Page 24 of Cups of You

He shrugged not knowing what to add. Amber sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

“Yes, we are still talking about you.”

She pursed her lips before picking up the serving dish closest to her. The aroma of melted cheese curled around him and his stomach chose that moment to let itself be known. The sound was deafening with the absence of their conversation.

Benjamin bit his bottom lip before whispering quick apologies. He thought he had weathered that storm admirably until Amber ducked her head with a choked laugh. He felt that familiar heat threatening to show, and he pleaded with it to leave him be. At the rate they were going, he was going to lose blood flow to the rest of his body before too long.

“Well, at least some part of you is rude.” Amber’s smirk was doing things for him and Benjamin shifted in his seat. She held the serving dish out to him, and he took it grateful to have something to do other than get caught staring at Amber like a creep.

“I was getting worried you might actually be as perfect as you seemed.”

Wait? She thought I was perfect?That caught Benjamin’s attention especially after hearing how imperfect he was for the last years of his marriage.

“I’m far from perfect,” he said simply before holding out the dish to Jackie. “Would you like some ma’am?”

Her dark brown eyes crinkled at the sides when she smiled. She held up a hand and shook her head.

“Yes, but guests get served first around here. Take you some, Bennie.”

“But—”

“Jesus Ben. Serve yourself some food,” Amber cut in. Despite her harsh words, her lips were curled up in a soft smile as she watched him.

He swallowed hard and nodded.

This woman was keeping him on his toes, and he certainly had an appetite to show for it. He scooped a good helping onto his plate before passing the dish along.

They were quiet as they all took turns scooping out food onto their plates, but the mood was blessedly free from awkwardness. Benjamin was hesitant to break the relaxed vibe, so he busied himself with trying the macaroni and cheese first.

When the first notes of butter and cheese met his tongue, he let out an involuntary guttural moan. Benjamin was an okay cook and an excellent baker, but this was unlike anything he had ever tasted. He hated that he had to swallow down his bite, but he quickly scooped up another forkful.

“This is amazing.”

His eyes fluttered as the second bite filled his senses as thoroughly as the first. When he finally looked up, Amber’s gaze was locked on him. Her lips were parted slightly with a forkful of food hovering at her chin. Benjamin was transfixed as he watched her tongue dart out and press against the bottom swell of her lip. If not for the jarring sound of metal hitting ceramic, he might have done something foolish like lean across the table.

He glanced over seeing Jackie’s smile from the corner of his eyes. She was glancing back and forth between them and Benjamin knew he had been caught. He looked back down at his plate.

“My compliments to the chef.”

“Thanks,” Amber answered softly.

Benjamin took his time with each bite. He still wasn’t fully successful at muffling his satisfied groans of pleasure at the little bursts of heaven in his mouth, but he did his best. It seemed to help and with one well-placed question from Jackie, conversation started flowing first about the café and then about Amber’s early days when she still called Millensville home.

“I swear I almost tripped and fell out looking for her that day.” Jackie pointed her fork in Amber’s direction. For her part, Amber just smiled and shrugged. “The whole town was out looking for this girl, worrying that some stranger had kidnapped her from the house. We didn’t lock our doors back then.”

“Auntie, you hardly lock your doors now.”

“That’s beside the point.”

Benjamin chuckled. “So, then what happened? Did she come home on her own?”

“No. This little heffa was finally found by Mrs. Jacobs curled up, sleeping behind the encyclopedias in the back section of the library. If not for the fact that Mrs. Jacobs had to put a book away back there, Amber would have been locked up inside that place until the next day.”

“Oh, wow,” he breathed out looking over at Amber. She shrugged again not looking the least bit repentant.

“The library was my safe space.”

He nodded in understanding. The café was that for him.

---