“Hey.” She said breathlessly as she opened the door.
“I was wondering where you were. We need to go now before traffic gets bad.” Ben kissed her on the cheek and Louise nodded. They walked down to the car and Louise gasped at the sight of the limousine and chauffeur.
Ben grinned, ”Richard sent the limo up to pick up me and David. So we get to drive to The Hamptons in style.”
“David?” Louise looked at him confused. “Who is David?”
“My younger brother.” Ben looked at her bemused. “I guess I never mentioned him before huh? He’s a mess. He is trying to become an actor and so basically does nothing.”
“Oh, I see.” And she did. Obviously David had no hold on the family company and so Ben didn’t see him as a threat. “Is he a lot younger than you?”
“No, actually he is your age.”
“He’s 25?”
“Yeah. And hoping to be the next Brad Pitt.” He laughed.
“How old is Richard?”
“35, though you would think he was 50, the way he acts.” Ben looked out of the window as he spoke but she could see the stony look on his face. She suddenly felt as if this weekend could turn out to be a right drag.
“So are either of them married?” She asked curious to find out what sort of lady would marry into this family.
“Yeah right. Neither of them are close to marriage. In fact we will likely be married before either of them even have a serious girlfriend.”
She gulped in fear. Please God, don’t let him propose to me this weekend, please please. She closed her eyes and sent up a quick prayer. That would be the worst thing that could happen to her. She knew that it would also teach her a lesson about being such a wuss, but that really wasn’t a lesson she wanted to learn.
They pulled up to an unassuming apartment in Brooklyn and Ben made a call. “We’re here David.” He hung up the phone and smiled at Louise. “David thinks he’s showing it to the man by living in Brooklyn but everyone knows it’s the rich mans part of Brooklyn.”
Louise smiled at him weakly. She was already annoyed with Ben and didn’t think the weekend would go well if she strangled him before they arrived. She sat back in surprise and admiration as David bounded into the car. He was tall and tan, with golden blond spiky hair and bright blue-green eyes. He had a huge smile on his face and he looked like a live Ken doll. “Hey Ben,” he slapped his brother on the shoulder and turned to Louise.
“Hey beautiful, I’m David. I assume you are the latest girl who has been beguiled by my brother?”
Louise couldn’t keep her eyes off of David’s lips. They were the perfect accompaniment to his white teeth. “Hi, yeah. I’m Ben’s friend.” She could barely get the words out and she didn’t notice Ben’s annoyance at her words. “My name’s Louise.”
“Nice to make your acquaintance Louise. Are you a lawyer as well?” He stared into her eyes as he spoke and she got lost in his spell.
“Oh no, no.” She laughed. “I’m just a secretary.” She was pretty sure she fell in love with him when he beamed at her in delight and said, “That’s awesome. I never could stand lawyers. They are way too stuffy for me.” He laughed and hit Ben across the shoulder, “Except for you Ben, except for you.” He winked at Louise as he spoke and she smiled.
“Well, that’s enough David. We should be on our way. Mummy and Daddy are expecting us.” Ben’s voice was petulant and huffy.
“Oh, they don’t care about us. You know they really want to see Richard and find out how many more millions he has made for all of us.” Ben lay back on the seat and made himself comfortable. “Has Ben told you of our superstar brother?”
“Somewhat.” Louise nodded he head as David offered her some wine. “Yes, thanks.” She took the glass from him and sipped at the wine. “This is good.” She smiled at David as he chugged his wine like it was beer.
“One of the perks of being filthy rich is the ability to buy a good vintage bottle of wine.” David grinned at her as Ben frowned at him. “Oh dear, big brother is looking at me disapprovingly. Should I not be talking about the money?” He laughed and winked at Louise.
She smiled at him shyly. This was someone she could get to know. David was the sort of guy she wanted in her life: handsome, carefree and fun. It was a pity he was Ben’s brother. She sighed as she looked over at Ben, who was pouting. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him. How could a grown man like him act so immature? And to think he was an attorney to boot.
As she sat back in the leather seats of the limo, she wondered at how she found herself in this position. She had moved to New York with dreams like everyone else, she had wanted to be a board game designer. People always laughed when she told them of her plans. They thought she was going to say model or actress, like every other halfway decent girl who moved to the City. But no, she wanted to create board games. She’d been in the City for 3 years now and was no closer to her dream but she was getting there. She had to, for John. She bit her lip as she thought about her childhood with John; all the board games they had played. She had to create something to honor his memory. She shook her shoulders to stop herself from tearing up. She couldn’t cry, not here. Not in front of them. They wouldn’t understand.
“So, what’s the plan for the weekend?” She turned to David and smiled, trying to stop the tears from flowing. Now was not the time to ponder on the past.
“I figure we can do whatever you want sweetness.” He stared at her as he sat back admiring what he saw. Louise was one of those unassuming beauties. She had shoulder-length black hair, brown eyes and the sweetest smile that most people had ever seen. She also didn’t realize how captivating she was; there was an air of loneliness around her that drew people in and made them want to embrace her.
“Yes Louise. WE can do whatever you want.” Ben interrupted his brother and glared at him. “I was thinking we could go to the beach and maybe go to a museum.”
“Oh.” Louise saw David mouthing, “boring” and had to stop herself from laughing. “Sounds like a plan Ben.” She shook her head at Ben as he pretended to be falling asleep.
“So have you ever been to the Hamptons before Louise?” Ben sat forward and spoke with his face close to hers. She shivered at the closeness of him.
“No, never.” As she spoke she watched his lips, pinker than a boy deserved to have.