Tears of Endurance (Romantic Drama) Book #1 (6 page)

Chapter ten

On Sunday morning, Arianna awakened with a feeling of freshness and optimism for her week ahead. She pulled on a loose sweater and made her way to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. She peered through her window and smiled as she was greeted by the clear blue sky and the vibrant sun beaming down onto her house. Not a cloud could be seen anywhere. She observed two magpies as they were pecking away at something on the ground she couldn’t quite make out. She recalled the old magpie rhyme from her childhood:

“
One for sorrow,

Two for joy,

Three for a girl,

Four for a boy,

Five for silver,

Six for gold,

Seven for a secret never to be told.

Well, two magpies equates joy
, she thought, smiling to herself as she took another sip of her coffee. Then the landline started ringing and swiftly brought her back to reality. “Hello.”

“
Hey, it’s Casey, how did last night go? So sorry I couldn’t be there, I was up most of the night with Charlotte. She definitely has a virus, poor thing, I just hope it doesn’t pass to Aaron now.”

“
Casey, it was amazing, a complete success, to say the least. Oliver’s artwork was a big hit. I knew it would be, he is an amazing artist. I even bought one for myself, Casey, and it’s beautiful. Can’t wait for you to see it. I adore his work, it’s truly unique.”

“
I’m so pleased for you, Arianna, you deserve it, and at least you can rest easy on the financial front for a while now too.”

“
Hey Casey, there was this guy who came to the show last night called Ben, there was a kind of connection between us, I think. I know what I said about not wanting to get involved with anyone right now, but then I did not figure on this guy last night. Casey, there was just something special about him, I can’t put my finger on it, but take my word for it. His presence actually made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, it was really quite incredible.”

“
Oh my God, Arianna, did you get his number?”

“
No, but he is coming to pick up his painting on Tuesday. I did offer to have it delivered to him but he was rather insistent on collecting it himself.”

“
Well, that says it all, he wants to see you again. How exciting, although, as your friend and given recent events, I will caution you to be careful.”

“
I know, Casey, and I will. I have no intention of ever being fooled by a man again, once bitten and all that. There really was something about him, though; I haven’t been able to get him out of my head since.”

“
I have to dash, Arianna, we are heading to Warwick Castle with the kids so I will catch up with you in the week, okay? How about lunch on Wednesday?”

“
Lunch would be great, same place as usual, the Coleshill Hotel, say around one o’clock?”

“
Perfect, you can tell me about any developments with the delightful Ben over lunch.”

“
Casey, give Charlotte a big kiss for me and tell her I shall pop over and visit her soon.”

“
I will do, she would love to see you. You know how much she adores you.”

Arianna rung off and her thoughts turned back to Ben. She was very much looking forward to seeing him again. A warm fuzzy feeling ran through her entire body as an image of him the night before took up pole position in her mind. With a wide smile on her face and a spring in her step, she made her way into the bedroom and threw on her gym clothes. Forty minutes later, she was heading to the local gym situated at the back of the high street. She loved Coleshill
; everything she needed was right on her doorstep; the gym, hairdressers, florist, post office, banks and much more. Some weeks she hardly left the small town and had to remind herself there was a whole world outside Coleshill.

Everyone was dressed for summer as they meandered up and down the bustling high street in sundresses and shorts. Two young children whizzed passed on their bikes and Arianna swiftly stepped back as they cycled passed.
“Sorry, lady,” the young boy shouted. Arianna heard the familiar ring on her phone; it was Casey.
I could have sworn she said she was out for the day
, she thought as she fumbled for her phone at the bottom of her gym bag.

“
Hey, I thought you were busy today?”

“
I am, look, we just arrived in Warwick and guess who we ran into? You’re not going to believe this, only your ex, Justin, and he was with a tall blonde, ambling along without a care in the world, until he ran into us. He looked embarrassed, as he will have known you would have told me about the money he stole from you. He said a quick hello, introduced his new girlfriend and then he couldn’t have walked away quick enough. I simply said to him he should be ashamed of himself and that you were better of without him. His girlfriend looked away, seemingly embarrassed, like she knew what I was talking about. I have to say, Arianna, it felt deliciously good to make him squirm like that.”

Arianna stood rooted to the spot, her stomach flip-flopped at the mere mention of Justin
’s name, and not in a good way either. It made her feel sick to the stomach.

“
So Casey, I have to ask this pathetic question, what did she look like?”

“
Okay, I won’t lie to you, she was attractive, but not in a unique stunning way like you. She looked like every other attractive blonde,” reassured Casey. She didn’t want her friend to feel any worse than she knew she was feeling right now, but at the same time, she was her best friend and they always told each other the truth, no matter how painful the deliverance.

