Benji squinted up at the glass front of Henderson Records. Late afternoon sunlight glared back at her. This wasn't how she imagined entering this building. She'd planned to come in with the knowledge that a contract signing her to the label waited for her. She imagined herself wearing a tailored pantsuit that made her lanky body seem elegant instead of awkward.
But no, she would enter this building in her bike messenger outfit.
That seemed fitting since nothing else in her life worked out, why would that dream be any different?
Shaking off her thoughts, she pushed into the air-conditioned lobby. The floor gleamed, reflecting her process to the front desk. Low half-moon couches dotted the space accompanied by potted palms. Where the decor lacked, the prestige didn't. Across every wall were the faces of the biggest names in the industry. Hey Farewell, Lennon Kayhill, Canadian Victors, Sebastian Colfax...Hutch Madison.
Benji didn't stop to gawk at the singers that all the world knew. Didn't stop to stare into the faces that couldn't walk down a street without being recognized. She did stop in front of the good-looking receptionist.
"Hi," she said.
The twenty-year-old guy raised his head, his gaze attentive but not overly accommodating.
"How can I help you?" he asked.
"I have a special delivery for..." Benji made a show of checking the name on the vanilla envelope. "Rick Harris."
The receptionist held out his hand. "Okay, I'll see that it's passed on."
Benji pulled the envelope away. "I'm sorry, I was given strict instruction that this envelope would leave my hands only when it was placed in Mr. Harris'."
The receptionist eyed Benji critically.
"I'll need to see some ID before I allow you upstairs."
With a smile, Benji handed over her ID as well as her bike messenger badge. The badge was real. The envelope's importance was fake. Well, it wasn't important to anyone but her.
After a minute of the receptionist scrutinizing the ID picture to make there the sun-darkened face was the same as the one of the card, he handed them back.
"Mr. Harris is on level thirty, office at the end of the hall."
"Thanks."
Benji called the elevator. When she stepped on, she sent the receptionist a wave. The doors slid closed and she let out her breath as she held onto the strap of her bag. The rest of her things were stashed away in a storage locker at the train station. Hopefully, they wouldn't be sitting there too long.
The elevator dinged and Benji stepped out into a smaller lobby than the one below. Another receptionist put her through the same paces before she was told Benji that Mr. Harris was in a meeting and had to wait. Benji itched to move but held herself back. But when the receptionist left to get coffee, Benji ducked into the hall.
She couldn't wait. If she waited she might rethink the stupidity of this plan and bail. So close. She was so close. She couldn't give up now. Through a glass wall, Benji spotted the man she was searching for among a dozen other people at a long table. He was in his mid-fifties with severe features and a suit that probably cost as much as Benji's life.
Though maybe that was even too high a number.
Bracing herself, Benji pushed open the door to the conference room. At the back, no one noticed her at first, giving her time to cross to Mr. Harris. As she got to him, the speaker at the other end stopped mid-sentence.
"Can we help you?" he asked.
Benji didn't hesitate, she brought out the vanilla envelope and handed it to Mr. Harris.
"I'm sorry, sir but this was said to be urgent and opened immediately," Benji said.
Mr. Harris eyed Benji shrewdly, but she kept her eyes lowered as if nervous to be there. Well, she was but it wasn't because he was someone who could make a person's career happen with the snap of his fingers.
Mr. Harris took the envelope. When Benji didn't leave, he waved his hand, dismissing her.
"I'm sorry, sir," she said. "I was to wait for a response."
Benji didn't look at the rest of the room's occupants, her sole focus was Mr. Harris. She waited, watching him as he opened the envelope and removed the single sheet of paper inside. Watched as he read the two sentences.
I am Hutch Madison's daughter. I only need a minute.
Mr. Harris snapped his head up, fury filling his face. He opened his mouth as if to shout at her but Benji didn't flinch, didn't waver. She only waited for him to take in her eyes.
He froze.
Like melted gold, her mother said. Eyes like one else. No one else except Hutch Madison.
Benji thought her eyes were stupid. But if they helped today maybe she wouldn't hate them from now on.
Harris slowly closed his mouth and it formed a hard line. He glanced down the table. Benji didn't look at who he glanced at, she wanted him to always have her eyes ready for him to know exactly who she was. He rose.
"Proceed without me," he said.
He walked to the door and held it open for Benji, she hurried out. He strode down the hallway to a corner office, Benji followed without a word. Inside was everything she would have expected from someone with so much power. Priceless art, mahogany furniture, view of the city. Harris moved to his desk but didn't sit down, he spun around, staring at Benji.
She nodded her head appreciatively at the office.
"Snazzy," she said.
"Who are you?" Harris snapped, his brows pulled together.
"I thought the note was pretty clear," Benji said.
Harris held up the now crumpled paper in his fist. "This is words on a piece of paper. It is meaningless."
He didn't talk about her eyes.
"Ah," Benji said. "Kind of like these are words on a piece of paper?"
She pulled out her birth certificate and a paternity test. She slipped them onto the desk in front of Harris. He glared down at them as if they were ruining his life. Well, not his...exactly. But by connection, it was possible they were.
Benji waited in silence, still gazing around the office like she was completely at home. The worst was over, she'd gotten here and to Harris. What came after...well she was making it up as she went along so she'd stick with that plan.
Eventually, Harris raised his head with a stony look. "What do you want?"
The gravity in his tone told Benji he was thinking scandal, millions of dollars, a disaster.
"A plane ticket," Benji said.
Harris blinked. "What?"
"I just need a plane ticket to New York."
"That's all?"
"Yup. I have a friend to stay with, but my money will only cover an Uber and a couple of meals, the ticket was the thing I couldn't afford."
