by Lauren Wood
Ben tries to push out of the crowd, “Come on folks I have to get through. I’m sorry I can’t sign any autographs right now.” When he’s on the other side, he sees the carriage going as Sara runs away.
Chapter Nine
Sara slowly makes her way back home. She had been mortified that she would be banished. However, she had stopped at her grandpa’s home and talked to him. She had told him about everything, and he had assured her that he would see she could stay. She had felt so happy, like her prayers had been answered.
She sees Ben watching her approach as she draws the buggy up to the barn.
“Look I’m sorry about today; I know I’ve made it so awkward for you. What can I do to fix it?” He had covered the space so quickly, she jumped when he talked.
“My grandpa said it will be okay. Some of me is sad about that though. However, I can’t leave because of the kids. I’ve never felt like I fit in her anyway. It just proves to me more than ever after today. Even if he has talked them into it, that doesn’t mean they’ll be any nicer to me.”
“What about when the kids are old enough to move out? Would you move out of the community after that?” He asked. Ben wasn’t sure why he wanted her to say yes, but his heart felt like it was on fire as he waited.
“Yes I would.” Sara answered.
Ben couldn’t hold himself back; he covered her mouth with his. It started as a light kiss, but soon deepened. He felt rocked when he stepped back. He’d never felt that way from a kiss in his life.
Sara looked up at him. “You can’t stay, there is no reason, and we would only be tortured.”
Ben wanted to argue, but he knew she was right. He wanted to kiss her again and do much more with her. He shrugged his shoulders and walked away from her.
Sara felt like she would break down as he left. Her knees were going to buckle. She made her way back to the house after he was gone. She couldn’t bear to have been there when he had his suitcase in hand.
Maybe they would see each other again one day, but she didn’t know. If she had been hoping anymore to hear the words, she might have asked him. “Ben can I come stay with you when the kids leave?” But she hadn’t said it. She had wanted him to ask her.
But how could she expect that from him, he didn’t want long-term. He would surely go back to LA and forget she even exists. Sara felt like she was going to cry.
Finally making it to the house she went to her room and crumpled on the bed. Now she let the tears come freely and she did. Her sobs came in loud sounds from deep inside of her.
Chapter Ten
Ben had left Lancaster what seemed like ages ago now. He had gone straight to the ranch that was now all his. This had been his first visit in years though, and he saw how run down the house had been.
He spent any free time he had at the farm house fixing it up. He had plans to be in this house soon, and hopefully Sara would be with him. There hadn’t been a day that passed that she wasn’t on his mind.
He woke up in the morning and thought of her. He pictured Sara as the woman who he was playing opposite in the movie. On screen it had been pure magic.
The Oscar was his almost before the movie was even in the can. The talk had been all about how Ben North had pulled off an amazing drama role. He had even seen one review, after the movie was out, that said, “If I didn’t know better I would swear Ben North used to be Amish.”
Tonight was the big of the event, and his nerves were up high. Even though he had almost been assured the win was his, he still wondered if he would win.
Ben wished that Sara could be by his side for the event. He wanted everyone to know who had truly inspired his performance. He knew how true it was.
During the filming he had pictured Sara and how he would feel being betrayed by her. His heart had felt like it was ripped apart while they were filming the scene of his breakdown. Not a tear had been left dry after he was done with the scene. It had taken the director several minutes before he could even call cut to the scene.
Ben thought at that moment that he deserved the Oscar. He hoped everyone else had the same experience when they had watched the movie.
He walked into the event, several cameras flashed in his eyes.
“Mr. North, do you think you’ll win tonight?” He heard a reporter call out to him.
“I’ll win if God is willing!” Ben smiled and moved on.
He hated all the glitz and glamor now, he had once loved it so much. Now he couldn’t wait for this to be over and be back in Texas. He wondered how the world would feel when they heard Ben North was retiring?
Ben would do that for her. He wanted to spend his time with her. So if she did come, he would spend his days with her.
“The Winner for Actor of the Year is, Ben North, for his work in Amish Love.” He heard announced and stood up automatically.
He got to the podium and cleared his throat. “I’d like to thank you all for this award. To the director and all the other people who helped me do so well in this role. The biggest thanks though goes to a woman who will never hear this speech, Sara Albright. She was my in to the Amish community, she taught me many things. She was my inspiration for this film, and thanks to her, I played a tremendous role.” He finished and the room exploded in applauds.
Ben left early, skipping the after party. He didn’t want any questions; he simply wanted to escape to Texas and work. He had sent a letter out yesterday to Sara. He wondered if she had received it yet.
**
Sara wondered every day what was up with Ben. She had now had to resort to having Sally and Henry go to market. Her tainting hadn’t rubbed off on them. She was trying to distance them from her as much as she could.
Sara had been pushing them out the door more and more lately. Telling them to go and mingle. She thought it was working out well, she had heard Henry talking about one of the young girls.
Soon he would be proposing to her. She could hope that she said yes, that would be one sibling out of the door.
