Page 12 of Under The Cherry Blossoms
SKYE:Soooooo….
BEN:Soooooo?
SKYE:Cassidy is insisting on meetingyou.
BEN:The infamous Cassidy. I don’t know whether to be excited orterrified.
SKYE:Terrified. The answer isterrified.
“Stopthat!”
Tap, tap, tap,tap.
I glare at Cassidy as she continues to tap her nails on the tabletop.
“Can youpleasestop, you’re driving meinsane.”
“He’s not coming, is he? Spanky’s standing meup.”
“Like I’ve told you about thirty times in the last twenty minutes, he is coming, he messaged me and he’s just running a bit late, that’s all. And oh my god he has a name, Cass, please use it when he gets here, I begyou.”
Cassidy rolls her eyes and my frustration mounts. “I’m not making any promises. I’m going to use the bathroom, be right back.” As she sashays away, I bury my head in my arms and suppress a loud groan. This has disaster written all over it. Cassidy and Ben are both way too eager to meet each other, and the butterflies in my stomach are telling me that there’s a train wreckahead.
Sucking in a deep, calming breath, I raise my head to indulge in some people watching; one of my guilty pleasures. The restaurant is a bustling hive of activity, and my eye is immediately drawn to what appears to be a father and his young daughter a few tables down. They are sitting across from each other and the girl’s eyes shine with delight as her father lavishes attention on her. The little girl appears to be telling him a story and he is as enthralled as I find myself to be. He listens in rapt silence and as I examine his face I feel a small tug of jealousy that I never got to experience this with my father. He was never around much when I was little, preferring to work or be with his friends watching a game and drinking. And then he wasgone.
A hand grasps my shoulder, giving it a small squeeze and startling me out of my melancholy. I almost jump out of my seat and look up to see Ben watching meintently.
“You okay, Squeak? You were in another worldthere.”
The smile that always follows Ben’s appearance lights up my face. “I’m good, just got a bit lost in my head for a second, that’sall.”
He sits down in the chair next to mine, leans over and places a soft kiss behind my left ear, his lips leaving a trail of goosebumpsbehind.
“You look gorgeous, babe.” I feel my face heat at his compliment and offer himthanks.
“I might need to fuck you in the bathroom at some pointtonight.”
“Well, aren’t you just a fucking pervert then.” Cassidy plonks herself down, sitting on the other side of me with her attention fixed solely on Ben. “Nice of you to join us,Tarzan.”
Ben looks quizzically between the two of us and all I can do is shrug. I have no idea what is going on in that head of hers, and honestly, I think it’s probably safer not to know. Ben, however, doesn’t know her well enough to realizethis.
“Tarzan?” hequeries.
“Skyballs told me how you call out like Tarzan when you come. You know, ah-ah-ah-ah!” She does her very best Tarzan impression until I slap my hand over her mouth to shut her up. Ben’s eyes are as wide as saucers and I have no clue how this is going to playout.
Finally, a loud laugh escapes him and I sigh in relief before turning my attention to my possibly ex bestfriend.
“I didnotsay that, Cassidy Jensen, you dirty little liar!” And then there were two. My head swings rapidly back and forth between the two of them as Cassidy joins Ben in his laughter and they seemingly take great joy in mydiscomfort.
“I knew I was going to like you, Cassidy,” Ben says when they finally manage to calm themselves. “But I have the distinct feeling I may need some alcohol tonight, so how about weorder?”
“You’re a man after my own heart, Benjamin,” Cassidy replies and then turning to me she says in a mock whisper, “See, I can use his name.” She pokes her tongue out atme.
I sigh. It’s going to be a longnight.
Four hours later, all my fears have proved to be unfounded as the three of us sit around the table laughing uncontrollably as Ben tells the story of how he and his friend Mason ended up thrown out into the street, in only their boxer briefs, after a game of strip poker went horribly wrong incollege.
“Oh my god, that’s gold!” I exclaim as I try to tamp down my giggles, but every time I try I imagine Ben lying on the pavement in only his underwear and beautiful smile, and more laughter escapes. Turning my head, I catch Ben staring at me. No longer laughing, a small smile is playing at his lips and his eyes are filled with an emotion I’m too scared toidentify.