“
Well, I should have guessed. I knew it was someone from work, but that’s all I knew about her. She is welcome to him, Casey. I still feel sick to the stomach every time I think about what he did. The lying cheat. Look, thanks for calling me, you really could have waited until you got home you know. Now go and enjoy your day and I will catch up with you in the week.”

Casey felt really bad for Arianna
; they had been best friends since forever and she could never understand why Arianna was drawn to these bad boys. She wanted nothing more than to see her in a settled, happy relationship. She was kind and thoughtful, with a giant heart. Casey had always admired her friend, the way she journeyed through life with conviction, never swaying from her path and always knowing where she was going. She’d always wished she could have been more like her in that way. Since the death of Arianna’s father, something had changed in her. Her vision became blurred where men were concerned, as intelligent and astute as she was in business, these attributes failed Arianna in her personal life. Her all-seeing business eye was blind when it came to matters of the heart. She always wanted to find what her parents had, a love that conquered all storms. Unfortunately, her search, to date, had been in vain.

Arianna rang off and continued towards the gym, her mood somewhat changed and her heart feeling heavy and weighing her down tremendously.
Why oh why, at 36 years old, have I not met the man of my dreams, my life partner, and my soul mate? I need to change my path and take a new turn or I am destined to be single forever
.

Arianna pushed herself really hard in the gym, more so than usual. Letting go of all her pent-up frustration was good for her and she was feeling a little better. After a 45-minute workout, Arianna headed for the showers. On her way out of the leisure centre, she checked the events board to see what was happening in her area
, before bidding goodbye to the receptionist and heading off home to make a quick change before heading over to her mother’s for lunch. Sunday lunch would be hearty and heavy if she knew her mum and she was suddenly rather glad she had had a workout as she knew full well she would not be able to resist her mum’s cooking once it was put in front of her. Just the thought of her mum’s homemade gravy and oversized Yorkshire puddings made her mouth water; her stomach started growling as she headed towards Knowle, a 20-minute drive away.

The small
village of Knowle retained considerable charm despite being on the very edge of the West Midlands conurbation. Arianna had loved growing up in the quaint village and her mother still lived in the same house to this day. After her father died, she vowed never to sell the house or leave the village, as she felt like it would be a betrayal of their happy memories. Arianna fully understood her mother’s feelings and saw no benefit in persuading her otherwise, even though it was a large house and really too much for one person to manage. She just hoped her mother would employ some help as she grew older, a cleaner to help with the house and a part-time gardener perhaps. To date she was adamant she could manage alone and refused to entertain the idea of outside help, always standing firm in her decision.

Arianna pulled onto her mother
’s driveway and climbed out of her car. She grabbed her handbag off the passenger seat and locked up before walking towards the front door, where her mother was already standing, looking as perfect as ever and ten years younger than her 62 years suggested. “Hey, come here and give your old mum a big hug.” Sofia’s arms were wide open and filled with warmth as she wrapped them around Arianna.

“
Oh, I really needed that hug, mum, and less of the old. You look fabulous for your age and you know it too. So what’s for dinner then? I’m starving.” They walked into the house and Arianna shut the large oak door behind her.

“
Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, your favourite, dear.”

Arianna spent the whole afternoon catching up with her mum and filling her in on the night
’s events at the gallery. They ate dessert in the conservatory several hours later, after their dinner had gone down, and made plans to go shopping together the following week. After several hugs, they said their goodbyes and Arianna headed on home, full to the brim and feeling tired.

Chapter eleven

Ben was rudely awakened by his rather annoying alarm clock; he placed his hand over the top to turn it off and stumbled out of bed while still trying to adjust his tired eyes to the bright morning light. He made his way to the bathroom, turned on the shower and stood underneath it with his eyes closed for a few moments, allowing the warm water to flow over his sleepy body and slowly wake him up. Ten minutes later, feeling refreshed and ready for the day, Ben felt a rush of excitement flowing through his veins at the thought of seeing Arianna again. An image of her formed in his mind and he smiled at the thought of seeing her today.

He threw on a navy sweater and a pair of perfectly fitting jeans then he pulled on his chocolate brown Timberland boots and glanced at his image in the full-length mirror.
That will do
, he thought to himself as he ruffled his hair, smiling as he made his way towards the kitchen, with Charlie following closely behind. “Today is the day, Charlie. What do you think my chances are, buddy? Bark once for yes and once for no.” Charlie spun around in a circle and barked then rolled over on to his back on the tiled floor. “Well. I hope you’re right, Charlie.” Ben filled Charlie’s bowl with his favourite food and popped two rounds of toast into the toaster for himself. He glanced at the white envelope sitting on the kitchen counter and was reminded of his out-patient’s visit the following day at the Westview Hospital. He was no longer feeling concerned about his headaches as they had subsided over the last couple of weeks and he was feeling altogether better.

