⎾ CLEVER ⏌

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

Benjamin didn't mind that she stared. If he was being honest, he thought it was a bit cute. Almost as though she were really seeing him for the first time. And if he was still being honest, he wanted to stare at her as well. For tonight she was more beautiful than he remembered. Perhaps in his years of running away, he could have spent them getting to know her instead. So far, she wasn't that bad. Nothing like the spoiled rotten rich girls he had gone to school with.

To an extent Ben did like electronics. But mostly he chose the game room because most people didn't know about it. Out of all the people attending tonight soiree only a handful had even been inside their home. Even Ben had wondered how she had stumbled upon this room. Needless exploring most likely.

He smiled as she laughed at his teasing. He found it to be quite easy to talk with her. When he asked about her own thoughts on a wedding, she shrugged. He was surprised to learn they had something else in common. "That's kind of what I've been wanting as well." he admitted before taking another sip. "I mean, all these pictures I've seen are nice. But I keep trying to tell my folks I don't need three hundred guests. Or some big church in the middle of the city. I'd be fine with something small in Central Park or just the two of us at the Justice of Peace." Ben had always been simple about things. He didn't see why everything needed to be made such a big deal. Like why they needed to make some announcement in the paper, or have a guest list longer than the one at fashion week. What was the point if he just couldn't share it with his closest friends and family?

 

[xDarkWinterx]

Talking was easy, getting along together was harder. The more she spoke with Ben however, the more she wondered she had never taken the chance to get to know him before this. Evie found he was easy to talk to and actually made her laugh. She found that Ben was different too, he wasn’t stuck up like all the other men in her life.

Evie spoke listening as Ben seemed to agree with her. She laughed softly as Ben spoke. ”Hmm, I could only imagine the face my mother would make, if we went off and eloped at the justice of the peace without a real wedding.” Evie spoke teasing Ben, she didn't like the idea of fancy weddings. For all she cared, they could get married and arrange everything else later.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

Oh could be pretty stuck up when he wanted to be. His only saving grace was having two younger brothers to keep him more humble. There were plenty of guys he went to school with that were just awful. They were about as bad, if not worse, than some of the girls. He understood there was a certain culture when it came to being this wealthy. But he didn't always understand the need to be so nasty with his nose up in the air. His only guess was his family was still too new when it came to their wealth. Perhaps an attitude like that was something that came with a centuries worth of inheritance.

As they spoke more, he found Evie to be quite charming. She laughed at his stupid jokes and was easy to talk to. It was a shame he hadn't tried to get to know her sooner. As they shared their thoughts on marriage it was interesting to learn that they wanted more or less the same things. Ben laughed as she teased him. Oh, what he wouldn't give to see her mother's face if they were to do such a thing. "God, now I wanna do that just so I can see our moms faces." he teased back. Ben didn't need a fancy wedding either. Something simple in the park or a small church would suffice. He merely wanted to be surrounded by closest friends and family members. Not his friends, family, and two hundred of his fathers' employees and their families. If he had his way, he'd like to just grab some tulle, a few dozen tea candles, the Justice of the Peace, and have the wedding right in his family's backyard. Quick, simple, and would save everyone thousands of dollars.

 

[xDarkWinterx]

Evie had dealt with a few too many stuck up people in life. It came with the idea of money. She didn’t mind after all she had to deal with it even in her family. Her sister was the worst, after all her father gave into everything she wanted. For her sister Mia’s sixteenth birthday, her father bought her a Ferrari F60 America. However Mia only had it for a week before she wrecked it. Evie wasn’t surprised, after all her sister had been trying to show off.

The idea of marriage didn’t bother her, but she at least wanted to plan her own wedding. Evie knew that she would never get to. If her mother had her way, all she would need to do is get up, show up at the altar, and say I do.. Listening as Ben spoke, she laughed softly as she sipped her wine. ”Well I am wearing a dress.” Evie spoke enclining that the idea wouldn’t be so bad. All they had to do was leave now and head to the justice of the peace. She didn’t want a big wedding, or really a wedding at all. Evie just wanted to get the marriage over with.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

Between the three of them Ben liked to think that Oliver was the most spoiled. Because he was the middle child he was often forgotten. Whenever he made that fact known his family spoiled him with loads of gifts. He remembered one year when his parents were swamped with work and upcoming charity event. They accidentally forgot Oliver's tenth birthday. To make up for it, they rented out the local toy store and let him get whatever he wanted. Five carts later the brat had managed to rack up a $8,0000 receipt.

