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A
ll through that day Ava wondered how she would thank Benjamin for the donation. In the end she came up with a reservation at GINO’S, his favorite Italian restaurant. Not that this would be all she had in mind for him, but it was a start.
Ava walked up to the restaurant, deep in thought.If Benjamin was trying to erase his past, his dark past with this act of goodwill, then it was indeed working.
“It wasn’t me, really,” she kept telling her coworkers, but they reminded her that she’d been the one to bring in their biggest donor yet.
Still reeling with excitement, she walked into GINO’S, scouting the tables for Benjamin. She genuinely couldn’t wait to look into that handsome face of his and listen to his jokes.
GINO’S was packed, but Benjamin still stood out wherever they went. He was incredibly tall and good-looking. She found him at a table in the corner, next to the bar. He saw her too and waved her over.
Ava sat down next to him. All through the drive here she had wondered how she’d approach him; how she’d thank him. She came up with this and that, but now that he was right here in front of her, all that she could get out was: “From the bottom of my heart…Thank you!”
Ben looked up from the menu and straight at her. “You’re welcome. But for what?” he asked innocently.
“I know it was you. No need to pretend.”
Ben pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes as if he wanted to see if this was a trick question. But Ava withstood the test and he ultimately let out a loud sigh. “Barney?” was all he asked.
Ava shook his head.
“My mother’s high-pitched yell this morning?”
Ava nodded with a big grin.
“Yeah… she is a charmer, isn’t she?”
“The best,” Ava joked.
“Well, if you really want to thank me, then please, I beg you, let’s not make a big deal of it.”
“You donate millions and want to be humble about it?”
“Ben nodded. “Pretty much. Consider us even now... For the thing with the police.” He looked at the menu again as if the conversation was over. But not for Ava.
“That is one expensive police incident you got yourself there. Should have paid the littering ticket instead.”
Ben didn’t answer but nodded with a smile.
“Fine. If you really want me to, I will forget about it.”
“I really want you to,” he reassured her.
Ava smiled shaking her head in disbelief. “All right. Ten million. No big deal. Right?”
“Right.”
“But I have to say…” she said as he sighed, “Benjamin Radcliff, you are something else. But all right, if you truly insist, we won’t make a big deal of it.”
“Good.”
Ava still stared at him with eyes sparkling as bright as the stars, as if she was looking at the modern version of Ghandi.
“Ava… you’re doing that sparkling thing with your eyes.”
“Am I?” she beamed still staring at him.
“Just look at me like you used to, not as if you like me all of a sudden,” he said with his usual grin on his face.
