BEN
My fingers move rapidly on the keyboard. I skim through the names on the screen, jot down a few names on my notepad and make the required changes. Working in this firm isn’t so bad. The others complain but I find it interesting. Maybe because I spend less time here than they do. I type in the last name and input the necessary figures.
Flexing my fingers, I grin at my laptop screen. I’m done for the day. I pick up my phone and the screen lights up with a picture of Gracie smiling at the camera. She’s hugging a teddy bear. It’s from one of her photoshoots but taken with my new phone, her last birthday gift to me.
On my less busy days, I accompany her to the shoots. It’s always fun till they ask me to join in on the pictures. I love taking pictures with Gracie but not to have them on the cover of some magazine.
I send Gracie a text, then another. No reply. She must be preparing for the play, that means I need to get out of here now or I will be late. She will kill me if that happens. I am packing up when my phone rings.
The door to my office opens and Elena takes a step in. “I need the document on Langdon & Sons.”
Langdon & Sons, our latest contractors.
“I don’t have it,” I reply. She cocks her head, lips in disapproval but what she’s asking for is not in my job description. I only volunteered because a staff member resigned. And it will not be too late if I do it tomorrow. “Elena, I really need to be on my way.”
My phone rings before her reply. It’s Josef. I’m glad Asher has someone like him in his life. My smile is automatic but it slips off at Elena’s grin. Josef and I have come so far, it’s nearly impossible to dismiss a request he makes of me and I’m almost certain he’s calling for the same reason Elena is here.
“Hey, Ben. Is Elena there?” I mutter a small, ‘yeah’ and Elena’s grin widens. Gracie tolerates her but she is cool. I lean forward and brace my elbows on the desk. Josef is calling for the same reason she came here. “It’s important or I wouldn’t be calling you.”
“Okay,” I reply. The call ends and she raises her brows in inquiry. “Fine. Only for a few minutes.”
After packing up, I send Gracie another text to let her know I’ll be a little late. Elena and I walk out to her office. It’s more than triple the size of mine but I don’t mind. Once I earn my place here with my business degree, I’ll get a better office and a great pay. Gracie is convinced we need stable jobs before we can get married. I think we will do fine if we let kids come in later but I will respect her decision.
Elena’s office is not empty. There are other familiar faces waiting for us. She settles down behind her desk overlooking the city and the rows of giant buildings surrounding our office. We get down to business right away. I keep counting the minutes till it’s 4 pm. Gracie will hate me. The only part about being an adult I don’t like is the unpreparedness of it all. Of life. You make plans and life disrupts it.
In high school, we had safety nets in the form of our parents. They kept things in order but now, it’s up to us to keep things in order. That bit is not so fun.
Ten minutes more and we are not done. I look up from the file and sigh. This will take more than two hours, Gracie’s play will be over before then. Elena sighs. “Fine. You can go. We will handle the rest.”
The other staff groans. I laugh at the pile littered on the floor. They won’t be done anytime soon.
“I’m off,” I say to them but I only receive grunts in reply. I hoist my bag up my shoulder and jog down the stairs to the car.
It’s a few minutes to five. Yep. I fucked this one up.
Cars horn at my reckless driving but they don’t understand what’s going in. My girlfriend needs me. I curse when the light turns red. Seconds feel like minutes but in the end, I’m driving up the front of the hall to park. I pat my bag to be sure the box is still intact. The one good thing I did today was stop by earlier to get her another charm to add to her bracelet. She can add the theatre to our memories.
The corridor is dim-lit and the hall is darker but I manage to find my way to the front seat reserved for me. It earns me a few disapproving looks. I relax immediately I spot Gracie and my smile falters.
This is the penultimate scene. I haven’t read the entire script but I know some of the lines from the play. The lines glued to the headboard of my bed.
Marcelo saunters in from behind to hug Gracie. My jaw clenches. I guess I know this should happen but it still gets me worked up. Some of her photoshoots have been with the opposite sex but I’m not sure I will ever get used to seeing her with other men.
There’s a final scene that lasts two seconds before the play ends. I chuckle when Gracie spins in Marcelo’s arms. My baby girl has grown so much.
