Chapter 103 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

Benne gave her a nod, “Okay. You can use the guest bedroom where you changed your clothes earlier…”

Celsie stopped him by shaking her head, “This is one of those things people in relationships do, isn’t it?” She asked, making Benne stare at her in confusion.

“I don’t think I understand…”

“You said you were going to help me learn about guys and relationships. Not that I want a relationship, but I think I might appreciate the lessons and experience so that I don’t feel like I missed out on anything later. So… I’m just saying if sleeping together on the same bed is part of being in a relationship, then I will share your bed with you,” Celsie said with a forced confident smile even though she knew she was going to have a hard time sleeping now.

“Celsie…”

“I know I don’t have to. I want to. I like to put my best into anything I’m doing, and since I’m doing this temporary relationship thing with you, I think I should as well give it my best shot,” Celsie said with a shrug even though she felt like she was beginning to talk too much.

“Come here,” Benne said as he took her arm and dragged her close to himself, “Relax. It’s a relationship, not a punishment or a death roll sentence,” Benne murmured as he patted her back in a comforting gesture. He could tell she was feeling very nervous.

“I…I just don’t know how to be your girlfriend. What if I can’t help you after everything?” Celsie asked with a weary sigh as she stood stiffly in his embrace.

“I can teach you how to be my girlfriend if you will let me.”

Celsie pulled away from him to look into his face “So what should I do?” She asked, gazing up at him with trusting eyes.

She admitted to herself that she trusted him even though it seemed too early to do that. He had shown her in different ways that her needs came before his own, and that was what earned him her trust.

“Start by closing your eyes, and taking in a deep breath,” Benne suggested as he placed both hands on her cheeks and held her face so that they were gazing into each other’s eyes.

Celsie closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as instructed before letting it out slowly.

“Good girl,” Benne said with a proud smile. He was glad that they were both making progress really quickly.

As Celsie’s eyes fluttered open this time, the first thing she noticed was that she was alone on Benne’s bed. Did he leave again as he had done the first time they spent the night together? She mused without moving an inch from where she was.

How she had managed to fall asleep after they both returned to the room, she didn’t know. But all she remembered was that she had first gone to the bathroom to ease herself, and as she stared into the bathroom mirror while washing her hands, she realized that he had taken off her contact lens once again.

“How do you always manage to take off my lenses?” She had asked as she returned to the room and got on the bed, covering herself with the duvet since Benne was already lying down on his side of the bed, and he was lying on top of the duvet.

Benne shrugged, not knowing how to answer the question, “I want you to sleep comfortably, so I try,” he had murmured.

Were men generally this way? Or was this caring attitude just a Benne thing? “Thank you,” Celsie said, giving him a tiny smile.

Without saying a word, Benne drew her close to himself so that they were both lying on the center of the bed as he cuddled her. This time they were not in a spoon position. She slept facing him with her head on his chest as she listened to the sound of his heartbeat..

“Let’s talk in the morning, okay?” Benne had whispered into her hair as he rubbed her back, and she had been unable to vocally respond because her throat was clogged, but she had nodded her head, and tried to stay calm by breathing in and out until she drifted off to sleep.

Celsie closed her eyes, not wanting to get out of the bed which still smelled very much like Benne. Not that she didn’t exactly want to get out of the bed, but she just didn’t know how to face him. When it came to Benne, she was confused. Their relationship was just too complicated, and now she didn’t know how she was going to look him in the face once it was Monday and he had to return to being her driver.

‘Don’t think too far ahead, Celsie. One day at a time,’ she whispered to herself as she drew in a deep breath before sitting up on the bed. She was feeling hot already because of the oversized jogger she was wearing, so she stood up from the bed and took it off, leaving just Benne’s oversized T-shirt which she was wearing.

She walked into the bathroom barefooted to make sure she looked okay. Standing in front of the mirror, she combed her fingers through her long curly jet-black hair which looked sleep tousled, before washing her face with water and using his mouthwash to rinse her mouth. Once she was sure she looked alright, she stepped out of the bedroom and went in search of him.

She stopped by the kitchen door when she heard movement in there, and her stomach fluttered when she saw him standing by the microwave with his back to her. He was wearing just an apron over his faded jeans trouser, so his back was bare save for the sling of the apron tied around his neck and waist.

Benne turned around to flash her a smile when he sensed her presence, “Good morning pretty,” he said as his eyes moved from her face to her sleep-tousled hair, and then lingered there before returning to her face.

“Good morning,” she said, not knowing what to do next. This had to be the most awkward weekend of her adult life. She was just clueless.

Benne noticed she had taken off the joggers and was dressed in just his t-shirt now. He had to admit that she looked really sexy. He tried not to make her uncomfortable by staring at her, “Let’s have breakfast, and talk a bit before you go home,” Benne suggested, and Celsie gave him a nod.

“What can I do?” Celsie asked as she took a tentative step forward and joined him inside, while trying not to stare at him as he took off the apron.

He paused when he noticed that she was looking in the opposite direction and her face had flushed a bright red, “Sorry,” he said, flashing her an apologetic smile as he walked past her to pick up a shirt in the living room.

Once he had dressed up, he returned to join her, “Let’s set the table,” Benne said as turned off the oven before walking to one of the kitchen drawers to take out a teacup.

Celsie watched with longing as he filled the teacup with coffee and dropped a teaspoonful of sugar into the teacup. He stirred the coffee and took a sip from it before meeting Celsie’s gaze.

Celsie walked over to the drawer to take a teacup but he stopped her with a shake of his head, “You can’t take coffee,” he said as he took the cup from her and returned it to the drawer, making her look at him in confusion.

“I read somewhere that coffee and alcohol aggravate ulcers, so I don’t think you should keep taking them,” Benne said, making her frown.

“I’ve been doing fine taking it,” Celsie pointed out stubbornly.

“If you were doing so fine you wouldn’t have needed me to take you to a pharmacy to pick out medicine. Don’t worry, I got something you can drink. I read somewhere that cranberry juice is very good,” Benne said as he picked up a glass and walked over to his refrigerator to pour her a glass of the juice.

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