This time I did look at him, but only after I'd rolled my eyes. "If I wanted to talk about it, I'd be home with Cam right now." I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed. Shit. "I'm sorry. That was bitchy. But, no, I don't really want to talk about it. I'm the asshole in the story and I'm pretty sure it would kill the mood."
And I hoped my little outburst hadn't just killed the mood either because I wasn't sure what I would do if that was the case.
Ben may have said no pressure, but my lady bits hadn't gotten the memo. If I had to have a single drink with him and go home because I was hairy and stinky, I would probably die of blue bean.
"You just got quiet," Ben commented. "Second thoughts?"
"I'm fine." But a change of subject was in order. "Just worried you have weird stuff at your house."
He glanced at me and I could see the flash of his smile in the dim cab. "Like what?"
"Let's see...if you've got a big snake in an aquarium, I'm out. Snakes are okay but they don't belong in any room where I'm going to be."
He laughed but didn't say anything. Which made me forget about my legs and armpits and start worrying about whether or not he had a big-ass python somewhere in his house.
"Please tell me you don't own a snake or iguana or any other kind of exotic reptile that might otherwise bite, scratch, or squeeze me to death."
Ben laughed again, longer and louder this time. "The only pet I have is Betty Boop."
I waited but he didn't elucidate, so I prompted him. "Is Betty Boop a reptile or amphibian?"
He shook his head.
"Is she a mammal?"
Another head shake.
Now, I was getting really worried. If his choice of pets led me to miss out on what I hoped would be some awesome sex, I was going to be mightily put out.
"Crustacean. Betty Boop is a hermit crab," he admitted.
I grinned and bounced in my seat. "You have a hermit crab? That's awesome. I had one when I was a kid but never got another one because I travel too much for work."
Ben shrugged. "I originally bought Betty for Jacks, but her mom refused to let her keep it. Something about not wanting a nasty bottom-dweller in her house."
Hmmm. Jack's mom sounded like she'd get along great with my parents. "So you kept it?"
"Well, yeah. How else will Jacks get to play with Betty?"
My heart melted, just a little. He loved his niece.
"Now that Monica and Brody are divorced, I need to hit him up about taking the aquarium home so Jacks can have her all the time and I can get some counter space back."
"I bet Jacks would love that."
I'd been so distracted by our conversation that I hadn't noticed that we'd left the city limits of Farley.
"Wow, are you taking me to your secret murder spot?" I asked him as we continued down the dark road, not a streetlight in sight.
Ben shot me a look. "Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow."
I laughed. He not only got my sense of humor, he was able to throw it right back to me.
He turned at a gravel drive and I saw the name Murphy on the mailbox as we passed by.
"Wanted peace and quiet, huh?" I asked as we tooled down what had to be the longest driveway I'd ever seen. I couldn't even see the house due to the trees on each side of the drive.
"Yep. Keeps the more persistent door-to-door solicitors at bay."
