CHAPTER 15
Bethany
“We ain't going back to the Penthouse.”
I looked at Tino with a puzzled look on my face.
“We're not? Well, where are we going?” I asked.
“Ben wants to talk to you at his office. About what happened today with those thugs.”
I groaned. “I thought you already told him all about that!”
“I did, and he took care of it. But he still wants to talk to you.”
I wondered exactly what Tino meant by saying that Ben had “taken care of it.” Perhaps . . . actually, I didn't really want to know. Still, it looked like I didn't have much of a say regarding this little impromptu meeting. Tino had already turned off our usual route back to the penthouse and was driving toward the strip club.
We pulled into the parking lot and drove around the back, and there Tino let me in at the back entrance where I could go straight up to the office without having to see the dancers flashing their nude bodies at the disgusting, leering drunk men who patronized the club. I was thankful that I didn't have to see that, at least. The music (cheesy of course) was still loud though, even at the back away from the main stages, and the place smelled like old cigarette smoke, which was gross. Even though Ben had assured me, when I had first met him here, that everything was meticulously cleaned, I didn't want to touch anything in here. I was pretty much repulsed by everything in there and wished that Ben could have just waited until he got home to talk about this, but still, I was here now, so I guess I had to just get this over with.
Tino walked me up to Ben's office and knocked on the door.
“Who's there?” Ben asked, his voice muffled.
“It's me and Bethany, boss,” said Tino.
“Enter.”
Tino opened the door and let me in, but he remained in place and closed the door behind me. The office was surprisingly clean and well-decorated for a strip club office. I had expected that it would have been a lot dirtier and repulsive, and maybe full of I don't know, pictures of nude women and sex toys and stuff. Instead, it was a classily decorated executive's office, which wouldn't have looked out of place in any of the high-class office blocks of the top Detroit firms.
Ben smiled at me as I walked in and pointed at a chair opposite him.
“Have a seat,” he said.
“Thanks,” I replied, sitting down.
He stared at my face for a while and shook his head, and I could see anger burning in his eyes.
“You okay? Those bastards gave you a bit of a fat lip, huh?” he commented.
“Yeah, they did. It still hurts a little, but I'm sure it'll be okay in a day or two.”
“And you're sure they didn't do anything else to you? No other injuries, nothin' like that? You're absolutely sure?”
I nodded. “Very sure. I got the breath knocked out of me when they threw me to the ground, and of course, this happened when they kicked me, but that's it,” I said, gesturing to my lip.
“And how did you get away from them before they did anything else?”
“My cook, Manny – he rescued me. He has a gun. He fired a warning shot and threatened to kill them, and they left.”
Ben nodded. “Well, you're lucky he was around. Tino should have been there to prevent all of this, of course, but he said that you insisted he go out and buy some sort of special coffee – is this true?”
I nodded. “Yes – it's my fault he wasn't there. I really needed that coffee. The delivery guy was supposed to bring it earlier with the other supplies, but I guess he forgot or got his packages mixed up or something. We really needed that coffee for the mid-morning rush. It just seemed that asking Tino to get it was the quickest and easiest way to do it. I didn’t really give him much of a choice.”
“Well, now you know why Tino has to be there the whole time you're there. Those CM guys were obviously watching and waiting for you to give them the opportunity to attack. And that opportunity was pretty much handed to them on a silver platter.”
“I know. I realize that now.”
Ben sighed. “Look. You don't need to keep working at that diner. You don't need to work anywhere. I can provide for you, financially, I mean. The monthly allowance I'm prepared to give you is far more money than you'll ever make at the diner.”
Pride prickled at my skin.
“Now hold on a second, Ben. That diner has been in my family ever since I was a little kid. It's not just because of money that I want to keep it. It's part of who I am. Don't you understand that? It's part of my own history, and it's something that I want to hold on to. Now part of the deal that you and I made was that I get to keep running the diner. Remember?”
He nodded. “I do remember – but in light of what happened to you today, do you really think it's safe to keep working there? I sent my boys to give Tyrese a message, one that he won't forget too soon, in retaliation for what he did to you, but there's no telling how effective it will be or how long it will hold him off. He's not the sort of guy who gives up just like that. It would be easier for you and me if he were that kinda guy, but he isn't. I have a feeling that, even though we sent him a very, very clear message, that he's gonna try again. And the easiest place for him to strike and get you is at your diner. I know you don't want to give up your livelihood, trust me, I understand that. But for your own safety, you should seriously consider quitting working at that diner.”
Before I could respond, Ben's phone rang. He answered it and then cupped his hand over the receiver.
