An Exceptional Twist (46 page)

Leah was surprised when she got a call from
Ben earlier, asking if she wanted to go out to dinner. They hadn’t
really been staying in touch, and she assumed that things had
already fizzled out.

The conversation was relaxed, until she
asked if he would go check on Stefen. The irritated grunt he
answered with told her that he didn’t care for Stefen, but there
was no reason why he couldn’t extend some professional courtesy by
doing her that favor.

Excited that they were going to her favorite
Argentinian restaurant tonight, Leah waited in her mom’s living
room for her date to show up. It was the first time her mom and Sal
were going to meet Ben, and she was a bit nervous.

The soft knock at the door was too quiet for
a man. Wondering who it might be, Leah opened it, a little
surprised that it was Ben. He was still in his scrubs.

Leah looked down at the
new dress and heels she'd bought specifically for their
date.
Can’t he dress up, just once?
She huffed under her breath.

“Hey, you ready?” he asked with a wide grin.
It was the same grin he used to flash at a crowd after he’d scored
a touchdown.

“Sure. But my mom and her fiancé want to
meet you first.” She motioned him in.

“Oh, okay.” He appeared to be uncomfortable,
craning his neck around the corner and wiping his hands on his
pants as she led him into the dining room. “Something smells
good.”

She dropped her shoulders and lifted her
chin, puffing out, “I know. I’ve been suffering through the smell
of my mom’s delicious cooking. I’m starving. I can’t wait to
eat.”

He grimaced. “Sorry it took me so long.”

“It’s fine. You’re here
now.” Pulling on his arm, she introduced everyone.
“
Mami
, Sal, this
is my date, Ben. Ben, this is my mom and her fiancé,
Sal.”

Moving his reading glasses down to the
bridge of his nose, Sal got up and extended his hand, giving Ben’s
a hearty shake. “Nice to meet you, Ben.”

Her mom gave him a welcoming enough
acknowledgment, but Leah caught the sideways glance and her tight
lips. Leah was sure her mom also thought it was odd that he’d
walked in for their date, wearing his hospital uniform.

Abruptly, Ben insisted, “Let's get
going.”

Leah stepped around the table, hugging her
mom and Sal goodbye. Outside, she watched as Ben walked to his car,
opened his door, and got in…before she even stepped off of the
porch.

Really? Stefen would never
do that
. She’d become so accustomed to how
he treated her that it was difficult not comparing the two men. She
shrugged to herself, then walked to Ben's car and got
in.

“I'm exhausted,” he professed between two
yawns.

She glared at him, but he
didn’t even know. “We don't have to go out. I kind of wanted to go
see Stefen before visiting hours were over anyway.” It was a cheap
shot, but she felt it a necessary action to get Ben to actually
focus on her. This whole thing was getting
tiring
.

I wish Stefen hadn’t asked me to leave. I
would much rather hang out with him at the hospital than be in this
car right now.

“
No
!” And just like that, Ben
was magically alert and awake. “I'm fine. Do you mind if we just go
somewhere more low key, though? I'm not dressed for anything fancy,
and I didn't get to shower.”

So that was the
smell.
She’d thought something died. It
almost reminded her of that nasty ass smell in Abby’s
fridge.

“Sure.” Trying not to wrinkle her nose or
look disappointed, she plastered a fake smile on her lips and
looked out the windshield. He never even noticed.

If she’d gone to the trouble of getting all
dressed up, she was going out. Even if she’d rather just go back to
her mom’s and put on her jammies.

A few yawns and blocks later, they pulled
into the parking lot of a famous fast food chain.

This is not happening.

Leah discreetly checked out her outfit again
as Ben got out and headed to the double glass doors, then held them
open for her. She was still in the freaking car.

Snatching her small matching purse, she
opened the door, slamming it behind her with a little more effort
than necessary. She hated fast food. Maybe this was the most famous
of all the drive-thrus around. Still, Leah didn't even know what
was on the damn menu. At least he held the door long enough for her
to pass.

A little boy torpedoed past her, running his
french-fried, greasy fingers along the bottom of her new dress.
Leah loved kids but didn't plan on spending her evening with so
many. Looking up at the menu, she couldn't see anything that
grabbed her attention.

Salad.

Dammit.

She was going to have a
freaking salad for dinner. Her
Mami
didn't raise salad eating girls. That came at the
beginning of dinner. It wasn’t the whole damn meal.

They slowly and silently made their way up
to the cashier.

“How may I serve you?” asked the
pimple-faced teenager behind the counter.

Leah’s stomach turned a little. At least he
wasn’t handling the food.

“I'll take two double cheeseburgers, a large
fry, large soda, and a chocolate shake.” Ben finally looked at
Leah. There was the smile she loved staring at from afar in high
school. Before she found out how dull he was, that is. “I'm really
hungry.”

“Sure.” She turned to the boy. “I'll take a
chicken salad please, and, uh, I guess a bottled water.” What the
hell? She may as well get a water if she's eating a damn salad.

After hearing the total, Ben pulled his
credit card out.

“Oh I'm sorry, our system is down. We’re
only taking cash right now.”

Oh my gosh.
Who pays with cash anymore? Shouldn’t they have a
sign posted?

Ben panicked, his face turning a little red.
“I don't have any cash on me. Do you have an ATM?”

The boy pointed to his left. “It isn’t
working either.”

Ben huffed loudly, “Let's go.” He started to
direct Leah out of the line.

“Wait, I have some cash. Let me pay.”

He looked into her eyes, defeated.

