Chapter 41
Again, she was taken aback, but the words and his tone of voice didn’t match. She shook her head and got to her room. After removing her water–logged shoes and drying off, she got dressed.
Pandora sat on her bed in her fuzzy pajama pants and a tank top, waiting. Finally, Benjamin tapped on the door and peeked inside.
“Hey,” he said with a smile as he walked in. “Lie back and I’ll take a look at things.”
Pandora did what he asked and he rubbed his hands together. He sat gently on the bed beside her. “Have you felt the babies moving around yet?” he asked and she shook her head at him.
Benjamin gently slid her tank top up and placed his warm hands on her tummy.
“Why are you still wearing your glasses?” she asked.
He tilted his head up and she knew he was looking at her. ‘I’ve had a bad headache, all day,” he answered.
Pandora frowned at him, but he shook his head at her. “Sorry about all this, then.”
It’s not your fault, my brother–in–law is being a prick, and I am about to beat him to death,” Benjamin chuckled a little at the end before dropping his head. “Hey Bean, Curd, have you two missed me?”
As if they were answering him, Pandora felt them move against his warm hand on her belly instantly. Gasping, she clasped her hand over his. “They just moved. I felt them,”
Benjamin looked at her and then down at her stomach.
“Say something to make them move again,” she pleaded with him.
“I don’t think it was…” Benjamin got cut off by the babies moving again.
“I think they like you,’ she stated in a mere whisper.
“All babies like me, Benjamin boasted. “Heartbeat time.”
Pandora let out a sigh, hearing her favorite sound.
Both sound great,” Benjamin stated. “And I am going to leave this with you,” he told her, holding up the heart rate machine. “With this, you can listen to them whenever you want. Just return it once the babies are here.”
Pandora bobbed her head at him, as she got herself fixed.
Benjamin helped her back down the stairs and looked worried about leaving her.
“I’ll be fine,” she told him, but the pained look on his face remained.
“Hey.” She jumped and turned to see Ron standing there, just looking between Benjamin and her.
“I better go,” Benjamin announced, sounding more like a doctor. He gave Ron a curt nod and walked right out.
“Why was the doc here?” Ron asked, but before she could answer, the plumber appeared.
“Strangest thing I’ve ever seen, the hoses on the washer were all disconnected. The plumber showed her a picture on his cellphone.
“Oh, okay?” She frowned as she wondered how that could have happened.
“I’m going to hook up a pump and work on emptying the basement right now. While it empties, I’ll work on the bathroom issue.” He walked out of her home, and Pandora looked back at Ron.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
Before she could speak, the plumber was back with a large hose, which he was dragging along behind him. “My washing machine flooded my basement, my toilet backed up, and who knows what else is going to go wrong.”
“Well things do come in threes as long as it’s not this water leaking,” he commented, touching her bump, “we’ll deal with everything else. He gave her a hug
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and then pulled back. “Why is the kitchen floor covered in water?”
“I was trying to empty my basement and dropped my bucket.”
Ron tilted his head. “Next time… call me. You are in no shape to do shit like that!”
“That’s what Benjamin said, she told him.
“I think he likes you.”
Pandora shook her head at him. “He’s married, she reminded him.
“Yeah, so? That doesn’t stop a guy from liking another female.”
“Don’t start, Ron, she hissed out through her gritted teeth.
It was the last damn thing she needed to hear amidst the utter chaos.
“I said he likes you, Pandora, not that he wants to fuck you. There’s a difference, sugar.”
Pandora just looked at him as she pulled out the mop to start cleaning up the floor.
“Hand over the mop,” Ron said firmly as he pulled it from her hands. “Now, do I think he likes you? Yes, I do, it’s clear in the way he acts around you. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to act on his feelings or that you’d take him up on it if he did. I was just pointing out that I think he likes you as more than just a patient.” He shrugged.
“So I need to find a new doctor?” she yelled out, mainly because she didn’t want to. She liked Benjamin. If she admitted to it, she liked him too much. She groaned and covered her face as some very bad thoughts came to her mind.
“I’m a homewrecker,” she whined.
Ron stood staring at Pandora. It took him a few seconds to move. And then, he was hugging her. “Have you considered that he may just like you as a friend, Pandora? Don’t listen to me. Besides I’m a dimwit, remember?” He tried to use humor to patch up the horrifying epiphany he had given her.
Pandora snorted as she remained in the hug.
“What if you are right?” she wondered. “What if he doesn’t want me to be his friend?”
“You are not a homewrecker, Pandora Leonard,” Ron said firmly, hoping the words got through to her. “If he really loves his wife, he is not going to step out on her. Real men try to fix their homes and openly talk to their wives first. Besides, as long as there is a ring on his finger, I doubt you would take him to bed.”
What Ron said was correct.
“No, and not just the ring either, these guys too,” Pandora responded, rubbing her bump.
“There you go. No harm done. You would never do anything like that, anyway.”
Pandora nodded and wiped her face as Ron started to clean up her kitchen for her.
