Just Me (You & Me 1)

“You too,” Ben smiled.

He wanted to go to the door and head back to his car. He knew it was the right thing to do, but still his feet walked around the counter instead, drawn to the woman who seemed to have no time or attention for him.

“Next time I’ll be sure to order something especially from you,” he smiled over the glass barrier.

A flicker of a smile flashed across her blushing face, but she didn’t turn to face him. Benjamin was still satisfied with the accomplishment, deciding it best not to push it further.

There was a boost of energy in his step as he made his way back to the SUV, setting the square pink box on the passenger seat before pulling back into traffic. The frequent red lights weren’t as bothersome now that his thoughts continuously roamed back to the bakery, remembering the look in those big blue eyes that had stared back at him.

Benjamin couldn’t remember the last time he had been interested in a woman in this way. Typically, he met women at work events, because they understood who his first love would always be—his company. Benjamin generally preferred career women who didn’t have time to expect much from relationships, but now all he could think about was learning more about the curvy barista.

Rushed for time, he utilized the valet service at his office, leaping from the car before darting through the lobby. There was a special elevator reserved just for him, and a security officer held the door open until he was safely inside.

“Have a wonderful day, Mr. O’Leary!” The husky security guard called.

“You too, Gary!” Benjamin called back, always sure to learn the name of every employee.

Unlike the average CEO, Benjamin had built his company from the ground up. He played an integral role in every aspect of the business—from hiring to product development. There wasn’t any aspect he didn’t understand, or any person he didn’t know.

He was just a sophomore in college when his girlfriend had bought a teacup Yorkie. That dog was the most spoiled and cherished pet in the world, so for Halloween, he decided to create a costume he knew his girlfriend would love. Turns out, more people on campus wanted princess outfits for their dogs. Before he knew it, Benjamin was taking custom orders and launching a website to take orders from across the country.

Two decades later, he led the largest online shopping platform dedicated solely to canine family members. It was more than work for him, Benjamin was passionate about everything he did.

“Good morning, Mr. O’Leary!” Calls greeted him as he exited the elevator. The entire floor was vibrant and alive, excited to share their ideas with the boss who kept an open-door policy.

It didn’t matter who you were, you could always discuss your problems and voice your concerns at Benjamin’s company. Everyone from the head designer to the mail sorters know where to find Benjamin, and more than likely he knew their names and how long they had worked for the company.

“There you are!” Rachel greeted her boss as he made his way around the corner, handing her the box of breakfast treats.

“I got these to sweeten the deal,” he teased.

Rachel was flushed, stressing about her boss’s punctuality. Benjamin never let his career stress him out. As far as he could tell, he was living a dream, so there was never a reason to make it more difficult than it needed to be.

“Everyone is already in the conference room,” she spoke, out of breath as she followed him around the corner.

“Bring in some fresh squeezed orange juice, and put those on a platter,” he instructed before walking into the room.

Rachel was stunned, always shocked by his supreme level of confidence. Nothing seemed to rattle him, and she wished she could have nerves even half as strong as his. Quickly, she moved about the office, ordering the receptionist to pour orange juice into a pitcher as she carefully placed the sticky sweets on a large yellow serving dish.

“So, we’ll have to get these out before the Christmas season,” Benjamin announced, as Rachel walked through the door.

Setting the platter of sweets on the table, she watched as everyone’s eyes doubled in size as they looked to the plate. She knew instantly that Ben had made the right decision in stopping to get the treats. Somehow he always knew what to do to make things better.

It was perfect that he didn’t stress about the business, because Rachel stressed enough for the both of them. She had been one of the first people to encourage him to launch his own business, working side by side with him since the very beginning.

Benjamin valued her opinion, and she admired his work ethic and charismatic ways. No one could ever stay mad at Benjamin for long, even when he was twenty minutes late to a meeting. Glancing around the room, she realized that everyone was captivated by him. As always, it had all worked out just as he had planned.

Benjamin subtly winked at Rachel as her face returned to the pale tone that was normal for her. He enjoyed getting her worked up because it was so easy to do. She watched in silence as he continued with his demonstration after offering everyone a breakfast roll.

His presentation went off without a hitch, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t distracted. His mind still raced with ways to get the attention of the blonde from the bakery. No matter what else was happening around him, those blue eyes were never far from his mind.

“That sounds great!” One man announced with a smile, standing to his feet.

The rest of the participants followed, each making their way to the end

of the table to shake Ben’s hand. His down to earth reputation preceded him, but it was still shocking for people to meet a CEO so involved with their business, yet still approachable with innovative ideas.

“I was wondering if we could get into talks with wholesalers,” a woman suggested, as she approached him. She was tall and blonde, smiling a little too hard as she batted her eyes in Benjamin’s direction.