Harris relaxed as if this was his lucky day. Before he could fully feel relieved, the door opened. He tensed and Benji glanced back and froze.
Hutch Madison stepped into the office. In his early thirties with honey blonde hair, handsome face, and velvet voice he was every woman's dream. He'd been in Benji's dreams for years, but for a lot of different reasons.
"Rick," Hutch said. "Are you all right? You left so abruptly." He noticed Benji then and smiled. It was a killer smile, perfect teeth, dimple, sparkly eyes. "Hi." He crossed over to her and held out his hand. "I'm Hutch."
It didn't feel real. Benji wouldn't lie to herself and say she hadn't imagined meeting her father a billion and one times. But right then, she didn't care. This wasn't about him. If it had been she'd found a way to get the envelope to him. But she hadn't. She'd only wanted Harris, he would want to handle any issue and Benji just needed a plane ticket.
Still, she stuck out her hand and accepted her father's handshake. His smile slowly diminished as he looked at her. She knew what he saw, her mother: round cheeks, pretty lips, wild curls but his eyes.
Forgetting about the fact that he was holding her hand, Hutch looked over at Harris. Harris stared back with an even but telling expression.
"Rick, what is this?" Hutch asked.
Benji took her hand away from her father's grasp.
"This is nothing," Benji said. She looked to Harris. "Can have that plane ticket or not?"
"Of course," Harris said, pulling out his wallet.
"No!" Hutch said. "I want to know what's going on? Why does this girl have my eyes and Liana's face?"
He took a step closer to the desk and noticed the papers laying there. Before Harris could snatch them up, Hutch grabbed the birth certificate and the paternity test. He held them, his eyes glued to them.
"Look," Benji said, growing annoyed that this was taking so long. "I didn't come here for this. Or for you," she said, throwing Hutch a look. "I came here to get away."
Hutch clung to the papers, eyes wide.
"Why?"
Benji crossed her arms and let out an irritated huff. "Because two days ago I graduated. A day ago I turned eighteen. Kindly enough my step-father let me finish my piece of birthday cake before gifting me with packed bags."
"And your mother let that happen."
Benji tapped her chin. "I think her exact reaction was a blink." She shrugged, hating the sting in her chest. "What can I say, my mother has terrible taste in men."
Though Benji didn't say it with malice, Hutch flinched all the same.
"So...that plane ticket?"
"You're leaving?" Hutch asked.
"Yeah." Benji snapped the papers from Hutch's hand and held out an open palm to Harris. Cash landed in it and she headed towards the door.
"You can't leave," Hutch said as Benji took a step out.
She met his gaze. "I have no reason to stay."
With that, she slipped out into the hallway and made for the stairwell. She figured they would assume she'd go to the elevator and she didn't want to be stopped. All the way down and out of the building, Benji replayed Hutch's face when he saw her. His manner was easy and open. Unburdened. She figured it wouldn't take him long to force this encounter from his mind and go back to that easy state.
Surrounded by her two duffle bags and planted on an uncomfortable seat, Benji watched the wall of arriving and departing flights. She looked at the cash in her hand. It had been more than enough for a flight to New York. One that left in three hours. She wondered if she should spend the rest of the money at one of the shops in the airport.
Instead, she shoved the cash back into her pants pocket. She gazed up at the ceiling, letting the sounds of the airport wash over her. She wished she knew how she felt. But it was like she floated above it all and didn't know where to land.
She'd met her father.
For the first time in her life.
So what?
He was one man. Granted she shared half her DNA with him. But what did that matter? She also hadn't shared a life with him.
He'd known she looked like her mom. It had been eighteen years since they'd seen each but he remembered. Benji had no idea what that meant.
She didn't want to think about him. She'd stopped thinking about him long ago. Or she'd tried. She succeeded most days. Unless one of his songs played on the radio. Or someone mentioned him. Okay, she failed more than she succeeded.
Benji closed her eyes, wishing he'd never come into the office. Her plan was working perfectly until then.
Someone moved close to Benji but she kept her eyes shut. Someone coughed. She ignored that too.
"Excuse me."
Slowly, Benji opened her eyes and raised her head.
There he stood, baseball cap pulled low. From his jeans and t-shirt, he might be anyone else.
"I'll miss my flight," Benji said.
"It doesn't leave for three hours."
He looked at her with open curiosity and wonder. Benji closed her eyes again and dropped her head back.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"I never knew," he said.
"Cool. Now you do. Anything else?"
Benji held her guard up. She didn't want his honesty and soulful eyes swaying her. She'd gone eighteen years without him in her life. She could go eighteen years more for all she cared.
"Yeah," he said. "Stay."
The simple request tugged at Benji.
"I already bought my ticket," she said.
"I'll buy you a new one. One day. That's all I'm asking for. Stay for one day."
Finally, Benji met his gaze. She understood why the world loved him. His face was handsome without being intimidated. His whole manner was down-to-earth. He looked like someone you could talk to.
And he wanted to talk to her.
"Why one day?" she asked. "Is that so you don't get too attached?"
"No." He gave her a half-smile. "I figured if I asked for longer you'd say no."
Five minutes. A whole five minutes of meeting her and yet somehow he understood this about her.
Standing, Benji grabbed her duffle bags and slung them over her shoulder.
"One day," she said. "Then I'm leaving."
Her father smiled. "One day."
***************************
Hey there ducky!
This was inspired by What A Girl Wants. I have no idea where it's going but I already love it! I like Benji and honestly even though I wrote this I would read this book. I have no clue why I like this chapter so much.
What do you think? Would you read this book? Thoughts on Benji?
Also I love the name Benji, always have. If wasn't until I watched a season of the British Bake Off that I realized it could be a girl's nickname, short for Benjamina.
Vote, comment, Follow!