Love

Walk

As we walk, I start trembling out of excitement and nervousness.

"Everything's okay?" Ben asked.

"Yes, just a little chilly" I reply, trying to hide my real motives for those sudden movements.

"Okay... If you say so" says Ben.

He then flexed his arm, allowing me to feel his bicep.

It is bigger than I remember. He has been exercising. I wonder how he looks now without his shirt... No, no! Stop thinking that, or you'll blush in the middle of the street!

"We're almost there," says Ben.

"Are you taking me where I think it is?" I ask.

"I believe you already know the answer..." says Ben, staring at me, smiling mischievously "I can see you're blushing again"

Oh my gosh!!! He can tell!!!

"I don't know what you're talking about," I say, looking away from him, blushing even more.

I feel my face burning despite the cool breeze, and I just hope we can go through a dark alley, so he cannot see my face until I can calm down.

Ben laughs. He knows how to make me feel this way, no matter how much time has passed.

Luckily for me, we pass by a slightly dark block. I can finally breathe better and calm down until I feel a kiss on my head.

I am surprised by Ben's kiss. I did not expect that at all. I then feel another one, this time closer to my forehead. A third one, at the top of my forehead. I look up. Ben stops walking. He then kisses the bottom of my forehead and the tip of my nose. I wait for his next move. He leans close to my lips, and I can almost feel his. They are so close I can practically taste them. It has been so long, I wonder if they are the same as they used to be. Ben then caresses my cheek as his eyes travel throughout my face. I can barely wait, breathing faster every time Ben stares into my lips.

What are you waiting for?

Finally, Ben caresses my lips and approaches me. I can finally feel his lower lip between mine, and as I start closing mine, some people in the distance make noise. I do not care and try to continue the kiss, but Ben does. He suddenly moves his face away from me. I am befuddled, and Ben sees it. He then hugs me, leaving me no choice but to embrace him back. I wanted more, but this was not the time.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," says Ben, as he whispers such words in my ear. He did not say anything else, and I did not want to ask. I suppose he is still the kind of man who wants his life to be private, but it rarely is. Time has stopped in his arms, and all I can do is wait for reality to return.

Ben continues hugging me and now moving his hands up and down my back, passing them through the bits of fat I now have, making me uncomfortable, as I did not have them nine years ago. Reality has struck me back.

"Come on, let's go, or we'll be late," I say, trying to Ben stop touching the uncomfortable pieces of me.

Ben is surprised at my sudden stop, but I cannot confess my reason. I am not even sure that Ben can understand my new insecurities.

Now I feel awkward, and I think Ben does too. We both walk in silence, trying to erase the embarrassment we feel. And yet, before we arrive at our destination, the warmth of Ben's hand is on my back once more, but now to invite me to enter an old but familiar place: the gallery.

I now wonder if the landscape picture is hanging in such a place. I hope...