Second(20)
“You do belly dancing?” he asks, eyebrows rising. “Since when?”
“Three months now,” I say. “Give or take. It’s hard, but it’s fun. Who knew there are so many ways you can move your hips? Certainly not me.”
Dean laughs, and the sound is like music to my ears. “Might have to put you in my next music video, hey? And yes, Persephone is an awesome name. Nice to see you have more than one friend these days.”
It’s true, Tara is usually my only friend, and I’m hers, but now we’re adding to the two person squad. “Hey, when I was travelling I made heaps of friends. They’re just scattered all over the world now. And Tara will always be my best friend. Nothing and no one can change that.”
“Did you meet any… more than friends?” he asks, air in the car thickening as he awaits my reply.
“No,” I say, dragging out the word. “Lots of guy friends, but no more than friends.”
“Hmmm,” is all he replies.
“How about you? Any recent more than friends? Famous celebrities?” I ask, only since he did. Fair is fair. If he gets to be nosy, then so do I.
“Nope,” he says, but doesn’t elaborate.
“Why? Haven’t met anyone that has caught your eye?” I push. I don’t know why I want to know so badly. I guess it’s hard to understand how someone like him, who has beautiful women throwing themselves at him, can be single for so long. Yeah, I know he’s not a shallow man, so just looks wouldn’t sway him, but surely out of all those women he’d have a connection with at least one? I don’t get him. Then again, I probably won’t think any woman is good enough for him.
“Nope,” he repeats, again with no explanation.
“Well, that’s no fun,” I mutter under my breath. “Turn right here.”
He turns right onto my street and I point to my apartment building. “That’s it there. It’s going to be a little harder sneaking you in now that I’m in an apartment. Shit, I didn’t think about that.”
“It’s fine,” he says, looking for a parking bay. “My disguise has improved since the last time.”
“Upgrade from a cap to a beanie?” I tease, smirking at my own joke.
“Nope, still a cap, but I’ve added sunglasses,” he says with a straight face. It’s then I realise he’s serious.
“And how’s that going for you?”
He parks the car then turns to me, giving me all of his attention. “Why don’t you wait and see. I bet we get to your apartment with not one person recognising me. It’s night-time anyway, so there will be no issues.”
“It also means you can’t wear sunglasses, because you’ll look stupid,” I point out.
He offers me his hand. “If I get to your place with no issues, you have to cook me breakfast tomorrow morning.”
I’d have cooked for him anyway, but I’m not going to point that out.
I take his hand but I don’t shake it, yet. “And if I win, you have to answer any five questions I choose to ask you with brutal honesty.”
He seems to ponder that. “Okay, but I get more than breakfast then. If I win, I get to take you somewhere, anywhere I choose, and you don’t get to complain about it.”
Where would he want to take me?
“Okay, deal,” I say.
We shake.
Chapter Ten
We make it to my front door without anyone recognising him, even though we passed several people and my neighbour, Bennett, stopped me to say hello.
“I win,” he says, smiling and placing his bag on the floor. “I now get a delicious breakfast and get to take you somewhere of my choosing.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I groan, watching him take in my new place. “I can’t believe those stupid sunglasses worked. You looked like a douchebag.”
“But an effective one,” he says, chuckling.
“Room on the right is yours,” I say, nodding to my spare bedroom. It’s right next to my bedroom, which is different from the set-up I had in the house.
“This place is nice,” he says, walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge. I love how he makes himself at home, feeling comfortable enough so I don’t have to worry about him to make sure he has everything he needs. He makes being a host easy, because if he wants something, he’ll take it or he’ll tell me.
“Thanks,” I say. “I do miss having a garden, but for now it works. Work is close by, and it’s low maintenance. Great for someone who has no idea what they’re doing with their life.”
I still miss Ben, but now the pain has dulled a little. I can get through a day, or a few, without thinking about it. Of course there are times I still get a little down about not having him here, and I miss him every day, but I’m not suffering with the crippling pain of loss anymore. I’ve accepted it. That doesn’t mean I’ll ever forget him though. He’ll be with me forever.