“I need to take this call in private,” he said to me.
I started to get up, but he held up a hand to stop me.
“No, don't leave,” he said. “I'll go outside. You wait in here.”
He started talking to whoever was on the phone and walked outside, leaving me alone in the office.
I sat in the chair for a little bit, expecting him to come right back in, but the call seemed to be taking forever, and I was getting a little bored and impatient. I stood and started looking around the office. One thing, in particular, caught my eye. There were blueprints and architectural plans laid out on a large table in one corner of the office, and I started looking over them. It didn’t take too long for me to realize that I was looking at plans for a building on my street, just two houses away from my diner! There was an old, derelict house there that had been unoccupied for a few years, and it looked like Ben was planning to build something there, something big. Now that I thought about it, I had actually seen a “sold” sign outside that house a few weeks ago. Ben must have been the one who had bought it! But why hadn't he mentioned any of this to me?
I wasn’t really sure if I should bring this up with him, but it was a pretty big thing. I couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn't mentioned it to me.
I went and sat back down on the chair when I heard him just outside the door. I was seated again before he came in.
“Sorry about that,” he apologized as he made his way to his desk. “Look, I just really think you'd be safer if you quit working at the diner,” he said, getting right back on topic before I could say anything about the blueprints I'd just seen.
This was frustrating. Why couldn't he see this from my point of view? Why? Or maybe he could... he just didn't want to see it from my point of view.
“Ben, if you really care for me as much as you claim to, then why does it seem like you have such a tough time comprehending just how important this diner is to me? You have a big family, and I can see that family is super important to you, right?”
He nodded. “Yeah. But what's that got to with the diner?”
“I don't have a big family like you. In fact, I don't even have much of anything in the way of family left in this world. That diner, the diner that was my mother's heart and soul, that's all I have left of her and any semblance of the family I once had. That's all I have left. Can't you see how important that is to me? How I can't just give it up and walk away? How it's not at all about the money you're offering me?”
He was about to reply when there was a knock on the door. Well, not exactly a knock. It was more like a loud bashing.
“Who the hell is that?!” snapped Ben, annoyed.
“It's me, Tony! And I've got a little gift for you!”
Ben's frown turned to a smile – a savage, almost scary smile.
“Bring him in, Tony.”
Tony, a man I hadn't seen or met before, flung open the door and walked in, gripping a small, skinny man by the back of his collar. The small man looked like he had been roughed up a bit—he had a black eye, which looked like it had been freshly applied paired with a bloodied nose, not to mention his clothes were disheveled and his eyes bloodshot.
“Well well well,” Ben said, glaring at the small man, “if it isn't Danny Smith. Good to see you again, Danny-boy.”
The skinny guy looked like he was going to burst into tears; he was obviously terrified of Ben.
“I, I was gonna pay you back, Ben,” he stammered. “I promise you, I was gonna pay that money back, I, I, I just needed to-”
Ben stepped up to him and punched him heavily in the stomach, cutting his words off and causing him to double over in pain.
“Yeah right, you were gonna wire me the money from Canada, huh? Don't bullshit me, Danny. You took my money and you fled across the border, thinking that we'd never find you there. You thought that was the easiest ten grand you ever made in your life, didn't you? Well, now you're gonna find out just how hard it is to make money these days. That’s going to be the hardest ten grand you ever made.”
“Ben, please, please, just give me a chance to pay you back,” the man pleaded. “I swear I can get the money, with interest, with, uh, with double the interest you would have charged me, with more, yeah, with a lot of interest, okay? Just give me the chance to pay you back, Ben, please, please-”
Ben slugged him hard in the stomach again.
“You had your chance, Danny, you had your chance a long time ago. And you blew it. You took the money I loaned you, and you left Detroit without a word. You thought you could steal from me. It's as simple as that, Danny – you thought you could steal from me and get away with it. But you got caught, and now you're gonna pay the price.”
I was getting pretty shaken up by all of this. The terror on the man's face, even though he was a thief, elicited a very potent response of empathy and pity in me. I wanted to tell Ben to leave him alone and give him a chance to pay back whatever he had stolen, but I knew it wasn't my place to say such things.
The violence too – it made me sick. And having been in a position just earlier where bigger and stronger people than myself were doing something similar to me, and feeling powerless to defend myself, I knew all too well just how terrified this skinny little guy must have been feeling.
Ben walked over to an intercom on the wall and pressed the “call” button.
Someone answered on the other end.
“Yeah, boss?”
