Ben & Jen: Ficlet for a friend

The Ben/Jen love story

A ficlet for a friend

 

As Jen was sitting at her desk at the office her mind was wandering constantly. She looked out the window and sighed; this was not what she had imagined life would be like. Day after day the same boring people, the same boring boss yelling and screaming until his face turned a scary shade of reddish purple. Day after day the same view from that little corner in her office; a tiny window with the view of a street filled with tall office buildings with here and there a tiny tree. Busy streets with even busier traffic and people running to catch a bus or an auto rickshaw. Jen was sitting there staring with her head resting on her hand; she sighed again. Where is prince Charming when you need him, she thought while she turned back to her computer to start work again.

She noticed a couple of messages on her Twitter account from her friends. She really wanted to reply, but her boss was already watching her so she saw. She started typing and ignored the purple head of her boss.

When she had her break she read all the messages and laughed. Talking about the one great love of her life gave her energy to go on. She looked at her watch; she had an hour left before she could go home again. She quickly typed a snappy remark to her friends about Ben the lovely actor and went back to work. Prince Charming indeed, she thought. Come and rescue me from this hell hole… for God’s sake! The boss was already on his way to check up on her again. She was this close of telling him off, but she put on her loveliest smile and greeted him like an old friend; ‘Well how can I help you today, sir?’ she said politely. Inside she felt a rage she almost couldn’t control. She tried her best, honest she did. With a clenched jaw she stood there while he was checking her work, which was perfect of course. It bothered him always that he couldn’t find a damn thing wrong with it and every day just before she wanted to get the hell out of there, he came over to check her. She really wanted to scream! She almost did too. She looked at her workstation out of her window to the street below ready to yell at her boss at any time now. But all of a sudden when she had opened her mouth to shout at her boss she closed it again. Did she see what she thought she’d see? Suddenly she was quite in a hurry. She pushed her boss aside and grabbed her bag and ran out the door; ignoring the loud screaming demanding voice of her boss to come back immediately.

Jen ran to the elevator and waited impatiently. She tapped her foot on the floor: ‘Come on, hurry up’ she mumbled. As soon as the elevator arrived she got in pushed the button and waited until the thing was down all eleven stores. ‘Bloody hell’ Jen couldn’t take it anymore when the elevator stopped on the 5^th. She got out and ran down the stairs. When she was in the lobby she took a moment to collect her breath but then she pushed the door open and walked outside apparently calm and collected but nervous inside. Had she been right in thinking what she had seen? Or was it all an illusion; wishful thinking? It couldn’t have been, could it?

But when Jen stood outside on the big square between the office buildings, there he was; talking to some journalists. Her prince Charming surrounded by not only press but some fans as well. She felt her heart skip a few beats and took a few extra breaths. What was he doing here in her country of all places in the world? She hadn’t heard he would come over here or had she missed that one? No she couldn’t have. She took out her phone and took a quick photo of him and sent that to her Twitter friends; ‘look who’s here!’ she tweeted ‘Can you imagine that?’

She couldn’t wait for an answer back, she had to keep an eye on him, this was a once in a life time opportunity after all! While she was putting her phone back in her bag she noticed the crowd murmuring. She looked up and saw Ben walking towards her. Quickly she looked over her shoulder who or what was there but she couldn’t see where he was heading.

When she looked back he was standing in front of her and with his deep, dark voice he said: ‘Hello Jen I’m so happy to finally meet you’ 

He smiled and Jen’s mouth opened and closed again; ‘Me?’ She asked ‘You know who I am?’

‘Yes of course I do’ Ben kept on smiling ‘You asked me to come and here I am’

‘Pinch me’ Jen said ‘I’m asleep aren’t I? I’m asleep and when I wake up this is just a dream’

Behind Jen her boss came running with his reddish head turning purple from anger; ‘Janet you come here this instant! If you do not, you are fired you hear me, FIRED!’

‘Wait here’ Ben said softly ‘Excuse me sir but you cannot and will not talk to my fiancé like that’ Ben turned to Jen and smirked at her ‘Jen do you agree about leaving that job and come and work for me?’

‘Hell yes!’ Jen shouted

‘I’m sorry but Jen is no longer in your employment goodbye’

Ben turned around leaving Jen’s boss to stay and become purpler than he’d ever been. On the verge of exploding so it seemed to Jen, but so was Jen. She still could not believe what Ben had said; he was here for her? Was she really awake or not? And if he didn’t pinch her maybe she should pinch him.

‘Ouch’ Ben rubbed his arm and started laughing, his deep dark wonderful laugh. ‘Yes you are awake, don’t you know by now that even though I’m not on Twitter myself I do feel the need to keep track on what’s been said about me? And you my dear Jen appealed to me from the very first time I read things about you.’

‘You’re pulling my leg’ Jen frowned

Ben laughed again ‘No honest I’m not, I’m here aren’t I? I would have brought a horse but that is overdoing it a bit I thought’

‘Yeah, the riding of into the sunset is so overrated’ Jen laughed

‘You do know we first have to get to know each other and all that? I mean what I said to your boss… It was… I mean’ Ben stammered

‘I know yes of course I wouldn’t have it any other way’ Jen looked at Ben and when they walked away from the life she had hated so much she though: It really looks like my happily ever after has just began.  

© KH