by Laura Domino
Unable to get to her office, Benita stood with them at the back of the crowd. This was Jane’s day for a party, but Benita couldn’t help wishing there would be a day like this for her.
Being focused on her work since she was promoted to her current job two years ago had made Benita a huge success. They all knew she wasn’t a little girl in a big job. But was it worth it? Here she was at thirty. No boyfriend.
Jane’s party reminded Benita of all the missed opportunities for boyfriends and all the parties she didn’t go to. Maybe she would’ve been invited out with the girls more if she didn’t put work above pleasure. Her priorities were different, and everyone knew it.
Some girls needed a wedding and all the pre-wedding parties, just for the attention. Benita never dreamed of a wedding shower. She dreamed of promotions. The last promotion was a step stool to this one. This promotion will pave the way for the next one. Wouldn’t it be great to have this momentum snowballing into whatever kind of executive position she could end up with? She could show the other ladies that moving up in this company wasn’t just for the boys.
Gail and Dee laughed with the others, moving in closer, blocking Jane from Benita’s view. The crowd continued to keep Benita from her office. The laughter and chatter of the women were a significant distraction. There was a lot to do today.
A chorus of “Awww” echoed through the crowd. It sounded like Jane was still opening cards. Her coworkers kept visiting and laughing. The crowd roared with a sudden blast of laughter, followed by several women hushing them down to a hum.
As if from out of the sky, a tiny bouquet of flowers wrapped in ribbon fell into Benita’s hands.
Dee shouted, “It’s Benita.”
“You’re next.” Gail said, winking.
“No. That’s at the wedding, not at the shower.” Benita smiled at them, but she wondered if they were enjoying the irony of the bouquet coming her direction.
And why were they taking so long getting back to work?
She didn’t have time for this. Benita pushed gently through the crowd with a sweet “Excuse me” and sat at her desk. Paperwork wasn’t going away because of Jane’s approaching happy ever after. But she might as well face it. She wasn’t going to get anything done during her lunch hour.
Work ethic. Even when no women urged her onward. Even when men assumed she would quit. With no boyfriend at her side, she could be brilliant and successful.
With no boyfriend, she could be miserable and alone. For the rest of her life.
Benita hated feeling weak and distracted. She just wanted to go home.
XOXO
Adam remembered the terrible feeling he got yesterday when Benita tried to get him to go home before he’d had a chance to let her know he’d brought the movie. He was glad things eventually worked out, but it was a tense moment.
What a great time for him to have brought the movie with him. She was so close and so comfortable with him.
He had needed to see her yesterday.
Just like he needed to see her today. Especially after their late-night visit.
It was difficult to tell her about missing his brother. He had wanted to laugh all night, not think about sad things. And usually, she brought a smile to his face. She probably had no idea how much he enjoyed being with her. Not willing to jeopardize the time he had with her, he wouldn’t allow himself to call it a date. He was with her almost every night, but it wasn’t a date. He was a teacher.
The screensaver on his laptop started up. It goaded him into getting back to work. Being caught thinking about Benita again made him realize how often she distracted him from his work. He had created some scripts for them to use to speak to each other at tonight’s lesson. Most of it was commonly heard phrases for business situations. A few scripts were based on shopping and restaurants. She was going to have excellent Spanish skills.
Of course, he couldn’t continue to accept payment for his efforts. It wouldn’t be fair. How could he accept payment and ask her out too? Didn’t seem right.
He needed to ask her out.
Adam tried to stop thinking about her and focus on proofreading the scripts before printing them out.
After closing down his computer, he picked up the scripts off the printer and stuffed them into his duffel.
He looked at his clock. Plenty of time left before he had to show up at Benita’s. Too early to leave. He could call Dan and see how he was doing.
Adam found his phone on the kitchen counter by his keys and dialed the number he found in his contacts list. It was the number for Dan’s room, not the nurses’ station. He’d let it ring for a while.
No answer. Dan might be in one of his moods. Or he could be sleeping. The phone call could’ve turned his attitude darker because it woke him up from a good dream.
He ended the call.
XOXO
Adam arrived at Benita’s door just two minutes before she turned the corner and smiled at him. Just like yesterday, she smiled while walking to her door. However, in Adam’s mind, she was walking to him. “No rain on you anywhere? Dry clothes today?” His fake-surprised expression made her laugh.
“I don’t know what happened. I was out there for the longest time, but the rain wouldn’t fall.” She opened the door for them and closed it behind them.
He threw his duffel onto the sofa. “How was work today?”
She laughed again. “What are we? An old married couple?” She mocked his voice, “How was work today, darling?” Then mocked in her own perfect-wife voice, “Fine, dear. And you?”
It sounded great to him. But he didn’t know if she was making fun of him or getting used to him. At least she was laughing. That was a good sign.
She put her backpack beside his duffel on the sofa and moved closer to him. “So I guess, today, let’s start with a client meeting situation so I can focus on the sentences I should be using to persuade and impress. I’ll give you a sentence in English, and then you can tell me what to say so I don’t sound bad in front of a client.”
