Better With Ben

by Casey McMillin

  She felt numb—a little like she was losing circulation. Don't you dare do this! You have a ton of stuff to do today. Get yourself together. You're twenty-one years old and your heart works perfectly.

  "What's the matter?" Abby asked.

  Taylor realized she was holding a can of raviolis in mid-air in front of the cabinet. She went ahead and put it away. "Nothin'."

  "Are you mad at me for calling? Because I didn't mean to—"

  "I'm not mad at you," Taylor interrupted. "I know you like him and wanted to see him again. I like him too." She paused, thinking about the truth of that statement.

  "Why aren't you friends with him anymore?"

  "Because he's really busy and didn't really have time to…" she trailed off. "He's just a really busy person."

  "He didn’t seem too busy," Abby said. "And he said you were the one who was busy and he wishes you could hang out with him."

  Taylor's gut clinched, but she tried not to react. "He said that? What did he say exactly?"

  "Why are you turning all red?" Henry asked. His question did nothing but make it worse. Taylor opened the fridge and stuck her head in it. She was acting like she was putting the milk away, but really she was grateful for the cool air and the privacy in there.

  "He said he thought you were one of the best girls he ever knew and he missed you very much," Abby continued. Taylor came out from behind the fridge door with a smile she couldn't suppress.

  "Are you making that up?"

  "No she's not," Henry said. "He did say that. He also said you were the prettiest girl he's ever seen."

  "That's because you asked him if she was," Abby said. She looked at Taylor. "But he did say yes when Henry asked him that."

  "I also asked if he was gonna marry you one day."

  "Oh God Henry, you did not!"

  "Yes I did," Henry said smiling.

  Taylor just had to ask… "What'd he say?"

  "He just smiled real big and said first he had to get you to tell him what time it is."

  "He did not say that," Abby said. "He said you needed to tell him the time of the day."

  "That's what I said," Henry said.

  "No it's not. Telling the time of the day means when two people want to go out with each other. I saw it on Kickin' It. He was saying he wants to go out with Taylor."

  "He wasn't saying that," Taylor assured them even though she was secretly doing a happy dance at the thought.

  They were all quiet for a second.

  "He was smiling like he likes you," Alexis said.

  That simple statement made Taylor feel like all was right with the world. She stayed at her mom's house cleaning and playing with the kids for the next two hours. She heated up fish sticks and tater tots before she left.

  There were a few hours to waste before she needed to get ready for the party, and during that time she came really close to contacting Ben. Problem was, she didn't know what she'd say to him. Part of her wanted to thank him for the thoughtfulness, but then she'd have to turn right around and get mad at him for doing it in the first place, telling him he could never do it again.

  And still, there was a teeny tiny piece of her that hoped she could call him and say she was fixed and ready to have a boyfriend and congratulations, Ben, you've been chosen! She was afraid she'd freak out and say something really stupid like that, so she ended up not calling at all. She'd just have to thank him or get mad at him for the shoes next time she saw him. Would it be tonight?

  Chapter 22

  Standard staff attire for an event like tonight's was all black or black bottoms with white tops. For this specific one, the staff would be wearing all black. It wasn't a formal event, but Taylor knew the attendees would be dressed to the nines, and she wanted to feel like she fit in, not only as part of the hired help. She had several pair of black slacks that she felt comfortable wearing, but tonight for the first time, she was planning on wearing a dress to work. It was totally appropriate for the person in charge. She'd seen Bonnie and the other head-planners at Tri-Star do it all the time.

  Taylor was planning on arriving at Mason Place at 5PM. Two hours would be plenty of time to prepare. She'd gone by on her way home from her mom's house and seen that the company she'd hired to set up tables and decorations had been there and everything was in its place.

