A Million Miles Apart (Wish 4)

31 - Deflect and evade

"But you did a job in New York since we met."

"Yep, and I'm sure others have had jobs in Chicago and Boston. They never attempted to assign us geographically. They charged the client for travel expenses, but it causes the staff to burn out."

When the buzzer rang, Ben asked her to get the door. He didn't want delivery people to know they were delivering to him. He handed her money. "Just let them keep the change." He typically over tipped and asked them to forget his address. He knew eventually it would get out. Based on recent social media posts which his publicist was tracking, he learned Angela was in Texas. He didn't know where his mother was, and it worried him.

"You look distracted again." She looked at him with the bag in her hands.

He smiled a forced smile. "We can sit at the counter. More wine?"

"Water's fine. I'm driving."

He nodded and liked that she was a responsible social drinker.

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Sloane spoke first. "You know you can trust me. I would never breathe a word of anything you told me in confidence."

"I know." He squeezed her hand. He didn't want to talk about his mother. He often felt she had a sixth sense and came out of the woodwork whenever he spoke of her. "Tell me again about the people at your party."

She smiled. "You're deflecting again."

How did she know him so well in such a short time? A question came to his mind, and he blurted it out. "Would you like me if I didn't play ball or didn't play for Boston?"

She looked at him for a moment. "Do you mean if I met Jett and Kenzie and then you as her brother?" He nodded. "What would you do if you didn't play?"

"I don't know. I never wanted to do anything else."

"What did you major in?"

"Math but I never graduated. Would my career matter?"

"Yeah, you would need to support yourself or I'd think you were just after me for my money."

He laughed. "Are you giving me a taste of my medicine?"

She shook her head. "No, I have criteria. Take Aidan, Sage's husband, his family isn't poor but not in her category."

"There are categories? Is it based on net worth?"

"Stop interrupting." She pushed on his shoulder and he felt the heat in her touch. "They made a suitable match and her parents love him because he's a great guy, but also because he majored in finance at Harvard and has a good job and potential."

"Does she have a career?"

"She's a college professor, but now they're starting a family."

"So she's using him!"

"No, it's not like that. Forget I focused on careers. Let's say you played for a different team. I remember when the announcers made a big deal about your first trip to Boston. I went to one of those games and saw you and Jett having fun when you were at the plate."

He remembered playing against him. "You were sitting right behind the plate." She nodded. "He told me what was coming and made me strikeout. I tuned him out."

"Why'd'you strikeout if you knew what the pitch was?"

"He kept sending me fastballs, and I'd swing when they were off the plate."

She giggled. "I definitely thought you were cute, but you were on the other team so..."

"So you couldn't like me." She nodded. "What if I get traded or become a free agent and sign with another team, will you dump me?"

"Not, if I still care about you." He saw the pink creep into her cheeks. "So your question was if you weren't a ballplayer. I have to believe if I just met you through Kenzie, I would like you. I would be attracted to you. You wouldn't distrust me and call me crazy. If I like you after all that then I probably would. Hey, who's to say you wouldn't be married with a few kids."

He choked on his water. "You know, I never want kids."

Would his life be different if he had been with Kimmy? Would he have had a kid or two for her? He didn't even know if given the choice if she'd have wanted a baby.

"There you go again."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She smiled. "Did you hang the photograph?"

He smiled. "In my bedroom."

"Oh."

He stopped himself from suggesting he show it to her. Instead, he pointed to the wall across from him. "That watercolor I bought at the gallery."

"The night you assaulted me."

He felt an ache in his heart. "I'm sorry."

She rested her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, I said that. I know how guilty you feel. I was trying to joke, but it wasn't funny."

Without thinking, he lifted her hand off his arm and brought it to his lips. "I want to make up for what I did."

"You will. I still have your punishment planned. I think it will be soon."

"You're scaring me."

"Don't be! I promise it will only hurt your pride. No one will know but you."

"And I like you." He winked.

"Only because I'm wealthy."

"Not true. There is a vast difference between liking someone and trusting them."

"Who caused you to be distrustful and don't evade?" She squeezed his hand.

"More than one person, including Angela."

"Tell me one more."

He sighed. "My mother, but I don't want to talk about her."

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