Taking Chances

8. The Waiting

"So..." Ben lingered. "This Lindsey guy, is he... Who is he?" he chuckled, not too clear on who the man was. Taking her coat, revealing her bare back, he kind of rose a brow, stunned by her soft beauty.

"Okay, so let me explain that," she smiled a little, linking her arm through his as they were seated at the extremely fancy restaurant; more or less work material.

"Please, do---I'm so lost," he laughed, helping her sit. He then moved to sit across from her.

"What can I get you guys to start with?" an older male waiter asked of them.

"I'll have a red wine," she added. "Whichever is preferred."

"Well, if you don't mind..." Ben lingered once more, flipping through the menu quite quickly. "A bottle of this should do the trick," he pointed out one of the finest, most expensive among the options.

"Right away," the waiter replied.

She arched a brow, stunned by his taking control. "I hope I like it..."

"You will, no doubt... You seem like a bittersweet kind of lady," he winked.

"You're not wrong," she assured, resting her hands on the edge of the table.

"So, before I get too invested; Lindsey?" he questioned.

"Ah, so..." she paused. "He is my husband, though we are divorcing. We've been separated for a while and he surprised me with his return, quite frankly. The kids are thrilled, I'm happy he's here for their birthdays before he has to leave again."

"Again?" he asked, intrigued with her intricate story.

"Yeah, he's a rock and roll singer," she grinned. "We um, we sang way back in the day; but when we were expecting our daughter, I gave it up. I knew he would make it, but I wasn't so sure about me... He's a fabulous singer and guitarist. At the time, I was just the hippie girlfriend. I needed something more nine to five with kids."

"So, you sing?" he asked---a wide grin on his lips.

Laughing, "A little, yes... Not much anymore, but yes."

The waiter soon brought their wine; allowing her to taste it before he ran off to actually get their food order in.

They then spent the next couple hours chatting; between work, their personal lives and overall just what they were each going through. For them, it was breaking every dating rule, though they were comfortable.

"Well, I'm highly fascinated by you, Stevie... I always thought you were stunning, but getting to know you has heightened that."

"I'm complimented." She kind of let off a small giggle right after, not knowing really what to say only because he was very sweet and she just wasn't sure how to react thus far.

"I'm glad," he grinned. "I hope we can do this again?"

"Of course," she nodded---reaching into her purse for her wallet.

"No, put that away---I got it," he assured, doing the same.

"Are you sure?" she slumped her shoulders, leering a little with sympathy.

"I'm positive," he assured with a gentle smile. "We can go when you're ready," he added.

"I'm ready," she downed her last bit of wine before standing.

He then guided her to the front and he helped her with her coat.

As the tailend of their date approached, Stevie let off a gentle sigh when he pulled up to her house---just wondering what kind of chaos would be on the other side.