To Love And Trust
Written by: Juana
Story summary: Eli finds out about Felicity and Ben. Felicity finds out about Ben’s work secret and begins to deal with the possible repercussions of him working in a place like that. It’s all about what we put up with for the love of a good man.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in my story. They belong to the brilliant writers and creators of the hit WB show.
FELICITY: (VO to Sally) Dear Sally…talk about your awkward moments! I was half-naked when Eli walked out of his room….and fully panicked!
ELI WALKS A LITTLE CLOSER TO BEN WHO IS NOW ATTEMPTING TO BLOCK FELICITY FROM HIS VIEW. FELICITY IS STRUGGLING WITH HER SHIRT TRYING TO GET IT BACK OVER HER HEAD.
ELI: (to Ben) Hey I thought that was you. I have like fifty messages for you from…(notices Ben is not alone and gets embarrassed) Oh geez…I’m sorry…I didn’t realize…whoa…I’ll just give these to you later.
ELI STARTS TO WALK AWAY BUT TURNS BACK AROUND AS FELICITY WHO IS STILL STRUGGLING BEHIND BEN LOSES HER BALANCE AND SLIPS DOWN THE FEW STEPS TO THE BOTTOM…FULLY INTO ELI’S VIEW.
FELICITY: (as she hits bottom floor) Ouch.
ELI: Felicity? (looks from Ben to Felicity and back to Ben)
FELICITY: (VO to Sally) It was awful Sally…just awful. I mean when you start a relationship pretty much fresh off another one… where feelings are still raw…you know eventually you’ll have to clue your ex in…but somehow I think there had to be an easier…less painful way.
ELI: What’s going on here?
BEN: That’s an excellent question…one that’s not that easy to answer.
ELI: (hurt) Are you two dating?
BEN: Okay…maybe it wasn’t that difficult.
FELICITY: Um…(stands up) Yes…we are.
ELI: You and Ben? What is it with you two?
FELICITY: Eli I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to find out like this. I know this is awkward.
ELI: Complete understatement…this is beyond awkward…this is torture.
BEN: Eli…man I’m…
ELI: Save it Ben…cause if you say you’re sorry…I’m gonna puke.
BEN: Okay.
FELICITY: Ben and I haven’t done anything wrong here Eli…you and I were already broken up.
ELI: For what like a day?
FELICITY: You knew how I felt about Ben.
ELI: Yeah, me and the entire free world…it’s not exactly a secret…the funny thing is I thought you felt something pretty deep for me too…apparently I was delusional.
FELICITY: Eli…what we had was…(realizing Ben is still there)
ELI: Was what?
FELICITY: (uncomfortable) I’m sorry…I really am…but you need to know that it’s always gonna be Ben for me…as long as I’m following my heart.
ELI: Yeah…that’s a lesson well learned…believe me. Next time my instinct tells me someone is trouble…I will definitely listen.
FELICITY: I know this is probably the wrong thing to say right now but…
ELI: If this is the “Can we just be friends speech”…just don’t…because I’m not exactly in a moving forward mood here.
ELI STARTS TO WALK AWAY. FELICITY STARTS TO GO AFTER HIM, BUT BEN HANGS ON TO HER ARM AND STOPS HER.
BEN: Let him go Felicity.
FELICITY: But he’s upset…shouldn’t I try and talk to him?
BEN: No…believe me I know where he’s coming from right now…and the only thing he wants to hear you say is that you can get things back to where they were. He’s not ready for anything else…just give it some time.
FELICITY: All right…if you’re sure.
BEN: (taking Felicity into his arms) I’m sure.
CUT TO:
DEAN AND DELUCA. FELICITY IS WORKING BEHIND THE COUNTER. JULIE COMES IN.
JULIE: Hey.
FELICITY: Hi. What can I get you?
JULIE: A mocha…and some friendly advice.
FELICITY: Okay. (goes over and starts preparing mocha)
JULIE: It’s just that well you know the horrible luck I’ve had with guys…first Zack and now Tate.
FELICITY: Uh huh.
JULIE: My history pretty much screams…stay celibate.
FELICITY: (hands Julie the mocha) And you want to know if I think you should stay celibate?
JULIE: Sort of…I want to know if you think I should let Ben set me up on that blind date.
