14
Imanaged to avoid seeing Ben alone again for two weeks. After we hired Lee, she needed to be trained and I stayed in the shop to help as much as I could so that Cam could see Brody now that they were dating.
And surprise of surprises, I really liked it. Once I got used to being on my feet for hours at a time, I wasn't so exhausted when I got off work. Cam was great to work with and Lee turned out to be worth her weight in gold.
She put together a marketing plan for the shop that was both smart and affordable. She learned quickly, asked intelligent questions, and when she offered a suggestion it was always well-thought-out and useful.
I guess Cam and I really did owe Natalie Phelps a bouquet of flowers for recommending Lee. And the comment I'd made about Lee being our boss, well, she probably should have been. The woman was organized beyond belief and she seemed so much more mature than me, even though she was three years younger.
Today was my first day away from the shop pretty much since I'd arrived. I slept in, drank coffee, and fiddled with the website for Crave.
I'd also sent an email to my boss. I hadn't heard from him since the last time I'd had dinner with Ben, two weeks ago. My vacation was rapidly coming to an end and I wasn't ready. I asked Mr. Barnes to extend my time off by another two weeks, which would give me eight weeks total, with the promise that I would work remotely should any projects arise that needed my attention.
To my complete and utter shock, he'd agreed to those terms. In a cordial email that included the words "thank you."
For a split second, I worried that the alien robot invasion that Ben joked about was actually happening.
Still, I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. I wanted the extra two weeks and I got it.
I'd also started a half-hearted search for a house or apartment in the area but, with Farley being such a small town, there wasn't much to choose from. When I mentioned this to Cam, all she said was that I should take my time and I was always welcome in her home.
I didn't cry, but it was a near thing.
Speaking of Cam, even though she was still going into Crave on a regular basis, I knew she’d be comfortable taking more days off as soon as Lee was finished with her training in the day-to-day essentials of running the shop. Honestly, I felt like Lee had a better grasp than I did, but Cam wanted to give her a little more time, a week, maybe two, before she was the only manager on duty at the shop.
But none of that mattered tonight because I had plans with Ben. Just the two of us at his place. He was making me dinner and we were going to watch a new movie. He'd offered to take me out, but I didn't want the townsfolk staring at me like a bug under a microscope. Or gossiping about the two of us because it would definitely get back to Colette.
I was relieved that I'd come clean about my friendship with Ben with Cam. Well, partially clean.
I ran into an issue when I was getting ready to leave though. I found myself reaching for a vee neck shirt that showed off my boobs.
Nope, nope, nope. Not gonna do that.
Instead, I grabbed a girl-fit Captain Marvel tee, a pair of worn Levi's that were as comfortable as my leggings, and a pair of slip-on sneakers. In other words, I looked like my usual self but in slightly less baggy clothes.
What? I didn't want to torture him...much. But I also didn't want to look like a complete slob around him now either. I didn't have a lot of female friends, but I was fairly certain this was normal even amongst women. Right?
Okay, so even if I wasn't planning on sleeping with him again, I still wanted him to think I was hot. I could admit it. To myself at least.
So, when I knocked on his door at six-thirty, I smelled good, wore a cuter version of my usual outfit, and carried a four-pack of my favorite hard cider that happened to be produced in Austin, Texas. Ben was more of a beer guy, but I'd been bugging him to try it. When I saw it in the grocery store today, it seemed like fate.
When he opened the door, I nearly threw the cans of cider on the ground so I could leap on him like a horny monkey.
He wore a pair of jeans and a few drops of water and that was it.
"Hey, sorry, I'm running behind. Come on in while I grab a shirt."
He shut the door behind me and walked by, using a towel to dry off his damp hair. "Client was late picking up her car and I definitely needed a shower before I ate. I think I had grease in my ears. I'll be right back."
I couldn't bring myself to say anything because I doubted I could form complete sentences. I watched as a droplet of water slithered down the furrow of his spine and disappeared into the waistband of his jeans.
Why me? Why did I have to show up right as he got out of the shower? I bit the knuckle of my index finger and forced myself to turn my back to the sight of him walking away.
I carried the hard cider to the fridge and put the cans inside, minus one. I needed it to cool myself off before Ben came back out.
The oven was on, so I wandered over to it while I sipped my hard cider. I peeked inside and the scent of meat and spices drifted out. Mmmm, barbeque.
"I picked up some brisket at the local joint. Late client ruined my plans to cook."
