Josh rushed back and got in early Sunday mornong. Sally and Mike picked him up from the airport and took him straight to the hospital.
"Hey Babe, I'm sorry I was not here." Josh said walking in.
Ben looked up with a smile, "I'm alright. You did not have to hurry back."
"Are you kidding me. You get hit by a car and scare the life out of me. Yes, I need to hurry back." He walked over and touch the cast on his leg. "Does it hurt?"
"Like hell but I'll heal." He took Josh's hand then wrenched in pain from his sholder.
"When can you go home?" Josh asked.
"In a few days. Will you stay here with me?" Ben asked.
"Can't make me leave. Your stuck with me." Josh pulled a chair over to sit next to Ben and just hold his hand.
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Betty was tired when she got up Sunday morning. Last night's party, then the night at the hospital with Ben took everything out of her. However she needed to get the things back to the office and return the van. The one from the birthday party was already returned now it was just the one they had.
After the last trip to the office, as she stepped off the elevator, she ran into the last person she wanted to see, 'Oliver McLaughlin'.
"Hi" He said.
Betty just shook her head and walked on by. She was to tired to deal him right now.
"Betty please let me explain?" He touched her shoulder.
She stop, "Follow me to the car rental place then we can talk."
"Ok" He walked out and help her get into the Van the he got in his car and followed her.
After she dropped off the keys she got into the car. "Take me to eat." She said.
They drove to a cafe and after the food was ordered she said, "Ok now talk."
"Where to start?"
"Start with why you cheated on your fiancée?" Betty said.
"Let me start with telling you about Sue. While I was clerking at Sanders and Sanders I meet Sue. She was the niece and granddaughter of the owners. She quickly set her sights on me.
In a way she also help me make partner. We started dating and soon I figured I could not do better. So I asked her to marry me.
It did not take long before she showed her true colors. She is a selfish, mean, woman. I was sure I needed to call everything off when we were talking about kids. I wanted to adopt some once we get married. She told me I was not wasting my money on kids no one wanted.
After that I have tried to break up with her but she always changes to topic. When I meet you I just wanted to spend some time with a caring woman. You impressed me. I never meant to deceive me."
Betty sat there. In a way she understood but it still hurt that she was deceived.
The food came and they sat there and ate. She still did not know what to say.
"I am really sorry, If you really want nothing to do with me I'll stay away from you. But I like you and would like to keep seeing you."
She took a deep breath, "I don't know, I really did enjoy seeing you. However I can't be with someone who is attached to another woman. Not saying you could not date anyone and date me that is not a committed relationship but asking someone to marry you is one."
She took a few deep breaths before continuing, "If you really break off your engagement then we can continue to date. But know you will need to build trust with me."
"Want to hear a joke?" he said trying to make the atmosphere lighter.
"Sure"
'A lady goes to the doctor and complains that her husband is losing interest in sex. The doctor gives her a pill, but warns her that it's still experimental. He tells her to slip it into his mashed potatoes at dinner, so that night, she does just that. About a week later, she's back at the doctor, where she says, "Doc, the pill worked great! I put it in the potatoes like you said! It wasn't five minutes later that he jumped up, raked all the food and dishes onto the floor, grabbed me, ripped all my clothes off, and ravaged me right there on the table!" The doctor says, "I'm sorry, we didn't realize the pill was that strong! The foundation will be glad to pay for any damages." "Nah," she says, "that's okay. We're never going back to that restaurant anyway."'
Betty started to giggle and then it turned into a laugh.
Oliver was glad to finally see her smile.
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Bella called the hospital to check on Bert then ordered food to be delivered to him and Josh. Then she started to read.
◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇ THE QUEEN OF QUOK
A king once died, as kings are apt to do, being as liable to shortness of breath as other mortals. It was high time this king abandoned his earth life, for he had lived in a sadly extravagant manner, and his subjects could spare him without the slightest inconvenience.
His father had left him a full treasury, both money and jewels being in abundance. But the foolish king just deceased had squandered every penny in riotous living. He had then taxed his subjects until most of them became paupers, and this money vanished in more riotous living.
Next he sold all the grand old furniture in the palace; all the silver and gold plate and bric-a-brac; all the rich carpets and furnishings and even his own kingly wardrobe, reserving only a soiled and moth-eaten ermine robe to fold over his threadbare raiment. And he spent the money in further riotous living.
Don't ask me to explain what riotous living is. I only know, from hearsay, that it is an excellent way to get rid of money. And so this spendthrift king found it.
He now picked all the magnificent jewels from this kingly crown and from the round ball on the top of his scepter, and sold them and spent the money. Riotous living, of course. But at last he was at the end of his resources.
He couldn't sell the crown itself, because no one but the king had the right to wear it. Neither could he sell the royal palace, because only the king had the right to live there. So, finally, he found himself reduced to a bare palace, containing only a big mahogany bedstead that he slept in, a small stool on which he sat to pull off his shoes and the moth-eaten ermine robe.
In this straight he was reduced to the necessity of borrowing an occasional dime from his chief counselor, with which to buy a ham sandwich. And the chief counselor hadn't many dimes.