SECRET LIFE SECRETS REVEALED

IT'S BEEN A WHILE

November 10, 2021

Glen Valley Fort Hotel

12:00 PM

Ben and Ashley both arrive at Ben's hotel, Ashley waits in the room while Ben gets cleaned up for all he has to do for the day. He stands in front of the mirror contemplating with his razor whether or not to shave his beard. He looks closely at the old fashioned blade, and shaves the first half of his full beard. He gently moves it across his face careful not to nick himself. As he does this he has memories of another shaving his face with the same precision and care come to his mind. He discards those thoughts, and looks at his handy work.

Ben: Not too bad. (looks at himself in the mirror with his new goatee. He puts the razor down and realizes that he was still wearing his wedding band. He then takes some shaving creme and rubs it across his finger and slowly removes it from his hand. He then unclasps the necklace he wears and places it on the rope. Gets into the shower were is shown he has been working out a lot in the past nine years. It also shows his life has not been easy. There is a large gash on his left side that came from a beating he received eight years ago. A burn scar that runs the length of his right shoulder blade from being trapped by a burning tree limb during a fire. Among these he has the tribal markings of a wolf on his left shoulder that unlike most tatoo's was done the old fashioned way, by the hammering of ink and needle. Ben rubs the soap on him across all of these wounds. He takes care not to rub them too harshly but cleans them thoroughly he views them as his badges of honor.)

Ashley: Ben are you going to be done in their any time soon, I would like to get to work on time.

Ben: I thought you didn't have to be at work until five. (coming form the bathroom now wearing black dress pants and a white dress shirt with blue tie).

Ashley: I do, but you were taking too long.

Ben: Hey, it takes a lot of time to look this good (jokes)

Ashley: Really, then you should have taken longer.

Ben: Say, what you want Ms. Jeurgens, but I know I Look good.

Ashley: Well you would say that wouldn't you.

Ben: Do you have any concealer?

Ashley: Concealer, you wear make up. Are you that shallow, about looks. (reaches into her purse to grab the skin mist creme)

Ben: Says the woman he has concealer. (squirts a small dab and rubs it around the tan line on his finger)

Ashley: Really Ben? (looks at him objectively)

Ben: What they don't know, or care about won't hurt them.

Ashley: What about Chloe Ben, don't you think she deserves to know?

Ben: The reason I called you, Ashley instead of Chloe is because I didn't want her to know. I was trying to protect her.

Ashley: Protect her from what? From what you, or what you were dealing with?

Ben: From all of it me, my problems, the drama, the lies, the secrets, the betrayal. That's all they do. If I would have let Chloe know, then it would have started all over again.

Ashley: Oh, so you decide pull me in the middle of it instead.

Ben: Ashley you were already involved. You just did the smart thing, and left. Which was something I should have did too, instead I stayed got the blunt end of the stick, let myself be made a fool of while making a fool of myself and then finally realized how stupid I was and left.