by Molly O'Hare
“Okaaaaay.” Ben grabbed her arms and started moving her from side to side, looking all around her.
“What are you doing, you weirdo?” Holly demanded.
“I’m trying to find the same girl I met at the park a few hours ago. Did she get abducted by aliens and you’ve been sent down to replace her?”
Holly jumped out of his grasp and scrutinized him. “You’re strange.”
Ben’s eyebrows shot to the sky. “Says the one that might have been abducted.”
Within that instant all of the tension she was feeling subsided. “You are something else.”
Ben’s eyebrows waggled. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” He threw his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side. “Now, how about we head to the store, pick up some food, and we can cook dinner at my place.”
“I don’t think—“
“Now, if I recall correctly,” he said interrupting her. “You promised me a meal.”
She stopped walking and turned toward him. “No, I agreed to take you out.”
Ben’s face brightened. “Oh, Grace. Did you just ask me on a date?”
She paled. “Wait, what? I never said that.”
“No take backs. I accept.” Ben pulled her to his side, coaxing her to walk.
“I don’t like being manipulated,” she grumbled. Even though every fiber of her being wanted to throw his arm off and run in the opposite direction, there was something about Ben that pulled her in.
“I’m not manipulating you, Grace. I’m simply agreeing to your terms,” he stated as a matter of fact.
“Anyone ever call you a jerk?”
His eyes brightened as he looked at her. “All the time.”
* * *
Holly’s head still whirled as she sat at the island countertop in Ben’s kitchen across from where he was preparing their meal. How did she get herself into these situations? Shaking her head, she looked at the red mark forming on her upper arm. The trip to the grocery store had been by far one of the most eventful experiences of her life. Which was saying something, because every day was an experience for her. Maybe it was due to the fact Ben unnerved her, or maybe she was still rattled by the events of the day? It seemed as though when she was around Ben, she ended up being even more of a klutz than she usually was.
In aisle eight, when she tried to reach the top shelf to get some of the fried onions, the whole shelf collapsed, with all its products cascading onto her. Thankfully, she wasn’t hurt other than a few red marks, and after Ben got most of his laughs out, he righted her in one swift movement.
Then, when Holly tried to pay for their items, Ben growled at her. Honest to goodness growled at her. She’d never heard of that happening in real life. Sure, in her romance books she’d read it tons of times. Growling wasn’t something that happened in the real world, though.
Holly was only mildly annoyed he refused to let her pay. Even with her argument that she was the one supposed to be treating him to a meal, she bit her tongue and refused to argue. At that point, he still had her dog.
“Steaks will be done in few minutes,” Ben announced, turning away from the food to face her.
Waffles and Ripley, both barked in unison with their excitement. They both sat like picture perfect dogs at the edge of the island counter where she sat.
“Who said I’d share?” Holly directed her attention to Waffles, who goofily stared back at her, his tongue dangling out of his mouth. He must have thought her words were an invitation because he trotted over to her legs and started licking her jeans. “You’re such a weirdo, Waffles.” She reached for his fluff burying her hands in his fur giving him a good scratch. “You know mommy will always give you anything you want.”
“And that might be why he takes advantage of you,” Ben chimed in, as he moved the steaks to a plate he’d already prepared.
Holly glared. “Are you going to ignore that your dog barked, too?”
Ben pat Ripley on top of her head. “She knows she’ll only get what I give her and not all the time. What kind of vet would I be if I fed her human food.”
Holly sheepishly looked at Waffles, then back to Ben. “Whoops”
Ben barked out a laugh before turning and getting the baked potatoes out of the oven.
Holly glanced around Ben’s kitchen. It was modest, and not at all what she would have pictured a Richman having. Mind you, it was bigger than her apartment, but it wasn’t quite what she envisioned for the powerhouse name. Before she could stop herself, the words were out of her mouth. “If you’re a Richman and deemed one of the richest families in the state why don’t you live in a mansion or something by a lake?” She winced. Why do I have no brain to mouth filter?