Sally would take a bit longer. She was quite shy and wouldn’t talk to many of the young men who approached her. Maybe her grandpa would speed up the process, she could hope.
Today had been the second time she had sent them to the market together. She had no choice. She had tried to go and had found that all of the Amish let her know just how lucky she was, who her grandpa was. They suggested that she not show up at the market again, or she might not make it back. She could feel the anger coming from them, and was sure they saw it as justice from God. Sara had gone home quickly, shaken to the core by the whole thing.
The next market she had convinced Henry and Sally they should go by themselves. They had sold a bit of the food they had taken along. Sara hoped this was a good sign that they were more accepted.
“I hope they don’t turn against them too. Please God if you’ve ever done me a favor this would be the one I want the most.” She prayed allowed.
For what seemed like the hundredth time of the day she wondered what Ben was doing right now. She wondered how many girls he had bedded since he’d been back in LA.
As if a sign from God, she opened the mail box and found a letter from Ben. She held it to her heart for a second, and then quickly ripped the letter open.
My dearest Sara,
I hope this finds you well. I’ve thought about you every day since I’ve left. I don’t know how close you are to having the children out of the house, but please find these tickets for a bus trip to Texas. I went there when I first left Lancaster, and have since been fixing up my childhood home. I would love if you come to live with me here. I want to have you in my life and only you Sara. These tickets can be used whenever you are ready, I’ll be waiting! Just call me from Amarillo and I’ll come and pick you up right away.
All my love,
Ben
SEDUCED BY THE BILLIONAIRE BAD BOY
Selma fought to keep her tears back. The voice over the PA announced that all working personnel needed to report for fl
ight 340, but she was frozen as she gripped the phone. “What are you saying?” she whispered.
“Babe, I feel like you’re not hearing me. We’re done. Sarah and I have been seeing each other for a few months now, and I’m happy with her. Can’t you be happy for us?”
“Happy for you? Greg, we’ve been together for two years. And Sarah is my friend. You’re not seriously telling me that you’ve been cheating on me,” she hissed. She felt her chest squeeze with anxiety. She’d been expecting Greg to propose, not break up with her.
“Cheating is such a harsh word babe. Sarah is my soul mate. If you loved me, you’d be happy for me.”
Narrowing her eyes, she finally let her anger take over. “You know what Greg? I do hope you and Sarah are happy together. I hope you’re happy that she’s ruined the best thing you’ve ever had,” she yelled before slamming the phone down.
Wiping the tears away, she turned to find an incredibly attractive man staring at her. Really? She just had to lose the man she thought she would marry, and the first man that she laid eyes on afterwards looked like be belonged on the cover of QC?
Probably another asshole. I’m sure he’s cheating on some unsuspecting and loving woman.
“What are you looking at?” she hissed before grabbing her luggage and stalking away. To make things worse, she now had a long flight ahead of her to London. Luckily, she’d be able to spend several days there before her flight back. She’d been looking forward to a small vacation. Now it was a necessity.
An older flight attendant met her on the plane and looked her over critically. “Your make-up is streaked,” she growled.
Flight attendants were supposed to look like perfection at all times.
“I’m so sorry. I can touch it up quickly.”
“Fine. You’ll be stationed in first class today. Fix you make-up and get to work. I’ve been told that we have a VIP on board today.”
First class? Selena’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh, can I please work coach? I don’t think I’m in my right mind to work first class.”
The woman surveyed her coldly. “I don’t make the manifesto. Get your make-up fixed and get to work.”
Great. First class meant a bunch of rich assholes that wanted to slap her ass and demand entertainment. It took inner strength to deal with first class, and she simply didn’t have it today. “Fine,” she muttered as she headed to fix her make-up. Her blond hair was still perfectly coiffed on top of her head, but her mascara was streaked. She made the necessary arrangements and went to start the pot of coffee. When they made the call for first class passengers, she positioned herself at the opening and tried to smile brightly.
As the passengers filed in, she directed them to their seats. Her heart dropped when she recognized one of the passengers.
“Ma’am.” The gorgeous man from the airport gave her a coy smile as he took his seat.
“Sir,” she swallowed hard. He could easily get her fired if he told anyone how rude she’d been to him. “I hope you enjoy your flight.”
“Oh, I intend to.” He stowed his bags above and took his seat. She groaned inwardly. It was going to be a long flight.
Hastily, she went back to greet the rest of the passengers. Taking her position at the front, she went through the motions of the safety speech. To her dismay, the man never took his eyes off her. Selena tried to focus on her motions, but she couldn’t help but feel like she knew him from somewhere.
The hours passed, and his eyes never left hers. She felt them when she went up and down the aisle to serve drinks. He asked for a glass of wine, and she was almost disgusted with the thrill of excitement that raced down her spine when his fingers brushed against hers. Jerking back, she narrowed her eyes in what she hoped was a stern look. She was not in the mood to flirt with someone who made more money in a day then she probably made all year.
Straightening her spine, she went to prepare the food. As she handed out their gourmet salmon dishes, he gave her a wicked smile. “Looks delicious.”