  Taylor took more time getting dressed than she ever had in her life—managing, without Molly, to tease, spray, and pin her hair into a neat French twist. She spent 45 minutes on hair alone. As for her dress—she decided on a short, black, hi-waisted, chiffon number that she relied on. It was the one she wore to the CMAs to be a seat-filler this past year. It was comfortable and flattering, and it was really a no-brainer that she'd choose it. She paired it with some simple black heels that were cute and still easy to walk in.

  She regarded herself in the full-length mirror that hung on the back of her bedroom door. She imagined Ben walking up behind her. She stared blankly into the mirror, letting herself go out of focus as she imagined a scene at the party tonight.

  He probably wouldn't be there at the start of the party. In her fantasy, it was more like the end of the party when he showed up. She had been expecting him all night and just when she thought he wouldn't make it, there he was. The party guests were gone and she stuck around to make sure everything was being cleaned up. She turned, and there he was, leaning casually on a doorframe.

  Ben.

  "I know you went to my family's house."

  He looked innocent, but smiled. "Me?"

  "Why'd you do it?"

  "Because I love you."

  Taylor was still staring, unfocussed at her fuzzy reflection in the mirror. She hadn't yet had time to laugh at herself for the silly fantasy when Gina knocked on her door, jarring her from thoughts.

  "Tay, get up. You told me to wake you up like an hour ago. I'm sorry. I fell asleep myself." She heard Gina's voice say from the other side of the door.

  "I didn't sleep," Taylor said, opening the door.

  "Oh shit, you look good," Gina said. She was still groggy, but clearly appreciated Taylor's efforts.

  "You think it's too much?"

  "No. You're gorgeous. Is that the one you wore to—"

  "Yes," Taylor said. She'd worn it three other times for special occasions so if Gina was thinking of a black dress, this was most likely the one.

  "Who did your hair?" Gina asked. She appeared a bit confused as she looked Taylor over, as if there was no way she could've possibly done that to herself.

  "I did it," Taylor said, turning to let her inspect it. "I need you to check to make sure there's no funny-business with the pins. It feels weird right here."

  She reached up to indicate the area that she didn't think was quite right, and Gina poked and tweaked very gently for a few seconds but told her everything seemed to be in place. They talked for a few more minutes before Taylor took off.

  She listened to the song Missin You by Trey Songz at least four times on her way to the venue. Even though a good portion of the lyrics didn't apply, she still had fun imagining Ben was feeling those lyrics about her.

  Aside from one little hiccup where someone had to run to the store for a few bags of ice, the party was off to a drama free start. The two hours before the party went by in a flash, and before she knew it, the guests had arrived and the party was in full swing. Molly was one of the first ones to show up since Mary Lou threatened Nick's life if he wasn't on time.

  Taylor greeted and spoke briefly to Molly, but had her hands full with keeping everything running smoothly. There were three chefs working to serve up six different kinds of gourmet finger foods. All of the hors d'oeuvres were a play on Leroy's songs, and the guests went crazy about how cute and creative the food was.

  That little detail has been Taylor's idea, and Mary Lou had already told her more than once how much she loved it. They were only serving food for the first half of the party, so at 8PM, Taylor made her rounds to the chefs' stations where she told the
m they'd only need to cook for 30 more minutes.

  She'd just finished talking to one of the chefs when Molly came up beside her. "I forgot to tell you that if I mentioned something about setting you up with a guy named Jesse you need to just roll with it."

  Molly's words tumbled out so quickly that Taylor had no idea what she'd even said. "What?"

  "Pretend I'm setting you up with a guy named Jesse. Just roll with it. Ben!" Molly looked over Taylor's shoulder, which made Taylor turn.

  There he was.

  He wasn't leaning against the door like her fantasy, nor was it currently a quiet lull at the end of the evening. The buzz of the crowd continued around them, but all Taylor could see was Ben. He was dressed sharply in grey, slim fitting slacks and a white dress shirt with a subtle, striped pattern. He was walking toward them, and Taylor felt like she wanted to run into his arms. She had to keep her feet glued to the ground to keep herself from doing it. Ben's gaze scanned Taylor from head to toe as he approached. He didn't even glance at Molly.

