The Job Offer - By Eleanor Webb Page 0,59

her face. "I wanted to give you something...something to remember me by after this week." He pulled her back into his arms so that she rested her head against his shoulder and ran his hand through her hair. "I'll never forget this week together, Anne." That did not sound good, Anne thought. It sounded like this was a parting gift. Some of her happiness dimmed.

"Ben, if I was in Seattle, would you still want to see me?" She said this nervously against his shoulder. It was now or never. He pulled away from her and rested his hands on her arms. He was smiling, and she became encouraged by it.

"Of course I would, Anne."

"What if I'm not the woman you think I am?" She suddenly decided that she should explain what she did for a living. Over the years she had found that some men were turned off by it. Although she did not think that he would, she was not sure.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what if I'm different. People act differently when on vacation."

"Yes, they do. Are you saying that you would think about coming back to live in Seattle? What about your job? Your life is out..." A knock at the door stopped him from finishing what he wanted to say. "I'll be happy when this wedding is over," he groaned in resignation before he let go of her and opened the door. His mother stood in the hall. She came inside the room when he opened the door and greeted Anne when she saw her. His mother was clearly upset and full of nervous energy.

"Ben, you're supposed to be in your tux and ready to go. It's eleven o'clock."

"The wedding isn't until two, Mom."

"That's right, Ben. But we need to drive to the chapel, there are photos that need to be taken, we still need to have lunch because dinner won't be served until five, and as Best Man, you cannot miss any of it. Now go and change, and for Heaven's sake, shave." Ben winked at Anne then went into the other room. A minute later they heard the shower turn on. "What was he doing this morning? I saw him drive up the front drive in your car," she said distractedly. "You wait, Anne. Men just do not get it." She looked at her watch and groaned. "Tell him that we had to get going. We're already going to be late for the chapel. Can he borrow your car?"

"Yes. I'll catch a ride with my parents."

"Good. Oh, Lord, if this day goes off without a hitch, I'll be very surprised. Bye, Dear." Then like a whirlwind, she was gone.

Closing the door behind her, Anne smiled at the image of Ben's usually unflappable mother so uptight and took a deep breath. Anne had not been invited to the wedding per se, but was included as Ben’s "plus-one." It was naturally accepted by everyone that she was going, so Anne did not feel like she was crashing the wedding. Looking around at the now empty sitting room, she turned once more to the mirror to admire the necklace Ben had given her only a few minutes before. It did not sound like Ben intended the necklace as a parting gift if his response to her asking him about her being in Seattle was any indication. She smiled happily as she fingered the stone and thought about what hers and Ben’s future would be once he found out that she was moving back to Seattle. She looked forward to telling him that night.

Anne remembered her coffee sitting on the coffee table and walked over to pick it up. It was cold. After dumping it out into the buffet bar's sink, she poured a second cup and sat down on the couch. She was quite hungry now and pulled the muffin over to her, took the top from the lower portion, and nibbled the delicious muffin top, the part she always ate first. The shower turned off, and Anne heard the sound of the sink water running for a minute before the bathroom door opened. Going into the bedroom, she saw Ben standing in a towel taking the tuxedo from the garment bag.

"Your mother left and said to take my car to the chapel. Don't dawdle. She didn't say that, but it was implied."

"I'm sure it was." He pulled on a pair of underwear and sat on the edge of the bed to begin pulling on his socks.