“Send Charlie and Lionel up,” he said. “And tell them to bring a baseball bat and brass knuckles. They've got some meat to tenderize up here.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
A minute later two of the bouncers came up to the office. One was gripping a baseball bat, and the other had steel knuckledusters on his fists.
“This guy,” said Ben, pointing at Danny, who was now shivering violently with fear. “He thought he could steal from me. You two are gonna show him what happens when you steal from the Sciotti family.”
They grinned, and one launched a powerful punch with his knuckleduster-clad fists that crashed against Danny's jaw. I heard the sickening crack of bone breaking, and Danny's head snapped to the side with the force of the blow. He groaned and spat out a mouthful of blood and saliva – as well as a broken tooth.
I wanted to throw up, and now I was shaking too. I got up and headed for the door, panic was taking over me.
“Tino,” Ben said, “take Bethany home. She doesn't need to be here for this.”
My gaze met Ben’s and I only hoped he could see how disgusted I was.
Tino came in and escorted me out. But as the door closed behind me, I heard Danny scream out in pain and the sickening thud of a baseball bat smacking into his body.
“Get me out of here, now,” I said to Tino, my voice low with urgency.
He nodded, and we hurried out of the club.
I was still shaking when we got back to the penthouse.
“I need to take a shower,” I said to Tino. “And then, after what I saw, I really, really need to have a drink. Will you please have a drink with me?”
“Alright,” he replied. “I can do that, I guess.”
After a very long, very hot shower, I made my way back to the living room and went straight for the alcohol. When I asked Tino what he wanted, he replied and thus began our conversation about his preferred drink.
“So, you only drink whiskey, huh?” I asked Tino as I quickly downed my first glass of wine then poured myself another.
“Yep, that's it,” he said as he took a sip of his Scotch on the rocks. “Beer gives you a gut, and I don't want no gut. I'm tryin' to get shredded! Can't have no excess body fat.”
I nodded as I sipped my second glass of wine. Tino and I had actually been having a pretty decent chat, and it was good, especially since it got my mind off the violence I had seen earlier. Still, however, flashes of Danny doubled over in pain or echoes of his screams would pop into my head.
“So, you take your bodybuilding pretty seriously huh?” I asked him.
“I do. I'm hoping to enter a few contests in summer.”
“How come you're so into it if you don't mind me asking,” I asked, somewhat emboldened by the glass of wine I had already had. “Is it because you think you'll be more attractive to women, the bigger you get? Um, you are straight, right?”
He laughed.
“Of course I'm straight! I ain't never touched no guy! Except to hit 'em, of course.”
I chuckled. “Well, a lot of these bodybuilders are way too into the male physique, if you ask me. It seems like they appreciate the male form a lot more than they do the female form, if you know what I'm saying.”
He laughed. “Well, to be honest, a couple of guys at the gym are definitely, you know, into guys in the way I'm into girls. Not that I got anything against that, hell, they can even get married if they want. It don't bother me. As long as they ain't hittin' on me we’re good.”
“You still haven't answered my earlier question. Why is it that you think you need to get so big?”
He shrugged. “I dunno. It's kind of addictive, I guess. You see your body transforming in the mirror, feel yourself getting stronger and being able to pick up heavier and heavier weights. It's a good feeling.”
“And it has nothing to do with self-esteem issues?”
“What are you, a shrink or something?” he asked with a grin.
“No, just someone who knows a little something about self-esteem and body issues. When I was in junior high, I was really chubby. Fat, actually. It gave me a complex, I'll tell you that. Kids used to tease me – and other girls were the worst. I started working out and dieting like crazy, and that helped me shed a lot of weight. But then it went the other way, and in high school, I started getting so skinny that people began thinking that I was anorexic. After school, I got over it though, and just focused more on my health than simply what I looked like and how much weight I was carrying.”
“Well, you look great now. I don't mean nothin' by that,” he added quickly. “Just sayin', you look real good. And yeah, I guess maybe there's some truth in what you're sayin'. See, when I was at school, in elementary school, I was the smallest, shortest guy in my class right up until seventh grade. Other boys used to push me around and bully me. I had a bit of a growth spurt when I was about thirteen, but even then, I wasn't big or anything in high school. Then after I graduated, I started working out. I started seeing results pretty quick; I guess I have the right genes for bodybuilding. I got hooked fast. The best thing was when I was twenty-one or twenty-two, and I bumped into this one prick who used to beat me up regularly in sixth and seventh grade. I had gotten to about twice his size! Man, it felt good to beat his ass and stomp him into the ground!”
I shook my head. “So that's what you use your strength for? Beating people up? Wouldn't it have been better to simply have been the bigger man – no pun intended – and walked away from your former bully?”
