andante ❈ benjamin pavard

SIXTEEN

          As they walked along the water, Zoe began to re-examine her belief that Paris was the best city in France. With every step she took, she fell more and more in love with Monaco. It was just so beautiful. The water, the architecture, the people. Zoe was in love with Ben, yes, but she was also in love with life itself.

Their hands swung dangerously close to each other and Zoe could feel the brush of Ben's sturdy hands. She glanced down and wondered how Ben would react if she held onto his hand. Would he hold on back? Or would he let go? The moon shined on Zoe's face as she pondered, but Ben took care of the what-ifs. He held onto her hand and didn't let go.

A blush bloomed even though she desperately tried hard to fight it. She was weak for him, yes, but he didn't need to know that. The heels of Zoe's sandals clacked loudly and the wind decided to say hello, flicking up the back of Zoe's flowy dress. She had to let go of Ben's hand to pat her dress down, and when she reached to hold his hand again, he was using it to scroll on his phone.

Okay then, Zoe thought.

Frowning to herself, Zoe followed Ben as they walked into the restaurant. It was fancier than Ben had originally let on, and Zoe was glad overdressed herself. The restaurant probably had a Michelin star or something because the line was uber long and Ben just skipped to the front of it.

The dinner was nice. Relaxing. But Ben just seemed more and more off as time passed and Zoe hated it. She'd rather have the immature Ben she saw at the karaoke bar than the Ben that didn't talk at all. Zoe didn't really know what she wanted, so she had Ben order for her. They both got macaroni burgers and sweet potato fries, which sounded like a heart attack waiting to happen. The food was a lot better than Zoe imagined and she laughed when macaroni spilled from Ben's mouth.

"You're such a mess," Zoe said, but her voice was unmistakably full of affection.

Ben wiped his mouth with a napkin, "Yeah, and you like it."

Yeah, I do, Zoe thought. But she could never say that because Ben was just so damn confusing.

Ben paid the bill and they went back to his huge mansion, nestled right by the water. Zoe didn't know why Ben lived in a house so big all by himself. Maybe he bought it when he was dating Nina? Zoe contemplated to herself.

"I don't know how I'm going to handle all that greasy food in the states," she told Ben. She sat at the kitchen counter as Ben rifled through his fridge. He was trying to find a bottle of Coke to share between the two because Zoe was falling asleep and it was only nine.

"It's not like there's strictly American food in America. Plus you'll be in New York, so you'll have tons of options." Ben pulled out a two-liter bottle. "I'm sure you'll survive, Zoe."

"How long has that been there?" Zoe asked. Ben hadn't been to his Monaco house in months-- she didn't need to drink anything that had gone spoiled.

"My housekeeper went grocery shopping for me two days ago; don't worry a hair on that pretty little head of yours," Ben said, walking past Zoe and even going as far as patting her head. She laughed at his action and watched as he went to go sit on his couch. This was the Ben she knew and loved: the jokester. Not the pensive one she saw in the restaurant.

She went to sit on the couch with him and they shared the Coke as they watched Clueless. Zoe was pleasantly surprised that Ben had agreed to watch it because most boys hated romcoms. But Zoe had come to learn that Ben was not like most boys. He was funny without being rude, caring without being overbearing and cute without being obnoxious. He was perfect but he was also perfect for her. He balanced her out.

Zoe spent most of the next day on the very same couch watching TV while Ben ran errands. It was nice to have her time in a weekend that had completely evolved around Ben. The couch was comfortable and Ben had given her a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. They were girls clothing, and it had Zoe wondered who they could belong to.

She was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when Ben returned from his little outing. The gala would start at six, and Zoe needed to start getting ready because they had to walk on the red carpet beforehand. The prospect of being photographed was scary but Ben had promised her that he wasn't going to stop for any interviews, which was a plus.

She watched him walk through the front door with the most beautiful dress in his hand and a small bag in the other. Immediately, Zoe ran up to him to inspect it further.

"Is this mine?" Zoe asked, touching the fabric. Ben laughed and nodded.

"No, it's for the other girl in my house."

"Haha," Zoe said dryly. "Very funny."

She took the dress out of Ben's hands and couldn't stop staring at it. It probably cost more than her entire life. The bodice was white with spaghetti straps and it was completely covered in pink floral designs. The bottom of the dress flared out dramatically, with the same floral designs sparsely populated.

"What's a girl without her shoes?" Ben asked rhetorically, handing Zoe the second bag. Zoe couldn't help the large smile that overtook her face and took the bag from Ben's hands. The bag was Manolo, which also cost more than Zoe.

The shoes were equally as beautiful; silver jewel studded stilettos. She tried them on and they fit perfectly. Squealing, she hugged the shoebox closer to her chest. She wasn't a materialist by any means, but designer shoes were designer shoes.

"I have to get ready now," Zoe said, but it was mostly for her own benefit. She grabbed the shoes and the dress before darting up to the master bedroom.

All of her stuff, including her makeup, was there. She had to look good to be seen with Ben, so she attempted to do a glamorous look. She had never been particularly good at makeup, but she wanted to try for Ben. It was the least she could do. After she was done with her makeup, she stepped into the infamous dress. It looked even better on and she wondered how it fit so perfectly. The back was open which made it look both sexy and sweet. She smiled to herself, excited to see how the night with Ben would play out.

Maybe he would finally kiss her.

Or maybe she would finally kiss him.

Either way, she was getting kissed tonight, no matter what happened. She took a deep breath and began her descent down the spiral staircase, and abruptly paused when she heard Ben talking to someone. Furrowing her eyebrows, she continued walking down the steps. She saw Ben standing in the front door, animatedly talking to someone. Ben's tall frame blocked the view of the person on the other side.

"- I'm sorry but I've been so busy," Zoe heard Ben say.

"I don't care. Let me inside," the other voice said, and it sounded suspiciously feminine.

"Can you just come back tomorrow? I'm leaving for an event in a few minutes," Ben said.

"Ben?" Zoe asked, finally getting to the bottom of the stairs. She walked slowly towards the doorway, her heart pounding. Something told her that the next few moments would be absolutely terrible. "What's going on?"

Zoe watched as Ben visibly stiffened. He craned his head and his face just fell. As if he were caught doing something he knew he shouldn't have been doing. Zoe held her breath as Ben moved out of the way, and Zoe saw the blonde girl that almost tore her brother and Ben apart all those years ago. The model, the minx, the girl every boy in Maubeuge loved.

Nina Girard was back and she looked better than ever.

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i've had chapter 17 written for EVER. so excited i can finally post it soon.