The song playing in the background slows to a stop. Marcelo kisses her on the lips and the curtain drops.
Wait, what?
Marcelo kissed her. On her lips. Not cheeks.
He kissed my girlfriend.
I grip the armrest and try to expel the anger through a breath but it doesn’t work. That idiot kissed Gracie.
Lights flood the hall. Some guests shoot to their feet. I clap along with them, not at all impressed by the turns of events. Murmurs break out as people try to find their way out of the hall to talk to their friends. They brush past me but I’m unable to move. My head is still buzzing with the image of the kiss.
A head pokes between the curtains and I raise my hand in a wave. Gracie walks out in a new set of clothes, the same gown she left the house in. I can’t bring myself to smile as I bridge the gap between us. She jumps down from the stage and into my arms. I hide my face in her neck to stop her from kissing me and my arms wrap around her waist.
“You were late,” she murmurs.
“Josef had me do something for him. Sorry.” I look into her eyes and smile. “You did good, Gracie.”
“Thanks.” She punches my chest and pouts. I search my bag for the box while she watches with interest. A hand flies over her mouth when I retrieve the charm to attach it to the bracelet dangling from her wrist. “Benny…” She tears up and squeezes me in another hug. “But you should have been there, babe. Now you have to cook for the whole of this month.”
I laugh. She doesn’t cook much anyway. On our way out, Gracie taps me. Her arms spread open. I let out a soft sigh but turn around so she can hop on my back for a piggyback ride. Her arms tighten around my neck and I take careful steps outside, frowning when I spot Marcelo, the bastard. He smirks. Gracie waves at him and I am reminded of that last scene. The kiss. She said there was no kissing scene.
We get into the car and I help her with her seatbelt. My mind is reeling with sinister, insecure thoughts.
I’m her first and only kiss. She hasn’t had anything to compare with till today. Did she like Marcelo’s kiss? All Gracie’s attempts to make me laugh are futile. She shouldn’t have let that guy kiss her.
We arrive home and I’m still moody. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to be mad since it was a harmless kiss. It will happen more often since she is an actress, so why don’t I start to familiarise myself with it now?
“Hey.” Gracie snaps her fingers in my face. I look up from the leftover pizza she placed on the counter. She places her hands on her waist and tilts her head. I try and fail to smile. “What’s going on, Benny?”
The stool screeches as Gracie drags it closer to me. Facing me, her hands rest on my knees. “What’s up, babe?” My gaze lowers to her feet. “You look lost.”
“I’m not happy,” I tell her.
As soon as the words are out of my lips, she wraps me in a hug. I manage a chuckle at her attempts to make me smile. She tries to kiss me but I duck my head. Marcelo put his lips on hers. He kissed her.
Gracie doesn’t notice my withdrawal. She palms my face and pouts. “Why, Benny? Why are you sad?”
Her eyes darken with concern. She is not aware she is the reason. “I don’t like that you kissed him.”
There. I said it. Her arms lower to her sides. A moment or two passes as she processes my words.
“It was just a harmless kiss, Benny.” I already told myself this but it doesn’t make it any better. “Babe, there was nothing to it and it’s also part of the job.”
Well, I don’t like her job anymore, especially if it means more harmless kisses from other guys. What if they ask her to be more intimate with another cast member to make the scene look more real?
The thought sends a jolt of panic through me. I stretch out my arms without touching her, then wrap them around my torso. We have never had in-depth discussions about our career choices, just supported each other. And this is my first issue with her career.
Holding her gaze, I ask, “Are you saying if my job requires me to kiss another woman, you won’t be mad?”
Her cheeks flush. Gracie shoves her hands into the pockets of her jackets and creates more distance between us. “Benny. It’s not the same thing.”
But her voice lacks conviction. She won’t like it.
“What’s the difference?” I ask. She opens her mouth to say something but nothing comes out. I doubt she can come up with a reasonable reply that applies to both cases. “Gracie, why is it okay for you to kiss another man because your job demands it but not okay for me to do the same if my job demands it?”