He shook his head. “Nope. No way. That asshole had it comin' to him, he had it comin' for a long, long time. He got what he deserved, and I'm sure every other little kid he bullied would give me a high five for kicking his ass.”
“If you say so. But now... don't you think you're big enough? I mean, I don't mean to be insulting or anything, but you're almost freakishly large. Some women find that attractive, but many prefer a bit less. I'm just being honest here. Most women tend to find the athletic build appealing. Like Ben, for example, I’d venture to say he has the perfect physique.”
I couldn't believe I was being so open – this had to be some strong wine.
Tino chuckled. “So, you think Ben's hot, huh?”
“Not what I said, but he's very attractive, yes, I have to admit.”
“You know, he really does care for you very deeply,” Tino commented, and I could see from the look in his eyes that he was sincere. “It ain't just that deal he made with Sal, the whole thing with the diner and the money and all that. From the moment he first saw you, way before we even knew who Sal was – from that moment, he was totally captivated by you.”
“And when was that, if it was before the deal you guys made with Sal?”
“It was, uh, maybe eighteen months ago? We were on your street, and I wanted a coffee, so we stopped in at the diner. I ordered a coffee, but there was a waiter at that time, we didn't speak to you. You was workin' behind the counter. The whole time I was there having my coffee, Ben just couldn't take his eyes off you.”
I nodded. “Ah yes, I remember when we were doing well enough that we could actually employ a waiter or two. So that was when Ben first saw me, huh?”
He nodded. “That's right. And when he first fell for you.”
I was surprised to hear this. Very surprised.
“Wow, so he's been after me for that long, has he...”
Tino nodded. “He really has. Wouldn't shut up about you, like ever!” he replied with a laugh.
Well... I guess it was true. You learned something new every day. We continued talking for quite some time before eventually, we both said good night to each other and headed to bed. I fell asleep feeling strange about the entire evening. It was nice to have been able to have a chat with Tino and at least to have been able to get to know him a little better. On the other hand, even though it had been great to discover just how much Ben really cared for me, I was still feeling shaken up and uneasy about his penchant for violence, and the violent side of his lifestyle as a mobster.
Was it something that I would be able to get used to?
I couldn't say for sure. Only time would tell...
A FEW WEEKS LATER
I was sitting watching TV on my day off from the diner and having a light salad for lunch when the door intercom buzzed. I wondered who it could be, so I got up and had a look at the security camera to see who was standing outside.
It was Sophia, Ben's mother.
I picked up the intercom phone.
“Hi Sophia,” I said. “It's Bethany. Nice to see you! Are you here to see Ben?”
“No, I was just in the neighborhood shopping actually,” she replied. “I remembered that it was your day off, so I thought I would drop by and see you.”
“Oh, that's nice. I'd offer you lunch, but there isn't much here. Come on up though.”
She held up a big brown paper bag in front of the camera.
“Oh, don't worry about lunch,” she said with a big grin. “I stopped at one of my favorite cafes and bought us some takeout.”
“Lovely!” I replied as I pressed the button to let her in.
A few minutes later she came in through the front door. She set the takeout bag down on the dining room table and then we gave each other a hug.
“Lovely to see you Bethany!” she said. “You're looking stunning.”
“You're looking fantastic yourself, Sophia,” I said. “Come on, let’s sit down at the dining table and enjoy the food.”
“I got us some bruschetta with eggplant, some salad, and some chocolate cake for dessert.”
“That sounds delectable!” I said.
We sat down and started eating, and the food was fantastic.
“Have you started cooking in here yet?” asked Sophia. “Ben has some great equipment in that kitchen. I personally helped him to set it up and pick out the stuff, you know.”
I smiled somewhat guiltily.
“I have to confess that I haven't done much cooking in the kitchen up to this point,” I said. “I'm just so busy at the diner, and then when I get a day off all I want to do is rest. Plus, it's just so easy to order food from the organic restaurant downstairs, like Ben does.”
“I know, but don't you miss the satisfaction that comes with making and enjoying your own meals?”
I nodded.
“Actually, yes, I do really miss that.”
“Well then, I have a little something that you might like.”
She opened her purse and got out a small recipe book and handed it to me.
“These are some of my favorite recipes. I wrote them down over the years and got them printed out. I give a copy of this book to all of my friends.”
I smiled.
“Oh, that's wonderful Sophia! Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you consider me a friend.”
“Not just a friend... family. You'll be my daughter in law soon enough. You and Ben are making plans for the wedding, aren't you?”
