A recovering alcoholic and a man that will do anything to get a date with her.
This is the story of a fifth grade teacher and her complicated life and the man that comes into it, making it even more complicated. Benedict meets Cassie and wants to k...
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4 Months Later
Cassie sighed as she looked at, yet another, rejection letter from the third school she's applied to teach at. Shaking her head, she looked out the window and took a deep breath. She loves London. She really does, but it's near to impossible for her to get a job.
Ben has told her how she didn't need to work with his pay raise, but that got her beyond angry. He knows how much she loves teaching. He later apologized and promised to support her in anything she wanted to pursue.
Now, if only he knew someone who could just give her a teaching job.
"You'll get one soon, love," Ben told her over dinner that night. "Honestly, it's probably for a couple of reasons, one of them being obvious...you're nearly nine months pregnant. The other is your visa. Technically, yes, you can work. Unfortunately, schools are most likely looking for someone who won't get deported back to the United States at any given moment."
That made her understand a bit more, but still feel upset. "Hey," he softly said while taking her hand, "it's going to be okay. When we get married, none of that junk is going to matter. Just a few more weeks, baby, okay?"
The thought of her wedding made her smile and she nodded. "Okay," she told him. "I'm just anxious to get back to doing what I love." He nodded and told her, "I know you are and I'm proud of you for wanting to get back out there. For now, let's focus on the wedding, the baby and your health. Yes?"
She nodded, so he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
**
"So, you're flying out three days before, then leaving two days after?" Cassie asked Anna over the phone. "Yes! I want to be there to help out with any last minute things, then spend some time exploring London with Roger and Kerry."
While Cassie was listening, she was looking over the guest list. "Sounds goo...wait. Hold on." She took a closer look at the guest list. "What is it?" She shook her head and blinked a few times. "Uh...it's my mom. She's on the guest list and I don't know how, I--...oh my God."
She slapped her hand to her forehead. "What?" Anna asked. "Ben's mom," Cassie said, "she's the one that made and sent the invitations. She must have sent one to my mom because she doesn't know the situation. At least she didn't R.S.V.P.." She continued down the list, then made sure everyone had a seat at the reception.
"Jesus, Ben invited a lot of people. I don't know half of them. I was just hoping this would be a small event, but...whatever King Benedict wants, he gets." As she listened to Anna talk her ear off, she heard the floorboard behind her squeak.
She turned just in time to see Ben walk up the stairs with his head hanging low. "Um...Anna, let me call you back." After hanging up, she went upstairs and found Ben aimlessly making their bed.
"You okay?" She asked him. He momentarily stopped putting the duvet on before starting again, then saying, "So I'm 'King Benedict' who gets whatever he wants, then. That's good to know." He seemed genuinely upset with this and Cassie wasn't exactly sure why. It was just a small joke.
"Ben," she said, climbing on to the bed and crawling up to him at the edge, "I was joking. You know me and big crowds and how I get nervous, which makes me say stupid jokes to lighten the mood."
He smirked and shook his head. "That wasn't lightening the mood," he told her, "that was venting. Am I really that controlling of you and our relationship?" She put her arms around his neck and gently pulled him on to the bed.
"No, you are not," she told him. "Babe, I promise, I didn't mean anything by it." Just as she was going to get him to lay down next to her, he pushed himself up and said, "Yes, you did! Cass, we're going to get married next week and I need to know if you think I'm going to be a controlling husband!"
Oddly enough, Cassie kept pretty calm despite his yelling. "Fine," she said, "you can be stubborn, how's that? I wanted a small wedding and it started out that way, but then you kept inviting more and more people and now...now it's in the papers, Ben! We are competing against Prince Harry's wedding of it being the biggest of the year! Every time I told you I didn't want that, you say what you always do; 'Don't think about it, Cass. It's fun not to think!'."
By the time she was finished, he had his head hanging low once again. "I just wanted all of my friends there," he sadly mumbled. "I wanted them there for the greatest day of my life." She hated it when he did this. It was her weakness.
"Ben, babe, half of those people you only met a few months ago," she gently told him. "The list grew as your company grew. I don't know why you invited half of your company, but it wasn't necessary." He only sighed and stayed silent.
"Whatever," she said, now more annoyed, "what's done is done and King Benedict got what he wanted; a big wedding and a pissed off, pregnant fiancée." Just as she was about to get off the bed, he stopped her by gently putting his hand on her stomach.
He smiled a bit when he felt the baby kick.
"You're right," he told her. "I guess...I guess by inviting all of these people, it was to prove my worth. I haven't told you this, but...I've been feeling out of place. Not only at work, but in London. This is my home, but it doesn't feel like it. I feel like an outcast and I'm trying to make my way back in. Using our wedding for that was an idiotic move and I'm just starting to deeply regret it. I'm sorry if I've ruined your wedding."
She actually started to see tears forming in his eyes! "Oh, Ben, no," she cooed. She brought his face into her neck and hugged him tightly. "Hey, you haven't ruined anything. I'm so sorry you've been feeling this way. You should have told me."
His breathing started to stagger as he said, "I've just been so stressed out and I didn't want to do the same to you." He hugged her tighter to him as she ran her fingers through his hair. "You know what I think?" She asked him.
He simply shook his head, so she said, "I think we need to make damn sure that the Royal Family will have to outshine us." That got him to laugh a bit, but then a bit more. He brought his face up from her neck and put his forehead against hers.
"I love you," he whispered as he looked deep into her eyes. She put her hand on his cheek and traced his sharp cheekbone as she said, "Don't I know it."
