Rum & Ginger (14 page)

“That feels super good,” Ben said, relaxing into Brodie’s firm grip. “Yeah. That Chuck guy from the restaurant. He was having, like, video game sex with his character in that game they play online. But they’ve got these headsets so they can talk to each other as well.”

“Oh geez. That’s just weird. And the dude’s character is a chick? Is Chance’s character male or female?” Brodie asked, adding his other hand and moving them to Ben’s shoulders.

“Male. I walked in on him in the middle of it.” Ben closed his eyes.

“Awkward. So it’s like he was cheating on you twice.”

“That’s exactly the way I thought of it.” Ben allowed Brodie to shift him on the couch. “I was worried I might be overreacting. I mean, it was kind of just cybersex.”

“Nah. They were talking to each other. It’s a wacky situation, that’s for sure, but I think you had a right to be upset. I mean, I saw the way they looked at and talked to each other at your restaurant. It was pretty obvious. I kind of wondered how you couldn’t see it.” Brodie continued to rub Ben’s shoulders as he spoke.

“I did see it. I just didn’t want to admit it.” Ben paused. “You don’t have to keep doing that, but thanks.” Ben tried to sit up, but Brodie held on.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind. And you’re really tense. Not that I blame you. I would be too.”

“I could never get Chance to give me a back rub.” Ben felt his muscles relaxing, felt his mind start to drift.

“That’s good. Relax. Don’t worry about Chance anymore,” Brodie instructed.

“I—” Ben started. “I… I don’t think I can do this right now.” Ben sat up quickly. “I’m sorry, Brodie. I appreciate your effort, but I just don’t think I’m ready for this.”

“Ben, I’m sorry, but I wasn’t expecting anything to happen. I was just trying to help you out.”

“No. I know. I’m just in a weird place. And….” Ben trailed off. Could he really just come out and say it? “And I really like you. You’re hot and funny and obviously a nice guy. But I don’t want to rush out of one relationship and into another.”

“I can appreciate that, but I really wasn’t trying to get into your pants. At least, not tonight,” Brodie added with a smirk. “But I understand. It’s getting late anyway. I should probably get going.” Brodie stood and straightened his shirt.

“You don’t have to go. I didn’t mean you had to leave or anything.” Ben stood as well.

“I know. I just should get going. I’ve got shit to do tomorrow. Give me a call if you want to hang out some time.” Brodie started across the room to the stairs. He turned suddenly back. “No pressure. We can just hang out as friends or whatever.”

“Thanks. I’ll definitely give you a call. Come on. I’ll walk you out.”

“Okay.” Brodie climbed the stairs with Ben following.

“Brodie-Bro!” Lena shouted as soon as they emerged from the stairwell. “Come have a drink!”

“I’m actually going to take off,” Brodie told her. “I’ve got a bunch of errands and stuff to do tomorrow.”

“Aw. Boo. The party’s just getting good,” Lena said with a pout.

Ben looked around. The majority of the guests had already left. The ones who remained were in various states of unconsciousness around the house. “I think this party is just about finished. Derek’s laying on the kitchen floor.”

At the sound of his name, Derek made some incoherent bellow. Lena echoed the noise as best she could. “Yeah, Ben-Ben. You might be right. Maybe I should get going too.”

“Do you need a ride?” Brodie asked, his hand on the doorknob.

“Nah. I’m going to have one more drink, then I’ll figure somethin’ out.” Lena drained the liquid from her pint glass.

“You’re a beast, Lena,” Brodie said with a chuckle. He opened his arms, and she fell into a hug. She pecked a kiss on his cheek before releasing him.

“You know it, Brodie-Bro. Drive safe,” she said, walking to the backyard, presumably for her next drink. “You want one, Ben-Ben?”

“No, I’m good. Thanks.”

“How does she do it?” Brodie asked.

“No idea,” Ben replied. “She’s like some kind of alcohol zombie.”

Brodie laughed. “That’s good. I’ll have to remember that. Okay. Well, I’m out. I’ll talk to you soon?”

“You will.” Ben nodded and gave Brodie a one-armed hug, releasing him quickly. “Thanks for stopping by.”

“No prob. Later, Ben.” Brodie opened the door and stepped out.

“Later.” Ben leaned on the open door as Brodie moved onto the stone walkway. “Drive safe,” Ben called after him, watching as he got into his car across the street and pulled away. Ben didn’t close the door until he could no longer see Brodie’s taillights. When he turned around, Lena was back.

