A Degree of C Ch. 04

An unfiltered chuckle tore through Ben.

"I love how you just came on to me with a kiss that I found to be sexy as hell, but I'm suddenly a pervert who's only here to get you in bed." Another hearty chuckle followed this quip.

Elise was speechless. Ben was right, that moment was all her.

"You've heard a lot about me over the years; I just want the opportunity to share my passion with you," When his choice of words kept her silent, Ben tried a different approach, "I promise not to let you have your way with me again; my sister wouldn't like that."

Not able to resist laughing at Ben's sense of humor, another undeniably sexy trait of his, Elise wriggled out of his grasp and reclaimed her belongings. Looking back at him, she said just two words, "Let's go."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A few minutes alone in a living room can tell you a lot about the owner of the residence. The choice to flank a dark brown microsuede sectional sofa with two vintage brown leather club chairs meant that Ben wanted masculinity to be represented in everything he touched. Placing the furniture in front of a large curtainless divided window relayed his degree of comfort with the idea of being watched. A bachelor proudly displaying a plethora of candid photos with friends and family in an Elise-sized picture frame indicated something simple: Ben was sentimental.

He is outwardly sentimental, actually. Elise thought about how foreign this notion was to her, and how, most likely, that was due to her upbringing.

The juxtaposition of his unmistakably manly exterior with the ability to wear his heart on his sleeve in most instances had Elise starving for more revelations. Insufficiently able to get a good enough look from her vantage point, a sitting position on the sectional's ottoman, she migrated over to the massive collage that was even more impressive up close.

Besides the aforementioned shots that seemed to span at least a decade, Ben featured images taken both nationally and abroad. Ben likes to travel.

"We have that in common." The five words were uttered aloud to no one, but Elise heard herself being questioned immediately by Ben.

"What do we have in common?" Ben reentered the living room with the soda Elise had requested from an offer he made before retreating to another part of the loft.

Reaching her position in front of his encapsulated memories, Ben handed Elise a tall frosted tumbler that held ice cold ginger ale. Instead of staving off the evidence of him startling her by taking a quick sip, Elise replied while shifting her focus back to a picture of a high school-aged Ben and Cara making goofy faces on a tropical beach.

"What makes you think I was referring to you? There are lots of people posted on this print." A few random faces were pointed to as she wittily argued her point.

"Because as much as that's true, I know that I'm, ultimately, the one you would treasure any commonality with."

"Treasure? I didn't realize how you conceited you were."

"I'm not vain- just thinking about the tables being turned. If I were looking at your photos, your face is the only one I'd notice."

Ugh, the game this man has is ridiculous. An eye roll was tossed Ben's way.

"Too much? I'll admit- that was a line." Smirking, he added, "But... it's a line that is not far from the truth. It's obvious that I think you're beautiful."

Her action was to be taken as playful, but she was flattered by his honesty. Intending to keep the nature of her visit light, Elise shifted his focus. "You and I seem to share a love of traveling. The pictures you've chosen are quite beautiful."

"Nice segue- and subject change." The need for the transition was obvious, and absolutely fine with Ben, but he just had to ask Elise a pointed question. "Am I making you nervous?"

"Not at all; I was just answering your previous question." He knows that's a fib, Elise. Speaking of subject changes, Elise had one more to make. "So... I think it's time you tell me why I'm here."

"OK, but it's something that has to be seen to be appreciated." Ben motioned for Elise to hand him her cup. Once she did, he told her to follow him.

Along the way, the drink was placed on a reclaimed wood dining table. Elise noted its beauty, but refrained from making a comment. Venturing back to the only part of the loft that seemed to be completely sectioned off, Elise speculated on what its contents, Ben's passion, could possibly be. Unable to come up with anything remotely feasible on the fly, she decided to stop trying.

Entering the room ahead of Elise, Ben promptly stepped aside to take in her reaction. While not necessarily able to deduce her exact thought, he was happy to silently watch her darting eyes take in every inch of the space.

"It smells so good in here." Inhaling a woodsy scent while walking past Ben, Elise lightly ran her hand over the back of a sleekly designed wood dining chair, "Did you make every piece of wood furniture in the loft?"

