Mustard on Top

by Wanda Degolier

  Helen sucked in a deep breath and on the exhalation said, “Don’t start fighting with him like a bull elk. I don’t think Seth intended to hurt me.”

  Ben bit back a retort. He didn’t want to argue with her, but disagreed about Seth’s innocence.

  “This was mostly my fault. I didn’t manage my diabetes well.” She laughed, while frowning. “Theo was right I guess. I apparently need a keeper.”

  “It wasn’t all your fault Helen.”

  “Does Theo know about this?” She gestured toward her leg.

  “Not yet.”

  “Please don’t tell him about the insulin shock, he may not go to college.”

  “Helen.” Ben’s voice dropped an octave. He disagreed with her decision.

  “I know.” With her free hand, she pinched the bridge of her nose and asked, “Did you get everything done in Chicago or do you need to go back?”

  “I need to go back.”

  “Don’t tell Theo that. I don’t want him to delay college over this. I’ll be fine.”

  Ben’s wanted to protest, he didn’t want to lie more to Theo. “Have they told you about your leg?” he asked.

  “My crushed bones? A year in a wheelchair unless it’s the rest of my life?”

  Ben tried to smile at her nonchalance and failed.

  “No. They haven’t.”

  “You’re taking it well.”

  “My leg will be crushed whether I complain or not. Besides I’ve got good drugs.” Helen winked, seeming is if she felt no pain.

  “That’s true.”

  “I’ll walk again, don’t you worry. Honestly, I’m lucky to be alive at all. But enough about me.”

  “You never did like being the center of attention.”

  “What happened that made you so late to Theo’s party? Nothing bad I hope.”

  That seemed like a lifetime ago. “I was supposed to meet with the attorneys I’m handing my cases over to, but I ended up in a meeting with all the partners.”

  “Oh? What happened?”

  “They offered me a partnership.”

  “Partner? Isn’t that a big deal?”

  Although he’d turned the offer down, their asking had meant a lot. Ben smiled at the memory.

  “Mom.”

  Ben’s gaze swiveled to Theo as he walked in the room. Helen pulled her hand from Ben’s and reached for Theo. Theo veered around her leg then leaned in for a hug. The look of affection and concern on Theo’s face caused Ben’s eyes to mist over.

  “Hey Sweetie,” Helen said.

  “What happened to your leg?” Worry lines etched Theo’s face made him appear older than his eighteen years.

  “Oh this. A little break. I’ll be fine. Did you enjoy your party?”

  “Dad left messages on my phone saying he couldn’t find you last night. What happened?”

  “Call me from Emerson College tomorrow and I’ll we’ll talk. Right now I’m kind of tired.” Helen closed her eyes.

  “But—”

  Helen held up a hand. “Not now. I want you to go home and pack like you planned.”

  “The pain killers she’s on would knock out a horse,” Ben said in collusion. “Maybe we should let her sleep?”

  Finally, Theo acknowledged Ben. “What’s up, Dad?”

  Ben stood and they slapped into a fierce handshake. “Are you okay?” Ben asked.

  “Better than Mom. So what happened?”

  “How about we talk while you’re packing. I can help get all that stuff your mom bought for your dorm packed in your car.”

  “Does this have anything to do with Seth?” Theo asked.

  “Why would you ask that?” Ben wanted to know.

  “He’s been all over the news. He died in a car accident early this morning.”

  “What? What happened?” Ben asked.

  Theo shrugged. “I guess the police went to his house to question him about something. They were knocking on his front door when his garage opened, and Seth tore out of the place in his Jaguar.”

  “And?”

  “It turned into a high-speed car chase that lasted an hour. There were seven different cop cars from two counties. Seth lost control of his car, hit a median, and flipped.”

  “Was anybody else hurt?”

  “No. It was a single car accident.”

  Ben ought to be upset, instead the news eased his mind. “I’m sorry Theo. I know he was your friend.”

  “Yeah. Last night sucked.”

  “Come on. Let’s let your mom sleep.”

