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Ben turns, still wearing that wary, resigned smile. "No, not another time?"
I swallow my anxiety, "N-no, I don't want you to leave." I stutter and blush, my heart beating erratically. Reckless! Risky! It thunders in my chest. Woman up, I chastise myself.
"It's just... I made all this food. My sister and her fiancé were supposed to come over for dinner but... well, clearly, she's not coming. Do you like roasted chicken?"
Ben's face lights up like a kid on Christmas, and I've never seen anything so endearing. "Yes, ma'am. I love it." His ever-present smirk and dimples reappear as he walks back towards me. It's only after he steps inside that I realize I'm holding my breath and let it out in a soft whoosh as I close the door behind him. I can't believe Olive did this to me. A quiet voice in the back of my head whispers Not to me. For me.
Ben is standing in the entryway, rubbing his hands together and looking around.
"Yeah, it's... kind of empty," I apologize. I have one couch in the living room, a small table with four chairs in the dining room and not much else. I lick my lips, painfully nervous at what he might be thinking. "I've never lived alone before, so I don't have enough stuff to fill a house."
Ben grins at me. "I like it," he drawls. "It's uncluttered."
I let out a relieved laugh. "It is definitely that." I lead him into the dining room and set down the wine and gift bag on the table. I'm itching to open them both, but my curiosity is outweighing everything else.
"Ben, what's with the lettuce?" I ask.
He fights back a chuckle as he takes it from my hands, his fingers brushing mine. "It's for Frankie. I read that tortoises love romaine. I figured it was only fair I bring her a housewarming gift too."
My mouth hangs half open and I blink at him as I process what he just said. "You- you brought my tortoise a present?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"That might be the sweetest thing I've ever heard."
"I aim to impress," he replies. He's moved closer. Or maybe that was me? It's like he's lined his pockets with magnets and he's drawing me in so slowly I don't notice until I'm lost in the smell of him.
Shaking myself back to my senses, I ask, "Do you want to feed that to her? It's cute as hell when she gets going on something she likes." Ben eyes me appreciatively as his smile grows even larger.
