Her heals echoed down the hallway as she marched tall and chin up high. Larry was standing there on his phone when she approached him.
"Excuse me, can anyone tell me where Benjamin Wyatt's office is?" – she said in an sweet soft tone that was almost an oxymoron to her demanding sophisticated appearance.
Tom noticed the beautiful woman and nearly pushed Larry out of the way to escort her to Ben's office.
He wasn't in his office and the lady now seemed frustrated. She kindly explained to Tom that she was the mayor of Crawfordsville and had many important things to do and this was very urgent. Not wanting to disappoint, he ran to find Leslie to see if she knew Ben's whereabouts.
Leslie knew he was going to be out for awhile and she walked down to his office to greet the woman. She took out a key to his office and walked in. Leslie asked if there was anything she could do help and explained she may want to set up an appointment because it really would be awhile.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss, I'm not here to speak with City Manager Wyatt, I'm here to speak to my lover Benjamin."
Leslie turned to her- head cocked to the side, and froze.
"Is there a problem?" The lady asked.
"lover?" she choked out barely.
"Yes, my dear, it's a very important personal matter"
"Okay, please excuse me while I go kill myself" she mumbled as she walked out of the room to cry.
Tom was still standing in the hallway.
"Whoa, what just happened les?" –Tom asked noticing her crying.
Leslie didn't say anything, but her look of sadness quickly turned to anger. Without even looking back at Tom she marched back into the office where the lady had made herself comfortable sitting at Ben's desk. She was holding Ben's wedding picture.
"Who are you, how dare you, don't touch that" she started yelling at the woman.
She looked up at Leslie and smiled.
"Hi, I'm Tina" She said in a more matching tone to her appearance.
Leslie just glared at her some more.
"May I see your ring?" She asked.
"What? No! what is going on here?" She cried.
Tina looked at her hand anyways and grinned.
"You don't seem like his type, but I recognize the ring, so it must be true."
"How dare you- get out, now, I'm calling the cops" Leslie screams as she reaches over for the phone.
At this point, Leslie is on top of the desk and Tina is literally fighting her off.
About this time, Ben is walking down the hall, his meeting had been cancelled. He hears Leslie yelling from his office and he runs in to see what is going on.
"What the hell is going on" He asks out loud to himself before he sees Leslie step back to look at him, eyes bloodshot, and the woman at his desk.
"Oh, Tina, shit, Tina? What are you, uh, Leslie, what is, wait Tina why are, shit" Ben trying to spit words out of his mouth as sweet drips down his face.
They all look at each other a little dumb founded. Ben clears his voice and walks up to Leslie.
"Can we have a moment alone"
"Of course, I was just trying to get this whore out of your office." Ben looks down.
"No, Leslie, I mean, can I have a moment alone with Tina"
Leslie's face explodes into a fountain of tears when she exits the room. Donna has now been summoned from Tom to watch what was going on.
"Do you need me to go get a shovel, you know I'll help you bury his ass" Donna says to a defeated Leslie.
"No, Donna, I need Ann, she will know what to do"
"Do you want me to drive you to Michigan"
"No Donna, but if you need me, that's where I will be, and when Ben notices I am gone, and then realizes I took his car, just do me a favor"
"You name it hun"
"Steal his wallet and phone and make him walk home"
"I may recruit April for that one"
Leslie half smiles at Donna's words then continues walking toward the parking lot.
...
"Benjamin-"
"What the hell was that all about?"
"What do you mean honey?"
"Tina- Stop, don't call me that"
"Honey, I always called you hon-"
"Tina, why was my wife so upset?"
"Oh her, yes, she might of gotten the impression that we were seeing each"
"What? Why? What the hell did you say?"
"I may of called you a former friend...or...lover"
"ex ?"
"The word ex may of not made it in the phase, who was really keeping track anyways"
"Oh my god, you told her I was your lover, and didn't throw that important little part about being ex"
She gave an opps expression. Ben turned around running out of the door cursing "oh God" down the hall towards the parks dept.