"I did." Ben leaned against the front of a desk he had finished days before leaving for New York on Thursday. Impressing her with his woodworking skills brought him great joy. Whenever he needed to relieve stress, or just secure some me-time, working in this studio was Ben's individual form of solace.

"Everything in here is gorgeous and well-made. You're incredibly talented, Ben; how long..." Elise finished the question, but her voice seemed to grow silent to Ben's ears as his eyes followed her feminine form around the workroom.

Every piece was personal to Ben. Gliding her smooth right hand across the furniture he had built by his lonesome was triggering impure thoughts. Starting chastely at his approval of her breezy cream silk blouse, fitted mint skinny jeans and multi-colored beaded sandals, things took a turn for the racy when he began to imagine the clothing coming off.

What style of bra and panties are hiding under that ensemble? Is Elise the type that likes to model lingerie for her boyfriend? Would watching her shimmy out of a tight skimpy thong reveal a bare pussy?

"My grandfather made a woodworker out of me at a young age, starting at seven or so." Being able to answer Elise's question despite the lure of his prurient curiosity was quite a feat.

Settling atop the desk Ben was leaning against, Elise made a declaration and observation, "I now understand the passion comment, and agree with you. A lot of heart and soul has gone into what you've built with your hands, Ben." Leaning to her right, she pulled his left hand into her lap and immediately took inventory of a couple rough patches that had previously escaped her scrutiny. "These are definitely not the hands of a man who trades stocks for a living. How did I miss that?"

"Hmm... I assume you missed them because other discoveries registered higher on the stimulation scale."

Smiling bashfully as she gingerly rubbed a small callous on the lower left region of his palm, Elise replied, "You're probably right."

A moment of silence, and possibly contemplation on both their parts, passed between Elise and Ben. The only audible sound was a passing car heard through an open casement window that Ben must have opened while Elise was lingering in the living room. Not wanting to break the silence but knowing it was time to head home, Elise released Ben's hand and regained a standing position.

Reading her body language and citing his observance of the setting sun as they sat together, Ben thanked Elise for stopping by and offered her a ride home. Twelve hours ago, Elise managed her feelings for Ben without much resistance. An exhibition of thoughtfulness and a glimpse into his home life undid the wall she was beginning to build. If someone inquired about her feelings in this moment, she would divulge her happiness for them to spend extra time together during the drive. Not surprisingly, Elise accepted Ben's offer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sitting in the passenger seat with Ben behind the wheel differed greatly from the thirty minutes Elise spent seated next to him in the back of a cab. The distance between them was about the same, but subtracting the third party heightened the intimacy created by their proximity.

Comparing and contrasting the two situations held Elise's focus for a quarter of the ride. An observer might find something wrong with the silence but should be rest assured that, though quiet, Ben and Elise were both thinking about each other.

Ben's vehicle-of-choice pulled Elise away from analyzing today's time with the insanely good looking man to her left. Flashy sports cars were stereotypically fancied by his peers. Not Ben. The "creative" inside him chose to cut through the city in a metallic silver Jeep Patriot. Sleek and stylish was replaced by this rugged and roomy SUV. The only resemblance to something remotely white-collar was the high-quality gray leather that the interior was bathed in.

Driving along Lake Shore Drive while sneaking more peeks of Elise than the day he met her, Ben wondered how the night would end. His vow that ensured she would be comfortable alone with him meant that he should probably forgo a goodbye kiss before they parted for the final time today. Already enslaved by Elise's kisses, letting her go without indulging in another was an unsettling thought; especially because the next time they would see each other again was still unknown.

Before thinking about his predicament, Ben had clocked Elise contently looking at the various people enjoying themselves on the beaches as calm waves lapped against the shoreline on this warm summer night. There was no doubt she missed this sight while visiting New York. As the SUV merged onto the off-ramp, a smirk was observed on Elise's face.

"Should I guess what you find so amusing? A few creative scenarios have already come to mind." Ben winked at her to silently convey his curiosity, and willingness, to engage in playful banter as they neared her home.

