21. Aida
Okay,things are not looking too good for me. This party blows and Ben’s is fucking raging. Tapping the screen on my phone, I check the time, noticing it’s still early. There’s still time for people to show up.
But even Amanda isn’t here, not wanting to fly across the country again. So much for family support. But I get it. It’s expensive to come all this way for a little competition party, one I’m obviously going to lose.
“You’re losing, Aida,” I mutter to myself, the house as empty as the day I arrived. It’s like everyone I invited went to the wrong house.
I peek out through the blinds in the bedroom, watching people gather on the decks, drinks in hand, laughing and having a great time. But I’m here letting this damn competition keep me from having fun, and I let out a hard sigh, resigned to just go over there and join in.
Just as I’m about to give up and give in, a knock comes on the front door. Rushing like a complete fool, sliding across the wood floor, and nearly falling, I catch myself and fling the door open.
I should really try harder to hide my disappointment when I see Miriam and Ed on the other side, but I have to take what I can get.
“Don’t look so disappointed,” Ed says, his voice gruff and he lets out a hearty laugh. He holds up a bag, giving it a little shake. “It’s wonderful to meet you. Miriam speaks fondly of you, and that holds a lot of weight.” He extends his hand and I shake it as he smiles and adds, “Brought martinis.”
“Nothing says a party like an extra dirty martini,” Miriam says, smiling at me, and I can tell this is a sympathy visit. She wasn’t going to Ben’s party to begin with, too loud and too many people for her, but my empty house is right up her alley.
“Thanks for coming over. It’s really sweet of you, but it’s clear I’ve lost this one. I just need to stick to yoga, volleyball and even though Ben will still claim he won, shrimp eating.”
Defeated, I sit down next to Miriam, telling Ed to make my martini extra dirty as the two of us look out on the gorgeous view from the living room. I don’t dare go out on the deck, worried Ben will see me and rub it in that he’s won.
“I couldn’t let you be here by yourself,” Miriam says sweetly, looking over her shoulder, she calls out, “I want three olives, Ed.”
“I know, Miriam,” he replies, and Ed gets the shaker going.
“I’m kinda embarrassed,” I admit, realizing I was in way over my head. “He beat me fair and square.”
“It’s okay, dear. It was going to happen and now I’m here to enjoy a few drinks with you, so you have some liquid courage,” Miriam says, patting my hand.
I nod, taking a martini from Ed when he offers it. Miriam is right, I am going to need some liquid courage to go over there and admit he won. Not just that, but if the way things have been going between us is any indication, we’ll probably end up in bed together. The loss might be disappointing, but there will be nothing disappointing about finally having sex with Ben.
“I heard from Ben that you’re going to law school after the summer,” Miriam says, changing the subject. “That’s very impressive.”
“Thanks, I worked really hard to get in, and now that it’s here, this summer was supposed to be spent relaxing and having fun.” As I say this, it hits me that the summer is about halfway over. The Fourth of July is the downward slope that leads back to the craziness of classes and working my ass off. I’m not sure I’m ready for it.
“Did you know that Benji graduated from college in May too?” Miriam asks, and I smile at how much Miriam loves to talk Ben up. It’s really quite sweet how proud she is of him. Ben and I haven’t really talked much about our lives, mostly just having a good time together, but he did share this little bit of information.
“Does he have plans for the fall?” I ask, knowing that he doesn’t want to work for his dad, but maybe wondering if I might be the only one who knows this. As soon as I ask my question, I hear Ed let out a little chuckle from behind us.
“Ben never has plans,” Ed responds. “It’s what Miriam loves about him. He’s just so…” Ed trails off, not finishing and Miriam narrows her eyes at him.
“I’m sure what Ed was about to say is that Benji is unfocused, but he just doesn’t want to turn out like his father, and I don’t want him to turn out that way either,” Miriam adds, a harshness to her words.
“Is Ben’s dad your son?” I ask, enjoying learning more about Ben and his family.
“Oh, gosh no, my son-in-law, which is why I try to stay quiet about things,” Miriam tells me and again, Ed is letting out that deep laugh.
“Miriam couldn’t keep quiet if she tried,” he says, making me giggle. I have to agree with him. Miriam does not seem like the kind of person who has any type of filter. I actually really love that about her.
“He’s a dick,” Miriam blurts out. “Always working. Always worried about his job. I agree that Ben shouldn’t be like him.”
“What about your daughter?” I ask, curious if Ben’s mom feels that way too or if she’s more like Ben. “Does Ben have a good relationship with her?”
“Ben’s mother is wonderful, but she’s grown accustomed to the lifestyle her husband supports her with. Maids, and nannies when the kids were little, a house manager. It’s not really how she was raised,” Miriam says with a wink. “She’s so sweet and kind, but I think she also feels that Ben is always going to be a burden,” Miriam admits, and it breaks my heart a little to think that Ben’s family can’t see all he has to offer. They’re missing out on the fun-loving guy I met on the beach.
It might get old having a kid who is a free spirit, but my parents have always let Amanda and me be who we want to be. It was my decision to push to go to law school. If anything, my mom wanted me to be a teacher and have summers off.
We all fall silent, the sound of Ben’s party filling the house and making me smile. He deserves this win, especially after what Miriam has told me.
I look over at her, beaming, I let out a hard breath as I down the rest of my martini. Miriam does the same, and it makes me laugh out loud. Watching this lady just pound her martini is something I never thought I’d see in my life, and one day, I hope I’m as cool as she is.
“What did you do before you retired?” I now ask, curious because I imagine she lived a life similar to Ben’s, relaxed and fun.
“I was a seamstress for a very popular rock band in the seventies and eighties,” she says, and my mouth falls open. She’s like the damn Elton John song. I didn’t even know that was a real job, but if anyone would have that job, it would be Miriam.
