A Shepherd in France Ch. 02

But before Arsene could swing it again Ben leapt forward and plowed his fist into the man's bulbous nose. The impact took the heavy man right off his feet and he fell onto his back with a loud thump. Ben staggered and went down on one knee as reaction set in from the blow to his head. Arsene rolled over and scrambled out the door on hands and knees cutting himself on the broken glass in his haste. Blood was gushing from his flattened nose. He pushed himself up and hobbled away as quickly as he could.

Ben watched him go. He pushed himself to his feet then turned to Richard. "Did you get that?"

The man with the phone was wide eyed and shaking. He nodded and handed the phone back to Ben who saved the movie. He sent a copy to his online storage immediately.

While he was working on the phone Richard stepped closer. "You're bleeding!"

"What?" Ben asked.

"Your scalp. It's bleeding!" he explained.

"Badly?"

Richard looked closer. He pulled his phone from his pocket and made a quick call. He spoke rapid French to someone and hung up. "Henry is on his way with his suture kit. He was a doctor before he retired. Let's get that cleaned up."

"We have to let Stephanie know we're ok," Ben said.

"Right. You go sit in the kitchen while I get Stephanie," Richard instructed and Ben did as he was told. There was a small table for three against one wall and he pulled out a chair and noticed he had blood dripping down his chest. Probably from his scalp wound.

He heard an odd warbling sound and realized it was probably the police. Faster than he expected but that was a good thing.

Richard stepped back into the kitchen with Stephanie holding his arm.

"Ben?" she called out.

"Here."

She turned towards the sound of his voice and approached.

"Careful, I'm kinda covered in blood," he warned. She stopped and gasped.

"Arsene's?" she asked.

"No, mine. He clocked me on the head with his walking stick and cut me. Scalp wounds tend to bleed a lot," he explained calmly.

"Arsene's blood is all over your front hallway. Ben crushed the man's nose. I swear there was nothing left of it! I've never seen anyone get hit that hard!" Richard gushed.

"POLICE!" shouted a voice from the back door.

"In the kitchen to your left!" Stephanie called out.

The door opened and two men in uniforms came in and took one look at Ben and started shouting at him in French. Richard started barking back at them and they stopped to look at the man. The kitchen door pushed open once more and another well-dressed man carrying a doctor's bag stepped in.

"Ah! Henry, your patient is here!" Richard said pointing to Ben. Richard then spoke to the police in French and gave them his statement.

Ben looked up at the man standing before him. He looked like a blond version of Richard. Maybe just a little older. "Hello."

The man nodded and went into doctor mode. He moved to the sink and got some clean dishcloths. He filled a large bowl with water and brought it back to the kitchen table. He cleaned the wound and pursed his lips.

"Monsieur, you will need four stitches. I do not have any pain killers," Henry said apologetically.

"It's ok, go ahead," Ben said wearily.

Henry nodded briskly and efficiently began to stitch the wound closed. Ben gritted his teeth as the needle passed through his flesh but Henry was quick and it was soon over. He patted Ben's shoulder with a smile to indicate he was done.

"Thank you," Ben said.

"The police would like your statement," Richard said.

Instead Ben queued the video on his phone and played it for the police who watched wide eyed. When it was over one of the officers left to see the scene and returned with the walking stick in his hand. They spoke to Richard and Henry and the former looked over at Ben.

"They would like to take your phone as evidence. I told them this was not possible. Will you send them the file?" he asked.

"Of course. Just get the address and I'll send it," Ben said.

Henry wrote it down on a notepad he found on the counter. The police said something about 'Dumond' then left.

"They will now go to arrest Arsene. There is a clear case of break and entering as well as assault. The video is very convincing." Henry showed Ben the address and he emailed a link to the online version of the file to it.

Ben sat back and rested his throbbing head against the wall. Henry finally got a good look at his chest.

"You have been a soldier?" he asked Ben.

Ben looked at him in surprise and chuckled. He shook his head no. He looked to Richard to explain and the man did in French. Henry's eyes widened in surprise.

"He is a hero!" Henry said and Ben glared sharply at him then calmed himself.

"I see you do not like to be called that," Henry said quietly.

"My apologies but no," Ben replied.

