The Light Between The Shadows Page 3

  “Shira, meet Fred,” Ben said as he patted his friend on the shoulder. “This man is a valuable member of our company and a close friend of mine.”

  “My pleasure, Fred. We haven’t met yet.”

  “Nice to meet you… Shira, right?” Fred asked, and shook her hand.

  “Yes, that’s right. What a great place to sit down for a nice meal with good friends,” she said, delighted.

  “Yes. The two of us dine here often,” Ben said.

  “Try their chicken curry,” Fred suggested.

  “She won’t like it. You should have the Atlantic salmon with red potatoes and snow peas, and a caramel martini. That would suit you well,” Ben said graciously. “And this one is on me.”

  Shira melted. In the past two weeks, she’d hardly received any positive attention from Ben—or to be exact, hardly any attention at all. She was simply beaming with joy at this small gesture.

  “Oh, I forgot that Ben is an expert on what women want,” Fred muttered.

  “Take your hands off her—she’s mine for another two and a half weeks at least.” Ben laughed.

  Shira blushed.

  “Yeah, yeah, we know you,” Fred said dismissively.

  “My friend here hasn’t yet gotten over his last breakup. Tell him it’s not right,” Ben said.

  “That’s enough, Ben, it’s none of her business.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Fred” Shira said. “She must have been really nice, and I’m sure you loved her dearly.”

  Fred nodded.

  Ben rolled his eyes.

  “May I ask why you separated?” she questioned.

  “I’ll tell you why—because he dumped her,” Ben interrupted. “He found out that she was just like all the other women in the world—ready to throw away any man for some money and prestige. The moment he discovered that, he decided it wasn’t for him, and he was the one who broke it off.”

  “Drop it, Ben. I told you I didn’t want to talk about the subject,” he said furiously.

  Just then, the waiter came and took their order. Fred ordered chicken curry. Ben ordered duck breast in citrus honey and cinnamon with a cream of green apples, and Shira ordered the salmon.

  Fred was appeased, and they continued to chat, waiting for their food.

  “So, Shira, I understand my friend is working you to death,” Fred joked.

  “It’s nothing. Nobody has ever died from a little work.” She smiled modestly.

  “You seem intelligent and sweet,” Fred said.

  “Thank you.” She smiled again.

  “So why did you decide to work as this guy’s assistant of all things?” Fred asked.

  “What do you mean?” She was surprised and her expression was odd, as if she had been caught in the act of doing something suspicious.

  “Let’s just say I’ve seen many of his personal assistants leave disheartened.”

  Shira felt uneasy.

  “I don’t think they had it so bad.” Ben justified his actions.

  Fred stared at his friend and then decided not to pursue the topic. “Ah… Never mind. Damn, my stomach is growling; when is this food coming?” Fred looked for the waiter.

  Shira exhaled.

  They waited quietly until all the dishes were finally served.

  Shira managed to eat only half of her dish when she had to leave for her personal errands. “It was nice meeting you.” She brushed Fred’s shoulder lightly. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ben?” she asked on her way out.

  Ben nodded but didn’t lift his head from his plate. He was preoccupied with his meal.

  Fred followed her with his gaze, but his friend didn’t notice.

  “You know you have a real treasure there, don’t you?” Fred said after watching her climb into a cab.

  “She has a pretty face, but I’d take off a bit of her heinie and add it to her front.” Ben laughed.

  Fred sighed. “Honestly, sometimes you’re so infantile. First, she’s very pretty, prettier than most of the girls you’ve dated. Second, and most important, she does excellent work! How can you not see that?”

  “She gets paid for her work. Do you think she deserves a medal?” Ben kept on eating. “And so you know, she’s late every morning and has two left hands. She should thank me for keeping her as well as letting her get off work in the middle of the day to run her errands.” He flattered himself by adding, “I’m really generous with her.”

  “It’s a shame; she seems like a nice woman.” Fred was talking to himself.

