5. Stephanie

Sitting in a drive-in movie in the dark with Ben Henry while the a romantic movie plays is the most surreal thing I’ve ever been in a part of. It feels good.

It feels right.

But it also feels really weird.

The guys on the huge screen are singing a ridiculous old song to a woman in a bar and she’s laughing her ass off because they really do look like idiots.

But she also seems intrigued and I have to admit so do I.

“Want some more popcorn?” He holds out the buttery goodness and I dip my fingers in the sticky, salty mess and toss it back then lick my fingers.

He groans and I glance over at him. “What’s wrong?”

He coughs. “Kernel went down the wrong pipe, I think.” He coughs again and then clears his throat. “Well, what have you been up to lately, Sparkle?”

“Not much.”

“Living the dream, huh? Movie stars and all those beautiful places and people.”

“You’d be surprised how beautiful people can actually be quite ugly,” I snarl, tensing up.

I know what she means but I’d really like her to be able to talk to me. Open up to me so that I can tell her that I love her and that I’ve always loved her. That she’s mine and if anyone out there thinks they’re going to hurt her, they’re going to have to go through me to do it.

“What do you mean, Sparkle?”

“I mean that sometimes people just act like they like you to your face and then they turn around and stab you in the back.”

I almost choke on my own spit when he reaches out and touches my cheek gently. My eyes close and it feels so damn good. So perfect that I almost can’t bear to say a thing and break the trance he’s got me under.

“Who hurt you?” He growls and the snarl in his deep voice makes my pussy clench and my body tighten in inexplicable ways. Needy, hungry ways.

“Who hasn’t?” I ask, laughing wildly, that hysterical edge creeping in again.

“If I have anything to say about it, Sparkle, nobody will ever hurt you again. You’re too sweet to get hurt like this.”

I sigh and struggle with a bereft feeling of loss when he takes his hand away.

“I’m nothing special, Benjie. Don’t get pulled into the mess that is my life.”

“Tell me what is wrong and I promise I’ll make it better.”

“Nobody can do that.”

“We’ll see. Just tell me.”

I shake my head forlornly. “I can’t.”

“Well, when you’re ready, I promise I will make all your problems seem a lot less than they are. I’ll do my best to make you the happiest you’ve ever been.”

I sigh and look away, not really sure what he’s saying but knowing that he doesn’t understand what’s going on right now. He’s just as in the dark about the mess that is my life as we both are in this dark car.

We sit in silence for the rest of the movie and it’s only slightly uncomfortable during the love scene when I’m trying not to picture Ben’s big body and gorgeous face leaning over me as the heroine of the story.

Shivering, I push it down yet again.

I’ve never been so wound up before and it’s pretty damn shocking. I’m still a virgin and I’ve never even looked at a guy. They just didn’t seem worth the effort and then my book exploded and I just didn’t want to risk jumping into the dating pool as a famous woman. I mean, would they want me or the author with a lot of money and the fancy house on the hill to come home to.

The lights go up and I realize that we’ve missed the whole end of the movie. At least I have. There are people walking past the car, staring.

And then it happens.

“Hey! Aren’t you Stephanie Marlowe? The one that wrote that skanky book with the messed-up couple and all the booze and sex?”

And just like that, it’s all back with a vengeance.

All the bad feelings, the strange, bitter looks, the acrimonious words that cut and bite at my skin like a whip lashing at me.

“Yeah, that’s her! Holy shit! What the hell are you doing back here? Didn’t you do enough damage to this town?”

With a muffled curse, Benjie uncurls himself from his seat in the little sedan and stands up to his full height.

“What the hell did you say to her?” The guy pales and his buddies back away leaving him standing there all alone.

Benjie stalks up to him like a lion stalking an antelope on the plains of the Serengeti. He pokes him in the chest and growls, “That woman over there is a personal friend of mine and has been my whole life. You don’t know a fucking thing about her or her life but if you say another fucking word to her that I don’t like, I’m gonna plant a boot up your ass. Got it?”

“Got it.” He slinks away, his tail between his legs and I stare at this stranger. The hot man with the snarly voice that just defended me and threatened the other guy with bodily harm.

The speaker on the car window crackles as the music ends on the screen and a tinny voice belts out the concession jingle one more time.

But I don’t hear any of it. Because Benjie takes off his glasses and smiles and it’s like Superman is now standing where Clark Kent always did.

“Can we go to your place, Benjie? I’d like to see where you’re living now!”

He studies me closely for a minute and then he smiles a smile that warms my insides and makes my belly quiver with naughty feelings. “I think that’s a fantastic idea, Sparkle. Let me take you home.”