Page 106 of Brides and Brothers
“I know about both,” he said, his tone deepening as he leaned toward her.
“What?” Daisha’s hand went to the rail, where she gripped it tightly. “You mean you know a lot of kissing-potato jokes?”
Benson smiled. “I didn’t say that. I only know two kissing-potato jokes. I said I know about both kissingandpotatoes.”
Daisha laughed softly. “You say that like there’s some great secret about one or the other.”
“Not secret—sacred.” Benson’s face was expressionless, but his eyes gleamed in the moonlight.
“I won’t question your potato craze. Trust me, I know how deeply you feel about those suckers.”
Benson’s lips pulled upward. “Are you going to question how deeply I feel about kissing?”
Camille held her breath. After talking to Daisha’s dad, Benson was still willing to jump in. Would Daisha be ready to let him in?
Daisha shuffled her feet. “How, uh,doyou feel about... that?”
“About what?” Benson teased, lowering his face another inch.
Daisha stepped back against the railing. “I’m sorry, what were we talking about?”
Benson’s head made the final descent. His lips brushed Daisha’s with the softness of a feather landing on a sidewalk. “You were going to tell me that you want to be my girlfriend.”
Camille rolled forward on her toes and brought her fist to her mouth to keep from squealing.
“I was?” Daisha was completely under his spell.
Never had Camille seen her so gone for a guy.
“Yes,” he murmured in a low, sultry voice. “Because then I’ll have an excuse to tell you how I really feel about kissing.”
Daisha giggled. “I think you’d better save those deep explanations for your future wife.”
“The job is open for applications.”
“Really?” Daisha no longer looked dreamy and unfocused.
Camille’s hand dropped. Was this Benson’s normal serious voice or his extra-serious voice? He was going way too fast.
“Why, are you interested?”
“You sound desperate,” Daisha joked, and even Camille could see her anxiety flaring.
“I am for one person,” Benson said. “If she’ll have me.” This time his head came down at full speed.
Daisha leaned back. “Benson Peterson!”
Benson straightened, his face chagrined and turning red. “I’m sorry... I...”
“I’m confused about what we’re talking about.”
Benson didn’t attempt to say anything else. Camille waited, but he stood there looking at anything but Daisha.
“Come on, Daisha!” Camille whispered. “He’s too scared to explain. Help him out.”
“I’m older than the typical college student, Benson. I know what it’s like to scrimp to make ends meet. I know what it’s like to take care of a family. I know what kind of man I want to marry. He has to meet some pretty high standards. He’ll need to work hard and not bend his values when things get tough. He has to be able to find ways to be happy when life throws a string of disappointments at him so long that it’s like following a rainbow, looking for an end that doesn’t exist.
“You might like me,” she continued, “which flatters me to no end, and which I reciprocate in ridiculous and obsessive amounts, but you can’t throw out marriage proposals like they’re candy.”
