An Exceptional Twist (27 page)

Once Leah was settled in the guest bedroom,
Elena left a few hours later.
Thank god.

Dani came home after work and suggested they
head out for dinner, while their mom went on a date with her
fiancé, Sal. They decided on Charlie's Trio, an Italian restaurant
on the other end of town that bordered Los Angeles. As high
schoolers, they’d eaten there too many times to count.

Back then, they went in for the pizza.
Tonight, they were sitting at the wooden table, enjoying pasta,
garlic bread, as well as some specialty wine.

Inevitably, Stefen’s name came up.

Dani took a sip of her wine. “So I talked to
Abby yesterday and she gave me the low-down.” She picked up a piece
of bread and took a bite.

“Yeah? About what?” Leah took a bite of the
delectable spinach parmesan garlic cream-covered chicken and pasta
she’d ordered. There was more than one piece of news that Dani
could’ve been referring to, so Leah waited to see which she was
talking about.

Placing her garlic bread back on the plate,
Dani’s brown eyes widened, and she leaned in. “You’re well aware of
what I’m talking about. You know, the five foot, eleven inch,
hundred and seventy pounds or so, drop dead gorgeous, yet asinine
man that is staying in her guest room? Oh, and she told me about
the baby, too.” Dani grinned, scrunching up her nose.

Son of a bitch. I can’t believe Abby told
her. I thought she wouldn’t tell anyone what we talk about.
Tightening her eyes, Leah probed, “Why did she call to tell you
about him?”

“She didn’t. I called her after your text.
She wouldn’t tell me much, just that Stefen was back in town, and
she was taking care of him after he got hurt. I’m sure there’s a
lot
you
haven’t told me. What happened,
hermana
? Did
you guys ever talk after you flipped out on him?”

Still sucks that she said anything, but at
least Abby didn’t tell Dani everything.

Taking a deep breath, Leah gave in. “Yes we
talked…and then some.” She mumbled the last bit, looking around the
restaurant to avoid her sister’s glare.

“Are you telling me you had a little
something something with Mistah Playah?” Dani dabbed the garlic
butter off of her full lips with a napkin.

Leah covered her face with her hands as she
embarrassingly admitted, “Yes.”

Shocked, Dani gasped. “Are you serious? Even
I know that’s one man toy intended for much more experienced
players. What the hell were you thinking?”

Irritated that her sister had to throw the
obvious at her, Leah slapped her palms on the table, ignoring the
patrons sneering at her. “Don’t you think I know that? I thought he
was different. He was actually very sensitive and
real
with
me before he became a
pendejo
.”

Concern draped across Dani’s face, and she
placed her hand on top of Leah’s. “Oh,
mujer
, that’s how
they get you. They find your weakness and use it to their
advantage.
Believe me
. I know what I’m talking about.”

Leah took a swig of her wine, then sat back
in her chair. “I don’t know, Dani. I’m sure he felt it, too. The
first time we made love was amazing, and then something changed. He
just…shut himself off. I saw it.” She leaned against the table,
exhausted and sad. “I know I should’ve made him stop, but it was
like he was trying to correct his mistake. By the end of the night,
I felt like another one of his cheap whores.”

Horrified, Dani asked, “Did he force you to
keep going?”

Leah frowned. “What? No.” Strangely, even
though he hurt her, he’d made her feel safe. Even if just for a
little while. She shook her head, eyes on her lap. “Nothing like
that.”

Dani smirked, nodding in understanding.
“I’ve thought the same thing. ‘Maybe this is the one, maybe he
really cares, he’s so sweet and attentive’. But in the end, they
all come for one thing and one thing only. Once they get it,
they’re gone for good. Oh, there are those that try to call a few
weeks later, thinking you’re stupid and forgot what they did to
you, but most of the time it’s too late for a second go
around.”

Leah wondered what Dani meant by ‘most of
the time’. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head, “Bottom line is
that he’s back in town. I’ll have to deal with this later, but for
tonight,” Leah picked up her drink as Dani followed, both clinking
glasses, “Here’s to an asshole-free evening.”

After taking a sip and another bite of food,
Leah glanced across the room. A bunch of men sat in a booth on the
other end of the restaurant, eating pizza and laughing loudly. She
didn’t think much of it, until her gaze locked with familiar blue
eyes, and everything else around her became a blur.

Benjamin McKendrick, her
high school crush. And man, did she have a crush on him. She wrote
his name over and over on her school folders
.
I
Benjamin McKendrick, Mrs. Benjamin
McKendrick, Leah McKendrick, Mrs. Leah
McKendrick
.
She’d
drawn too many hearts to count around that boy’s name, and
scribbled it as many different ways as she could think of. When
they were teens, she mentally planned their wedding, down to every
detail. Damn, she’d been pathetic when it came to him.

Resting his jawbone on the crook of his
thumb and index finger, his beautiful blues narrowed, taking her
in.

Dani followed Leah’s
entranced gaze. “
Hermana
, isn't that Benjamin
McKendrick?” Dani moved her head side to side, pursing her lips.
“That boy is checking you out like he’d rather have you for dinner
than that big ass pizza.”

Leah’s pulse started to race as she bit her
bottom lip under his scrutiny. She couldn’t stop staring. “Uh huh,”
was all she said.

He got up from the table, excusing himself,
and she watched him approach. The sandy blonde locks he had in high
school still framed his face and made her want to run her hands
through them. Even after all these years, his good looks and
charming smile had an instant effect on her.

“Leah Valdez?” He asked with a huge
grin.

He remembers me. My whole
name,
she thought dreamily. It was odd
because they’d traveled in different social circles.

