A Million Miles Apart (Wish 4)

31 - Deflect and evade

It was Saturday before he saw Sloane again. Unfortunately, his cast wasn't ready to come off so he couldn't cook for her. He invited her over and ordered Thai food.

It disappointed him his bone hadn't mended. Although it had only been six weeks, he was eager to get started on his rehab. She took his fingers and looked at his cast.

"Still here." She knew because he had told her in one of their short phone conversations. She had worked long hours all week.

"So how's work?"

"Okay. I think I can work normal hours now. Dom went home to pack up his things."

"Where will he live?"

"With me." She said it like it was the most obvious choice.

Ben had to remind himself his first impression of the two together was wrong. Dominic was not a threat to him. He hadn't felt this jealous since the night he left Kim at that party. He wanted to stay and talk to her. He should have let the girl he was seeing leave on her own. He couldn't even remember her name. He was so close to acting on his promise to Kim, because he had already planned to skip senior year for the draft. There were too many should haves.

"Hello! Where did you go?" Sloane's voice pulled Ben back to the present.

"Huh, what? Just tired, which is a joke. I have done nothing and you have worked a million hours all week."

She smiled. "I like to work. I have loved coming home to my own bed and driving my car and not having to deal with flight arrangements. I'm not saying I'll never take on a client which requires travel, but hopefully it won't be all the time."

"How did it really go when you quit your job?" They sat down and he handed her a glass of wine. He didn't know much about wine, so he stocked up on a few bottles of the kind she drank at her birthday.

"This is good." She smiled after her first sip.

He liked the taste of wine best on her lips and leaned over and kissed her. She gave in to the kiss. It was nice not to have the car console between them. He pulled her closer and was certain he could spend the entire night kissing her. Well, maybe more than just kissing, but his cast limited him. He wouldn't attempt assaulting her with it. He wasn't sure she was the type of girl who fell into bed after a few dates. She deserved respect, so he regretfully pulled away.

"You never answered my question." She looked dazed. Did he have that effect on her? "Quitting, how did your boss take it?" She hadn't had the chance to go into detail on the phone.

"Not well. I sent him an email on Sunday and he called me first thing Monday morning. He was livid because clients were expecting us, well, me. Dom went to the client only until replacements could arrive, which took all week. He submitted his resignation at the same time I was being hollered at. My old boss tried to tell me I would never work again, but I told him I was working for Whitby Enterprises, who was my own client. He roared that there was no way I landed Whitby. I had known the sales team had been trying to break into Whitby for years. I never helped because I preferred to keep my identity a secret at work."

"Sounds familiar." He smiled and felt proud of her.

"I told him Mr. Whitby was impressed with my client list. I held my tongue and didn't refer to him as Montgomery. Then he threatened to sue me for poaching from the company. I assured him my client list included Petersen Shipping, Homestead Builders, and Calhoun Construction."

Ben laughed. "Did he connect the dots?"

"He did and asked if I was related. I just told him I had to get back to work and if he didn't work his valuable staff so hard, they might be more loyal. The turnover is ridiculous. Dom and I were there practically the longest. One of our other colleagues who had been there as long as us called me. He wanted to know if I was hiring. I told him if I could find him some clients in New York, I would let him know. He lives in the city."