Chapter 14 Benson
Benson
Tax season had Benson chained to his work desk more often, thanks to most of his clients wanting to come in and discuss their finances before taking it to their CPAs.
Where about one third of his workday was all to himself before…
well, when Benson logged into his scheduling app at the start of the day now, everything was booked solid.
The introvert in him wanted to absolutely die.
Yet he persevered. Most of the clients coming in were alone or couples, and he always did better one-on-one than trying to wrangle groups of people into understanding his points.
Especially now. While working all day was distracting and went by quickly, at night, he was left alone with his thoughts. Sometimes, Eden dropped by to wrangle dinner and spend the night, but Benson often slept alone during tax season. Assuming someone didn’t live with him.
I slept alone the last time we were all together, too.
Liam’s bed was too small for both him and Benson to be comfortable all night, let alone with Eden between them.
As soon as they were asleep, he snuck out with a spare blanket and crashed on the couch.
Having room to stretch and not worry about crushing his girlfriend was worth it.
They both gave me hell in the morning. Benson hadn’t minded.
But he did prefer his giant king-sized bed, especially if sleepovers were on the docket.
Drew knew better than to bother him this time of year, but they still shared texts. She even asked him how Eden was doing, which surprised him. Maybe she’s already coming around to it. She then asked him how Liam was doing, as if she assumed her father would know.
“Yeah, I talked to her,” Liam confessed when Benson invited him over the following Thursday night to discuss this.
If he doesn’t come here, we won’t get this done.
No going out to dinner. No ambling over to Liam’s.
Benson had about two hours to decompress every evening before he passed out.
And even now, as he and Liam ate takeout on the couch, Benson had to fight nodding off.
“She saw us at the zoo. As you can imagine, she was both unamused and confused that her dad’s girlfriend was dating another man. Let alone me.”
“The fuck did you tell her?”
Liam shrugged. “The truth, with as few words as possible. To her credit,” he continued, before Benson could rip his head off, “she already kinda knew how our relationship worked before we broke up.”
“How? She was a kid!”
“A very smart and perceptive kid. She quickly figured out that we were together, right? Despite you trying to hide me in your closet.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Yeah, yeah, you were afraid she would tell her mom, and might tell everyone else that her dad was dating a dude. Whatever. That’s not the point.
” Liam kicked his feet up on the coffee table and tossed his empty Styrofoam container onto the seat between him and Benson.
“I wanted to clear things up with her. So, I took her out to lunch.”
“Without telling me?”
Liam gave him such a discordant look that Benson immediately shut up. “She’s an adult now, Ben. Nothing shady about it.”
“Don’t remind me she’s an adult.”
“Yeah, well, she really let me know her opinion of Eden without having formally met her. So, don’t worry, she still has the mind of a kid.”
“What do you mean?”
“Going on about gold-diggers and projecting things, as kids do.”
“You sound exhausted by her. So, welcome to the club.”
“I can’t believe I’m letting you and Eden suck me back into the world of being somebody’s stepfather.”
Is he sucked back into it? Even Benson remained confused by where he stood with Liam, the man who still kissed him like the past five years hadn’t happened.
He wanted to dive deeper into that, but Benson’s time and energy were scarce that week. In classic avoidant fashion, he instead took things into the bedroom because it was more fun than discussing what we are to each other?
The next day, he looked at his schedule and wanted to die.
Liam laughed over his shoulder as they ate oatmeal for breakfast, Benson in his suit and Liam in boxers and a T-shirt he stole from the bureau.
Rude. How could Benson’s clothes be so baggy on another man?
He’s wearing my best boxers. He knew it, too.
“Do you even have time for lunch in there?” Liam asked.
“Barely. I get like twenty minutes.” He didn’t mention that it was like this every year, so Sharon, the receptionist, ensured that lunch was promptly delivered at 12:30 pm every day, rotating through the usual orders and restaurants that the three partners kept on file.
Yesterday had been deli sandwiches. Today would probably be pizza and salads.
All the more reason to have oatmeal for breakfast. He’d be starving by noon, but his stomach wouldn’t hate him.
“That sucks.”
“Yeah, well, I have an office job, unlike some men around here.”
“I’ve got the whole day off. Maybe I’ll stay here and pretend I live here again. Watch your TV. Wear your clothes…” He lowered his voice near Benson’s ear on his way back to the kitchen, “Invite Eden over and have my way with her all over your furniture.”
