Going Up!

Chapter Five

Me:
5:12 P.M.
Soooo I invited Ben to Taco Tuesday and he said yes. So SURPRISE! It's a trio tonight.

Rose:
5:12 P.M.
Double Surprise. I invited Finn too kinda by accident but yea so I guess it's a quattro?

Me:
5:12 P.M
What!? That's awesome! I'm so excited does that mean he said yes tot he charity dinner too?

Rose:
5:13 P.M.
Yup! What about you? You got a date or do I need to ask Finn if Poe will go with us?

Me:
5:13 P.M.
I do believe one Mr. Ben Solo will be on my arm. ;)

Rose:
5:13 P.M.
Woooot! Ok see you at dinner!

Ben and I stepped into the elevator and the tension was palpable. I attempted to make a joke, "Hey look my shirt isn't see through today go me!" I laughed. Ben chuckled and rubbed his hand over his mouth.

For the first time I noticed he had a scar across the top of his hand. I reached for it. "What happened here?" I looked up at him meeting his brown eyes through his thick lashes.

"Funny story actually, when I was a kid we used to play fight club in the neighborhood I grew up in. This is a direct result of me thinking a bike chain would be beneficial. Fun fact. It was detrimental." He looked lost in a memory as the elevator coasted down towards to the basement parking garage.

"Oh wow, it's so hard to imagine you as a fighter." I meant it too. He didn't seem the type at all.

He leaned back against the wall of the elevator, "I had a rough youth and thought I knew everything. Didn't listen to adults and hated authority. I think I found myself in college by simply blocking out everyone else. I got into boxing there and it really gave me a place to help me channel the negative energy. I still box daily." His eyes met mine and there was a spark of an idea in them. Ding. Parking garage. The electronic voice washed over our conversation as Ben gestured for me to step out first.

"This way," he said motioning me towards a row of cars parked directly to the left of the elevator bank. He stopped at the second vehicle. A black Audi RS Q8, there was nothing basic about the small SUV. He opened the passenger door for me and I slide in. The interior was sleek and the huge touchscreen display on the center console was like something you would see in a space ship. I buckled my seat belt and set my purse in the floorboard as Ben sat in the driver seat and started the ignition.

*Star Wars theme song emits from my purse.*

Ben raises a brow at me and chuckled. "Star Wars fan?"

"Yeah sorry, hang on lemme grab that." I grinned at him.

I answered the call only to find that Finn had let slip to Poe we were doing Taco Tuesday and he had invited himself and then there were five. I sighed as I hung up the phone turning to Ben.

"I have good news and bad news, which do you want first." I attempted a smile that I'm positive looked like a grimace.

"Shit, with that face let's do bad news first." He laughed at my discomfort releasing a small amount of my tension.

"Apparently Rose invited the guy she's been crushing on who happens to also be a good friend of mine." He started to talk but I put my hand up stopping him. "I'm not done. He in turn invited Poe. Poe is... a charmer, to say the least. He has tried a few times to ask me out. He is a very nice guy, he just doesn't understand that I will NEVER think of him that way." I spit the last part out so fast it all kind of ran together.

"So basically, Poe is the guy I'm stealing you from." He said with a wink. "Noted. Don't crush his soul too bad tonight. Got it."

"Ben that's awful!" I said with a playful hit to his arm. He used the opportunity of my touch to reach for my hand. Wrapping his fingers around mine. It radiated heat through my body and comforted me.