Ben

I can’t think of a time when my hands didn’t sweat when I have to hang up with Mr. Porter. It doesn’t matter what we do, it doesn’t matter if I know we’re only gonna walk on the meadow. I’m always scared to my bones.

I blame Laney, ‘cause she has filled my head with rumors that his father wants me to work on the family business… home remodeling. I’m pretty sure it’s just a cover for money laundering.

Mr. Porter is tall, sturdy and stocky, with broad shoulders. The kind of person you’ll never find in a bar. He likes sports linked to rich people, like golf, or tennis. He eats lobster and crabs regularly. He even has a butler called Gareth, who I’ve never heard talking while I’m around. Maybe he is mute and I don’t even know.

“Benny, son,” says Mr. Porter. “I’m so glad you had asked Laney to marry you.”

Mr. Porter hits the tiny ball with all of his strength. It disappeared in the air. I lost track of it.

My chest shakes.

There is too much sun today, maybe it’s affecting me.

“What?” is everything I could say.

Edward, Mr. Porter, laughs with that characteristic sound of people that lives without preoccupations in life. Short, aspirated. It brings you to a virgin beach just by hearing it.

“Laney told me everything,” he says while getting another tiny golf ball ready, “that it was so romantic. I don’t wanna put you in a hurry, but Marge is thinking of a July wedding. What do you think?”

“I…”

“We’ll pay everything, of course. Laney says you are all frustrated about your college debt, so don’t worry.”

“Mr. Porter…”

“Come on, Benny,” he says, giving me a light tap on the shoulder. “We have known each other since a long time, you can call me Eddie. Furthermore, we are going to be a family now, call me ‘father’”.

No, I can not call him Eddie, worst, I can not call him ‘father’ either. I never asked Laney anything about marrying me.

My head was so empty it was all dark. Meanwhile, Mr. Porter kept hitting those balls, making a rhythmic sound.

How can I tell him is a misunderstanding?

I didn’t even know how it started, but the guilty one was clear as water… Laney.

Laney is used to having lots of free time, at any time of the day. She’s only busy when she’s playing tennis, which happens twice a week. Or when she goes to the spa with Marge, to have a ‘girl’s day’. That’s how she calls it.

I don’t know what she’s doing on a regular day. I don’t have a clue in what she is spending her time besides daydreaming.

It wasn’t a surprise when she told me she could go to PimPom right away. She loves PimPom’s ice creams, she says it all the time.

The cafeteria filled with her perfume when she crossed the doorway. She said ‘Hi’ by waving her hand in the air. Then, she got closer, walking slowly.

I have discovered that she doesn’t walk like that due to being tiny, but because her grandmother had told her so. Grandma Porter used to tell her that good girls walked gracefully, ladylike.

Sometimes, I wonder how someone like me ended up with someone like her. She’s so out of my league she is not even in my range. And, it’s not like I think little about myself, but I see the life she has, the world she lives in… and it’s different from mine, so far from mine.

She studied Business Administration to work on the family business. I studied Accounting thinking I could make easy money and pay off my college debt.

So, I wanted to graduate and work, she graduated and won a place at her father’s company ‘cause she is his daughter.

It’s crystal clear we don’t move in the same circles.

I can remember when we met each other as if it happened yesterday. I was working as a fast food delivery guy and brought an order to one of her friend’s apartment. Laney was there celebrating her friend’s birthday. She offered a piece of cake when I walked in with the food to leave it in the kitchen.

“Did you order?” she asked while sitting down.

“I did. A gigantic banana ice cream with a single cherry.”

She took my hand and smiled.

She wears her blonde hair in a cheerleader ponytail. She says it reminds her of her times as a cheerleader.

I like her hair. It’s blonder than mine, more alive than mine.

“Listen…” I said, and God only knows I’m terrible at starting a proper conversation. “Your father says you told him that… I asked you to marry me?”

“Yes,” she smiles.

The waiter walks in before I could even think of a reply. He let the order on the table, carefully, placing Laney’s ice cream in front of her. He then goes after praising her blue dress, like he always does cause he’s my friend and is trying to play nice.

“Where did…” I sighed. “Where did you get that idea from?”

She smiled after tasting her ice cream.

“You know…” she said, taking another bite. “When we were at the national park and you told me you wanted to live that moment forever. It was clear you were asking my hand. I did not want you to feel ashamed, so I did not scream right there. But, you know how I am, I told my mother right after passing the door of my house.” she laughed at the end.

I wasn’t sure if I was feeling sick or just… overwhelmed.

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Laney

Ben’s such a gentleman.

I’m not sure how I got someone like him. He is so smart, and clever, and responsible. How did he end up dating someone like me? I don’t have a clue, but it’s crystal clear I’ve played a good hand with my cards, like Grandma says.

I can hardly believe he asked for my hand. It was so little conventional. There was no ring or anything like it. But there were his words. Words are the only thing that matters, like Grandma says. He asked me out.

Ben’s so charming.

I tried to finish my ice cream as fast as I could so we could go out for a walk on the street, and I could take his hand.

“You don’t have to worry about anything. Leave everything on my mom and Grandma’s hands, like I always do. You’ll see— they’ll surprise you.”

“Yeah… I don’t think that’s the main issue.”

“Is there an issue?” I asked.

He frowned his eyebrows.

Christ, there is a problem. What problem am I missing? Maybe it’s too hot in July and he is afraid of sweating all over his black suit with tie. Is he afraid of Dad telling him to join the family business all of the sudden? Did Grandma tell him something inappropriate about our honeymoon?