He got there to find no Leslie but a wide eyed Donna who informed him that she just skipped the state. He took off running towards the parking lot praying he might still catch her.
He stood in the empty parking spot that his car was left that morning- completely defeated. He pulled out his phone to try calling her but as soon as he hit the send button, he was tackled out of nowhere.
"Hold down his arms babe" April yelled at Andy as she was going for his cell phone and wallet.
Ben didn't even try to fight back.
Andy looked his wallet and seen some cash. He looked up and grinned ear to ear.
"Um, Leslie told us we could have any cash in your wallet, you don't care if we use this money to get some lunch do you?"
Ben walked back into the building to face Tina, too mad to even care what happened to his money.
...
Ben walked back into his office to find Tina holding his name plate, just staring at it.
"Okay, Tina, you win, you've managed to ruin my life yet again, what do you want from me?"
"Dinner"
"What? No, no way, you have something to say to me, this is as good as time as any"
"No, not here, not now. Dinner tonight"
"I said no. My wife, whom thinks I'm having an affair, is on her way to Michigan in my car, her friends stole my phone and my wallet and everyone hates me
thanks to you. No dinner"
Tina gets up, pushes him against the wall and kisses him, hard, desperately.
Ben pushes her off him, hard.
"What the hell Tina, are you trying to ruin my marriage? You broke up with me remember?"
"You want me to stop, and leave you alone, then come to dinner with me, tonight."
"and you will stop, no more games" Ben asks.
"I swear, no more games, the Italian restaurant across from my hotel embassy suites - in Eagleton at 7 sharp. Here's for a cab, I guess I owe you that." She says as she's laying some cash on his desk.
She walks out, and he just stands there rubbing his hands thru his hair.
...
Ben walks in the restaurant that night to find Tina already seated and already has ordered their food.
"How did you know I would show up?"
"When were you ever able to stay away from me?"
"Um, the past 4 years, for starters."
The waiter walked over and sat calzones down in front of them.
"I just ordered you what I wanted, I figured you could eat one for old time's sake"
"Yeah, I hate these things, they are pointless" He lied, not wanting her to know she got him hooked on them.
She leaned in to kiss him. He leaned back to avoid her- even if she looked more beautiful then he remembered.
"You realize I am being spied on right now don't you. I'm sure Leslie has friends all over this place"
"Then lets give them a show" she jumped on him this time and kissed him again.
"That's it, I'm leaving, this is over, I am not going to ruin my marriage over you."
"Benjamin, I still love you, I've always loved you."
"Tina, I moved on, I'm married now, happily. I have a life here, and I should be chasing my wife, not kissing you over dinner. I love her too much to hurt her like I am doing."
"I left you because I didn't think you would forgive me" She said, tearing up.
"What are you talking about Tina?"
"I wanted an abortion, and I knew you would never go for it, I knew you would never forgive me for choosing my mayor campaign over our baby"
"What? You were pregnant? Why didn't you tell me you had an abortion?"
"Would you have still loved and supported me"
"I don't know, but I deserved to know if I had a baby"
"That's why I'm here."
Ben sits up straight.
"I couldn't go through with it, I couldn't abort. By then, it was too late, you were gone, changed your phone number and I had no idea where you went."
"oh God, I have a baby"
"She's three, and I would like you to meet her"
"Is she here?"
"She's at the hotel with my mom, want to go there"
Ben starts shaking, knocking over the water. Tina lays some cash on the table, and they walk out of the restaurant.
Ben stops outside the door of the restaurant.
"I can see you there" Ben says loudly.
Andy, April, Tom and Donna are all sitting on the ground under a window to the restaurant with their coats covering their faces.
"No one move, maybe he will go away" April says to the gang.
Ben sighs and then starts walking across the street to the hotel following Tina. He meets Sophia, Tina's daughter. He spends almost two hours catching up with Tina. Talking about old times and filling each other in about the past few years. He is actually enjoying his time so much, that for a moment, he forgets he has a wife out somewhere, crying over him.