  “Would you like me to set you up with her?”

  “Out of the two of us, I don’t think I’m the one she’s interested in.”

  Ben knew that too. “Okay, fine. I’ll reward her by taking her out on a date. But only after we finish the project. That way she can tell everyone she went out with Ben Brattler and make a big fuss about it. What do you think?”

  Fred gave up on his friend’s crudeness. Any attempt to open his eyes usually yielded the opposite result.

  But Ben was having his way. “Meanwhile, I think I’ll take Tina out on a quick date tomorrow,” he announced.

  ❧

  Ben got home in the evening after a long day at work. It was a decent hour compared to the past few nights, and he had free time for one good aikido practice before going to bed.

  He changed into his black uniform and went down to the studio he rented for that purpose. He practiced alone for about an hour and a half, burning all the energy left in him. He went back upstairs, exhausted but satisfied, undressed, took a quick shower, and dived into the inviting bed.

  DAY 15

  At the start of another workday, Ben asked Shira to book the main suite in his favorite hotel, Pierre de la Pierre, for a romantic night with Tina. Shira spoke with the hotel clerk on the phone and shortly after that said, “Sorry, Ben, but the suite is occupied. I asked about the other rooms, but they’re fully booked, even though I explained to them it was for you. Would you like a different hotel?”

  “No, Shira!” He answered reproachfully. “You shouldn’t have asked about other options—they’ll get the idea I was willing to humiliate myself and settle for a standard room. Why do I even have to explain? I’m a celebrity, and the media is constantly at my heels. They could have a field day over any stupid mistake, and then that publicity sticks to me! And who will fix it then—you? Take out my cell phone from my briefcase.”

  She obeyed him quickly.

  “Now dial the number and let me speak with them.”

  She quickly followed his orders.

  “Hello, this is Ben Brattler speaking. I’d like to book your main suite for tonight,” he said after she got the hotel reception on the line.

  The voice on the other side answered.

  “I see. So I gather you prefer an anonymous couple getting married today over me, who’s brought you decent advertising so far.” He paused to listen to the response. “Okay, then I guess I’ll stop booking at your hotel and find more deserving accommodations.” He waited for a reply. “Excellent. I expect an update in the next hour.” He hung up. “They’ll see what they can do.”

  Shira was shocked and silent. The smile on her face was gone. “Okay. I’ll move on with the report, yes?” she asked.

  “Yes, yes.” He had his head already buried deep in his paperwork and computer, and he didn’t notice her effort to restore her smile.

  The day went on. Ben spent the entire afternoon delving into a campaign for a market segment of career women, finding it hard to come up with the right concept for a stellar ad.

  “I have a great idea for a change of scenery,” he told her when lunchtime arrived. “We’ll have lunch at the hotel and work from the lobby until my meeting with Tina.”

  She agreed. They packed up all the relevant paperwork and laptops and drove over in his
car.

  The hotel was stylish and elegant. All the doormen were dressed in spotless uniforms, as was the clerk at the reception desk. The entrance lobby was impeccably clean, symmetric, and lavish. Shira was afraid to place her belongings on the table or sit down on the sofa for fear she might interfere with the linear lobby design. Ben sat down without hesitation, stretched his legs on the sofa, and propped his laptop on his lap.

  “Now we can continue working while eating gourmet food at the same time!” he said, and summoned the waiter. “Shira, you haven’t tasted anything like this,” he continued, knowing the culinary assets of the hotel. “Can I order for you?”

  Shira nodded. She was shocked by his rude behavior and surprised that none of the hotel staff made any comment.

  The waiter arrived. Ben ordered them both filet mignon in a cherry and red wine sauce with colorful steamed carrots.

  “Now, shall we go back to work?” He reclined on the sofa as if he were sunbathing on the beach.

  She was still uneasy.

  “Shira, Can you help me here? I’m trying to work on a campaign for a market segment of career women,” he said after a while. “You’re a career woman and single, right?”

