Better With Ben

by Casey McMillin

  "Have fun on your trip," she said.

  "You're not leaving because I'm here, are you? Because I'm going to shower and go to my room. I have more studying to do."

  "No, I was leaving anyway."

  "The electricity was off," Taylor explained. "It just came back on."

  Gina didn't ask how Ben ended up being the one keeping her company. She just smiled as she crossed the room to get a bottled water out of the fridge.

  "Tell Molly I said hi," Taylor said.

  "Yeah, tell her for me while you're at it… and I guess this is hi and bye to you too." Gina walked by Ben with her fist out imitating the bump she'd seen them do a second before. Ben returned it and gave her a big grin.

  "Hi yourself," he said.

  Hi yourself? Was he flirting? His handsome smile was directed at Gina, and Taylor felt herself being gripped by the green-eyed monster.

  "Thanks again for coming," she said, drawing his gaze from Gina's.

  He smiled as he started toward the door. "Walk with me out to my truck," he said, looking back at Taylor. "I have to show you something."

  She had no idea what he could possibly have to show her, but she felt an explosion of sheer joy in her gut at the thought of being invited to go out there with him. Taylor didn't say anything. She just crossed to the door where she slipped on a pair of fur-lined boots she didn't mind getting wet.

  Gina went on into her bedroom, and Taylor followed Ben outside. The rain had slowed considerably, but it was still coming down in earnest. He glanced back into the house through the window as if he was contemplating something.

  "Do you mind coming to the truck, or are you trying not to get wet?"

  "I'm okay with a little rain," Taylor said. She didn't ask him why he wanted to go out there. She was afraid he'd change his mind if she drew attention to it.

  "I'd normally open the door for you, but—"

  "I got this," she said. She looked into the rain and assumed the stance of a racer at the starting line.

  "Go," he said. They took off at the same time and made it into the truck within a few seconds. He may have beaten her by a second, but it was close enough to be called a tie. They looked over the console at each other, laughing at the silliness of running through the pouring rain and making a crash landing in their respective spots.

  Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she smoothed back the pieces that had fallen out as she ran. She even dared to open the mirror and glance at her face just to make sure she didn't have mascara running down her cheeks. All clear.

  "All clear," she said, looking at him with a smile as she closed the mirror and visor. She adjusted in her seat and regarded him over the console. He started the ignition, pressed a few buttons on the dash, and turned to face her.

  "I'm sorry to drag you all the way out here, but your roommate came home and I didn't have time to do something I wanted to do."

  Please say kiss me, please say kiss me, please say kiss me.

  "What?" she said, hoping she looked curious and casual. "Kiss me?" She meant for it to come out as a joke, but she wanted it to really happen so badly that she probably didn't deliver it how she intended.

  "How'd you know? Am I that obvious?" She laughed as if she assumed they were both just joking.

  "I seriously brought you out here to kiss you," he said. Her giggling trailed off and she looked over the console at him. The console looked like it could fit into the seatback, making the front seat into a bench seat of sorts, but for now it was in it's down position, and it might as well have been a mountain in between them. Taylor looked across it at him, wondering how in the world they'd ever be able to meet in the middle without an awkward approach. She'd been laughing but wanted so badly to take him seriously. Not knowing what to say, she gave him a smile.

  "Are you okay with that? Because your mouth's asking for it, and I hate to disappoint."

  Taylor touched a hand to her mouth and looked at him with mock confusion. "My mouth didn't say anything about you kissing me," she said.

  "Sure it did," he said. "I mean, the words didn't come out of your mouth necessarily but the mouth itself—it's been begging me to kiss it."

  Taylor gave him an expression of deadpan confusion. "It has? For how long?"

  "Oh, since we met, for sure."

  "Really?"

  "Really." He stared at her from across the grand canyon of a console. Without further deliberation, he reached out and lifted the console into its seatback position. Taylor didn't even wait for him to invite her. She instantly scooted into the seat next to him, nestling in with a wiggle before looking up.