Henry looked at Richard with raised eyebrows.

"He is the subject of your next piece?" he asked. Richard nodded quickly. "Good," he said and Richard smiled and gave him a kiss. They glanced nervously at Ben but he didn't react negatively so they relaxed.

Stephanie made her way over to Ben and reached out to feel his face. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Thank you for protecting me against Arsene. He is a monster! We may finally be free of him!"

"I hope so because he packs a mean wallop!" Ben said, wincing as he gingerly touched his scalp.

"Do not touch your stitches!" Henry scolded.

"Sorry Doc!" Ben said. Henry had the most surprised and genuinely pleased look on his face. Richard started to laugh with delight.

Ben looked at him curiously.

"Henry has waited his whole life for someone to call him that! Especially with an American accent!" the man chuckled and hugged his partner who blushed but still looked very satisfied.

Marie returned with her groceries and said hello to the two men. Then she took in the doctor's bag and the bowl and blood stained towels. She finally saw Ben sitting shirtless at the table with the stitched gash on his scalp. She squeaked in surprise and began to speak in very rapid French. Henry responded and afterwards she rushed over and gave Ben a kiss on his forehead. He grinned and thanked her.

"Where is my t-shirt?" he asked Stephanie.

"It is in my room," she said with a blush. "I'm afraid I may have gotten it wet with my tears as I was crying a bit."

"Oh, that's ok. I'll go upstairs and get a new t-shirt. I want to clean up that broken glass and maybe patch that door. You wouldn't happen to know of any good local glaziers would you?" he said to Richard and Henry.

"I'll make a call," Richard said with a smile.

"Thanks! Are you sticking around for a while?"

"No, we have to get back to our business. New guests are arriving this afternoon. It was very nice to meet you!" Richard said.

Ben shook his hand and Henry's.

"Thanks again Doc!" Ben said with a smile and Henry's face blossomed into a wide grin.

Richard rolled his eyes and ushered his partner outside.

With a nod at Marie, Ben headed up stairs and got himself a new shirt then went back to ask Stephanie where they kept the brooms, dustpans, mops and buckets.

He took some pictures of the damage before he began then he cleaned up the mess. The carpet would need to be washed as there was a significant amount of blood on it.

He was outside in the gravel parking lot hosing down the carpet when a small pickup rolled into the lot. A tiny, old gentleman stepped out of the car and walked over to Ben and started to speak to him in French. Ben held up his hand and shook his head then walked over to the back door and called for Marie. She came and spoke to the man then looked at Ben.

"He is here to fix the glass?" she said to Ben.

"Ah! Could you show him the front door? That's where the damage is," Ben replied.

She nodded and spoke to the man who smiled and waved at Ben. They walked away and Ben went back to the carpet.

Moments later Alexis and Béatrice drove in the parking lot and brought their van close to the back door. They got out and walked over to Ben who shut off the hose.

Béatrice looked down at the pink water and grinned at Ben. "That better not be my favorite wine you're washing out of our carpet."

"No, that's blood."

"WHAT!?!" both women yelped.

"Arsene's blood," he clarified taking his phone out of his pocket. He queued the video and played it for them.

They watched with shock as Ben confronted the big man and screamed when he hit Ben with his walking stick and again when Ben knocked him down. Once it was over they both tugged at his shoulders so he would bend down to show them where he'd been hit. They saw the four stitches and cried out again.

"Wait! Who was shooting the video? Not Stephanie!" Alexis barked.

"No, it was Richard. Stephanie was safe in her room calling the police. They've been here, saw the video and got the walking stick. Then they went to pick up Arsene," Ben explained.

"Oh my god Ben! I never thought you'd get hurt! I never would have agreed to go out today otherwise!" Alexis said.

"Hey! It's no big deal if it gets that creep out of your hair. Besides I've had bigger injuries than this little scratch. Let's see what you've brought me!" he said with a smile rubbing his hands together.

"You're still planning on doing the renovations?" Alexis gasped.

Ben blinked at her completely puzzled. "Why wouldn't I?"

Alexis blinked back at him and looked at Béatrice incredulously. The two women grabbed Ben in a tight hug which he returned as best he could from inside their grip. When they were slow in releasing him he pretended to try to escape their arms. "Must... get... to... renovation... supplies..." he gasped. They giggled and released him.