  "I wondered if you'd be here tonight," Taylor said. She reached out to give him a sideways hug, relieved that she wasn't shaking too badly and her voice had come out better than she thought it would. His arm wrapped around her when she moved in for the hug, making her wish she could just melt into him.

  She hesitated, enjoying the embrace for the briefest of seconds before pulling back and smiling casually at him. He smiled back. He was being casual too—dammit.

  "Molly told me there'd be good food."

  "You almost missed it. We're only serving for the next thirty minutes, so you better eat up."

  "I'm not really hungry."

  She giggled. "You just said you came here for the food."

  "I lied."

  "What'd you come for then?"

  "You."

  Taylor's gaze shifted and she regarded Molly with a disbelieving expression.

  "I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable," she heard Ben say. "I just hoped I'd get to see you since it's been a while." He gestured at her arm. "Looks good."

  Uncomfortable? Was he worried that coming here to see her would make her uncomfortable? That was the last thing she was feeling right now.

  "Just forget whatever I was saying about that guy Jesse," Molly said. She smiled as she turned on her heel to leave.

  "I know you're busy, but I thought we could catch up sometime. I can wait around till you're done here if you want."

  "Like tonight?"

  "Yeah tonight. Are you here with somebody else?"

  She stared at him. "I'm working."

  "I know, but are you here with someone?"

  "No."

  "Okay then."

  "We need to talk about a few things first," she said.

  She was talking about her family and the shoe-buying thing, but saying they needed to talk made him go ahead and say what he had on his mind.

  "I know we need to talk. I need you to know that I have a job that requires a good bit of my time."

  That wasn't what she was thinking at all. Her expression was one of confusion. "Can you give me one second to talk to this other chef?" she asked. "After that, I can take a few minutes to get some fresh air if you want."

  He gave her a stunning, roguish smile. "I'll see you outside."

  The porch swing off the front of the house was occupied by two people, and there were a few others standing nearby. Three out of five of them had a cigarette, and Taylor figured she'd found the smoking section.

  She was surprised to find Ben standing out there talking to the group. It seemed like they were discussing the full moon, which was clearly visible. Ben turned to regard Taylor as she walked outside.

  "I left it in my truck," he said, hoping she'd play along.

  "Okay, I'll just walk out there with you."

  "I'm just right here in the parking lot."

  "That's fine. Everyone's good in there."

  "I took my shoes off just now, so tell me if my feet stink," Taylor said just after they climbed in the truck. "They're pretty comfortable, but it still feels good to get out of them for a second." She turned to look at him from across the console. Knowing they didn't have much time, she said, "I'm not gonna lie, I miss hanging out with you." I just keep missin you… wish I was there with you… The lyrics she'd listened to on the way there rang in her mind and she had to suppress a smile.

  "I miss you like fuckin' crazy. I'm serious. It sucks. Can you please just be okay with me having a dangerous job that I can't tell you much about? It's like being drafted for the big leagues, Taylor. I won't have more chances like this if I quit now, and I'm good at what I do. You'd have to be okay with me just picking up and leav—"

  "Yes."

  "Yes?"

  "Yes."

  "Yes what?"

  "Yes I can be okay with you having a job you can't talk about." She stared at the beautiful curves of his lips. "I think your super secret job is hot."

  He smiled a bit reluctantly. "You say that now, but what about when I have to leave in the middle of something, or can't make it home for something important? Because that's gonna happen."

  She took a second to consider the question. "I wish I could make promises about how everything's gonna play out. The fact that you can't predict exactly how things will turn out is exactly what makes it exciting. I can only speak for how I feel right now—and honestly I like your job. I like the fact that you get called away on secret missions that I can't, for my own safety, know about." She said for my own safety in a conspiratorial tone that made him smile. "As weird as it might seem, I'm even okay with it being dangerous. I think in some sick way that makes it even hotter." She narrowed her gaze at him. "As long as you're good and never get hurt."