...
Tom pulls out his phone and looks up Tina.
"Oh man, she's like a more accomplished version of Leslie" Tom whines.
"She looks more like Ben's type too" Andy chimes in.
April hit him in the gut. "What are we going to do"
"I don't know, but this just got interesting" Donna says.
They all go sit in Donna's car and she pulls over to the hotel. They all just sit there while Ben is inside.
...
"Oh sweetie, come here" Ann says opening her arms to a very tired Leslie.
"I've done nothing but cry, I have no more tears left, I just want to crash."
"sure" Ann says as she a lays a blanket on the couch. Leslie ignores her, and walks straight into Ann and Chris's room and sprawls across their bed.
Chris who was lying in the bed, gets wide eyed and jumped out of bed.
"Leslie Knope" He says surprised. She continues to lay there lifeless. He walks into the living to ask Ann what is going on.
"Ben is having an affair" Ann whispers to him.
"That is literally unbelievable. With who?"
"The mayor of Crawfordsville, her name is Tina"
"Tina Callowhine, that's impossible."
"What you know her?"
"Yes, she broke up with him not long after they got engaged."
"Engaged? wha? How do you know it's impossible that they are having an affair now"
"I spoke to her just a couple of days ago, her brother works at Michigan University and he told her that he seen I just got hired. She called my office, she said she was wanting to talk to Ben, said she hasn't heard from him since we left four years ago and wanted to know if I knew where he was."
"And you just told her"
"I didn't see the harm, she was a wonderful woman"
"The harm is, Leslie thinks Ben's cheating on her, and now she's sleeping in our bed."
"I didn't think of that, I will call Ben"
"Yeah, you better"
"Don't bother, April has his phone anyway" Leslie says, now in the room with them.
"Leslie, are you okay?"
"I'm so stupid, why didn't I listen to my husband, I'm so dumb, when he asked me to leave, I just had to get out of there, I couldn't breathe."
"You are not stupid Leslie, just upset, like anyone would be in your shoes" -Ann says wrapping her warms around her.
"Leslie, we will straighten this out, but for tonight, you have to stay here."
"I was going to anyways." Leslie says, as she's heading toward the kitchen in search of some breakfast foods.
...
After a couple of hours, Ben walks out of the hotel room. He is more confused than ever. He just wanted to go home and curl up with Leslie, like the day never happened. He spotted Donna's benz and walked up to it.
"Hey guys, can I have a ride" He asked, desperately.
"I don't know, what you guys think?" Tom asked everyone.
"Where have you been living since you moved out?" Andy asks Ben in all seriousness.
"Please, I have no money for a cab, and Leslie's car keys are in the house which is locked." Ben whines.
"Hey, we have a spare bedroom if you need it for the night," Andy informs him.
"Yeah, I used to live there, can I please crash there tonight" Ben asks climbing in the back sit.
"I'm going to kill you in your sleep whore" April whispers to Ben as he moves in next to them.
"I'm not a whore, I wasn't cheating on Leslie, You know what, never mind. Go ahead just kill me" Ben says as if he actually means it.
They all five ride back to Pawnee in silence.
Ben walks into April and Andy's house and grabs a case of warm beer sitting on the floor that he is pretty sure he paid for anyway. He walks into his old bedroom, that is now empty, and starts drinking one after another until he finally passes out. He is awoken the next morning by April blaring everything loud she can find. He rides to work with them, in a daze.
...
"Son, I need to see you in my office" Ron said to Ben as he entered the building looking sloppy, tired, and beat. Ben sank down in a chair from Ron's desk.
"Make it quick, I started drinking some time after mid-night, I've thrown up three times this morning." Ben said sickly.
Ron pulled some jerky out of drawer, and handed it to him.
"Protein for hang overs" Ben took it and starred at it.
