LOVE TO HATE YOU

(NEW) SNOOPING AND SNEAKING...

Oh scarf. Oh long, woolen, fluffy scarf that is not conducive to creeping through thorny bushes. I felt it tug as it got caught behind me on some devilish looking thorns. I turned to undo it and the other side swung out and straight into another bunch of thorns. .Both ends of my scarf were now trapped, and every time I leaned over to deal with one side, I pulled the other side even tighter. The more I moved, the worse it got. Maybe if I bend down and lifted it over my head? But as I pulled- hard- the one side yanked against the rose bush, snapping the branch and causing the scarf to slap me through the face.

"Crap!" I quickly ducked in anticipation of the thorny branch plummeting into my eye. Luckily it didn't

"That's not a very nice word." The little sing-song voice said, my hands were still over my face to protect against the thorns. I pulled them down and there she was, and he for that matter. Both staring at me.

"My dad says that you should never say that word."

I looked up at Ben and he had an awkward smile on his face.

"Well, your dad is right."

"Dad is right about all things." Li said with an adoring tone in her voice.

"Well, maybe not all things, "I said gently, "but he is right about that bad word."

"No, I'm right about all things." Ben said teasingly.

"No, I don't think you are." I forced a little laugh. "No one can be right about all things."

"No! My dad is right about everything." Li spoke loudly and sounded wildly protective.

"Hahah, yes, you're probably right." I conceded. I wasn't going to argue with a six year old who adored her father more that pink tutus and shiny things.

"So, the roses, hey?" Ben folded his arms and looked at me, his brow furrowing in a curious questioning manner.

"I was going to prune them." I said as fast as possible. It was the first thing that had come to mind, the fact that I was without garden sheers, was merely an irrelevant detail that hopefully Ben was going to overlook... not likely.

"I didn't know you were into gardening."

I nodded. "Yup. I love pruning roses."

"Like you love running 10 miles in the morning." Ben smiled. My heart skipped a beat as I watched his whole face change as that naughty, skew smile lit up his green eyes.

"Ben!" I suddenly declared for no reason whatsoever

"Sera. Sera Holmes."

"Mmmm. Ben. Ben White."

"So we meet again." He said.

I looked at him, shook my head slightly in disapproval and shrugged. "It would seem so."

"Weren't you also down in the laundry room earlier?" he asked.

I nodded. "That was me. Doing the laundry."

"Very diligent of you."

"I try." I folded my arms trying to look casual and not look like a person that had just been busted for snooping and sneaking and general creepy-stalkery behavior.

"Happen to listen to any good music latterly?"

"Mmmm, not that I can recall I said quickly. But thanks for asking."

"Pleasure." He smiled at me and I couldn't help my tiny smile in response.

"And now?" he looked at my scarf.

"I seem to be a bit stuck." I said.

"Why don't you just take the pruning sheers and cut that other branch it's hooked on."

"The pruning sheers." I repeated.

"You do have some, I presume?" He was gleefully toying with me once more. He knew it and I knew it.

"I wish!" I shot him a pursed mouth glare that implied that if I did, I might be forced to use them on him.

A small chuckle escaped his mouth and I hated how playfully adorable he was right now.

"But seriously, do you need some help?" he gestured to the stuck scarf again.

"No, no. I'm fine."

Now that the one side was free I wiggled out of the scarf easily. I tried to pull it lose from the thorns, but it was stuck, so I abandoned it and slid back out against the wall until I arrived in the garden.

"You're just going to leave that there?"

"It's not going anywhere."

We stood in silence and regarded each other for a moment.

"Li and I were just going to go up and have breakfast, would you like to join us."

"Oh No! No, no, no thanks." I quickly dismissed the notion as absolutely mental. Mental that we should be literally breaking bread this morning after everything that had transpired between us this last week, last night, a few hours ago actually.

"But were having waffles." Ben said picking Li up so she was at eye level.

"Thanks for the offer, but..."

"Please come." Li's little voice rang out.

I looked at her and she looked back at me with those sweet little eyes. "Sorry sweetie, I have some things to do so I can't, but maybe next time."

She looked suddenly disappointed and my guilt- o- meter sky- rocketed.

"Please. I'll share mine with you if there aren't enough." Jeez, dagger of guilt through my beating heart. She looked at me with a sad face and slumped shoulders. How the hell was it humanly possible to say no to that? It was not even an option, and Ben knew it, judging by his smile.

"You can't say no to that face." He half mouthed to me.

"Manipulative." I mouthed back.

"Please." She asked again.

"On one condition," I said, "We go out for breakfast. Not up there," I pointed at the apartments. The idea of being in his apartment again was just so intimate and so wrong.

"Deal!" He said looking pleased with himself and raising a gleeful Li up over his head and onto his shoulders.

"Let me just go and change first." I walked ahead.

"You look great." Ben's words stopped me and I turned slowly. I was wearing one of the worst Sunday morning outfits that I had ever managed to rustle up.

"Doubtful." I started walking back towards the building.

"Factual." He shouted after me.

"Hmmph." I wasn't convinced. But as I approached the lift Ben's hand shout out and caught me on the back of my jumper. I turned.

"Come." He pulled me slightly, "You look...." His eyes moved up and down my body, "Great." His voice was soft and silky again, like liquid gold and I could feel myself falling for it again, until I became aware of the small person looking down at me.

"You're very pretty." She said. "Not as pretty as my mommy, though. She's the prettiest."

Li was right about that, and in that moment of terrible hair, undress and mess, I didn't really feel like being reminded of how effing gorgeous his ex wife was. Ben gestured with his head in the direction of the garage.

"Fine." I said. Why should I even care what I was wearing? It's not like I was trying to impress him after all. In fact, maybe the worse I looked, the better.