Cupid's Mistake

by Chantilly White

  Allison rolled her eyes, and Ben's jaw visibly clenched, but he didn't rise to the bait. Mia hurried into the tense silence, probably to keep Jeff from speaking further.

  "Alli, what happened?" she asked, worry crinkling her forehead.

  Explaining made her tired, and thirsty, but she got through it. Derrick and Greg shook hands with Ben, and Mia hugged him tightly, though Jeff remained aloof. Once the initial tension eased, Allison was able to breathe more fully.

  "What are you guys doing here?" she asked, even though she thought she knew.

  Mia confirmed her suspicions. "Your mom called Jeff, who called me all in a dither, saying you were on your death bed and some strange man was staying with you. I tried to explain, but he hung up on me, so Derrick and I raced over here to keep him from ripping Ben's head off." She cast an apologetic glance at Ben before continuing. "It's nice to finally meet you, by the way." Facing Allison again, she said, "I do want to know why none of us even knew you were sick, but luckily, we all got here at the same time. Crisis averted."

  Greg said, "I'm just along for the show," with a wink for Ben.

  Obviously bewildered, Ben spread his hands before him. "I don't understand. I spoke with Helen myself, everything seemed fine."

  Jeff tcha'd indignantly. "Of course she wouldn't let on how worried she was to you. Does she know you? No, she does not. Allison's her baby girl, you could have been an axe murderer for all she knew."

  "Oh, my Lord," Allison said under her breath. Mia elbowed her gently in the side.

  Thrusting his cell phone at Allison, his face turned dramatically away from her, Jeff said, "Call your mother before she harasses me into an early grave. You can explain to Helen why, in your moment of need, you turned to a stranger instead of your own mother or your best friends in the world."

  Wincing, Allison reached out to take the phone, but Derrick snatched it from Jeff's grasp. "I'll do it," he said to Allison. "You're in no condition to deal with her."

  Glaring at Jeff, who crossed his arms and turned pointedly away, Derrick took the phone and left the room. The words, "Helen? She's fine. No, I'm here now," floated back to the crowded bedroom as he walked down the hall toward the kitchen.

  An awkward silence fell over the group. Standing up, Mia held out a hand to Allison and offered to help her shower, so with one cautious glance between Ben and Jeff, Allison agreed. Jeff pushed in front of Ben and swept her into his arms to carry her into the bathroom, but she mouthed a silent, "Thank you," to Ben over Jeff's shoulder, which seemed to ease the look in his eyes. Greg gave her a shooing wave of his hand to indicate they'd be fine.

  In the bathroom, Jeff deposited her on the closed toilet seat, then crouched in front of her, his hands on her cheeks. "Are you really all right, honey?" he asked.

  Nodding, Allison placed her forehead to rest against his. "I am now. I'm sorry you were worried."

  He hugged her gently, then kissed the top of her head. "What's a little sheer terror between friends? Next time, call us, though, okay?"

  "There better not be a next time," she muttered.

  "Just feel better, sweet pea. I love you."

  Hugging him again, Allison closed her eyes against the tears that wanted to spring. "I love you, too. Thanks."

  "All right, you, time to go," Mia said, waving him out. "Shoo."

  "Let me know if you need any help," he said.

  "We've got it, but thanks. You could make sure she's got clean pjs and something hot to drink when she gets out."

  "I'm on it," he said, saluting them with a debonair flip of the hand.

  Alone in the bathroom with Mia, Allison said, "Do you think the guys will be okay out there?"

  "Derrick will keep an eye on them, don't worry," Mia soothed. "Come on. You'll feel better once you're cleaned up."

  The shower took way longer than it should have. Her muscles simply refused to cooperate, and she had to take several breaks to sit and get her breath back, even with Mia's help, but finally, it was done. Her hair hung, heavy and wet, down her back. She sat again on the lowered toilet seat lid while Mia painstakingly worked out the snarls. Brushing her teeth was heaven. But by the time her toilette was complete, she was exhausted.

  "Stay here," Mia murmured.

