Tonight, was the night I had been waiting for—a dinner date with the intriguing man I had met over a month ago. He had an effortless charm that had captivated me from the Moment we exchanged our first words.
Unlike Chase, Benjamin had been a gentleman, even if he did leave on the arm of the she-devil, Claire.
Benjamin was prompt, knocking on my door at exactly 7 pm.
"Wow Elena, you are breathtaking, here these are for you" Benjamin handed me a large bunch or red roses, I lifted them to my nose and inhaled deeply, they smelled divine, fresh, and romantic. The roses were tied with an oversized red ribbon, bedazzled with crystals along the edges.
"Thank you, Benjamin, you look handsome too" I shouted my goodbye to Dad and headed out the door, taking Benjamin's offered arm. The neighborhood passed in a blur as my mind drifted to Benjamin's scent, masculine and earthy. I looked over to find him watching me.
"How was your first week at CI? Did you make any friends?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow. The rest of the journey to the restaurant was spent with Benjamin listening to my first week's escapades and the new colleagues I had met.
"Colin sounds like a laugh, you'll have to introduce us when we go out again, he can bring someone for a double date" I hadn't thought past this date at the possibility of a second or even a third.
"I will certainly ask him, although you've not seen me eat yet, I'm resemble a pig in a stye, food usually ends up down my clothes and around my mouth, it's not exactly pretty" I looked down, hiding my embarrassment, Benjamin must have noticed I was picked at the skin on the side of my thumb, as he took my hand and held it between us on the seat.
When we arrived outside the restaurant, Benjamin got out of the car first and came round to open my door for me, I took his outstretched hand, and he helped me from the car. Inside, the atmosphere was classy, romantic, and intimate. The hardwood polished floors gleamed in the low lighting, the simple black and silver glittered walls illuminated the silhouettes of the diners currently seated.
As I approached the table where we would be seated, I couldn't help but admire the way the soft candlelight danced across his face, accentuating his masculine features. He looked predatory and powerful, and I could feel my heart skipping a beat as I greeted him with a warm smile as he pulled out my chair for me.
"Thank you, Benjamin," I said, feeling my confidence growing.
His eyes twinkled as he returned the smile. "You are most welcome and please call me Ben, it rolls off the tongue better," he replied playfully.
We settled into our seats, and the conversation flowed effortlessly between us. We discussed everything from our favorite books to our childhood dreams, and with each passing Moment, I found myself falling deeper under his spell. Ben had this way of making me feel like I was the most interesting person in the world.
***
As the main course arrived, I was already on my second glass of pinot noir. With the alcohol clouding my mind, I mustered up the courage to steer the conversation in a slightly more flirtatious direction. I leaned in, trying to keep the tone light but suggestive.
"You know, Ben, I was quite surprised to hear from you, especially after how we met," I said, my voice slightly lower than usual.
He raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "Oh, really? Why's that?"
I took a Moment to gather my thoughts, not wanting to come across as too forward. "Because Chase ended that night totally unexpectedly, I had a lovely evening dancing with you. You made me feel like the only woman in the room. It's rare to find someone who can do that."
My cheeks flushed, and I knew it was only the alcohol talking, but he did make me feel special. I could see the spark of interest in his eyes as he replied, "Well, I guess I feel the same way. You have a way of making me forget about everything else when I'm with you." I played with the napkin in front of me, not wanting to meet his eyes, I could feel their hunger and I wasn't exactly sure I was ready for that kind of commitment yet. I decided to risk it and I looked at him deeply, the candlelight framed his face, accentuating his jaw and outlining his full lips, my lips parted, and I absentmindedly licked my bottom lip. Ben seemed encouraged by my response.
"Elena, I'd love to see more of you. Maybe we could go for a walk after dinner?"
I considered his invitation for a Moment before nodding.
"I'd like that." I took a sip from my wine; it was heading to my brain even faster now that my heart rate had increased.
As the evening drew to a close, we strolled along the moonlit streets, the city bustling around us. We laughed, shared stories, and the connection between us seemed to grow stronger with each step we took.
Finally, as we arrived outside a large building complex, I thought Ben was about to call his driver to collect us. I felt a mix of anticipation and nervousness about what might come next.
