Free The Job Offer by Eleanor Webb

left arm around his waist and
her right hand on his chest when she turned into him to let a waitress loaded
down with a tray of drinks pass behind her.  Chelsea saw the move and gritted
her teeth in a phony smile.  Each time Chelsea looked at Anne, her face became
redder until Ben thought that she would go for Anne's jugular.
    "Who is this, Ben?"  She
ground out between her clenched teeth and the false smile that she plastered on
her face.  Ben could see Chelsea's parents looking at them with concern from
their bar stools.
    "This is my fiancée, Anne,"
Ben said innocently.
    "Hello, I'm Anne Conner..."  Mary
stuck her hand out for a handshake.  "...And you are Chelsea.  Ben has
told me so much about you."
    "When did the two of you get
engaged?"  Chelsea ignored Anne and ground out the next question to him
again.
    "Just this evening.  Isn't it
wonderful?"  Anne went on happily as if Chelsea would be happy about the
news and congratulate them.  "Of course, we don't want to announce it just
yet, do we Ben, Honey, because we don't want to draw away from Lily's big
day?"  Ben had to admire Anne's pluck and quick thinking even if her
talking about marriage to him did raise immediate alarm bells.  He would play
his part to get rid of Chelsea, though.
    "That's right, Sweetheart.  So
Chelsea, I'm sure you understand why we want to keep quiet about this for the
time being."  He kept up with their story.  "Thanks.  Good to see you
again, Chelsea."  Then taking Anne's hand again, he pulled her through the
throng of people in the lounge to the patio door leaving Chelsea standing alone
in the aisle where they left her.
    Once they were on the patio, Ben kept on
walking until they had walked across the large patio filled with guests sitting
at tables, around the heated pool where people still swam, and down the path
that led down to the dock.  Spotting a small set of steps at the edge of the
dock by the water's edge, he led Anne down the steps and along the shoreline
until they were out of sight of the people who stood fishing on the dock and
the few cottages that dotted the shore.  When they were totally alone, he
stopped walking, let go of Anne’s hand and stepped over to the small rocky
shore, leaving Anne standing on the grass.  He needed to put some distance
between them.  The alarm that he felt when she told Chelsea that she was his
fiancée began to turn to anger and panic now that they were away from the
lounge.  Finally, he put his hands on his hips, and turned around to face Anne.
    "Would you care to tell me what
that was about?  You were supposed to only act as my date for the evening."
 He was angry and becoming angrier.  She went above and beyond what he expected.
 She was just supposed to run interference long enough to get Chelsea to leave
him alone and for them to get out of the lounge.  All he could think about now
was that Anne was trying to maneuver herself into a real marriage, just as past
girlfriends did, only this time using a whole new tactic.
    "You said you needed help to get
the woman to leave you alone," Anne said reasonably.  "As long as
Chelsea thinks there is still a chance, she'll be all over you this week unless
she thinks that you are off the market."
    "But marriage?"  His anger
deflated as soon as she began using reason.  He overreacted.  He knew that, and
when he realized that she was right, he felt the tension leave his body and
tried to shake off the lingering doubts.  After his last girlfriend and some of
the stunts a few of his other past girlfriends tried, he was naturally leery.  Then
there was Chelsea and all she pulled over the years.
    "For Heaven’s sake, Ben.  There is
no need to look like that.  It’s only a make believe engagement.  It will be
over on Saturday night, Sunday morning at the latest.  Relax.  I don't have any
marriage designs on you.  I'll be leaving next week anyway, and I don't believe
in long distance relationships."
    He took a deep breath