Secrets to a Happy Ending

Chapter 12

"Come on Lydia BREATHE!!"

Ben gave an almighty heave under Lydia's ribcage and out flew the pen top onto the pavement, followed by long coughs and gasps. Ben set Lydia down on the pavement and sat down beside her.

"Lydia, are you ok? What happened? I'm sorry I was trying to attract your attention. Oh I'm such an idiot! I will get you a doctor!"

Ben glanced at her legs and a look of horror passed over his face.

"Oh my god I pulled you too hard from the car, oh god Lydia your leg don't look Lydia."

Ben saw that one of Lydia's legs was facing in the complete wrong direction and the stocking she wore on the leg was all twisted.

"Oh my god Lydia I am so sorry, I feel terrible."

Lydia managed to regain her breath and looked back at her leg and then at Ben's face. He looked like he was about to burst out crying; she could tell he was really distressed by the whole thing, and she felt overwhelmed and burst out laughing. Ben went from distraught to puzzled, he looked at her leg again and back at Lydia.

"Lydia are you ok?"

"It's fake." Said Lydia

"What's fake?"

"The leg....the leg is fake."

Ben looked at Lydia who was still laughing. Feeling more awkward than ever he was not sure what to do whether to help her up, He then had an idea he took off his shirt and put it over her legs. Lydia stopped laughing but unsure why Ben felt the need to cover her legs on such a hot day, or if it was his trim physique, his toned abs and chest on show for all the world to see.

"You 've stopped laughing?" He said.

"I know I've stopped laughing."

"You must be feeling worse due to the lack of oxygen, here let me get you to your room."

Lydia beat Ben off with a wave of her hand.

"Ben thank you for saving me, even though you may have caused this in the first place but I'm fine. Really I am ok. Now was there something you wanted when you nearly caused my death or was it just a friendly hello?"

"Oh it was just a hello really, sometimes I get a little heavy handed I guess I didn't mean to knock on the window as loud as I did."

"You did give me quite a fright. "

Ben felt awkward at what Lydia just said and tried to lighten the mood.

"Should have seen what happened to the last lady I dated, it cost me 300 Leva to get a new window for her car. She never called me again."

Lydia laughed at the joke Ben said.

"Oh so we are dating now?"

"Oh no..well that was last night and erm well you see."

Lydia laughed and looked down at her leg, she readjusted it and put her arms up motioning to Ben to help lift her up. Ben helped Lydia up and she checked herself over.

"Ok no harm done here I think." She said,

"You're sure you don't want a doctor?" He asked.

"No I am fine honestly but thanks for the entertainment."

"Can I take you out again tonight by means of an apology for me being a total idiot?"

Lydia stood with her feet together and checked herself over to make sure she was ok, she looked down at the pavement realising she had Ben's shirt in her hands and looked over at Ben Shyly, she tried her hardest not to look at his chest and abs but could not look away. She bit her bottom lip a little, looked in the opposite direction to where Ben was standing and passed his shirt back to him.

"Only if you wear a shirt."

Ben thought about what she had just said and realised that he was in fact shirtless, so quickly putting it on, he laughed and agreed with Lydia.

"7 this evening ok?"

Lydia walked backwards towards the car with her hands behind her back and nodded approvingly.

"See you at 7." She said,

And with that Lydia turned and got into the car, she started the engine and headed towards the sawmill.

Once she arrived at the gates she could see the mill up ahead, it was a very old building that seemed to be surrounded by a lot of forestry. She drove up the private road and came to a clearing up ahead where she saw a car park. She parked the car, grabbed her bag and headed to the entrance.

Once inside she was in the main part of the mill and there were huge machines, none of them were running and there was an empty silence.

"Hello?" She called out.

The echo of her voice bounced off the walls, which made the mill feel cold and empty. She saw the remnants of smashed glass on the windows above. There was scaffolding on the outside where windows were being replaced.

"Anybody here?" She called again

There was no answer, then she heard some murmurings coming from above, she walked ahead and saw a staircase leading to an office. She climbed the stairs till she reached the office door, she was about to knock when a man opened it suddenly.

"Oh hello are you Ronnie, I'm Lydia I believe you were expecting me."

"Ah Miss Spalding I was expecting you a little while ago?" He said

"Forgive me, I had something I had to attend to immediately." Replied Lydia

"So you want a tour of the mill then?"

"Yes if that's ok thanks, I was really interested to hear that Mr Ross opened a saw mill."

"Mr Ross has his fingers in a lot of pies!"