  "I'm gonna kiss you now if that's okay with you."

  She bit her lip shyly and nodded. Ben put a hand onto her jaw and lifted it slightly. Their mouths were only inches apart, but he just held her there looking into her eyes with only the lights of the dash. He knew her eyes were blue, but it was so dark, he couldn't see the color that well. It didn't matter. His gaze drifted to her lips. He studied the indention beneath her nose and followed the curve of her upper lip. Again, he looked into her eyes, this time with his own deadpan expression.

  "Yeah, it's definitely begging."

  He glanced down at her smile before deciding he couldn't take it anymore. He caught her mouth in his, and Taylor experienced a gut-wrenching wave of desire the instant she felt his warm lips on hers.

  An almost imperceptible moan escaped her lips—at least she hoped it was imperceptible. Ben put kiss after tender kiss on her mouth. She could tell he was trying to be gentle, so she took it upon herself to deepen it just a little. Considering the fact that she initially called him to help her with the anxiety attack, she was a little hesitant to go at it. At the same time though, she was desperate for more than a peck on the lips. That's not to say that they weren't glorious pecks, because they were. She just had to have a little more.

  The next time he put his mouth to hers, she opened slightly, taking a little of his lower lip into hers. He returned the favor by sucking on her lip gently. He used his tongue to ever so gently part her lips, and she opened to him willingly. Their tongues worked in slow, gentle strokes for a few seconds. It was amazingly erotic for such a gentle kiss.

  Even as he pulled back, he placed a few final kisses on her lips as if he was ending reluctantly. He rubbed a hand over his face in a frustrated gesture.

  "Shit Taylor, it wasn't supposed to be that good."

  She laughed. "What'd you expect, chop liver?"

  "No, but I didn't think I'd like it that much," he said, laughing and adjusting the way he was sitting. "You might have just gotten yourself stuck into doing that again sometime."

  "Oh, I'm totally open to that," she said, smirking at him. "Just call whenever you're wanting to do it again, and I'll see what I have on the books."

  "Oh, you'll check your books?"

  "Yeah, but Mondays are generally pretty good for me."

  He smiled. He was just gorgeous enough to make her do something she might not normally think was a good idea. She wanted to leave him wanting more, and thought she'd just take off for the house. Without warning, she reached up to put one last chaste kiss on his mouth. It was quick and unplanned, and she sort of just settled for the corner of his mouth since it was easy to reach. She felt him kiss her back, but it was too short to enjoy. No turning back now. She reminded herself of the benefits of leaving him wanting more as she made her move to get out of the truck.

  "Thanks again Ben. I hope you have fun on your trip," she said as she scooted to the edge of the seat. She grabbed the door handle, but hesitated to open it until she was ready to run.

  "Oh, okay," he said. He lifted an eyebrow slightly, but otherwise didn't protest her departure. She didn't really give him time for that.

  She flashed one last smile as she opened the door. "Thanks!" she yelled.

  "You're welcome!" he yelled back.

  She looked up at him with a smile and wave before closing the door. He turned on the headlights so
she could see her way to the door and watched as she ran to the house.

  Chapter 11

  Taylor had to work the opening shift at Common Grounds the next morning. It was Tuesday, which meant they'd be busy with regulars. As a result of being amped up from the kiss she shared with Ben, it had taken her forever to fall asleep. 6AM came early, but even though she was exhausted, she woke up with a grin plastered on her face.

  She was opening with three of her favorite guys at work, another fact that put her in a good mood. Michael, the general manager, and Nothing the atheist were at the counter when she walked in.

  "What?" she asked after only a few steps in their direction.

  "I should be asking you that," Nothing said narrowing his eyes at her.

  She'd been back at work for a few days since the incident, but her mood had been reflective and melancholy—not at all like the normal Taylor.

  Not today, though. Today she smiled.

