VICTORIA POV
Faye was a lot drunker than I thought and I had the unfortunate task of dragging her out of the car and up the stairs to our apartment. I'd just killed the ignition when I see movement out of the corner of my eye. I look into the darkness through my window only to see nothing.
I'm way too tired for this shit.
I continue peering out into the night until a pair of hands thump the window. "AHHH CHEESE ON FUCKING CRACKER!", I scream. In a panic, I fumble around in the car trying to find some sort of weapon. The only thing I could find was Faye's hairspray can. "Whoever you are, you need to back the fuck up! Or I'll, I'll—"
"V! It's me!", I hear a familiar voice call out.
"Benji, what the hell!?", I yell, my voice muffled through the glass. "What kind of psycho just sneaks up on people in the dark!?"
"I'm sorry! I was about to go upstairs, but I saw that Faye's car was on so I wanted to see if you guys were together... I wanted to talk to you..." I can see his silhouette, standing silent. I pull the keys out the ignition and open the car door.
"What were you planning on doing with that anyway?", he laughs, pointing at the hairspray. "Give me my hair a luscious strong hold?" Unamused, I whip out the can inches from his face in my best karate stance.
"Okay, okay!", he pleads as he puts his hands in there air in surrender. "Can we just talk, V? Please?"
I roll my eyes. I'm too tired to send him away at this point. "Fine, but only if you help me carry this dead body up the stairs", I motion to Faye.
Can't believe she slept through this entire ordeal.
"Deal", Benji agrees. I open the passenger door and he carefully lifts her over his shoulder.
"Paul?", Faye mumbles, half asleep. "Tell me what you like."
I can't help but snicker. Yeah, baby, it's me", I whisper in her ear. "I just want you to rub hot sauce all over my body and lick it off".
"Mmm, I like that", she mumbles again.
Benji and I just look at each other in disgust. "Gross", we say in unison. I open the door to the apartment and Benji goes to Faye's room to dump her onto the bed.
"She okay?", I ask as he walks out into the hallway.
He smiles. "Yeah, rolled her onto her side in case she pukes".
He sits down on the dining chair in the kitchen. I make two mugs of coffee out of the Keurig and set one down in front of Benji.
"Thanks", he says as he takes a sip.
I steal a glance at him, his brown hair was disheveled and it was the first time I'd seen him in a tee shirt. I was still angry with him from earlier, but I couldn't help but admire how his arms flexed every time he picked up the mug. "Why are you here, Benji?", I ask, almost a whisper.
He bites bottom lip, furrowing his brows at the words he was choosing to say. "I came to say 'I'm sorry. I know I fucked up, I truly know. It wasn't right of me to control you like that, to tell you what to do. I'm sorry for playing the boss card too, that was low of me..."
He pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts. The stubborn side of me wants so badly to knife my thoughts into him, but I wanted to listen to Faye's advice. So I sipped my coffee and just let him speak.
"You know, my dad to this day still tells me who/what/where. I mean, I can't even get a bite to eat unless it's in the Palms", he continues, his concentration on the mug in his hands. "I hate it. I hate it so much. It's a little messed up, but maybe I just wanted to feel some sort of control with you, you know? I didn't have control over anything growing up and hearing you disagree with me only made me want it more".
His concentration moves to me now. "V, I'm not used to women disagreeing with me. The only control I've ever felt was the one I had over them, but you... you're different in the best way and... in the moment, I forgot that. I forgot no one can control you because you're a wild horse. You're beautiful and strong and been under appreciated and life's been so unfair to you. I don't know a lot about wild horses, but one thing I do know is that you can't tame the wild ones. You can only treat it right and pray they stay".
His hand leaves his mug and lays gently on mine while I continue to listen. I could feel a surge of electricity flow through his touch. "And I don't want to control you, I like how you are. I promise I won't do that again... and I'm sorry I got so annoyed about your partner, I'd never felt jealous before and I wasn't sure how to deal with it. I guess I just hated seeing him all over you in public not because of him, but because I wanted to be able to do the same".
"Is this what this is about?", I look at him in surprise. "Were you jealous because he was holding me in public?"
"Yes, no. Maybe, I don't know", he stammers, running his hand through his hair.
I lean back in my chair, fidgeting with my mug. "It's all for a performance, it's not real", I sigh.
