Yes (Parks and Recreation Fanfic)

Part 26 - Ben

"Hey, Ben!" Ida yells to me as I walk down the halls. I quicken my pace a bit, but she still catches up to me.

"May I help you, Ida?" I stop to talk to her, impatient to get on the road.

"Yeah, with just one thing." before I can react, she takes both of her hands, wraps them around my neck and pulls me into her for a kiss. I grab her shoulders and shove her back. I stand in a momentary silence, emotionless. What just happened??

Leslie

The one word boils up more anger than I've ever felt before.

"I have a girlfriend!" I yell to her. "You had no right to do that!" Passersbys stop to stare at the spectacle we're making.

"Uh... I... I..." She stutters on, backing away from me.

"Oh my god! Ida, what on Earth gave you the idea that that was OK?!" I say, raising my voice further.

"I... I'm sorry. I... just thought... "

"Mr. Wyatt! Pawnee Sun! Can you answer a few questions?" Says a man in a dark suit, pushing his way through a small crowd of people that had stopped in the hall.

"Oh my God you have to be f*cking kidding me." I turn around so I can give Ida a piece of my mind, but she already ran away.

"Mr. Wyatt, are you currently having an affair with your girlfriend Leslie Knope?"

"No, of course not! I would never hurt Leslie!"

"This photo say otherwise." he says, showing me a picture he took with his phone. He caught it at just the wrong time, when I had my hand on Ida's shoulder to push her away. It looks like the kiss was consensual.

"How long until you post this?"

"I've already sent the picture to my publishers. Should be viral in Pawnee in about, oh, 30 seconds?"

"Thirty seconds?!"

"Yup." he glances at his phone "Oh, how does this sound for a headline? Can't Even Keep Her Own Beau - Why Leslie Knope is Wrong for Pawnee?"

"I have never been so close to committing an act of violence against someone before."

"Well, I'll just say that you denied to comment at the time, too embarrassed to talk about what we just got evidence of."

"Put this on the record! Ms. Mere and I have no romantic relationship. She grabbed me in the hall and kissed me. I am not cheating on the love of my life! In fact, I'm going to Pawnee to go be with her now."

"Will she want to be with you, considering new allegations?"

His words sink in. Could she possibly.... No, I did nothing wrong, did I?

"Off the record, you can go to hell." I say walking away quickly.

My finger keeps jamming on Speed Dial 2, Leslie.

"Come on... come on..." I urge into the phone.

"You have reached the voicemail box of Leslie Knope. After the tone, please record your message. When you are finished recording, you may hang up or press pound for more options."

"Leslie, I know your phone's broken, but I really need to talk to you. I almost hit "End Call", but then put the phone back to my ear. "If you see what I'm talking about before I reach you, I need you to know that I would never do something like that. There's an explanation. Call me back ASAP. Love you."