“Sorry,” Ben held his hands up in surrender, still laughing with his eyes, making Mike roll his. He knew better than to ask Ben for advice. He was better off talking to Sam. He hadn’t had trouble getting the girl. He met his girlfriend because of a runaway dog. Linzy ran a dog rescue at her grandparents old farm. One of her dogs escaped into Sam’s garage. Since they first met, they had just clicked. True her other neighbor tried killing her for their land but Sam and the team had rushed to save the day. He just thought since Ben had once been their group Casanova, and was already here, he’d have better advice, but if he was going to laugh at him about it he’d go elsewhere.
“I’m sorry. I’m only teasing. What do you need from me?” His face was finally serious.
“I really like this girl, Midas.” He reverted to Ben’s call sign. It was old habit when just the team was together.
“I’m guessing the feeling is mutual,” he said, even though he probably already knew the answer. Mike had known Ben for almost five years. They were brothers in arms. They knew everything about each other. No one kept secrets. It’s why their team was so successful and deadly.
“She does.” He had always wondered, but after today there was no more second-guessing. He knew Destiny cared for him as more than a friend, the same way he cared for her.
“I’m happy for you, man.” Ben clapped him on the back. “So what do you need? We can treat it like an op. I can watch from a van down the road, you have an earpiece, and I can tell you what to say.”
Yeah, no.
“This isn’t an op. This is a woman I care a lot about.” He was not going to treat her like a mission. He didn’t want the others listening in on them, telling him what to say.
“We’ve already established that. But we haven’t done any ops with the women. It could be fun.” He almost sounded whiny.
“Let’s save that for an anniversary night or something for Aaron and Abigail.” They would be the ones to get the biggest kick out of it. Ben rubbed his hands eagerly and Mike wondered what kind of monster he unleashed.
“So many ideas, but first let’s talk about you and…”
“Destiny.”
“Destiny,” Ben repeated.
God, were they going to keep doing this? He’d say something and Ben would just repeat it?
“It was Destiny that you met.” Ben’s chuckle ended in a groan when Mike punched him in the stomach.
“Don’t. Just don’t,” Mike scowled, his nostrils flaring.
“I deserved that.” Ben started coughing. “Fuck, my kidney.”
“That’s the wrong location for a kidney. I hit more where your spleen is.”
“Who are you, Carter? You a doctor now?” Ben stood up rubbing his stomach. “I think there might be internal bleeding. I’m going to start coughing up blood.”
Mike rolled his eyes. He didn’t punch him that hard. Ben was being a baby. “Grow up, Hannah will kiss it better.”
And just like that, Ben was over it. “True, she is good at kissing my boo-boos better.”
This really was a mistake. “I’m leaving.” This was turning into a waste of time.
“Hey wait, you asked for help.”
He did and wasn’t getting any. Ben was just making fun of him. Yet, he stopped anyway. “I did, but this isn’t helpful.”
“You really do have to like this girl. I’ve never seen you so defensive.” Ben looked at him as if seeing him with new eyes.
“I do.” He rubbed the back of his head in frustration, glad he kept his hair short or he’d rub his head bald. “Ben, you know I don’t date like most of you guys. I’m terrible around women. I’m worried I’m going to fuck this up.” It galled him to admit it, but this was serious. He was already overthinking this. Worried about what to say and what not to say. It was enough to give him a headache.
“I’m sorry I was giving you such grief. I know you get nervous around women, but this is something else. She must be special.”
“She is,” he said without hesitation.
“And why am I just now hearing about this lady?” Ben crossed his arms over his chest and glared at him like a angry father who just caught his kid sneaking in late.
Ben was tall, but he was taller, so it didn’t intimidate him. “It’s no one’s business.”