“Right. But I’m the teacher, so let me help you. I think you need some drills first.”
“I’m taking over, aren’t I? I can back off.” She nodded.
“No, you’re fine. The vocabulary drills will strengthen your client meeting practice when we do that later.”
“Got it. Not ready for it yet.”
“I have an idea. Tell me if you don’t want to do it. I think we can multitask today, but it’s up to you.”
Her smile brightened with anticipation. “What? I like this. First, a surprise movie yesterday, and now a surprise idea.”
“Okay. Don’t get all excited. It’s… Well, it’s…” He grabbed her by the hand and led her to sit with him on the sofa. The electricity of their touch rocked him. His heart sped up. It was pumping blood everywhere in his body except his brain. He couldn’t think. Trying to act like he didn’t feel it, he let go as they sat. They were sitting closer together than they were last night because of the duffel and backpack taking up more room. This was what he wanted. Being close to her. But now he had to really focus on his idea. “I have a friend in the hospital.”
“Oh, no.” Her face shone with compassion.
“I called him before I came over here, but he didn’t answer. He could have been sleeping or whatever. I haven’t been over there to visit today.” He swallowed and slowed down to say what he planned to say while he worked on ignoring his racing heart. “So here it is. Do you want to take a very extremely quick trip to the hospital and check on my friend with me?”
“Sure.” She had no hesitation.
He looked away, trying to play it cool. “We can study in the car.”
“I think a change of venue will be great. And then we can study again when we come back here after.” With a smile, she shook her head. “I don’t mind.”
“Have you eaten dinner because we could…”
“I’ve already eaten. I can study with you in the car or anywhere you want.” Her voic
e was melodic. She hadn’t been this cheery since he’d met her. What had happened today at work to make her so happy?
They grabbed a couple of books to use in the car. Her living room bookshelf was starting to have a noticeable Spanish section.
As they arrived at the car, he stopped before opening her door. “Benita, this is Trusty Rusty. TR, this is Benita.”
“You’re kidding. You named your car?”
“Sure. It’s been in my life a long time. I can’t trade it in just because of a little rust.”
“Well then, Trusty Rusty, nice to meet you.” She laughed and entered the car.
Having her in his car was great. He loved the car. And being with Benita was the best thing to happen to him in a long time. Putting the two together in the same place? Awesome.
And it was another good way to get her comfortable with him before asking her out. If he could remove every excuse and every possible reason for her to say no to him, he’d have a lot more confidence in his voice when he did ask her out. And he was going to. As soon as possible.
Adam pulled into the hospital parking lot and discontinued the vocabulary and conversation drills. Walking with her into the hospital, his pace matched hers, fast and free. They stepped up to the sidewalk in front of the building, and he controlled his desire to reach out to hold her hand. She wasn’t the grim and overtired, gray-suited woman he usually met with. Her lessons were serious because she was. But not now.
Except for the fact that they rarely touched each other, they were comfortable with each other. She playfully raced to push the elevator button before him. Laughing, she proudly proclaimed, “I’m the winner.” And then pointing to herself, she interspersed laughter through the rest of it. “Winner, winner. Make my dinner.”
“What?” Adam couldn’t believe her ability to be so carefree with him today.
“Just kidding. Don’t make my dinner. You know. It’s just that it rhymes. I’ll settle down now.” She took a breath and slowly let it out. “Settling down.”
“If I had known you’d be like this, I’d have taken you to the hospital long ago.” Adam wasn’t sure he should have said that, but he meant every word.
They left the elevator on Dan’s floor and slowly approached his door. Adam listened for Dan or the nurses talking about Dan. The floor was quiet except for the intermittent beeping scattered through the rooms. He walked into the room first and saw Dan in bed, frowning as usual.
Dan’s eyes widened at the sight of Benita. “Brought a girl with you? I wasn’t expecting that.” His gaze danced between the two of them.
Adam walked with her a little closer to his bed. “Dan, this is—”
“I know who this is. It’s your girlfriend.” He actually smiled. Partying Dan had become Dark Dan lately, but now there was light in his face.
“No. Do you remember when I told you I got a job? Well, this is my student.”
“You told me you met a girl, and you got a job.” He chuckled, obviously enjoying this more than Adam had expected. “Looks to me like it’s the same thing. Tell me how I get a job like that.”
Benita laughed. “I’m Benita. I take Spanish lessons from Adam.” She held out her hand for Dan to shake.
Shaking her hand and then just holding onto it, he directed his gaze just to her. “Well, I’m mighty pleased to meet you. And I’ll tell you something about this guy.”
“No. Dan, you’re not going to overwork yourself by telling a story about me.” Adam smiled, resisting the urge to cringe in front of Benita. Dan couldn’t be stopped. He’d talk until he was through.
“Overwork. I’ve spent my life overworked and underpaid. This is the first time getting overworked has been fun.” He finally let go of Benita’s hand. “Now I had just come back from working overseas when I saw this little guy playing by himself outside.”
