Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
Ben
Why the fuck am I nervous? It’s not a real date. It’s me showing Gretchen what her douchefucker of an ex was too much of a pussy to do. Show her a good night where she’s treated how she should’ve been all along.
Never been on date?
Ridiculous.
I need to man the fuck up and show her a date like she’s never seen. I make my way to Catherine and Jackson’s condo that they still own, where Gretchen is staying, and ring the doorbell.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been here. I moved out about four months ago and I try not to think about the fact that she’s sleeping in the same bed that I did.
Before I can focus too much on it, she opens the door wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt that hangs down on one side, giving me a view of her shoulder. Her blonde hair is swept to the side over the shoulder that isn’t exposed.
She’s beautiful.
Absolutely fucking breathtaking.
The last few years haven’t been kind to me and I haven’t been to myself either. When I lost my leg, I was fucking furious at the world. Sometimes I still am. But right now, I just want to fall to my knees and thank God for allowing me even just tonight to be with Gretchen.
“You look...” I stumble.
“Homeless?”
Definitely not the adjective I would’ve used. “What?”
She sighs. “I have all my stuff in storage until I find somewhere permanent. I wasn’t really thinking of keeping out date clothes when I packed essentials. I mean, I think the jeans make my butt look good at least.” She turns her perfect ass toward me and looks at it over her shoulder. “Right?”
I clear my throat, trying to wipe away the images of her bent over with my hands gripping it. “Very good.”
Gretchen beams. “But this top sucks. Catherine had it in her closet and since she’s in California, I borrowed it because well...she won’t care.”
I move closer. “You look beautiful, Gretch. Beautiful.”
Her smile makes my heart beat faster. “Really? Are you sure? I haven’t really heard...it’s just...”
It’s as if that’s the first time anyone’s ever told her how gorgeous she is. How the fuck did this guy ever let her go?
He’s a fool, that’s how.
“Thank you.” Her hand rests on my forearm. “You look really good too.”
“Let’s head out,” I say before I press her against the door and kiss her until she can’t breathe.
We make our way to the car and she whistles. “Wow.”
I’m a car guy. I love taking something old and making it look new. Liam and I work on our cars every weekend. My baby, Betty, is everything. Betty is a 1970 Dodge Challenger convertible. It’s a metallic purple with a black roof.
Gretchen walks over, her fingertips graze the paint and I have to remember not to act like an idiot. This is a date. I have to not be ridiculous about my car.
“It’s gorgeous.”
“Betty, this is Gretchen.”
“Oh, God!” Gretchen slaps her hand to her head. “You too? Jesus. I know Liam is a little insane about his car...Robert? Roberta?”
“Robin,” I correct her.
“Right. So you’re like that too? Seriously? You’re how old and you’re introducing me to your car?”
I shrug. “You’re about to go inside her. I wanted you both acquainted.”
Her jaw falls slack. “In case, what? In case she wants to kick me out?”
If she did, I would take Betty’s side, but I don’t say that. Since I would sound ridiculous.
“You never know.”
Gretchen shakes her head like she can’t believe this conversation.
“If it makes you feel any better, you’re the first girl to ever ride in her.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Gretchen steps close to me, her hip resting on Betty. “Why is that?”
Because you’re the only girl I’ve ever given a fuck about.
Because you’re the only girl I’ve ever thought about.
Because I fucking dreamed that one day this could be reality.
Instead of spouting shit and looking ridiculous, I tell her the truth. “Because no one else was worthy.”
I pull the passenger door open, and she grins. “Good answer.”
“Get in, babe. We’ve got a date to go on.”
I close the door and walk around the back. This date is for her, not me. I tell myself that a few more times as I make my way to the driver’s seat. I want to show her what it should be like because she never should’ve had to wonder.
“Ready?” I ask.
“Yes.”
I’m glad one of us is.
* * *
“You’re taking me to a chick flick?”
“Of course I am.”
“You’re nuts!”
Did this guy never take her to a fucking movie? It was bad enough that through dinner she kept talking about how weird it was to be in public.
I’ve never wanted to kill someone as much as I want to with this guy. He not only made her doubt herself, but also gave her the lowest expectations possible. I want her to get everything she could ever want. She deserves that and more.
“No, I’m being a dude hoping at the end of the night you’d let me stick my tongue in your mouth. This is what happens on a date,” I say with a hint of sarcasm laced in truth.
Gretchen laughs. “Most guys I know don’t want to see this.”
“You think I do?”
Hell no do I want to sit through two hours of some stupid movie where I’m going to want to punch not only the “hero” of the movie but myself by the end. However, this is what guys do for girls they want to woo.
And wooing is what is happening here.
“I feel bad for the guy who takes me out after tonight,” she says and rests her head on my arm as we walk into the theater.
Yeah, me too because I’m going to kill him. No one else should ever get to know her like this, only me.
I stop moving when I think the last part. I’m not the right guy for her. I’m far from worthy. She’s perfect, unmarred, not scarred or broken. Gretchen isn’t walking around with a life’s worth of anger because she’s alive.
Nope. That’s me.
“You okay?”
Shit. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“We can see something else.” Her voice is soft with a hint of sadness.
Damn it. Me and my fucking issues. “No. No way. I’m excited to see all this love and smiles.”
Gretchen’s smile is timid. “Seriously, Ben, we don’t?—”
“Stop it. This is a date. We’re going to see a date movie and you’re not going to try to fix this. You’re going to just enjoy it, got it?”
I can see that it’s eating her up inside. She wants to make everyone else happy but herself. I bet right now, if I said we were going to see some action movie, she’d do it just because it’s what I wanted.
She’s spent her entire life, and relationship to the douchefucker, worrying about everyone else’s happiness instead of her own.
“Fine. You seem really firm on it, so we’ll go see the sappy movie.”
Good.
“Let’s go. The previews are the best part and you need to experience the awkward pre-date sitting.”
She hooks her arm through mine and we make our way to our seats. One thing that the movie companies finally did right was reserved seating. It’s nice not to have to try to get here thirty minutes early just to not be stuck in the front row.
We sit down and she grabs the popcorn. I forced her to share a drink with me, part of the fun is reaching for the cup at the same time, and the lights dim.
Now I just need to keep my hands to myself.