After breakfast, Ben took Charlie for a quick walk before hopping into his car and making the 25-minute drive to Coleshill via the M6. He was surprised to discover he was feeling rather nervous, a feeling he
’d not felt for a long time. He felt a knot forming in his lower stomach and shook his head.
This is just unbelievable, I hardly know this woman and already I feel like a teenager asking a girl out for the very first time
, he thought as he approached Coleshill high street and slowed down accordingly. He drove around to the back of the high street and parked opposite the local leisure centre. As he neared the gallery, he took a deep breath before turning the corner and entering the building, where he was greeted by a smiling Arianna. The first thing he noticed was the sparkle in her eyes and beautiful warmth that radiated from her smile, a welcoming smile that eased his nerves. Arianna swept a stray hair from her face as she came out from behind her desk to greet Ben.

“
It’s lovely to see you again, Arianna. I’ve come for my painting.” Ben could not take his eyes off her, he was enamoured by her and wanted nothing more than to get to know the woman behind the warm smile.

“
Likewise, Ben. I have the painting ready for you, follow me it’s in the back room for safe keeping.” As Arianna walked gracefully in front of Ben, his eyes were drawn to her lithe, toned legs and perfect silhouette. “Here it is, Ben, and may I say what a great choice you have made. This is a beautiful painting. I had three more offers for this particular piece that night and one person even offered above the asking price. But I put him right and told him that’s not how I work! If a painting is sold, then it’s sold and that’s that.”

Ben liked her even more by the minute
; not only was she beautiful, she was also a woman who was not swayed by money. “Thank you for not selling my painting to a higher bidder; there are many that would have in your position.”

Arianna smiled and indicated for him to follow her upstairs to the main gallery.
“I too bought a painting on Saturday from my own show. What do you think?” Arianna stood in front of the enigmatic and deeply emotional painting.

“
Wow, that is beautiful. I see you too made a great choice.”

Ben and Arianna stood in silence for a while, admiring the painting before them, then Ben decided the moment couldn
’t be more perfect. He turned around and looked directly into Arianna’s eyes. “Do you fancy going to lunch sometime?” Ben waited with great anticipation for an answer, but remained cool, not showing his nerves.

Arianna picked up her bag from the chair then looked to Ben.
“That sounds like a great idea. How about right now? I was just about to close up for lunch anyway.”

Ben could not believe his luck. Smiling wide like the cat that got the cream, he followed Arianna downstairs and waited outside the gallery while she locked up and turned the sign indicating to any customer she would be back in an hour over on the door.

“I thought we could lunch at the Coleshill Hotel, they have a great lunch menu and the service is second to none,” suggested Arianna.

“
Well, as it comes so highly recommended, the Coleshill Hotel it is,” said Ben, smiling.

They strolled up the high street looking like a perfectly-matched couple. Arianna glanced in Ben
’s direction, took in his square jaw line, and noticed the cute dimple in his chin, which made her smile. She liked what she saw and was very much looking forward to getting to know more about him. She wondered why such a tall good-looking guy like Ben was single; she’d already noticed his wedding finger was devoid of a ring, which pleased her no end. Most men of their age were either married or divorced with children, she wondered if Ben had any children.
Most likely
, she thought, not deterred in any way as they turned and walked through the main entrance that led to the bar of the Coleshill Hotel.

Ben took out his wallet at the bar and turned to Arianna with an irresistible boyish smile.
“So what is the lady drinking?”

Arianna
’s face flushed at the intensity of his smile. “An apple juice, please. I don’t drink while I’m working, I would never make it through the day!” Arianna walked over to the booths at the back of the room and sat down. She watched intently as Ben waited for his order, taking in every inch of his six-foot muscular frame. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind she was attracted to him. She felt nervous and light-headed when he was near her and she liked the way he looked at her, like he could really see beneath her exterior shell. He made her feel beautiful.

“
Okay ma’ lady, one apple juice with ice and a napkin and, following your lead as I have to drive back into Birmingham city centre, I have opted for an orange juice!” Ben took the seat opposite Arianna and watched in fascination as she circled the rim of her glass with her finger and then looked straight into his eyes. For a few silent moments, his eyes locked on hers and he felt a tingling sensation running down his spine; it was an intense feeling. Their connection was a strong one, and one they could not deny. The last thing Arianna wanted to do was go back to work, she wanted nothing more than to spend the whole day with Ben.

“
So Ben, tell me something about yourself. What do you do when you’re not entertaining ladies for lunch?”

