I feel Benny staring at my profile, and my cheeks heat. I’ve never told anyone what I’ve just told him, and I feel…exposed. But also refreshed, in a way that I didn’t expect. A weight I didn’t even realize I was carrying is, if not lifted, then lessened, like it’s been shifted into a comfy backpack that takes away some of the strain.
“You know, I don’t know your friends, and I don’t know allthe things you’ve been through,” Benny says in a low voice. I look at him and find his gaze filled with warmth and admiration. “But I feel pretty confident in saying that they’re already proud of you.You’resmart,you’restrong, and though it’s not the most important part by a long shot, you’re beautiful.”
“There’s that smooth talker again,” I say with a laugh that I mean to sound light and teasing, but probably doesn’t hide the fact that I’m freaking out on the inside over his compliments, so simply stated but so monumental to me all the same. And that look he’s still giving me—who needs a beach bonfire to heat things up? Not him, apparently.
“I mean it. I’m pretty confident you already deserve your friends.” He glances down at the sand with a small half smile. A breeze blows and, despite my date’s hotness, I realize how chilly I’m getting.
“You want to walk?” I suggest, mostly to get my blood pumping but also because I don’t want Benny to feel like he has to keep praising me all night. He nods and we set off side by side down the beach.
“Hey, can I take your picture here? You know, making an appearance on the Instagram.”
I laugh, skipping down the beach to stand in front of the water and stretch my arms out wide. He snaps a couple of photos and gives me a thumbs-up, calling out, “Perfect, Reese’s Cup.”
Smirking, I return to walk beside him, leaning in closer to try to get some of his warmth.
“You cold?” he asks, and I nod. “Should I…?”
I feel his arm shift behind me and I answer, “Um, yeah. Sure.”
His hand comes to my shoulder and pulls me closer. He rubs up and down my upper arm a few times to generate some heat, and it’s like I can feel the touch down to my toes. When I shiver this time, it isn’t temperature related.
This guy.
“How much time do you spend in the gym, boy?” I’m nothing if not tactful.
A startled laugh escapes him. “Um, every other day typically. More if I need to de-stress or something on an off-day. It relaxesme.”
“Naps relax me,” I murmur.
“I like those, too.”
“Do you wear a hat to the gym?”
Another laugh. “No, actually.”
“So youcantake it off ?” I reach up and poke his cap. “I was starting to suspect it was a Darth Vader situation.”
“A Darth Vader situation?”
“You know, like you were in a lightsaber battle that almost killed you and now this hat is your life support slash armor that you have to wear to stay alive. And it gives you a deep, husky voice.”
Benny brings his hand up and pulls my head toward him, pretending to mess up my hair. I laugh and break away, but I’m pleased when he tucks me back against his side.
“Reese,”he says into his free hand cupped over his mouth, in a deep, staticky attempt at a Vader voice.“You…are…a…nerrrrd.”
I let out a particularly embarrassing snort. “And you’re not especially good at impersonations, Benvenidos.”
He bends over laughing at that one. “It’s actually bienvenidos, if you were going for Spanish, Reese’s Cup, and benvenuto in Italian.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, okay, and you’reactuallythe nerd here.”
We continue walking, talking, and laughing for a while, and even when the sun starts to set, I don’t feel cold. I think I could stay out here all night if sleep wasn’t a thing. I’m comfortable with Benny, and more than that,happy.But between the darkening sky and our yawns increasing in frequency, heading home seems imminent. As we walk back to the park entrance, my phone buzzes in my pocket. Benny is distracted calling us a car, so I take the opportunity to check it.
There’s a new email from Aiden and a new calendar notification, both linked to my work account and labeledFoF Bainbridge Island Weekend.
It might as well be a bucket of cold water dumped over my head. As I open the email and skim for pertinent information, my heart beats faster. It looks like they’ve planned a trip this weekend—as in, two days from now—to a cabin owned by one of the suits, where we’ll be filming special episodes of a few different FoF series. We’ll stay overnight Friday and Saturday andpartake in various “rustic” culinary activities, such as fishing and cooking over a campfire.
Beneath the details about where and when to meet Friday, there are sections in which Aiden has laid out what particular people should bring and/or plan for. I scroll until I seeBenny/Reesein bold letters, followed by, “Expect to film an ep of AH with special guests. Bring your A game and positive attitudes.”
