Chapter 28

Ben was not a happy camper. What else could explain his abrupt departure from the miniature golf place? Ally worried her lower lip as they made their way back to the car. I've blown it. The one decent guy I've met so far and I've blown it. She watched him drive out of the corner of her eye. Was he gripping the steering wheel as if his hands were wrapped around her cheating neck, or was it her imagination? Ally had no idea what was going through his mind. She could see where Ben would be somewhat disappointed in her. Okay, maybe seriously disappointed in her. But didn't he hear what she said? Barclay had kissed her. Ally didn't initiate it, Barc did.

Ah, technically you're right, Ally, her conscience pointed out, but did you let it happen? Yep. She made absolutely no attempt to stop him. And were you responsive to that kiss? Yep again.

Ally sighed in defeat. As much as she'd like to play the victim on this one, she couldn't. Not with a straight face and a clear conscience. Ah morals... can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em!

Certain that whatever she said would only make things worse, she sat in the passenger's seat in silence. When Ben pulled into a parking place in front of Ally's dorm, she wanted to believe he was going to whisk her up to her room and kiss her senseless. Given the way their day was playing out, odds were against it though.

Ben cut the engine and stared quietly ahead. Ally turned to him, quirking an eyebrow. "So what are we doing?" she asked, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

She could tell Ben was struggling internally with his choice of words before he said a thing. He obviously didn't want to hurt her feelings with whatever it was he was about to say. So much for being kissed silly. Ally was being flippant with herself, hoping to make the hurt ahead less painful.

She found herself wanting to reach out to him and erase his conflicting emotions. What would it take? A suggestive hug? A smoldering kiss? She wasn't ready for much more than that...

Finally, he shifted in his seat to face her. "I know you've been worried about Kaija," he began. "I thought maybe you'd wanna come back here and spend some time with her. You know, cheer her up a bit."

Great. Instead of blowing up at her, he was simply trying to ditch her. That wasn't going to work no way, no how. She had nothing to do with that kiss, dammit, and there was no way in hell she was going to let Ben hold it against her! Sadness morphed into anger the more she thought about it.

Ally folded her arms across her chest and lifted her chin in defiance. "Let's just settle this right here and now."

Ben cocked his head, shocked at her forcefulness.

"Look, I told you what happened this morning, right?" He nodded. "And I told you how it meant nothing to me. In fact, it repulsed me, right?" Another nod. "Well I resent the fact that-"

Ben placed a finger over her lips, and then leaned in to capture her mouth with a tenderness that melted her on the spot. Ally wanted more. Wanted to open her mouth wide and let his tongue meet hers in a moist, sensuous dance. Her body thrummed with excitement as the kisses deepened and Ben's hands started to wander.

He wove his fingers deep into her thick wavy tresses, pulling her face even closer to his. Ben's breaths turned to gasps as his hand kneaded her shoulder blades, urging her to mold her curves into his well-toned frame. He shifted in his seat, trying to close what little distance remained between them when the loud honk of a car horn cased him to jump. He whacked the top of his head on the roof of his own car all because his elbow was in the wrong place at the wrong time. What was even worse was the fact that the horn drew attention to their daylight groping!

They untangled themselves with nervous laughter, taking time to straighten their shirt collars and tame their mussed up hair.

"How did we get there?" Ally asked, her cheeks flushed and her chest heaving. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you..." She was positively giddy. Her giggle proved it. Allison Delaney. Making out in a car. In the daylight. Wow! Never in a million years would she have pictured herself there!

Ben shrugged. "I didn't want you to think that you could get rid of me that easily."

"Get rid of you? I thought you were trying to get rid of me!" Ally pointed to him, and then back at herself.

Ben smiled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Not a chance!"

They laughed easily as they gazed into one another's eyes. It was a view Ally could live with the rest of her life. It sounded over-dramatic, but she and Ben had connected in a way she never realized possible. If something were to go wrong in her life, she could see turning to Ben for comfort. And if something really great happened, he'd be the first one she'd want to tell. Wasn't that what love was all about? God, did she say 'love'? A little premature for that, now, isn't it? Maybe not. Maybe it really was that simple when you finally met the right person--the person who changes your life forever.

Ben hopped out of his seat and rounded the car, opening the passenger door and extending his hand to Ally. "Come on, let's go see Kaija. I'm sure she could use some friends after putting up with that ass Barclay."

Too bad it was such a cute ass, Ally quipped to herself. After all, she had nearly fallen for him herself. Poor Kaija... If only she had someone like Ben in her life. He's smart, good looking, and funny. And the best part of all was he was kind and sensitive.

As they walked hand in hand to Ally and Kaija's dorm room, apprehension slowly reared its ugly head in Ally's mind. Her stomach started doing flip-flops. This was too good to be true, surely something would go wrong. Think positive for once in your life, Ally, she scolded herself. Oh, I am thinking positive. Positive something will mess it all up! Ally sighed as she slipped her key into the door.

They half expected to find a sullen Kaija cuddled up on her loft, but instead she was a flurry of activity as she tidied up the room. In the short time Ally had been gone, Kaija managed to rearrange their entire room, making it look more like an efficiency apartment than a dorm room. Ally's jaw dropped at the sight.

"You like?" Kaija asked, smiling at Ally as she gestured to key parts around the room.

"Do I like, get real, this is fabulous!" She wanted to ask Kaija where she found the energy to do all this in light of everything she had been through, but then thought better of it. Perhaps this was Kaija's way of burning off negative energy. The last thing she needed was Ally bringing the whole mess to the front of her mind again.

"Thanks," she said, as she placed the last of the food on the shelves over the mini fridge and microwave. "So what are you two doing back here so early? I thought you were going golfing."

Ben took the liberty of responding. "We did. Sort of. But the clientele turned ugly so we left. Besides, we decided we'd rather hang out with you anyways."

Kaija snorted. "Sure... Whatever you say, Ben," she teased. "But the last time you were here, you couldn't leave fast enough!"

Ben's cheeks turned a deep shade of pink. He hadn't planned to mention last night, but there it was, staring him in the face. Yeah, she had scared him off alright, but the more he thought about it as he lay in bed afterward, the sadder he became. Ben knew Kaija had to be seriously upset in order to behave that way. He certainly couldn't blame her for being upset either, especially now that he had the experience of Ally and Barclay's kiss behind him. Now Barclay was a different matter altogether. He wanted to do some major damage to him given everything he put the girls through.

"About last night," Kaija began. "I'm really sorry about that. I--"

Ben's hand went up to stop her. "No need to apologize. I understand completely. If anything, I'm a little embarrassed that I ran off instead of trying to be supportive."

Kaija waved off his concern. "Look, I've got an idea. What do you say we forget about the whole thing, Barclay included, and enjoy the rest of the day?" She stuck her hand out, waiting for him to shake on it.

Grabbing her hand and squeezing it tight, he smiled. "Sounds like a terrific idea to me!"

After a rousing game of Monopoly, they decided to order some pizza. The threesome was actually enjoying hanging out together a whole lot more than they anticipated. Ally and Kaija were a bit worried about the third wheel syndrome, but they managed to strike a nice balance.

Ben made a run to the pop machine while Ally washed up and Kaija set out paper plates and napkins. They no sooner settled down to their dinner when the phone rang.

"Impeccable timing," Kaija groaned. There was a general consensus among them that the caller was probably Barclay, and none of them had even a remote interest in conversing with that Neanderthal. "Tell whoever it is to go away!"