Benjamin had long accepted the idea of marriage. So he wasn't particularly bothered by it. He didn't think he would ever get his way in terms of what he wanted for a wedding. Then again for years he'd been told that it was always what the bride wanted and that too he had started to accept. It surprised him to learn that Evie shared his ideas for a wedding. When he spoke, he'd been merely joking. He hadn't expecting such a reply from Evie. He nearly spit out his drink at the suggestion. Licking his lips, he wiped a corner of his mouth. "Tempting. But I'd prefer to get to know my bride a bit more before say 'I do'." he replied. As fun as it would be to piss off their parents, he just didn't know her well enough to make that jump. He wasn't interested in having all his firsts with her after their marriage.

 

[xDarkWinterx]

Evie just wanted to hurry everything along. She was tired of them just being engaged. Evie knew that they should have given themselves time to get to know each other. However arranging a wedding, gave them that option as well. She didn’t really want to plan the wedding, all she wanted to do was just get married and have everything planned for her. Evie hated the idea of choosing everything down to the last detail. It was easier to just let Ben’s mother and hers argue it out. The only thing she needed to choose on was her dress and the cake.

As she mentioned the idea of eloping now, she watched as Ben spit out his wine. Evie laughed softly, as Ben seemed surprised by her words. She nodded simply, ”Well don’t say I never offered.” Evie teased as she took another sip of her wine. ”So tell me, kids yay or nay?” She asked curiously, after all they had time to get to know each other now.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

Indeed he too wished things would just hurry along. What was the point in being engaged at age four if the wedding itself was still being planned nearly twenty years later? In his mind there should have been some standard guest list that just got tossed around here and there through the years. Edit one for when great-grandmother Lucy died. Edit two for when faceless employee number six quit. Edit three for when Uncle Edward divorced Aunt Lydia. And so on. By this point he would have thought all that was left to arrange were flowers, clothes, and food. The things that really mattered in an old fashioned wedding ceremony. Apparently he was wrong though.

Benjamin couldn't help it when he spit out his drink. He hadn't been expecting to hear such words from her. To be quite honest he wasn't sure what to expect of her. He cleaned himself up as best he could and smirked as she teased him. Tossing away a used paper towel, he tried once more to take a sip of wine. This time she seemed a bit more serious. He hadn't really given kids much thought. He didn't particularly hate children. Just the sounds, smells, and messes they made. "Well personally, I'm not a huge fan of them. But if we were to...and you got pregnant than it's your call what we would do with it." he replied honestly. It was the first time he'd ever said it out loud. He felt a bit awkward about expressing such thoughts but they were always there. Somewhere in the back of his mind. "What about you? Any kids?"

 

[xDarkWinterx]

Planning was something that Evie was never good at, after all everything was usually planned for her. She only got to have her say, when she made the decision to become a neurosurgeon. Evie always had fascination with the human brain, however her parents had wanted her to take after her father and become a lawyer. She found the idea to be boring, she wanted to save lives, not spend her days in court.

Teasing Ben had been easy, after all she didn’t know what to expect from the man, who would be her husband. Evie was still learning from him, as she expected to in the future and after they were married. However she wished she could get to know him better before they married. She couldn’t help but ask something that was important. Evie’s parents were adamant about children, however she had no interest. She listened as Ben responded and couldn’t help but laugh at his words. As if it would be her decisions and fault she got pregnant. Evie shook her head as Ben asked her the same, ”No, I don’t really want kids, though if my mother asks I do.” She spoke teasing Ben again, as she sipped her wine.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

When it came to planning, Benjamin liked to think that he was rather good at it. To a point anyways. He could organize his desk, his current affairs, and even his entire graduating class back when he was class president. But a wedding was different. A wedding of their stature was this big thing with this insane amount of guest and insane expectations. This was one thing he would prefer not to organize. Because in the end, he knew he would never get his way. He had neither the time nor the patience to deal with a battle he could not win. He'd rather put his efforts into something he could do. Like getting to know his future wife. After all, who knew when they would next get an opportunity like this.

So far he was enjoying getting to know Evie. She had an interesting personality and seemed to be enjoying teasing him every chance that she got. He didn't mind the latter. He liked that she wasn't stuffy or snobbish like so many other rich girls out there. As they spoke of kids, he raised an eyebrow as she laughed at his words. He didn't really think there was anything funny about what he said. Quite the opposite really. When he said it would be left up to her, he didn't mean to make it sound as though he was blaming her for getting pregnant. He was trying to be considerate of her decisions. If she wanted to keep it, then he would be respect her decision and be a father to that child. If she wanted to abort it, he would also respect that decision and be there for the mental support - assuming she may need it. He understood that not every woman wanted children. Given the affects of pregnancy he could see why. Not every woman wanted swollen ankles, unchecked hormones, food cravings, and the list went on.

