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Just smile for the cameras, she thought as she downed her glass of wine as well.
The drive home was long and quiet. When they got back to the estate and past the gardener’s house, Ava glanced over at what used to be her home; where she’d have to not be for the next six months.Six months… I can do this.
Benjamin saw her staring. “You know, you could always quit now and just forget about the whole thing.”
“Yeah, nice try, but no. I would rather wait until you go back to your old lifestyle and make me a billionaire.”
“What do you mean?”
“You forget that I was living feet from your gate. I stopped counting the women after the blonde one whose dress constantly revealed her undies when the wind blew.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Which one are you talking about?”
Ava placed a shocked hand onto her chest. “Are you saying you don’t remember them all?” It was obvious that she was mocking him.
“Of course I do.”
“Hm-hmm… What was her name?”
“Her name was…Amanda.”
“Ha! No it wasn’t!”
Ben nodded intensely. “Yes, it was. Blonde, tall, her red dress glittered intensely, almost blinded people.”
“No, that was Mindy,” Ava said, lifting her chin.
“…Oh…Mindy, yes.”
“Hm-hmm…yeah. Oh. Now I am talking about Jane. Her name was Jane. Constantly showing her undies and laughed like a—”
“Hyena!” he finished her sentence as his memory slowly came back.
“Yes, like a hyena. Jane.”
Benjamin grimaced. “How do you even know all their names? You stalking me or something?”
“Oh, funny you asked. It is rather comical. You see, the Uber drivers that you usually call to pick them up and take them back home always come to our little house first. At some point, my father made a sign and put it at the front door after eight p.m. so they wouldn’t wake us up in the middle of the night.”
Ben bit his lower lip.
What? No witty remark back?Ava thought to herself as she scrambled for something she could add on top of that. Why she was suddenly so unlike herself and mean-spirited she had no idea.
“Oh, but there is more,” she continued. “Remember when the code to the gate suddenly changed? Well, your grandfather did that after someone on the staff told him that my cancer-sick mother had been woken up by your lost, nightly Uber rides. My Dad said he had never seen your grandfather more embarrassed than the day he personally walked up to the house to apologize.”
Ava turned with a triumphant grin to look at Benjamin. But the moment she saw that hurt in his face, she felt awful. Why the hell would she say such a thing? It was true, but why did she get so upset thinking about all those women? She was a kind person. Not like this at all!
“Benjamin… I-I am sorry, I—”
“If you think I can’t keep my pants up for six months then you are wrong. I know you all wonder if I am some serial cheater, but fact is, I have never cheated on a woman before. I was always straightforward with them.”
“Yes, I am sure you were,” she almost whispered in shame about her behavior.
“Even if this marriage is a sham, I am not the lowest life form creeping on this earth.” He was angry, rightfully so.
“I don’t intent on cheating on my wi—” His voice broke off. “I don’t intend to cheat. So, if that was your hope, sorry babe, you will have to come up with more to get a shot at the billions.”
Ava’s shame turned to anger again. Did they really think that she wanted to steal their billions away from them? Granted, long forgotten were the days when the two of them would play as children in the gardens. That was over almost two centuries ago. But did he really think her a ruthless gold-digger?