"Thank you for tonight," I said softly, my heart pounding in my chest. "I had an incredible time."
His smile was warm and genuine as he replied, "I had a wonderful time too. Let's do it again sometime."
I leaned in to give Ben a hug, but Ben gently cupped my face with my hand and leaned in, planting a soft, lingering kiss on my lips. It felt wrong, his tongue tried to part my lips and gain entry, but I pushed him with both of my hands.
"Ben, I'm sorry but I think I want to go home" I held my hand to my chest, Ben pushed his hand through his hair and sighed at me, he stood in front of me with both hands laid on his hip.
"You've been coming on to me all night, you're not going to cock block me now" Before I could react, Ben reached out and grabbed my wrist. I shouted at him to stop but he began to pull me along behind him, towards the alleyway next to the building. I began kicking out as the security guard came out from behind his desk, out the door and around the side to get between Ben and I, forcing Ben to let me go.
"You are fucking bitch, no wonder Chase didn't want you!" he snarled, fixing his suit and jacket. I sobbed as I quickly ran out onto the street. My legs wired to run but the adrenaline waning, I didn't know how something so right could go wrong so quickly. Had I really come on to him? I just knew I had to get home. As if God was sending me a sign, Chase appeared from around the corner, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, covered in sweat. He stopped just besides me and pressed a button on his watch.
"Elena, what are you doing here? This is my building where I live…. What's wrong…. Why are you crying?" He lifted my chin and looked into my eyes, all my emotions hit then, the floodgates opened, and Chase could only hold me as I cried.
"Ben, he… tried to grab me…" I only managed to speak a few words between sobs, Chase scanned the building entrance and couldn't see Ben. Before I knew what was happening, I was lifted up into Chase's arms, he carried me through the doors, passed the much calmer security guard and towards a lone elevator. Once inside, I noticed Chase use a key below the buttons. I buried my head into his shoulder, seeking his warmth and protection. When the elevator stopped, Chase carried me into the large living space and sat me on the grey corner sofa, beside a fireplace. He disappeared from view behind me, and I took the time to look around this spacious room. A large chandelier hung above me, illuminating the room slightly. Suddenly the fireplace roared to life, warming me instantly, it drew me closer, and I stood to walk over to it. Chase appeared next to me and handed me a coffee.
"Here, this will warm you up, now tell me exactly what happened" He looked mad, as I spoke recounting the evening the look on his face got worse, by the end he was seething, not able to stay still he kept standing and pacing the room, before returning to my side.
Chase sighed, his hand resting on my knee, I could feel the tension in his skin, he was holding in his rage, but portraying an illusion of calmness.
"This is all my fault; he was my best friend and roommate in college. We worked together on a business plan, expecting to launch it once we graduated, that was until one night, three days before graduation and we got so drunk, at least I thought we did. Ben had been spiking my drinks all night and he was only on soft drinks. He took our idea Elena and sold it to Gamble and Butler for millions of dollars, he took all the credit and the money. We've been enemies ever since, always trying to find dirt on one another." He looked guilty as it was his turn to look down and fidget.
"You've been brought into this, and I'll get you out, I'll call the police and you'll give them a statement that he assaulted you, if you want, I'll transfer you to another one of my companies, that I'm less involved in, that should get the target off your back" he stood again, running his fingers through his hair. I finished my coffee and stood beside him, going into my bag for my phone.
"I'll be out of your hair in a Moment, I'm going to call a cab, it's been a long night and I just want to go home and shower him off me" I felt disgusting, I could still feel his fingers on my wrist, I'm sure a bruise would appear in the morning, so I made a mental reminder to wear a long-sleeved top for a few days to cover it. My phone was out of my hand before I could even dial a number, Chase took it from me. He input a number and then returned it to me.
"That's Turner's number, call him, he's the only other person I trust with your safety tonight" I sighed, then dialed it. He picked up quickly and before I knew it, I was downstairs and climbing into the back seat, with Chase next to me. Upon arriving at home Chase walked me to the door, Dad greeted us both with a confused and concerned look on his face, I just waved him off and went off towards my bedroom. I could hear voices behind me as I closed the door for the night.