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“Your best friend still hangs out with his ex?”
“No. They were together at the time. And it’s very sweet that you picked a place that has tofu.”
I notice the little smirk he gives. It makes his eyes dance. Which makes my insides dance with some kind of crazy energy.
We get to our table and Ben tells me to get whatever I want to drink.
“Wine is always good. Are you having something?”
“Tonight, yes.”
“Oh good. I hate drinking alone when I’m with someone.”
“You sound like my sister.”
Ben orders a bottle of wine, a single malt scotch, and an appetizer. I decline the latter but I gulp down a few sips of wine when it arrives. Ben drinks slowly. I wonder if he will consume me the same way.
“How did the bid on your job go?”
“Good. I start this Thursday. Should only take a few days.”
“What will you be doing?”
“Installing a whole house generator. But I’ll have a few other guys helping me because it’s definitely not a one-man job.”
“And then you can get back to the app thing?”
He scrunches his lips, like the taste of that thought is sour. “The app thing is something I monitor continually. But I set it up with one goal in mind.”
“To trap King?”
He nods.
“I hope it works. He’s the last one on my list and I’m damn tired of looking for him. And I know my dad is too. I’ve lost count of how many dead ends he’s come across.”
Ben sips his scotch, regards me with seriousness. “Your list?”
Shit. “List of people I’ve gone through, looking for him. Daddy too. He wants to find him as much as I do. But he doesn’t know that I’m conducting my own search.”
“Keeping secrets from Daddy? Adorable.”
I rub my neck, trying to make light of this. “Well, I’ve done some things he wouldn’t approve of to get information.”
When Ben offers a questioning look I immediately wave my hands. “No, not that. It’s … complicated.”
“I doubt it’s as complicated as you make it out to be.”
He may be right but I stonewall the conversation, sitting quietly until our waitress brings out the appetizer Ben ordered minutes later. I really do want to talk to him. I just don’t want to talk about it right now.
“What do you do when you’re not working?” he asks, tipping an oyster on the half shell past his lips.
“I don’t think I’m ever not working.”
“I feel that.”
“I just got out of a relationship. We’d watch movies, shop, docouplythings together. So I’m relearning how to be alone.”
“Your man liked to shop?” There’s a hint of judgment in his voice. Or maybe just surprise. “Let me guess. Business suits and ties?”