She stuck her foot out and pointed her
finger in the air. “Look, you’re tired and hungry. You didn’t know.
Just let me.”

She turned back to the cashier, handing him
the bills.

“I'll pay you back,” Ben said, throwing his
shoulders back and lifting his chin, just like another man she knew
would’ve done.

Actually,
he
would’ve never taken
her out for fast food and would’ve given her at least one
compliment on how she looked. Shaking her thoughts away, they
walked toward a table. The place was packed. The only spot
available was a teeny tiny two-seater with swiveling
chairs.

Leah settled in, asking, “So how was your
day?”

“Busy. Tiring.” He leaned back. His arms
hanging off the top of the tiny chair. His legs were spread eagle
under the table, leaving little room for her legs.

“I talked to Stefen before you picked me up.
He told me you checked on him.”

I know I’m being a bitch, but I couldn’t
care less. I just want to go home.

“Oh. Is that what he said?” He moved his
arms down to his side and stared blankly at her.

“Yeah, why?”

“No reason.” He shrugged, looking around at
the other diners.

Nothing? That’s all the reaction you’re
gonna give me? Why didn’t I see how boring you were way back
when?

Finally looking at her, he added, “He’ll be
ready to leave in the morning. Is he hiring someone to help him out
once he gets home? He’ll be immobile for about a week.”

Here we
go
. She was hoping to have this talk over
the phone, but now that she opened her big fat mouth, trying to get
some kind of reaction from him, she was about to get a
doozy.

Clearing her throat, she held her head high,
“No, I'm staying with him.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “What a shock,” he said
sarcastically.

Their number was called, and Ben pushed
himself up with such force that the swivel chair slammed back and
forth hitting the table a couple of times. Leah’s face fell as she
watched him stomp away.

What the hell did I ever see in him? Looks
are not everything.

Returning with a scowl on his face, Ben
dropped the tray on the small table, then plopped back into the
chair. The tray was so huge, it practically covered the entire
surface.

Leah grabbed her water and
salad as he gulped half of a hamburger in one bite.
Gross.

Suddenly, it was like her blinders were
completely off and this was not the guy she wanted to be with
tonight, or any other night. She still had to get through dinner,
though. Leah didn’t know how to act around this grumpy-ass version
of Ben sitting in front of her, so she just ate.

Glancing down at her meager salad, she
realized there was no way this was going to fill her up. She
couldn't wait to get home and eat some of the left overs her mom
was sure to have.

Around her fifth bite of the wilted lettuce,
squishy cucumber and hard cheese salad, Ben finally spoke. “Look,
I'm sorry. I shouldn’t have acted that way. I'm exhausted and just
hearing that you’re going to be alone in his house with him, for a
week, set me off.”

Getting angry, she stabbed the one tomato
with her flimsy plastic fork. “If you’re so tired, you should’ve
cancelled tonight, or better yet, you shouldn’t have even asked me
out.”

He thought one week was bad? If he knew how
much alone time she and Stefen spent at his house, he would
probably flip his lid.

“I never get to see you, Leah. We’re either
working or too tired to make the effort. This is why I didn't want
to date anyone yet.”

She blinked, fork frozen
somewhere near her mouth.
Wow,
that was one hard slap across her face. Tossing
the utensil down, she let him have it. “I never asked you to date
me, Ben. You’re the one who asked me out.”

It was humiliating, having this discussion
in front of all of these people, in such a confined space. Then
again, it was so loud in here that nobody was listening anyway.

He began to plead, “That's not what I mean.
I’ve wanted to date you since high school. I couldn’t believe it
when I saw you that night.”

Losing her appetite, she pushed her food to
the side.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I recognize
this is pure selfishness, but I want you, okay? I like you, a lot.
Can we just leave it like it is for now? I know I said I didn't
mind you dating anyone else, but,” he gave her a pained look,
“just…not him, okay?”

“What? This is absurd.” She threw her arms
up, not caring who watched. “We don’t see each other, hardly ever
talk, and you’ve barely even kissed me,” she admitted, a little
embarrassed. “You spend your limited free time with your basketball
friends, even when I’m in town. I’ve only put up with it this long
because there isn’t anyone else right now. Stefen and I are just
friends because we were together once, and it didn't work.”

It didn’t matter what
feelings she’d had for Ben in the past, she deserved better than
this. Whatever
this
was. He wanted to keep her waiting around for something that
may or may not happen? Not anymore. She needed a man willing to
build a relationship over time. One that put her first and treated
her like a lady.

Ben was wearing an
I knew it
look, arms
folded across his chest. “Did you sleep with him?”

Her mouth fell
open.
What nerve!
“That is none of your business. I haven’t asked who you’ve
slept with, and really you have no right to ask me that at this
point in our
non
-relationship.”

“That was all the answer I needed,” he
muttered under his breath. “I’m not hungry anymore. I'll be right
back.”

Leah glanced at the tray. He’d already eaten
one burger, the fries, and the shake. How could he have an appetite
to lose?

Returning with a plastic bag, Ben threw in
the last burger and picked up his trash. Leah covered her salad
with the plastic lid, grabbed her water bottle, and walked out to
his car to wait for him.

Worst freaking date
ever
!

Stefen paced in his hospital room as he
anxiously waited for Leah. After seeing Ben yesterday and hearing
his plans, Stefen decided that he was going to put it all on the
line. He had to tell Leah how he felt. As much as he didn’t want to
risk losing her, he needed to see if there was at least a small
possibility for them as a couple, before she rode off into the
sunset with the wrong guy.