UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

Chp 15 : Throwback

-Adam-

"Gideon?!" Bewildered, he stands at the doorway and looks across at his companion. His voice rose above the din of the stereo as he inquired. "Is everything alright? What brings you to this place?"

"Everything is fine. Why? Because I am a married man, I can't drop by your place anymore."

"Of course, you can. It's just that you stopped doing so. I was wondering whether you and Margaret got into a fight because you showed up here."

"Nope, we haven't." I looked at him suspiciously as he made his way through the door and dropped on my sofa. He sighs, catching a glimpse of my gaze.

"Okay, yes, we have. I swear that woman needs a hobby. I don't understand why she is now all in on my business. We have been arguing a lot lately. She said I have stopped being romantic-can you believe that?-and that I don't find her attractive anymore."

"That woman still looks good after having two children, and I love her for the effort she puts into looking good. The pilates classes she takes pay off in so many ways. Fuck, she is all I think of. She has no idea how I want to fuck her brains out."

"So why don't you do it?" Ben inquires.

'Do what?'

"Fuck her brains out."

Sighing, he says, "My job can be tiring sometimes. Right after the clinic, I have to stop by the ward to review my patients and also check in on my interns to see if they are on track. By the time I get home, I am tired to the bone. If I try to engage her in sex, I won't give her my best performance. I would rather not have sex with her than not give her my best."

"Isn't there a doctor's resting room on your unit where you can take a short nap? Maybe that would help you recover from a long day at the hospital. Then, when you're ready, you can go home and surprise your wife with some wild, spontaneous sex that will make her smile for days."

"Ben, you amaze me. I never imagined you would be so romantic. Really, I'm open to trying it. Thanks, dude."

"You are welcome."

With a suspicious look from Blackson to his friend, who was reading from a pile of documents, he asked, "Is that the kind of act you wish to indulge in with Miss Dickson?"

As if snapped out of a bad dream, he abruptly turned towards his friend.

"Why the hell would you have that kind of idea?"

Shrugging, he said, "I don't know. Maybe from the way you look at her and how she tries as much as possible to avoid you, you don't dare tell me there is no attraction between you two. I could smell it on both of you."

"I am not going to deny my attraction to her, but I cannot say the same of hers to me, and I have no intention of taking her to my bed."

Well, that is a flat lie since all I have been dreaming about these past few weeks is having her in my bed, but Blackson doesn't need to know that. That man doesn't have any filters. If he ever becomes aware of this, only God knows what he will do with that piece of information.

"I think she is attracted to you, Blackson said. She just doesn't want to act on it."

"Want a drink?" Ben offers.

"Okay, why not?"

Moving to the sidebar. I grab two glasses and drop a single large ice cube in each before pouring the liquor. On my way back to my seat, I drop his glass off, and he quickly downs half in the first sip.

"Ow, Gideon, listen I don't want you to inquire from Miss Dickson about her feelings for me."

With Blackson's eyebrow lifted, he paused midway through his drink and asked, "Why not?"

"I don't want her feeling pressured, I reply, and knowing you, you have a way of making people feel really uncomfortable."

'So, please don't.'

"Okay, I will not. You ruin everything when it involves her. At the party first and now this."

"Your plan at the party was obvious to me. Did you not realize that asking Miss Dickson would make her feel awkward? You've known her for how long?"

"I anticipated that it would undoubtedly annoy her. Tell me why you believe I inquired. That was the one spot where I could obtain a straight answer, and I wanted one badly."

"You should apologize to her," Ben says. "No matter how much you desired the truth, you shouldn't have asked her that."

"Well, then, who was the one to inquire? You?"

Taking a forward lean, Ben responds, "This is completely irrelevant to us. What she wants from a partner is none of our business.

"You don't get it, do you? I made that inquiry for you. It was important for you to know if you are the kind of man she will go in for so that if you are not, you will back out before you get too deep with your feelings for her. Surely you should know I did it for you."

"Of course, I know you did that for me, but I want to be the one to ask her that when the time is right."

"Well, I am sorry it won't happen again."

It is acceptable, but you are aware that you do not owe an apology to me, correct?

"Yes! Christ, can we change the subject?" he barks, placing his drink on the coffee table.

"Fine, what would you like us to talk about?" Ben posed this inquiry without averting his gaze from the document he held.

"When are you going to get back to the state? Isn't your time up? I believe you told me that your dad asked for an audience with you. You did tell him you were coming here for Matthew's wedding and that you would get back as soon as it was over."

"It has been two months, and yet you are still here." Gideon watches his friend closely, expecting a response, but instead, he does not say anything. He knows he heard him ask the question because of the frown that appeared on his forehead.

"Benjamin."

'What?'

"I expect an answer to my question."

"I certainly do not give a damn about what that man wants. For all I care, he can wait until eternity. When I finish what I am doing here, I will return."

"And what exactly are you doing here?" he asks.

"Damn it, Gideon. Since when did you give a shit what my father wanted with me?"

'Damn.' Oh my, what was I even thinking? Bringing that man up in discussion. The way Ben felt about his dad had been extremely clear to me. At this moment in question, I feel like the worst possible buddy.

"You know what? I don't. I think I should get going. It seems I have overstayed my welcome here."

Massaging his temple, he sighs. "You don't have to leave. You know you can stay as long as you want."

Blackson takes his coat and looks at his pal, apologising. "I understand, but you have work to get back to. We'll chat later. "Goodnight, Ben."

He watches on as Gideon walks out the front door.