“What are you doing here?” Honey finally managed to gasp.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” he grinned.
“Why are you two here anyway?” Trixie demanded.
“We were just going for coffee and stopped to see if you wanted to come too,” Honey replied, feigning innocence.
“Bull!” Trixie snapped angrily. “You’re spying on me! You’ve done nothing but hound me about who I’m seeing. You just couldn’t leave it alone could you?”
Honey swallowed. She knew Trixie was right. “I’m sorry Trixie. I let my curiosity run away with me. I was being left out of a part of your life and I didn’t like it. I know I was wrong to do it. Can you forgive me?” she pleaded. Trixie sighed. She was furious, and felt like telling Honey exactly how she felt about this. She looked up at Honey, who’s hazel eyes were beginning to fill with tears. Some of her anger dissolved, she hated seeing Honey cry, and really didn‘t want to get into an argument about the situation tonight.
“Of course I forgive you,” she said wearily, opening her arms. The two women hugged, then pulled Di in for a group hug. Honey pulled a tissue out of her pocket and blew her nose. The partially clad man surveyed the three with amusement.
“You know, I never would have picked you to be such a snoop Honey Wheeler.”
“Oh be quiet! If I’d wanted your opinion Ben Riker I’d have asked for it!”
“You should have seen your face Honey, I swear your chin was touching the floor,” Ben laughed. Honey tried to look mad, but gave up and giggled. “Well, I wasn’t expecting to see you,” she explained.
“Just who were you expecting then?” Trixie asked.
Honey bit her lip. “Dan,” she confessed.
“Dan?!!” Trixie exclaimed in astonishment. “What on earth made you think I was seeing Dan?”
“Well, when you said that you were seeing someone I knew, I started making a list.”
Ben snorted with laughter. Honey glared at him and continued. “Most of them I crossed off immediately, but I just had a funny feeling about Dan. So I rang him up and asked what he was doing tonight, because I overheard you making plans for tonight and I wanted to see if he had plans, because if he had plans and you had plans then you probably had plans together, and when Dan said he was going out to dinner and didn’t say whom he was going out with I thought that maybe he was going out with you. So, I guess I put two and two together and ended up with five.” Everyone laughed.
“Now that everything is cleared up the two of us shall get out of your hair and let you get back to what ever you were up to,” Di said, smiling wickedly.
Honey nodded. “I really am sorry about all of this.”
Trixie smiled. “I know. Look, we’ll catch up tomorrow, forget about the paperwork for a few hours. One thing though, I want it kept between us for now, so no telling my brothers” Trixie said sternly. Honey and Di nodded. With a final hug they left Trixie’s apartment.
Trixie closed the door behind them, and rested her forehead against it. Ben moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist he put lips against the hollow at the base of her throat. Trixie drew in a shaky breath and turned within the circle of Ben’s arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed herself against him. “Shall we finish what we started?” she asked suggestively.
“I think we should just start back at the beginning,” Ben replied.
After leaving Trixie’s apartment Honey and Di sat in the car. Honey was still feeling stunned at being so wrong. She couldn’t believe that it had been Ben all along. She had a million questions running through her brain. How? When? Why? There’d never been any indication of any attraction between them. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.
Di looked at Honey with curiosity. “Did you really think she was seeing Dan?”
Honey nodded. “I did. Actually, Ben was the last person I’d have picked. They’ve never exactly been best friends. They’re so different.”
“Opposites do attract you know. Actually, it’s kind of funny. Remember how Trixie pretended to be in love with Ben that time?”
Honey nodded and grinned. “Who’d ever have thought it could come true!”
“I wonder what the others reactions to this revelation will be,” Di mused thoughtfully.
Honey frowned. “By that do you mean what will Jim think?”
“Yeah. It hasn’t been that long since they broke up. Has Trixie ever said anything to you about why they did?”
Honey shook her head. “No. All that they’ve ever said is that things weren’t working out, why?”
“Oh, no reason. Well actually, I just got this feeling that there was more to it than that but I haven’t wanted to pry.”