“Oh my god, Miriam. Who?” I ask, not trying to sound demanding, but the words come out of my mouth far more excited than I expect.
“She’s lying,” Ed calls out, the martini shaker going once again. “She was an elementary school teacher.”
“Miriam!” I squeal, laughing. “Are you lying?”
“Of course I am. I taught kindergarten for thirty years and retired to Little Crab Island. I lived a terribly boring life, which is why I don’t ever want Ben to change.”
“You are crazy, you know that, right?” I say, still laughing.
“It’s the best way to live, Aida. It’s why you should have another drink, push up your boobies and head on over there.” Miriam tips her head in the direction of Ben’s house.
And I do exactly what Miriam says. The two of us downed another martini, I pushed my boobs up and here I am, walking over to Ben’s house.
The front door is open, the party in full swing, so I walk in, looking around to see if there’s anyone I might know. I really only know Ben and his two friends and so when I can’t seem to find any of them, I grab a beer from the fridge and make my way out onto the deck that overlooks the pool.
As soon as I step out there, I see Ben. He’s floating in the pool, shirtless and looking so ridiculously hot. His muscled chest is on full display, covered in little droplets of water that shimmer in the sun.
My breath catches in my throat when he looks up and his eyes connect with mine. He has the most gorgeous smile I’ve ever seen, and it spreads across his lips when he sees me.
He holds up his beer, mouthing the word “hi” to me and I bite down on my bottom lip. All these people have no idea that in the next few hours, Ben and I are going to be in bed together.
I tilt my beer toward him, and he calls to me with a hook of his finger, telling me to come down there, but I shake my head, smirking at him.
I’m not ready to explore what this loss means, and the teasing I’m going to get from Ben when we finally meet up. I need a few more drinks in me before I can laugh about how badly I lost.
It’s like that simple gesture of me shaking my head has lit a fire under him and I watch him jump off his float and exit the pool, pushing up on his muscular arms to lift himself out.
I slip back into the crowded house, knowing he’s going to come up the stairs and into the kitchen, and as I make my way over there, I’m stopped by a hand resting on my shoulder.
Thinking Ben somehow got in the house without me realizing it, I turn, smiling, only to come face to face with Weston.
“Oh,” I say, the word coming out a little sour and bothered. Knowing what I know now, and how Ben and Miriam feel about Weston, he’s now on my shit list too. Plus, he told me he was coming to my nonexistent party.
“Hey, you’re looking good,” he tells me, and all I can hear is his slimy pick-up line that doesn’t interest me in the least. His eyes fall to my boobs, and I want to smack him. My boobs don’t look like this for him.
“You were supposed to come to my party,” I spit out, not really caring that he didn’t come, but I want him to know, I have no interest in him. I’m here for Ben.
“Yeah, sorry about that, but we’re together now,” he murmurs, leaning in close and I can smell the sour scent of beer on his breath. I step back and as I do, I feel a hand circle my wrist.
A soft gasp falls from my lips and without thinking about it, when Ben tugs me to him, I go, following him upstairs and into his bedroom.
“You win,” I say when the door closes, and he backs me up against it, his knee slipping between my thighs.
“I have a confession,” Ben whispers, his lips nearly touching mine, and my tongue slips out, wetting mine in preparation for the kiss I know is coming.
“And what’s that?”
“I told everyone your party was canceled so I could get your ass over here,” Ben admits, his perfectly sexy smile on display.
“So you cheated?” I question, running a fingernail down his muscled chest.
He shakes his head, but then it turns into a nod, his fingers playing with a strand of my hair. “But for a good reason.”
“And what reason is that?”
Ben drags his thumb over my lower lip, the warmth of his thumb setting the soft flesh on fire. I let out a small whimper of desperation, needing us to end this back and forth. My thighs can’t take much more, all this squeezing to quell the constant desire to have him inside me.
Silence passes between us, the seconds long and tortuously slow as Ben places both hands on the door, pinning me in. His eyes darken as he takes me in, his eyes falling to my throat as I swallow hard, slowly moving down, tracing over the rest of my body.
With just a simple, single stare, this guy has my body in flames. He has complete control over me, weak and wanting.
“I did it because I wanted your house empty and ready for us,” Ben admits, his words rough and deep. My heart races, wanting to do exactly what we’ve been dancing around for the last few weeks.
This is it.
He smiles at me, wolfish and cocky, and I take it in, loving the look he gives me. He knows he has me, all he has to do is reach out and touch me, tell me what he wants, and I’ll do it, no questions asked.
“Then we should probably…” My words come to a fumbled stop as Ben’s hands grip my ass, lifting me up, I instinctively wrap my legs around him, his dick, already hard, is lined up perfectly with my center, and this is going to be a mess really soon.
There’s no way we’re going to make it over to my place.
Desperation takes over, and my mouth collides with his, our teeth and tongues clashing, and Ben lets out a deep, throaty laugh. The sound vibrates through me, my body responding to every sound, every touch, every single feeling.
“Ben,” I moan out, realizing how loud I sound, but not caring in the least who hears us. Actually, I hope that dick Weston does and realizes he never had a chance with me.
“Tell me what you want, Aida,” Ben growls, and I’ve never had someone ask me that. It’s hot and sexy and holy shit, I want to unload everything I’ve dreamed about.
“I want…I want…” My words catch in my throat as Ben carries me to the bed, setting me down, he hovers over me, his chest heaving, his eyes filled with all the want I feel in myself.
“Tell me.”
“Not here,” I manage to get out. The crowd of people are loud and distracting. I want this to be good, damn good and my fantasies don’t involve a crowd of people in the other room.
“Then let’s go.”