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  She batted her lashes at me. “Yes, Ben?”

  “Where did Vanessa go?” I asked her.

  “To the bar,” she pointed.

  “Yes, I know this...” I stared from her eyes down to her lips. “You know what I mean-” I leaned in closer, nearly touching her lips with mine. “Maria, you know something,” I whispered.

  “I uh-” she started to breathe harder. “Um,”

  “Wow, you two are hitting it off well,” Vanessa set her wine glass down and handed Maria the other.

  “I-I don't know what you're talking about,” she said taking a drink from her glass.

  Apparently, so God help me, I will have to take the next approach...

  ~

  Within the hour I made it well known to Maria that I was so called 'interested'. I bought her drinks- getting her nice and liquored up so she will spill what it is that has changed Vanessa so quickly. I pried, we danced, I pried, I flirt, and then tried to pry some more.

  “I think Vanessa is going to get the Editor-in-Chief position after this article,” I looked at a dancing Vanessa as Maria spoke- she was smiling, laughing, and batting those damn eyelashes. “I mean, she is doing great with this whole thing.” I smiled at Maria placing my arm around her shoulder.

  That's right... keep talkin' girl. “I think so, too,” I agreed.

  “She is brilliant at what she does,” Maria hiccuped. “She's got it in the bag,” she giggled.

  “She learns fast,” I added.

  “She did! I have to say that I was proud of her after wards,” she hiccuped again. “I never would have thought she could do it, I mean,” she laughed aloud. “That wink of hers,”

  Ah-ha! I knew it! Maria has something to do with this. But what? All I know is that I dropped her off when she was sick, she ignored my texts, and when she finally replied all she said was that Maria was keeping her company. Company my ass... There is a conspiracy going on, and I will find out what it is.

  “I know right?” I laughed with her. “How did you do it?” Come on, almost there... so close. I could feel the tension building in my arms as our conversation went on.

  “It took a few hours but-” Maria hiccuped for a third time. “But I did it,” she shrugged with a smile on her face.

  I turned to Maria. “Now tell me, what the hell is going on?” I grabbed her arm gently.

  “Ben-” she stopped to look around.

  “She's still dancing,” I nodded towards the dance floor. “Now spill,”

  “I can't,” she frowned. “This isn't fair, don't do this to me!”

  “What isn't fair is me dropping her off the perfect person she is, and now, a day and a half later Vanessa is this entirely different person,” I sighed running my hands through my hair out of frustration. “Look, all I know is she has been acting so weird tonight and I think I deserve an explanation because I know I haven't taught her that much,”

  “Oh my God, Ben,” Maria's eyes went wide. “You like Vanessa, don't you?” she poked my chest with the tip of her finger.

  I rolled my eyes at her. “No, I do not like Vanessa,” Does love count?

  “Yes you do! The look on your face when you said she was perfect says so,” she clapped her hands happily.

  I dropped my head, my forehead hitting the table with a thud. I had gotten caught. No one in this world knows how I feel about Vanessa. “Maria, I swear to everything that is holy, if you say even one syllable of this to Vanessa-”

  “I won't, I promise,” she rubbed my back lightly. “Besides, I think she likes you too,” she gasped then quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

  “What did you say?” I picked my head up quickly and looked at her. If she said what I think she did, I haven't been this excited since I was ten and had found my fathers stash of magazines.

  “I didn't say anything,” she shook her head vigorously.

  “Oh, yes you did,” I smiled widely. “You, my friend, are coming with me,” I waggled my brows, then grabbed her hand and pulled her to the dance floor with me.

  “Vanessa!” I hollered over the music thumping.

  “Hi, Ben!” she smiled making my heart beat thrum.

  “Come on, we're leaving,” I said.

  “Um, why?” she asked continuing to dance with some tall-lanky guy.

  “Maria and I have plans,” I smiled.

  She gave me a look of shock and what was that expression? Jealousy? “Oh, really?”

  “Yes, let's go,” I said as I pulled a whining Maria with me. I kept glancing behind us to see that Vanessa was following us.

  When we got outside we are about fifty-feet from the car when I heard...

  “Vanessa?” a males voice said from behind us.

  I turned around to see none other than Jordan standing there with one of his friends.

  No...no...no. I groaned.

  “Who is that?” Maria asked me, her voice full of admiration.

  “That, Maria, is Jordan,” I sighed.

  “Rawr, he's hot!” she giggled.

  “You are not helping me, at all,” I rolled my eyes.

  “Sorry,” she frowned.

  “Hey, Jordan,” Vanessa smiled then gave him a quick hug. “How are you?”

  He hugged her back, closing his eyes while doing so. Oh no, this means he's been thinking about her...

