Chapter 32 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“It’s not like I have anyone to tell anyway,” she muttered as she glanced outside the window.

If he liked his mystery lady enough to seek employment in her place of work, how come he had had sex with a random stranger? Why couldn’t she seem to figure him out, anyway? Was he a good guy or a bad guy? Celsie wondered as she turned to look at him. She remembered the way he had been flirting with those girls earlier that morning, and then with the ladies at work that evening. He was definitely a bad boy! Maybe he just wanted a fling with the lady?

“You don’t have any more questions for me? Why are you so quiet?” Benne asked when she said nothing after some time and turned to spare her a glance.

There was no way she could tell him what she was thinking anyway. Neither of them was to mention what had happened between them, so she couldn’t even ask him why he had slept with her when he had someone else he was interested in.

“What does she look like? What do you like about her? Have you run into her at the company since you started working there?” Celsie asked, not wanting to think about the things in her head. It was none of her business what he chose to do or who he chose to sleep with.

“She looks very pretty. I don’t know what I like about her yet, but that is what I intend to find out after I get the chance to be close to her. I’ve seen her twice at the company.”

“Really? And you still don’t know her name or her department? Tell me what she looks like and maybe I can help you find out,” Celsie offered.

“No! I don’t want you to know her,” Benne said apologetically.

“What? Why?”

“That would be too awkward. Just help me get her, and maybe after that, I will introduce her to you,” Benne suggested instead as he drove into the parking lot of a cafe bar.

Benne reasoned that as long as he doesn’t show her any lady, in particular, he could always tell Celsie the lady got married, quit her job, and moved to a different city or country, and that would be the end of his interest in this mystery lady.

“But if you say you have seen her at the company twice, didn’t she see you? Wouldn’t it be natural to engage her in a conversation?” Celsie asked thoughtfully.

“Well, I’m not sure she recognized me when I walked past her,” Benne said with a shrug as he turned off the car’s ignition.

“Come on, how would anyone not recognize someone that looks like you?” Celsie asked incredulously.

“Someone that looks like me?” Benne asked with a boyish grin which caught her off guard.

Celsie blinked at him rapidly, “I mean, you look… That is… What I mean is that your face is distinct,” Celsie rushed to explain, looking all flustered, and quickly got out of the car before Benne could say anything. Benne stifled the urge to chuckle as he got out of the car. He decided that there was no need to tease her further since she already looked so flustered.

“Do you think maybe she ignored me because she thinks I’m beneath her? I mean, we are not friends, and someone who works in a company like that has no reason to say hello to a mere plumber, right?” Benne asked as they both headed for the cafe bar.

“Maybe if you had greeted her first, she would have responded, and then you could have gotten the chance to ask her out for a drink or something,”

“Tell me something, would you have talked to your plumber if you ran into him at your place of work?” Benne asked as he held the door open for her to get into the bar ahead of him.

“I don’t see why not,” Celsie said with a shrug as she looked around the bar.

“Assuming you were interested in men, do you think you could date your plumber?” Benne asked, making her turn to look at him.

“No,” she said, before turning away from him.

The place looked somewhat old-fashioned but modern at the same time. Someone was on the stage singing and playing the guitar, while others conversed with their partners at their various tables while drinking whatever they had in their glasses.

“I have a favorite spot where I like to sit and enjoy the view,” Benne said as he led the way to a table at the distal end of the hall. Celsie noticed that from where they sat they could see almost every part of the bar.

“Cool, right?” Benne asked when he noticed she was still looking around the place.

“Undecided,” Celsie said as she returned her attention to him.

“Could that be Handy Benne?” A chubby blonde waitress who looked like she was in her mid-twenties, questioned as she strutted towards them.

“If he looks like Benne, then he definitely is Benne,” Benne said with a wink making her raise a hand to her lips which were painted red.

“You know, I was in doubt when you walked in. But when I saw you heading to this spot with this beautiful lady beside you, I decided it has to be you! OMG Benne! You look like you just walked out of my fantasy,” She said with a dreamy smile,

“Do I look good enough to snatch you from your husband now?” Benne asked playfully wiggling his brow.

“You sure do. As long as you don’t mind changing diapers,” The Waitress said, rubbing her abdomen. That was when Celsie noticed the wedding band on her finger and her barely noticeable baby bump.

“Just get me a good divorce lawyer and I will elope with you… But wait, hope your lady won’t mind?” She asked, looking at Celsie with mock alarm.

“I’m sure she won’t,” Benne said with a wink, “Tricia meet my neighbor, Celsie. Celsie, meet Tricia the love of my life and my favorite waitress in all of Serenopolis,” Benne introduced, grateful that no one here knew his true identity.

“Neighbors? I see,” Tricia said as she looked from Benne to Celsie, “It’s nice to meet you,” Tricia said with a friendly smile and Celsie returned her smile.

“You seem like a regular here,” Celsie told Benne after Tricia had taken their orders and left.

“I’m pretty outgoing. That’s how I get my clients,” Benne said, which was also partially true in a way.

He frequented pubs, clubs, and bars where people often gathered, and he tried to engage in different conversations to gain information about what people thought about his company and services and also get ideas. Everywhere he went he simply introduced himself as Handy Benne, and that was all they knew about him.

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