  ****

  Seth was dead. Helen pressed a tissue to her wet eyes. While she’d objected to much of his behavior, she considered him a friend. He’d lived in the shadow of his fame and could never come to terms with being ordinary. If only she had refused to go skydiving, so many things would have turned out differently. The thought made her cry harder.

  Someone rapped on her door before stepping into her room. Not wanting anyone to witness her tears, Helen faced the window.

  “Are you all right?”

  Helen tried to stifle her tears. “I’m fine.”

  Gina, one of the nurses, stepped into Helen’s line of view. “You’re not fine.” She had kind, golden eyes, and dark honey hair that framed her concerned face.

  “I’ll be okay,” Helen said in a nasally voice.

  “Has anyone talked to you about counseling?”

  Helen shook her head.

  Gina sat in the chair next to her bed. “I think counseling might help. Often patients with debilitating injuries can benefit from it.”

  Not wanting to be rude, Helen gazed at her. “I have a journey ahead of me.”

  “My son went through a similar thing. He broke his leg in three places snowboarding. The amount of anger he bottled up...” The woman shook her head and looked skyward.

  Helen realized that Gina assumed she been crying over her leg. Gina was so far off base, Helen chuckled. She swiped the last of the tears from her face. “I’m sorry. Yes, they did talk to me about counseling. My mind was elsewhere.”

  Gina smiled, patted her good leg, then stood. “Things will get better.”

  “I know. Thank you.”

  After the nurse left, Helen stared at the window and thought about her leg. More surgeries. Rehab. She wouldn’t be able to work. She hoped Theo would stay in school after he learned the extent of her injuries. And what of Ben? He’d been offered a partnership. She didn’t know much about law firms, but she knew becoming a partner was a big deal. She wouldn’t keep him from that.

  Although Ben may have turned the position down and chosen to stay in Nalley for Theo’s sake, Helen was sure he’d prefer to be in Chicago. The smile on his face when he mentioned the partnership offer showed how important it was to him. That fact hurt worse than her broken leg.

  When had she begun to crave his genuine affection? When I fell in love with him, she admitted to herself. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. The situation stunk of the past. Small-town girl falls for local, golden boy with big-city aspirations. What a messy burden she’d become.

  Chapter 18

  The morning passed in a haze of pain. Helen felt perpetually drunk and in her coherent moments, when she hurt the most, she fought to keep her spirits up. She hated the idea of being dependent and was determined to recover quickly.

  Ben and Theo had returned to the hospital after packing, and Helen had pretended everything was fine. It was evident Theo wasn’t aware she’d be in recovery for at least a year. The trio played board games and talked until visiting hours were over. Since Theo planned to leave early the next morning, they said their last goodbye. With Ben already in the hallway, Theo stood in the doorway and stared at her. For once, Helen couldn’t read his expression and feared what he was thinking.

  “Go forth and prosper young man,” Helen called.

  Theo’s smile was weary. “Bye again.”

  “Bye. Go.” Helen waved and finally Theo turned away.

  If nothing else, the hospital stay allow
ed Helen to catch up on her sleep. At ten o’clock the following morning, she roused. She called Theo to make sure he’d gotten off to college okay. When he told her he was on the road, a spike of joy flared in her chest. She’d won, her little boy was pursuing his dreams. She told him not to drive and talk on his cell at the same time, and wished him luck before hanging up.

  She couldn’t wait to share her giddiness with Ben. When noon rolled around and he hadn’t appeared, disappointment crept up on her. She told herself she’d been unrealistic to assume he’d be by her side day in and day out and quelled her angst.

  At three p.m. Helen was angry for forgetting their relationship was a ploy. Of course, Ben would distance himself from her once Theo left. One hour rolled into another, and the sun sunk in the sky. Ben had been offered partner. Was that a game changer? Had Helen been abandoned again?

  The emotion strengthened her resolve to never depend on anyone.

  A snippet of conversation outside her room caught her attention. She recognized the timber of Ben’s voice and her traitorous heart sped up. Ben walked into the room wearing a well-fitted, business suit, and looking like he’d just stepped off the red carpet. His broad shoulders and narrow waist cut impressive lines. “Ben? What’s going on?”

