Sally just smirks and gives the hostess a name for the reservation. Not her name, of course.
"Sally Clooney?" Olive asks.
Sally sighs and puts a hand over her heart. "A woman has to have ambition, otherwise she stagnates." I can't help laughing at that.
We sit under a vine-covered pergola on outdoor sofas situated around a stone table. Vineyards cover the hills in the distance and when the wind blows my hair over my shoulder, I take a deep breath. I've never been more grateful to live in California than I am at this moment. Sally orders a round of mojitos when the server comes by and I groan.
"One drink, Sally. One! I'm never getting drunk with you again," I warn her.
"Oh, come on," Olive teases. "It's not her fault you can't hold your liquor and hit on Clark Hottie Kent next door." I smack her thigh, but the damage is already done. Gran is leaning in, mischief in her eyes, and Sally has an eyebrow firmly situated around her hairline.
"What?!" Julia gasps. "You didn't tell me about that!" she says accusingly.
I wince as I sip my water. "Yeah, not my finest moment," I say.
"Oh, I don't know. I thought it was kind of cute," comes a deep rumbly Texas twang behind me. Tingles run up my spine and my shoulders snap back with a little shiver.
Gran, Sally, and Julia are all staring somewhere behind me with their mouths gaping open. I turn slowly and sure enough, Ben is standing right there. I am suddenly very aware of the low neckline on this dress and the way the hem has crept all the way up my thighs. Great. Perfect. I'm fine. This is totally fine.
Except I'm still staring at Ben. And I don't think I can recover from this.
I don't have to do anything because he leans down and kisses me on the cheek in what I'm sure looks like a friendly gesture to everyone else. It happens so fast that I don't even register the touch until it's gone, leaving behind a warm tingle where his lips grazed my skin and the pounding of my heart as it tries to escape my chest.
"Ha-h" I stutter and swallow the lump in my throat. I collect myself and then say, "Hi. Hi, Ben." Oh yeah, I'm smooth as silk over here. If someone could dig a hole for me to crawl into, that would be great.
Ben gestures to a man sitting at the bar. "I'm having lunch with my friend, Jack." I glance over and his friend waves at me with a half-interested smile. He has dark eyes and short dark hair and he's wearing an expensive suit. Something about him gives off a devil-may-care attitude. Give him a hat and an earring and he'd make an excellent pirate.
Sally mutters, "Yes please," under her breath and Olive nearly chokes on her drink.
Ben waves back to his friend like nothing happened and continues, "I saw you and couldn't pass up the chance to come say hi. Since you won't let me take you out, and all." His adorable half-smirk lifts one side of his mouth. Despite the cocky smile, there's a vulnerability in his eyes that is stirring up some emotions I'm not totally comfortable dealing with. Ok, maybe I kind of regret running out of his house like a complete chicken the other day. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been thinking about that kiss 24/7.
I drop my gaze... and realize I'm at eye level with his dick. Even in the pale tan chino shorts he's sporting, it's hard to hide what he's packing. Pun intended, because I am a child.
Trying to regain some control of the situation, I stand and smooth my dress down my legs as far as it will go. Damn Sally and her free dress temptations. If I was still wearing my jeans and t-shirt, I might feel a little less naked, both figuratively and literally. Although... it's hard to miss the appreciative way Ben looks me up and down; and when he bites his lip, I have to admit, I'm not mad at it.
"Ben, these are my sisters, Olive and Julia, my grandmother, and our friend, Sally." I've finally got my voice back, even if it is a little breathy and quavery. I look back at them, desperately willing Sally to behave as I say, "Everyone, this is my neighbor, Ben."
Ben steps around the edge of the sofa, shaking everyone's hand and doling out million-watt smiles. "I won't keep you from your lunch. Nice to meet you, ladies. Lilah..."
My name rolls off his tongue like liquid sex before he lets his voice trail off, the pause pregnant with promises. An empty second that says a million things. A micro-moment dripping with how much he wants me and an oath that he hasn't given up on me. Time stands still for a split second, nothing moving except for the breath in my chest and a slow blink.
And then he winks at me, turns, and heads back for the bar, leaving me frozen in his wake. I watch him walk away for far too long before plopping back on the sofa and exhaling roughly.
I almost forgot I wasn't alone until Julia whistles low and leans across the table with a serious expression on her face.
"Lilah, we need to get a shitload of pregnancy tests because I think every woman in this bar just ovulated."