  He smiled again. "I never get hurt."

  She slapped a hand to her forehead. "Ben, I totally forgot I'm mad at you."

  "For what?"

  "Did you go to my mom's house and buy everyone shoes?"

  He laughed.

  "Did you?"

  "Henry couldn't help himself," he said. "I knew he'd tell."

  "Why'd you do it?"

  "It doesn't matter. We'll talk about it later. We only have a few minutes and I missed you." In one motion, he put up the center console and grabbed her, smiling as he brought her closer. She let out a little shriek of delight when he pulled her over.

  "How've you been?" he asked sweetly.

  "Pretty good." She hesitated for a second. "Better now."

  He smiled and tightened the grasp he had on her. "Me too," he said. His expression turned serious. "What if I got a call right now and had to leave?" he asked.

  She shrugged. "I'd be okay with it," she said. "As long as you'd come back to me." She was so relieved to be near him, that she leaned into his arms, almost collapsing onto his chest. He held her securely. "I should be getting back," she said. She was afraid if she didn't leave now, she'd lose track of time.

  "You're spending the night with me."

  "Oh I am?"

  He looked around sarcastically as if she were missing something obvious. "Uh, yeah," he said.

  She was overwhelmed by the idea. It was too much pleasure to take in all at once. She didn't care where they went later as long as it was together. This little taste of his touch was nowhere near enough. He brought her face to his in a swift but gentle motion, and he pressed his lips to hers.

  "I'm mad at you," she said.

  "No you're not."

  She just smiled, knowing he was right.

  "You better go to work before I rip that dress off of you."

  She let out a little yell when he pretended to grab at her dress, giggling as she climbed out of the passenger's door. They met in front of his truck, and he grabbed her by the hand as they headed back inside.

  Chapter 23

  The party went great. There was a big spill toward the end of the night, but an attendee and not a staff member caused it, so Taylor was off the hook. They cleaned it up quickly and efficiently, and c
onsidering everything that could have gone wrong, it was virtually flawless.

  Everyone was happy with the food and drink, and the crowd in general seemed to have a good time. Ben had been talking with a group of people that included his sister and Nick, and Taylor approached them as the party was drawing to a close. He didn't hesitate to catch her up into his arms as she came near.

  "I'll be another half hour," she said. "I can meet you somewhere if you don't want to hang around."

  "I'll wait for you."

  "You sure?"

  "Yeah."

  "Where do you want to go after this?" she asked.

  "My apartment," he said.

  Taylor didn't know if Molly had heard him say it, and she looked over at her to find out. "He already told me I can't come home for the next two days," Molly said.

  Taylor looked at Ben who shrugged.

  "I just reminded her how much she liked spending the night at Nick's."

  Taylor looked at Molly. "You don't have to—"

  "It's all good," Molly laughed. "I was staying at Nick's anyway. I'm just giving him a hard time."

  "You sweet little thing, you," Mary Lou Logan interrupted. She was addressing Taylor, who hadn't seen her coming. "That food was a hoot!"

  "I'm so glad you liked it," Taylor said, leaning in to hug her.

  "Do you know Ben?" Mary Lou asked, noticing their proximity.

  "I do," Taylor said, smiling up at him.

  Mary Lou reached up to pinch his cheek. "Isn't he adorable?" she asked. "We just love him and his sister, both." She handed out hugs and made sweet comments to two or three other people standing in the group before fluttering off like a butterfly.

  "I guess I'll go finish up," Taylor said.

  Ben just smiled and nodded.

  Taylor was among the last to leave. It was almost eleven by the time they were ready to walk out. Ben followed her home so they could get her things.

  "I wish I could say I have no expectations for tonight," he said on their way to his apartment. "I know it would be really nice of me to say something about how I'm okay with taking it slow and I'd be fine with just talking or whatever all night."