*Author's note:
Warning - steaminess ahead.
______________________________________________
It actually happened. Oh my god.
At 5:58pm I sensed Ben had come back and was waiting on the other side of my office door. I smiled to myself as I watched his silhouette brush his hand through his hair over and over, clear his throat a few times and check all his jacket pockets at least thrice.
I couldn't bear to wait the last minute, so I slipped my heels back onto my feet and stood by the door.
Checking my hair was fashionably tousled enough in my window reflection, I opened the door to Ben checking his pockets once again.
"Hi." His eyes smiled an iridescent blue and I felt a little jolt within me. He was looking at me that way. Me.
"Hi, shall we go?" I picked up my bag from the hook by the door and briefcase from the table, both of which he gently took from me and motioned for me to step into the corridor.
Geoffrey was waiting in the private parking bays, head banging to the Kaiser Chiefs as it blared from within the car. I laughed in disbelief and Ben tapped on the glass. Geoffrey seemed to get the fright of his life, but stood quickly out of the car, swapping his shades for his ordinary spectacles.
"Enjoying your drive, G?" We exchanged grins and he opened the doors for us both to sit in the back. Ben gave him a nod when he looked behind, his hand hovering over the play button. We listened to the Kaiser Chiefs all the way to my flat.
"Who knew?" Ben mouthed to me and I raised my eyebrows accordingly in response. He drummed his fingers in time on his knee and followed the London skyline as we slowly snailed along it in the early evening traffic.
At last we arrived on my road and Ben patted Geoffrey's shoulder gratefully, "You can head home for the night, mate."
Geoffrey doffed an imaginary hat to his gentlemanly employer and we watched him glide effortlessly away into the horizon at the end of the road, back tyres finally disappearing into the golden light. I turned to Ben, key in hand, and he
looked back at me expectantly.
"I need about fifteen minutes. Do you want a drink before we go?" I opened the door and watched him as he took in my home. He breathed deeply and walked slowly along the short hallway to the open plan living area and inspected my film collection while I filled a cup with water. I could still hear him murmuring in approval as I pushed my bedroom door behind me and quickly stripped out of my work dress. Then I realised I didn't know what kind of place we were going to.
"Ben? How should I be dressing?"
His carpet-muted footsteps came towards the ajar door and I reached for my dressing gown from the foot of the bed just as he walked straight into the room.
Gasping, I quickly held it over my almost bare body and he exclaimed, blood rushing to his face.
"Mara I'm so sorry, I don't know what I was thinking I just barged straight in." He turned around, only to see my reflection in the wardrobe mirror.
"Oh Jesus Christ, sorry." He covered his eyes.
I slipped the dressing gown on and couldn't help laughing. Ben peeked through his fingers and breathed a sigh of relief, turning back round to laugh embarrassedly with me.
"One way to break a little more ice, I guess." I smiled reassuringly and he flipped my hood over my head, relaxing again.
"So what should I wear?"
"Well, I was going to take you to a Greek place with an amazing summer garden, but they do takeaway, so we could eat it here? You can still dress back up again if you'd like - not that dressed down isn't nice too. Well I mean you're sort of dress off right now but - oh my god, Ben stop."
