“You don’t have a call with theTimes.”
I whipped around, almost falling into a row of motorized scooters. Which would have been disastrous, since they all would have tipped like dominoes.
“I don’t, but I perfectly well could have, so I resent your assumption.”
Ben grinned, showing off his dimples. “We’ve got to stop hanging out like this—me chasing you out of restaurants.”
I crossed my arms. “Too soon, Ben. Read the room. Alexis only just started speaking to me again. It’s been a chilly few days at home and I’d like to put the whole thing behind me.”
I did not ask what Sarah had said to him after he finally returned to her from the alley, because I was not curious. Nope. Didn’t care that she probably thought I was bananas. It’s not like we were going to meet at the mall to shop for outfits to celebrate her future pipeline deal or anything. What would even fit the occasion—a power suit stitched together from clubbed baby seals?
“I thought you’d be stoked about the endorsement.” Ben still wore that lottery-winning grin. “Janus said yes.We got him!The bill lives.”
“Jesus, how many congratulations do you need? Would you like me to throw you a parade? Hire a skywriter?”
Ben’s smile wobbled. “I got us Willie Nelson.”
I took my chances and leaned against one of the scooters. “Yes, well, it’s extremely annoying when a coworker you dislike is good at their job.”
“Just because I said you’re treading water in an ocean of idealism, you suddenly dislike me?”
“That wasn’t great, but it was actually the part where I kind of thought we’d evolved beyond our bet into partners, then you hid your plans to make sure you got all the credit for winning with Janus. Unfair advantage, by the way. Do you know what I could have accomplished ifIhad Willie Nelson’s number on speed dial? I probably would have cured global warming by now.”
Ben nodded knowingly. “I see. You stopped playing to win and now you can’t handle the heat. You’re seeing your future, and it hasassistantwritten all over it. I’m not going to apologize for being excellent.”
“No one’s asking you to. Let’s just stop waffling back and forth between being rivals and friends. No more hanging out in bars or restaurants or on the campaign trail. No more reminiscing and no more banter.”
“No more banter?” Ben clutched his heart. “Oh, what will I do?”
I ignored him. “I want to focus on kicking your ass.”
Unfortunately, the power of my statement was undercut by the scooter giving way under me, wheels spinning. It and I pitched toward the sidewalk—
—only to be rescued by Clark Kent. Ben’s muscled arms seized me and set me upright, hands gripping my shoulders, keeping me steady. A single lock of dark hair fell over his forehead as he leaned closer with a look of wonder.
“You actually fell standing still.”
I shook his hands off my shoulders. “Wrong again. I was just getting on the scooter to ride home.”
Ben raised two skeptical brows sky-high. “You, ride a scooter? Two weeks ago, when we were leaving Shakespeare on the Green, you saw someone on a scooter almost get run over by a car and said, ‘Darwin doesn’t win every time.’”
The truth was, I’d ridden to lunch with Wendy and actually did need a way back to the office. I glanced at the instructions. Goddammit, I had to download an app to get this thing started.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said. “They’re very good for the environment.”
“Okay.” Ben leaned back and crossed his arms. “Let’s see it.”
“You’re going to watch?”
“You bet your ass I’m going to watch. There’s nothing in this world I want more than to see you eat it on a scooter.”
I finished downloading the app and linked it to my Venmo, silently praising millennial entrepreneurs for making it frighteningly easy to give this motorized scooter access to my bank account. I might regret it later, during Skynet times, but for now I was one step closer to getting away from Ben.
“What are you doing this weekend, by the way?”
“Not seeing you,” I said quickly.
“Obviously. I’m just making conversation. Otherwise we’re standing here in silence.”
