Irresistible Danger

Variety is the Spice of Life

Busying yourself with taking several trays out to the cafeteria, you said 'good morning' to diners while placing bowls down in front of them, engaging in a bit of small talk with a few who were more awake than their comrades. None mentioned Negan, but a couple did ask if you were alright, after getting "lost in the woods and knocking yourself out", as they put it. Assuring them that you were safe, and making a few individuals laugh, by making jabs at your own clumsy feet and hard head, you breathed an internal sigh of relief that no one seemed malicious or at all suspicious about the events of the past couple days.

Once breakfast was done being served, and all the dirty bowls were brought back into the kitchen, you sent the two morning servers on their way, saying you could help Ben clean up. They didn't argue, glad to have a bit of extra free time between now and when they had to come back and help with dinner prep.

Grabbing a rag and some detergent, you ran hot water in the sink and started tackling the mound of dirty dishes. Ben stood to your right, with a dish towel, ready to dry each newly-cleaned bowl that you handed to him. The two of you had a pretty smooth system going on, your movements becoming almost mechanical as you scrubbed off the oatmeal, rinsed off the suds, and passed the bowls to Ben. You weren't surprised when Ben spoke up, asking what you were sure had been on his mind since you first entered the kitchen.

"So, how did last night go?"

It felt so strange, to have a confidant in all of this now, but it was also a relief. You actually felt a little excited at the prospect of filling Ben in on what had happened, and hearing his opinion on the situation. You gave him the run-down of the events in Negan's room, starting with Dr. Carson checking your head, and you and Negan eating lasagna together.

"You mean you were actually sitting on his lap, and he behaved himself?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yep. Weird, right?"

You hadn't realized, until Ben brought it up, how surprising that was for Negan. Usually the man was full of sexual innuendos, but he had been surprisingly companionable last night. It was almost as if he saw you as more than just another warm body to try and sleep with. The thought made you smile.

Continuing with the events of the evening, you decided to leave out any parts regarding Lucille. It wasn't that you didn't trust Ben, but there were some secrets that were best left untold, and you had a strong feeling that Lucille was one of them. You would bet a boatload of points that there weren't many, if any, people still alive who knew about her origin, and that it wasn't information Negan disclosed lightly. Instead, you skipped to when Amber had shown up at the door, and how she had flirted with Negan and openly glared at you. Handing another bowl to Ben, you caught him rolling his eyes.

"That woman is all doe eyes and innocent sexiness on the outside, but pure, stone-cold heartlessness on the inside," he said.

You were surprised to hear Ben have such a strong opinion on someone, since he was usually more willing to give people the benefit of the doubt than you were. Well, except when it came to Negan. "What do you mean? Did you know Amber before coming to the Sanctuary?"

"No, but she was assigned to the kitchens, when she first arrived here." Ben dried off the bowl in his hands, before adding it to the stacks of clean bowls that were slowly accumulating on the counter.

You hadn't known that Amber worked for points before becoming one of Negan's wives, and so gestured with your hand for Ben to continue.

"And?"

"And she was horrible at it. That girl couldn't tell a frying pan from a cookie tray if her life depended on it. It's not that she isn't smart...far from it. I just don't know that she ever had to take care of herself or cook her own meals. I got the sense that she had a lot of money before the apocalypse broke out, so she was very naïve when it came to a lot of tasks that other people take for granted. Like putting rolls in an oven or washing dishes."