Turning the question back on her, he watched as she shook her head. He smirked as she teased him again. He wasn't surprised that her mother thought she wanted children. His own mother still thought he was going through a phase when he said he didn't want them. In the end, he just told her that Oliver could have his children. "So no kids, no big wedding. Tell me you like dogs and you might have yourself a real husband." he teased back. He took another sip, swirling the remnants of his wine and moved to grab the bottle again. "Can I get you a refill?"

 

[xDarkWinterx]

Getting to know Ben was important. Evie barely the man she was to be married to. She wanted to know all his likes and dislikes before his being married to him. Evie knew it was better to know than not know. It seemed Ben, was willing to answer everything she asked, and even went along with her teasing nature. She was glad for that after all most men usually got put off by it. Evie enjoyed teasing, as long as Ben dished out his own.

She didn’t mind that Ben was put off by children. Evie had no interest in them, after all the idea of listening to a scream child all night, for the next eighteen years did nothing to interest her. She wanted to continue with her schooling and work on her career path.

Evie laughed as Ben spoke, teasing her back. She brightened a little as her teased her. ”Well as for dogs, yes I like dogs. I have a french bulldog named Luna.” Evie spoke as she mentioned her dog. After all Luna, was important to her. She found Luna as a puppy wandering on the side of the road. ”What about you, any pets I have to worry about?” Evie asked curiously not that she minded.

She watched as Ben played with his wine glass. Evie was starting to get hungry, after all she hadn’t eaten yet and the idea of finger foods didn’t please her. She shook her head lightly, ”I’m fine..though I really could go for some food.” Evie spoke as she pushed her glass aside. The idea of some food sounded really good to her right now, hopefully it didn’t seem to odd.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

He too believed that getting to know Evie was important before they wed. If for any reason, it would certainly make the following honeymoon a lot less awkward. He was happy to answer any and all of her questions. Just as she seemed willing to answer any of his. He liked her teasing nature, in a way it was oddly calming. Benjamin was glad that Evie didn't want kids. To him, he didn't hate children. He thought they were cute and sometimes funny. But then there were the unpleasant parts of having children that made him loose almost all his interest in them. Things like 3 A.M. feedings, disgusting diapers, getting urinated or vomitted on, tantrums for no reason, the constant scream, and the list never ends. Go forbid he have a daughter. A son he could probably handle. But a daughter that would likely go from a screaming toddler, to an obnoxious kid, and then a hormonal teenage brat that bleeds every month. No thanks.

He smiled behind his glass before taking another sip. The more he got to know her, he was finding it easier to tease her. He watched her practically glow at the mention of dogs and listened to her speak. Ben wasn't a fan of super tiny dogs, but he figured a French bulldog might okay to have around the house. It was big enough that he might not trip over it. When she spoke again, he shook his head. "Not since I was fourteen. We used to have a Samoyed named Charlie. Had him since he was a puppy, he died of old age. Poor guy." he replied. Since then, Benjamin had yet to get another dog. For the first year or so, his heart just wasn't in it. Charlie had played a role in his young life and he wasn't ready to replace him. Once some time had passed, he started to miss having a fluffy companion around the house. He'd thought of getting another dog, maybe something like a German Shepard, a Pitbull, a Labrador, or even a Shiba Inu. It didn't really matter. He just wanted a dog.

Soon finishing off his glass, he started digging around for the bottle he'd pulled earlier and poured himself a much smaller glass. Ben had snacked here and there. But it was nothing that he would really call a meal. The cooks crab cakes could barely fill a child, let alone a grown man. He smirked as she spoke, an idea forming in his head. "Well babe, how do you feel about ditching this party altogether?" he asked.

 

[xDarkWinterx]

If anything she had to agree, that children was not in their best interest. Evie didn’t want children, but she didn’t hate them. She found that she had enough with all her other little cousins running around at parties. Evie knew she would be a good mother, but she had no patience for them. Perhaps years down the line, not right now. She didn’t want to rush into the idea of babies, she wanted to enjoy her life first.

