Page 29 of Stuck With the Best Man

“Anyway, we’re not dating and we won’t date, so it doesn’t matter. That random day—and that random kiss—was just a stupid thing that happened in the past. We cleared the air. It’s all good. The end.”

Ben’s expression shifts into a deep frown. “Uh, right. Yeah. Just a stupid thing.”

“Glad we agree.”

“So… you don’t hate me?”

“Does it really matter that much to you?”

He shrugs. “Yeah, it does. I don’t like being hated.”

“You know that’s completely unrealistic, right? You can’t be likable to everyone all the time. Even the people who you think might like you could just be playing nice to your face.”

“What an optimistic way to look at things.”

“People are going to dislike you, Ben. It’s just life.”

“I doubt people dislike you.”

I choke out a laugh. “Are you kidding? I’m a professional ballet dancer. I work in one of the most competitive and cutthroat industries in the world. There’s a reason they’ve made, like, a thousand horror movies about ballerinas, Ben. I’m sure there are plenty of dancers in the corps who hate my guts simply because I got promoted to soloist and they didn’t.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“It is what it is. It’s not like they hate me for a good reason. They’re just insecure. It’s a normal human reaction. Immature, yes, but pretty normal.”

“That’s oddly very wise. I’ve never thought about it that way.”

“Good. Because I’m definitely not the first person who has ever disliked you.” Despite my words, I feel a small smile forming on my face.

“That’s encouraging.”

“Think about it,” I continue. “I mean, don’t you have an ex-girlfriend with whom things ended badly? Or an old friend you had a massive falling out with? Maybe a coworker that you disagreed with a little too harshly?”

Ben shrugs. “All my past relationships have ended amicably, my lifelong friendships are stable, and disagreeing with coworkers is only something I’m recently becoming familiar with.”

“Well, look at you. So nontoxic.”

“What about you?” he asks.

“What about me?”

“Surely, there’s an ex-boyfriend or two of yours who falls to his knees and curses at the sky every time he’s reminded of you?”

I blink in surprise. “Uh, no. I don’t think so. I haven’t really—I mean, I don’t have any ex-boyfriends. Not technically.”

Ben stares at me for so long that I’m worried I’m going to have to forcibly yank his face back in the direction of the road ahead.

“How is that possible?”

“Are you kidding?” I bark out a laugh. “I’m a professional dancer, Ben. I live, eat, and breathe ballet. That’s been the story for my entire life.”

“Ah.”

“I mean, Ihavedated before. Casual things that didn’t last that long. It’s not like you were my first kiss. Or first anything. I’ve already experienced all those, uh, firsts. I am a grown woman, after all.”

I hate the smirk that graces his lips when I manage to stop babbling. I hate that he has undeniably nice lips. Really nice lips.

More than anything, I hate that I still remember exactly what it was like to kiss those lips. I’ve never done anything like that before. Never kissed a stranger simply because he was sweet, handsome, and interesting.

---