Just Me (You & Me 1)

Katherine watched, completely forgetting that they were to go to dinner. In the excitement of getting to the restaurant, and then unwrapping her gift, she had comp

letely forgotten about the lie she told about going to get food.

Standing outside of the Greek restaurant, she knew that there would have to be a change in the way she lived her life. Ben deserved to know her in a deeper way than her normal comfort level allowed. She wanted to open up to him so there was never a reason to lie about anything.

He was everything she had been dreaming of in a man. He could bring her back to calm no matter how panicked she got, and her life had proven a bit eventful in the last few months. She wanted the type of relaxation that Ben brought with him. Nothing was ever overwhelming for him and he could easily go between her moods and adjust without issue.

“Shall we eat?” he asked as they entered the restaurant.

It was a dimly lit space, more romantic than Katherine had expected. Luckily, her maxi dress was within dress code, and Ben was always appropriately dressed in him uniform. Walking hand in hand, they followed the waitress to the back of the dining area before sitting in a small both large enough for only the two of them.

“Thank you for joining me,” Katherine said, as she sat in the seat.

“Well, just to be clear, I was here first, so I kind of invited you,” Ben reasoned, already making his case for paying for yet another meal,

Unable to hide her laughter, Katherine tried to stifle her giggles with her hand as Ben ordered a bottle of red wine from the waitress. It was the most free she had felt in years.

Chapter Twenty

Ben

KATHERINE HAD BEEN even more excited than Ben expected when he invited her out to the charity event. She was beaming as he walked her through the restaurant, and now at their private dining table, she was overflowing with questions about what to expect and how he had gotten involved with the charity.

Ben appreciated her enthusiasm, smiling as he fielded her questions, trying to answer as many as he could.

“How long have you been involved with this charity?” she asked, glancing up from the leather-bound menu she held with two hands.

“This one in particular, I’m not sure. My friend keeps me in the loop of all the most influential charities. He’s got an eye for spotting potential, and I just like to be a part of helping them help others,” Ben answered honestly.

It was his way of balancing out the way he devoted so much of his life to his career. He needed to help others, but sometimes his time was so limited, he could only lend money. Luckily for him, he had a lot of that to contribute, but it was a balancing act.

“I used to have a friend like that in Los Angeles. She was into event planning and would let me know of any type of programs and events I could go to. I don’t think she only did charities, but she hosted a few,” Katherine smiled, remembering the memories she shared, but there was a coating in her eyes, as if it was so far ago.

Ben could sense that Katherine had layers beyond those visible to the naked eye. She was like an onion, and he wanted to peel every layer away to reveal the delicate flower he knew existed within. She was timid and shy, but he wanted her to be comfortable, and looked forward to the day when she would fully trust him and really let herself go.

“My friend Will has been a wiz at getting people separated from their money since we were in college,” Ben joked, just as the waitress arrived with their bottle of wine.

She was boldly flirting with Ben, right in front of Katherine, and he didn’t like it. Trying to make a point, he ignored the waitress’s advances as he asked Katherine for her opinion on the wine.

“It’s good,” she nodded.

“Whatever the lady wants,” Ben finally gave his permission, and the blonde waitress quickly filled both of their glasses to the halfway mark.

“Do you know what you’ll be having for dinner?” she asked, after placing the wine bottle in the center of the table.

“I think I’ll have the shrimp linguine,” Katherine said, closing her menu before extending it to the waitress.

“Great choice. And you, sir?” she asked, stressing the formality.

“I’ll have lasagna, please,” Ben answered, closing his menu.

She was just out of earshot when Katherine leaned across the table, whispering loudly. “I think she likes you.”

“Yeah, I was trying to deter that,” Ben chuckled, and Katherine joined in on the laughter.

“So, tell me more about your friend. You said his name is Will?” she asked, continuing their conversation.

“Yes. Will Brighton. He’s been into charity work since college. We were roommates our freshman year of college,” Ben explained, silently debating whether to tell Katherine about the business he created in that dorm room.