Being Plumville by Savannah J. Frierson

Author:Savannah J. Frierson [Frierson, Savannah J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SJF Books LLC via Indie Author Project

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Sitting on his bed, Benjamin held the gift in his hand as if it weighed a ton. In reality, it was a small, velvet jewelry box with quarter-carat diamond earrings inside. Perhaps the gift was too extravagant, but when he saw them in the jewelry store the other day, he knew they were perfect.

She won’t accept them, his mind had told him even as he made the purchase, but Benjamin reasoned she would accept them eventually…she had the rest of their lives to do so.

His father had caught him holding the earrings earlier, only raising his eyebrows and asking, “So it’s like that?” Benjamin had nodded and replied, “Yes, it is.”

Paul Drummond’s eyes had held two expressions at Benjamin’s confession—pride and apprehension. Benjamin hoped the pride outweighed the apprehension, but he honestly didn’t know.

His father then had nodded once and continued down the stairs to go to the church to pick up his wife, leaving Benjamin as he sat now, holding the earrings, wondering if it were too soon for such a gesture. They hadn’t even defined their relationship aloud, both too afraid to do so. Vocalizing it made it official in a sense, closed the door on platonic and opened them to romance and hurt, possibly even danger. But he was in it for the long haul, and he intended to prove it.

The doorbell rang and he stuffed the velvet box in a drawer before going downstairs to answer it. Though it was Christmas Eve, for Benjamin, Christmas came a few hours early.

“Coralee!”

She gave him a small smile and held up the cake for him. “I brought this for your Mama…Merry Christmas.”

It was cloudy outside and a little cool, and she only had a worn wool coat to protect her from the elements. “Did you walk here with just that on?”

Coralee shrugged. “It’s not so bad.”

Perhaps he should’ve bought her a coat. “Well, come inside before you catch your death!”

“I just came to drop this off—”

“Please, Coralee, I haven’t seen you in days…”

Coralee frowned a little and pursed her lips, then turned to go down the steps, but Benjamin took her arm and pulled her through the front door, holding the cake with one arm while the other linked through hers. He closed the door with his foot and winked at her as they went further inside the house.

“You know the neighbors will talk—”

“Let ’em talk. If their panties are in a bunch because I let you in through the front door—”

“I’m not supposed to—”

“You’re my guest, Ceelee; that means you come through the front door.”

She said nothing after that. Benjamin told her to sit in the living room, almost pushing her on the couch, before going into the dining room and putting the cake on the table. When he returned, Benjamin found Coralee sitting on the edge, posture ramrod straight and hands clasped in her lap. Benjamin didn’t blame her, though; the living room was Florence’s place and it wasn’t the most accommodating room in the house. White lace was everywhere—from the curtains to the doilies on the tables.

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