The Job Offer

The wedding was performed inside the beautifully decorated Victorian styled chapel built outside of Orcas Village. Set in a meadow and surrounded by towering pines, the chapel looked like it belonged on the New England countryside instead of in the Pacific Northwest. The white chapel, built in the 1970s to resemble a Victorian era chapel, was a throwback to days gone by complete with a center steeple and bell tower. Narrow stained glass windows flanked the front door and the sides of the building, and visitors were greeted with another large stained glass window that filled the arch behind the altar and captured the light. The cream plaster walls, stained wooden ceiling, and exposed beams complimented Lily’s chosen colors of dark purple and cream.

  Lily wore a custom Badgley Mischka designer wedding dress with an off white strapless beaded bodice, a dark purple silk sash at the waist, and a flowing cream colored organza skirt with beaded calla lilies interwoven throughout the fabric. She chose not to wear a veil but had her brown hair styled in a soft up-do with strands curling loosely around her face and beads woven through her curls. In her hands, she carried a simple bouquet of purple calla lilies tied with a cream bow that contrasted with the cream colored calla lilies carried by her matron of honor and used as boutonnières worn by the men and in the mothers’ corsages. Flower arrangements of calla lilies, alliums, and mums were set strategically around the chapel and tied to the ends of pews to complement the flowers they carried. The chapel was quaint, and the enclosed space captured the wonderful scents from the flowers. Anne breathed it in with enjoyment. Lilies were her favorite flower.

  Anne sat next to her parents in the pew and wore a simple aqua lace sleeveless shift dress with a scooped neck that Carla talked her into buying. It complimented her eyes and showed off her figure to the best advantage by clinging to her curves and ending just above her knees. The necklace that Ben gave her earlier in the day was around her neck, and she wore no other jewelry. She also wore a simple smile when she watched Lily and Tom exchange their vows and when she found her eyes wondering frequently over to Ben.

  After the ceremony, Anne stood outside and looked at the meadow and trees outside of the chapel instead of returning to the inn with her parents. She waited to drive back with Ben, but they could not leave right away because the photographer needed a few more shots. Finally, when the church was cleared of guests and the photographs were taken, they saw the newly married couple into a white Rolls Royce limousine and followed them back up Orcas Road to the inn.

  The reception room at the inn was full of guests when they arrived, and a small orchestra played by the dance floor. Nobody danced, as it was the custom to wait until after the newly married couple took their first dance as husband and wife before anyone danced. The tables were covered in cream and purple overlaid cloths, and each table sported a tall clear crystal love vase holding cream calla lilies.

  While Ben stood in the reception line with the rest of the wedding party, Anne looked for a place to get a glass of wine. Surprisingly, she saw several people whom she recognized. Once the guests had gone through the receiving line, Ben came to find her. She was talking with a nice couple that she had first met years before. They were frequent guests of the inn in addition to being friends to the Carlson family. They greeted Ben warmly when he arrived at her side and exchanged a few words about the wedding. Ben had handed her a Champaign flute when he walked up and clinked glasses with her before he sipped from his glass and talked to the other couple. He didn’t leave her side again until it was time to eat.

  When he went to the head table to sit, Anne found her spot next to her parents at their table across the room. Soon the toasts were given with Ben's being both a stirring and funny Best Man's toast that paid homage to his sister and her new husband. There were a number of calls for the couple to kiss, and then everyone focused on enjoying the delicious seafood and beef dishes prepared by the inn's resident chef.

  Sometime later, after the dinner plates were removed and the bride and groom shared their first dance, Anne was having a wonderful time talking to another couple at her table when she suddenly felt Ben at her side again. This time he was there to ask her for a dance. Anne quickly accepted and let him lead her to the dance floor where a slow waltz was being played. Anne recognized the song but couldn’t place the composer. The waltz had been played at Carla’s wedding, also. It had been a long time since she had danced with anyone, not since Carla’s wedding, in fact, and Anne was slow to start out. But Ben was an excellent leader, and she was soon floating around the floor in his arms.

  All too soon the dance ended, and another song began. Instead of staying for another dance, Ben led her from the floor and through the many couples moving to the new waltz. Anne expected him to take her somewhere to sit down so that they could talk, but instead he whisked her out of the room and into a private meeting room one door down from the reception room’s door.

  After he closed the door of the meeting room behind them, he quickly pulled her into his arms for a private dance that stirred her blood and left her breathless. They swayed to the sound of the orchestra playing in the other room, their bodies pressed against each other in a sexier version of the waltz they did on the dance floor. She moved her arms around Ben’s neck and looked up at him, and he found her mouth in a seductive kiss that stirred her body and left her wanting much more. She finally pulled away to catch her breath and felt Ben's lips move onto her neck and the space behind her earlobe.

  "Shouldn't we go back?" She didn’t want to but asked because she was afraid of the kiss escalating right there when anyone could walk in on them. As it was, her voice was already breathless. "Everyone will miss you." His lips moved to her earlobe and his hands slide down her back to rest on her bottom, cupping her cheeks and pulling her in closer to his body.

