Taking Chances

40. Business Dinner

Adding the last few touches to herself, the blonde spritzed a spicy vanilla perfume on her skin and she combed through her hair with her fingers in order to make it look neat though slightly tosseled. On her body, she was wearing a business styled dressed in which was the burgandy, long-sleeved, backless dress that she wore on her first date with Ben since she had several, but that seemed easy in a sense. She wore her black coat and her black high heels just to be simple.

"TeeDee, I was going to ask what
sounded good for dinner, I--" she stopped. "Oh, are you going somewhere?" she asked, entering her room.

"Uh, yeah. I have a business dinner with Andrew, Ben and Tony," she smiled sarcastically.

"Ben?" she said questionably. "I thought you guys work in different areas?"

"We do. Our bosses thought it would be a great idea to put their best guys together for the job. I'm a little O.C.D. with my work so I hope I don't have to kill him. I really want him to just give me his notes so I can just do it on my own and give him cards so that he knows when to talk. I know it sounds mean, but it's just the way I work. Any other presentation I've done, it's been on my own. I think there might be somebody coming in to evaluate us or Andrew and Andrew just didn't tell us."

"Could be," her mother sort of shrugged since she didn't know.

"Anyway, I'll leave some money, get the kids whatever they want. I really, kind of don't care what they eat tonight," she ensured as she stood up to put her coat on.

"Are you feeling alright, Tee?" her mother asked as she leaned against the doorway.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm just a little tired and I--" she stopped herself from saying she missed Lindsey even if it was the truth. For the first time, she was about to admit that out loud and she hadn't even known that's what it was weighing her down; causing her fatigue and sadness. "I don't know," she continued and she shook her head.

"I understand. Maybe it's because life isn't as intense as it was. Y'know Lindsey brought a lot more back into the family with just his cheerful self... It's just boring and I only say that because the kids have been this way too, a little better than you I might add, but I could imagine you'd be tired from all the work you've been doing."

She nodded in agreement because that was a good enough response to go along with, but it was the truth because Lindsey did bring a sense of happiness to the family, he was naturally a happy guy, even when secluded and alone, just to get work done. "I have to go. Hopefully I'll be back shortly, I don't know how long this is going to take or even what we're doing. I appreciate the rundowns and such things, but I've done this a million times before, so I don't really see the point. But as usual, I shall keep my mouth shut till I know what the point is."

Her mother chuckled, "Good luck, dear."

"Thanks," she smiled as she pecked cheeks with her and guided her out of her bedroom all the while digging through her purse for money.

···

Getting to the restaurant a good ten minutes early as she had always done, Ben as well as the others had done the same so they entered together.

Prepared to take her coat for her, Ben kind of got behind her to do so as he normally would.

"Allow me," Andrew moved in front of Ben to take the blonde's coat. As he pulled the black material, it seemed his jaw dropped at the sight of her back, overall just the curves of her body and structure of her shoulder blades.

"Thank you, Andrew," she was sure to respond with a small grin.

"No problem," he did the same as he hung it up for her.