Ron then opened another drawer and pulled out a gun.
Ben sat up, afraid.
Holy Shit, Ron, you can't have that here,"
"You have two seconds to explain why you entered a hotel room alone with a woman who referred to you as your lover who is not Leslie last night"
Ben is now hiding down behind his chair.
"Okay, okay, please put the gun down"
"One second,"
"Okay, oh God, okay, I was not alone with her, God, I wanted to talk about this with Leslie first"
Ron just nodded for him to continue.
"She was my ex, I haven't seen her in years, I went to the hotel to meet her daughter, she said the little girl is mine. I don't know what to do."
Ron put his gun down.
"You need to talk to your wife about this"
"I know, she left before I had the chance"
"I will call her" Ron said calmly.
Ben started heading out the door, turned back to him to smile a thanks, but then vomited in the trash can.
...
Ben sits down at his desk and looks over at his phone. He starts dialing Leslie's number.
Ann picks up.
"Leslie?" He calls out hoping that maybe his mind is playing tricks on him and she just sounded like Ann.
"No, she's asleep."
"Will you please wake her up, I have to talk to her"
"She knows you didn't cheat. Chris explained everything."
"What do you mean everything?"
"That you hadn't seen that woman in years"
"Oh thank God. Why is she still there, is she coming home today?"
"Did you know Leslie doesn't sleep at night?"
"Yes, when is she coming home"
"I forgot how helpful she is, you know she took care of the baby all night. First full night of sleep Chris and I have had since the baby was born."
"That's great Ann, can I please talk to-"
"Oh gotta go, Ben, Leslie said she would come home in a few days" Ann says rushed as she hangs up the phone.
...
A few days, Ben thinks, he is just going to have to drive up there and get her himself. This is ridiculous, he did nothing wrong. He thinks to himself as he marches back to Ron's office.
"I need a favor" Ben asks Ron.
Ron completely ignores him. Ben reaches over and pulls off his head phones.
"I need you to break into my house. Right now. And I want my phone and wallet back from her" Ben says pointing to April.
Ron looks mad, but agrees, if Ben promises to never speak to him again.
...
Ron breaks their lock as if it's nothing and Ben enters the house. He thanks Ron and walks over to pick up Leslie's car keys. He starts her car and heads over to the drug store. He's desperate for some pain killers. While in the store, he notices an isle full of cheap toys and gifts. He walks down wondering to himself what a three year old might like. He finds a teddy bear. How does he write that card? 'sorry I haven't been around your entire life, here's a teddy bear' He's already a deadbeat dad before he even knew he was one. This isn't how he pictured his life.
He returns home and goes straight for the shower. He's standing there naked letting the hot water run down his back for a good ten minutes before he realizes he should probably wash his hair. He picks up Leslie's shampoo and the smell of it smells like her. He starts getting hard thinking about last time he was in that shower with her. How much he missed her. He starts touching himself, but then, he starts thinking about Tina's lips. How she tasted when she kissed him the day before. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't get that image of Tina from when they used to date just bent over in the shower as he thrusted into her out of his head. The shower was one of their favorite spots. As soon as he came he started pounding his fists against the wall. What the hell was he thinking about her for, he didn't love her anymore. The water started turning cold and he decided to try and pull himself together and return to work.
He felt better now he had showered and had clean clothes on. He started the car and looked down at the teddy bear. Before he even realized what he was doing, he was half way to Eagleton. When he arrived to the hotel, he sighted and knocked on her door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Benjamin, can I come in?" he said thru the door.
The door opened, and he walked in to find Tina standing there in nothing but a towel.
"Is Sophia here? I got her something little" Ben asked while avoiding eye contact.
"No, she was tired of being cooped up in this room, her grandma took her out for a couple of hours. They just left."
"Okay, I will just leave this here then, talk to you later."
"No, wait, I needed to talk to you, your wife called me."
"Leslie called you, my Leslie, God, what did you tell her?"
"Everything, I told her the truth Benjamin, I like her."