Alexis turned to go into the house. "I'm going to call the police to see if they have Arsene in custody. I'm going to insist they charge him with everything they can."

Ben and Béatrice nodded and she opened the back of the van for him. He started gathering up the bags and began moving everything into the house and up to a room on the second floor he was using as his staging area. Soon he had the van empty except for four large rectangular boxes.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Stephanie's clay. Would you carry it in for her?" Béatrice asked.

"Sure."

They were surprisingly heavy so Ben could only carry two at a time. He knocked on Stephanie's door and she opened it.

"Clay delivery for a Stephanie Murino?" he said in his best delivery person impression.

She clapped her hands together in delight and stepped back. "Please place it on the floor by the desk."

"There are two more to come," he continued in his silly voice as he set them down. He hustled outside and returned with the packages. "That's the last of them!"

"Thank you so much!" she cheered.

"What? No tip?" he sounded playfully outraged.

She reached up and touched his face. Then she pulled it down and gave him a peck on the lips.

"Wow! Wait 'til the boys back in the shop here about this delivery!" he gushed and she giggled. Stephanie immediately turned to her clay and began carefully opening one of the packages.

Having been dismissed Ben left and went upstairs. He began organizing the purchases based on the rooms he was to complete. He saw he had everything he needed to get started and smiled at Béatrice who stood in the doorway watching him get organized. His stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly. She giggled and walked over to tug him to his feet and down into the kitchen. She pushed him into a chair and turned to the cook.

"Marie, we have a hungry man who needs to be refueled," she said with a smile.

Marie raised her finger and went to the fridge. She brought out a plate with a large kaiser bun filled with chicken, tomato, lettuce and mustard. There was a side salad with a vinaigrette dressing and pickles. He had a glass of lemonade to go with it.

Ben thanked Marie and tucked into his meal. He made happy noises which made Marie smile as she turned back to preparing the evening meal.

"So you have everything you need?" Béatrice asked and he nodded. "Do you still think you'll be able to finish all of the work by tomorrow night?"

"Not a problem," he said between bites.

Béatrice's face lit up with a smile and she giggled with glee which made Ben smile. She said something about a website and rushed off after kissing Ben's cheek.

As soon as he was finished he swooped over to Marie and gave her a kiss on the cheek which made her squeak. He thanked her for the meal with a smile and she blushed furiously but she was smiling when he left to go upstairs.

Stephanie was waiting for him by the Private door. When she heard him she called out to him.

"Yes?" he answered.

"It's time."

He looked upstairs where the renovation work waited for him and sighed. He'd promised.

"How long will the posing take?"

"No more than fifteen to twenty minutes tops. I pose you. I map you in my mind. Then you are free. I may call on you for a few refreshers which would only take a minute."

"Ok, let's go."

Ben followed Stephanie back to her room. He entered and noticed her window blinds were drawn. She closed the door behind him.

"Ok, please take off your clothes," she said.

He grimaced and once more got naked in front of her. This time he knew what to do. "I'm ready," he said.

"Do you see the two boxes on the desk? Place one on the floor before your left foot. I know the pose I am going to sculpt you in but I need to figure out how high your left foot should be," she explained.

Ben moved the larger of the two boxes to the floor and put his left foot up on it. "Ok, my foot is on the higher one."

"I'd like you to stand comfortably. Hands at your sides relaxed. Look straight out and raise your right hand like you are going to shake someone's hand in a relaxed way."

"Done."

She moved forward and quickly ran her fingertips over his body then stood back. "Your leg is too high."

Ben switched the two boxes and put his foot on the shorter one. The position was more comfortable. He moved back into the pose. "Ready."

Once more Stephanie ran her fingers down his body but this time she smiled. "Yes. This feels right. I'm going to do the mapping now. Relax into the pose and hold it. Keep your eyes open this time. I promise not to poke you in the eye."

Ben took some deep breaths and allowed his muscles to relax. "Ready."

