Private Show (The Private Series) by Danielle Torella Page B

never been to a real wedding.” And now the attention is turned to me. “What?”
    “You’ve never been to a wedding?” Ben asks.
    I shake my head no. Gwen is smiling at me like a fool when she looks at me, “Well then, now you’re in for a surprise. I want you and Caroline to be my bridesmaids.”
    I feel my mouth gape open and Caroline squeals. Then I feel Ben’s hand beneath my chin and he closes my mouth for me, causing my cheeks to pink.
    “Oh, Tess!” Caroline jumps up and reaches around my shoulders from behind and gives me a tight hug. “This is going to be so much fun! And you can help me design our dresses! The plus of having a designer in the family… no horrible bridesmaids’ dresses!”
    “So why the rush?” Ben asks his father. There is a note of doubt or disbelief in his voice.
    Jack shifts in his seat to look his son dead in the eye. “Gwen’s pregnant.”
    And I nearly spit out my coffee once again.
    “Kidding!” Jack exclaims, as soon as he see the color drain from Ben’s face.
    “Fuck, Dad!”
    “Ben!” Gwen scolds.
    Laughing now, Jack leans back and starts to explain. “Well, Caroline goes off to New York the first week of December until March. We don’t want to wait that long and we can’t see pulling her out of school for the wedding. It’s going to be held here and very small, nothing fancy. But I want you to stand as my best man.”
    Ben sits in silence for a moment. Then: “Why?”
    “Why? What Ben? You are my son and I want you to stand with me on my wedding day.”
    “I never thought you would remarry for one, so this is a shock as you know. But I really never thought you would ask your disappointment of a son, either.” Ben looks down at my hand on his leg and puts his hand on mine, He is holding on to me to really hold on to himself.
    Jack takes in a deep breath. “I know I gave you grief about your career choice. I know I pulled you out of your home as a teenager to come here. I know you didn’t have the best teen years and I know I didn’t make anything easy for you.”
    Ben opens his mouth to speak and closes it. He opens it again and finally lets it out. “I can forgive you for all of that, as long as from this day forward you can accept every decision I make. What I choose for my life. Yes, I may make mistakes, but this is me. If you can do that from this moment on, then I will stand with you on your wedding day. Because my future is looking more beautiful with every passing day and I don’t want you to ever doubt it again.”
    Jack stands up and holds out his hand to his son, “You have my word, son.” With that Ben stands to meet his father’s incredible height and extends his own hand, once in his father’s Jack pulls him in for a big hug.
    “I know you have an amazing future ahead of you, Ben, especially with Tess in your corner.”
    I blush at the man’s nice words and Ben can see it, so he wraps his arm around my waist and give me a squeeze.
    When Ben looks down at me, he speaks to his father, but his eyes never leave mine. “I know.”

 
     
     
    We stay just long enough for Caroline to take my measurements for my bridesmaids dress.
    Ben asks me what I want to do for the evening, and while I have many ideas, I propose, “How about we stop at the market and make dinner together?” I can barely cook, but I know he can and I would much rather spend time in his kitchen than in a restaurant.
    “You got it.”
     

     
    At the market, he collects things to make eggplant parmesan, one of my favorite dishes, and salad. We hold hands as we walk, and that’s when we run into Jackie.
    “Well, well, well, look at the happy fucking couple,” she seethes.
    Ben tightens his grip on my hand, and we start to walk past her when a man calls out to her and approaches her side. Shit, are you kidding me?
    His hand goes right to his cheek when he sees me. “Mark.” I say as simply and Ben looks to me.
    Mark puffs out his chest. “Bitch,” he says as we