After placing the baked potatoes onto their plates, Ben turned toward Holly. “First, I’ll never live on a lake. Mosquitoes are a bitch. Second, I’m not rich. My parents’ company is rich, my family is rich, but I’m not. I live off of the income I make with my practice.” He walked towards the island, leaning both of his arms on the counter directly across from her. “Is this why you’ve done a one-eighty, after learning I’m a Richman. You think having money is some sort of superpower?”
“Not at all, it’s just that-“
“Holly, I want absolutely nothing to do with Richman Industries and as far as I’m concerned the place can burn to the ground.”
Holly’s eyes widened. “Wow.”
“Yeah,” he said.
“Okay,” she murmured. “I’m sorry I brought it up.”
She watched as Ben’s body stiffened. “Don’t be.”
“You don’t get along with your parents, then?” she asked before hitting her head with her palm of her hand. “Don’t answer that. Along with my clumsiness, I seem to win the award of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.”
Ben laughed. “And yet, I find that extremely adorable.”
“Adorable.” She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”
Ben’s eyes darkened before leaning across the counter. His face was only inches from hers. “Oh, Holly, if you only knew what I thought about you.”
She swallowed. Abort, abort. To change the subject she blurted, “Waffles has to pee!”
Ben shook his head with a chuckle. “That so?” He glanced at Waffles who was sitting at his feet looking towards him with pure devotion in his eyes. I feel ya, Waffles. I’m enamored with the guy as well.
“Do you have to go outside, boy?” Ben asked.
Waffles flopped over onto his back, giving Ben his belly. Stupid dog.
“I think he wants human food.”
“Whatever,” Holly grumbled.
Holly turned from Ben before asking, “What’s the deal with your family? Do you really hate them?”
Ben scoffed. “It’s not that I hate them, it’s more of we don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things and I don’t agree with ninety-eight percent of the shit my mother does.”
“What about your father?” Holly questioned before reaching for her drink. She observed the faraway gaze that crept into Ben’s eyes.
“My dad was amazing. He’s the reason I’m here today.”
Holly sat straighter on her chair. “You said was. Is he no longer around?”
Ben looked away before speaking, “No, Richman Industries killed him, and I blame my mother for that.”
Okay, Holly wasn’t sure what can of worms she’d opened, but she was desperately looking for some sort of reverse can opener to put it back.
Ben must’ve seen the panic in her eyes, as he further stated, “He worked himself to the bones to please my mother, but she was never satisfied. Every dollar he earned, she wanted him to earn two more. Every present he bought her, she’d scoff at and demand something else. He worked his ass off, and all that got him was a heart attack which led him to an early grave.”
“Oh, Ben, I’m so sorry.” Holly wasn’t sure what else to say. She’d only known Ben a few hours, but for him to speak so personally with her, melted her heart. She
fought the urge to run to him and pull him into her arms.
“Don’t be sorry; it wasn’t your fault it was my mothers.”
The pain in his voice crushed her inside. “Now, I understand why you don’t like her.”
“Not liking her, is an understatement. We don’t see eye to eye on anything, and after my dad died, she demanded I take his place as CEO of the company.”
“That’s not what you wanted, right?” Holly asked.
“Hell no.” Ben jerked back. “Whenever there’s a reason I have to step into Richman Industries, I get the heebie-jeebies.” He shuttered. “I fucking hate that place. That’s not the life I want. Since I was a little boy, animals always intrigued me. Everything about them fascinated me, from their loyalty to their unique personalities. They gave me unconditional love when no one else was able to. Even my dad was too busy pleasing my mother to be there for me. Animals were always there, though.”
Holly’s heart went out to Ben as she thought back to her own life. “I completely get it. After my mom died, my dad got us a cat. I loved that cat more than anything in the world. I named her Princess Huffle Stuffle, and she let me tell her all of my secrets. I loved her more than I ever realized. I was heartbroken when she was diagnosed with renal failure and passed away.”