  "Hmm, maybe... I've wanted to do this ever since you walked into the chapel." His mouth found hers again for a passionate kiss that left her moaning before he moved his mouth to her collarbone then along to the base of her throat. She could feel his erection pressed against her, and she rubbed herself against him until his hands lifted her up against him. He backed her against the wall and began to pull up her skirt, his hands sliding up her thighs until he reached her hips.

  "Stop, Ben," she whispered fervently. He stopped moving his hands upward, groaned, and finally moved his hands away from her hips. Then he put his elbows by her head and ended the kiss so that he could look at her. He had a scowl on his face that clearly showed his frustration and disappointment.

  "You're right. Here is not the place for this." He pushed himself away from her and took several deep breaths. "But we are not staying to close out the night. I don't care what my duties are. We still need to talk, and then I intend to make love to you all night long." He leaned forward and told her just what he had planned for her that night. The images he created with his words caused her to blush and her core to fill with moisture. He gave her a wicked look at her shocked expression. "Trust me, you'll like it."

  "I'm sure I will."

  "Well, I must say, you certainly worked fast." The sound of someone entering the room startled them both. They looked at the door and saw Chelsea walk in, close the door, and lean a shoulder against the wood surface. Ben sighed angrily.

  "Would you mind leaving Chelsea? We’re a little busy right now." Ben turned around and stepped in front of Anne to block Chelsea seeing her. Anne looked down at herself and saw that her shirt was still up around her waist. She quickly pushed it back down to cover herself then stepped out from behind Ben.

  "I'll say you are. But then she is good at getting what she wants. Isn't that right, Dr. Conner?" Chelsea sneered at Anne then looked innocently at Ben and spoke sweetly to him. "I just want to protect you, Ben."

  "Chelsea, leave now. Go back to the party and your parents. You've had too much to drink."

  Anne looked at her closely. The other woman's face was red and she swayed a little where she stood as if
her world was swirling around her. Her words were also slightly slurred. She clearly had been drinking too much alcohol.

  "Not until you know the truth, Ben." Chelsea’s sweet tone turned to ice when she looked at Anne. "I did a little checking up on you, Jane. Did you know that the little slut was only using you, Ben?" She looked innocently at Ben again.

  "That's enough, Chelsea. No more. I’ve had enough of your actions and your language." The tone of Ben's voice became dangerously cold. Anne could feel the anger radiate from him. He reached over and took Anne's hand and pulled her to the door. "Come on, Anne."

  "Oh, you're not leaving, yet. Not until I tell you what I found out." Chelsea's voice became singsong, and she turned so that her full weight was against the door barring their exit. "You see, Ben, your little fiancée there was only using you to get a job. Isn't that right, Dr. Conner? But then she never was your fiancée."

  "What are you talking about?" He looked back at Anne. "What is she talking about?"

  "I don't know." Anne was genuinely perplexed why Chelsea would think that Anne was using Ben to get a job with Stanford Enterprises. Anne had never even told him that she was interviewing in Seattle. She was planning on telling him tonight. How did Chelsea know? Then Anne remembered the dropped fax.

  "Oh, come on, you little whore."

  "That's enough, Chelsea. I’m warning you to stop with the insults." Ben’s voice became menacing with his anger. But Chelsea didn’t stop. Her voice became angry when she continued.

  "She sold yourself to you, Ben, so that she could get a job at Stanford Enterprises. You see, Ben, she just wanted you for a job, baby. Isn't that right, Dr. Jane Conner? There's nothing like screwing the boss to get ahead in life." Chelsea laughed drunkenly. Anne gasped in surprise. What was Chelsea talking about? "There's nothing like screwing the great Benjamin Stanford the Third. You should have asked for more money, Jane. He's loaded."

  "That's enough, Chelsea. Get out of the way before I move you myself." Ben glared at Chelsea. The look in his face and the tone of his voice finally sank in and were enough to convince her to move out of the way.

  "Ok, Ben." Chelsea moved away from the door and allowed them to leave. But she made sure to give Anne a smug look before Anne left the room. The look said, "I win!" Anne began to understand that Chelsea’s performance was just part of her plan to get Ben back. Ben could not be the Benjamin Stanford III. Instead of going back to the reception as Anne thought they might do, Ben gripped her hand tightly and forced her to walk beside him over to the elevator in the lobby.

  He didn’t say anything on the way to his suite. Anne was too stunned, too lost in her own feelings of confusion at learning that he was Benjamin Stanford to comprehend just how angry he really was. He opened the door to the sitting room and escorted her inside. Once they were both in the room, he walked over to the balcony door and looked out for several minutes at the darkening sky and remained silent. She stood motionless in the center of the room, lost in her numbness, and didn’t feel the heaviness of his mood. Finally, she began to thaw, and noticed that Ben had been standing silently for quite some time looking outside. The quiet became excruciating, and she wanted to say something. She just didn’t know what to say.

