Page 78 of Dirty Little Secret, Baby
Ben fusses again, but settles right away.
"...something always got in the way?" Beth asks.
"Exactly. And then there was the whole thing with Jake and Eric and your termination and the eviction. That must have made me look like I was..."
"...a gigantic asshole," Beth supplies.
"Exactly. And I get it if that’s what you think, and I..."
"I could have told you we have a son, too," Beth says. "I’m no better. Hey, what did you actually sign with your assistant?" she asks, changing the subject.
"Ex-assistant. I fired him before I came to you and we ended up in the hospital because of Ben," I begin, pausing for a beat. "It was an assignment of rights for the mall. Jake gets to build the thing now."
"You did what?" she asks, staring at me, dumbfounded.
"Beth. This was about you. I’d never want anything to happen to you. I’d do anything, because... I love you, Beth!"
For a moment we just look at each other. Then I dare it: I move toward her and kiss her. Her lips taste even more wonderful than I remembered; I never want to...
"Da-da-da," comes the babble between us, and we break off the kiss and have to laugh.
"Hey, did you sayDada, Ben?" I ask him, playing with his tiny fingers. "Dada’s here now, and if Mama wants it, then..." This time I look at Beth. "Then he’s not going anywhere."
This time it’s Beth who kisses me. And that kiss is sensual, full of affection, full of promises and love, and it needs no more words.
When we come up for air, it’s Beth who speaks: "I love you too."
Forehead to forehead, we just stand there holding each other, looking at Ben, savoring this time as a family. For the first time, it feels as if my life is truly complete.
"Hey, I’m heading to the gift shop, do you want anything... oh... sorry..." Veronica says, sticking her head through the door and then immediately backing out again, and Beth and I grin at each other.
"She helped me find you. Without her, I wouldn’t have gotten here in time," I say, nodding toward the door.
"She wasn’t supposed to give anything away," Beth says with mock defiance.
"I had some good arguments," I reply with a smile.
"Yeah? Like what? Your playboy charm?" Beth asks, poking me in the chest.
"If you really want to know, it was this," I say, pulling the white envelope from my blazer, opening it, and holding the documents out to Beth.
"Oh, Alex. Is that...?" she says after a few seconds of silence.
"Exactly. That’s a purchase agreement for the building your shop and apartment are in. Your landlord and I still have to go to the notary, but this preliminary contract is airtight. I’ve signed plenty like it. And the second is a lifetime, rent-free right of residence and use for you—for both. So even if you decide you don’t want me anymore..."
The rest of the sentence disappears into a stormy kiss that tells me I shouldn’t worry about that scenario.
"But..." Beth begins when she pulls back. "The mall. There will be a flower shop there for sure. Doesn’t that doom me anyway?" She looks a little crestfallen.
"I wouldn’t be so sure. Eric blackmailed me, plain and simple. It might take a while for a court to unwind all that, but I’ll do everything I can to make sure it doesn’t come to that."
"But you still want to build the mall. Why, anyway?"
"I wanted to put up ads for your shop in it. There won’t be a flower shop in my mall. The best flower shop in the city is right across the street."
"That’s crazy, Alex."
"Maybe. But I’m crazy about you... about both of you."
