Chapter 8 #2
“Ruined what?” he called after me as he took long strides to catch up to me with minimal effort. Being the shortest of seven, I was used to my lack of height, leaving me at a disadvantage.
I sighed and spun back to him. “We were having a nice conversation, and you had to go and be you.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
I crossed my arms, tilting my head. “It is when you come with an inflated ego and a smirk that thinks it’s God’s gift to the world.”
That damn lip quirked. Yet he looked completely unbothered. The exact opposite of how my insides felt. “You like my smile?”
“You’re impossible.”
“And you love it.”
“What I would love is to do my job and get this event ready without—”
He stepped closer to me, and if the box wasn’t in his hand, I imagined he’d be a breath away from our mouths touching, locking, moving as one. Jesus. I needed to get a grip.
His eyes sparkled with a confidence I would never know. “Me and my smirk distracting you?”
“You really think that highly of yourself.”
“A man knows when he’s the full package.”
“And yet, you’re still single. Shocker.”
“Only because I found the girl of my dreams, and I’m holding out.”
“Holding out for what?”
“Until you realize your rule of dating a coworker is stupid.” His smirk shifted, turning more soft… genuine. “Go out with me. One date.”
“I can’t.”
I turned to the museum door and pulled it open, refusing to justify the standards I had set for myself, even if the blunt rejection didn’t sit right in my gut.
He fell into step behind me. I would have told him to give me the wine and carried the case myself, but that box was heavy, and I didn’t trust myself.
Steve’s eyes lit up from behind the entry counter. “You brought reinforcements,” he boomed, then turned his attention to Ben. “I knew you’d cave, eventually.”
“I told you I’d come and I’m a man of my word.” Ben hoisted the box up. “Where do you want this?”
He pointed through a narrow path of carpet lined with case after case of Big Foot memorabilia. “All the way in the back. I have a table and chairs set up. You can put it on the table.”
“Is that okay with you?” Ben asked.
I blinked, my mind still in the parking lot. “Why are you asking me?”
“You’re the event planner.”
“Right. Yes. That’s exactly where I want it.”
“Great.” Ben followed the carpeted path through the museum, and I took a deep breath.
“Are you two…?” Steve waved his finger toward the back of the museum where Ben was and to me.
“No,” I stated matter-of-factly. “And since when are you trying to get in on the town gossip? I thought you were better than that Steve.”
He hung his head. “I’ve been hanging around Odette too much.”
I snorted. “That’ll definitely do it. You've got to be careful, or next thing you know, you’ll be assigning couples ridiculous nicknames—”
“She only does that to couples she thinks are powerhouses. Like Bennifer in the early 2000s or Brangelina.”
“Couldn’t have been that powerful. Both couples ended in divorce. Come to think of it, so did TomKat, Kimye, and though not married, Zanessa and Robsten also didn’t make it. The only couple that’s still going strong is Speidi.”
His brows shot to his thinning hairline. “I’m impressed with your pop culture knowledge.”
“What can I say? I was a sucker for tabloid gossips back in the day. But I always hated the couple names and with these new statistics, I double down on my stance. Maybe you should let Odette know she’s setting couples up for failure.”
Steve scratched his thinning hair. “I will.”
“This place is freaking awesome,” Ben said as he rejoined us in the front of the museum. I wish I could say I forgot he was here, but his spicy, oak, crushed grape scent lingered. His presence filled the space without trying, settling into my skin, the air, and my pulse.
He stood beside me, slipping his hands in his back pockets, completely unaware how his proximity made me question every reason I’d clung to for turning him down.
“Glad you approve,” Steve said, wearing his pride outwardly in his big smile.
I shifted away from Ben, focusing on the task at hand. “I have to get this event set up before the other attendees start to arrive.”
“I’ll stay with Steve, so my smirk and handsomeness doesn’t distract you.” Ben winked as an uncontrollable smile tugged at my lip. Damn him.
“See? Powerhouse couple in the making,” Steve said.
I shot daggers at him. “Don’t start.”
He shrugged. “Too late. I already have a name picked out.”
“A name?” Ben asked. “Like they use for celebrity couples?”
Steve nodded with far too much excitement.
“Let me guess.” Ben tapped his chin, then snapped and pointed at Steve. “Shenn?”
“Oh! That’s a good one. But I was thinking Berry.”
“Oh God no.”
“Berry is quite creative. Plus, they can be sweet like me and tart like—”
I held my hand up. “If you know what’s good for you, you won’t finish that sentence.”
“I think she loves it,” Steve chimed in.
“Just like she’s starting to love me,” Ben said. “I can feel it.”
“What you’re going to feel is my foot implanted in your ass.”
Steve let out a low, “Ohhhhh.” I spun on my foot and headed toward the back, trying not to smile, but damn it, I couldn’t stop it.