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“Only ‘cause it’s true.”
“You sure you want to go there?”
No. Not at all.
But he put his arm around my shoulders, out on the path, and I’m still reeling from that. Part of me needs him to know that I’m aware of his reputation. His intimidating reputation. And, I want to hear what he has to say about his relationships.
I nod and fight off nervousness as I look out at the reflection on the water. “Yeah, let’s go there.”
“Okay, what do you know about my ways with women?”
“The cruises, the island vacations, the five-star restaurants… Parties in New York, movie premiers… all with the elite women of the world. Must be exciting.”
“I had no idea you knew so much about my life, Gwen Temple.”
“You’re a public figure. At least around here. Practically a celebrity. Looks like you have it all.”
“Well, sometimes how a thing looks on the outside is really different from how it feels from the inside. Photos, social media, interviews… they all highlight the ups, not the downs.”
“There are downs?”
“Yeah. Some. Everyone has that.”
I nod. “True.”
“I know I get a bad rap for dating around so much. Perennial bachelor, player, all that. My friends even give me a hard time. But that’s not the whole story.”
“So, what’s the whole story?”
“I… hm…” He trails off.
This is a first.
Brock Benson, speechless?
I don’t want to deter him from this new vulnerability. He may not be good at waiting, but I am.
So, I wait.
Finally, he speaks. Not in the booming way. His voice is quieter now. Soft and gentle. “I was married, way back. Didn’t last.”
He’s divorced?
Whoa.
I had no idea. That information doesn’t fit at all with the reputation I’ve heard about for so long. The media loves to paint Brock as commitment-phobic—the typical pleasure-seeking male who has his choice of women and enjoys the buffet line so much he’ll never decide on one dish.
“I had no idea,” I say, my voice just as hushed as his.
“Yeah, well, I don’t talk about it.”
“Too… too painful?” I try to imagine what it’d be like to promise ‘forever’ to another person, then have it fall apart.
“Yeah. That’s the right word. There was a lot of pain involved on both sides. It sucked, basically. Big mistake that we both paid for.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
