She winced. “Okay, I was wrong about the ability to take anything. Why did you come? And speaking of cum…. did you?”
His thick eyebrows lifted. “Do you want the truth?”
“No!” She shook her head, causing the blond tresses to tumble around her face. “I thought you were in a happy place. You have pulled away from your parents, something I admire you for by the way and you are running that little boy’s shelter ….”
“It’s way more than that Blair.” He told her with a trace of amusement.
“Okay,” she gestured. “It’s your life’s work and worth. As I was saying, you told me that you had peace or contentment or something like that, but you seem far from it. You look unhappy and very distracted. You were inside me, but you were not really into it. I sensed it. And you are right darling. I deserve better.”
“It won’t happen again.” He stood up and reached for his scarred jacket.
“Darling you are self-destructing.”
“Maybe,” he shoved his arms through the sleeves and walked over to the bed. “You are a good friend Blair.”
She winced at that. “I have always wanted to be more.”
“That’s all I have.” The regret showed on his handsome face as he fingered a fat blonde curl. “I wish it was different.”
She nodded and closed her fingers around his wrist. “You have demons fighting inside you and I wish you would deal with it.”
“In time.”
*****
“No.” she told him coolly. He was the third guy to try and get her on the dance floor and the third one she had shut down. She had been in the crowded living room for one hour and was regretting that she had allowed Joel to twist her arm to come. It was not her scene and she hated crowd of this magnitude. As soon as he brought her a drink, he had wandered off with friends and left her alone. “Mingle.” He had ordered before leaving.
“Darling if you insist on shooting down all the available men in here, you are going to go home alone.”
“I am going home alone.” She said as she turned to him. “You deserted me and that was one of the reasons I did not want to come in the first place.”
“I did not desert you as you put it,” he plucked two flutes of champagne from a passing waiter and put one in her hand. “I left you so that the few available men in the room could come over, but you are not even trying. You are a drag….”
“And proud of it. Now can I go home now?”
“No!” He took her arm and led her over to the buffet where an abundance of food was displayed on several trestle tables. “You have not eaten, and we are going to dance and then find someone you actually like.” He plucked up two plates and handed one to her. “Finger food or actual food?”
“Finger food. The shrimp looks half decent.”
“I would say it is. I made them myself.”
They both turned to look at the slim attractive man with the shiny dome and infectious smile. “Benjamin Lang at your service. I don’t believe I have had the pleasure.” His eyes moved from Joel to Elena.
“Elena Harris,” she automatically took his extended hand and shook it briefly.
“Hey Ben!” Joel beamed at him. “I thought you were not coming?”
“I caught a break and decided to. I am glad I made it.” His dark brown eyes went to Elena, the look admiring.
“Ben here is an intern at the local hospital.” Joel told her. “Ah! I see someone I have been dying to talk to all night.” Without waiting for Elena to say anything, he put the plate down and hurried away.
“Not very subtle is he?”
“He never is.” She said with a faint smile as she took up some shrimp. “You made these?”
“I did.” He took up a plate and scooped up crab dip. “As well as this - you should try it. I am something of a seafood expert.”
“I will have to judge for myself.” She took one of the fat shrimp and tasted it, her dark brown eyes widening.
He grinned at her. “The secret is in the sauce.” He guided her over to an empty sofa and sat next to her. “How about you? Do you like to cook?”
“No.” She said with a laugh. “I live alone, and I was never domestic at all. I was forced to be ….” She shook her head and popped a shrimp into her mouth. He waited for her to continue and when it was obvious that she was not going to, he spoke up.
“Cooking relaxes me. After a rough day at the hospital, I like to go home and prepare a complicated dish and take the bulk of it back to work to share with the staff there.”
“They must love you for that.”
“I think they mostly love the food more than they do me.” He told her with a grin. “How come I never met you before?”
“I don’t much like this kind of scene.”
“Neither do I but the person hosting it is a patient of mine and invited me. We became friends after he was discharged. You came with Joel?”
She nodded as she sipped the champagne. “He threatened to haul me bodily from my apartment.”
Benjamin grinned. “I am happy he did. I am going to be forward by asking if you are seeing anyone.”
“I am not, and I am not interested in a relationship.”
“How about a friendship?”
Her dark brown eyes measured him. “Is that what you want?”
“For now, I will take anything.”
“Why?”
He shrugged and reached for a shrimp. “I like you Elena.”
“You don’t know me.”
“I would like to get to know you and I can promise you free treatments. I did tell you I am a doctor?”
“A couple of times.” She told him with a smile. “Friendship is the only thing I can promise you.”
He nodded. “A bad break up?”
“Something like that.” She was not going to tell him that it was ten years ago, and she had never recovered. That would make her sound like she was crazy.
“I was in a relationship for a couple of years and we broke up six months ago. I am still reeling from it.”
“Six months?” Elena wished she could get over hers so easy.