"What did she say?"
"She said she needed some time to process everything, but in the mean time she wanted proof. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I told her we could
do a blood test."
"I wish I could talk to her, but yeah, right, blood test, that's good. You are sure though, Sophia is mine."
"We were engaged Benjamin."
A sad look crosses his face. Tina walks over and hugs him.
"I'm sorry honey"
Ben's heart may of forgotten this hold, but his body hadn't. Without thinking, he kissed her lips like he used to. She kisses him back and starts putting her hands under his shirt. At first, he's lost in the moment, enjoying holding her and kissing her. But then her hands go down from his abs to his belt. He jumped back. "no" His stern voice startles Tina, and her towel drops to the floor.
"Please put that back on, I can't do this." Ben says as he heads for the door.
Ben gets in his car and starts heading back to work, trying to think of anything but her naked body. He sits down at Leslie's desk and tries calling her again. It
goes straight to voice mail and he tells her how sorry he was, how much he misses her, and how much he loves her.
...
He's almost ready to leave the office for the day, when his phone rings. It's Leslie. He told her everything, except the kissing parts, and she seemed very calm and almost okay with everything but wanted to spend some more time with Ann before leaving. He understood but missed her.
He called Tina to set up a time to find out if Sophia was in fact his daughter and what this meant for them. Tina informs him, she had already scheduled an appt. for the next morning.
...
Ben showed up the medical center feeling more nervous than he had ever in his life. He felt dirty and wrong for ever having to do something like this. The nurse informed him they should call with the results later that day or the next morning. He was done, Tina asked if he wanted to join her and Sophia for lunch. At first he turned them down, but then little Sophia looked up at him with the sweetest big brown eyes and said "please." There was no way he could let down that little face. They ate lunch and then went to the park to play with Sophia at her request. When he realized what time it was, he told them he needed to go to work. Sophia then announced she has made him something but it was back at the hotel. Ben didn't want to go back to the hotel, but he figured it would be fine if Sophia and Tina's mother were both there. Sophia asked Ben to carry her up to the room, and before they even made it here, she fell asleep in his arms. He laid her down on the bed next to the door and pulled a blanket over her shoulders. She looked so peaceful, like a tiny beautiful innocent version of her mother. Her mother smiling at the sleeping girl never looked more beautiful to him. He looked over at note on the mirror, 'Tina, went to the mall, be back before dinner' He walked over to hug Tina goodbye, but the hug lingered. This time, the hug felt like all the anger he once had for this woman slowly slipped away and the love they once shared slowly replaced the hurt.
"Don't go" Tina whispered in his ear.
"I'm married" Ben said loudly. She covered his mouth looking over at the sleeping girl.
"Sorry, I have to leave," he said quietly.
"I love you Benjamin, don't go, just yet" She said begging in his ear.
He grabbed her tight. Deep down, he still loved her, he knew he always would but he loved Leslie more and couldn't stand the thought of hurting her more than he had already.
She knelt down, and unbuttoned his pants before he could even realize what she was doing.
"Stop, Tina, what are you doing?"
He stepped backwards to get away but fell down into the chair.
"Just relax Benjamin" she said. He looked over to check to see if Sophia was still asleep. She was. He closed his eyes, knowing this was all wrong, but the warmth of her mouth on him was just too good to stop just yet.
She started licking his balls, and then started kissing him again. She then started licking the vein on his penis, and circling around the top, just to tease him.
"Okay Tina, just suck me please, this is torment." He said desperately, not wanting her to stop but at the same time wanting it to be over.
She smiled, and looked down at his penis throbbing for attention.
"Fuck me Benjamin, like you used to." She cried in his ear.
"I can't Tina, I don't love you anymore." He said standing up. He was trying to pull his pants up but it was very uncomfortable with his erection.
She took off her clothes, and asked him again to fuck her- grabbing his hands and sucking on his finger tips.
