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“How am I? Don’t you think it’s wild running into me? What are you doing here?”
“I’m here on business, and I made Liv come with me. I’m Paige. We met once before, briefly, at Red Rocks.”
Paige was talking, so she didn’t have to. Ben was answering her. More talking she didn’t have to do. Now if she could slink away without him noticing, she’d be fine. But wait, she wanted to listen to his voice a little longer. She loved his voice.
“Where are you going?”
Oh, crap. She’d backed away from him. And he noticed. “Come with me. You, too, Paige.”
“Where are we going? Can you ease up a bit, please?” Ben’s grasp on her hand was tight. “I’m not letting go this time, Liv. If I do, I may never see you again.”
Once they were within the confines of the cabana, Ben pulled out a chair and pointed at it. “Please have a seat.”
When she didn’t sit, he took a step forward. “Liv, please.” He sounded more exasperated than he intended. When she sat he moved to the other side of the table, pulling a chair out for Paige.
He came back, sat next to Liv, and stared at her, wanting to memorize the lines of her face, the curve of her body. Here she was, sitting next to him, this woman who haunted his dreams.
She was a mystery. Didn’t she recognize him? It sounded as though her friend did.
“Now that you may stay put…hi, Liv. How are you? It’s nice bumping into you here.”
“Ha, ha.” She looked away. He touched her cheek, turning her head so she’d look at him.
“Hi, Ben. It’s nice bumping into you, too.” She took a deep breath, and added, “I’m surprised you remember me.” She looked down again. He didn’t want her to look down, he wanted her to look at him. He moved his hand from her cheek to her chin and lifted her gaze to his.
“Why do you run from me?” he whispered.
Paige jumped up from her chair. “I’ll get drinks. Liv? Ben? What would you like?”
“Paige, please sit back down,” he stated, without looking away from Liv. “We have cabana service. Tell me what you want, and I’ll order it for you.”
Paige sat back down.
“Liv, what can I order for you?”
“Lemonade?”
“Is that a question?”
“Lemonade, please.”
“Paige?”
“I need something a little stronger. A Salty Dog please.”
“I’ll be right back…I’m walking a couple feet away…I’m ordering drinks…do not get up from the table…” He kept his voice low and free of inflection, like a hypnotist.
He came back and pulled his chair closer to Liv. “So—let’s start over, way back at the beginning. Why don’t we talk about why you bolt away from me every time I start a conversation with you? Is there something about me you don’t like?” He rubbed his head. “I’m bald. Is that it? You don’t like bald guys.”
“No, I like bald guys. I mean, I like everything about you. No, that isn’t what I mean. See? I can’t even put two thoughts together. I ‘bolt,’ as you put it, because I don’t want you to realize I’m an idiot.”
Ben leaned back and laughed. She was so damned cute. She made him laugh. If there was one thing he was certain of, she wouldn’t be bolting away from him today.
She laughed too. Then Paige did. Ben put his hand on Liv’s arm. “Better now?”
“Yes,” she giggled. “I’m better now.”
He talked them into ordering lunch and when they finished, Paige excused herself to go to a meeting.