“I guess we’ll never really know. I’m certainly not going to grill her after this debacle.”
“ Someday we’ll all look back on this and laugh,” Di said with a smile.
“I certainly hope so. I wouldn’t blame Trixie if she never wanted to speak to me again.”
“She’ll calm down. You know she never holds a grudge. You two will be back to your usual selves by tomorrow I’m sure. She just needs time to sleep on it, though I doubt she’ll get much sleep tonight!”
As the sunlight streamed though the gap in the curtains, Trixie yawned and stretched. She turned onto her side, propping herself up on her elbow. Ben was lying on his stomach, still sleeping. She loved watching him sleep, he looked younger and vulnerable. She reached out and ran his fingers gently though his hair, smiling tenderly. She kissed his tanned shoulder. Ben stirred, opening his eyes he rolled onto his side.
“Good morning beautiful,” he said wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close. Trixie snuggled against him.
“What’s your plan for today?” she asked.
“I’m in court all day. What about you?”
“Spending non-work time with Honey. Want to meet for dinner?”
“If everything goes according to plan. I’ll let you know early afternoon. What time is it?”
Trixie looked over his shoulder. “Seven-thirty.” Ben groaned.
“I’ll be late if I don’t get moving,” he said.
“Do you have to leave now?” Trixie asked, trailing her fingers down his spine.
“Well, maybe I can put it off a bit longer,” he said as he flipped Trixie onto her back and began kissing her.
At the knock on the door, Trixie yelled out, “Come in, it’s unlocked!” Honey entered the room. After closing the door she turned and frowned at Trixie.
“I could have been anyone you know,” she admonished, slipping out of her coat and scarf, hanging them on a hook beside the door. “What if I was a burglar or a rapist?”
“I knew it was you. Anyway, I don’t have anything worth stealing.”
“That’s not the point. It’s not safe.”
Trixie didn’t reply. She handed Honey a steaming cup of coffee. Honey wrapped her hands around the mug.
“It is freezing out there,” she complained. “I’m not looking forward to the winter. I wish I could migrate south like the birds, eternal summer, now that would be perfect.”
Trixie laughed. “You’d soon get sick of it Honey. Anyway, you wouldn’t be able to ski or skate.”
“True.” They settled themselves at each end of the sofa so they were facing each other. Honey sipped at her coffee, eagerly waiting for Trixie to start. Trixie calmly sat watching Honey’s impatience grow. Finally Honey couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Oh, just tell me! You know it’s agony for me to sit here like this! I want to know everything! Well, everything you’re willing to tell me that is,” she amended. Trixie took a mouthful of her coffee. “What exactly do you want to know?”
“How this all began for starters.”
“ You remember that insurance case we were investigating?”
“The one were that man was suing his employer for his work injury?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. Well, I was taking over some of the evidence to the company’s lawyers. The lawyer we’d been liasing with wasn’t in, so I was sent to give it to another lawyer who happened to be Ben. We chatted a bit, Ben invited me to join him for lunch and well, things just went on from there.”
Honey shook her head. “I still find this so unbelievable. I mean, one moment you’re arguing about every little thing, and the next you’re sleeping with him! What’s changed?”
Trixie shrugged and grinned. “I have no idea. Maybe we just got into the habit of rubbing each other the wrong way. Perhaps having to work together professionally cured us? We still argue, but it’s more fun making up now!”
“Ick, he is my cousin you know! Are you in love with him?”
Trixie thought for a moment. “No, I like him a lot, but I don’t love him. I could though, it’s just to soon after Jim to start thinking about love and commitment and all that serious stuff. I’m having so much fun with Ben and it’s wonderful being with him.”
“I’m glad you’re happy with him. When are you going to tell everyone else?”
“I don’t know yet. I guess what I’m really afraid of is telling Jim, since it isn’t that long since our break-up. I don’t know how Dad and Moms will react either, they’ve always thought Jim was wonderful. I think Bobby will be happy, he’s always adored Ben.”
