I knock lightly. There’s a beat of silence before his voice rings out.
“Yes?”
Just hearing his deep baritone makes my arm hairs stand on end.Prepare for battle.
“It’s Kate.” I pause awkwardly. “Adams.”
I hear rustlings inside the office. The creak of a chair. A few seconds later the door swings open and Ben’s large frame fills the threshold. He looks like he’s struggling not to laugh.
“Hi, Kate... Adams.”
“Shaddap.”
He opens the door wider, motioning me inside. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
The sight of his desk chair triggers a sweat-inducing flashback to our last meeting in this office, but I shove aside my PTSD and sit. His desk is even messier than before—still covered with stacks of papers and files, but they’re taller now, and there are more piles on the ground. I make a face at the chaos. How can he work like this?
“I thought I’d come by to acknowledge my receipt of this...uniquegift.” I hold it up as proof of his derangement.
His face lights up. “Do you need me to show you how to use it?” He motions to it with grabby hands.
“I don’t think it requires a PhD.”
He plucks it from my hand and cracks open the packaging. “You should play with it a little so you know how it works. You’d be surprised how you can freeze in the moment.” He tosses the clamshell into a trash can underneath his desk and slides the little instructional pamphlet across the desk to me. I’ve never seen him so animated.
Except for when he told me I was everything wrong with women, of course. Can’t forget that.
“You need to hold it while you’re walking. It won’t be helpful if it’s buried at the bottom of your purse. Also, look around and make eye contact with people. Women who are distracted or on their phones are typically the ones targeted for muggings or... other things.” He demonstrates, holding it in front of his chest while aggressively eyeballing invisible perpetrators.
“Has anyone ever told you you’recra-zee?” I whisper the last part like I’m spilling state secrets.
“You can call me whatever names you want as long as you add it to your key ring,” he says, handing it back over.
“How could I not, after thatcharmingnote you included with it?”
He presses his lips together, suppressing a smile.
“And not that it’s any of your business, but Idoknow the basics of self-defense. An instructor came to my sorority and did a whole demonstration. Walk with keys in your hand so you can jab an attacker in the eye. Don’t wear a ponytail. Don’t use headphones on a run. See?”
He arches a brow. “So you think those cute tips will help you fight off a guy my size?”
“I’ve also seenMiss Congeniality. I know how to SING—solar plexus, instep, nose, groin.”
He shakes his head, apparently unconvinced that movie trivia can have real-world applications. How dare he thumb his nose at Sandra Bullock.
“The point is, I’m not stupid. It’s a short walk, it’s busy and well lit, and I’ve never had a problem. I’m an independent woman, and I depend on me.” I’m Beyoncé now, apparently.
He groans. “I was afraid you were going to say something like that. You have a false sense of security.”
I sit back and cross my legs, considering him. “Is this a trick?”
“Iswhata trick?”
“You, pretending to care. I can’t figure out what your game is.” I twirl the key chain around on my finger. If I whipped it at him, it could take an eye out. It’s tempting.
He leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “There’s no game. I just take safety seriously. Especially when it comes to stubborn women who insist on ignoring the very real risks they’re taking.”
“You know, the only person I’m tempted to use this on isyou.”