  “I'm good,” he pulled away then took one of her hands in his. “How are you feeling? Any better?”

  “Yeah, I feel great,” she stared into his eyes.

  “Are you leaving?” he nodded towards Maria and me without breaking eye contact.

  “Well, yeah, Ben is driving me home, and he is ready... so,” she nodded slowly. There we go, there's the Vanessa I know. I smiled. “He can just take my car if you want to give me a ride home later?” she asked him. On second though; my smile faded quickly.

  “Absolutely,” the bastard smirked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

  “I'll text you guys tomorrow,” she turned to walk away.

  “Vanessa, wait,” I jogged up to her.

  “What, Ben?” she raised her brows.

  “Remember what I-” I was going to remind her to be available but never be available. In other words... don't sleep with the tool!

  “I'm not going to sleep with him, Ben,” she whispered to me. “Have a little faith in me.” she winked and then walked away. I stood there as Maria kept telling me, “Come on, let's go,”

  I hated standing there on the dark street watching her walk away. Every time, my heart aches a little bit more...

  ~

  We stopped at a doughnut shop a few blocks away from Estrada's. I got out of Vanessa's car and locked the doors. I looked up and had seen Maria's tiny frame walking so fast it looked like she were ready to take off in a full out sprint in her black mini skirt and boots- her brown curls bounced crazily.

  “Maria!” I hollered. She turned to look at me and walked even faster.

  Oh no you don't...

  I jogged. “Hey, hey, hey...” I grabbed her arm then stopped her. “You are not going anywhere,”

  She groaned. “Ben, I swore to secrecy,” she stomped her boot.

  “Let's just go inside, have some coffee and talk. That's all...” I smiled. “and if you don't want to tell me anything, I respect that,”

  “Really?” she looked at me knowingly.

  “No,” I shook my head then laughed.

  “Ben,” she drawled, the potent smell of alcohol graced my face.

  “Please,” I whispered making eye contact with her. “This is important to me. You are the only one who can help me, Maria,”

  She stared at me for a long moment. “Ugh, fine...” she rolled her eyes then quickly walked away from me and into the doughnut shop. I walked in behind her smiling, I got her...

  We grabbed our coffee and took a seat next to the window.

  I stared at Maria who was sadly twirling her red stir stick around in her coffee.

  “What's up?” I asked
Maria as I studied her facial expression and I could see that she was seriously struggling with what to say to me.

  “I am debating on whether or not I want to talk to you about all of this stuff with Vanessa,” she shrugged still staring at her coffee.

  “If you're worried I'll say something, I won't.” and I wouldn't.

  “I know,” she raises an eyebrow at me. “Well...”

  “What?” I laughed at her uncertainty. “I won't!”

  “The thing is that,” she hesitated. “Vanessa is such an amazing person, Ben. She is beautiful, smart, witty and she has been alone for so long. She deserves to be happy,” she took a sip of her coffee.

  I nodded, not saying a word so Maria can continue.

  “I see you... you're gorgeous, smart, funny and you like her. But, Ben, you are a player.” she glanced back down at her coffee. “She deserves so much more than that. Someone like me, fine, I play the game too... But, Vanessa, she is special,”

  “I know she is,” I sighed, leaning back into my chair. She isn't telling me anything I don't already know. I refused to pry as she is starting to open up.

  My turn... “Okay,” I groaned internally. “There is something that you need to know, something I have never told anyone else,”

  “What is it?” she leaned in.

  “You getting all excited is making me nervous,” I said skeptically.

  “You say that you haven't told anyone else so... that pretty much tells me you have no one else to tell,” she eyed me carefully. “You can trust me, Ben. I'm all ears,”

  “This is serious shit, though,” I said still unsure.

  She didn't say a word, she just looked at me like, “And?”

  I see it this way, if I confided in her and told her everything- How I set this article up just to be around Vanessa, how I have been in love with her since we were little, and why I am a 'player', the worst she can do is tell Vanessa. But what would Vanessa say/do? I guess you have nothing to lose if you don't have anything to lose to begin with, right?

  “Alright,” I looked around the doughnut shop skeptically then leaned in closer. Maria and I were nearly nose to nose. No one is paying any attention, here it goes. “I set up this whole player thing,” I said quickly knocking my knuckles on the table top. It felt great to get that off of my chest.

  Maria just shrugged. “Right, I know this,” she said in monotone. “You and your aunt-”

  “No,” I whispered. “I mean, I called my Aunt Ellen and convinced her to do it, Maria.”

  Her eyes went wide with shock. “Why?”

  “I'm not sure if Vanessa told you, but, I have been best friends with Ethan since we were kids,”

  “I didn't know that,” she sipped her coffee and continued to stare at me waiting to hear more.

