Status: Stress.
Who Would've Known?
Chapter 7- Breakfast
We went down to the lobby and entered the eating area where there were a variety of breakfast foods set out on a long counter against a bland beige wall. I picked up a plate and plopped a small pancake on it, along with a tangerine and a piece of bacon. I grabbed a carton of apple juice sitting in a bowl full of ice, and started towards a free table for Ross and I to sit. I found a spot by a window with a great view of the New York skyline that wasn't too far from the chosen table. There was a napkin, crumbs and an almost empty apple juice carton on the table. I put my plate down and picked up the trash left behind by the last person who sat at the table. When I turned around to walk to the trashcan, I crashed face first into a strong wall of white, and ended up on top of it.
"Ow." The wall laughed.
I looked up with my hands on the person's chest.
"Hey stranger." He said with a wink. "I didn't think we'd meet again this way."
"Benjamin!" I blushed. I stayed on top of him with my hands still holding his chest. I was so lost in those deep brown eyes.
"So do you want to eat your breakfast, or stay in this position? He asked.
"Oh!" I scrambled to get up.
"But I mean like, if you want to stay down here--" Ben smoothly said taking my shaking hand.
I laughed a sarcastic laugh and got up. I put the now empty apple juice carton on the table and reached my hand out to help Benjamin up. He took it and just brought me back down.
"Wow." I gasped. "You're... heavy." I grunted.
"No. I just want you back down here."
I tried to hide my smile by biting my bottom lip.
"Lori? Why are you on the ground?" I felt Ross's shadow stretch across my back.
My eyes widened as I scrambled up once again. This time I actually helped Benjamin up. Elderly couples eating oatmeal were staring at us the whole time in mid-bite. I smiled weakly and slowly sat down at the table with Ross.
"May I?" Benjamin asked pointing to a free chair at our table.
"Sure." I replied staring at my pancake.
"So exactly why were you two on top of each other... on the ground?" Ross questioned with a cocked and concerned eyebrow.
"Oh I kind of fell--" I started.
"And I cushioned her fall." Benjamin finished.
"I see." Ross said in a weird tone of voice as he bit into his waffle.
Benjamin looked at his watch and stood up quickly, but full of grace.
"I have an affair to attend to.” he announced to us.
I had never realized the English accent that coated his words until now. I looked at his eyes noticing darkening circles.
"I've been studying all night on it."
"College?" I asked.
"College?" he laughed. "I haven't been there in like, seven years!"
"Seven years!?" I asked with the most surprised tone I had in the back of my throat. "That makes you like, 29!"
"I am." He chuckled.
"But you look like you're just 22!" I added.
"Why thank you." he winked.
"But seriously I've got to go. Nice meeting you--"
"Lori." I said taking his hand. "And this is Ross."
"Right." he nodded.
"Hopefully we'll see you around again Benjami--"
"My mum calls me Benjamin." he interjected with a grin. "It's just Ben."
We shared one last smile and he walked toward the sliding doors leading to the outside.
"Oh stop it." Ross sighed into his coffee.
I snapped my head in his direction. "Stop what?" I answered, trying to hide my grin.
"Lori. He's like, twelve years older than you. Don't you find that gross?"
"Age is just a state of mind Ross." I reasoned.
"Whatever. It's weird. Think about it. He was 12 when you were born. That's creepy!"
"Not it's not! Why are we even talking about this? It's not like I'm going to meet him again after today. Let's just drop it." I said sipping my apple juice.
"Good." Ross said wiping his mouth. He stood up and walked towards the bathroom.
I looked out of the window towards the skyline getting more and more brilliantly defined as the sun rose foot by foot.
Even though I dropped the subject with Ross, I already knew that it was going to be burning into my dreams every night.
"Ow." The wall laughed.
I looked up with my hands on the person's chest.
"Hey stranger." He said with a wink. "I didn't think we'd meet again this way."
"Benjamin!" I blushed. I stayed on top of him with my hands still holding his chest. I was so lost in those deep brown eyes.
"So do you want to eat your breakfast, or stay in this position? He asked.
"Oh!" I scrambled to get up.
"But I mean like, if you want to stay down here--" Ben smoothly said taking my shaking hand.
I laughed a sarcastic laugh and got up. I put the now empty apple juice carton on the table and reached my hand out to help Benjamin up. He took it and just brought me back down.
"Wow." I gasped. "You're... heavy." I grunted.
"No. I just want you back down here."
I tried to hide my smile by biting my bottom lip.
"Lori? Why are you on the ground?" I felt Ross's shadow stretch across my back.
My eyes widened as I scrambled up once again. This time I actually helped Benjamin up. Elderly couples eating oatmeal were staring at us the whole time in mid-bite. I smiled weakly and slowly sat down at the table with Ross.
"May I?" Benjamin asked pointing to a free chair at our table.
"Sure." I replied staring at my pancake.
"So exactly why were you two on top of each other... on the ground?" Ross questioned with a cocked and concerned eyebrow.
"Oh I kind of fell--" I started.
"And I cushioned her fall." Benjamin finished.
"I see." Ross said in a weird tone of voice as he bit into his waffle.
Benjamin looked at his watch and stood up quickly, but full of grace.
"I have an affair to attend to.” he announced to us.
I had never realized the English accent that coated his words until now. I looked at his eyes noticing darkening circles.
"I've been studying all night on it."
"College?" I asked.
"College?" he laughed. "I haven't been there in like, seven years!"
"Seven years!?" I asked with the most surprised tone I had in the back of my throat. "That makes you like, 29!"
"I am." He chuckled.
"But you look like you're just 22!" I added.
"Why thank you." he winked.
"But seriously I've got to go. Nice meeting you--"
"Lori." I said taking his hand. "And this is Ross."
"Right." he nodded.
"Hopefully we'll see you around again Benjami--"
"My mum calls me Benjamin." he interjected with a grin. "It's just Ben."
We shared one last smile and he walked toward the sliding doors leading to the outside.
"Oh stop it." Ross sighed into his coffee.
I snapped my head in his direction. "Stop what?" I answered, trying to hide my grin.
"Lori. He's like, twelve years older than you. Don't you find that gross?"
"Age is just a state of mind Ross." I reasoned.
"Whatever. It's weird. Think about it. He was 12 when you were born. That's creepy!"
"Not it's not! Why are we even talking about this? It's not like I'm going to meet him again after today. Let's just drop it." I said sipping my apple juice.
"Good." Ross said wiping his mouth. He stood up and walked towards the bathroom.
I looked out of the window towards the skyline getting more and more brilliantly defined as the sun rose foot by foot.
Even though I dropped the subject with Ross, I already knew that it was going to be burning into my dreams every night.