Temptation

London Calling

Ben put his hand on Cassie's shaking knee and stroked his thumb across her smooth skin. "Darling, it's alright," he assured with a smile. "Mum and dad are going to love you, I promise." She sighed, then looked down at herself. 

"I shouldn't have worn this dress," she told him. "I shouldn't have put on this much make-up, I never wear make-up! God, what if they have a problem with me being an alcoholic? What if they don't like my personality or don't think I'm good enough for you?"

Ben nodded, then said, "Alright." He pulled over to the side of the dirt country road they were on, then looked to her. "Cassie, stop overthinking. Baby, you are too bloody perfect. If anything I am not good enough for you. And you're not an alcoholic, you're the girl of my dreams, whom I plan on supporting in her choice not to drink."

He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Do not worry. Compared to the last girl I brought home, you're a goddamn saint." That got her to laugh. "Okay," she told him. "I'm sorry." He kissed her hand, then said, "You have nothing to be sorry about. We need to get there, though, so we can check into the hotel tonight."

He continued to drive down the road, keeping Cassie's hand in his for her comfort. When they parked in the driveway, he got out and quickly went around to open the door for her. "My lady," he said, while taking her hand. 

When they got up to the door, Ben opened it and called, "Hello! We're here!" Rushing footsteps could be heard coming from the kitchen. Suddenly, two fairly old looking people with lush silver hair appeared with wide smiles on their faces. 

"Benny!" The woman excitedly said, as she rushed up to him and brought him in for a hug. Ben hugged the woman tightly and said, "I miss you, mum." She "awed", then let the man give Ben a manly hug. "We've missed you so much, son," the man told him. 

Ben smiled, then pulled back and said, "Mum, dad this is my girlfriend Cassie. Cass, these are my parents Wanda and Tim Carlton." Before Cassie could even get her hand up for a handshake, Wanda had brought her in for a hug. 

"It's so nice to meet you, love," she said. Cassie timidly wrapped her arms around Wanda for a hug and said, "It's nice to meet you, as well, Mrs Carlton." Wanda pulled away from her and said, "Please, call me Wanda! Tim, come say hello!"

Tim came over and said, "Hello, my dear. It's a pleasure to meet the woman who has been keeping our son so happy when he's so far away from home." Ben sighed, "Dad, not now please." Tim shrugged and told him, "I'm only saying there's plenty of computing jobs in London."

Ben gave a pleading look to Cassie, who suddenly piped up and said, "Well, if it's any consolation, Ben is doing wonderfully at his job in California. He's getting promotions, raises and I couldn't be more proud of him."

That made him smile and mouth, 'thank you'. Tim, though, wasn't satisfied. "Well, there are plenty of promotions he can get here." Wanda then said, "Alright, enough. Come on, we've made you two lunch."

Ben took Cassie's hand as they followed his parents into the kitchen. "So, Cassie," Wanda said, as she dished out the food, "tell us about yourself. Ben mentioned you were a teacher?" Ben had to laugh at how Cassie's face lit up at the mention of her job. 

"Yes, I am," she told Wanda. "I teach fifth graders at the elementary school I used to go to. It's a lot of fun, I love it so much." Ben piped up and told them, "She's got a magnificent grading system, as well. She doesn't believe in using red pens for corrections because it's a negative color, so she uses purple or green. I've helped out with that once or twice."

Wanda and Tim seemed intrigued. "How did you get into teaching?" Tim asked. Cassie thought for a moment and said, "I'm honestly not sure. It was a last minute decision when I got into college. I mean, I love kids, I think they're amazing and the future and I'm just honored to be one of the people who can shape them into taking the next step."

Ben's chest was swelling in pride for his girl. It only takes talking about her job to open those damn barriers she has. "What about your parents?" Wanda asked. "What do they do?" Uh oh, Ben gloomily thought. 

Surprisingly enough, she easily answered, "My dad was a entrepreneur. He owned his fair share of businesses over the course of a few years, but something always ended up happening where he would have to sell or give up the company. My mom...well, she never really worked."

Tim then asked, "Does your father own anything now?" Ben took Cassie's hand under the table as she mentally prepped herself to answer that. "Um...n-no. He, um...he died when I was thirteen. He was in a car accident."

Wanda put her hand over her chest and said, "I am so sorry, dear. At such a young age, too." Cassie simply nodded, then continued to eat. Ben stepped up and said, "From what she's told me, he was an amazing man. I'm sure he would have owned several successful businesses by now."

She looked at him with a sad smile, but he placed a kiss on her cheek and said, "You don't have to talk about it." She nodded and he looked to his parents, who got the signal to drop the subject. 

After lunch, Cassie offered to help Wanda clean up, while Tim took Ben into the backyard to have a drink. While Cassie was drying one of the pots, Wanda said, "You're a lovely girl, Cassie. From what Ben has told me, I feel that I know you already."

Cassie blushed and said, "Thank you. He speaks about you and Tim all the time. All good things, of course." Wanda chuckled and said, "Yes, well, he has to with what we had to put up with. He was the most dreadful boy when he was younger. It was like a switch suddenly flipped when he woke up one morning and now he's a charming young man."

Well, Cassie couldn't argue with that. "He's also very sensitive," Wanda continued. "He's had his heart broken too many times for a mother to not worry when a new one comes along." Cassie could easily see where this was going, so she assured her, "I won't break his heart, Wanda. I promise. He's told me about his past relationships and I can't believe those women would do such a thing to an amazing man like that."

That seemed to put Wanda at an ease, somewhat. "Well, as long as he's happy," she said. 

When met up with the boys in the backyard, Tim offered Cassie a glass of scotch. Before she could politely decline, Ben quickly told him, "No! No, she'll do fine with water." Tim was about to argue, but Cassie said, "He's right. I don't drink."

While Tim and Wanda went inside to get them all some drinks, Ben quietly told Cassie, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to go off like that. I guess ever since I saw you staring at that damn liquor aisle, I've been keeping on my toes."

She pressed a kiss to his cheek and said, "It's alright. Honestly, you don't need to keep on your toes. I'm fine, Ben, I promise." He nodded, then brought her to sit down on his lap. As Wanda and Tim came out with a tray of drinks, Tim asked, "Why don't you drink, Cassie?"

This was it. This was the moment. She couldn't lie to them, so this was it. She took a sip of her water, then cleared her throat. "Well, um...I'm a recovering alcoholic. I've been sober for nearly seven years now." She took a big gulp of her drink as she watched Wanda and Tim mull this over.

"Of course, this isn't a problem," Ben sharply told them. Wanda and Tim seemed to have jumped out of their own thoughts. "Of course it isn't," Tim told him. "It's just...bloody hell, I can't imagine going seven years without a drink."

Cassie huffed out a laugh, then Wanda said, "Neither can I!" Ben and Cassie both started to laugh and his parents joined in. Once things settled down, Ben looked to his watch. "We should get going," he said. "If we don't check into the hotel in an hour, they'll give our room away."

He and Cassie got up, as did Wanda and Tim. "Give us a call before you leave and we'll plan dinner in the city," Wanda told them. Ben hugged her, then kissed her cheek as he said, "We will. We'll be here a week, so we'll have time to plan."

As Wanda and Cassie talked and walked to the car, Tim stopped Ben in the doorway and said, "I really like her, Ben. She's better than the others you've brought around." Ben smiled fondly at Cassie as her and Wanda laughed about something. 

"She'll definitely be the last one I bring around," he promised. "She's the one, dad. I can't imagine living life without her."