Liz knew Ben was complicated. Especially, his love life, which she knew not to ask. All she'd done this summer was help out at the old bar by the beach. Perhaps, he was something of a big brother after all. She'd settled on this fact as summer had brought a few opportunities in boyfriend material. Even so, she detested having friends fix her up with dates.
"Well, you should say something," Ben bit back that she could find her own boyfriend if she really wanted to.
She nodded and went on cleaning up as if they'd had this conversation on repeat and she was tired of listening to it. Besides, she found things were pretty easy going with the guy who was here for the summer on his college break. Cole was OK. They were still getting to know each other which meant the romantic leap had not taken place and possibly wouldn't. But the math of their so-called something was getting consuming since he'd added his friend Zeth to all their dates.
"Oh, maybe he's got a threesome in mind," Ben had laughed about it when she mentioned how Cole's friend was tagging along on their so-called dates. The thought gave Liz a nervous panic attack as she went on with her duty of checking the fridge for tomorrow's supplies. She was keeping quiet about that lately. Yes, it was best to tell him nothing these days, and she was beginning to think it might bother him.
"Why don't we take a drive?" Ben announced one late night after closing time.
"Really?" She yawned back. "Where?"
"Oh, I know a place." Ben was downright giddy about it, dancing circles around her as if it might be fun.
"I don't know," she shook her head, thinking it was a bad idea. Were they even friends? Sometimes, Liz knew she said too much. Especially about Cole and Zeth.
Of course, she knew she was plain. Far from the high-maintenance type that came to the bar just to have one of Ben's Mojitos, a drink Liz wasn't fond of and would never drink on the job, anyway.
"Quit over-thinking. Let's go."
And with that, she climbed into his old jeep, wondering if he might have rabbit hunting in mind.
"Rabbit hunting?" He laughed, starting up the old machine and pulling the gears as if it might be a gym workout. "Where did that come from?"
She mumbled something about going rabbit hunting with the neighbor boys when she was little back on a farm in Texas. Ben kept laughing, but they were on their way as the sea breeze mellowed the night, and yet everything felt fresh on the way to the Beach House.
However, the place was run down and probably more of a shack in the moonlight. "I used to love it here," Ben said when the jeep headlights revealed the place in the darkness.
"Probably in the daytime," Liz shrugged. She didn't think much of it at one in the morning.
"Yeah, yeah." His mustache almost went sideways as if she didn't need to question him.
He kicked the door open and proceeded to go in. Liz stood at the threshold wondering if she could really trust him. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the dark.
"It's kind of lost its luster over the years." He got out his Bic lighter and flicked it. Soon enough, he found a candle to light, yet held on to her wrist as if he'd taken her hostage.
"All sorts of shit happened here," he told her about his first kiss with some senior in college when he was twelve. There had been plenty of parties here that he thought of fondly.
"I guess it's a special place," Liz could barely say above a whisper. She knew there were ghosts here as hairs on her forearm prickled.
"Damn straight."
Ben looked at Liz as if she needed to take him seriously, but she didn't know this side of him. Her hand grew slack and he let go. His hand was getting sweaty. Instantly, she hugged herself as if he might have seen too much of her in her tank and cutoffs.
"I'm thinking about buying the place," he told her. Ben couldn't live above the bar forever.
"But, it's so convenient." She looked at him blankly and told him it might take a lot of money to fix it up.
"I got plenty of time for that." Ben nodded, taking her on a tour of the old place. The bedrooms were upstairs with a simple bathroom. Nothing fancy about the place. Anyone else would tear it down and start over with fresh lines. Yeah, they could get a pretty penny for it, imagined Liz. And then she saw the clothes on the bed. Dirty laundry was in the bathroom.
"But, it looks-" Liz wanted to tell him she thought people lived here.
"What?" Ben dared.
"Is it OK to be here?"
Ben cracked a smile. He went to the fridge and pulled out a diet soda to open for her. Evidently, the electricity was on after all.
"Are you living here?" Liz was puzzled. She took the open drink from him to take a sip.
"I want to be here with you."
Liz choked on the foamy drink. She cleared her throat. It felt like a good time to tell him her many faults, yet she wondered how far this could go.
"You need to quit playing with boys," he informed her.
She nodded with a straight lip. Yes, sometimes she could get to the ending quickly, but the fact remained he'd already chosen his partner. After all, she knew Ben had a hankering for a loyal pup and Liz sensed he found that in her too.
"Fine." She put down her drink, and he kissed her as if he'd erase those other summer memories.
Still, she had to wonder if they'd still be here when the owners came home.
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