  Minutes later, she returned with Ben, who lifted her into his arms and carried her back to bed. Someone had changed her linens while she was in the bath, so she slid into fresh, cool sheets with a grateful sigh.

  Mia brushed her hand over her forehead, then leaned down to place a kiss there. "Get some rest," she said. "I'll get the guys out of here."

  Allison smiled at her, her eyes drooping heavily, but when Ben would have turned away, she reached for his hand and tugged him back to face her. With the last of her energy, she smiled up at him and said, "Thank you, Ben."

  He held her gaze, and the moment stretched out, too many emotions flowing between them to decipher them all. Gratitude, trust, affection. Beyond that, she wasn't ready to say.

  Ben's mouth kicked up in that little half-smile she was starting to think she couldn't live without, and his grip tightened briefly on her fingers.

  "I'd say any time, but let's hope that's not necessary," he said, giving her a wink and a squeeze of her fingers. She tightened hers, and smiled again, but released his hand.

  The soul-mate thing had always seemed like a bit of a game, stories she halfheartedly believed in, hoped for, but not really. Her incredible reaction to Ben when they'd first met had spooked her more than she'd wanted to admit. But after spending nearly two full days—two very intimate days—with him, her whole perspective had shifted. She might not have been ready for him, but like it or not, this—whatever this was—had weight and substance to it, had shockingly genuine feelings careening through her veins.

  It didn't matter that they hardly knew each other. It held the promise of joy. It had the power to hurt. No middle ground existed. She'd either tumble down that treacherous slope and crash, or survive and claim him as hers forever.

  Either way, she'd have to find out. But not now. Not yet. She needed to get her strength back. She needed to keep it casual a bit longer, or she'd risk showing her cards too early, before she was ready to manage the hand she'd been dealt, courtesy of Dee and Cupid.

  Maybe it was cowardly, but she wanted just a little longer to come to grips with the powerful emotions he'd raised without even trying. To be sure they were real before she risked scaring him off. Or scaring herself.

  Ben flicked his finger lightly over the tip of her nose before turning toward the door. The last thing she saw was his face as he looked over his shoulder at her once more and turned off the overhead light. She was asleep before he crossed the threshold.

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  It took more than a week for Allison to get her full strength and appetite back, though she still looked a bit pale even after ten days. Ben spent at least part of every day with her, helping her when she needed it or just keeping her company, conducting his business when she dealt with hers. He did her grocery shopping and gathered her mail, and in the evenings they watched TV together, snuggled up on her couch. He cooked her meals, anything he could think of to get her to eat.

  The day she asked for two cheeseburgers, a chocolate shake and an order of fries from In-N-Out, he knew she was cured.

  He took her to see the home he'd chosen, and they walked the beach, hand in hand, slowly. It felt right, having her there. Her delight in the house cemented his choice in his mind.

  Her friends came over several times, singly, in pairs, or as a group, including DeeDee and Sally. Eventually, he decided he liked them all. Even Jeff, who continued to give him the cold shoulder until they got into a discussion about musicals and musical theater. Ben sided with Jeff against the rest of them with his opinions on a particular version of Les Misérables, and after that they were fast friends. Greg had gifted him with a smile and a wink behind Jeff's back.

  And all the while, he and Allison talked. He discovere
d other sides to her beyond her party-princess image over the days and weeks they spent together. He admired her business sense, enjoyed her humor. She loved her friends and family deeply, was fiercely loyal. Having gone through her illness together, the usual stiffness of a new relationship had disappeared, at least once she got over her embarrassment. He teased her out of it by reminding her he'd seen the inside of her stomach. There could be no secrets between them after that.

  They discussed their respective families, friends, and school experiences. Allison shared her goals for her business with him. He told her all about his travels and his ideas for bettering parts of the world he'd seen. He even told her about Caitlyn, the whole story, not the bits and pieces she'd heard from Sally. He told her why he'd left the way he had and why he'd finally come back.

  Eyes damp, she'd held his hand hard in hers. "I can't even imagine."

