The Cumber-Cover-Up
Strawberry Crepes
As Ben and Lila stood in her office trying to come up with a fix for this problem, an idea struck him. He looked into her eyes and placed a hand on either side of her face. “Lila, you’re brilliant, and amazing, and I…” He wanted to lean in and kiss her right then and there, but he pulled away. “No, I have to do this the right way. It has to be genuine, and public.”
With that, he grabbed his jacket and left with no further explanation.
Lila stared after him in shock and confusion. "Okay?" She fell back into the couch he'd been sitting on. "I'll just sit here, I guess, and wait." But Lila was too tired to be confused for long and soon fell asleep. It had been a long day, and ended with an interesting turn of events. Whatever Ben had up his sleeve was probably a brilliant plan that would fix this whole mess, or at least that's what Lila convinced herself.
Ben tried phoning his mum, but it was 3 am and she was fast asleep. Instead, he decided to drive out to their house in the country where his parents were staying, and he knew he would find what he needed there. On the long drive he thought it over, waiting for the idea to become terrible and unrealistic. How would he know she'd agree?
He just knew.
Not in a pretentious or over-confident kind of way. Like, 'I'm so amazing any girl would want me,' or 'who is she but a nobody to say no to this?' Or 'what else has she got to do?'
Then a thought struck Ben. She didn't have a boyfriend, did she? As far as he'd known she hadn't ever seemed to have anyone permanent. She seemed to be in love with Tom Hiddleston, but had not heard her mention a real boyfriend. Tipping his head back on the back of the couch, and putting his feet up on the coffee table, Ben thought he would just rest for a moment, but quickly fell asleep.
"Get your feet off my coffee table!" His mom woke him and pushed his feet off her precious table. "Out drinking again?"
"No, no it's nothing like that," he sat up and rubbed his eyes. “You mentioned a while ago that you were saving your mother’s ring for me, in case I ever found someone.”
She gave him a doubtful look. “Yes, which I’m starting to think will never happen.”
“Can I have it?”
***
Lila was awoken with a text from Ben inviting her out to breakfast.
*And wear something nice
It was odd, but the last 24 has been quite crazy, so she didn’t question it. Lila went home to take a quick shower and find some nice clothes before meeting Ben for breakfast. She was very surprised to see his parents with him, and to get a kiss on the cheek from her boss when he greeted her.
“Hi?” She said and looked up at him. He kept his arm around her waist as she stood stiffly by his side.
“Mum, dad, this is Lila, the girl I was telling you about,” he introduced her to his parents, and they introduced themselves to her.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, we’ve heard so much about you,” his mom smiled at Lila and she nervously smiled back.
“Thanks,” she looked up at Ben and whispered, “What is going on?”
He pulled her aside where no one could hear them. “You are the answer to our PR problem. You are my forbidden fruit, my employee who I couldn’t date, the reason I needed a fake girlfriend in the first place.”
Lila sighed. “Ugh, it fit’s perfectly, but…”
“What?”
“Nothing, this is perfect, actually.”
He wrapped his arm around her again and gave her a light squeeze as they walked back toward his parents. “Just go with it, okay?” He said quietly before they sat down.
Things were happening very fast, as they recounted their ‘relationship’ to his parents. Most of their ‘dates’ were based on real events they had done together, like going to the water park, and slowly Lila realized how plausible this was; from PR standpoint or not, Lila and Ben actually made a good couple.
Suddenly Lila felt an awkward hard object in her strawberry crepe. She discretely spit it into her napkin and realized it was round, and shaped like a…
“What’s this?” She cleaned it off and showed it to Ben. His parents looked genuinely happy, and Lila realized this may not be part of the cover-up.
“This, my love, is for you, if you want it,” Ben took the ring and slid out of his seat and down on one knee. “Lila, will you marry me?
With that, he grabbed his jacket and left with no further explanation.
Lila stared after him in shock and confusion. "Okay?" She fell back into the couch he'd been sitting on. "I'll just sit here, I guess, and wait." But Lila was too tired to be confused for long and soon fell asleep. It had been a long day, and ended with an interesting turn of events. Whatever Ben had up his sleeve was probably a brilliant plan that would fix this whole mess, or at least that's what Lila convinced herself.
Ben tried phoning his mum, but it was 3 am and she was fast asleep. Instead, he decided to drive out to their house in the country where his parents were staying, and he knew he would find what he needed there. On the long drive he thought it over, waiting for the idea to become terrible and unrealistic. How would he know she'd agree?
He just knew.
Not in a pretentious or over-confident kind of way. Like, 'I'm so amazing any girl would want me,' or 'who is she but a nobody to say no to this?' Or 'what else has she got to do?'
Then a thought struck Ben. She didn't have a boyfriend, did she? As far as he'd known she hadn't ever seemed to have anyone permanent. She seemed to be in love with Tom Hiddleston, but had not heard her mention a real boyfriend. Tipping his head back on the back of the couch, and putting his feet up on the coffee table, Ben thought he would just rest for a moment, but quickly fell asleep.
"Get your feet off my coffee table!" His mom woke him and pushed his feet off her precious table. "Out drinking again?"
"No, no it's nothing like that," he sat up and rubbed his eyes. “You mentioned a while ago that you were saving your mother’s ring for me, in case I ever found someone.”
She gave him a doubtful look. “Yes, which I’m starting to think will never happen.”
“Can I have it?”
***
Lila was awoken with a text from Ben inviting her out to breakfast.
*And wear something nice
It was odd, but the last 24 has been quite crazy, so she didn’t question it. Lila went home to take a quick shower and find some nice clothes before meeting Ben for breakfast. She was very surprised to see his parents with him, and to get a kiss on the cheek from her boss when he greeted her.
“Hi?” She said and looked up at him. He kept his arm around her waist as she stood stiffly by his side.
“Mum, dad, this is Lila, the girl I was telling you about,” he introduced her to his parents, and they introduced themselves to her.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, we’ve heard so much about you,” his mom smiled at Lila and she nervously smiled back.
“Thanks,” she looked up at Ben and whispered, “What is going on?”
He pulled her aside where no one could hear them. “You are the answer to our PR problem. You are my forbidden fruit, my employee who I couldn’t date, the reason I needed a fake girlfriend in the first place.”
Lila sighed. “Ugh, it fit’s perfectly, but…”
“What?”
“Nothing, this is perfect, actually.”
He wrapped his arm around her again and gave her a light squeeze as they walked back toward his parents. “Just go with it, okay?” He said quietly before they sat down.
Things were happening very fast, as they recounted their ‘relationship’ to his parents. Most of their ‘dates’ were based on real events they had done together, like going to the water park, and slowly Lila realized how plausible this was; from PR standpoint or not, Lila and Ben actually made a good couple.
Suddenly Lila felt an awkward hard object in her strawberry crepe. She discretely spit it into her napkin and realized it was round, and shaped like a…
“What’s this?” She cleaned it off and showed it to Ben. His parents looked genuinely happy, and Lila realized this may not be part of the cover-up.
“This, my love, is for you, if you want it,” Ben took the ring and slid out of his seat and down on one knee. “Lila, will you marry me?
♠ ♠ ♠
That is all I have written for now, if you want I will try to keep writing : )