Page 25 of Home to Me

She shook her head. She couldn't believe that she was actually considering Ben Stevens' feelings, but there it was.

“Oh, just, you know...” she said, trailing off. She took a deep breath and continued. “When he jumped in and helped me, and then again when he gave me the advice.”

Karina narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “I don't know,” she said. “Those two things really seem like part of the same incident to me.”

“Yeah, I guess I just thought of them separately,” Lauren concluded vaguely.

“Well I think it sounds really sweet, what he did,” Amanda defended. “And I've never actually thought he was so horrible, Lauren. I think he actually seems kind of nice and charming.”

“Charming, definitely,” Lauren agreed. “I'll give you charming. He's got charm to spare. But nice? Before today, I would’ve laughed in your face for saying nice. After today? I don't know. I guess we'll just say the jury's out.”

Sam smiled knowingly. “Anyway,” she said, “you're not really in a position to judge what he is because you’re blinded by lust.”

Lauren shook her head. “No. I’m not,” she said definitively.

“Oh, yes, you are,” Sam said assuredly. “I recognize the look of a woman in lust, and you, my dear... You have the look of a woman in lust.”

Lauren said, “Wow. How you've become an expert in relationships in the two months since you've had one.”

Sam said in a hurt tone, “Hey now! Just because Luke is my first boyfriend and we've only been together for two months doesn't mean I haven't seen my share of people hooking up over the years. I know the signs, and you’re exhibiting them. And if you're feeling defensive? Well, that's just one of the signs.”

Karina and Amanda nodded their heads in agreement.

Even Amy chimed in, “I don't know, Lauren. I've only been here for a few minutes, so I'm not completely up to speed on the situation. But I have to say...you are acting a bit like you're attracted to him.”

Lauren grimaced. “Traitor,” she said to Amy.

Amy just shrugged, unaffected.

“You guys don't understand,” Lauren protested. “He's so aggravating. Seriously. He's completely annoying—on purpose. I've never met someone who could invoke such strong reactions in me as quickly as he can. Or as often.”

Amanda nodded. “Yep,” she said. “That's a sure sign.”

Lauren shook her head, sure that they just didn't get her meaning. “No, you guys. You don't get it. This isn't, like, funny and sexy annoyance, whatever that even is. This is, like, actual frustrated annoyance.”

“Right,” Karina said reasonably. “No, we get what you're saying. I just think that that's one more sign that he gets under your skin. And that I do mean in a sexy way.”

“Oh, come on, you guys. Seriously. This isn't some Hepburn-and-Tracy movie. This is real life. In real life, if someone annoys you, they just annoy you. No ulterior motives, no underlying subtext, no secret yearning. Just annoyance. Pure and simple.”

“I don't know, Laur,” Karina said, unconvinced. “I mean, except for being late that day, what has he really done that's been so annoying and aggravating?”

“It’s just…the way he…is. It’s irritating,” Lauren said, feeling the heat start to rise in her cheeks.

"Right, I know. You keep saying that," Karina said thoughtfully. "But what has he actually done?"

"Well," Lauren said, "I'll tell you. Take, for instance, the other day, when I came out of my office with two clients. They saw him across the street, and of course we had to go across the street and take a picture, because he's the biiiiig television star. And then he made this whole big production about me taking a picture with him. And right before the picture was snapped, he leans down to whisper in my ear, and you won't believe what he said."

"What?" asked Sam, a huge smile of anticipation spreading across her face.

"No, Sam, you're not getting this," Lauren explained, losing her patience. "It's not, like, some fun surprise. It was really…crude."

"What did he say?" said Amanda indignantly, immediately angry on her friend's behalf.

"He leaned down and, in the most presumptuous, possessive, entitled, intimate tone, whispered in my ear, 'Damn, you smell good enough to eat.' Can you imagine?"

Lauren moved her gaze to each of the girls' faces in turn, waiting for them to be indignant as well, but they just stared at her blankly.

Finally, Karina asked slowly, "Well, how did you feel when he said that, Lauren?"

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