  The tears Allison shed had touched him deeply and helped to further heal the wounded part of his heart where Caitlyn's memory lived.

  It worried him sometimes, how fast he'd fallen for Allison, but sometime during the second day of her illness, the realization had simply taken him over. Now it was just right. It worried him, too, that she was really the only woman he'd dated since Caitlyn, but he knew himself. Once love lodged in his heart, it was there to stay. Would playing the field change anything in how he felt about Allison? No. It would only delay the inevitable. He saw no point in playing that game.

  This time with her was like a relationship retreat, an intensive program to condense months of dating into a few short days, bonding them together tightly despite the still-chaste manner of their courtship.

  And it was a courtship, or that was how he thought of it, anyway. He hadn't quite got up the nerve to broach that topic with Allison yet, but sometimes he caught her looking at him in such a way that made him believe she felt as deeply for him as he already did for her.

  The only fly in the ointment was the nonstop stream of phone calls she received at all hours. From men. Not just one man, or even two. Lots of men.

  How was he supposed to compete with all that variety?

  To her credit, she didn't seem to encourage them when she spoke to any of them on the phone, but how could she with him sitting in the next room? He didn't think of himself as insecure, nor did he mind a little competition. He'd willingly work to have her to himself. But there sure were a lot of competitors.

  She was far more serious-minded than he'd first given her credit for, dedicated to her business and her friends. He didn't want to tame the wild side of her, other than to secure himself as the only man in her life. The question was whether his party princess was ready to give up that part of her social calendar for a life with him. He had some convincing to do.

  Logic, reason and caution aside, he'd made up his mind.

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  "So," Mia said, plopping on the floor next to Allison's couch with a stack of bridal magazines spread around her in a fan, "how's it going with lover boy, and where is he tonight?"

  Sitting above Mia on the purple couch, her legs stretched out beneath one of her grandmother's ancient afghans, Allison thwacked Mia on the head with a rolled up copy of Mia's Orange County Bride.

  "He's not my lover boy," she said moodily, "and he's babysitting for Sally. Her ex dropped the kids off with no notice, and she had an event she couldn't get out of."

  Mia twisted around to look Allison in the face. "Trouble in Camelot?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "You tell me. He's your knight in shining armor while you're sick and afterward. You've been making googly eyes at each other for weeks, but now you're all—" She waved her hand to indicate Allison's face. "So what's the problem?"

  Allison shrugged. "No problem," she said, grabbing the pint of Ben and Jerry's from between her knees for a bite. "It's just. . ."

  Snaking the ice cream out of her hands, Mia helped herself to a spoonful. "Mmmmm," she said. "That's good." Handing it back, she rubbed a hand over Allison's arm. "It's just what?"

  "He hasn't—we haven't—and I don't know how to bring it up. He introduces himself to you guys as my boyfriend, then doesn't say another word about it. It's not like we're dating, we're just hanging out. He comes over, we talk and eat and watch TV, and that's it."

  "That sounds like dating to me," Mia interjected.

  "Yeah, well." Allison sighed. "You were a virgin until Derrick, so what do you know?"

  She said it lightly, and Mia laughed along with her, but inside, Allison's frustration had developed a keen edge. She was fully recovered now, finally, but Ben continued to treat her like a China doll. After that incredible oh-my-God kiss in the restaurant parking lot, she was dying for another dose.

  There'd been comfort in the hours they'd spent together, for sure. A sense of rightness and belonging. But she'd experienced those same feelings when hanging out with Mia, or Derrick, or Jeff. What about the rest? What about passion, desire, sex?

  Fluttering her hands in frustration, Allison said, "There's no. . . oomph. No moves. The most he's done is kiss me on the forehead. I'm not contagious, I had food poisoning."

  "You know what your problem is," Mia said, snagging another bite of ice cream before Allison could swat her hands away, "you're too used to getting what you want."

  "What's the point in not getting what you want? I want him, and I know damn well he wants me. I can't figure him out."

  Mia's expression was sympathetic, but Allison read amusement underneath. She ground her teeth. "It's not funny! He's driving me crazy. He just won't. . . He just won't."