  “Yes,” she confirmed. She was amazed he wasn’t sure even though they had been working together for over two weeks.

  “So what would compel you to sign up for the site? I mean, how do you think the ad should look?”

  “Eh… An ad that would compel me?” She thought out loud, looking at the ceiling. She enjoyed being challenged. “Perhaps an ad that starts like this. A woman wakes up in the morning alone in bed. She looks and feels great, and she starts getting ready for a new workday.” She lowered her gaze. It seemed like she wasn’t looking at anything but rather was watching the images that popped up in her head. She continued. “She puts on an elegant suit, drinks her morning coffee, and drives off to work in a trendy car. There, she talks to people, participates in staff meetings, and manages her employees. At the end of the day, she returns home, changes into workout clothes, and goes for a jog in the park. You can tell that she’s confident and at ease with herself. She sits down on a bench to rest while watching the world pass by: joggers, young couples with strollers, and older people. She looks up at the sky. And then…”

  She looked up again, as if searching her imagination for inspiration. “And then…” She thought of a few ways the story could continue.

  Ben, who was intrigued by her idea, sat up straight and turned to face her.

  “And then…” She couldn’t think. He stared at her. She tried to concentrate.

  “I know.” He broke her train of thought. “And then a man in an Armani suit and sporting a Rolex sits down next to her, giving her a rose…” He leaned in toward Shira, pretending he was giving her an imaginary rose. “…and disappears a moment later.” The imaginary rose and the man vanished with his next hand gesture. “Then the announcer joins in. ‘It doesn’t have to be a fantasy—sign up with I Do and meet the man of your dreams today!’” Ben sat up happily. He seemed pleased with the idea.

  Shira was less so. “It’s okay.”

  “It’s brilliant!” he corrected her. “Bravo, we’re a power team!”

  She smiled politely.

  “What about our waiter? I’m hungry,” he suddenly remembered. “When did we order? It was quite a while ago, right? Go and check on it. I’ll start drafting the proposal.” He reclined on the sofa again and put his feet up.

  Shira went to inquire about the delay. She returned after some time.

  “It took you a while,” he said while typing on his computer.

  “Yes. They couldn’t find our order, and the waiter who took it went home, so I reordered the same dishes.” She felt that she’d handled the situation in the best possible way.

  “What!” he exclaimed, sitting up and facing her.

  “It’s no big deal. They said it would only take a few minutes,” she said defensively.

  “Shira! Your thinking is all wrong again. That’s not how you run things with me! Call the manager at once.”

  She went to do as he asked and quickly returned with a short, young, redheaded man wearing a formal suit.

  “Hello, my name is Don. I’m the night shift manager. How may I assist you?” he asked politely. He had a slightly high-pitched voice.

  “Don or whomever you are, we ordered our food a half an hour ago, and they didn’t even bother to tell us our waiter had left!” Ben unleashed his anger.

  “I see, sir. What is your name please?”

  “Are you new here?” Ben asked mockingly.

  “No, sir. I was hired two months ago, but before that, I worked at a number of luxury hotels. What is your name again?” Don’s voice shrieked with his question.

  “I guess they didn’t keep you long at any of them, did they?” Ben taunted him.

  “Eh, forgive me, sir, but I find that remark disrespectful.”

  “Are you saying I’m disrespectful? And the way you handled our order is respectful?”

  “Sir, please, there’s no need to get upset. Everything can be resolved in a pleasant manner.”

  “Yes, I bet you want that,” Ben said, trying to provoke the man. “That way you don’t have to run home and whine to your mommy about the bad day you had …” He continued scornfully. “…because someone picked on you again. Well, you’re asking for it, since you’re being so pathetic and a lame excuse for a manager!” He laughed, waiting for Don’s reaction.

  Don’s eyes opened wide. Ben smiled maliciously.

