Totally and Completely Fine(65)

“Uh, sure,” I said.

“He said you told him about us,” Melanie said, her thumb gesturing behind her.

I knew what I was going to see before I saw it.

And I still wasn’t prepared.

Ben was in the gym—alone—wearing a pair of boxing gloves and going at the punching bag like it had personally insulted him.

“Oh,” I said.

“Yeah,” Melanie said, now standing to stare at Ben with me. “It makes coming to work a lot more fun.”

This was truly ridiculous.

His back was to us, so he had no idea he was getting ogled, but I didn’t think he would mind. Apparently, he was making it a point to become the favorite of every single local business in town.

I couldn’t escape him.

“Excuse me,” I said to Melanie.

I pushed the door to the main gym open. It smelled like antiseptic and sweat.

I watched Ben. He moved to a rhythm that seemed to be in his head. One-two, one-two, one-two. Left-right. Left-right. Each punch hit the bag with a solid thwack. Sweat was gathered at the back of his neck, making his hair stick to his skin.

I remembered the last time I’d seen him exerting this much energy. He’d been on top, his hips moving with the same driving rhythm, my legs around his waist.

“Lauren?”

I’d been so lost in the memory that I hadn’t even noticed him notice me.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

He tilted his head. “I’m working out. What are you doing?”

“Not that,” I said. “Your handshake tour of Cooper. Why does everyone in town know you?”

He pulled off one of his gloves and picked up a water bottle. Took a long drink. I didn’t watch his throat as he swallowed deeply.

I didn’t watch for too long.

“I’m just being friendly,” he said after he’d drawn the back of his hand over his mouth.

“There’s being friendly, and there’s running for mayor,” I said.

He looked at me and there was a small shake of his head.

“What?” I demanded.

“You sound jealous,” he said.

“No, I don’t.”

He lifted his hands—one still wearing a boxing glove. “Okay,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter to me,” I said. “I got a free pastry so it’s fine.”

“Johanna is great, isn’t she?” he asked. “She was telling me about her nephew and how he’s working with huskies so he can race them.”

I gave him a look.

“What?”

“I just don’t understand what you’re doing,” I said. “You’re only here for a couple of months.”

“And I’m not allowed to be friendly?”

We were going in circles.

“Whatever,” I said, and turned to leave.

“Just because you’re avoiding me doesn’t mean I’m going to pretend I’m not here,” he said.

I stopped in my tracks and whirled back around.

“I’m not avoiding you!”

An absolute, bald-faced lie. Ben didn’t even dignify it with a response. He was taking off his other glove instead and unraveling the fabric wrapped around his fingers and palm.

“I like people,” he said. “I like talking to them. Getting to know them.”

“Yeah, I heard you were very popular,” I said.

I regretted it the minute I said it. Because it wasn’t just the unkind regurgitation of gossip he’d already said was overblown, but it was also the most jealous thing I could have said.

Ben glanced up at me.

“Sorry,” I said.

He just shook his head. “I don’t understand what you want, Lauren.”

I bit my lip. I didn’t know what I wanted.

“You’re bold and direct in Philadelphia. Fun and sexy while we’re texting. Then, suddenly, you stop responding. Then, the next time I see you, you’re kissing me and then shoving me away,” he said. “You tell me this is all too complicated, then you come to my place after a date looking like a goddamn fantasy and fuck me like you’ve thought of nothing else for days.”

My face flushed.

“Yeah, I’m only here for a few months,” Ben said. “But I’m not going to hide away in my apartment just because my presence confuses you.”

I opened my mouth. Didn’t have anything to say. Closed it.

“I feel like I’ve made myself pretty clear,” he said. “You know what I want. Give me a call when you accept that you want the same thing.”

Chapter 36

Now

I practically ripped the door open when I heard Allyson’s knock. We’d made plans for dinner and ever since my conversation with Ben yesterday, I’d been dying to talk to her. Preferably over cocktails.

It seemed the universe had other plans for me—ones that did not involve the girls’ night that I’d been desperate for.

“Don’t be mad” was the first thing that she said to me.

Which was pretty much a guarantee that I would be.

“Why?” I asked, trying to peer around her.

I should have known something was up, she usually honked at me from the street.