LOVE TO HATE YOU

(NEW) You're totally falling in love with me...

I could barley think about anything else that night at work... Ben, our imaginary son Max, our upcoming royal nuptials, that sexy black suit he'd worn. But when I saw that same black suit enter the restaurant later that night, a flutter of panic griped me. I watched from the sidelines as he slid into a seat. His table was in my section, he probably knew that already. I walked over to him as calmly and professionally as I could.

"Hi." I placed the menu down on his table.

"Hi Sera." He looked up at me. "I'm not here to eat anything, just to have a celebratory drink with you. The client loved your idea."

"It wasn't really my idea." I quickly said.

"Of course it was. So how about two Vodka Cranberry's?" He winked at me.

"I'm working, so I can't really drink on the job."

Ben raised an eyebrow and looked around the room. "Please, this hardly seems like the kind of establishment that cares about that shit."

I stifled a smile. He was right. Having a friendly drink here and there with the patrons was almost a prerequisite. I left him and came back with one Vodka Cranberry.

"So you're going to leave me to celebrate alone?" he put on a sad puppy dog look.

I shrugged. "There are other tables, you know." I started walking away but Ben got up and blocked me.

"Seriously, we're leaving to shoot in Namibia on Thursday. It's only for three nights, we'll be back on Sunday. It's going to be amazing, you have to come."

I sighed. "Ill go on one more condition."

"Name it."

"You remain totally, one hundred percent professional at all times. If you keep acting this way, people at work will start thinking that you and I... you know?"

"Had fucking incredible sex."

My eyes widened and I cleared my throat. "Something like that."

"Exactly like that." Ben said in a husky sotto tone that made my toes tingle.

"And done." He said.

"Done?"

"I shall be the consummate professional on this trip." He downed his drink, reached into his pants and pulled out his wallet. He grabbed a note, far too much for the one drink, and slapped it down on the table. "I won't try and sneak into your room at night, I will definitely not feel you up secretly under the table or look at you and imagine you naked and think about you at night just before I go to sleep."

"Uh...um..." I stumbled. "Glad to hear it."

"As long as you promise to do the same." He took a step closer.

"Tsk!" I tisked loudly, "I don't do stuff like that."

"Oh please. I've seen the way you look at me at work sometimes"

"That's just your over inflated ego imagining things."

A slow, deadly smile swept across his face. It was dirty and devilish and delicious. "You know, no one has ever spoken to me the way you do."

I shrugged. "What can I say, your charms don't work on me."

He took another step forward until his chest touched mine and his nose was an inch away from my face. I no longer had knees. "We both know that's not true, is it Sera?" His eyes floated down to my lips and they burned.

"Mmmmm..." A nervous moan escaped my strangled throat. "I really have to work now." I backed away but he reached out and stopped me with a hand around my wrist. I looked down at my wrist, his fingers tightened and he pulled me towards him. I gasped when my chest pressed into his once more.

"Good night then, Sera." And then he leaned in and kissed me softly on the cheek. I closed my eyes briefly and drunk in his scent. So damn hot! If I could bottle it and sell it to other women I would be rich.

"G-g-good night." I finally managed to get the word out as he pulled away from me and walked to the door.

"Wait. You need change." I called after him while scrambling for his change. He waved a hand at me as if to say 'no' which I wasn't very happy about. He turned and continued to walk towards the door, but just before exiting he stopped and turned around once more. His eyes met mine and he mouthed something.

I leaned in and tried to make it out. Was it...? It was...? What was he saying...?

"You're totally falling in love with me."

I shook my head at him and mouthed the word 'No' as clearly as I could. He gave me one last smile before disappearing out the door.