“You and the strange names you pick for your animals.” Ben chuckled. He shook his head, before sighing. “Animals bring out a side of us that we didn’t know we had,” Ben stated. “Animals can calm you. They can protect you and be a companion when you think the world is against you. My dad understood that. He never once pushed me to follow in his footsteps. On the contrary, he did everything in his power to help me achieve my dreams of owning my own veterinarian practice.” Ben reminisced. “I remember the day I graduated from Veterinary Medicine, and he handed me the deed to the building my practice is set up in. He told me he was proud of me and he wished he’d followed his own dreams. Apparently, that caused a fight between my parents. She didn’t understand why my dad wanted me to pursue happiness instead of joining the family business and making as much money as I possibly could.” Ben quickly turned away opening a drawer to retrieve silverware. “I was never sure of her motives, but I knew her pushing for me to be the head of the company was and is to solely to benefit her.” After closing the drawer, he handed Holly her plate. “My father wasn’t even cold yet when my mother started knocking on my door demanding for me to take his place and make her more money.”
“Well shit,” Holly said. “I, uh, don’t even know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. Honestly, I have no idea why I even told you all of this. I normally never talk about it. Plus, I’ve lucked out in life, I walk into my practice every day and know I’m following the path that was laid out for me.”
Ben had a point. He clearly knew what he wanted out of life, and he wasn’t afraid to pursue it. Holly wished she could say the same about herself.
“Now that I know more about you,” Holly said, trying to lighten the mood. “I don’t feel as creeped out that I’m sitting in your kitchen after only meeting you six hours ago, eating a steak that might have been poisoned while my dog has decided you’re a better human being than I am.”
Ben threw his head back and laughed after taking a bite of his food. “You make me laugh, Holly. I like that about you.”
Holly smiled. “Maybe I should change my day job to be a clown?”
“Nah,” he replied. “You’re more the sexy librarian type.” His eyes sparkled with mischief.
“What about that date you promised me?”
Chapter Six
Holly sat at her desk chewing on a pen cap. Every time she tried to focus on cataloging books, her mind would wander to Ben and their evening together. The events of yesterday still boggled her mind. How had she gone from walking Waffles in the park, to having dinner at the Adonis’ house?
She shuttered.
Could she still call Ben her Adonis now that she knew him? A part of her thought it was weird, but then there was another part of her that liked it.
It was rare for someone like Ben to pay attention to someone like her. Sure, he was the reason for her having a chipped tooth, and he probably felt guilty. His pity was more than likely the reason for his actions yesterday. Except there was something about Ben that made her want to believe his motives were honest.
Holly idly ran her tongue along her front tooth. She couldn’t tell there had been work done. Carefully, trying not to irritate her cut, Holly nibbled on her bottom lip, something she did while she was thinking. When she closed her eyes, she could still feel the gentle touch of Ben’s fingertips as he examined her. She couldn’t stop herself as she stroked her tongue over the cut. Leave it to her to be hit with a Frisbee, chip a tooth, and then be cared for by one of the hottest men she’d ever seen. Then that same man turned out to be a Richman.
Holly inadvertently cocked her head to the side as she thought. After talking with Ben, she almost couldn’t see him as a Richman anymore. Not with the way he loathed Richman Industries.
As Holly sat there at her desk, her heart broke for him. It had to be rough living pretty much isolated from your family. She didn’t know what it was like to be secluded from her loved ones. Her dad meant the world to her. Then again, Holly’s dad was loving and supportive. After hearing about Ben’s mother, she couldn’t blame him for eradicating himself from her and Richman Industries. Once Ben finished telling her about his mother, all Holly wanted to do was find his mother and punch her in the nose.
Doing her best to push those thoughts aside she thought back to Ben. How in the world was a man built to be that good looking? Over conversation last night, he’d leaned forward on the table showcasing his solid arms. Then there was the way he looked at her. It was unheard of in her book. The intense gaze in his eyes when he watched her made her heart race.