Now I felt a little shudder of unease running through me. I hadn't even kissed or held hands with Benito yet, but here was his mother talking about wedding dates and wedding plans and all sorts of things. Plus, after what I had seen him do to Danny earlier, and how shaken up I had felt about that, I honestly didn't know if I could live with someone or be part of someone's life who was involved in something like that. I felt as if I had to at least communicate this sentiment to Sophia.
“I don't know yet, Sophia. In fact, I don't know if I can go through with this. I saw something today, something that really, really upset me.”
“Oh my,” she said, looking very concerned. “What did you see that's got you all shaken up?”
“I was at the... at the strip club Ben owns.”
She frowned.
“Awful place that club, just awful. But it brings in a lot of money.”
“Well yeah, anyway, I was there with Ben, and they brought in this guy who had apparently stolen money from them. They beat him badly. He was terrified, and there was so much violence and aggression, and blood, and...”
I trailed off as the memories of what I had seen came rushing back.
“I don't blame you for feeling scared and upset about that. I felt the same way too when I first saw my husband do something like that. And I know it goes on behind closed doors. But you know, we've been married over forty years now – and that side of him, that side stays behind closed doors. He's never in forty years lifted so much as a finger against me. Never. He's always treated me with complete gentleness and kindness. And I know that even though he is a gentle and kind man, he's hard on his enemies – but that's what a man has to be. And I accepted that a long time ago. And you can learn to accept that about Ben. He'll never lift a finger against you, I promise you that. And he'll treat you like a total princess. He'll make you his queen. He really will. He's absolutely smitten with you, you know.”
I nodded.
“I know... It's just hard to accept that he does those sorts of things, you know.”
“I know. But if you can look past that, you'll be marrying an amazing man who will treat you like royalty for the rest of your days.”
“I guess... I guess I could give him a chance,” I said, still feeling uneasy.
“You should. But don't worry, I understand why you're feeling worried and shaken up now, I really do. Come, let's go downstairs and cook up something lovely. That will take your mind off things. Come on.”
A WEEK LATER
“How do these taste?” I asked Tino as I handed him a peanut butter chocolate brownie I'd made from a recipe I’d been working on.
“I really shouldn't be havin' one – way too much sugar! But hell, I'll give it a try.”
He took the brownie and popped it into his mouth, and then I saw an expression of sheer child-like delight come over his face.
“My God!” he exclaimed. “That's... that's unbelievable! You should be makin' and sellin' this stuff, Bethany! Damn! Now, what's next... I really appreciate being your official taste-tester, I gotta say... even though it might add some unwanted inches to the old waistline.”
“I've made up a Tom Kha soup, a traditional Thai dish, with all sorts of exotic Eastern ingredients.”
“Ah, so that's why you had me take you to the Eastern Market earlier.”
“That's why,” I replied. “I've been dying to put some Thai dishes together for a while now. So, here we go, fresh and piping hot, my version of the traditional Thai Tom Kha soup. Don't worry, this one is much healthier than the brownies, and won't add anything to your waistline!”
I sipped on my wine as Tino sampled a big spoonful of the Tom Kha soup.
“Wow!” he exclaimed with genuine delight. “That's... that's just amazing! Spicy, but not overpoweringly hot. And the flavors... so rich and intense. Mmm, that's good, that's real good, I gotta say! You mind if I have another spoon of this? And what are these weird-lookin' things floatin' around in it?”
“Oh, those are oyster mushrooms. Great texture when you cook them right.”
He took another spoon and sighed contentedly.
“Mmm, and you sure did cook 'em right!”
We both laughed, and that moment Ben came in, arriving back unexpectedly early from work.
“Hi, Ben!” I said with a smile.
He stared at the wine in my hand and the glass of whiskey in Tino's, and then glared at both of us.
“Well look at the pair of you,” he said sourly. “Having all the fun in the world, huh? Well go on, keep at it, I don't care. I'm going to my study.”
He stormed off and slammed the door of his study behind him, leaving me feeling very confused and worried. What had just happened here? What on earth was that?
“Oh no,” remarked Tino, shaking his head and looking a little worried. “I think Ben may have gotten the wrong idea about what was going on here.”
“What do you mean 'what was going on here'?” I asked. “Nothing at all was going on here! Jeez, I've just started doing the things he wants me to do! Cooking, being friendlier with his associates – like you. And now he's upset about it? What gives!”
Tino frowned.
“I'd better go talk to him, I think.”
He got up and walked across to Ben's study.
“Yo, Ben, can I have a word?” he said as he knocked on the door.
“Fine,” came the muffled, curt reply from within.
He went in and shut the door behind him. Things were just getting stranger and stranger around here...