Margaux took the picture and Ben moved his arms away from the couple’s shoulders. Dotty was a little slow in releasing his waist and Renny still looked a little dazzled.
“You two have a great evening and happy anniversary!” Ben said and they gushed their thanks as they walked back to their table looking at the picture Margaux had taken.
Once everyone had taken their seats the waiter came back and Ben asked for the bill.
“As we met in a dance club would you like to go dancing?” Ben asked and Margaux smiled but shook her head.
“I feel so old next to all those pretty young things,” the Spanish beauty said quietly.
“Are you kidding me? You put those little girls to shame with your grace and beauty! I’d love to dance with you! You do like to dance, right?”
She smiled at Ben as she looked up at him through her thick lashes. She nodded.
Ben smiled and paid the bill. “The night is young and so are we! Let’s dance!” He stood and held out his hand to her. She took it and joined him. They waved at the couple they’d met then made their way to the front. A taxi was waiting so they asked the driver to take them to the most popular dance club. The man smiled and got them on the road.
They’d only gone a few blocks when the driver began to look back in the mirror at Ben. They stopped at a light and he turned to face Ben. “Excuse me but are you the man on TV who freed the girls from the slavers?”
Ben sighed and nodded.
“It is such an honor to have you in my taxi sir!”
“Thank you. That’s very nice of you to say,” Ben said and squirmed.
Margaux was watching his reaction and her curiosity was piqued by his discomfort at being praised. She very much wanted to know why he resisted it so much when it was so deserved.
“Have you ever had a home cooked Iranian meal?” the driver asked.
“Uh… no,” Ben said.
“I would very much like to welcome you into my home for some of the finest Persian cooking you will ever have. My wife and her mother are masters and can prepare a meal for you that will open your eyes to the wonderful flavors my ancestors perfected.”
Ben was stunned by this stranger’s willingness to take him into his home. “That’s exceptionally generous of you but I’m leaving for home soon and won’t have the opportunity to take you up on that offer. Thank you though!”
Cars were honking at them because the light had changed and they hadn’t moved. The driver smiled and nodded and got them moving again. He kept the conversation going about his family and how thrilled they would be to meet such a heroic man and Ben grew increasingly uncomfortable. Margaux began to worry.
They arrived at the club and Margaux suggested that she could take a photo of the man and Ben by the taxi so he could show that to his family. The driver was very excited with that idea.
They all got out and once more Margaux was the photographer. Ben endured the man’s hug as the shot was taken and shook his hand. The driver would not accept money for the fare as it had been such an honor. Ben shook his hand for a solid minute until Margaux was able to pry him away.
The club had an enormous line waiting to get in but the doorman took one look at Ben and Margaux and ushered them straight in as he spoke rapidly into the tiny mic on his earpiece. They were met by a young woman who also had an earpiece and a tablet. She seemed to be some kind of floor manager or host as she guided them to a table near the dancefloor that had been roped off as reserved. Ben was confused as he hadn’t reserved anything. He tried to tell the woman but she just smiled and waved as she spoke rapidly into the mic on her earpiece. Margaux was all smiles as she pulled Ben down to sit next to her.
“Ben, enjoy your new found celebrity status tonight. It’s delightful to be so well treated!” she laughed.
Ben looked at her and saw how happy she was so he smiled at her and struggled to reign in his growing discomfort.
Another young woman showed up at their table with a tray and a bottle of champagne in a wine bucket with two glasses.
“Complements of the house!” the woman said as she opened the champagne. Ben had no time to protest before the bottle was opened. She poured two glasses then turned and slipped back into the crowd.
Ben and Margaux toasted each other but only she drank.
“Oh my! This is very good champagne!” Margaux smiled in appreciation. He nodded and smiled once more. She grinned at him. “Come on you, let’s go dance away that frown!”
As they left their table a man in a suit took up station to keep the table reserved. He nodded to them as they moved to the dancefloor.
Ben put all of this over the top service out of his mind as he led the sexy woman to the dancefloor. Once he was there and gazing into her beautiful smiling eyes he felt himself relax as the beat soaked into his body and they began to move. Margaux had a sinuous grace to her movements and Ben was entranced. Her eyes twinkled in joy at seeing his rapt attention. They let the beat take them and Ben felt his cares slipping away.
They danced through several sets until Margaux touched his hand to let him know she needed to sit. He followed her off the dancefloor and their table guard nodded and slipped away as they sat. Margaux sipped at the champagne and Ben was delighted to find a second wine bucket with a chilled bottle of water in it. He poured his champagne into the bucket and helped himself to a glass of water.
“I was right! It is wonderful to dance with you!” Ben grinned.
“And you were right, this is a lovely way to celebrate our first meeting. I never got to dance with you the first time. You are a very good dancer!”
“I had an excellent teacher!” Ben smiled as the image of an older woman surfaced in his memory. Then darkness.
“BEN! BEN!”
“What? Sorry, what?” he shook his head as a spike of pain shot from temple to temple. He brought his hands up to rubbed the pain away as he grimaced.
“What happened? You fainted! Just for a moment but you were gone! Should we go to the hospital?” Margaux asked with a panicked voice.
Ben looked at the frightened look on the woman’s face and shook his head. He tried to recall what they were talking about but found another hole. He frowned. “No, but I think it’s time to call it a night.”
“Ben, people don’t faint without a reason! You should see a doctor!” she clutched at his arm.
He put his hand over hers and looked into her worried eyes. “I am seeing a doctor. It’s not physical. It’s psychological. Something about suppressed memories. I’d rather not discuss it now… here,” he said looking around.
She seemed to relax but she nodded and tugged at his arm to get him to leave the table with her. They made it to the front door where they walked into an explosion of light. Flashes were popping and voices yelled out his name. Ben’s headache spiked once more. The man who was guarding their table came to the door and started issuing orders. Several other large men poured through the door and drove a wedge in the crowd of paparazzi allowing Ben and Margaux to exit the club all the way to the rear door of a waiting taxi. As Ben closed the door behind himself he saw the driver was their friend who brought them here. He smiled gratefully at the grinning man who, with the help of the bouncers, managed to pull away from the curb and get them on their way.