Can't Turn Back Now, I'm Haunted (A Ben Willbond Rom Com)

Chapter Seven | The Morning After

I woke up already agitated. No hangover, I hadn't had that much to drink, but the memory of the kiss hovered like a cloud around my head -- I at once felt thrilled by the memory of his taste, his smell, the feel of his bicep through his shirt as I gripped his arm... and absolutely humiliated. Had he taken pity on me? No... he'd kissed me with far more intensity than my good-humored peck. There's no way I had misread him. Or was there?

I groaned audibly and yanked the duvet over my head.

My extra hours in the morning passed with similar agitation. I sipped a hot coffee and paced on the balcony, looking out at the sprawling park. After a little deliberation, I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and texted Kamie.

-I did a thing last night and I need you to not judge me for it.

Almost instantly, I heard a ding.

-Where is the body buried, Maggie? x

Ahh, a true friend. I responded.

-You know Ben Willbond?

-Yeeees... the Captain? Did you DEFLOWER THE CAPTAIN MAGGIE? x

I clapped a hand over my eyes and stifled an embarrassed, giddy laugh.

-I did no such thing... except I did kiss him, and then he kissed me back

A pause. Then...

-AHHHHHHHH omgomgomg how was it??

-It was AMAZING but then we were INTERRUPTED and then as he was walking away, he mouthed "sorry". "SORRY," Kamie.

- ... Sorry like sorry I kissed you? x

- I DO NOT KNOW, this is what I'm saying!

I smiled and took another sip of coffee, happy to have a little support in the confusion of it all. After a moment, my phone chirped again.

- Only thing to do is kiss him again and see if anyone apologizes *shrug* x

She had a point.

When I arrived to set, things were already in full swing — it was a day for pickups, meaning we were grabbing a little more footage of certain scenes with minor tweaks if necessary. Most of it was for the ghosts, Allison, and Mike, but I was there to jump in when needed. I waited in my trailer for most of the morning, tapping my nails on the counter and driving myself crazy. By the time I was called to set, I had worked myself up into such a nervous tizzy that I considered popping a Benadryl just to calm down, but I talked myself out of it.

I walked into the manor and was led by a young PA to the drawing room, where all of the others were waiting. My eyes immediately found Ben, looking strapping in his Captain getup, chatting with Martha about something. When his eyes met mine, he looked startled for a moment, then cast me a small smile and a nod. I countered with a little grin of my own, then directed my attention to Kiell, who was approaching me with an eager hello. He had told me on our first night out that he had never seen the American Office, and had a LOT to say about the first few episodes he'd watched last night.

I didn't really listen — I was too busy trying to calm the butterflies in my belly — but I was grateful to have someone to look at and focus my attention on. I was certain that everyone could somehow see my lipstick on him, or the blush in my cheeks, even twelve hours later... but of course, nobody could and it was just a normal day.

Okay. I'm being paranoid.

Before I knew it, we had launched into the scene. Everything went well, everybody was professional — the only difference was that I was avoiding Ben's gaze like the plague. I knew it was stupid and childish, and that we were both adults who just happened to have kissed last night, but for some reason I felt like a nervous schoolgirl, and letting him catch me looking at him felt too embarrassing for words. When break was called, I breathed a sigh of relief and slipped into the busy hallway to grab a coffee. As I was pouring a fresh cup, I heard footsteps behind me.