Evie liked all kinds of dogs, though she wasn’t fond of the ankle biters. She listened as Ben spoke of a childhood dog. It made her wonder if Ben wanted another, she hoped he wouldn’t mind Luna, after all it was deal breaker. Evie smiled as Ben spoke, ”And what about now, would you like another dog?” She asked curiously, after all it was important to know those things. Evie wasn’t opposed to the idea.

Wine wa all and good, but she was hungry. Evie watched as Ben poured himself a small glass of wine. She laughed softly as Ben seemed to be forming a plan. ”Depends on what you have in mind?” Evie asked curiously, but didn’t care either way. She was open to the idea of running away from the party, as long as it involved something to eat.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

He could see how someone not liking dogs would be a deal breaker. After all what was the point if you couldn't bring your fur friends along for the ride? He did like dogs and had been thinking about getting another one. He just hadn't found the time to actually go through with the commitment. When asked, he nodded. "I've been thinking about a medium sized dog. Maybe a Pitbull or a Shepard. I just haven't gotten around to adopting another dog yet." he replied.

The wine was nice and the hors-d'oeuvre were tasty. But Benjamin was in need of some real food. He sipped the small amount of wine as he smirked down at her. He watched her curiosity get the best of her and listened when she spoke. "Now mind you, it's nothing fancy and we're going to be way over-dressed. I know of this great little hole in the wall not far from here. You might have seen it on your way over, this little all night diner. I warn you now the food is a bit greasy, and there is no wine or caviar. But there is good coffee and even better pie we could split." Ben waited patiently as she thought it over. If it wasn't up to her taste, he was sure they could find her a nice Olive Garden or some steak house. Either way, he wanted to get out of the house and she wanted to eat. It was a win-win situation.

 

[xDarkWinterx]

Evie didn’t mind the idea of having another dog when they actually got married and moved in with each other. She knew Luna must get bored while she was at school, and would like to have a friend to spend time with her. Evie could understand not having the time to go looking for an animal. She wondered perhaps if after they got married would Ben look for a pet. Evie would drop it for now, she didn’t want to pressure the idea onto Ben.

As her stomach growled, it seemed Ben had something in mind. Her curiosity got the best of her. Evie didn’t expect much, after all she knew it wasn’t as if they could go far. She also didn’t expect a five star restaurant. Evie was content with just about anything. She listened as Ben mentioned a little twenty-four hour dinner down the street, indeed she had seen it on the way over. Evie smiled as Ben mentioned coffee and pie. ”I could go for some apple pie and coffee.” She spoke interested in the idea of just getting away from the party, but also having a chance to get to know one another on a different tuft and terms.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

He hadn't thought about getting a dog after marriage. But it might be a nice idea. He would, of course, have to talk to Evie about it since he knew literally nothing about her dog. Just because she was friendly to Evie, did not necessarily mean she would warm up as easily around Ben. Let alone another dog. Perhaps it would be a good idea to take Luna with them to the shelter and let her decide.

Dropping the subject, Benjamin took another sip as the woman's stomach growled. He couldn't help laughing a bit. She wasn't kidding when she said she was hungry. It wasn't as though he were doubting her. But he was also aware how some girls tried to pretend they weren't and talked about keeping their figure. Ben told her about the local diner and smiled at her response. He let what little remained in his glass and came around the counter. He held out his hand towards her and led her out of the basement.

Upstairs, he could hear the sounds of the staff moving about in the kitchen. The hallway was clear and there was no chance of them being seen. He pulled her down the hall leading towards the garage. There, he took his keys from one of the five hanging hooks, and opened the door. He quietly closed it behind her. It was just barely bright enough that he didn't bother turning the lights on. "You might mind your dress." he whispered. Although they kept the garage fairly neat, he'd hate for her to ruin her dress on any spilled grease or tracked in dirt. Walking past the first three cars, he came to the fourth one. The lights flashed and the locked clicked. He opened the passenger side door to his Mercedes-Benz. It was white matte with black leather interior. Closing the door behind her, he walked around to the driver's side and got in. With a push of a button, the engine purred to life. The dash illuminated them both as they headlights flashed against the closed door.

After buckling up, Ben pressed the button to the garage door and waited as it slowly slid up. It came as no surprise to see their driveway packed with cars. Lucky for them, there was plenty of perfectly manicured lawn he didn't mind driving through. Easing down the driveway, he was careful not to put too much pressure on the accelerator. The last thing he wanted was to bring any attention to their escape. Just at the corner of the house, he could see a few people mingling. He maneuvered past the luxury cars and down the driveway until he felt they were a safe distance away to give it a little gas and make it to the iron gates.