FELICITY: (surprised) Ben wants to set you up on a blind date?
JULIE: Oh…I thought you knew…yeah…he said he has this friend that I might like.
FELICITY: Did he say what friend?
JULIE: Someone from his work…a guy named Lyn.
FELICITY: Oh.
JULIE: I don’t like the way you said that. Do you know him? Is he like this total dweeb that I’ll run screaming from?
FELICITY: I don’t know.
JULIE: You’ve never met him? Or you don’t know if he’s a dweeb?
FELICITY: Either.
FELICITY: (VO to Sally) It was at that moment Sally, I realized not only did I not know Lyn…a person Ben obviously liked enough to set Julie up with…but I had no idea where Ben was working at. In the entire three months we spent together…I don’t remember him ever once bringing it up…this struck me as odd…and all the sudden that feeling of a bad omen…which I still don’t believe in…settled in.
CUT TO: BEN’S LOFT-NIGHT
FELICITY AND BEN ARE SITTING IN THE LIVING ROOM AREA OF THE LOFT. DOING SCHOOL WORK.
FELICITY: So Julie tells me you're trying to set her up on a blind date.
BEN: Yeah.
FELICITY: With someone named Lyn?
BEN: Uh huh. (still reading his book)
FELICITY: How come I’ve never met Lyn?
BEN: (starting to get uncomfortable) Um…we work together…and you will get to cause we’re doing the double date thing so Julie will be more comfortable.
FELICITY: Where?
BEN: I don’t think we’ve decided yet.
FELICITY: No…I mean where do you work?
DOORBELL RINGS.
BEN JUMPS OFF THE COUCH AND GOES TO GET IT. IT IS SEAN STRUGGLING WITH A HUGE LOAD OF BAGS.
BEN: Hey…let me help you there.
SEAN: Thanks. I couldn’t find my keys. (walking into loft) Felicity hey…come see my new project.
FELICITY: Ok (gets up off of couch)
SEAN STARTS UNPACKING TOLIET SEATS WITH CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON THEM.
FELICITY: (laughs) Wha…what are they?
SEAN: Toilet seats.
FELICITY: Yeah…that much I know.
SEAN: Oh…they’re a woman’s dream… I did a street survey…”What annoys you most about your man?” The response was unanimous.
BEN: And that was?
SEAN: His inability to put the toilet seat down.
FELICITY: (sarcastic) Oh yeah…that would have been my number one answer too.
SEAN: No listen this is great…it will save women years of wet backsides.
FELICITY: Excuse me?
SEAN: You know…it’s late night you walk in to…well you know…what’s the first thing you do?
FELICITY: Turn on the light?
SEAN: You only think that’s what you do. My research has shown that over 56% of woman…go in and sit down in the dark…so presto…(motions towards toilet seat) the “Twinkle Seat.”
BOTH BEN AND FELICITY BUST OUT LAUGHING.
BEN: The Twinkle Seat? Don’t you think that sounds a little like…never mind. Great idea Sean…I’m sure in no time you’ll be the first millionaire Commode King.
FELICITY: Or the Prince of the Potties.
BEN: Or the Duke of the Dumper…
SEAN: Okay…that’s enough…I try to share my wisdom with you…and you scoff…my genius is obviously unappreciated in this house.
BEN: Pretty sure it’s not just the house.
BEN AND FELICITY WALK BACK OVER TO THE COUCH AND SIT DOWN.
SEAN: Oh by the way…Tiffany has left like a pad full of messages for you.
BEN: (uncomfortable) Okay.
FELICITY: Tiffany?
SEAN WALKS OVER.
SEAN: Yeah…it’s no big deal…don’t get all crazed… They work together.
FELICITY: ( shocked) What?
BEN: Thanks Sean…now go be a big help elsewhere.
FELICITY: You work with Tiffany?
SEAN: Oh…she didn’t know…you probably should have told her.
BEN: Yeah…point taken…don’t you have somewhere you really need to be?
SEAN: My presence is not wanted…I get it.
SEAN WALKS INTO HIS ROOM. BEN TURNS TO FELICITY ON THE COUCH.
BEN: I was going to tell you…I swear.
FELICITY: When?
