It nearly gave the wedding planner a heart attack, but Claudia, five minutes before the wedding began, rearranged the order of the bridesmaids. She didn’t care about height or symmetry. She only wanted to tease Ben and Beatriz by forcing them to walk down the aisle side-by-side at the end of the wedding.
Beatriz didn’t complain at all about her new escort.
The music started and two ushers opened the double doors. In an elegant single file, the bridesmaids stepped onto the red-carpeted aisle in their matching orchid-hued dresses. Beatriz couldn’t stop smiling as the music played and the guests turned their heads. Ben grinned back at her, the huge grin on his face rendering him so breathtakingly handsome she almost ran up the aisle. The past four days had passed in a blur of sex and laughter and more sex and trying to write her book review while Ben did everything he could to distract her. Typing with Ben’s head between her legs was one of the most challenging and enjoyable writing experiences of her life. Especially since she had to balance the laptop against his forehead.
She took her spot on the opposite side from the groomsmen and tried to focus on the wedding. Claudia looked breathtaking in her strapless Vera Wang gown. Henry had already teared up and was trying not to show it. Beatriz half hoped Claudia would include in her vows a promise to never fuck Henry up the butt. Poor guy—he didn’t know what he was missing.
Beatriz knew what she would be missing—Ben. Today was Saturday. Her flight and his flight left first thing tomorrow. She’d return to D.C., where she’d gotten a one-year contract working on a large translation project. Ben would go back to the West Coast, where he’d settled after college. She couldn’t imagine how much she would miss him. And not just the sex, but him—everything about him. Between fucking sessions the past four days, they’d gone for walks together along the river’s edge. They’d watched a movie together and had thrown popcorn at each other. They’d had long talks about what they’d been doing since college and what they wanted to do in the future. She admired Ben for not obsessing over climbing a corporate ladder. He only wanted enough money to own a nice place to live, travel and enjoy his life. She talked about wanting to go back to El Salvador and reconnect with friends of her parents and relatives. He said if she didn’t want to go alone, he’d go with her.
She didn’t want to go alone. She wanted Ben with her now and always. She’d only planned for him to spend the week inside her body. Somehow he’d gotten inside her heart, as well.
A single tear ran down her face as Henry and Claudia kissed and the assembled guests burst into cheers and applause. They would have a beautiful life together. They’d already started talking about when they’d have children and the house they would be buying in the suburbs. Good for them. If anyone deserved happiness, it was Henry and Claudia. And Ben. Of course Ben. Maybe she could find a way to give him equal happiness—minus the the suburbs.
She walked to the center of the aisle. Ben met her with his arm out. She took it and smiled up at him.
“I have something for you,” she whispered between smiles at the guests.
“Does it come in a plain brown wrapper?”
“No. But I think you’ll like it anyway.”
She reached into the neckline of her dress and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“What is it?” he asked.
“The review I wrote about the book.”
He grinned, but didn’t unfold the sheet.
“I sort of wrote something, too. But you don’t have to use it on the blog,” he said, digging into the pocket of his tuxedo jacket. “I hope you like it.”
Once more they were separated as the crowd made its way out of the hotel ballroom and toward the restaurant that they’d reserved for the reception. Ben was led outside with the other groomsmen for a set of pictures. Claudia stayed with the other bridesmaids as they helped pin up her long train.
But Beatriz couldn’t wait to read Ben’s note. She excused herself, saying she needed something from her hotel room, and raced to the elevator.
Once inside her room, she opened the note and read.
THE MANUAL might be the greatest sex book ever written. It might be the worst. But I have to give it five stars or bees or whatever because it allowed me to have the best week of my life with the most amazing woman on earth. This book should probably come with a warning—be careful, or you might just fall in love with your partner. I know I did. I love her and I want her in my life forever. And I never want to walk away from her naked goddesslike body ever again.
Also, chapter six on woman-on-top positions was my favorite. Because boobs.
Beatriz slapped her hand over her mouth to silence her laugh. But it didn’t work. The laugh bubbled up out of her. Her heart danced in her chest. She could barely breathe or stand.
“Ben loves me?” she asked the empty room. “Why?”
But then she decided she didn’t care why. She just wanted to find him and kiss him and tell him the same thing.
Then again, she didn’t have to.
Her review would.