  Tapping a finger against the point of her chin, Mia said, "Have you, you know. . . done the thing?"

  "What thing?"

  "The thing-thing!" she said, exasperated. "Your thing, the 'come hither, big boy' thing. You wink and twitch your hips and the men fall like dominoes."

  Laughing now, Allison said, "I do no such thing."

  "Trust me, as your best friend who's seen you in action a bazillion times, yes, you most certainly do. Maybe he's waiting for a sign. You were pretty sick. He doesn't know your usual style. He might be afraid of moving too fast and scaring you off."

  "Huh," Allison said. "That'd be a first."

  "Look, you're used to a certain kind of guy, because that's the kind of guy you've wanted. Ben's different. He's not a player. He respects you, and he likes you. But I don't get the sense he's the type to chase after you the way you're used to. You might have to take point on this one."

  Considering, Allison flipped the pages of the magazine. Was Mia right? She'd gotten so used to being the pursued one. The chase-ee, not the chaser. She was used to getting what she wanted, when she wanted, with whom she wanted, but she rarely if ever made the first move. She didn't have to. If she wanted Ben, and she wanted him more now than ever after getting to know him these past weeks, maybe she'd have to be a bit more proactive.

  "Oooh, I like that one," Mia said, stopping Allison's page-flipping fingers to pinpoint a wedding dress on a page Allison hadn't really seen.

  "Get the stickies," Allison said. Taking the sticky-note tab from Mia's proffered finger, she marked the spot. Studying the dress, she said, "I like it, but I think you need something more here, and less there." She sketched over the dress with her fingers to demonstrate. "It's too froufy over the boobs, you'll look like Dolly Parton."

  Mia frowned. "Maybe," she agreed, "but it's still going in the try-it-on pile."

  Sighing mentally, Allison continued to flip pages while Mia marked every other page in the magazine she held. At the rate Mia was going, they'd need a week for her to try on all the dresses she'd picked out, but she knew her friend. As soon as Mia saw the right one, she'd know it, and that would be that. Sort of like her own family of women with the men in their lives.

  The Kelly Women's Intuition.

  If her initial reaction to Ben was anything to go on, those feelings had only deepened over the days of her illness and in the weeks since. The
y might not have discussed their own relationship, but they'd talked about everything else under the sun. She felt she knew him every bit as well as she knew Mia, Jeff and Derrick, and those relationships had developed over nearly ten years.

  But what if he didn't feel the same? What if he was only being nice, taking care of her the way he had and keeping her company? Was he waiting for her to make the first move, or did he not feel the incredible sexual pull she did? She'd never questioned her own sex appeal before, it had always been a given. But it had never mattered as much before, either.

  If Ben truly was her soul mate, she didn't want to screw it up by moving too fast or making the wrong move. On the other hand, the frustration was driving her crazy. She wanted him like she wanted her next breath. Just thinking about his warm fingers gliding over her flesh raised goose bumps all over her body.

  Was that all, though? She'd had good sex—plenty of it—in the years since losing her virginity to Richie Snyder in the backseat of his daddy's Chevy Impala when she was seventeen. But Ben did things to her insides she hadn't felt for anyone else. Was sexual attraction the only thing making her debate giving up her carefree lifestyle, making her think in terms of ceremonies, white dresses and promises before God?

  Lost in the bridal magazine in her lap, her best friend beside her, Allison explored her emotions over the hours and days with Ben since they'd first met. That first astonishing splash of There he is, followed by waves of yearning, rolling swells of feelings. Deep, dark depths of desire.

  Was that love?

  Another sigh slipped between her lips. She didn't know, but one thing was certain. She needed to find out.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  An hour later, Mia left to meet Derrick, every magazine heavily tabbed, and Allison made her decision. Sally wasn't due back until late, so Ben would be occupied pretty much all night. But there was no reason she couldn't go over to the house and have an adult conversation with him while the girls slept. It was after nine o'clock, surely they'd be in bed.