Started with a chat 13

~Chapter thirteen~  After having had breakfast and tried out some of Meg’s muffins Ben had finally convinced Meg that she would come with him to his aunt’s. He had even talked her into brining some of the delicious cakes. Ben had left soon after 11 to get back to Surf Central to shower and change and pick some papers up. He wanted to run the divorce papers by Gregory to be 100% sure that it was all done. As promised he came to pick Meg up at quarter to one, it took about five minutes to drive over to the Richard’s house. Meg had put samples of all three kinds of muffins she had made on a plate and in a drawer found a ribbon she could tie around it when she had covered them all in plastic foil. Meg’s hands were shaking in her lap as she sat in the car “Are you sure I’m dressed ok?” she asked for the third time since Ben had picked her up “You look great Meg, don’t you worry and believe me those muffins will be a success” Ben drove around a fountain in the main yard and parked the car. Quickly he went around the car and opened the door for Meg. Before she took the plate back from Ben she ran her hands down her dress to smooth it out. They walked up to the door and Ben rang the bell, then he put his hand on the small of Meg’s back for support. It was Olivia herself that opened, still in the apron as she wasn’t done in the kitchen. “Hi you two, come on in” Olivia said with a smile “I’m so glad Ben brought you over Meg” she looked at Meg “It is ok I call you just Meg” Meg nodded and put the plate forward “I baked some muffins” Olivia hugged her “Bless you Meg, you’re send from heaven. I love to cook but I hate to bake, we can have these with the coffee later on” “Come on, let’s get you both something to drink” he lead the way into the big sitting room “There you are” she said to a man in his late 50’s “Ben and Meg are here, can you get them something to drink” “Sure” he kissed her on the cheek “You want a scotch Ben?” he asked and Ben nodded, he still had a hand on Meg’s back “I’d like to introduce you to Meg Gregory” Ben then looked at Meg “This is Olivia’s husband Gregory, the best lawyer and mentor in Sunset Beach” Gregory extended his hand to Meg “It’s nice to meet you Meg, was it you that had baked” he was referring to the plate that Olivia now had brought to the kitchen. “Nice to meet you too, and yes I did bake the muffins” she said “So Meg, what can I get you to drink, I’ve got” he shrugged his shoulders “I guess everything” still feeling a bit nervous and shaky Meg decided on just a glass of sparkling water.