  Ben’s warm smile filled with her light. He closed the door, and turned off all the lights, except for one. He knelt on knee next to the bed.

  “Ben?”

  He reached into his pocket and retrieved a velvet, red box, and snapped it open. A diamond the size of a large pea sat atop a golden band. Even in the poor lighting, the diamond sparkled. Helen’s heart thumped in her chest. “What are you doing?”

  “What I should have done years ago. Helen, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  “Wife?” she squeaked. Helen fought her growing excitement. What about his partnership? She couldn’t believe Ben wanted marriage. Guilt must have motivated him. “I don’t understand.”

  “Will you marry me?” He held the ring out. Helen wanted to fondle it, to wear it.

  “What about becoming a partner in your law firm?” Helen asked.

  “I turned the offer down.”

  “Because of my leg? Because you think I need a nurse?”

  “Huh? No.”

  She didn’t believe him. “Why would you want to be with a lame, diabetic, hot dog-stand owner instead of being a partner in a prestigious law firm?”

  “For your information, I view you as a vibrant, caring, creative woman with a big heart.”

  “Is this some sort of deal you struck with Theo?”

  “Of course not.” Ben guffawed convincingly, but Helen had witnessed his acting before and didn’t trust him.

  Ben was meant for bigger things. He’d been too big for Nalley in high school, and he was too big for Nalley still. “I can’t Ben. I’m sorry.”

  His eyes went soft, and the corners of his mouth drooped. The light within him seemed to dim. “As you wish.” Ben rose to his feet, with his shoulders slumped he left the room.

  Fresh pain, one the drugs couldn’t dull, carved a hole in Helen’s gut, but she couldn’t let Ben’s guilt motivate him. In time, he’d resent her.

  “Helen?” Agatha stood, framed in the door.

  Helen sighed. There’d be time to mull over the conversation she’d had with Ben.

  “Is now an okay time?” Agatha asked.

  No. “Can you turn on the lights?”

  The lights flickered to life, and Agatha, wearing a svelte, pine-green pantsuit, entered. Helen held her breath, hoping Moe didn’t follow. He didn’t.

  Agatha sat in the chair next to Helen’s bed. “Is everything okay? I ran into Ben, and he looks like someone has just signed his death warrant.”

  “He asked me to marry him.”

  A grin spread across Agatha’s face. “How wonderful.”

  “No it’s not. He’s trying to alleviate his guilt. He’s trying to fix a wrong by taking care of me now. He proposed for all the wrong reasons. I don’t need a nurse.”

  Agatha studied her. “One could argue the point dear.”

  “He’ll transfer the guilt onto me. No thanks.”

  “I think he genuinely cares for you.”

  That he cared for her was obvious; that he wanted to tie himself to her and Nalley for the rest of his life was not.

  “How are you feeling?” Agatha asked.

  “I’m fine. There’s just this darn takes-a-thousand-years-to-heal broken leg to contend with.”

  “Does it hurt?”

  “Not too bad.” Compared to a sharp stick embedded in her eye.

  Agatha cocked an eyebrow. “I have news and an idea for you.”

  Helen cringed. Surely even Agatha wouldn’t bring up the IPO while she lay in a hospital bed. “Lay it on me.”

  “First, I interviewed a girl who I think would be perfect as a manager while you’re recovering.”

  Although Helen didn’t appreciate Agatha taking over Hot Diggitys, she was grateful. “Thank you for taking care of things.”

  “I had a thought,” Agatha said.

  Not in the mood for Agatha’s thoughts, but knowing she needed to deal with the situation, Helen said, “Go ahead.”

  “If we had a manager for the Nalley Hot Diggitys, you could oversee the opening of new franchise sites, work on the new menu, and work on quality control. You could even be part-time if you wanted. You would get more time to take care of yourself.” Agatha smiled. “According to my calculations, within a year you’d even be making the same salary.”

  She’d be able to spend more time creating recipes, her favorite part of the job, travel, and get paid? Plus, she’d have more time to take more classes. The plan sounded perfect, yet Helen was skeptical. “Would Moe be involved?”

