Nervous

"Mhmm, this is delicious." said Michael to himself as he sampled some hors d'oeuvres laid on the buffet table that was filled with several assortments of dishes ranging from chicken, to fish to beef, to vegetarian with some rice and other food items. If there was one thing he was excited about for this party it would be the food.

Lulu really pulled out all stops by hiring one of the best caterers in the city and all her hard work and budgeting really paid off.

"Ahh Benjamin, I was looking for you." said Michael as he saw Benjamin walking past him.

"What is it?" asked Benjamin as he stopped in front of Michael.

"I just checked with the caterers to make sure that there are allergy warning cards placed in front of the dishes, so did you check with the valet yet?" asked Michael as he ate another hors d'oeuvre.

"Yes, I did, and they have agreed to park the cars by importance on the invitations and guest lists." said Benjamin.

"How do you mean?" asked Michael in confusion.

"I mean that your family's cars will be packed in the same row including yours, followed by close family friends and special guests in the next, followed by employees of the company and then the press, and so on and so forth." explained Benjamin.

"Ahh I see, well alright then, good job, but I need a favour from you." said Michael as the once scanty hall was starting to be filled with guests that were arriving.

"Sure, what is it?" asked Benjamin.

"I need you to go talk to Lulu, she's acting crazy and she's letting her perfectionist nature take over and stop her from enjoying the event she worked so hard to plan." said Michael.

"I get that, but what does that have to do with me?" asked Benjamin in confusion.

"Well I need you to be the one to talk to her, she's not listening to any of us and she seems to listen to you a lot, so please do me that favour and I will owe you one." said Michael as he pleaded with a smile.

"*Sigh*, Fine okay, I'll go talk to her, but don't expect any progress, she's as stubborn as a goat." said Benjamin with a sigh.

"Tell me about it, but I'm sure that you'll have more luck than we did." said Michael as she smiled, since Lulu had reprimanded him and accused him of not being a supportive brother, so he wondered what she would accuse Benjamin of.

"Well good luck." said Michael as he smiled.

"Thanks and please stop eating before the event begins, Louise won't like that at all." said Benjamin as Michael smiled sheepishly, he could not help it, all the food was good.

Benjamin sighed as he went on his mission to find and convince Lulu, as if that was possible at all, he just needed to hope for all the luck he had, or else he would have to deal with times ten of Lulu's bossy nature.

"Louise can you get out here, what in the world are you still doing in there anyway?" asked Benjamin as he knocked on the door to where the extra decorations were kept.

"I am arranging the decorations in order just in case something happens and we need to add some more." she replied as Benjamin sighed.

"I don't think that would ever happen." said Benjamin.

"Oh you can never know, anything can happen Ben." she replied.

"Really?" he asked as he shook his head.

"Yes." she replied.

"Because that's not what I think you're doing. If you ask me, it looks like you are just hiding yourself in here intentionally." he said as there was silence causing him to move forward and opened the door as Lulu was standing right there.

"Well what if I am?" she replied.

"I only have one questions and that is why." he said.

"Well I'm very nervous okay!! I spent so much time on this and I don't want it to fail... I am so under pressure right now." admitted Lulu.

"Now, that's where I don't get you. It's alright to feel nervous, but no one is putting pressure on you, you're the only one that's putting pressure on yourself." said Benjamin as Lulu sighed.

"I know... but you don't get it Ben it's... I spent so much time on this I... I... *sigh*, I guess that it's just hard to explain how I feel." said Lulu as she sighed.

"I get how you feel and you shouldn't feel that way. Instead of putting unnecessary pressure on yourself look at how far this project has come from a thought to actual manifestation." said Benjamin.

"You worked so hard on this and everything has come together nicely, if anything you should be proud." said Benjamin as he took a step forward.

"You are allowed to feel nervous. But don't that nervousness overshadow you enjoying your hard work." said Benjamin as he instinctively held her hand in his causing her to look at him.

"You worked so hard and you deserve to enjoy the fruit of your hard work Louise. So be the strong, bold Louise and stop hiding in this room with a really lame excuse." said Benjamin as Lulu scoffed.

"Alright, alright fine, you're right, thank you Ben, you're a very good friend." she said as she smiled and gave him a quick hug.

"Don't mention it now please let go of me." he said as Lulu looked at him and broke their hug.

"What's wrong?" she asked him as they stepped out of the room and she closed the door behind them.

"Nothing's wrong." he replied.

"Don't you dare try to lie to me Ben, I know you very well and there's something bothering you, upsetting you even, tell me what it is." she said.

"If you really care to know I don't like the fact that you bought me this suit." said Benjamin in annoyance.

"Oh is that it?" asked Lulu as she laughed.

"I'm being serious Louise, I don't like this kind of gesture, are you trying to say that I don't have enough money to but my own suit or what? Because I do." he said.

"Hey, hey, hey, chill out Ben, no one ever said that. I don't think that you don't have enough money to buy yourself a suit, gosh where did you get such an insulting idea from? Get it out of your head please." she said.

"And anyway, the only reason I bought you a suit is because I knew very well that you wouldn't do as I asked and buy a suit that isn't black or grey, and you have to admit that blue looks good on you, you look really handsome." said Lulu with a click of her tongue in approval while she looked at Benjamin up and down.

"Stop it Louise, flattery won't make me dislike it less." said Benjamin.

"I'm not flattering you Mr. I'm being serious, you're really handsome once you stop dressing like someone who's going to a funeral every single day." she said as Benjamin frowned.

"Besides, you're so mean, I just complimented you and you haven't said a single nice word to me about how I look." she said with a frown.

"Anyway, you are keeping the suit, it wasn't expensive at all and learn to add some colour to your wardrobe." said Lulu.

"Well I can't accept it, I'm going to return it right after the party." said Benjamin.

"Well you better learn to accept it because I'm not taking it back." she replied.

"Look, just consider it a thank you gift for helping me each step of the way and for being a very good personal assistant and also for saving my life." said Lulu.

"You know what Ben, you deserve this gift and more, you're such a good guy, I only hope that you wouldn't be so hard and tough on yourself all the time." said Lulu as she tapped his right cheek and shook her head.

"Anyway, you're right, we should get out there and start welcoming the guests, see you around." she said with a smile.

"There is no 'we' here Louise, only you." said Benjamin as she walked away.

"That's not true oh dear personal assistant of mine." she replied as she laughed when she saw her mother and father and grandfather had just arrived as she ran to them to greet them.

"Oh good lord, why am I still entangled with her?" Benjamin asked himself with a sigh as he walked to the buffet table.

It was going to be a long night, he might as well drown his annoyances in food.

"Hehe, look who's joined the buffet train group?" asked Michael happily with a loud chuckle as his mouth as stuffed.

"Benji, nice seeing you here as well, have you tried the chicken yet? It's simply divine." said Charlie as his mouth was also stuffed and he kept on eating.

Benjamin just shook his head as he wondered why he had joined himself with these two while he also tried some of the chicken and it truly was divine.