Chapter 27

It was a kiss that should have taken her breath away, but it didn't. In fact, it underscored the fact that she had made the right decision with regard to Ben and Barclay. So why, then, did she feel so blasted confused? She poked at her scrambled eggs which had grown cold during her little discussion with Barclay. The more she thought about it, the more insight she gained into her mixed emotions. Barc was a great guy in many respects, but he was a bit too much of a player for Ally's taste. The way he played Kaija turned her stomach, especially since she knew how Kaija felt about him. But boy, was he a hottie! There was no denying that. And she had to admit that she enjoyed some of their playful banter and his goofy pranks.

With a frustrated sigh, she wadded up her napkin, tossed it on the tray, and prepared to leave.

On her way out the door, she glanced up at the clock mounted on the bricks above the entryway. It was just before 10:00. Ally normally spent her weekends working on writing assignments for Professor Salinger's class, but since class wasn't likely to happen this coming week--or maybe even ever again-she decided she needed a distraction.

It was a combination of desperation and desire to see Ben again that prompted her to pick up the pay phone in the dining commons lobby. Well that and the fact that she felt she ought to apologize for Kaija's wild behavior the night before. She called university information to get Ben's number, and then dialed it, hoping she wasn't interrupting anything.

Ben answered after the second ring. He sounded awake enough, Ally observed.

"Hey Ben," she greeted cheerfully, "it's Allison." Even though she had started going by the name Ally after her big makeover, she still found it hard if not impossible to refer to herself by the nickname.

"Ally, what a great surprise!" She could hear the smile in his voice. "What's up?"

What IS up, Ally asked herself uneasily. She had spent so much energy mustering up the courage to call him that she hadn't even thought about what she'd say to him!

But then, like a knight on a white horse, her sense of humor came to the rescue. "I just wanted to call and see how you survived Kaija's attack last night." Ally couldn't help but giggle as she pictured the scene in her head. Poor Ben looking totally mortified as Kaija wrapped her long lanky legs around his body. Kaija ground her body into him, and Ally couldn't help but wonder if Ben was turned on by it all.

Ben chuckled. "I'm okay now, but she really had me going. I couldn't get out of there fast enough!" Of course if YOU had jumped me like that, it might have been another story, Ben admitted, only to himself. "Does she always act like that?" He was curious to know the answer, not so much because he was interested in Kaija, but because the unbelievable contrast between the two roommates was intriguing. How in the hell could they live together without killing one another?

Ally shrugged, even though Ben couldn't see her. "Oh she can be a bit wild alright, but usually not with strangers." It seemed like a funny thing to say, but it was sort of true.

"You poor thing," Ben cooed sympathetically. "So what are your plans for the weekend? We didn't get a chance to talk much before I left last night..."

"Normally I'd be working on my story, but..." Her voice trailed off, and Ben could sense her sadness.

"I hear ya." They hung on the phone silently, having nothing to say, but not wanting to break the connection they felt. Finally, Ben came up with an idea. "I know... you wanna go play a round of miniature golf? If we go early in the day, it won't be too crowded."

The idea sounded wonderful. Especially the part about getting to spend more time with Ben. "Sounds great. When do you want to leave?"

"I'll pick you up in front of your dorm around 11. We can play a round of golf, and then have a late lunch."

Ally smiled. "Super! See ya then!"

"Damn fucking windmill," Ben cursed. "What do they think this is, Holland?!"

Ally blushed at his foul language, but she couldn't help but grin at it, too. It was adorably childish, and she loved the fact that he felt free to be himself around her. She was sick of people walking on eggshells around her because she was Catholic. Just because she didn't have a huge vocabulary of four letter words didn't mean the world had to change on her account.

"I thought this was supposed to be fun," Ally teased. "Chill out!"

"You try it then," he said, gesturing to the ominous windmill. "It's a lot harder than it looks." He was actually a pretty good miniature golfer, but windmills had always been his downfall.

Ben stepped aside with his hands on his hips as Ally made her way to the tee. She placed the ball, and then looked from the ball to the opening of the windmill not once but three times. Ally shifted her feet and body and watched the windmill spin for what seemed like an eternity before taking a swing. Then in one fluid motion, she made contact with the ball and sent it sailing effortlessly through the opening at the base of the windmill.

"Yes!" Ally pumped her fist and smiled smugly as Ben looked all around the windmill shaking his head in disbelief. "Your turn," she smiled, sweeping her hand toward the tee in invitation.

He looked stricken, as if he was afraid to step up to the tee. Ben was no chauvinist, but he did have a reputation to uphold. He had always been unbeatable among his circle of friends, but not today. Ally was kicking his ass to put it bluntly. Beginner's luck, he muttered to himself, trying to save face as he prepared to give the windmill another shot. One thing was certain-he needed to put this hole behind them as soon as possible. Once that was done, he could relax a bit.

It took him a couple of tries, but he finally succeeded. Ally noticed his mood improved greatly once they had moved to another hole.

"Remind me never to take you to Holland," she giggled.

"Yeah," he shot back with a playful smile. "And don't you dare tell another soul you creamed me on the windmill hole!"

"Why Benjamin," she teased, batting her eyelashes a mile a minute, "I didn't realize you were so macho!"

Ben snorted and led the way to the next hole. This one was an odd assortment of slopes and angles. Those he could deal with. "Okay hot-shot, let's see if your luck holds out." In a different situation or coming from anyone else's mouth, the words might have had a biting edge to them, but not in this case. The twosome who knew how to work hard decided to play hard as well, and their playful banter was proof of just that.

At the sight of Ally's awkward stance at the tee, Ben slapped his forehead. "No, no, no! You'll never get anywhere swinging like that!"

"NOW who's being the hot-shot," Ally teased, raising her eyebrows.

"Let me show you how a pro does it," Ben said, walking over behind her.

"Puh-lease!" she giggled. "That's a line if I ever heard one. The next thing you know, you'll have your arms around me and your hands over mine as you show me how to swing!" She laughed at her own joke, but instantly saw that Ben wasn't laughing. In fact, he seemed to be blushing in a guilty damn-you-caught-me look. Ally rolled her eyes with a sigh, and then attempted to reposition herself.

As she was ready to take her swing, she stopped with the putter in mid-air. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Barclay Peyton at a hole kitty-corner from them. He was assessing the challenge with a tall leggy redhead who, incidentally, probably had the IQ of a golf ball! Miss Legs tossed her head with a laugh that drifted across the golf course. Barclay apparently approved. He reached behind her and squeezed a cheek, eliciting yet another head toss and giggle.

"Hey Al, whatcha waitin' on?" Ben asked from the safe distance of a bench nearby. He made his way over to her, following her gaze as he walked. Ah-ha! "Don't let him get to you, Ally," Ben cooed, rubbing her back to help sooth her. "He's not worth it. Just try to enjoy yourself."

The practical side of Ally desperately wanted to be repulsed by Ben's touch, or at least offended by it like any self-respecting Catholic girl should be. But she wasn't. And the sad truth was she actually enjoyed it-wanted more, MUCH more from him. Suddenly in her mind's eye, she was able to replace those hot scenes of Kaija and Barclay with her and Ben. Maybe I could borrow Kaija's loft bed, she thought to herself with a grin.