“Well, even though I’m still stunned about this, I want you to know that I’m behind you all the way, and when it sinks in I’m sure I’ll think it’s wonderful. I am pleased you’re happy, it’s just that I can’t get over it being Ben. You have a thing for my relatives it seems!”
“It’s not intentional, believe me! So, what shall we do today?”
“Shopping!” Honey said promptly. “And lunch, and whatever! What do you want to do?”
Trixie shrugged. “So long as it has absolutely nothing to do with work I don’t care. Di said she’ll meet us for coffee this afternoon.”
“Sounds good. Now, where shall we start?”
The next morning as she had to go into the city, she rang Dan to see if he would be free to meet her for lunch. She wanted to him to know that Honey and Di knew about Ben. In a way she felt relief that they knew, especially Honey. It had been awful not being able to share with her best friend, but hadn’t felt she could count on her to be objective. She arranged with Dan to meet in a small café that they patronised when they could get together. When Trixie arrived Dan was already waiting for her. They exchanged greetings as Trixie pulled out the chair opposite Dan.
“Honey and Di now know about Ben and me,” Trixie said.
“So you finally told them?”
Trixie shook her head. “Not quite, they turned up the other night and Ben was there.”
“So it’s official then?” Dan asked.
Trixie nodded, “Almost, I just haven’t told my parents, brothers or Jim.”
Dan swallowed and gave a small smile. “Not quite the coming out you planned.”
Trixie laughed. “Tell me about it! Did you know that Honey thought it was you I was seeing? How she came up with such a ridiculous idea I’ll never know!”
“Ridiculous huh? I’m not such a bad catch am I?” Dan said lightly, though hurt by Trixie’s words. For many years he’d had feelings for Trixie, even though she and Jim had been together, and looked as if they‘d be together forever. He’d resigned himself to being nothing more than friends with her, until the sudden, unexpected break-up of her relationship with Jim. When Trixie told him that they’d split up, part of him had felt overjoyed, hoping that in time he might be able to show Trixie that he was the right man for her. He’d planned on waiting for a suitable length of time to pass before making a move. When Trixie had invited him to spend the night several weeks ago, he’d thought that this could be the perfect opportunity. He’d been devastated when Trixie told him she’d begun a relationship with Ben Riker. She’d desperately needed someone to confide in and felt she could trust Dan to give an honest opinion. Dan couldn’t bring himself to tell her how he truly felt about Ben. He didn’t believe Ben was good enough for Trixie, but then, was anyone? Dan didn’t trust him either, and was afraid she’d only get hurt by him. He’d wanted to tell her this but was scared he’d only drive her away. Her friendship was better than nothing at all, and was prepared to keep quiet, picking up the pieces if he had to. So he’d told her that she should do whatever made her happy, and not worry about what the others were going to think.
“Of course not!” Trixie exclaimed. “You’re one of my best friends.”
Dan smiled sadly at her, “And you’re one of mine. You know I’ll always be here for you, and I’ll do anything for you.”
“I know, thank you.” Trixie reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “I was so glad that I’ve been able to talk to you about Ben, and you were right that I was worrying needlessly about the others reactions. True only half of you know at the moment, but I feel more confident now in telling my brothers and Jim.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about your brothers, they love you and will accept any choice you make,” Dan reassured.
“I know.” Trixie looked at her watch. “You should be getting back, I wouldn’t want to get you into any trouble.”
Dan pushed back his chair and stood up. “It would be worth it.”
They left the café and stood outside. Their breath was white steam in the cold air. Trixie wrapped her arms around herself and bounced up and down.
“Honey says we need to have a Bobwhite reunion,” Dan said.
“I agree, it’s been too long since we’ve all been together.”
“Will things be okay with you and Jim?”
Trixie shrugged. “I don’t know. It will be awkward I guess, but I’m sure we can work through it.”
“I’m sure everything will be fine.”
“Yeah. Now get going!” Trixie said. She hugged Dan. “Thank you for being there for me.”
Dan closed his eyes, enjoying the brief moment. “Any time Trix,” he sighed.
“Take care,” Trixie said.
Dan watched her as she walked away, before turning and walking in the opposite direction.
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