There are too many possibilities.

“None,” he laughs. “There is none.”

I sighed.

We ended up walking while holding hands.

Ben is often quiet while we walk down the street, but he is even more silent than usual. More than before. He could be thinking about our wedding, about my dress. He loves planning everything. I can not fault him for that.

“I’m taking you home,” he suggested.

What a gentleman.

I smiled at him.

“It won’t be necessary. I’m staying at Amelie’s tonight. We are going to sing at her karaoke room and then watch a movie marathon. There will definitely be rom-coms. Don’t you love them?”

“Oh…” he brushed his hair with his hand.

His hair is so pretty. It’s blonde, but not like mine. It’s almost white if I look closely. Beautiful.

“Do you want me to take you there?” he asked.

“No, it won’t be necessary. I’ll take a cab.”

“It’s getting late,” he insisted.

I like when he tries even harder to be a gentleman.

“It’s only ten, I’ll be fine,” I smiled at him.

“Right… text me when you get there, okay?”

“Okay,” I repeated and kissed him.

I like to touch his frowned eyebrows when I kiss him, till he relaxes.

Ben worries a lot about life, except when he’s in his comfort zone… work. I hope to be his comfort zone one day.

He raised his hand to call a cab and one showed up immediately. Holy City.

“Don’t get worried about the little things,” I told him, kissing him again softly “See ya.”

“See you.”

It’s not until the taxi pulls away that I could sighed and scream like a girl.

God! He’s so handsome. I’m really going to marry him!

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Scream like a girl is underestimated.

Hi there, this is Manhattan. I hope you and your fellows enjoy this story.

Please, comment about your first impression of the characters.

And, if you are just reading in English to practice the language, this story will help, 'cause is easy to read.

Bye: Manhattan.

Ben

Walking home was not as fun as other nights. I usually need to get there quickly to clean my mind. I drink lots of water and then write down everything that happened in the day on my journal.

Jesus… I wanna take a shower and… eat chocolate.

Dannie was making a Netflix marathon, again, on the living room’s couch with a sheet. he paused the episode when I turned the lights on.

“Don’t you have any respect for cinema?” he asked, sounding offended.

In any other day, I would have laughed at his occurrences and would have responded with the same childish and dramatic tone.. but not today.

“Did you make the dishes?” I asked.

He opened up his eyes as if they were about to pop out of his face and a frown appeared over his mouth.

“Christ!” I sighed.

“I’m so sorry. I’m so deeply sorry. I totally forgot!”

He got up from the couch and ran to the kitchen. I did not wait too much to hear the pouring water in the sink. I followed him to get my chocolate in the fridge but…

My mouth dropped.

There was flour all over the wooden island and the floor, and dirty dishes that weren’t there when I headed work that morning.

“I’m not even asking,” I said.

Dannie frowned again.

“I can explain!”

Dannie’s pronunciation is kind of particular. He has a so non-clean diction that I’ve learned to understand over the years… over the ten years I know him.

“I saw on the TV the recipe for a beauty mask and I wanted to try it… but then I had an idea!”

“You don’t say,” I got the chocolate bar from the fridge an started biting it, out of stress… I guess.

“I could make a lot of mask, like… a lot! And then I could sell it to the Spa and the girls. So, I was doing it when I realized we had ran out of oregano. Like… how come we don’t have oregano? I mean…”

“You used it last time you cooked.”

“Oh… that explains.”

I kept eating the bar, not looking at it, or at the disastrous kitchen, but at Dannie, who was wearing my blue cap God knows why.

“Well, the thing is I called Tanya and told her my idea and she said it was shit, like the worst she had ever heard from me. And believe her, I have told her a lot of crap.”

“I’m not surprised,” I sighed.

“So I gave up and went to watch that reality show Tanya loves. Did you know that a snake can not eat herself?”

“I guessed it.”

Dannie crossed his arms while putting on that expression he is use to do when he thinks he’s got me all figured out. Then he frowned.

“Spill the beans,” he said.

I ate another piece of the bar.

“There are no beans… there is a whole dinner.”

“Then is good I have the perfect thing to do…”

And that’s how we ended up watching Tanya’s favorite reality show about animals with a homemade mask while sitting on the couch and covered by the sheet.

“You’re going to marry!” he yelled at me.

His face looked funny with that brown mask.

“I can’t believe it,” he added, crossing his arms.

“I thought you think only stupid people marry,” I told him.

“How can you think that of me?” he asked, dramatically.

“You’re saying it all the time.”

“Maybe I am… ‘cause only idiots get married!”

That’s how I remember Dannie.

“But you are not an idiot, so you’re out of the question,” he explained.

Dannie was a complex person that passed out as simple. You’ll never see him having a rational thought. You’ll never spot him doing something normal. No, he had to showed off even when he did not want to, ‘cause that was him.

I trust him… kind off.

I trust his… his… well, he is my best buddy. And it’s not like I have few friends, I almost know the entire city.

I picked Dannie as a friend ‘cause he makes me laugh, and he was going through a hard time.

I can say there is not a single day I get bored at home. I almost miss it.

“How can you say that so easily?” I asked him. “I’m getting marry… me.”

He looked at me, at my probably ridiculous face with the mask on.

“Don’t go showin’ off,” he said. “Don’t get all worked up cause you’re getting married… But I’m happy for you.”

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Dannie is winning my heart so easily.