Page 35 of Hush

“Tell me, Benjamin, how is life treating you here?” she said, setting down her menu.

“Good,” Ben answered, a little too quickly. He thought of his basketball friends, his practice, and, of course, Elise and Jaden—though he tried not to let his mind get too far down that road for fear Ashley would see it on his face. The last thing he needed was Ashley finding out about the gray area he was currently taking advantage of regarding Elise.

Ben placed his menu down and tented his fingers, choosing his words carefully. “It’s a great town. There’s lots to do. I’ve got a great group of friends.”

“Well, isn’t that lovely?” she said in a sincere voice, and Ben wondered if she actually meant it.

“Work is busy. The lifestyle and type of work people do here make for some interesting injuries.”

Ashley raised a plucked eyebrow.

“I’m sure it’s not as sexy as operating on professional athletes or mega-millionaires.”

Ashley’s face didn’t shift, but Ben could tell he’d hit home by the way her eyes glowed. She sipped her drink. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

The waitress came, and they both ordered. Gnocchi pasta with chanterelles for him, the ribeye for her.Of course she orders the most expensive thing on the menu, Ben thought with irritation.

“So, are you seeing anyone?” she asked, sipping her drink.

The alcohol Ben had consumed burned in his gut. “That’s none of your business.”

“Oh, come on,” she teased, giving her flashiest smile. “You’re not still holding on to what happened to us, are you?”

Ben bit back the scream of fury bottled inside his throat. “No,” he managed.

“Good,” she cooed. “Then tell me about her.”

“Tell you about who?” Ben replied, crossing his arms.

“Whoever just made your cock twitch,” she said in a low voice.

“Look,” Ben said, his patience thinning. “What do you want? Why are you here? I did what you asked,” he said, trying to keep his voice down. “Not that you gave me any choice,” he added bitterly.

The waiter reappeared with the bottle of wine Ashley had ordered. Something red and local, Ben noticed. The two were silent as the waitress uncorked and poured a taste for Ben, but he sat back, knowing Ashley would do the honors.

And she did—burying her nose into the glass for a sniff, swirling the liquid before bringing the delicate glass to her lips for a taste. She paused, relishing the moment of having all eyes on her.

“Thank you, it’s very good,” she said to the waitress, who poured them each a full glass. Once she left, Ashley breathed in a long inhale, her eyes narrowing.

“I just want to make sure you’re moving on,” Ashley said. “It was never personal, you know?”

“Not personal?” Ben replied, ignoring the looks of the couple at a nearby table. He gathered his composure. “You manipulated me for your own gain, not caring what it did to my career, my life.”

“It had to be done,” she said icily. “You know I always get what I want.”

Their food arrived, but Ben hardly noticed the divine smells and the warmth of the meal.

“This is a really lovely town,” Ashley said. “Did you know they’re thinking of adding another surgeon?”

She said it so casually, as if making idle chitchat with a neighbor, but it hit Ben’s brain like a bomb. And though he’d heard murmurings about his department expanding, he had no idea how Ashley—living three hundred miles away—would know. But he also heard the subtext loud and clear.

“What would a hotshot surgeon like you want with this place?” he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.

“You make it sound so nice,” she said, cutting a piece of her steak. Watching her lips close around her fork as she tucked the bit into her mouth almost mesmerized him—taking him back to the times they used to sneak off for a quick fuck in between rounds. If only he had known then it was all a game to her. That because they were the top two students, she had hand-selected him as her personal toy, like a cat who plays with its prey before ripping its heart out.

“I’ll make sure you never work here,” Ben said, his tone hard. He realized his fingers were shaking with rage.

Ashley dabbed her mouth with the yellow cloth napkin. “That’s where you’re mistaken,” she said. “I hold the keys, remember?”

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