Chapter 7 Ben #2
Ben loved the little wisps of hair that always seemed to escape the containment of the elastic. God, but she was beautiful. And more amazing still, based on the unpretentious way she spoke and carried herself, he would bet she didn’t even know it.
Melody’s eyes swept over him with obvious curiosity. “What are you doing here, Ben?”
“You ran out of the condo so quickly this morning that I thought you might appreciate some lunch,” he hedged.
Ben really hoped she was as eager to see him as he was to see her. She didn’t look unhappy to see him, but the subtle hints of shyness she seemed to experience around him made it hard to tell whether she felt anything beyond surprised neutrality about seeing him at her workplace.
As he’d just done with Samantha, the receptionist, Ben lifted the takeout bag to illustrate his excuse for being there.
Melody squealed in delight at his offering. He couldn’t have fought the smile her uncontrived joy brought to his lips had he tried.
“You brought me lunch?” Melody asked. Her tone suggested she could barely believe he would have taken the time and effort to do something like that for her.
His smile deepened at the joy she was radiating from something as simple as a personal lunch delivery. “I did,” he confirmed.
“Aww. Thank you,” Melody effused. “That was really thoughtful.”
She was eyeing the bag with curiosity, perhaps wondering at its fairly large size, so he explained, “I wasn’t sure what you liked so I got you a few options to choose from.
” Ben thought for a moment, remembering what he’d finally decided on.
“Cashew Pad Thai, a turkey burger, and a kale salad with baby spinach, pear, wild rice, and toasted walnuts.”
“Oh my gosh,” Melody said, looking wonderstruck. “That sounds amazing. Thank you.”
“This is where you ask me to marry you,” Ben teased. “I might not be the cook you are, but I can order good takeout with the best of them.”
He enjoyed the sweet smile that greeted his remark.
“Do you have time to sit down for a bite to eat?” Ben inquired.
Melody glanced at her watch. “I do,” she said with a smile. “I have about half an hour until my next appointment.”
“I’ll take it,” Ben declared. At this point, he would take as much of her time as he could get.
“If you’ll follow me?” Melody said.
She guided him down the hall, through a stunningly verdant atrium, and into what looked like a breakfast room.
There were small tables set up beside the windowed wall looking out onto the sprawling lawns Samantha had mentioned earlier.
With all the well-tended flower beds and perfectly pruned greenery, The Winchester must spend a small fortune on landscaping.
“You really do work in a gorgeous place,” Ben complimented.
“I really do,” Melody agreed as she dipped behind a counter and pulled out two plates and some napkin-rolled cutlery. After depositing them on their table, she walked over to a sideboard, lifted a pitcher of water, and poured them each a glass.
Ben pulled out her chair as she prepared to seat herself.
She cocked her head and surveyed him with curious eyes. “Aren’t you the gentleman.”
“I try to be,” he said with a smile and an understated wink before he pushed in her chair for her.
“Will you join me?” she asked, indicating the takeout bag.
“Sure.” If she wanted to share her meal with him, he was more than up for it. With the physical demands of his job, he could always eat.
Melody dug into the takeout bag with joy on her face. Her eyelids fluttered closed dreamily as she took in the smells of their lunch. “Mmm . . .”
Ben shifted in his seat and tried to ignore the pulse of desire that shot through him at the sound of her pleasure. He turned his focus instead to the food.
Ben hadn’t been sure what to expect of Epi-cure-ian’s food. It had been his experience that health foods could go one of two ways: surprisingly enjoyable or akin to eating Styrofoam. He was happy his selections appeared to fall in the former category rather than the latter.
“Would you like to split the burger with me?” Melody asked as she pulled the burger onto her plate and prepared to slice it in two.
“Sure. Thank you,” Ben said. He was up for trying almost anything if it meant getting to spend more time in her company.
“Kale salad?” Melody asked.
“Why not? Thank you.”
Ben surveyed his plate before picking up his burger and taking a cautious bite.
“Wow, this is good,” he said after he’d finished chewing. “It’s really juicy and well-seasoned.”
Melody laughed gaily. “Don’t sound so surprised.”
Ben offered up a smile but shrugged in acknowledgment of his low expectations. He really had been prepared for Styrofoam.
They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes before he reintroduced conversation.
“You have an incredible voice,” Ben said. “Where did you learn to sing like that?”
“Thank you,” she responded with only the barest trace of shyness as she used her napkin to dab at the side of her mouth. “My mom taught me.”
Ben whistled his praise. “Your mom must have a mighty fine voice.”
Here, Melody smiled the smile of someone who knows something that the other doesn’t. “She does, yes,” Melody explained, her eyes dancing. “She’s a professional opera singer.”
In his surprise, Ben dropped his cutlery onto his plate with a soft clatter. “Seriously?”
“Yes.” She chuckled a little in shared good humor at his reaction to this news. “Mom has traveled all around the world singing with some of opera’s biggest and brightest.”