Rolling her eyes, she continued walking. He didn’t seriously think she was going to give him a pass to the mile high club simply because he appreciated the way she looked?
Then again, maybe he was simply talking about the salmon.
Safely behind the curtain, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. In her mind, she could see her boyfriend with his lips pressed to her friends.
Ex-boyfriend. Ex-friend.
When it was time to walk down the aisle with the trash bag, he took his time dropping his plate and cup in. His eyes lingered on hers. “Thank you. Everything was wonderful.”
Selena had expected something offensive to come out of his mouth. She almost smiled with relief. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she murmured.
“Selena, is it? You’re doing an excellent job making this flight entertaining for me.”
And there it was. She shook her head in disgust and walked away. The damn plane couldn’t land fast enough.
Finally, she got her wish. Wearied, she stood at the door with a smile. One by one, the passengers filed out. “Enjoy your time in London,” she muttered over and over again. She turned to do her final sweep through the cabin before she realized that there was one person left. Of course it was him.
“Sir? We’ve landed,” she said politely.
“Yes, I’m aware,” he said as he rose. “I wanted to speak with you in private, Selena.”
“Sir, if there is something bothering you, you can take it up with the airline,” she said stiffly.
“Selena…”
“You realize that I’m a person, right? I know there’s a lot of sexual innuendo surrounding flight attendants, but I am not here to indulge in one of your fantasies. All you men are the same. You just follow your dicks and forget that you could actually be hurting people in the process. Well, I am not interested. So please gather your things and exit the fucking plane,” she hissed. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she reddened. He nodded his head and quietly pulled down his luggage. Without a word, he walked away. Her heart pounding, she slowly lowered herself on trembling legs. No doubt he would get her fired for sure. Now she’d lose her job and her boyfriend all in one day.
“Way to go Selena,” she grumbled. It was all Greg’s fault.
***
Dragging herself to the hotel, she sighed with relief when she made it to the front desk. The taxi was grueling, and she’d been waiting for that moment where the airlines called her and fired her.
“Selena Cutler. I’m here with Junction Airlines,” she said tiredly. The front desk assistant widened her eyes. “Ms. Cutler! Yes!” She cleared her throat nervously and clicked on a few keys. “There have been a few changes. You’ve been upgraded to the penthouse.”
“The penthouse?” Selena nearly choked. “There must be some mistake. There’s no way the airlines is paying for me to stay in the penthouse.”
“No mistake. Besides, there are no other available rooms. So it’s either the penthouse or nothing.”
Selena blew out her breath and sighed. “Are you sure the airlines are covering this? I mean, why would they upgrade me?”
“I’m not sure, but our penthouse is very expensive. From one worker to another, take the room.”
Truth be told, Selena didn’t have the strength to fight. “Fine,” she muttered. She snagged the key and dragged her bag to the elevator. A bellhop tried to intervene, but she wasn’t in the mood. “I got it,” she barked as the elevator doors closed. All she wanted was a bath and bed. When she opened the doors to the penthouse, the view stole her breath away. The windows that surrounded the room gave her a panoramic view of London. “My God, the rich do have it made,” she muttered as she kicked off her shoes. With a smile of glee, she got a running start and jumped on the bed. Bouncing on the plush comforter, she let out a squeal of excitement. “Oh, this is the life.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Screaming, Selena jumped from the bed and lifted her hands
to defend herself. Leaning against the doorframe to the bathroom, the gorgeous man from the plane smirked at her.
“Oh my God, are you stalking me? Did you arrange this? This is beyond sick. I’m calling the police.”
“Whoa, hold on. I haven’t even had a chance to introduce myself. Joshua Guard.”
Selena froze. “Joshua Guard?” she whispered. “As in the Joshua Guard that owns Junction Airlines?” “The one and only. But that’s not important…”
She snorted and held up her hand. “I’m sorry, what? How is that not important? How were you on the plane and no one knew?”
“Well, I suppose it’s because none of you remember the handbook. My photo is on it,” he said dryly. “Not to mention that I still have to provide an ID to get on the plan as per federal law.”
Selena had two options here. She could beg for her job or she could tell Joshua to take a flying leap off a tall building. “Mr. Guard…” she began before a sudden thought struck her. Narrowing her eyes, she crossed her arms across her chest. “Exactly what am I doing in the penthouse suite?
You may be rich, but it can’t be legal to just change my room like this.”
“I own the hotel.”
Of course he did. “That still doesn’t answer my original question. You’re clearly staying in this room, so why am I staying in this room?”
“You were quite rude to me in the airport and on the plane. I thought you might like the chance to make it up to me,” he said with a small smile. Tired, Selena asked the first question that came to mind. “Is my job dependent on what happens in this room tonight?”
“I can see where you might be that impression, but I’m not that sort of man. I take a personal interest in my employees, and it’s clear that you’ve had a bad day. I’d like to see how I could help. I can’t have you being rude to more people on the flight back, now can I?” Joshua crossed the room to the mini-bar and poured himself a drink. “Whiskey?”