“What happened down there?” she asked with a large grin. “Anything interesting?”

“Come on, Lena. I just broke up with Chance,” he answered. She looked at him expectantly, so he clarified. “Nothing happened. We just talked.”

“Boo. I was really hoping to hear about some hot guy-on-guy action.” Lena sipped her new drink.

“Sorry to disappoint. I’m going to go to bed. I’m exhausted. What are
you
going to do?”

Lena shrugged. “Finish this. Call a cab.”

Ben looked down the stairs, pondering his new bed in his new bedroom in a house he wasn’t sharing with Chance. He suddenly felt a wave of anxiety. “Why don’t you finish that and stay?”

“Okay. Why?”

It was Ben’s turn to shrug. “There’s plenty of room here. No sense wasting money on a cab. Come down.” Ben motioned with his head and walked down to his new home.

“This place is fuckin’ rad,” Lena said as she entered. She flopped down on the couch and turned on the television.

“I’m going to brush my teeth and get ready for bed.” Ben waited for Lena to respond, but she just waved him off. He walked into the bedroom and pulled off his jeans, replacing them with a set of loose shorts. Then he went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth, while watching his empty bed with more than a little apprehension. He could hear Lena flipping incessantly through the channels. Ben spit out his toothpaste, rinsed his mouth, and walked back through the bedroom. “I’m going to hit the hay.”

“Okay.” Lena continued to press the channel button on the remote.

“Lena?”

“Yeah?”

“Would… um. Would you be willing to sleep in with me?”

“Why?” She finally looked over at him.

“I’m not used to sleeping alone. And it’s a new bed and stuff,” he explained.

She frowned. “Poor Ben-Ben. Of course I’ll lay in with you.” She chugged the remainder of her drink and stood almost steadily, placing her glass on the coffee table. “You’re like a little kid.”

“Don’t make fun of me,” Ben said as he pulled back the covers, then slid in beneath them.

“Do you have a shirt or somethin’ I can sleep in?” Lena asked, peeling off her pants.

“Yeah. There’s a bag of stuff just there by the bathroom door.”

“Cool.” She grabbed a shirt and slipped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Ben lay in the cool sheets, listening to Lena running water and humming. She came out a few moments later smelling of toothpaste over beer and wearing a shirt that was much too big for her. “That was a good party,” she said as she climbed in next to Ben.

“Yeah. It was okay.” Ben reached over and shut the light off as Lena cozied up next to him.

“Damn. These sheets are the shit. And this pillow is way soft. Derek must have mad cash,” Lena said. Her voice had already taken on a dreamy tone.

“That seems to be the consensus.”

“Is this okay?” Lena asked.

“Yeah,” Ben answered. “Lena?”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.”

“Mm-hmm. Don’t mention it.” Lena nestled deeper into the pillow and draped an arm over Ben’s chest. Ben listened as Lena’s breathing grew steady and even, enjoying the warmth and solidity of her next to him. He yawned and felt his eyelids grow thankfully heavy. By the time Ben was asleep a few moments later, Lena snored lightly next to him.

Ben woke up to an unfamiliar pressure on his chest. His first thought was how strange it felt for Chance to be this close to him. Chance always kept to his own side of the bed. A distinctly female sigh pulled Ben into full consciousness. Lena was draped across him, sleeping deeply. Ben grinned. It was nice to have someone who felt comfortable enough around him to just sleep over him. His only problem now was to figure out how to get himself out from beneath her without waking her.

Ben gently lifted her left arm and then eased her right shoulder up while he slipped out from under her. She barely stirred and snuggled back into the blankets as soon as Ben left. He watched her for a moment before he changed into his running gear. Then he drank several glasses of water. He felt surprisingly lucid after the revelry of the night before. Ben grabbed his iPod and regarded the door to the stairs. He could only imagine the state of the main house this morning. He decided against it and exited through the glass doors, looking forward to a good run.

Running in Derek’s neighborhood was different than running in his old neighborhood. The houses were newer, more pretentious, with trees that had been strategically planted for maximum aesthetic effect. In the old neighborhood, the houses were old and interesting while the trees were huge and random. The effect threw his new and old life into stark contrast. Ben found it easy for his mind to wander as he ran briskly through the generic streets.

