Holiday Coffee ✓︎

Chapter 6

"So, how was dinner with Ben?" Naomi asked me over brunch.

I brought the mimosa to my lips, thinking about my answer.

"It was good. He took me to my favorite restaurant and we caught each other up. How was your party?" I asked in turn.

"Same old, same old," she said, waving a dismissive hand. "I want to know about dinner. Did he say anything to you?"

I looked at her in confusion. "Was he supposed to tell me something? I know about him moving, if that's what you meant."

She shook her head, mumbling incoherently.

"Ny, what?"

"How do you feel about Ben? Would you screw him?" she asked instead.

I nearly choked on my pastry.

"What the hell are you on?" I questioned.

"Elle, you're so dense sometimes, she told me, shaking her head. "Ben likes you."

"And I like him too. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Ella. Ben likes you."

I felt my eyes go wide as saucers, and then I laughed.

"I want whatever you're on," I teased her.

"Ariella."

I sobered up. She never used my full name in that tone unless she was serious. Big news, serious.

"Ben has... feelings for me?" I whispered, mostly to myself.

"Girl, he hasn't been able to take his eyes off of you since our boarding school days."

"But this is Ben we're talking about."

"And?"

"It's not logical."

"And when have feelings ever been logical? You do remember your ex, right? We all know that wasn't logical."

"We're not gonna talk about that," I mumbled as I took another sip of my drink.

"Ella, have you really been that blind to him that you haven't noticed how he always pays so much more attention to you?"

I looked at her wordlessly in answer.

She sighed.

I bit my lip and looked down at my plate, feeling like a horrible person.

"I may or may not have mentioned Vincent last night to Ben," I confessed.

"What?"

"I was telling him about the party and how I ran into him, and how he offered to teach me that recipe for the macarons. I told him over dinner how I couldn't believe my luck, meeting Vincent like that. I didn't mean anything else by it."

Naomi sighed.

"You need to clear things up with Ben, soon. He's leaving tonight, isn't he?" she asked.

"Tomorrow morning. I told him he could crash with me while he was here."

"Honey, you need to give him a definitive answer. Do you have feelings for him?"

I thought it over as I pushed the food around on my plate.

"I honestly don't know," I confessed with a sigh. "I've never thought of him like that before because I've always considered him a good friend. I mean, yeah, I've been attracted to him because he is attractive, but it wasn't something I wanted to ruin a friendship for. He's both of our friend, and that would ruin the whole dynamic. I don't want to do that."