Just Me (You & Me 1)

As if choreographed, both Ben and Katherine reached for the bill, their hands sparking another round of electricity. The energy between them was incredible, but Katherine still needed her independence, a little afraid of being swept up in whatever it was that was drawing her to him like a magnet.

“My treat,” Ben suggested.

“No, you don’t have to do that,” Katherine responded, already digging into her gym bag for the emergency cash she always carried for times like this.

“Katherine, I can’t let you buy me breakfast,” Ben argued.

“Well, I can’t let you buy me breakfast either,” as she stubbornly slid a ten-dollar bill into the leather billfold.

“So, we’ll split it,” Ben shrugged, reaching into his pocket before placing a twenty-dollar bill on top of Katherine’s contribution.

“That’s fair,” she relented, comfortable with splitting the total.

To her surprise, Ben stood from the table as if he was ready to leave. “That’s much more than the bill,” she said as she watched him without moving, unsure of why he would leave a thirty percent tip.

“She earned it. Let’s go,” he held his hand out to help Katherine up and she accepted the assistance, mostly to feel that rush of energy once more.

Together, they walked out of Batter, Katherine leading the way as Ben followed closely behind. “So Katherine, would it be okay if I came to visit you sometime?”

“I think I’d like that.” Katherine listened to herself, shocked that she had all but committed to another interaction with the man who had made her forget all her reservations. Something in her was shifting, and she wasn’t yet sure what it was.

Chapter Fourteen

Ben

SITTING IN HIS OFFICE, Ben felt more powerful than usual, thinking back to his wonderful morning with Katherine. She was the perfect start to his day, and he couldn’t stop praising himself for making the last-minute decision to go to the gym before work.

Cancelling a meeting to enjoy lunch with her was an easy decision. The two had so much fun together and Ben felt it was the first time he’d laughed so much in years. Work had taken over his life, but it was difficult to acknowledge that until he sat across from Katherine.

She was what he had been missing—a connection that allowed him to relax and forget all that he was supposed to do in the office. It wasn’t until he watched her walk away that he knew how much he’d missed having that special connection with someone.

What would usually seem like a full and exciting agenda, now felt more like a dreadful list

s of tasks standing between him and his life outside the office. Just thinking of that concept brought a smile to his face. Was he really becoming the guy who had a reason to rush out of the office after all these years of being the first to show up every morning and last to leave every night?

It was exciting and a bit scary, because Ben had always preferred the safer bet. When it came to his career, he could estimate what would happen, when it would happen, and the impact it would have on his life. With Katherine, or his personal life in general, it was a toss-up. Nothing was certain or set in stone, and that uncertainty was more alluring than he could have imagined.

While being in control had its definite advantages, there was something incredibly exhilarating about not knowing what to expect and relinquishing all control. Without any idea of what Katherine truly thought of him, he was certain that he wanted to see her again, and soon.

“I’m not sure if I want to know who is making you smile that big,” Rachel called from the doorway, disturbing Ben as he stared aimlessly at his computer screen.

“What makes you think it’s a ‘who’?” He answered, trying and failing to hide his grin.

“Oh, I know the look in your eyes when we close a new deal, and I’m certain that grin has nothing to do with dog accessories,” Rachel teased, inviting herself into his office.

She was in her regular cheery mood, ready to pick on her oldest friend as she figured out just what was putting him in such a good mood. Ben watched her closely, afraid of how much he was revealing as she sat across from his desk in the leather loveseat.

“I saw her again,” Ben started, his grin reappearing at the thought of Katherine.

“Who? Catelyn?” Rachel struggled to remember the name of the woman who had captivated her boss.

“Katherine.” Ben corrected her sternly, and she noticed the seriousness in his voice as she raised her hands in the air apologetically.

“Oh, Katherine. Sorry, my mistake,” Rachel corrected herself, noting how much Ben obviously cared. She was known for referring to his girl flings by different names, and always noticed when he didn’t correct her. It was a subtle test to see how serious someone was to him, and to her dismay, he had never cared before.

Until today. There was something different about him, and the way he spoke about the woman Rachel had thought would fade into oblivion without a fight. Ben was no stranger to attraction, but it typically lasted for only a fleeting time. Things would often fizzle out before he even got to know the women, so Rachel was excited at the possibility that Katherine could mean more to him than anyone in the recent past.

“She was at Fitness Planet,” he revealed, leaning forward as excitement rushed through him.