Glow by Molly Bryant Page A

wouldn't.
     
“I know,” she raises an eyebrow at me. “Well...”
     
“What?” I laughed at her uncertainty. “I won't!”
    “The thing is that,” she hesitated. “Vanessa is such an amazing person, Ben.
She is beautiful, smart, witty and she has been alone for so long. She
deserves to be happy,” she took a sip of her coffee.
I nodded, not saying a word so Maria can continue.
    “I see you... you're gorgeous, smart, funny and you like her. But, Ben, you
are a player.” she glanced back down at her coffee. “She deserves so much
more than that. Someone like me, fine, I play the game too... But, Vanessa,
she is special,”
“I know she is,” I sighed, leaning back into my chair. She isn't telling me
anything I don't already know. I refused to pry as she is starting to open up.
     
My turn... “Okay,” I groaned internally. “There is something that you need to
know, something I have never told anyone else,”
     
“What is it?” she leaned in.
     
“You getting all excited is making me nervous,” I said skeptically.
    “You say that you haven't told anyone else so... that pretty much tells me you
have no one else to tell,” she eyed me carefully. “You can trust me, Ben. I'm
all ears,”
“This is serious shit, though,” I said still unsure.
     
She didn't say a word, she just looked at me like, “And?”
    I see it this way, if I confided in her and told her everything- How I set this
article up just to be around Vanessa, how I have been in love with her since
we were little, and why I am a 'player', the worst she can do is tell Vanessa.
But what would Vanessa say/do? I guess you have nothing to lose if you
don't have anything to lose to begin with, right?
    “Alright,” I looked around the doughnut shop skeptically then leaned in
closer. Maria and I were nearly nose to nose. No one is paying any attention,
here it goes. “I set up this whole player thing,” I said quickly knocking my
knuckles on the table top. It felt great to get that off of my chest.
Maria just shrugged. “Right, I know this,” she said in monotone. “You and
your aunt-”
“No,” I whispered. “I mean, I called my Aunt Ellen and convinced her to do
it, Maria.”
     
Her eyes went wide with shock. “Why?”
     
“I'm not sure if Vanessa told you, but, I have been best friends with Ethan
since we were kids,”
     
“I didn't know that,” she sipped her coffee and continued to stare at me
waiting to hear more.
    “After I met Ethan and Vanessa, I moved away to Chicago a few years later,”
I relaxed in my seat. “I would always ask how Ethan's 'sister' was doing and
one day he had told me how Vanessa had gotten a job working for my aunt at
Glow,”
“Okay,” she nodded.
     
“I've read all of her articles, and I just missed her, so I moved back,” I
shrugged.
     
“Wow, hold up a second,” she waves her hand. “It sounds like you are
skipping a part in there. Now, why did you move back here, Ben?”
    “I moved back here for Vanessa,” I smiled slightly. “I fell in love with her
the first time I met her, and after I moved, I just never forgot about her I
guess,”
“Oh my God! Ben, you love Vanessa!” she shrieked causing all sorts of
attention.
    “Shh,” I looked around to see an old man staring at us.
“Read your paper, dude,” I glared at the old man. He just shook his head and
continued to read his paper.
Maria gaped at me. “Ben, that was r-”
    I continued. “Look, I know you think I am a 'player', but deep down I have
never committed to any woman because... I only want to commit to
Vanessa,”
I didn't hear anything come from Maria, she looked like she were going to
have a heart attack.
     
“You okay?” I asked her.
     
“This is the cutest thing I have ever heard!”she cooed.
     
“Please, no...” I placed my hands upon my face. “Don't say that,”
     
“Ben,” she leaned forward placing her hand on my arm. “Do you know what
this means?” she whispered excitedly.
     
“Yeah, I