gestures towards the vacant chair and I sit. I’m curious about him and how he knows so much about me.
He shrugs. “Not really. I saw your license.”
“Oh.” So he’s been spying on me as well. I did drop my purse one day and all my cards spilled out. He helped me collect them, but never said anything. Weird.
“You haven’t answered my question.”
Huh? What question?
He shakes his head again and smiles. Wow, he has a really nice smile. “Are. You. Liking. Chicago,” he says, pronouncing each word slowly.
I shrug . “Oh, um, yeah, I guess.”
He continues to drill me on, where I’ve been, where I live, what I do, until in five minutes I’ve pretty much filled him in on my six months in the windy city.
I sound boring and I’m sure he’ll stop talking to me soon. The plethora of pretty girls eyeing us, with much more interest today, would probably have better stories to keep him amused. But he continues chatting to me until the class begins. Then he stops and starts taking his notes like usual. So I do the same. I’ve been taking fewer notes today, wondering about him. Mr Eagle’s going on about the economic principle of supply and demand, and my mind wanders, I sketch a picture of my room and how I could change it around. Given the space, I don’t have many options, and it looks better in my picture than in real life. Then Bennett reaches over and puts a cross over where I’ve put the couch, writing, bad Feng shui underneath.
What the heck?
I glance at him under hooded lids and he grins and shrugs.
After the class, he doesn’t hurry out like usual, he lingers, putting his books away slowly. “So, you want to grab a coffee. I can take you to the best coffee place in the city.”
I bite my lip and don’t answer straight away.
“You do drink coffee don’t you?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Well, let’s go. You have to try their chocolate cheesecake, it’s the best.”
“Um … okay,” I agree, not really sure if he’ll let me argue with him anyway.
So over the actual best coffee and chocolate cheesecake I’ve ever tasted, Bennett and I start our friendship and it’s the best day.
I feel like I’ve finally arrived, finally made a start on my new exciting adventure.
Good times here I come.
Yeah, right. I should have known better.
NiNe
______________________________________
“Bennett, you don’t need to do that.”
Bennett’s been talking to me for the past half an hour. He wants to come visit this weekend and wants to take ... no, drag me out, for a night of fun.
“Oh come on Bales, you can’t stay locked up in that tiny house forever. Let me, please. Pleeasse. I really miss you.”
I hate it when he uses that whiny voice. I know he won’t stop, and even if I end the call he’ll turn up on my doorstep and force me to do it.
“I’m still not feeling well,” I say in an attempt to garner his sympathy, knowing it’s his weak spot.
“Bullshit.”
What the heck?
“It’s not bullshit. I still feel light headed and dizzy. Keep getting headaches too.”
“You’ve finished your second course of antibiotics, you should be feeling better. It’s been nearly three weeks. Dr Richards said you were doing well on your last visit.”
He's such a snooper. He must have been talking to Dad. “Yeah. But these things take time, you know.”
“Yeah, I guess. Sorry Bales. I should be more sensitive.” He chuckles, “Must be the anatomy.”
I scoff about to give a quick goodbye, when he cuts in again.
“Oh, and I told your dad I’d ring him later. He wants some stock advice. I might mention you still don’t feel well. “
“Don’t you dare.”
“Sore point, Miss Taddle tale.”
Grrr, he is so infuriating. He knows my Dad's my weak point and once again he trumps me.
“Bennett,” I growl.
“Bales,” he growls back, and I actually stamp my foot.
“Did, you just stamp your foot at me?”
I stamp my foot again. “No.”
He laughs. “That’s more like
He shrugs. “Not really. I saw your license.”
“Oh.” So he’s been spying on me as well. I did drop my purse one day and all my cards spilled out. He helped me collect them, but never said anything. Weird.
“You haven’t answered my question.”
Huh? What question?
He shakes his head again and smiles. Wow, he has a really nice smile. “Are. You. Liking. Chicago,” he says, pronouncing each word slowly.
I shrug . “Oh, um, yeah, I guess.”
He continues to drill me on, where I’ve been, where I live, what I do, until in five minutes I’ve pretty much filled him in on my six months in the windy city.
I sound boring and I’m sure he’ll stop talking to me soon. The plethora of pretty girls eyeing us, with much more interest today, would probably have better stories to keep him amused. But he continues chatting to me until the class begins. Then he stops and starts taking his notes like usual. So I do the same. I’ve been taking fewer notes today, wondering about him. Mr Eagle’s going on about the economic principle of supply and demand, and my mind wanders, I sketch a picture of my room and how I could change it around. Given the space, I don’t have many options, and it looks better in my picture than in real life. Then Bennett reaches over and puts a cross over where I’ve put the couch, writing, bad Feng shui underneath.
What the heck?
I glance at him under hooded lids and he grins and shrugs.
After the class, he doesn’t hurry out like usual, he lingers, putting his books away slowly. “So, you want to grab a coffee. I can take you to the best coffee place in the city.”
I bite my lip and don’t answer straight away.
“You do drink coffee don’t you?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Well, let’s go. You have to try their chocolate cheesecake, it’s the best.”
“Um … okay,” I agree, not really sure if he’ll let me argue with him anyway.
So over the actual best coffee and chocolate cheesecake I’ve ever tasted, Bennett and I start our friendship and it’s the best day.
I feel like I’ve finally arrived, finally made a start on my new exciting adventure.
Good times here I come.
Yeah, right. I should have known better.
NiNe
______________________________________
“Bennett, you don’t need to do that.”
Bennett’s been talking to me for the past half an hour. He wants to come visit this weekend and wants to take ... no, drag me out, for a night of fun.
“Oh come on Bales, you can’t stay locked up in that tiny house forever. Let me, please. Pleeasse. I really miss you.”
I hate it when he uses that whiny voice. I know he won’t stop, and even if I end the call he’ll turn up on my doorstep and force me to do it.
“I’m still not feeling well,” I say in an attempt to garner his sympathy, knowing it’s his weak spot.
“Bullshit.”
What the heck?
“It’s not bullshit. I still feel light headed and dizzy. Keep getting headaches too.”
“You’ve finished your second course of antibiotics, you should be feeling better. It’s been nearly three weeks. Dr Richards said you were doing well on your last visit.”
He's such a snooper. He must have been talking to Dad. “Yeah. But these things take time, you know.”
“Yeah, I guess. Sorry Bales. I should be more sensitive.” He chuckles, “Must be the anatomy.”
I scoff about to give a quick goodbye, when he cuts in again.
“Oh, and I told your dad I’d ring him later. He wants some stock advice. I might mention you still don’t feel well. “
“Don’t you dare.”
“Sore point, Miss Taddle tale.”
Grrr, he is so infuriating. He knows my Dad's my weak point and once again he trumps me.
“Bennett,” I growl.
“Bales,” he growls back, and I actually stamp my foot.
“Did, you just stamp your foot at me?”
I stamp my foot again. “No.”
He laughs. “That’s more like
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