  "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad to see you smiling," Nothing said. Normally, he might think something like that, but you wouldn't catch him saying it. He maintained a rough exterior even though he was just a big teddy bear. He preferred it that way—social barrier, he called it. Anyway, that type of comment was out of character for him, and Taylor gave him a thankful smile for it.

  Both Nothing and Michael knew about everything she'd gone through the week before, but neither of them had actually broached the subject. Nothing's comment about seeing her smile was the first time either of them came close to asking her about it.

  "It's been a long week, but I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel," she said.

  "Well, I'm glad, cause he's right, the smile looks good on you," Michael said.

  Matt opened the door and walked in behind Taylor. She turned and gave him a high five. He smiled back at Taylor before taking in the two that were already behind the counter.

  "Yesssss," he said, obviously liking the line-up. "I get to pick the music," he said.

  "No pop," Nothing said.

  "No dubstep," Michael added.

  "What else is there?" Matt said, throwing his hands into the air. He was just being sarcastic, but he definitely had a hearty collection of both pop and dubstep, and everyone knew it.

  Taylor was on dishes, which meant she had to pitch in where needed until they started to pile up and she could start her first load. She filled the cream containers and lined them up on the self-serve coffee station, taking the time to straighten the packets of sweetener and refill the glass containers of sugar, the stir-sticks, and the napkins.

  An early bird or two trickled in during the first few minutes, but it took a half an hour for customers to really start showing up. By the time they'd been open for an hour, Taylor was elbows deep in her first sink full of dishes, which was something she had to get all suited up to do since she couldn't get her cast wet. After the dirty dishes soaked, she rinsed all the crud off before loading them strategically into the commercial dishwasher.

  Despite the dirty work, she still wore a smile. She couldn't stop thinking about Ben. It was the first day she hadn't been royally bummed, and it felt so good to have her mind free of the thoughts that had been plaguing her for the past week. She wasn't worried about the girl, or her murderer, or her next panic attack. She wasn't worried about anything for the first time in a week, and she felt utterly free because of it. Granted, Ben's kiss probably hadn't meant nearly as much to him, but she'd take the relief any way it came, and for her, the kiss was working out to be the most effective distraction she could've asked for. Her grin remained in place even as she scrubbed stubborn melted cheese off of a plate. She was doing just that when her friend and co-worker, Anne, passed behind her on the way to clock in.

  "Hey, there's a guy at the register who asked if you were here," she said.

  Taylor's head popped up and she used a forearm to wipe at a hair that had fallen into her face. "Who?" she asked.

  Anne stopped in mid-stride and turned around to face her. "I was talking to Nothing and I didn't hear everything he said to Matt, but I don't think he's staying," Anne said. "He just asked if you were working and I think Matt told him you were in the back doing dishes. It sounded like he told Matt not to worry about getting you since you were busy. He looked familiar," she added. "I think it might have been Molly's brother.

  Taylor let out a disapproving huff. "Why would Matt send him away?" she asked.

  Anne shrugged innocently. "Maybe I misheard, but you better go check if you wanted to talk to him."

  Taylor crossed to the threshold of the open door that separated the kitchen from the coffee counter. She scanned what she could see of the room, but didn't see Ben anywhere. "Matt," she said. She had to speak up because it was busy, but he heard her and looked back to see what she wanted. "Did someone come in here asking for me?" her eyes were narrowed, which made Matt give her a surprised, innocent look.

  "Yeah, but he said he'd come back since we were slammed."

  Taylor rolled her eyes. "We're not that slammed. The dishes could wait five minutes." She didn't waste time getting onto Matt for it, though. "Is he still here?" she asked. Matt gestured into the room hopelessly. It was the morning rush and he was hardly keeping up with what everyone was doing after they were served their drinks.

  "He's at the sugar station," Michael said. He'd overheard both conversations and was thoughtful enough to chime in.

