Trust Issues

CHAPTER FIVE

I've spent the past 2 hours avoiding Dave. I had a lot of time to think about what Ashley said. As much as I appreciate Dave and don't want to hurt him or force him to do anything he isn't comfortable with, this is the only way we can be together.

Knowing him he's going to milk this as much as possible, sooner or later he's going to ask me out on a date. Not that I would mind going out with him, I just needed an excuse to do so.

Being friends with benefits who like to go out and eat, a great excuse to go out and enjoy ourselves in more ways than one.

If Kate heard this she would faint, well scream then faint. She is one of the many people who have been shipping us together, she'll be a bit disappointed though. I doubt this is what she meant by getting together.

I managed to avoid basically everyone till lunch. This wasn't an easy mission but I came out victorious.

I grabbed my stuff and quickly snuck out of my office towards Kate's desk. I smile and greet the others on my way, making sure they don't suspect anything.

I finally make it to Kate's desk, she's packing up her things and getting ready to go for lunch.

"Kate hurry up I'm taking you out for lunch."

"Why?"

"Do I really need a reason to take my best friend out for lunch?"

"What did you do?"

"I'll tell you during lunch now let's move."

"You're avoiding someone."

"Yes and you're making this escape harder now lets go."

"Fine, fine let's go."

I drag Kate to the Thai restaurant down the street; Known for their super model looking waiters it's one of the most popular choices to eat amongst the female workers.

Once seated I begin to explain to Kate what I was hiding. I tell her about how I slept with dave and somehow gotten into a friends with benefits relationship with him. I told her how I know he has feelings for me but the friends with benefits idea was the only way for me to be with him without putting my heart on the line.

She sat there quietly listening to everything I was saying, It's times like this when I remember why I cherish Kate's friendship. She's always there when I need her, I know I can always count on her.

After I finished my rant the food came out, honestly right on time, my ranting was making me hungry.

"So what do you think of my situation? Any advice?"

"..I think you should go out with him for real and not have the whole friends with benefits relationship, but knowing you this is how you're going to establish your feelings for him. So, all I have to say is take advantage of this situation. Try out the whole relationship thing but under the disguise of a sex friends relationship."

"Once again you give me good advice. I'll double check with Ashley though, it's always good to get a second opinion before making any important decisions."

We spent the rest of lunch talking about everything and anything, it's been a while since we last hung out like this. I've missed spending time with her for quite some time now. This is a nice change of pace.

After lunch we walked back to the building bottles of coca cola in hand. Ashley might call it toilet cleaner but it's still my favorite brand of pop. We walked into the building, I held my drink up to my face and gave Ashley a wink before heading towards the elevator. I can hear how hard she rolled her eyes from the elevator, I smile knowing her reaction.

Thanks to Kate I'm in a good mood, I feel like I'm on cloud nine and no one can bother me. I hear the other employees applaud Kate for getting me to be happy in the office for once.

I ignore their comments and go to my desk, but of course my good moods never last. I open my email and see in bold letters an email from Dave asking me to come into his office after lunch. So much for avoiding him all day.

I drag myself off my chair and towards Dave's office. I knock on the door and walk inside, Dave is staring at his computer with his brows furrowed together. I've never seen him this serious, he must be stuck on something.

I walk over to him and lean over his desk, the top buttons on my shirt unbuttoned from earlier in the day.

He slowly looks up, eyes resting on my chest and slowly making their way up to meet mine.

"You asked for me?"

" I did? Oh, yes I did."

"What did you want to talk to me about? It seemed urgent."

"I-I wouldn't say it was urgent, but I had to say it now while Ashley's pep talk was still in me."

"I have a bad feeling about this. Ashley's pep talks usually lead to trouble."

"I want to take you out for dinner tomorrow night."

"And there's the trouble."

"What do you mean? It's just dinner, it's harmless."

"Dinners are for people who are in relationships Dave. Ones that allow for feelings to be shared, hearts to be opened. Ours isn't like that, we are people who just use each other for pleasure."

"I know, but the only reason we do that is because you aren't ready to open up your heart to another person. If I can show you what I have to offer, if I can get you to trust me we can change that. We can be together in the way I believe we are meant to be."

"Ugh you sound like a guy in a romance movie."

"I only get this way when I'm with you. It's like you have some kind of power over me, it's weird but I don't find it displeasing."

"Okay you need to stop, romance is one of my least favorite genres."

"Oh, and why is that?"

"It's never realistic."

"You say that because you haven't experienced anything close to it."

"I also haven't witnessed it either."

"Just because you haven't seen or experienced it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"This is just a roundabout way to get me to agree to go out with you isn't it?"

"...Is it working?"

"..A little."

"What do I have to do to get you to say yes?"

"Let me do whatever I want to do to you afterwards and you got yourself a deal."

"Really? That's it?"

"Yes really, I can be reasonable. Plus I wouldn't mind going out tomorrow."

"Okay it's a date then. What do you want to eat? Italian, Korean, Mexican?"

"Dave tomorrow is Tuesday, so why don't we go to Boston pizza. If our first date is a success, I'll let you take me out on Saturday for the whole day and we can eat everything on that little list of yours."

"Really? You'd actually do that?"

"Yea why not."

"Oh my god I have so much planning to do."

"Hey don't get ahead of yourself I said if the first date is a success."

"I already know how tomorrow is going to go. I'm going to romance you within an inch of your life. You will be thoroughly pleased when I'm done."