Before he knew it, an hour had passed, and he returned to Derek’s house with its perfectly manicured lawn and impeccable landscaping. Ben jogged around the backyard and in through the basement doors. He peeked in on Lena still quietly slumbering. Ben tiptoed past her and ducked into the bathroom, peeled his sweaty clothes off, and turned on the shower. He washed quickly, unaccustomed to the scents of the soap and shampoo in the guest suite. He’d left his body wash and most of his other toiletries, because he and Chance had shared most of them. Another of those little things he hadn’t expected. He’d have to run out to the store and replace those items.

He stepped out of the shower and toweled off. Like everything else, Derek’s towels were the best money could buy. It was like being hugged by an angel. Ben poked his head out of the bathroom. Lena still lay with her eyes closed. Satisfied, Ben tiptoed out naked to retrieve some clothes. He jumped at the shrill whistle.

“Look at that ass,” Lena croaked from the bed.

“Damn it, Lena.” Ben fished out a pair of pants and tried to get into them as quickly as he could.

“That’s a fine sight to wake up to,” she said and coughed. Ben grabbed a shirt and pulled it over his head. “Did you make me breakfast yet?” Lena asked.

Ben tried not to smile but couldn’t help himself. “No, my lady. Not yet. Shall I prepare a quail egg omelet with caviar and prosciutto?”

“I’ll take bacon and eggs, boy.” Lena snapped her fingers. “Chop, chop.”

“Jesus. After all the shit you drank last night, how can you even think about food?”

“I don’t know. I’m fucking starving. Who cares? Let’s get breakfast.” Lena threw the covers off. She sat up and wobbled.

“Maybe you’re not as resilient as you thought,” Ben said with a smug look.

“Shut up. Breakfast. Now.” Lena rose slowly from the bed, stretched, and seemed to recover immensely.

“Shall we go up and see what Derek has in his fridge?” Ben offered Lena his elbow.

“By all means,” she replied, taking Ben’s arm. They walked upstairs to see what they could scrounge up.

When they opened the door to the main house, they were assaulted with the delightful smell of bacon, eggs, and toast as well as the sound of jovial voices. “What the fuck?” Lena asked. Ben shrugged but didn’t answer. They walked around the division into the kitchen and saw Derek sitting around the central island counter with Burnsy and three girls. Ben thought one of them might be named Tina.

“Benny! Leeny! What’s up?” Derek asked, slightly louder than they expected. “Hungry?”

“Hell yeah,” Lena answered, perching on an empty stool.

Ben noticed an older Latino woman standing at the stove cooking. She hummed a little tune as she worked. “Morning,” Ben said as he sat.

“I thought we could all use a decent breakfast so I had Rosa come over.” Derek indicated the older woman. “She can cook her ass off. Can’t you, Rosa?”

“Sí, Mister Derek. You want the omelets with the fancy bacon?” Rosa asked as she cracked eggs, tossed hash browns, and chopped ham all seemingly at the same time, like she was performing an elaborate magic show rather than cooking a simple breakfast.

“Surprise us,” Derek told her.

“You got it, Mister Derek. Two more?” she asked without turning away from her cooking.

“Yes, Rosa. Thanks,” Ben replied.

“Rosa, this is Ben. He’s going to be living in the guest suite for a while.”

Rosa turned and said, “Hello, Mister Ben. It’s nice to meet you. Do you want the special omelet with fancy bacon?”

“That would be awesome, Rosa. Thanks.” Ben gave Derek a quizzical look.

“What?” Derek asked, confusion written on his face.

“Isn’t having a Latino maid a little cliché?” Ben whispered.

“Don’t worry, Mister Ben. I am legal. No worries. And Mister Derek pays me very good. Benefits too.” Her explanation didn’t interrupt her breakfast preparation.

“That’s good to know, Rosa,” Ben replied.

“How the hell do you swing that?” Lena asked.

“Technically Rosa’s employed by Dad’s dealership. So she gets her benefits through there. But she cleans for me twice a week for a little extra cash,” Derek explained. “And she stops by sometimes to cook for me—”

“—because I like him.” Rosa finished Derek’s sentence. “I cook for him when he was a little boy.”

“Rosa’s been with the family since I was a kid,” Derek added. “And you
love
me, Rosa.”

Rosa chuckled. “Sí. Sí. I love you, Mister Derek. Just like my own.” Rosa returned her attention to cooking breakfast. The motley crew seated around the table fell into subdued conversation. Ben might not have been feeling the effects of drinking the previous evening, but it was obvious most of the rest of them were. “It’s ready,” Rosa announced, splitting up the food on eight plates. She distributed seven of the plates to Derek, Ben, and their guests, and the last plate she placed at an empty spot on the island, pulled up a stool, and sat with them as they ate.