"No, Tina, I have no to go," He said, but still standing there with her kissing his hands. She then took his hand down her body and slid his middle finger into her. She moaned a little in his ear. He sighed, knowing this was going to cost him everything. She pulled him by the tie down on the empty bed next to the bed Sophia was asleep on. They crawled under the blankets so if she woke up she wouldn't be able to see anything. He fucked her, eyes closed, no kissing, no love, just pounding into her until she let out a moan and finally relaxing. It was then he was able to get really deep and let out all of his frustration out. She cursed a little under her breath. He got up and started zip up his pants, looked back at her breasts, thinking this may be the last time he ever sees any ever again. They looked perfect too. He kissed her nipple, then her neck, and she kissed his lips softly. He put on his tan coat, softly saying goodbye to the napping toddler and walked out of the hotel.
He pulled into City Hall's parking lot and in his parking spot sat his car. He was shocked and surprised Leslie was back. He pulled Leslie's car into an empty spot and sat and debated if he should go in or go home and shower first. He decided to go ahead in. He missed her and felt like shit.
Her blonde hair glowed in the sun light that came in from the window as she sat at her desk. She looked like an angel, how could he be so blind. He just fucked things over with the most perfect woman in the world for some whore that broke his heart years ago. If Ron killed him, it was because he deserved it.
He ran up to her and kissed her like he may never get the chance to ever again. She smiled wildly, running her fingers thru his hair, until she stopped and noticed the lipstick on his neck.
She pushed him off her quickly, and started stomping off.
"Leslie, stop," He cried after her.
"That's not my shade of lipstick on you" She yelled back.
Ben now realized he should of showered first when he looked over at Ron pulling a gun out of his desk.
He stopped.
"I fucked up Leslie, I cheated, I'm a man whore and everything else you want to call me," Leslie stopped and looked back at him.
"Go ahead, let Ron kill me here, I don't deserve to share the same air as you, and frankly, if I can't live with you, life isn't worth living"
Leslie just stood there looking at him confused.
Larry walks into the Leslie's office.
"Hey Leslie, good to see you" He says cheerfully.
"Not now Larry" both Ben and Leslie say at the same time.
"Okay, but a lady name Tina called, said she got the results, and your off the hook, the blood didn't match"
"What, what you do mean they didn't match. She would of had to of cheated on me." Ben says confused. Everyone else still was staring at him.
Ben falls down into the chair across from Leslie's desk.
Ron walks in.
"Choose your words carefully" Ron says, looking down at him.
Leslie looks up at everyone now crowed around her office.
"Can I please have a moment alone with Ben?" She asks everyone.
Ben's stomach is doing flips, as everyone starts backing away.
He looks at her and with shame in his voice, he says,
"I shouldn't have done it, I knew better, I didn't enjoy it, and all I could think about was how much I was hurting you."
"Tell me, did you sleep with her?"
"She kept manipulating me, I finally just closed my eyes and fucked her because I had it so twisted in my head I thought that's what it took to just make it all stop. I know that sounds like bull shit, but it's the truth."
Leslie didn't say anything.
"Are you going back to Michigan now?" he asked.
"Did you give me the same ring you gave her?"
"Oh God no, I swear"
"Ben, I'm not going back to Michigan, I am going home with you, and then we are going to get professional help, together."
Ben knew he had lost all trust he had ever had with this woman, but he felt like the luckiest man in the world if he could spend the rest of his life trying to get it back.
He leaned over to kiss her.
"Don't even think about"
He knotted his head and walked out.
The next morning, he sat down at his desk and there was a note.
'Sorry to fuck with your life and for cheating on you. As a woman, you have to lay in a lot of beds to get to the top, that's the ugly side of politics. For the record, you would have made a great dad. Love, Tina'
He wadded the note up and tossed it in the trash can as Leslie walked in.
"What do you think of me running for Mayor?" she asked.
He looked down at his desk, "I think it's an awful idea, but I love you and will always support you."
She smiled and left on her way.