  Agatha sighed. “It’s not necessary.”

  “Sounds too good to be true.” An added benefit to the IPO deal was the influx of cash that would secure her independence. It occurred to Helen Hot Diggitys might be the only place where Agatha’s money would be safe. Helen could return Agatha’s investment if Moe took everything else. “Is there an IPO offer if I refuse to allow Moe to be part of the deal?”

  Agatha flinched. “Ben’s gone through my contracts with Moe. He says I’ve done a good job protecting myself. There’s no need to—”

  “I refuse to deal with Moe,” Helen interrupted.

  Agatha sighed. “Then yes. I’ll invest alone.”

  “You don’t have that kind of money.”

  Agatha grinned sheepishly.

  “Do you?”

  “We’ll need to amend the documents to omit Moe’s name, but the rest will stay the same. I wish you wouldn’t do that though.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Aren’t I always?” Agatha asked.

  “Draw up the agreement between me and you, and I’ll sign it.”

  “I’ll give it to Ben—”

  “There’s no need, I trust you.”

  “What I find ironic is that you trust everyone, but Moe.”

  “And you don’t trust anyone, but Moe,” Helen pointed out.

  “Touché.” Agatha held out her hand. “Truce. I’ll redo the contract, so you and I are the only parties.”

  “Sounds perfect.” Helen accepted Agatha’s offered hand.

  Agatha said, “Congratulations. I predict in five years you’ll be on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine.”

  “You’re nuts.”

  ****

  After Helen’s rejection, Ben returned to Chicago for nine days where he listed his condo on the market and tied up loose ends with his firm. He’d also orchestrated a meeting between his mom and Theo in Detroit. His mom showed up at Emerson College and presented Theo with homemade cookies and a refrigerator for his dorm room, and Theo was instantly smitten.

  Even leaving behind Theo and his mom, it felt right to be back in Nalley. For the first time in two weeks, Ben stood behind the register at Hot Diggitys taking orders while Moe cooked
hot dogs.

  Despite his knowledge of Moe, Ben found he liked the man. Self-educated and bookish, a life of crime didn’t fit him. After learning bits and pieces of Moe’s upbringing, Ben understood why Moe had made poor choices.

  Hot Diggitys stayed busy and time passed quickly. Soon, the end of the day greeted an exhausted Ben. The more time Ben spent at Hot Diggitys, the more his respect for Helen grew.

  Ben was cleaning the tables that dotted the perimeter when a man with unkempt hair and ratty clothes approached. Ben averted his gaze. The man drew near, and Ben smelled urine and sweat. Ben moved to a table further away.

  “We heard about Helen,” the man said. “We wanted to help.” He set a paper bag on the table in front of Ben, and Ben looked up. It was the homeless man Helen gave food to. Randy? Roger? “Can you make sure she gets this?”

  “Sure.” Ben picked up the crumpled sack. The bottom sagged, threatening to break. The guy pivoted and walked away. Ben unrolled the top and peeked inside. Loose change filled the bottom with dollar bills scattered throughout. A twenty-dollar bill peeked through the copper and silver.

  “Moe.” Ben hollered over his shoulder.

  “Yo.”

  “We need twenty dogs. Anything we got.”

  “Huh?”

  “Right away.” Ben shouted as he grabbed the bag and hurried toward the retreating man. “Sir.” He didn’t hear, or he didn’t answer. Either way, he walked slowly, and Ben caught up. “Excuse me.”

  The man turned, his hands trembling.

  “If you can wait a few minutes, some hot dogs are cooking for you.” His name was Randy, Ben decided.

  “That’d be nice. I got a hole in my stomach.”

  “My pleasure,” Ben said.

  “Are you her boyfriend?” Randy asked. Ben’s surprise must have shown because Randy added, “You drove with her in that fancy car of yours a couple of times.”

  “I want to be her husband.”

  “But?”

  “But she turned me down.”

  “Fancy guy like you? What’d you do wrong?”

  Where to start? “How much time do you have?” Ben half joked.