Chapter 34 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

She waved both hands to stop him, “Worry about yourself instead. So I’m asking the next question, right?” Celsie asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Yes, you are,” Benne said as he raised his glass to his lips and sipped from it. He was still on his second glass while she was going to her fourth. He watched her with interest as a rosy blush flushed her cheeks, and he couldn’t help wondering what she wanted to ask him that embarrassed her that much.

“Did you….” She closed her eyes as she tried to summon up courage, “Did you use a co.. cond… condom? I mean that night?” She blurted out, without looking at him directly.

Benne tried hard to maintain a straight face, and the only indication of his amusement was the gleam in his eyes as his body shook with laughter, “No, I didn’t,” he said as he watched her over the rim of his wineglass.

Celsie gasped as she glanced at him, “What? You didn’t? How can you have unprotected sex with a stranger?” Celsie asked in panic.

Benne smiled, “It’s my turn,” he said in a calm voice, ignoring her question.

“But…”

“Have you ever been in love?”

Celsie stiffened for a brief moment, “I said don’t ask me anything about my past,” Celsie said testily.

For someone who was close to tipsy, she was still very alert, Benne noted, “That wasn’t what you said. You said I shouldn’t ask why you’re not in a relationship, and my question has nothing to do with that,” Benne said with a wide smile.

Different emotions flickered in her eyes and Celsie opened her mouth to argue, but then decided not to bother with it, “I don’t know. Maybe. I guess so,” She said with a sad sigh as though she didn’t want to dwell on it.

“That is a lot of answers for a simple question of yes or no,” Benne observed.

“Yeah. Sorry,” she said wearily, making Benne frown. He didn’t like the sadness he could sense in her words, neither did he like the thought that he might have reminded her of a sad memory.

“You don’t have to be. I’m sorry if I reminded you of an unpleasant memory,” Benne said apologetically.

Celsie heaved a long sigh, “It’s okay. Let’s just call it a night and go home. I should sleep,” Celsie said, glancing at her wristwatch.

Benne couldn’t help wondering what was wrong. He wished he could ask her about it, but he knew it was probably the reason she had said he shouldn’t ask her why she wasn’t in a relationship, so he gave her a nod, “Okay,” he said as he took out some money notes from his wallet and dropped them on the table before standing up.

He offered his hand to help her stand up, and she placed her small hand in his and allowed him to pull her up. Benne looked down at their intertwined hands, before drawing her closer to his side, and then leading her out of the bar.

“I love the cool evening breeze,” Celsie commented once they were out and she inhaled fresh air which was unlike that in the stuffy interior of the bar where the smell of sweat mingled with that of food, alcohol and different perfumes.

“You want to sit out here before we leave?” He asked her thoughtfully as they walked over to where the car was parked, and she nodded. Without asking, Benne placed both hands on her waist and lifted her off the ground and on top of the car trunk.

Celsie who had been alarmed when he touched her without warning, relaxed when she realized what he was doing. Once she was seated, he jumped on the space beside her. She rested her back on the rear windshield of the car looking at the night sky above them which was decorated by a full moon and so many stars, while they sat under it in comfortable silence. Although she was slightly tipsy, she was calm.

“Benne?” She called after some time.

“Yeah?” Benne who had been trying to guess what she was thinking, or whether she had dozed off, turned to look at her.

“I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

Celsie shifted her gaze from the sky to his face, “I think I almost cost you your job today,” she confessed, making his brow pull together in surprise. He hadn’t expected her to confide in him about that.

“What happened?”

“I asked Mr. Harry to give me a different driver. I didn’t want you,” she explained, looking at him guiltily.

“You dislike me that much?” Benne asked with a slight frown, and she shook her head.

“It’s not that. I think you’re pretty cool, and that is why I’m telling you this. I will try to be a better friend henceforth,” Celsie promised, and Benne was the one to feel guilty now, but he didn’t let it affect him too much.

“So what happened? Did he change your mind?” Benne asked with an expressionless face.

Celsie shook her head, “The CEO got involved and insisted that if you leave, I will lose my job. So I guess I’m stuck with you,” Celsie said with derogatory laughter directed at herself.

“Is that why you agreed to all I said at the grocery shop? Because you didn’t want me to quit?” Benne asked with narrowed eyes, and she giggled.

“Honestly? Yes. I hope you won’t take advantage of that and start making absurd demands.”

Benne smiled, “I can’t promise you that I won’t take advantage of it, but I can assure you that I won’t ask you to do something that you can’t do.”

“Fair enough. I owe you that much. So, friends for real now?” She asked, extending her hand for a handshake.

Benne took her hands, “Friends..” At least for now, he added to himself.

“By the way, I was going to ask you why you picked out just Bounty chocolates earlier,” Benne said, sparing her a glance as he drove them home.

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