Ben Gets Confused
Chapter 18: Ben Gets Confused
Ben smoothed his hair down one last time and took a deep breath.
“After you’ve secured your date with Karl, bring me some coffee,” Sally called from the left side of the store.
Dean stopped cleaning the Wilde At Heart window for a minute to add, “Bring me back a bear claw.”
Letting his breath out on an amused huff, Ben went next door. It took him a moment to realise that he hadn’t actually been inside the café since it was up and running. Spotting Taylor, Ben flagged her down. “I need three coffees and a bear claw, also…” he fiddled with his hands, “Is Karl nearby?”
“He’s in the back working more secret coffee mojo,” the woman replied. She tucked a bear claw into a bag, “Don’t you usually send one of the girls over for the morning ritual?”
Ben nodded. “Yeah, but… they’re busy right now. Both of them. So I thought I’d come over instead.” Feeling a nervous twit, Ben looked around, “Wow, I haven’t been in since you cleared out the moving boxes. Sally always fetches the coffee for me.” His eyes fell on a framed photograph of a beautiful young black woman that was set next to the till. Ruling out Karl’s sister or mother, he asked, “Who’s this?”
Taylor looked up from assembling a plate of pastries for Table Six. “That’s Hallie. That’s Karl’s fiancé. Ex-fiancé. Late fiancé really.” Taylor winced at her perceived insensitivity. “She died just before he moved out here. Actually, I think her death was what made him move. Just like you with your husband,” she took off to deliver the baked goods.
“Ben,” Karl’s voice was surprised as he carried a carton of coffees. “I figured Sally or Dean would be over soon, so I already made your coffees.”
“Yeah,” the older man felt so stupid standing there. Here he was about to ask Karl out and then he finds out Karl’s probably still in mourning for his lover. His female lover. “I… don’t ask why; just know that I feel so stupid right now.”
Karl’s eyebrow shot up. “What? Why? Sorry, I didn’t mean to ask, force of habit. I don’t like to hear you call yourself stupid though. I wouldn’t let anyone else insult you and I’ll be damned if I let you get away with it.”
Nodding his thanks, Ben took the coffees and Dean’s bear claw and beat a speedy retreat back to his bookstore.
“About time, you…” the rousing cry trailed off as the two young women noticed that Karl was not in tow and, instead of looking giddy, Ben looked like he wanted a Hellmouth to open below his feet. Probably because he did.
“What happened?” Dean asked, grabbing her bear claw. She was concerned about her friend, but she was also very hungry.
“You must have seen the picture on the counter,” Ben said by way of explanation.
Both girls thought, as one they turned to each other having come to the same conclusion.
“But Dad, he’s always being overly nice to you and flirting with you and all nervous whenever you’re around,” Sally pointed out. “I may not be the worldliest of girls, but I know that’s how I get around Gentry and… other people I like. He must like you.”
“He must have liked her. He was going to marry her and her photo is still up. Hell, to do what he did, he must have loved her,” Ben replied despondently.
“What he did?” Dean prompted, mouth half-full of pastry.
Ben looked up. “Karl left Britain when his fiancé died. Just like I did when Will did.” Shaking his head, Ben took his coffee and headed towards the back room. “Now if you ladies will excuse me while I go and don’t dwell on him. Either him.”
Sally watched her father morosely shut the door and took her place behind the cash register. “Relationships are all wonky,” she said, leaning her chin on her hand.
“Truer words, kiddo,” Dean nodded, giving the girl another, longer sideways glance. “Truer words.”
Ben smoothed his hair down one last time and took a deep breath.
“After you’ve secured your date with Karl, bring me some coffee,” Sally called from the left side of the store.
Dean stopped cleaning the Wilde At Heart window for a minute to add, “Bring me back a bear claw.”
Letting his breath out on an amused huff, Ben went next door. It took him a moment to realise that he hadn’t actually been inside the café since it was up and running. Spotting Taylor, Ben flagged her down. “I need three coffees and a bear claw, also…” he fiddled with his hands, “Is Karl nearby?”
“He’s in the back working more secret coffee mojo,” the woman replied. She tucked a bear claw into a bag, “Don’t you usually send one of the girls over for the morning ritual?”
Ben nodded. “Yeah, but… they’re busy right now. Both of them. So I thought I’d come over instead.” Feeling a nervous twit, Ben looked around, “Wow, I haven’t been in since you cleared out the moving boxes. Sally always fetches the coffee for me.” His eyes fell on a framed photograph of a beautiful young black woman that was set next to the till. Ruling out Karl’s sister or mother, he asked, “Who’s this?”
Taylor looked up from assembling a plate of pastries for Table Six. “That’s Hallie. That’s Karl’s fiancé. Ex-fiancé. Late fiancé really.” Taylor winced at her perceived insensitivity. “She died just before he moved out here. Actually, I think her death was what made him move. Just like you with your husband,” she took off to deliver the baked goods.
“Ben,” Karl’s voice was surprised as he carried a carton of coffees. “I figured Sally or Dean would be over soon, so I already made your coffees.”
“Yeah,” the older man felt so stupid standing there. Here he was about to ask Karl out and then he finds out Karl’s probably still in mourning for his lover. His female lover. “I… don’t ask why; just know that I feel so stupid right now.”
Karl’s eyebrow shot up. “What? Why? Sorry, I didn’t mean to ask, force of habit. I don’t like to hear you call yourself stupid though. I wouldn’t let anyone else insult you and I’ll be damned if I let you get away with it.”
Nodding his thanks, Ben took the coffees and Dean’s bear claw and beat a speedy retreat back to his bookstore.
“About time, you…” the rousing cry trailed off as the two young women noticed that Karl was not in tow and, instead of looking giddy, Ben looked like he wanted a Hellmouth to open below his feet. Probably because he did.
“What happened?” Dean asked, grabbing her bear claw. She was concerned about her friend, but she was also very hungry.
“You must have seen the picture on the counter,” Ben said by way of explanation.
Both girls thought, as one they turned to each other having come to the same conclusion.
“But Dad, he’s always being overly nice to you and flirting with you and all nervous whenever you’re around,” Sally pointed out. “I may not be the worldliest of girls, but I know that’s how I get around Gentry and… other people I like. He must like you.”
“He must have liked her. He was going to marry her and her photo is still up. Hell, to do what he did, he must have loved her,” Ben replied despondently.
“What he did?” Dean prompted, mouth half-full of pastry.
Ben looked up. “Karl left Britain when his fiancé died. Just like I did when Will did.” Shaking his head, Ben took his coffee and headed towards the back room. “Now if you ladies will excuse me while I go and don’t dwell on him. Either him.”
Sally watched her father morosely shut the door and took her place behind the cash register. “Relationships are all wonky,” she said, leaning her chin on her hand.
“Truer words, kiddo,” Dean nodded, giving the girl another, longer sideways glance. “Truer words.”