  Taylor stood on her tiptoes, but she could only see a piece of the person she thought could be Ben. He had on a baseball cap and he was a guy, and that was good enough for her. She turned and ran to the office to do a quick check in the mirror before she went out there, only stopping for a second to hastily put her long, rubber gloves on the side of the sink, remove the trash bag she taped over her cast, and close the dishwasher door.

  "Thank you for telling me," she said to Anne as she went into the office.

  "Is that Molly's brother?" Anne asked.

  "Yeah."

  "Well Matt's met him. I wonder why he didn't come get you."

  "You know Matt," Taylor said as she smiled into the mirror to check her teeth. "He's a space case. He probably didn't remember who he was."

  Taylor really regretted not being able to make more adjustments on her appearance, but she knew she would miss him if she didn't leave right then. "Thanks for telling me," she repeated as she left the office in a hurry.

  "Tay, I like that smile," Anne called after her.

  Had she really been that bad the last week that everyone felt the need to comment on her smile?

  "Thanks," Taylor said from over her shoulder.

  She bobbed and weaved around Matt, Nothing, and Michael as she made her way past the coffee counter and to the sugar station. The guy in the baseball cap had already turned to leave by the time she got close, and without even taking a second to think about what she was doing, she reached out and pinched him on the side.

  "Hey," she said.

  He looked back with a fake look of annoyance at being pinched. Taylor pretended to whither under his scowl and then they both broke into a smile.

  "What are you doing here?" she asked. She knew he was there to see her; she just wanted to hear him say it.

  "I came to see you," he said, still smiling.

  And the chorus sang: Halleluiah! Halleluiah!

  "I'm on my way to the airport," he continued. "I remembered you saying you were working this morning and thought I'd stop by. I had to get coffee anyway."

  She pointed at the cup in his hand. "I wish they would have told me you were here. I could have at least bought your coffee."

  He lifted it, smiling. "It was less than two dollars, I think," he said.

  "You want me to make you something fancy? Or maybe a bagel for the road?"

  "I'm good. I ate breakfast at home. I really just came by to see how the rest of your night went last night."

  I had a good night for the first time in a week because I could do nothing but remember w
hat you did to me in your truck, was what she thought but didn't say out loud, thank God.

  "I slept great, thanks to that Benadryl I took." She gave him a cheesy smile, waiting for him to get her joke.

  His face broke into a grin when he understood she was talking about him. "That wasn't my drill, though, sweetheart," he said.

  Sure, he was only continuing the joke, but the image it brought to Taylor's mind made a rush of hot blood make its way to her cheeks. She tried to distract him. "Hey, I'll be back in three minutes," she said to Michael. He knew she wouldn't leave if the dishes were out of hand, so he gave her a smile and nod. She turned to Ben and motioned for him to follow her. "I'll walk you out."

  He reached in front of her and opened the door for her to walk through. It was a chilly morning and he noticed she didn't have a coat. "We can just hang for a minute inside if you're too cold to walk me out… or you can take my coat." He had on a casual but sleek black hoodie with dark pants. He had great taste in clothes and looked sharp for his trip. She wanted to take his coat just for the sheer sake of having it, and not give it back, but she wasn't going to make him take it off for three minutes.

  "It's not that cold," she said. "Plus I could use the fresh air." They continued to talk as they walked. "So, when will you be back?" She meant it as a way to make general conversation, but after she said it, she realized that kind of question might scare him a little.

  "I'll be back Friday," he said.

  The deck was deserted aside from a couple of girls sitting at the far end having a cigarette. They recognized Taylor and waved. She returned the wave and gave them a big smile. Ben loved her smile. He also loved that everyone around there apparently knew and liked her.

  She turned around, looking for his truck. "Are you on the street or in the alley?" she asked.

  "I'm right over there." He pointed to his truck. It was parked about a block away. "But you don't have to walk me over there. I just came by to check on you."

  "I'm fine," she said, slightly concerned that he might think she was fragile or something. "I'm glad you stopped by, though."