asked curiously.
“Yeah. It’s funny, though; usually the people who try to get someone to start dating are the people who are in relationships themselves. Nicole is single,” Rilynne explained.
“Well, as single as Nicole can be,” Ben spouted out quickly. He seemed slightly taken aback at his own remark, but Rilynne just laughed. He may not have wanted to say it aloud, but he wasn’t wrong.
“So, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s the history with you two?” Rilynne knew if she had not been drinking, this was not a question she would be asking. It was one of those questions that are often better not to have answered.
Ben’s free hand brushed against his chin. “It isn’t anything like that, if that’s what you are thinking. It is just very complicated, and a story for another day.”
“So, by not being anything like that, you mean you two were never,” she searched for the right word, “involved?”
He laughed quite loudly at her question. “No! And we never will be. It was never like that between us.”
Rilynne didn’t like that she was so pleased with his answer, so she thought best not to respond. Moments later they reached the front doors to her building.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Ben said releasing the hold on her arm and stooping down. “You would think with everything that has happened in your building over the last week that people would not be making it so easy for someone to just slip in.” As he tugged the door open, he kicked aside the brick that had been preventing the door from shutting. As she expected, Ben insisted on walking her all the way upstairs.
“I really don’t think you should be staying alone. Especially since you have been drinking. Are you sure you don’t want to call Nicole to stay, or maybe one of your other neighbors?” He asked as he walked her into her apartment.
“I’m not calling Nicole. And I don’t know any of my neighbors well enough to invite them for a sleep over. If it really worries you so much, feel free to stay,” she offered before she really thought about what she was saying.
Ben’s ears shot red again, as his eyes flicked quickly towards her bedroom door and back. “I, uh…” he started, but appeared to be unable to continue.
Though watching him stammer was amusing, Rilynne decided to rescue him. “The couch is actually much more comfortable than it appears.”
He seemed to be really thinking it over before finally agreeing to her suggestion. She pulled some blankets and a pillow out of the hall closet for him, before retreating to her room to get ready for bed. After changing into her pajamas, she pulled an old pair of men’s shorts out of the back of her drawer. She ran her fingers against the smooth material for a moment before finally shutting the drawer and walking back out into the living room.
Ben had taken his dress shirt off, leaving the tight white undershirt on. He was just finishing laying out the blankets when she walked in. Rilynne couldn’t help but notice that this shirt showed his muscle tone much more than the shirts he normally wore. She quickly looked back down to the shorts she was gripping.
“These should fit you,” she said, handing them to Ben.
Ben looked at the shorts for a moment before responding. “You don’t have a boyfriend who is going to show up in the middle of the night and wonder why I’m wearing his shorts, do you?” His eyes shifted quickly to her face, but did not meet her own.
How do I respond to that one, she thought to herself, before simply saying, “It’s already the middle of the night.” She realized this completely avoided his question, and the quizzical look on his face said he realized it, too. “If anyone breaks in and you need some assistance, you know where to find me,” she added to lighten the tension, before heading back to her room.
Through the slightly ajar door, she could hear
“Yeah. It’s funny, though; usually the people who try to get someone to start dating are the people who are in relationships themselves. Nicole is single,” Rilynne explained.
“Well, as single as Nicole can be,” Ben spouted out quickly. He seemed slightly taken aback at his own remark, but Rilynne just laughed. He may not have wanted to say it aloud, but he wasn’t wrong.
“So, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s the history with you two?” Rilynne knew if she had not been drinking, this was not a question she would be asking. It was one of those questions that are often better not to have answered.
Ben’s free hand brushed against his chin. “It isn’t anything like that, if that’s what you are thinking. It is just very complicated, and a story for another day.”
“So, by not being anything like that, you mean you two were never,” she searched for the right word, “involved?”
He laughed quite loudly at her question. “No! And we never will be. It was never like that between us.”
Rilynne didn’t like that she was so pleased with his answer, so she thought best not to respond. Moments later they reached the front doors to her building.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Ben said releasing the hold on her arm and stooping down. “You would think with everything that has happened in your building over the last week that people would not be making it so easy for someone to just slip in.” As he tugged the door open, he kicked aside the brick that had been preventing the door from shutting. As she expected, Ben insisted on walking her all the way upstairs.
“I really don’t think you should be staying alone. Especially since you have been drinking. Are you sure you don’t want to call Nicole to stay, or maybe one of your other neighbors?” He asked as he walked her into her apartment.
“I’m not calling Nicole. And I don’t know any of my neighbors well enough to invite them for a sleep over. If it really worries you so much, feel free to stay,” she offered before she really thought about what she was saying.
Ben’s ears shot red again, as his eyes flicked quickly towards her bedroom door and back. “I, uh…” he started, but appeared to be unable to continue.
Though watching him stammer was amusing, Rilynne decided to rescue him. “The couch is actually much more comfortable than it appears.”
He seemed to be really thinking it over before finally agreeing to her suggestion. She pulled some blankets and a pillow out of the hall closet for him, before retreating to her room to get ready for bed. After changing into her pajamas, she pulled an old pair of men’s shorts out of the back of her drawer. She ran her fingers against the smooth material for a moment before finally shutting the drawer and walking back out into the living room.
Ben had taken his dress shirt off, leaving the tight white undershirt on. He was just finishing laying out the blankets when she walked in. Rilynne couldn’t help but notice that this shirt showed his muscle tone much more than the shirts he normally wore. She quickly looked back down to the shorts she was gripping.
“These should fit you,” she said, handing them to Ben.
Ben looked at the shorts for a moment before responding. “You don’t have a boyfriend who is going to show up in the middle of the night and wonder why I’m wearing his shorts, do you?” His eyes shifted quickly to her face, but did not meet her own.
How do I respond to that one, she thought to herself, before simply saying, “It’s already the middle of the night.” She realized this completely avoided his question, and the quizzical look on his face said he realized it, too. “If anyone breaks in and you need some assistance, you know where to find me,” she added to lighten the tension, before heading back to her room.
Through the slightly ajar door, she could hear
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