Benson couldn’t even be annoyed. “Take a few pictures for me. Since I’ll be missing it.”
“The man is immune…” Liam hesitated in the kitchen before clattering his breakfast dishes into the sink. “Amazing.”
More like Benson was too focused on getting through this awful season. He couldn’t get sucked into Liam’s teasing. But don’t actually do that. Liam could lock up on his way out if he wanted, but probably best that he not invite anyone over. Including their girlfriend.
He spent most of the morning at work running the gamut of meetings, quick two-minute breaks, and coffee.
Long after lunch – which was, in fact, pizza – he stared down three more meetings before he was free for the weekend.
With “free” simply meaning not coming into the office for meetings. He still had paperwork to do at home.
The man had three minutes to spare, which he spent texting the group chat about plans for the weekend, but Shirley’s voice cracked over his intercom system.
“You’ve got someone here to see you that’s not on the schedule, Mr. Smith,” she said with a chastising tone. “I think you’ll want to see this one.”
“Who is it?”
Too late. Benson glanced through the opened blinds on his office windows and saw his ex-wife sitting in the waiting area.
The fuck!
He hadn’t spoken to Sydney face-to-face since the last charity dinner they attended together with Drew, and that was nine months ago. I haven’t spoken to her since she called me while I was in the Caribbean. Outside of Drew’s schooling, there was no reason to talk anymore.
Yet she was here, and that must have meant something.
“What are you doing here?”
That was how he greeted his ex-wife when he stepped out of the office. To her credit, Sydney offered him a smile when she looked up and beheld him standing next to her.
“I’d like to speak with you, if you have a moment.”
“Now? Syd, you know it’s tax season. I’m booked solid.”
“I can wait.”
Awkwardly, Benson looked over his shoulder and at Sharon, who pretended not to be paying attention. “I’ve got an appointment in three minutes. I can’t delay it.”
“As I said, I’ll wait.”
“But…”
“I can work some magic to give you two ten minutes after your upcoming appointment, Mr. Smith,” Sharon said. “Who will be here any moment.”
Benson glanced back at his ex-wife. “You’re gonna sit here for an hour?”
“If that’s necessary. I know how busy you are.”
“What’s this about? Just call me later at dinner.”
“I’d rather talk face-to-face. Besides, I’ve got plans tonight.”
“Fine.” Benson saw his appointment walk through the door. “Give me an hour.”
Naturally, Sydney’s presence haunted him as he took his appointment, a long-standing client who wanted to check in on his ongoing plans in the current economic market before filing his taxes.
This should have been a run-of-the-mill chat that Benson knocked out of the park before collapsing again in between appointments, but he was so distracted by his ex-wife’s blond head bobbing around in the waiting area that he had to get up in the middle of his meeting to close the blinds.
Since it was routine, his client left fifteen minutes early, giving Benson way too much time to talk to Sydney.
“Not even gonna give me a moment to myself?” he asked as she sat down in front of him.
Sydney crossed her two svelte legs and made herself comfortable after adjusting the puff of her peplum blouse. She looks like she’s going to a funeral. His? He sure hoped not. Then again, Sydney and dressing in black were a more iconic pair than La Mariposa and women.
“You have so little time for me,” she mused. “Let me get out of your hair more quickly.”
“So, what?” Benson folded his hands on his desk. “What is so important that it couldn’t be a phone call or popping by my place?”
“Drew tells me that Liam is back in your life.”
Damn, she went right for it. The one thing he didn’t want to talk about with her. “Did she, now? How helpful of her.”
Sydney laughed. “How long has it been? Five years?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
“That’s it? That’s what you wanted to talk about? My ex?”
“The ex that’s coming and going from your place again. I admit, he looks a little more mature these days. Then again, so do you.” She cocked her head. “Do you dye your hair, Ben?”
“Now any more than you do.”
She removed her gloves and smacked them on top of the bag in her lap. “I wouldn’t be here if it were just Liam. She also tells me that you’re both dating the same woman. A woman barely older than our daughter. She was most upset about that part.”
Damnit, Drew. Didn’t Liam warn him about this? I thought he took care of it! Unless Drew had this rant with her mother before dear old Uncle Liam took her out to lunch.