"I know it's not, but it's just the idea that he's doing what I wish could do... with you". His eyes close in frustration.
He pulls his hand away from mine and rests it back on the mug. In that moment, I realized what this all had to be about. I'd asked a lot of Benji to keep us a secret for my own comfort and peace of mind. I was worried that people would think I was sleeping with him to keep my job and it would cancel out any hard work I'd ever do.
When have I ever cared about what people thought of me? Me dating Benji shouldn't have changed that.
"I'm just scared", I wait for his eyes to look up at me. "I'm scared that people are going to think—"
"How do you think i feel?" he says curtly. The glint in his eyes are now a spark. It was disappointment, not anger. "You're a gorgeous woman with a man around your arm, parading the stage. You're so worried about how you're perceived by the public, so what does it look like to people when you two are intimate onstage? But here I am, your actual boyfriend and we have to meet in secret like you're ashamed of me. You're ashamed of me because you're afraid of how I make you look, that's the bottom line of it".
Was he right? I'd been so worried that he'd be ashamed of me, of where I've come from. Was I the one that was ashamed of him, of where he came from?
"I know how you feel towards wealthy people, Victoria", he looks right at me. "You think we're untouchable, unfeeling, and just lucky bastards who hit the jackpot of life. But I feel too, V. I like to eat junk food, I like wearing tee shirts, I like going on dates, I like you. And you're right, I am lucky. I'm lucky that I've never had to work for anything. But I'm trying, V. I'm trying so hard to work for you. I'm trying so hard and you won't work for me. I know you've worked all your life and you're probably tired, but don't you only work for the things you want?" He looks down at his mug, then back at me. "Don't you want me, V?"
He was right. It had been so easy with him so I let go. I let myself go through the motions without realizing that relationships need work. This was the only time hard work seemed to really matter and I didn't do it. I wanted to work for him and I think he needed to hear that.
***
BENJI POV
We sit there in silence for what seems like an eternity. I steal glances at her, trying to read her face but I can't seem to find an answer.
I poured m heart and soul out to her again like an idiot.
I told myself after the unanswered calls and texts that I wouldn't chase her.
Me? Benji Blair? Hotelier and Millionaire chase a girl? Yeah, Benji Blair could've had any girl but he wants the one that makes him work for it. And she was making me work hard.
I'd never worked for anything, but here I was punching in early, getting out late, and going into overtime.
Just when I think work is done, I have to go right back in. She hurts me and all I do is keep coming back. Oh my God, am I a masochist?
I feel myself go down a deep rabbit hole until she finally interrupts my thoughts.
"Okay", she whispers with a smile. She takes my hand and squeezes. "I want to work for you, I'll work hard for you".
I know most people probably would have wanted a more in depth answer. But I knew how Victoria. Those words carried a lot of meaning to her. I knew where I stood with her and that was enough.
"You owe me", I smirk. Okay, so it wasn't enough. Hey, she did say she'd work for it.
She shoots me a raised eyebrow like she knew I was up to something. "Hmm, what do you want?", she asks slyly. Her fingers trail gently up my hand causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.
Her eyes are filled with desire as she slowly gets up out of her seat. The fingers move their way up my arm, raising goosebumps in their path. Her palm carefully rests on my shoulder as she moves behind me, her arms wrapping around me now.
"Uhhh", I obviously have forgotten how to form coherent sentences. "Well, I—"
"Is this", she lowers her mouth onto my lobe, biting it only to pull away. "what you want?" her hands massage my shoulder as my eyes slowly come to a—
"No!", I shout, my eyes popping open. "I mean, yes! I mean, yes I do want that but, there's something I need to ask you."
She stares at me for a moment, probably shocked at my little outburst and then she laughs. "What is it?", she asks, amused. I get up out of my seat and turn to face her, leaning on the kitchen table. I take her hands into mine, tracing circles on them with my thumbs. "The hotel is throwing a party for the investors... I think you should come with me".
I hold my breath, searching her face for an answer. I knew it was a lot to ask, especially after she just came around to the idea of going out in public with me. But I'd never brought a plus-one with me anywhere and I was too excited to wait and ask later. "So?"
***
Author's Note:
What did you guys think about this chapter?
The past couple chapters were pretty dramatic and I missed their funny banter! I think they're too funny together.
What do you think her answer was?