There was something about him that she couldn’t ignore. Lord knows she was trying to. No man like him would ever be interested in a klutzy woman like her.
Sighing, she opened her eyes to get back to work.
“You better spill.”
Holly was jarred out of her thoughts at the sound of Mildred her sixty-seven-year-old co-librarian. “What?”
“You heard me, missy. There are only two things that can put that type of look on a woman’s face. That’s a man that knows what he’s doing, or food. And I don’t see any food around you. So, you better start spilling your guts.” Mildred pulled the rolling chair from her desk over to where Holly sat. “I’ve been waiting for the day I can start reliving my life through you. Normally, you’ve got your head so far up a book, I thought you were a crazy cat lady with a dried, shriveled up hoo-ha. But now, no sirree, Bub. That face right there is a face of a woman who knows she’s got a man that can bring her to her knees and vice versa.” Mildred waggled her eyebrows.
“Eww. God, Mildred. Do you have to be so crude?” Holly asked before turning away from the nosy woman back to her computer.
“Crude? I wasn’t crude. It’d be crude if I asked how long his dong was?”
“Mildred!”
“What?” She sat back in her chair crossing her legs. “Can I not ask how your day was yesterday?”
Holly pushed back from her desk turning towards her. “Of course, you can ask how my day was. I did the same thing I do every time I have a half day here. I go home and walk Waffles. That’s about it.”
Mildred cocked her head to the side. “That it?” she asked.
“Yes, that’s it.” Holly looked at Mildred. Laughter gleamed in her eyes. That was one thing she loved about the crazy old coot. She’d be the first one to call you on your bullshit. And, she’d also be the first one to back you up in a fight, even though she was sixty-seven she had more fire in her than Holly had seen in anyone.
“Is Waffles the one that’s got your cheeks red, and your eyes filled with lust?”
“Mildred, my eyes are not filled with lust!” she yelled. To her horr
or, she heard someone clear their throat from behind her. She felt her cheeks redden. Doing her best to ignore her embarrassment, she turned ready to apologize for shouting and ask the person what she could do for them. As soon as she saw who was standing there, she panicked. “Ben!”
“Oh, is this the young man that’s got your panties wet?”
Holly shot her head back to Mildred. “Enough, old woman! Back to your witch’s cavern before I sick overdue calls on you?” Holly did her best to be firm, as her insides were a jumbled mess. Of all the things for Ben to hear, the nonsense out of Mildred’s mouth about the state of her panties was not one of them.
Mildred’s face lit. “Yup, this must be the man.” She held out her hand past Holly. “Name’s Mildred. Nice to meet you. I’m glad someone’s finally dusted off the ol’ cobwebs between Holly’s thighs.”
Ben roared with laughter as he shook Mildred’s hand. “What can I say? I’m very satisfying.” He winked.
Mildred turned towards Holly. “You should be lucky I’m not thirty years younger, or I’d be jumping on him so fast it’d make both our heads spin.”
“You’re married,” Holly reminded her.
“And?” Mildred winked before departing into the far end of the library.
“Please excuse Mildred, her old age has made her senile. I think we’re going to have to look into putting her into a home soon,” Holly tried to lighten the situation.
“Huh?” Ben smirked. “That’s a shame. I liked her.”
“Who doesn’t?” Holly sat farther back in her chair, before pushing the hair out of her face. “What can I do for you, Ben? What brings you to my neck of the woods?”
Ben’s face brightened as he leaned his left hip onto her desk. “I was in the area and I figured I’d stop by and say hi.”
She looked at him curiously.
“And, Ripley told me she missed Lord Waffles and wanted a playdate. What do you say to dinner and a movie tonight, your choice?”
“My choice in food or the movie?”
He scrunched his face. “You only get one choice: food or movie. I pick the other.”