  "Is what she said true?" His voice reached her through the lifting fog of her mind and pulled her the rest of the way out of her reverie. His voice was calm, deep. She did not think that it was a good sign that he was calm. He should be angry. His voice should be heightened with his temper. She didn’t know this calm side of him and was not sure what to expect from him next.

  "What part?" He laughed mirthlessly at her question. No, it definitely was not a good sign.

  "Let's start with the easy part first. Are you Dr. Jane Conner?"

  "Yes, but the other things she said are not true, Ben."

  "What a fool I am," he said to himself. Anne became alarmed by what he said and quickly crossed over to him to put her hand on his arm. She was about ready to say something when he shook off her hand and walked away from her. His voice became deathly cold. "You know, Anne, or maybe I should call you Jane. You know, Jane. All I can think about right now is that you said this morning that you weren't who I thought you were." He didn’t look at her.

  "That's not what I meant, Ben,” she said calmly even though she wanted to scream. "Please look at me. I did not know who you were, and what we have between us was never about a job?" She could hear the tears in her voice. "Please believe me."

  "Believe you?" His voice became even icier, if that was possible, and Anne knew just how angry he really was. He believed Chelsea’s story! She could feel her own anger rise at his unfounded belief that she had used him. "Why should I believe you? Let's look at the facts, shall we? You are Dr. Jane Conner who interviewed for a job with my company earlier this week against a strong field of candidates, I might add. You conveniently decide to visit your family at the same time that you knew that I was planning to be here. Then on the second day at the inn, you arrange it so that we must pretend that we are engaged and sharing a room. Of course, this is only after you already asked me to go kayaking with you. Was your mother in on it, too? How convenient. You came on to me from the first moment we ran into each other and, even though you maintained that you did not sleep around, you fell into bed pretty quickly with me."

  She gasped when he said that last part and turned around. He might as well have just slapped her. It could not hurt as much as his words did. Her heart plummeted, and she struggled to stifle her rising emotions. "Do I have this right so far?" His voice became louder with each of his points. That’s it! She was angry and extremely hurt. She could not answer him, and she could not turn around. But she could see his reflection in the glass of the balcony door, and he stood where he was before, glaring at her back. Finally she found the words to speak again.

  "Ben, those were all coincidences. I did not know who you were. I thought that you were Ben Carlson." The feeling of dread increased in her chest, and she blinked back sudden tears. Crying right now would not help, either. She knew that he would not believe that they were sincere.

  "And I'm supposed to believe that? Your parents knew who I was." Her breath caught in surprise at that bit of news. She didn’t know! Why didn’t they tell her? "So what were you going to do tonight? Were you going to tell me who you really were and fake innocence? Or were you just going to wait until I saw you at work then spring it on me, all of a sudden? Were you going to tell me tonight that you loved me so that I would believe your story?"

  "No, Ben. I didn't know who you were. I swear." Her voice came out quietly, but at least it was calm and did not reveal the turmoil of her emotions. The look on his face told her that he did not believe a word she said, and she realized that fighting further would be useless. She wasn’t who he thought she was, and he wasn't who she thought he was either. The fight left her when she accepted that he would never believe her capable of these things if he truly did care about her. This was just a vacation romance to him, nothing more, so why fight? Her vision became blurred, and she blinked back her tears.

  The weight in her chest was almost unbearable. She was more upset about his not caring for her than she was at finding out who he really was. She had to get through this evening before he saw that she loved him and was destroyed by his rejection. She would get through it, she told herself. After straightening her spine, she blinked a few more times then turned around and faced him. "You don't believe me. I'm sorry for the confusion, Ben, but this, all of this, was not what you think." His expression remained the same. "Forget about the contract, Ben. I won't hold you to it. I don’t want to come and work for you, now."

  Her softly spoken words finally got him to change his expression, only this time to a sneer.

  "Nice try, Jane. We have a contract, and if I cancel it now that we've had sex, you'll find yourself a lawyer and sue. It woul
d get nasty. Then we would have to settle out of court, probably for a few million, making you a rich woman. It would be almost worth it to pay you off. But I refuse to give you the satisfaction. No, I'm afraid that we are stuck with each other for at least the trial period. Just stay away from me, and I'll stay away from you. Now get your things and get out of my room. I'm going back to the party." He moved to the door and looked at her one more time. When she said nothing, he walked out.

  As soon as the door closed, the pain in Anne's chest overwhelmed her. She could no longer stand and sat down on the floor then leaned her back against the balcony door. The tears began silently spilling over her lashes and running down her cheeks. She hiccupped, and it turned into a sob that rocked through her until she was sobbing openly. She wrapped her arms around her legs and pressed her forehead against her knees, her body shaking with each sob. It seemed like hours that she cried, but it was only minutes before she went in search of a tissue to blow her nose. Then she took the necklace off and set it by his laptop before she went into the bedroom to pick up every one of her things. She looked around to make sure that she left no trace of herself behind and opened the balcony door to go down the fire escape. She didn’t know how she made it to her parent's house without crying again because as soon as the front door closed, the tears began again and lasted for most of the night.

  Chapter 16