Completely lost in his baby blues, she
attempted to keep her cool. Somehow she still felt the same nervous
flutter in her belly that she’d felt in high school. “Yes. Oh hey,
Benjamin. How’ve you been?” She was going for casual but felt like
a giggling teenage dork.

Dani was trying to contain her smile, and
Leah shot a look her way.

“I'm fantastic. Wow, it’s so good to see
you. Been a long time, huh? Do you mind if I join you ladies for a
bit?” He extended his hand. “Daniella, right?”

Dani shook his hand, and Leah wondered if
they were soft like Stefen’s.

Wait, what?

“Yeah, well I go by Dani now.” Dani motioned
to an empty chair between them. “Please, have a seat. I was just
heading to the bathroom, so I'll be right back.” Dani got up,
completely avoiding Leah’s stare down.

Leah was well aware of this trick. Before
they were even dating, she’d done the same thing to Abby when Caleb
came over to their table, while out to dinner one evening.

Scooting his chair closer toward her,
Benjamin asked, “What’ve you been up to, Leah? I haven't seen you
since that one time at the movies the summer after graduation. Did
you ever open that flower shop you talked about?”

Dumbfounded, she couldn't believe he
remembered. One scalding hot day that summer, she, Dani, and her
friend Rosa, sat a couple of rows behind him and his friends in the
theater.

Leah remembered giggling nervously during
the entire movie, catching his attention and smiling a few times.
He’d caught up to her afterward and said that he was staying in
Alhambra to go to UCLA, which was only about fifteen minutes south.
That’s when she told him about her plans to go to Berkley to get
her business degree, and then open a flower shop one day. It
sounded like a faraway dream at the time.

She’d made it a reality,
she realized.
She
made her own dreams come true.
Huh…

“Uh, yeah. Good memory.” She smiled at him,
running a hand through her wavy hair. “I did open my flower shop. I
live in a loft above my store in Santa Barbara, close to my best
friend.” Anytime she talked about her business, she felt herself
beaming proudly.

“That’s so awesome, Leah.
How long are you in town?” He rested his elbows on the arms of the
chair, showing off his large biceps.
Wow,
he didn’t have those in high school.

Disappointed now, Leah tightened her mouth.
“Just this week. I have to prepare for a wedding I’m working on
Saturday.”

The guy who starred in her teenage dreams
finally asked the question she’d hoped to hear all those years ago,
and she wasn’t even going to be here that long.

He grinned and clapped his hands together.
“Perfect timing, then. I'd love to see you before you go back. Can
I get your number and maybe take you out tomorrow night?”

“I’d like that.” She was a bundle of nerves
as she rambled off her cell number.

He programmed it into his phone, shaking his
head as he slipped it back in his pocket. “I can’t believe I
finally got your number.”

Finally? As in he’d wanted it before
now?

She wanted to ask what he meant, but his
stocky, dark-haired friend approached the table. “Hey, buddy, I’m
about to head out. Do you still want a lift into work?”

Benjamin’s face fell a little. “Yeah,
thanks,” he told his friend. “I just need a minute. I’ll meet you
out front.”

His friend walked away,
and Ben sighed as he looked back at Leah. “Sorry I have to go so
soon.
I'm doing my residency at UCLA
Medical Center and start in an hour.” He began to get up, then
seemed to realize something. “Oh, and I go by Ben now.”

Unable to hide her girlish smile, Leah held
in her giggle, then suddenly remembered how much fun she’d made of
Abby when she was first around Caleb.

Could Ben be my Caleb? Hello, just seeing
him for the first time in years, Leah. Tone it down.

“Okay. Ben,” she said smoothly. “I look
forward to hearing from you.”

Giving her a mischievous
grin, he pulled his cell out of his pocket. A second later, she
heard her own phone ringing, and she knew it was him.
Was that something that all guys did to make sure
you didn't give them a fake number? Or is Stefen the only guy that
did it for that reason?

The moment his smile faded, she realized her
irritation was showing.

“Too soon?” he asked, unsure.

“No, it’s fine.” She smiled in an effort to
fix it.

His party started to head
toward the front door, which caught his attention. “I'll call you
tomorrow afternoon, then. It was great seeing you.
Really
great.” Ben got
up, winked, then strolled out of the restaurant.

Dani magically appeared
out of nowhere. “Whew. Sorry, there was this
huge
line,” she lied, taking a giant
sip of what was left of her wine.

“I can't believe you left
like that.” Leah stuck her chin out and forced a laugh.
Obvious much?

Dani rested her bent elbows on the table and
tapped her fingertips together. “What-ever. I saw you guys staring
into each other's eyes, and then you gave him your number.” Dani
fluttered her eyelashes in an overdramatic way.

Reaching over the table, Leah laughed and
smacked Dani’s shoulder.

“I can't believe it.” Leah shook her head in
disbelief. “Not only did he remember me, but he also brought up
that time we ran into each other at the movies eight years ago.
Asked about my flower shop and everything. He’s going to call
tomorrow, so we can go out. Can you imagine? The guy I crushed on
almost all four years of high school asked me out. He’s even hotter
now, all grown up.” She rested her cheek on her intertwined hands,
looking off into space.

“Agreed, he was a good
looking boy, but sure grew up to be a
supa
fine
man.” Dani’s loud tone would have
been embarrassing if Leah wasn’t in her own dreamy state. Smirking,
Dani took a bite of what was probably now cold food. “So I take it
you’ve already forgotten all about Stefen?”

“Stefen who?”

They both snickered, tapping their wine
glasses together once more.