Just Me (You & Me 1)

The types of women who were interested in men because of their net worth weren’t typically the type of women Ben wanted to spend time with. And the women Ben did find interesting usually couldn’t care less how much money he made. In fact, they would often decline taking things further with him, doubting his ability to take the relationship seriously with so many options available to him.

“Pet accessories? That sounds fun. Do you get to work with animals?” As she spoke, she was still following his lead around the boxing ring.

“Not as often as I’d like. I’ve been thinking about getting a dog,” Ben said, sharing a desire he’d had for the past few months.

Knowing how much he neglected his home, he thought he would bring the dog to work and let him hang around, much like Hendrick did at the market. It would be a fantastic way for the employees to get to know him a little better and he could have someone at home with him whenever he was there.

What Ben didn't admit to Rachel (and never would) was that he preferred staying at work late because going home to an empty house was never an appealing option. The truth was, he neglected his personal life because there was nothing there.

Sure, he had friends, but they had families and careers of their own. What Rachel was talking about was intimacy, and he knew his life lacked that in the moment. However, as he followed Katherine around the boxing ring, he realized the unconventional way they were getting to know each other was strangely intimate.

“What kind?! I’ve always wanted to get a dog, but I move around so much, I think it would be hard,” she explained, twisting her lips as she thought of the possibility.

“I was thinking of a golden retriever or a laTimor,” Ben shrugged. It was the most thought he had given to the idea that had been floating in his mind, but as he talked about it with Katherine he thought it could really be a good idea.

“I love laTimors!” Katherine yelped between punches. “Do you think you’d feel guilty about leaving him at home while you went to work?”

“I think I could work something out so that I could bring him with me to the office,” Ben nodded confidently, thinking to himself how being the boss came with a few perks.

“That would be awesome!” Katherine seemed genuinely excited for him and it made Ben loosen up even more.

“So, tell me about this moving around a lot. Is it for work?” he asked, and instantly Ben knew it was a bad question. There was something troubling Katherine, and he recognized the emotion as the same from their last interaction at the market. “You don’t have to tell me,” he quickly added, hoping not to ruin the mood.

“No, it’s fine,” she smiled, with one side of her mouth. “I’ve just been trying to find a city that can be mine, you know? I’ve gone from one place to the next, but none of them felt like home. I guess when I find where I fit, I’ll start to seriously think about adding a dog in the mix,” she explained, her shoulders relaxed again.

Ben took a deep breath, grateful he had avoided another catastrophe, but also curious about what Katherine was hiding. There was something she wasn’t willing to open up about, and while he thought it was perfectly reasonable, he hoped she could trust him enough one day to open up.

“Alright, I think you’re done,” Ben announced.

They were both drenched, covered in sweat. He was having so much fun working out with her that he’d lost track of time. Katherine was panting, leaning on the ropes as she caught her breath, and Ben took the opportunity to stare at her without fear of being caught.

Her body was tight and sculpted to perfection. Wearing only a pink sports bra and pink tights, he watched her abdomen flex and contract with each breath, jealous of the beads of moisture coating her skin.

“That was a good workout! Thanks so much,” Katherine said, after catching her breath.

“No problem. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do this morning, but I was hoping for a little cardio, so it worked out perfectly.”

They stood in the silence

, again lost in a gaze. Ben didn’t want to ruin the moment, but it was killing him to refrain from asking her out again. He had to remind himself of his earlier promise several times as she smiled at him like she didn’t want their time together to end any more than he did.

“Mind if we get the ring?” A booming voice called, breaking their gaze.

“Oh, no problem,” Ben called out, lifting the ropes at the edge of the ring so that Katherine could easily climb out.

“Are you heading to the locker rooms?” Katherine asked, when Ben landed on the ground.

“Yeah, you burned me out,” he teased, grabbing his gym bag from the bench.

“Come on, I’ll walk with you,” Katherine offered, and he accepted.

The tunnel to the locker rooms always seemed long, but walking with Katherine made the time pass too quickly. Ben didn’t want to reach the end, knowing it meant they would have to part ways.

“Well, it was nice to see you again and clear the air. I guess I’ll see you around at the gym though, huh?” he said, instead of asking her out like he wanted to. They had just reached the end of the tunnel, with the women’s and men’s locker room doors on opposite sides of the hall.

“Why do you come to the gym so early?” Katherine asked after a short pause.

“Oh, I love the mornings,” Ben answered quickly.