Stephanie reached up and ran her fingers over his forehead and he watched her fingers moved closer to his eyes. True to her word, her fingers passed around his eyes but did not enter them. He was fascinated by her process so this time he didn't get stimulated and remained relaxed. She reached his neck and he saw her intense concentration. Her fingertips played over his shoulders and she moved to the side to map out his right arm then she did his left. She moved to his back and ran her hands over his shoulders and down his back to just above his ass. She moved back to his front and felt his chest and paid especially close attention to each scar which made him wonder at the level of detail she needed for this sculpture.

He looked again at the shelf of dancers and took comfort in their grace and faceless anonymity.

Stephanie reached his pelvis but again, he wasn't thinking sexually so he remained relaxed. Once more her expression intensified and she spent considerable time mapping this area. She moved around to his back once more and began at his ass. She ran her fingers down over his right leg to his heel. She then did his left leg and moved around to do the fronts and map his feet. She sat back on her heels and remained quiet for a couple of minutes while he watched. She nodded.

"I'm ready. Please put the box back and dress. Close the door on your way out," she said, the intense look on her face never diminishing.

For some reason Ben felt an urgency to leave. He put the box back, tugged on his shorts and carried his other clothes out with him as he closed the door. He finished dressing in the hall then rushed upstairs.

He began the renovations with the largest room at the end of the hall and Alexis came to watch and help. He started with the plumbing and showed her how to install the sink and taps. While they worked he could see she wanted to ask something but seemed uncomfortable.

"You know if you want to ask me something you should just come out and say it. I promise not to let my sensitive male pride be offended," he grinned to take the bite out of his words.

"This morning at the breakfast table you kissed each of the women and aside from the two youngest those kisses were... intimate. From speaking with Gabriella I know she is more than just fond of you. But then Catherine behaves the same way and now Sophia and Rachel are kissing you like... lovers." She saw Ben was looking a little uncomfortable. "I'm sorry to pry."

"No it's ok. I'm in love with both Gabriella and Catherine as well as Tina and Trish back home. I love them all with every fiber of my being. It's only been since we arrived in Paris that Sophia and Rachel started to insist on being kissed on the lips. I was used to kissing them on the cheek like Megan. She, thankfully, is keeping our relationship simple. I love all of Catherine's girls but I think Sophia and Rachel might be after something more... physical."

"Would that be bad?"

Ben frowned. "I used to see them as the little girls I watched grow up but I can't see them like that anymore. They're adults now capable of making those decisions for themselves. What I just can't understand is why they'd want to be intimate with someone so much older. They have so much potential and so much time ahead of them. They should be out there finding someone their own age. Someone with so much more to offer than me!"

Alexis looked at Ben with surprise at his outburst. She hadn't realized he had such a low opinion of himself. "But Gabriella and Catherine and these other women love you. Doesn't that say you are worthy of love?"

Ben looked away for a minute. "Yes. You're right... it should." He gave himself a shake. "We'd better pick up the pace or we may not be done in time for my departure."

Alexis heard the request to change the subject quite clearly. She'd have to bring this up with Gabriella when they got back.

They turned their attention to the task at hand and quickly completed the plumbing work. They tested the water tightness of the system and moved on to the next room. Within a couple of hours they stood in the last room feeling a sense of accomplishment. The plumbing in every washroom on the second floor was operational. Sinks, toilets, showers, and tubs all functional and dry where they needed to be dry. The drains all drained quickly indicating good airflow which was a relief to Ben as fixing that could be costly and time consuming.

The electrical work had thankfully been completed and inspected and the wall insulation installed before Arsene scared off all the tradespeople. All Ben needed to do now was put up the drywall, tape it, mud it, install the ceramic tiles in each bathroom, and prep the walls for painting. Lastly some trim work to finish it off. So much for his sense of accomplishment.

He pulled Alexis with him to show her the magic of installing drywall. One room had sheets and sheets of the stuff stacked against the wall. He showed her how to measure, mark, score, and break the sheets as required. She caught on pretty quickly and they worked well as a team. They powered through the work, room after room, until hours later they plopped down on the floor of the last room looking up at the last wall they did, exhausted but happy.

"Taping and mudding is easy. We can finish that quickly once we get into a rhythm. Once we catch our wind," Ben breathed.

Alexis had a huge grin on her face. She leaned over and bumped shoulders with Ben who smiled back.