I roll my eyes before giving in to the temptation standing at the counter. I don’t want to stare, but given the fact that Ben’s back is to me and he’d never know I’m drooling down the front of my shirt, I allow it. I hear Reed’s voice as it enters my ear and it would be rude of me not to answer him. Besides, I’m perfectly capable of answering one person while I’m glued to someone else. I’m a woman for Christ’s sake. We can multi-task the shit out of stuff.
“Hmm mmm. Yeah, me too,” I reply. Ben pulls his wallet out of the back of his pants. Where his ass is. That. Ass. It’s this perfectly sculpted entity in itself. There should be internet sites dedicated to it. Fan clubs.
Parades even.
“Oh wow. That sounds really fun. I’d love to do that,” I respond. Ben reaches over his shoulder and scratches his back, pulling his shirt tight across his muscles. My God.
“That’s crazy. I hate it when that happens.” I have no idea what Reed just said to me. No idea. His chuckle catches my attention and I whip my head around. “What?”
His eyes drift from the men at the counter back to me. He grins amusingly. “I just asked you how your sandwich was, and you answered me with ‘that’s crazy. I hate it when that happens.'” His body shakes with silent laughter.
I slap my hand over my eyes and bow my head in embarrassment.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry, Reed. That was so rude of me.” I drop my hand and turn my body toward him completely, granting him all my focus. “I’m paying attention to you, I swear.”
He tilts his head. “So when should I set us up for sky diving?” “Huh?” Sky diving? Hell no. I’d never agree to something like that.
“You said it sounded really fun and that you’d love to do it.
Remember? Just two minutes ago when you were paying attention to me.”
I open my mouth to apologize when the door chimes, causing me to whip my head around. Ben smiles at me before he walks out and I wave like some obnoxious fan girl trying to flag down her favorite celebrity. Real smooth. I turn back around and see how much this is entertaining Reed. “Did I mention Ben and I are trying out this whole friends thing? I don’t have the slightest idea what I’m doing.” I filled Reed in on mine and Ben’s history at Rocky Point the other day, leaving out the small detail of the mind blowing five orgasms he gave me. Five!
“Clearly.” He smiles and throws his crumpled up napkin at me. “It’s not gonna work.”
“What?”
“Friends. You and Ben. I’ll bet money on it.” He crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back in his chair. He is grinning at me like he has it in the bag. Like he is already holding my money and counting it arrogantly in front of me. Oh the smugness.
“Why are you so sure that it won’t work? I can be friends with Ben.” I mimic his appearance and lean back in my own chair. “We can totally be friends. It’ll work.”
“It’s not going to work, and I’ll tell you why.”
“Okay, smart guy. Why?” Don’t ever tell a woman that we can’t do something, because we’ll die trying to do that thing that you’re so sure we can’t do. I think the female race is stubborn as a whole. Maybe it’s a design flaw, but whatever. I’m here to prove a point.
“Because-” He sits forward, pulling my half eaten sandwich in front of him before he picks it up. “-I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually eye fuck my friends.”
“Who’s eye fucking?” I half yell. Thank God we are the only two people currently in the sandwich shop. But it doesn’t save me from getting a stern look from the owner behind the counter. “I was not eye fucking,” I harshly whisper.
“And I’m not about to eat the rest of your sandwich.” He grins condescendingly before taking a huge bite of my sub.
I roll my eyes, the eyes that were so not eye fucking anyone, before I respond. “What’s your opinion on him anyway? Do you think he’s a good guy?”
He nods and swallows his bite. “Yeah, when he’s not threatening to beat the shit out of me.” We both laugh and I take a sip of my water. “He’s really good with his kid. Even when Nolan was a baby, he just knew what to do with him. And he wasn’t even nervous about it. I’d be scared shitless if someone threw a baby at me.”
I giggle and watch him pop the last bit of my sandwich into his mouth. I could tell just from being around them once that Ben was amazing with Nolan. They were so sweet together and Ben seemed like the type of dad that would do anything for his kid, which is exactly how it should be. “Well I think anyone would be scared if babies were flying at them,” I counter, getting rewarded with a sneer and another crumbled up napkin tossed at my head. We both stand up and push our chairs in. “Thanks for lunch. It was memorable, even without the finger fucking.” He winks, unable to form any words with a full mouth. “You’re a really good friend,
Reed.”
He grimaces and swallows his massive bite uncomfortably. “Friend zoned like a boss.” I buckle over at his statement, laughing so hard my eyes filled with tears. “No worries. You’re not my type anyway. I prefer really dumb girls with low self-esteem and Daddy issues.”
I shove him in the direction of the entrance. “Oh that’s nice. Daddy issues? Really?”
“Hell yes.” He holds the door for me and we both walk to our vehicles. “Girls with Daddy issues are always looking for a new Daddy.” He throws his head back, cracking up at himself and the disgusted look I’m currently giving him. “See ya later, Mia.”
I shake my head disapprovingly. Men.