  There was no stopping him from that point on. He was on a roll. “Yes, I bet you were like that in school, too, right? The kid everyone enjoyed picking on, even the girls.” He laughed out loud, relishing every minute of the so-called night shift manager’s degradation.

  “Excuse me, sir, I don’t come to your home or workplace and make fun of you without even knowing who you are,” Don said, trying to curb his anger.

  “Would you like to?” Ben seemed to be enjoying himself more and more. He felt like he had just hit the jackpot multiple times. Just another sure bet he couldn’t lose.

  “Pardon?” Don’s voice shrieked even higher in amazement.

  “Would you like to fight me back, kiddo?”

  “Meet me outside after I get off my shift and I’ll tell you exactly what I think about you!”

  Don was furious. Ben had managed to touch on his most painful spot. The insults threw him back to his harsh childhood memories, a long period of his life when he was bullied and humiliated by brutes. He suffered the humiliations and kept his anger locked up inside, and he tried to move on in life, set realistic goals for himself, and attempt to achieve them. Bit by bit, he managed to shake off the pitiful loser image that stuck to him. Who does he think he is? Don thought. Just another bully.

  Don knew very well what happened to those childhood bullies. They remained foolish and insensitive and became a joke because they never moved on. Alternatively, he felt that his efforts had earned him a respectable position from which he could only advance and perhaps even become a hotel manager.

  “Why wait till your shift is over? If there’s something you wish to tell me, tell me now. No one’s listening… Or are you chicken?” Ben teased him.

  “Ben!” Shira couldn’t hold it in any longer; she felt compelled to stop this from going any further. Ben gestured with his hand for her to stay out of it.

  “You know what, sir? I think you’re a condescending prick!” Don said.

  “Yes? Go on.”

  “You have no difficulty getting things; therefore, they have no meaning. Nothing has value for you. You don’t have any value either; you’re full of hot air. You probably think you’re some big shot that everyone admires because you’re so rich and powerful,” Don said angrily, feeling as if he were avenging old wounds. “But you�
��re just a bully! And I’m not afraid of bullies anymore, because they’re nothing but a joke! A sad joke!” He unleashed all the anger cooped up in him. “You don’t even realize that everyone laughs about you behind your back!” He laughed loudly in Ben’s face.

  Passersby in the lobby stopped to watch the scene. Two youths in decked-out suits stood on the side filming the event on their cell phones.

  Ben looked around, getting anxious. The thought of his image being tainted by this affair was a warning to him. “Come, Shira, we’re going. We’ll find somewhere else to work,” he said determinedly.

  They quickly gathered their things and walked out the lobby doors, followed by the stunned faces of the guests. Ben felt uneasy and hurried off to a small coffee shop nearby. They sat at a round table that had a tea light candle burning inside a red glass holder. Shira tried to arrange the paperwork and laptop on the table while an amicable waiter approached them. She noticed him from afar and signaled him to come back later.

  Ben picked up his cell phone and dialed. “Hello, hi, this is Ben Brattler again. I’d like you to talk to your shift manager this minute! And call me right back.” He hung up. “I can’t believe this loser is going to get me involved in another scandal!” he muttered to himself.

  The phone rang a few minutes later.

  “Yes?” He barked and then paused. “I’m in the coffee shop across the street.” He hung up.

  Soon enough, Don appeared at the coffee shop entrance. “Hello Mr. Brattler,” he said, and lowered his gaze. He looked like a deflated balloon. “I came to apologize to you,” he almost whispered. He couldn’t believe he was repeating the same old pattern of the pathetic loser.

  “What? I didn’t hear you. Say it again!” Ben badgered him.

  “I want to apologize; things got out of hand,” Don repeated more loudly. He was mad but he held himself back.

  “I see. Things got out of hand,” Ben repeated. “Perhaps you got out of hand?” he suggested venomously.

  “Yes, sir.” Don bit the bullet as always.

  “If you tend to get out of hand, perhaps it’s best if you don’t work in a place that requires better servicemen than you.”