Ben pondered her question for a moment, unsure how much to reveal about his recent accident. Then he decided to just come right out with it and tell her.
“Well since you ask so nicely, I am the chief engineer for an international company and also a partner in the firm. I recently had a near fatal accident and spent two months in hospital, one month of that was spent in an induced coma. So I am on leave, recovering right now.”

Arianna was unsure how to respond to Ben. She was completely thrown by his answer and never expected it in a million years.
“You’re looking pretty good, considering what happened,” she replied curiously.

“
I was following up on a big project. I had climbed the scaffolding to the top of the building when it collapsed, it was only the two small breaks on the way down that broke my fall mildly and the reason I am here today. So you see, I have everything to be thankful for. I have spent the last 12 to 15 years working myself into the ground; it was all about my career and the next project for me. I had stopped living and stopped going out because once I was home, I was too tired. I would go to work, go to the gym, and go home; that was the sum total of my day. I had no time for anything else. I believe my accident was a wake-up call; it made me re-evaluate my life and just how much I was missing out on. I realised I had let many friendships slide for my career and, as the years were passing by, I was taking fewer holidays and not really living at all. It took a near death experience to wake me up from a deep sleep! And believe me when I say I am truly wide awake now and ready to live, I mean it.”

Arianna listened intently as Ben told her all about the accident and his long stay in hospital. She was mesmerized by him and surprised he had survived such a horrific fall.
“Anyway, that’s enough about me. Tell me about you and your obvious passion for art as it’s clear to me you absolutely love what you do.”

Arianna shifted on her seat, feeling slightly nervous now the spotlight was on her.
“Yes, I am extremely passionate about art. Ever since I was a child, I have been drawn to beautiful paintings. My mother used to take me to the art galleries in Birmingham at my request while my friends were begging their parents to take them to the zoo or a theme park. I was always a bit quirky. I would spend hours upon hours drawing at home and I was always happiest when I had a sketch pad and a pencil. I studied art at university and once I graduated, I worked for an art gallery in Birmingham. I’ve always had an eye for art and it was my dream to own my own gallery so I worked hard and saved hard and then two years ago, I finally opened Freedom Gallery of Contemporary Art. It was the happiest day of my life. It was a struggle to stay a float in the beginning but I persevered and eventually I started to make a small profit.”

Ben was in complete awe of Arianna, and now even more so. Not only was she beautiful but she was independent and filled with a deep passion for what she did. She spoke with conviction about her gallery and it was clear to him that her gallery was everything to her.
“That’s very impressive, you should be very proud of what you have achieved. Not many people follow through with their dreams, it takes a lot of determination and drive to achieve what you have and I really admire that.”

Arianna checked her watch and gasped.
“Ben, I am so sorry, I would love to stay and talk longer but I have to get back to the gallery. Maybe we could do this again sometime.”

Ben
’s heart sank, he really didn’t want his lunch date to end. “Look, I have been invited to a garden party this coming Saturday by my secretary, well, it’s more of a barbeque really. I would love for you to come, if you’re available?” Ben fidgeted on his seat, praying she would say yes.

Arianna
’s eyes lit up and this did not go unnoticed by Ben. “That sounds perfect, I would love to come.”

Ben smiled and then handed Arianna his card.
“If anything crops up and you can’t make it, just call me on this number. I already have your card so I will call you Friday to confirm what time I shall pick you up on Saturday.”

They looked deeply into each other
’s eyes as Arianna stood up ready to leave. “Ben, it’s been lovely getting to know you, thank you for lunch.” She wasn’t sure whether to shake his hand or just say goodbye when Ben took her hand and kissed her gently on the cheek.

“
The pleasure was all mine. I shall see you Saturday, then.” He smiled nervously.

Arianna
’s face flushed with teenage-like excitement. She couldn’t believe the effect that Ben was having on her and she knew she wanted to see more of him; she liked the way she was feeling, a lot. “Yes, Saturday it is.”

Ben watched as she left the bar and sat back down to finish his drink. He felt like punching the air with his fist he was so happy. Tristan was due at Ben
’s apartment around eight o’clock and they had planned to watch the football and order a takeaway, which he was really looking forward to. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Tristan’s face when he told him he had a date, as it would be the last thing he would expect of him right now, especially after their heart-to-heart in Brighton. Thoughts of Arianna ran amok through his mind; he thought about kissing her full lips and simply could not wait for Saturday to arrive. He realised now that what he’d had with Dena was not real at all, as she never made him feel the way he was feeling for Arianna right now. The more he was getting to know her, the more he wanted to know. He dared to imagine what it would be like to hold her in his arms and that thought kept him smiling all the way back to Birmingham. Arianna had a way of making him feel at ease in her presence. Their conversation flowed effortlessly and he could have spent the whole day getting to know her.