UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

Chp 24 : A Promise.

-Shelley-

Shelley stood on the balcony, staring down at the city below. The bright lights of the metropolis reveal the cityscape as the sun sets, illuminating the town in a rainbow of yellow, scarlet, blue, and green. Just being here made her tizzy. She leans on the rail to admire the view.

"What are you doing standing here all by yourself in this cold breeze?" says Ben as he joins her on the balcony.

"I came out here to enjoy some fresh air," she says, turning to face him. This viewpoint is breathtaking. What a lovely spot you have here.

"Thank you. The acquisition of this floor was quite costly for me. It makes me happy to hear that you like it. By the way, if the company inside is too much for you, just let me know. In times of great excitement, my buddies can be rather boisterous."

"Absolutely not. I am truly having a good time. This is the first time in a long time that I've laughed so hard. Besides, Miriam seems to be enjoying herself. I don't mind enduring anything that makes her smile."

"That is quite selfless of you, Miss Dickson. If you truly are having fun, then explain to me the anxious expression."

"It's nothing."

"Undoubtedly, it is something. What is it, Shel? Talk to me."

While she collects her thoughts, Shelley looks up at me and takes a deep breath. "Regarding the kiss we had, let's pretend it never happened. No such thing can happen ever again. Taking into account my previous night's condition, I must admit that there was an excess of hormones that left me bewildered. I regret planting that kiss on you."

Casting a mischievous grin. He says, "If my memory serves me right, I was the one who gave you a passionate kiss, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience."

"Ben. I can't do this."

"You can't do what exactly? You mean you can't allow yourself to fall for me or admit your feelings for me?! I have told you before and will tell you again how I feel about you. My feelings for you are not going anywhere. The choice is yours to flee from this, but I must caution you: I am a man with a great deal of determination. Once my desires become clear, I will not hesitate to pursue them."

"I have time. I can wait as long as you want. I don't mind taking things slow at all."

His proximity was too much for her to ignore. As Ben gazed at her from the balcony, a shiver went down her spine. As he whispers, "Shel," he redirects her gaze from the patterns traced by his fingertips on her folded arm to his own eyes. In a sultry whisper, he says, "I want you." Their lips were just an inch apart as he drew near to hers.

His intense gaze met hers, and she remained frozen in place. She leans her head to one side and closes her eyes, eagerly anticipating his kiss, but a sudden yell from within summons them and pulls them apart.

She grinned mischievously as she overheard him muttering obscenities.

Once inside, Miriam asks, "Where have you two been? Dessert is the next course. Shelley's fruit cake is simply mouthwatering. May I ask where you bought it?"

"I baked it myself," says Shelley.

"Ow!" she bakes too. As she winks at Ben, she says, "Quite the package," resulting in a giggle from Shelley.

After dessert, the rest of the night was spent playing Ludo without a hitch.

The time Ben dropped her off at her flat was close to eleven o'clock in the evening. For goodnight, he planted a kiss on her forehead.

***

While Ben is rummaging around the grocery store to fill up his fridge, he unexpectedly bumps into Mabel.

"'Hello.' Mabel right!?"

"Yes."

"It is really nice to run into you here. How have you been?"

"Good," she says. "And our lovely boy James, I believe."

"He is doing great."

"That is good to know. Um, Mabel, can I ask you a question about Shelley?" She nods. "Since you were an old friend of hers back in school, you might know more about her." Hesitating a bit he says, "I can't help but question whether her sexism stems only from her father's infidelity. There must be some other angle to it."

"I believe you're already aware of my feelings for her. I promise not to do anything that could harm her. All I need is for you to tell me what you know so that I can make sense of it."

"I know this is hardly the place to ask this of you, but can you please tell me something?... Anything."

"I don't understand her need to push me away," he says. Mabel examines Ben intently. She understands that Ben must figure out why Shelley is wary of men and how to win her trust, but is she the one to do it? Should she be loyal to her buddy, or should she try to sway her in Ben's favor by providing him with the answers to these questions?

"Um, Mr. Adam To be honest, I don't know anything more than what you already know."

He replies, "I see," while dejected. "I hate putting you in that uncomfortable situation. I deeply regret my actions. Please enjoy the rest of your shopping." Ben was about to depart when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"'Wait please.' This place is not appropriate for our conversation."

"My apologies. Just across the street from this spot, there is a restaurant." Ben suggests talking there.

While Mabel and Ben settle their grocery bill, they stroll over to the eatery. When they get inside, they find a comfortable spot by the window. Once the server took their order, she vanished from the table.

"Mr. Adam, when I said I didn't know more than you already knew, I meant it, but recently Shelley confided in me about an accident she found herself in right after school," she says. "Hearing about his father's actions left her with a strong distaste for men. Attempts at relationships began immediately following her graduation from university, but she was unsuccessful in each one. It wasn't until she encountered the person she believed to be the perfect match that she began to believe in love."

"According to her, the towering and gorgeous dark gentleman was just three years her senior. Polite as well. Indeed, he had also completed his degree at the university level. Held the position of Bachelor of Architecture." Adjusting her spectacles she continues...

"A romantic relationship developed between the two. Everything was wonderful," she said, "until he asked her to spend an afternoon at his house. His attempt to impose himself on her was completely unexpected. She had to fight her way free of him. She even has the scars to prove it. She has made a concerted effort to avoid guys ever since this incident."

"Christ. I had no idea about this," he says.

"Never again will she trust me if she finds out I informed you about this, so you should probably just don't ask."

"You have my word. She won't hear it from me."

"Promise me something, Mr. Adam. Promise me you will never hurt her."

Leaning forward he says, "I promise."

Upon returning to his cosy house, Ben reflected on the information he had picked up from Mabel earlier in the day. He was astounded.

"Shit! This explains everything."

What do you think Ben will do with this piece of information?

_

A/N 30/04/2024: Greetings everybody, Unfortunately, I will not be able to publish a chapter next week. I apologise for the inconvenience. Writing has been a struggle for me recently. The inconvenience has been deeply regretted. I expect that I will quickly recover. Until then, I leave you with today's chapter. I hope you like it.