BEN: Soon…I was working up to it.
FELICITY: Ok…though I think keeping the fact from me that you’re working with Tiffany is bad…I can’t help but feel like maybe there’s more to this story…something you're not telling me.
BEN: It’s just a really good paying job…and you know how I needed the money.
FELICITY: Yes. I do.
BEN: So I mean that’s why I took it…the money. It had nothing to do with Tiffany…I promise you.
FELICITY: Where do you work Ben? Cause honestly there’s not a whole lot of professions I would have thought Tiffany could make money at…and the one’s I thought she could…well most of those were illegal.
BEN: Okay…this is probably gonna sound bad…at first…but just keep an open mind…okay?
FELICITY: (hesitant) Okay…I’ll try.
BEN: I work as a bouncer at “The Lucky Lady”
FELICITY: I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it? Is it a bar?
BEN: Sort of.
FELICITY: It’s sort of a bar…how can something be sort of a bar?
BEN: We serve drinks.
FELICITY: It’s sort of a bar, you serve drinks and it requires a bouncer…add in that Tiffany can make a lot of money there and…oh my god…no.
BEN: What?
FELICITY: (complete shock) You work at a strip club?
BEN: Um…yes.
FELICITY: (VO to Sally) A strip club! I didn’t know what to think…I mean as we talked and he tried to make me comfortable about it…just more things would pop into my mind and become an issue.
FELICITY: So are…I mean are these woman fully…naked? Is Tiffany?
BEN: No…they’re…we’ll they’re topless.
FELICITY: Topless…as in nothing on top? And I’m suppose to be okay with this?
BEN: I don’t know…I’d hoped you would be.
FELICITY: Yeah…I’m sure you did.
BEN: It’s just a job Felicity.
FELICITY: Yeah I know…every teenage boys dream job. God no wonder you’re so horny when you get home from work…and I was stupid enough to think it was because of me…double duh.
BEN: It is you Felicity…please lets not turn this into an argument about something it isn’t. I am completely attracted to you physically.
FELICITY: And the girls at your work…are you attracted to them…and how about Tiffany?
BEN: You don’t have to be so insecure.
FELICITY: And you don’t have to avoid the question.
BEN: Fine…(pause) Yes there are some attractive girls at my work. Am I attracted to them? Does it matter? It’s not like I’m out looking for anyone…I have you…and I’m happy and completely satisfied.
FELICITY: You're forgetting something.
BEN: What?
FELICITY: You're eighteen…in your sexual prime…it’s like working in the land of the forbidden fruit…sooner or later…temptation will strike. Count on it.
BEN: You're being paranoid. I’m in love with you.
FELICITY: Great…just great.
BEN: Okay that’s suppose to be a good thing.
FELICITY: It’s a well known fact men who are in committed relationships are always deemed more attractive to the single woman.
BEN: Really?
FELICITY: Yes…really.
BEN: Well I’m sorry…but they’ll just have to understand that I’m taken. (hugs Felicity)
FELICITY: Don’t…don’t be cute right now…I’m so not happy with you right now…and it just makes it harder to be angry.
BEN: (backs away) Sorry.
FELICITY: I need for you to tell me that this is gonna be all right.
BEN: It will. I promise. So you’re okay with this then?
FELICITY: Hell no. But I realize it’s a part of your life…a life I have no intention of leaving…so
BEN: (brings Felicity into his arms) You’re the best.
FELICITY: Yeah…and hopefully not the stupidest girl on the face of the earth…(looks at Ben) Please don’t ever make me sorry I trusted you.
BEN: I won’t.
BEN AND FELICITY START KISSING ON THE COUCH.
SALLY: (VO to Felicity) Dear Felicity….a strip club at eighteen? It seems risky, but I know you’ve made the decision to trust that he will *behave* The fact that it’s no longer a secret is a plus…make him understand that secrets tend to lead to only bad things. As for Tiffany…yes I remember her…Blonde…body of a playboy bunny…brains of a tic tac. She is completely out of your league and from everything you’ve told me about Ben…very much not his type anymore. My suggestion…visit his work…let people know he is *not available* in a sweet and subtle way. And as long as his actions back up your words…people will respect you and your relationship. At least that’s my theory.