“Oh, brother.” Adam had to groan or Dan would wonder if he was paying attention.
Benita was riveted, beaming at his storytelling.
Dan watched Adam. “Your brother was inside with your mother when I came up to the house. But there you were right by the front door, making a mud pie. When you were little, you were always making mud pies. You know why? Do you remember?”
Adam nodded.
Dan shifted his focus back to Benita. “His dad had this thick black beard. Little Adam would stick his face down in the mud pie so he could walk into the house with a mud beard and look like his dad.” Dan’s eyes twinkled with delight. “Only this time, right as I walked up, he stuck his head down in the mud and came up crying. He was just wailing. I looked at him to see what was wrong. His mud pie was too close to the concrete step up to the house. He hit his head on the step and tore the skin. He raised his head with his mouth wide open and tears streaming down his face. His poor little head was covered in mud and blood and tears and spit from crying. So I took the slobbering little thing inside to his mother so she could clean up the boy.”
Benita looked over at him. “Aww. Adam. All covered in mud. No stitches, I hope.”
“No stitches. Thanks, Dan. Thanks so much.” He shook his head, grateful he hadn’t told a much worse story.
After a few more minutes of visiting, Adam patted Dan’s shoulder. “I’m glad to see you looking better today. I called earlier, but you didn’t answer. I was worried.”
“Nobody needs to worry about old Dan.”
“We’re going to let you rest now. I just decided to see for myself how you were doing.”
“Thanks for bringing your sweetheart.”
Benita laughed. “Bye, Dan.”
Adam walked with Benita out his door and closed it behind them.
“Sorry for the sweetheart comment. I think he was having fun scheming against me today.”
“He was fine. I didn’t mind. I think we cheered him up.”
“You certainly did.”
Adam walked Benita back down to the car and drove to her place. Walking to her door, she kept up her Spanish conversation exercises from the car. Then she stopped before opening her door. “Tomorrow, you have to… No. Wait. Por favor, Adam.”
He waited. “Please? Please what?”
“Well, maybe… Gracias. Yes. Gracias first. Then, por favor, Adam, take me back with you to visit Dan.” Her face was serious.
Adam didn’t know what to say. “I could do that.”
Her hands were on the doorknob, but she wasn’t opening the door. “Tomorrow.”
“Okay.” His voice seemed a little hesitant to his own ear. He wasn’t sure what he sounded like to her.
“Tomorrow. No excuses. Don’t forget.” She let them into her living room.
“It’s mañana.”
“Mañana. Gracias.”
Adam didn’t know what had come over her. “You’re different today. Did something happen at work?”
She shook her head as if saying “no,” but her turned-up lips were not in agreement. “Well, yes.” Turning to the duffel, she sat on the sofa and changed focus. “Okay. Now let’s get into this duffel. You said you brought something for us to do. We still have time.”
Her smile was his first priority today, so he gave up on getting the details behind the change of her mental state. He sat and unzipped the duffel. “I printed out a script of a few different conversations you can have in a professional setting.”
“You said later. I thought you meant later on in the week.”
“I feel like you’re ready to be challenged.” He shrugged. “This is more fun than repeating after people on a video on your computer.”
“I’m in.” She took the script he handed her.
Adam helped her practice for more than forty-five minutes, verbalizing through a few different professional scenarios. He could tell she was getting tired. “I should leave. You look like you could use some rest.”
“What?” Benita looked at the clock on the fireplace mantle. “Come on. It’s early. It hasn’t been a whole hour.”
He smiled at her willingness to pres
s on even though she was obviously tired. “It’s not early. But it will be if we keep going all night.”
She became quiet, thinking. “Adam?”
“Yes?”
She gave him a long stare, right in the eyes. Whatever was puzzling her was thrown out of her head with a groan and an eye roll. “Okay. Time for you to go.”
“Wait. What was that? You were going to say something.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Just like that?”
She rose from the sofa and stood in front of him with her hand out. “Leave the scripts. I’ll work on this and be better at it next time.”
“You’re helping me up?”
“Come on, Adam.”
He took her hand and stood, ending his motion in a quick tug to get her a little closer.
She smiled and let go of his hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Sorry. What? You’ll see me when?”
“It’s mañana.”
Adam nodded and walked to the door. “Mañana. Gracias.”
Chapter 14
It was Friday night and Benita hadn’t come back to her apartment. Adam waited for twenty minutes in front of her door, the whole time thinking she was just seconds from turning that corner and walking to him.
He gave up. Instead of waiting at her door until she arrived, he’d let her call him when she was ready. Of course, he’d be at a nearby cafe, waiting helplessly. He picked up the duffel and strode toward where the hallway turned the corner.
Weighing his options, he slowed, listening to footsteps that sounded like they were headed in his direction. It could be Benita. He had one second to decide whether to fuss at her and let her see his frustration or act as calm and kind as possible.
Or he could just leave. He was frustrated enough at their loss of time together to do that.
He started around the corner but was surprised by her slamming into him. What was she doing on the wrong side of the hallway?
