you’re not a British sex addict like Russell Brand or anything. I accept your history, do I like it? No, but it was the past. Sure you slept with Erin … didn’t remember her though, which isn’t cool, but hell, it’s in the past!”

No one speaks. “We are all good now then right? We can move forward and be happy and excited that Ben and I are going to be blissfully happily married and you two…” I point back and forth between James and Erin, “can just be happy together and love one another, fully.”

Ben raises his glass, “To the future.”

We all return the gesture and make amends, “Cheers!” We all say clinking our glasses and take a shot. Ooh, rum!

The four of us just hang out and even though most parties have more attendees I am just happy with my three favorite people spending the evening with me. Everyone looks amazing, Erin is in a royal blue shimmer cocktail dress with nude glittery pumps. James has on a charcoal gray suit, with a white loosely buttoned dress shirt, he is always classic clean cut when he dresses up. We are all getting along even better than before. This is the best birthday of my life. We have been here for only a couple of hours, it’s barely nine o’clock and I see the bar door open and I see Gwen come in and my heart skips a beat.

My first thought is something is wrong. I then see Jack hold the door open and that’s when I see Caroline step through the entry way. I rush the door and I scoop Caroline up into a big hug and I start to giggle. I am buzzed and in the best mood and this just tops my night.

“You’ve been released?” I ask, I know my eyes must be popping out of my head.

She nods with a big smile on her face. Jack reaches over and gives me a hug and wishes me a happy birthday, Gwen does the same.

I turn around and Ben is right there, “did you know about this?”

“I am the one who invited them.”

“But, you said that she wasn’t going to be out for a little bit longer…”

Ben gives me his sexy smirk, “You didn’t really think I would let you in on all of the surprise did you?”

I shake my head in disbelief. I return my attention to Caroline and tell Ben to get her a soda, “Come sit, how are you doing?” I take Caroline into the lounge and sit her down on a purple sofa.

“Better. I was able to leave a little early, because of the progress I had made. I feel … good.” She has a soft smile. My heart is full of so much love for this young woman. I worried constantly about her and I am relieved to see that she is doing well.

“When did you get out?” I ask her.

“Yesterday. But I just needed a day at home in my own room to rest and think.”

“I don’t blame you,” I assure her. I can tell she looked a little nervous with her answer and thought that it would upset me that she didn’t call me right away, which made me think. “Do you have your phone back?”

“I do, but am limited to numbers and time.”

I hear some noise coming from the bar area, I stand to go check it out and I tell Caroline I will be right back. I walk in to find Ben chest to chest with Dan. What the fuck?

“What are you doing here Dan? I didn’t invite you.” Ben snaps at his friend. I am confused I thought they were doing okay once Dan had agreed to keep a distance from Caroline… oh shit…

“Dan?” I try to break the attention from the two men.

“Hey Tess,” he greets me quickly, “You look nice.”

“Thanks. What’s going on?” I ask between the both of them.

“It’s my birthday and Ben put this together. I would have thought he would have invited you to something like this … Ben?”

Ben comes to his senses and steps back, he pinches the bridge of his nose and I know he is stressing out again. “I obviously planned for Caroline to come and with that I wanted Dan to stay away.”

Jack is coming through the small hallway from the restroom, when he hears this, “What does that have to do with Caroline, Ben?”

“Fuck,” Ben hisses. “You,” He points to Dan. “Out!”

“No! She called me asking for me to come here.” Dan explains.

I see Caroline come through the archway. “Benji, I did ask Dan to meet me … us here.”