Elise was unable to ditch the smirk. "If by creative you're referring to something that involves flexibility, sorry but you're ahead of yourself."

"Flexibility? That visual is going to keep me up tonight," Ben retorted after a long exhale and a grin that represented her comeback sparking his vivid imagination.

Instead of continuing to venture down this innuendo-laced road, Elise shared the real reason her smirk was difficult to stifle. "Your possessions don't match your occupation."

Ben very briefly took his eyes off the road to search her eyes for meaning behind that statement.

She continued before he could form his next verbal prompt. "There's a slight skater chic vibe to the clothing you choose to wear. You live in a loft; the bones of which feature rich wood beams and exposed metal for an industrial appearance. There's a studio in the back where you unleash your creativity... should I go on?"

"Is there more?" Ben was taken aback by Elise's attention to detail.

"Just what you're driving: a Jeep instead of an Audi or BMW."

After a few disagreeable headshakes, he began talking, "I've never been the type to lead with the balance of my bank account. As for my style, my home, and this SUV..." Ben gripped the wheel as he continued to speak, "All that is just representative of who I am." A shoulder shrug accompanied his last sentence.

"A modest guy who lives an artsy lifestyle."

"Artsy, I'll give you that- but modest? You'd have to live with me to decide if I deserve that label."

Elise was not fazed by Ben's terminology. He was right; some things are only evident down the line when a real commitment is made.

Making a right hand turn onto Elise's street, Ben eased the car up the block and into an open spot just left of her building's front door. After Ben parked, he looked past her to admire the intricate architecture and speculate on which condo was hers. He was about to ask, but was interrupted by Elise.

"Thank you for today. I'm not certain that you leaving your friends to spend these extra hours with me was worthwhile, but I'm glad you took that leap and shared something so personal with me."

"Between the two of us, I can already tell you're the modest one." Ben had to come clean about an unshared proposal he kept to himself after deeming it silly. "Every little bit of time I get to spend with you is so enjoyable that it was imperative I fly home today. The kicker is that I considered asking you to spend the night at my place- just because these uninterrupted moments have made me a greedy man."

Bewilderment registered with Elise and, unfortunately, the emotion was impossible to hide from Ben. Surely a move like that was too much too soon. Right? She wasn't necessarily sure, but something about that confession reminded her of why the need for distance crossed occasionally her mind.

Hoping he wouldn't take her sudden action the wrong way, Elise thanked Ben once again. Shortly after, they both exited the car and met at the trunk where Ben retrieved her luggage and remained a perfect gentleman.

A kiss was replaced with a warm hug before Elise made her way up the sidewalk to her front stairs. Halfway to the door, the light in Elise's condo was turned on. Knowing that her ex-boyfriend Vincent still had her spare key, her heart dropped and her stride slowed significantly before coming to a complete halt just shy of the bottom step.

Not ready to throw away the clear headspace she gained while being away for the weekend, Elise looked behind her to make sure Ben was still there. He was. Ben had returned to the Jeep and was watching her, at first, only to make sure she entered the building safely. Her standstill caused him some confusion and revived his attention.

Besides being a guy you've only known for three days, Ben is Cara's brother; he's been an absolute gentlemen. Crashing at his place is unconventional so early on, but you can trust him; deep down, you know that.

That pep talk was quick, but enough for Elise to turn around and quickly make her way back to Ben's SUV. Before he could make an attempt to exit the car to assist Elise with her bag, she gestured for him to remain seated and pointed at the trunk. He popped the trunk and took note of how fast she stowed her bag and hopped back inside the vehicle with him.

Once she was secured for the return ride to his loft, he asked her an important three-word question. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Elise assured Ben. "A night at your place would be ideal right now."

*

This chapter wasn't the easiest to write (the complete opposite of ADC Ch. O3). Hopefully that struggle birthed an engaging chapter that makes you want to stick around for the answer to an important question: Is going home with Ben the right decision? Feel free to comment or leave feedback (about anything regarding the story), your opinions and speculation makes this fun. -LSE