Chapter 36
Benjamin felt guilty for having sex with Dora and then running out when Milton and Alexis entered the bar. He just ran out with her like she was a secret.
“Wow,” Dora giggled and he wrapped his arm around her, stopping her from falling as his eyes scanned her. He noticed that she had a short dress on, so he removed his jacket and put it on her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She looked up at him and shook her head. “Nothing, just…” she sighed. “I want to have fun. I want to have a night with no regrets. With someone different. Be someone that can and will do anything they want.”
“I could help you with that. I need to do that, too.”
“Hey, boring bro!” Benjamin turned to see Royce running toward them. “Can I talk to the lady?” he asked and Ben frowned, but bobbed his head.
“No, I wanna go,” Dora whined.
“You’re happy to go with him?” Royce asked and Dora nodded at him. “Yes, he’s my knight in black leather armor,” she giggled at the end, making Royce shake his head.
“Make sure she gets home and she may be a little drunk,” he said and Ben just nodded.
He waved down a cab and they got on. “Where am I taking you?” he asked and Dora simply shrugged. So, he gave the driver the name of his hotel.
“Hey! I’m staying there, too.”
“You are?”
#
“Yes,” she hummed and then started to kiss him. It heated up fast and their hormones took over.
“How about we take it down a notch?” the driver called out.
It made them chuckle. “Hey, driver, stop here,” Dora yelled out as the driver stopped. She jumped out of the cab.
“Give me two minutes,” Ben told the man and threw him some money before running after her.
“Dora!” he yelled but she didn’t turn around. Ben realized belatedly that she wouldn’t respond to the name because it was fake.
Dora stopped and Ben moved to her, and then he looked at where she was looking. He swallowed and frowned, seeing her looking at a crowd. They watched a guy on his knee in front of a woman, clearly proposing.
“That’s so sweet,” Dora sighed and then took hold of the bottle of liquor. She started to take a sip when he snatched the bottle from her. It was not safe. “I’m sorry, I will pay you back for the booze.” The sadness in her voice tugged at his heart.
“What? No.” He didn’t care about a little alcohol. “That’s not it. I don’t want you to get sick.” He pushed the hair from her eyes and stared into them. She looked so sad and unsure. “Who hurt you?” he asked.
She snorted. “He’s out of my life now.” As she spoke, her eyes moved to her hand and Ben could see a faint white line on her ring finger.
“How long has it been?”
“A long time. So long that I shouldn’t be moping around.”
He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I am glad to be rid of him. You know what? He never gave me his jacket to cover me or ever tried to protect me.”
“Then he is a fool. I would give you anything you asked for.”
“What about your heart?” she asked him wryly,
Ben swallowed but something in her eyes made his eyes burn. “I would if you gave me your name?”
“Pran–do–a” she giggled and hiccuped. “Sadly, still Prez…” Her name came out so weirdly that his fuzzy brain couldn’t make it out clearly.
1/2
*Come on,” he said, pulling her back to where they left the cab, only to find it gone.
“Sorry,” she muttered and then laughed. “Come on. No better time to walk. The weather is nice.” He nodded and pulled her over. “What is your name?”
“Benjamin,” he answered.
She looked up at him and smiled. “I think I will stick with Nemo.” Before he could even agree, she was kissing him again. He picked her up and they tumbled to the ground.
The two of them walked and talked, kissing for almost an hour.
“What do you do for a living?” he asked, kissing her knuckles.
“Hmm… What would a Dora do?” she spoke out loud, making Ben shake his head in amusement. “She would be a librarian in a mysteriously hidden old library. So, I work in a library.” She turned to him, having no idea that she was talking out loud.
Benjamin sighed, hating the fact that she was giving him a fake job, but he knew she was playing the game she had set up. He didn’t think she was trying to be deceitful, just playing safe. Besides, he was sure he could ask her the next day when they were both sober.
“Would you like to spend the rest of the week with me? You could meet my family. They are also here,” he prompted hopefully. He wanted to make sure she was feeling what he was feeling. Dora’s face dropped and he waved her off. “Forget I asked,” he muttered quickly, regretting that he had asked.
“No. It’s not because I don’t want to. It’s because I am going home tomorrow.”
“What?”
“I have to go home,” she swallowed, and his own heart sank, but he took some relief that she, too, looked unhappy about this.
*Then give me your number, and I’ll call you.” He knew she was a long drive away from him, but he would find a way to meet up with her regularly. She took his cell and noted down her number, Ben looked at it grinning.
“That’s an area code I recognize,” he said and Dora nodded at him without understanding.
“Then you know which city I live in,” she whispered.
“It just so happens I live there, too.”
Dora smiled and then jumped into his arms,
kissing him.
‘No, this isn’t going to work. I need more than a number from her.‘ His head was yelling at him to do something.
“Marry me?” he asked as she pulled away.