A few minutes later a young woman and man came into the room. The woman rushed over and hugged Ben “Ben I’ve missed you. I was so sorry to hear about you and Maria” it was his cousin Caitlin. The guys then hugged in a manly way. ”Sean, Caitlin” Ben said and reached for Meg “I like you to meet Meg Cummings” Caitlin who always liked people until they proved themselves not to be likable hugged Meg “It’s so nice to see you. Mom told me about you over breakfast” “It’s nice to meet you too Caitlin” Meg said. She then shook hands with Sean. Ben had been right the Richard’s wasn’t bad at all. Meg and Caitlin soon found a subject to talk about and before she knew it Olivia came out of the kitchen and announce that dinner was ready and they could all come into the dining room. As a perfect gentleman Ben pulled the chair out for Meg and then sat down next to her. On the end of the table on Ben’s side Gregory was seated and Olivia opposite him. Straight across Meg was Caitlin which left Sean across from Ben. Thinking about it, it was one end of the guys and one for the girls. The lunch was delicious and a very pleasant get-together. Meg was so into a conversation with Olivia and Caitlin that she almost didn’t notice that Ben had out a hand on her thigh in support. Just as Olivia with the help of Sean and Caitlin had cleared the table the doorbell rang. Gregory went to open it. Ben turned towards Meg “It wasn’t so bad after all was it?” he leant over and kissed her cheek “No it wasn’t and I’m happy you talked me into it” Meg smiled at him. Gregory came back with the guest who had been at the door. Ben looked up “Hi Bette” he stood up to greet her. The woman called Bette kissed Ben on both cheeks and then cheekily smack on the lips “Hi Big Guy, long time no see” Ben laughed “Can it be because you took Emily on that trip” Ben teased her “Of course it is” Bette said. Gregory stepped in “Bette, this is Meg Cummings, Ben’s…” Gregory looked at his ‘nephew’ “What is Meg to you?” “Greggie, Greggie” Bette said “It’s obviously what these too mean to each other” Bette hugged and kissed Meg’s cheek “It’s very nice to meet you Meg. The woman that put a smile back on Big Guy’s face” Ben wasn’t even surprised that Bette knew everything, it wasn’t for nothing she was called ‘Queen of the night’ and she had her own gossip column in the Sunset Sentinel. Olivia came back into the dining room with a tray with coffee cups and Meg’s muffins. “I thought I heard your voice, when did you sweep back into town Bette” The both women hugged “Did you bring Emily?” Olivia asked “No, I dropped her off at college on the way back home. I just got back in this morning” she answered “Well you’re just in time for coffee” Olivia started to set the cups out “And you’ve baked?” Bette looked strangely at her friend “Not at all Bette, you know I’m a total waste when it comes to baking, no it’s Meg who was nice and brought them” They all sat down to have coffee and Meg found out how lively Bette was, she also found out that Bette, Olivia and Elaine had been friends for ages. All since Olivia had come to California a long time ago. Bette took a bite from her chocolate mint muffin and rolled her eyes “These are just delicious, are you sure you made them yourself?” she asked Meg “Yes, from scratch, it’s my mom’s old recipe” Meg said. Bette looked at Ben “You keep this one and get her baking for the Java Web” she said and winked an eye at Meg at the same time. “Then I never get to see her” Ben said. “You have to ask her to move into the house with you then” Gregory who usually didn’t gossip blurted. “A house what’s this Big Guy” Bette said “Oh don’t you tell me it’s you that’s moving in next door to my place?” she looked at Ben who knew exactly what she was talking about “Here I go away for three weeks and all this happens” she looked at Meg “And if I wasn’t wrongly informed you even went home to Kansas for two of those weeks” she shook her head “What a column” “Please Bette” Ben looked at her but Bette just put her head on the side “Ben, isn’t it better I write the story and get it right?” Ben knew it was the truth, Bette was after all Annie’s aunt and he knew that she would write the story in a good way.

The next morning you could read in the gossip column in the Sunset Sentinel “Yours truly, the Queen of the night, has been on vacation, but don’t you fret the town of Sunset Beach never sleeps. About month ago it was found out that the artist and the young businessman wasn’t going to live together anymore. The artist had been painting in someone else’s garden. The businessman didn’t take this lightly and moved out of their home. The divorce was easy and quick and everyone was now free to do as pleased” Bette had been pleased with her opening “A week or so later a plane from Kansas landed in L.A, onboard was the woman who had found her fiancé making promises to the other woman on what was to be their wedding day. She found her way to Sunset Beach and woops, the businessman needed a new waitress and the woman who was supposed to have been on her honey moon started working. But all fun must come to an end the work back home was waiting. First thing on her agenda at home was to quit” It wasn’t so easy to write about a person she didn’t know, but she knew she would get to know Meg, that woman was here to stay. “So what about the rest of town, well it’s been the annual obstacle course on the beach with following party at the Deep for our finest and who did finally get it together but my lovely niece and one of the mentioned finest” Bette always wrote her column without mentioning the names, that came in the end “So to sum this up Maria Torres Evans is now just Maria Torres and the house she shared with her ex-husband she now shares with her best friend Annie Douglas but for how long as she’s seen to it that officer Oscar Ruiz is of the market for the rest of us” Bette now only had the end to write “So for our young businessman Ben Evans , what happened to him. Well he bought himself a new house that he’s renovating and who knows if our newest member of Sunset Beach will move in with him there. Meg ‘Muffin’ Cummings the best cupcake baking Kansas girl ever has certainly made a great first impression on us all. Until next week, Toodles!” ___________________________________________________________________________
All connections to Sunset Beach and real life characters are purely for your pleasure. ©tinadolphin@comhem.se 2012-