  “After I met Ethan and Vanessa, I moved away to Chicago a few years later,” I relaxed in my seat. “I would always ask how Ethan's 'sister' was doing and one day he had told me how Vanessa had gotten a job working for my aunt at Glow,”

  “Okay,” she nodded.

  “I've read all of her articles, and I just missed her, so I moved back,” I shrugged.

  “Wow, hold up a second,” she waves her hand. “It sounds like you are skipping a part in there. Now, why did you move back here, Ben?”

  “I moved back here for Vanessa,” I smiled slightly. “I fell in love with her the first time I met her, and after I moved, I just never forgot about her I guess,”

  “Oh my God! Ben, you love Vanessa!” she shrieked causing all sorts of attention.

  “Shh,” I looked around to see an old man staring at us.

  “Read your paper, dude,” I glared at the old man. He just shook his head and continued to read his paper.

  Maria gaped at me. “Ben, that was r-”

  I continued. “Look, I know you think I am a 'player', but deep down I have never committed to any woman because... I only want to commit to Vanessa,”

  I didn't hear anything come from Maria, she looked like she were going to have a heart attack.

  “You okay?” I asked her.

  “This is the cutest thing I have ever heard!”she cooed.

  “Please, no...” I placed my hands upon my face. “Don't say that,”

  “Ben,” she leaned forward placing her hand on my arm. “Do you know what this means?” she whispered excitedly.

  “Yeah, I look like a pussy,” I smirked.

  “No,” she chuckled. “We need to get you two together,”

  “She doesn't like me, Maria. She thinks I'm a bastard,” I stated.

  “True-sort of,” she tilted her head to the side thinking about it. “She told me about a dream she had... something about kissing you,”

  “It wasn't a dream,” I spun my coffee cup in a circle.

  “What?!” she said loudly. “You are a bastard,”

  “I didn't tell her it happened because she was so drunk, and I didn't want to hear her go off about it being a huge mistake,” I shrugged.

  “Oh, good one,” she pointed at me. “I would've done the same thing,”

  “Right?” I laughed.

  “You need to tell her how you feel, because she didn't change over night for the damn article you know,” she hinted.

  “What are you talking about?” I creased my brows. Is she about to tell me that Vanessa changed for me?

  “She called me and asked me to come over, so I did and had her do a few lessons on that website,” she moved her fingers on an imaginary keyboard.

  “Oh, no...” I laughed aloud.

  “Oh yes, and I even tested my pimp hand on her,” she grinned widely.

  “Seriously?! Baby powder, too?!” I was still laughing.

  “You know this! Up top!” she gave me a high-five.

  “So why did she call you?” I asked.

  “Because she wanted to make you 'want her',” she mocked, flipping her curls behind her back.

  “You're kidding,” I was in awe. I could not believe that she did in fact change for me.

  “I swear to God,” Maria smiled. “She had said that you told her she needed to be 'sexy' and 'irresistible'. Something about you had teased her a few times and she fell for it?” she had a puzzled look on her face. She didn't need to understand- the only two people that matter in all of this is Vanessa and I.

  I sat back with an accomplished smile on my face now that I know what her intentions are for all of this. This is going to be fun...

  Chapter Five: Tit For Tat

  Vanessa

  Jordan pulled into my driveway and I could see that my car was still gone. I looked at my phone, it's just after two in the morning.

  I wonder what 'plans' Ben and Maria have?

  After I had walked back into Estrada's with Jordan, the only thing on my mind was Ben. It frustrates me to no end too, because I hate Ben McGurthy.

  “You've been kind of quiet, you okay?” Jordan asked touching my cheek softly with his finger tips.

  I tilted my head and smiled at him. “Of course I'm okay.” I sighed. “I just keep thinking of the ways I can torture Ben if he wrecks my car,” I laughed. Not like it isn't already wrecked, I could care less.

  “I'm sure your car is fine,” he smiled, his gray eyes sparkled.

  “Do you want to come in? Have some coffee?” I offered. I could use the company as I'm afraid if he leaves, my mind will be filled with unnecessary thoughts of a certain someone.

  “You don't have to ask me twice,” he got out of the car and jogged to my door opening it for me. I have never had a guy do that for me.

  “Thank you, kind sir,” I curtsied.

  “You're welcome, princess,” he bowed.

  My smile faded quickly. Princess... Ben is the only one who calls me princess.

  “Hello?” Jordan waved his hand slowly in front of my face trying to get my attention.

  “Oh, sorry,” I shook my head lightly. “Just... ignore me,”

  “I don't think I want to,” he smirked, wrapp
ing his arms around my waist. He softly kissed me on my forehead. Such a gentleman.

  “Let's go inside,” I smiled.