Bennett loosened his grip but did not let go of her. "Why? Why would you do this to me?"
Shaking her head, trying to gather her thoughts, she said, "I know this does not make any sense, but you have to remember I was only nineteen. I was alone in a big city. You lied to me and cheated on me. I did not think I could trust you. I did not want my son to be another one of your dirty little secrets. I knew how much your future career meant to you. If word got out that you had knocked up your maid's granddaughter, your future would’ve been dead. I knew you would try to marry me and do the right thing. But over time, you would resent us. I could not go through that. So, I cut ties and moved on, making the best of a bad situation."
"Moved on is right. You call me out of nowhere on the night before Thanksgiving, disappear without so much as a word goodbye, and then you are married by Christmas. Talk about moving at the speed of light."
“You are a liar and a cheat. I do not owe you a damn thing. Not then. Not now."
"I don't know what the hell you are talking about, but I do know you owe me a hell of a lot. I am going to start collecting right now."
With that, Bennett swept her up in the most punishing, angry embrace of her life. It carried all the pent-up passion, anger, sorrow, and heat building up for over ten years. It was a brutal, punishing kiss that left her starving for more. In an instant, Bennett reached down and ripped the buttons off the front of her dress and tore her bra with it. Burying his face in her still-perfect bosom, he lost himself in her as she lost herself in the sensations he was generating in her. Pushing her back onto the closest table, Bennett bent her back. Without pause, he was just about to reach under herdress and touch her more intimately when he heard his wife call his name.
"Taylor?" called Bennett as Poppy shoved him hard in the chest, and the two of them collapsed in a sea of red hair as half of the women of Searcy looked on.
Carrington House
Searcy, Arkansas
November 28, 2023
"That sounds like it was a very traumatic day. What did you do once the ladies left the room?" asked Harvey.
"I did what I always do when I get scared. I ran. Before he chased out after Taylor and the others, Bennett emphatically warned me to go to the hotel and wait for him. I was not in the mood to listen. I got in my little rental car and drove as fast as possible to Little Rock. Then, thanks to Joules, I took the next flight to New York," replied Poppy.
"Was Bennett mad that you left?" asked Harvey.
"Blindingly mad. He left me several blistering voice messages before I even landed. He was mad about it all, my leaving, not telling him about Ben, the fact he still wanted me, you name it. He was furious about everything. Ben was staying at a friend's house as I was not expected back for several days. I got home early Tuesday morning. I was so tired I went to bed and slept all day.
I only let Ben know I was back on Wednesday afternoon when I showed up for his baseball game after school. I needed a little time to think. Joules had already called me to make sure I got home safely. She told me the crazy scheme that had been cooked up for all of us to attend the gala in Searcy. I told her that was not goingto happen. She begged me to reconsider, as it would destroy the fundraiser for the hospital. At that point, I could have cared less. That fundraiser was the least of my concerns. I remember telling her that Bennett could do what Bennett wanted to do. It had nothing to do with me. Brave words from a woman who was running scared."
Harvey looked at Poppy and said, "What did Bennett do next?"
"He showed up Wednesday afternoon at Ben's ball game. How he even knew Ben played ball or how to find us is beyond me. I guess that is something I should ask him someday. Anyway, I was sitting in the stands yelling like a crazy person when I looked up and saw Bennett off to the side. I nearly had a heart attack. At that point, Ben knew nothing about Bennett. I could not have him show up and announce himself as Ben's dad. I understood why Bennett was upset. Fine, he had every right to be mad at me. But, when it came to Ben, all bets were off.
“Ben had already had enough trauma in his life, losing his father and Jack moving to Cali. Bennett was going to follow my timetable with Ben or else," replied Poppy.
"It got pretty heated. We were both yelling. Bennett demanded that I tell him why I had preferred a sham marriage to a gay man than to marriage with him. Until Bennett knew Tommy was gay, he assumed my marriage had been real. I yelled back, ‘Because it was the only choice I had.’
“That fired him up, and he yelled, ‘Like hell it was!’ At one point, Ben's coach came over to see if everything was okay. I could see Ben. He was worried that his mom and a stranger were getting into it. To defuse an escalating situation, I got Bennett to promise to sit down and watch the rest of the game without calling attention to us. He promised not to tell Ben who he was until I gave him the okay to do so if I agreed to return to Searcy for the gala. I unhappily agreed.
"After the game, I introduced Bennett to Ben. I will never forget the look on Bennett's face when his son stuck out his hand and introduced himself properly, as Jack had taught him to do with adults.
“It was a game tradition for all the kids and parents to go for pizza afterward. I had not intended to invite Bennett. It did not matter. He invited himself. I was relieved that he introduced himself as Bennett without mentioning him being a senator.
"Even though I was a nervous wreck, for the most part, the night went fine without issue until it was time to leave.
“Ben's best friend's dad was the coach. He had been divorced for about two years and made it clear he was interested in being more than friends with me. Before Bennett came to my classroom, I was open to it. Now, I knew it was hopeless, but I needed a buffer between me and Bennett. If McNeil could offer that, I would not be above using it.
"McNeil sat next to me in the booth at the pizza place. He got me a drink and offered to pick up the ticket. Bennett never broke a sweat. He calmly paid the bill and took McNeil’s seat when he went to the bathroom. As we got ready to leave, McNeil walked out with us. He hailed a cab and held the door for Ben and me to go with him. Before we could get in, a long black town car pulled up. Bennett let him know we were going with him. I assumed we would head to our apartment.
"Instead, Bennett told Ben he had an amazing penthouse hotel room with an incredible view. Ben begged to see it. The next thing I knew, we were all on the balcony looking at the stars. Then, Bennett encouraged Ben to order a dessert from room service, and they stayed up watching a movie. It was a school night, but every time I tried to make a move to leave, Bennett would beg for a little more time. I agreed because, honestly, I loved seeing them together.
"Ben fell asleep on the couch. I ended up sleeping in the guest room," said Poppy.
"What was the relationship like between you and Bennett? You said he was very mad, and it got heated at the game. How did he treat you once Ben went to sleep?" asked Harvey.
"I need to make something clear. Bennett has always treated me well. He would never physically hurt me. If anything, it was the opposite. He was so sweet, so kind, so Bennett. It was tough to resist him. But, remember, at this time, he was still very married. He told me that his marriage was over and that it had been for a while. He kept saying that he was coming for me as soon as he was free. It was so much like what my own father had said to my mom before her death that it spooked me. I tried to stay in the moment and not let my heart get away from me.
"The worst part was he shared with me that he was in the vetting process for vice-presidential. By this point, he had decided to forgo the vice-presidential spot for a possible cabinet position. He was going to spend the next few months stumping for Anderson. He could not afford a scandal. He explained that we had to keep Ben a secret to have any chance for an opportunity.