“That’s incredible,” Ben praised. “Has she ever worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber?”
Melody laughed softly. “People always ask that. But she has, actually. Once or twice, I think. She said it was one of the highlights of her career.”
“Does she still perform?” Ben asked, curious to know more about Melody’s family life.
“She does, but far less so than she used to. Part of the reason my dad took the job with the Challengers is that my mom was offered a teaching position at The University of Chicago. My parents have been together since their early twenties, but this is more or less the first time in thirty years they’ve really lived in the same city. ”
“Wow,” Ben commented, a little jarred by the thought. “That must have been hard.”
“Like all things, I imagine it had its pros and cons. Mom loved her job. Just imagine traveling around the world doing something you love while getting to meet some of the people who have reached the highest echelon of your chosen field. It was quite the life. That said, I think she found it hard to be away from my dad and me for months at a time.”
“I don’t know how your dad did it,” Ben mused. “I don’t think I could deal with being separated from the woman I love for months on end.”
“No?” Melody asked, her expression gently probing.
Ben locked his eyes on hers in an attempt to underscore what he was about to say.
“No,” he stated clearly. “When I’m with a woman, I want to be with a woman. I like my relationships deep, meaningful, and part of my everyday life.” At least so far as his career would allow.
“Really?” Melody bit her lip shyly but didn’t drop eye contact.
Ben got the impression she didn’t fully believe him, but he chose to confirm anyway. “Really.”
His career required that he do a lot of traveling during the season.
It also required long hours in the gym and in front of the whiteboard, significant amounts of charity work, and more marketing and administrative meetings than one might imagine.
He couldn’t help any of that, but he knew he would do everything he could to connect with and be present for the right woman.
An entire unspoken conversation seemed to pass between them as their eyes held. Ben was pretty sure she wanted to believe him but was struggling. No matter. He had a growing suspicion he might be willing to put in the time and effort to prove it to her.
Ben spoke into the charged silence. “I hope Captain Thom isn’t expecting you and his grandson to be exclusive.”
Melody stared up at him from beneath her lashes. It was a sweet but seductive look that few women could manage without looking like they were trying to play a man. Melody nailed it. He imagined that was because, on her, it was a natural look born of what he thought might be subdued eagerness.
She shook her head shyly, that blush he was coming to love suffusing her cheeks. “I agreed to have dinner with Captain Thom’s grandson, but no more than that. Who knows if it will even happen. Captain Thom may be all for it, but his grandson might not even be interested.”
“Okay,” Ben acknowledged. He didn’t particularly love the idea of her going out with another man, but he couldn’t fault her for going through with a commitment she’d already made.
The caveman inside him might want to claim her for himself, but his higher brain knew his inner Neanderthal would just have to deal with it.
If, as Melody had just pointed out, it even happened.
Melody pulled her cellphone out of her pocket as it started to chime. “I have to go,” she said with regret as she turned it off. “I have to get ready for my next treatment.”
“Can I have your number?” Ben asked as he reached into his back pocket and moved to pass her his phone. “You know, in case you need to call someone and request another food delivery.”
Melody smiled shyly. She stared at him from beneath her lashes in that sweet but seductive manner before keying her digits into his cellphone. She appeared to give the information a once-over before passing his phone back to him.
“Can I help tidy anything up?” he asked, well aware that her time was currently more precious than his.
Melody smiled her thanks but shook her head. “No, thank you. It’s probably faster if I just do it.”
She made quick work of tidying up, placing their dirty dishes into half-hidden bins he hadn’t noticed before. She then gave the table a quick wipe before washing her hands at the bar sink.
“Unless you want it, would you mind asking Sam to put the Pad Thai in the staff fridge for me on your way out?” she requested, angling her head toward the unopened dish still on the table.
“No problem,” Ben said with an easy smile. It brought him an unfamiliar sense of satisfaction to discover he’d somehow managed to order three dishes she actually liked.
Because he knew time was short and she had to get going, he wasted no time in stepping toward her.
The loose wisps of hair that always seemed to escape her ponytail gave him the perfect excuse to touch her.
He would have preferred something a little more intimate, but he would content himself with the innocent touch that could be found by tucking her hair behind her ears.
Melody’s breath seemed to catch as his fingertips grazed her ear. He craved the feeling of his skin on hers but, for now, this simple touch would have to be enough.
He didn’t want to break their connection, but he understood work commitments. As loathe as he was to step away from her, he wouldn’t be the one to mess with her schedule.
“Have a great day, beautiful,” he said.
“Have a great day, Ben,” she answered. “Thanks for lunch.”
“My pleasure.” He smiled. “I’ll be in touch.” He jiggled his phone back and forth to indicate how he planned to reach out to her.
With one last smile, Ben picked up the Pad Thai and exited the room. He was already wondering when he might be able to see her again. He was a busy man, but he had a feeling Melody was worth making time for.