outside jogging and riding her bike. Her lips were glossy pink. She touched on a bit of perfume just as the doorbell rang.
Ben.
She took a deep breath and told herself to get over her silliness.
***
“So, a strawberry shortcake cake, huh?” asked Ben as the waiter poured the wine. He had ordered an expensive bottle. The restaurant was usually hard to get into, but Ben’s secretary had called and used his name and voila; a table became available. Ben was a slight local celebrity right now and Ali could tell he both enjoyed it and was embarrassed by it.
“Yeah, what do you think?” asked Ali sipping the wine. It was magnificent. Ben knew his wine.
“I think that whatever you make, the rest will pale in comparison,” said Ben holding his glass up to toast her. “To our finally being able to have a proper dinner together.”
“Don’t be silly. To your success!” said Ali clinking her glass to his.
“Thanks,” said Ben beaming. He was proud of himself. The woman who had dodged justice for two years had finally gotten the sentence she deserved. He could see various other diners looking at him and whispering. That’s the guy that nailed that slumlord woman downtown, he could imagine them saying.
The rest of the dinner Ben spent time shaking hands with the few who came to the table to congratulate him and then each oohing and aahing over the food.
“This is the kind of food I want to cook one day,” said Ali. The food was sublime and the restaurant’s reputation was well-deserved.
“I have no doubt that will happen,” said Ben. “You will do it,” said Ben to her, with conviction.
She looked at him. He believed in her and it made all the difference. She suddenly felt that with Ben in her life again all things were possible.
***
Ben’s life had calmed down a bit three days later when his secretary announced a “Jason Worthington on line two.”
Jason Worthington? Jason Worthington. It sounded familiar. He knew a Jay Worthington from his law school days. Could it be the same person? He picked up the line.
“Well, hello there,” said a somewhat familiar voice.
“Yes, how can I help you?” asked Ben tenuously.
“It’s me, Jay,” said the voice.
“Jay, hi! I thought the only Worthington I knew was a Jay, but I wasn’t sure…”
“It’s me. I go by Jason these days. How the heck are you?”
“I’m good…great,” said Ben.
“Don’t I know it”, said Jason. “I’ve seen you all over the news the last couple of days. Good for you, man!”
“Oh, yeah, that,” said Ben. It was a good case. Ben was reluctant to get too caught up in his success. Jones had already planted him smack in the middle of another case taking on similar project.
“Oh, yeah, that,” mocked Jason. “That’s some big win you had. Seriously, man, TV and all. It’s like the lawyer’s dream, right?”
“Hmph,” snorted Ben. “Not really. I mean, it’s nice and all, but I actually really enjoyed the work.”
“I’m kidding, man. Hey, how about lunch today. Are you free?”
They agreed to meet at a little café around the corner from Ben’s office. He hung up the phone. It had been a few years since he’d seen or heard from Jason. He wondered why he was calling now. They’d been casual friends in law school, but not really the type who kept in touch. Ben figured it was because he was on TV. It seemed it drew people to him. It was a strange thing and he wasn’t sure he was entirely comfortable with it.
***
Ali poured a teaspoon of sugar over the cut berries in the bowl. It was her third cake today and she was determined to get the measure of sweet-to-tart just right. She took copious notes and worked with a pencil stuck behind her ear.
“You look like a mad scientist,” said Josie who sat at the table and sampled her
Ben.
She took a deep breath and told herself to get over her silliness.
***
“So, a strawberry shortcake cake, huh?” asked Ben as the waiter poured the wine. He had ordered an expensive bottle. The restaurant was usually hard to get into, but Ben’s secretary had called and used his name and voila; a table became available. Ben was a slight local celebrity right now and Ali could tell he both enjoyed it and was embarrassed by it.
“Yeah, what do you think?” asked Ali sipping the wine. It was magnificent. Ben knew his wine.
“I think that whatever you make, the rest will pale in comparison,” said Ben holding his glass up to toast her. “To our finally being able to have a proper dinner together.”
“Don’t be silly. To your success!” said Ali clinking her glass to his.
“Thanks,” said Ben beaming. He was proud of himself. The woman who had dodged justice for two years had finally gotten the sentence she deserved. He could see various other diners looking at him and whispering. That’s the guy that nailed that slumlord woman downtown, he could imagine them saying.
The rest of the dinner Ben spent time shaking hands with the few who came to the table to congratulate him and then each oohing and aahing over the food.
“This is the kind of food I want to cook one day,” said Ali. The food was sublime and the restaurant’s reputation was well-deserved.
“I have no doubt that will happen,” said Ben. “You will do it,” said Ben to her, with conviction.
She looked at him. He believed in her and it made all the difference. She suddenly felt that with Ben in her life again all things were possible.
***
Ben’s life had calmed down a bit three days later when his secretary announced a “Jason Worthington on line two.”
Jason Worthington? Jason Worthington. It sounded familiar. He knew a Jay Worthington from his law school days. Could it be the same person? He picked up the line.
“Well, hello there,” said a somewhat familiar voice.
“Yes, how can I help you?” asked Ben tenuously.
“It’s me, Jay,” said the voice.
“Jay, hi! I thought the only Worthington I knew was a Jay, but I wasn’t sure…”
“It’s me. I go by Jason these days. How the heck are you?”
“I’m good…great,” said Ben.
“Don’t I know it”, said Jason. “I’ve seen you all over the news the last couple of days. Good for you, man!”
“Oh, yeah, that,” said Ben. It was a good case. Ben was reluctant to get too caught up in his success. Jones had already planted him smack in the middle of another case taking on similar project.
“Oh, yeah, that,” mocked Jason. “That’s some big win you had. Seriously, man, TV and all. It’s like the lawyer’s dream, right?”
“Hmph,” snorted Ben. “Not really. I mean, it’s nice and all, but I actually really enjoyed the work.”
“I’m kidding, man. Hey, how about lunch today. Are you free?”
They agreed to meet at a little café around the corner from Ben’s office. He hung up the phone. It had been a few years since he’d seen or heard from Jason. He wondered why he was calling now. They’d been casual friends in law school, but not really the type who kept in touch. Ben figured it was because he was on TV. It seemed it drew people to him. It was a strange thing and he wasn’t sure he was entirely comfortable with it.
***
Ali poured a teaspoon of sugar over the cut berries in the bowl. It was her third cake today and she was determined to get the measure of sweet-to-tart just right. She took copious notes and worked with a pencil stuck behind her ear.
“You look like a mad scientist,” said Josie who sat at the table and sampled her
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