Page 12 of Home to Me

“No. You look…”

Lauren’s emerald gaze lifted to his and what he saw in them caused him to momentarily forget how to speak. Raw vulnerability. Ben swallowed over the knot in his throat that the look in her eyes had just caused to form.

“Adorable,” he said answering honestly, which caused the same feeling he’d seen in Lauren’s eyes to rise up in him as well. Raw Vulnerability. “Probably the cutest thing I've ever seen.”

Rather than taking his words as the compliment they were intended to be, however, he watched Lauren stiffen, her gaze hardening.

“Mr. Stevens,” she began coldly, “I’ve already been to the crew's house and overseen that lease signing, and now showing you this property and getting the lease signed is the very last task on my to-do list, the ending of an extremely long day. Perhaps we could get through this without you prolonging it by teasing me?”

Ben lifted his hands in mock surrender. “I wasn’t teasing you.”

Lauren looked skeptical. “I've been called many things in my life, but never adorable, or cute.”

A smile pulled at Ben’s lips as a sense of pride that he’d been the first to say those things to her warmed his chest. “Then I think you've been listening to the wrong people.”

His response seemed to fluster her a little, but she pulled herself together quickly, letting that remark slide entirely and getting straight down to business.

“Look, I just need to collect the check and get a signature. Then I can hand over the key. Do you have it?”

Shaking his head he answered. “No, but I'm sure someone will show up with it soon.”

“Who?”

Ben shrugged. “I don't know. Someone from production.”

Lauren’s jaw tensed and she rolled her shoulders back as she spoke slowly. “Wow. It is somewhat shocking to me that no one involved with this production seems to have the slightest consideration for my time.”

Ben was also thinking “wow”, but for totally different reasons. He couldn’t quite believe that this woman had somehow managed to break down every wall that he’d carefully constructed of his ‘host’ persona and made him feel more real and connected to anyone than he had in…he couldn’t remember.

Not wanting to reveal any of those internal discoveries he quickly assured her, “Lauren, I totally understand. Believe me, industry people, myself included, can be incredibly frustrating. I truly apologize for all of the inconveniences you've had to put up with today.”

His apology seemed to bring her up short. In fact, it seemed to catch her completely off guard. She opened her mouth a couple of times to respond, but in the end, all she said was, “It's freezing. No need to stand out here in the cold while we wait. Let me show you around the house.”

Then, without waiting for him to respond, she turned and walked up to the front door of the house, taking out a key and turning it in the lock. She opened the door, pushing it wide and gesturing for him to precede her into the house.

Ben walked in ahead of her, taking in the surroundings. The cabin was, obviously, nothing that would compare to the lush surroundings of Karina's home, but by any other standards, it was a truly wonderful space.

The ceiling was crossed with roughhewn beams, but the room was kept from being too dark and oppressive by the light-cream-colored paint that covered the walls. The furniture was overstuffed and looked extremely comfortable, which was perfect for Ben.

In the evening while he was on the road on a shoot, he really liked to spend his time resting up for the next day, getting in the right mind frame, then studying the details and dialogue he was going to be responsible for knowing the next day. In short, he liked to spend his time getting prepared.

However, in hotel rooms, many times, there was no good place to sit and spread out papers in front of you except for the bed. That was all well and good, but after a while, it did get a little tiring. It would be a nice change of pace to be in one place for a while, a place with comfortable furniture, a place where he could spread out his papers on the coffee or kitchen table.

“This looks great, Lauren,” Ben enthused. “It looks perfect, actually. You did a great job. Thank you so much.”

Again, Lauren seemed surprised by his response, and it made him wonder with a somewhat sinking feeling what sort of impression he must've made on her initially that she would be so shocked every time he displayed even the most basic of manners.

Lauren covered her surprise quickly, however, and continued the tour. She led him through the kitchen, pointing out all of the updated stainless-steel appliances, and then up the stairs.

As they stepped into the bedroom, Ben didn't think it was his imagination that she was getting slightly nervous and fidgety. As she pointed out features, it seemed that her voice was getting a bit higher and she started rambling.

Ben knew it definitely was not his imagination when she led him into the master bath and began talking about the bathtub.

“So, as you can see, the bathtub is large enough to accommodate two... Not that you would have two people in there...or, you know, not that you wouldn't... It's none of my business...”

Ben hated the fact that she was so obviously uncomfortable, but he had to admit he liked seeing her a little off-balance. It was a stark contrast and a welcome relief from seeing her only as being supremely put together and on top of things. In fact, he realized that he wouldn't mind seeing her this way more often. When it came down to it, he admitted to himself, he just wouldn't mind seeing her more often, period.

Unfortunately for Ben, Lauren's nervous rambling was cut short by the ringing of her cell phone. In contrast to Ben's disappointment at the sound of that ring, Lauren seemed highly relieved. She snatched her phone out of her pocket as if it were a life raft rather than a communication device.

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