Memory Field

“Charlotte, why?” I exhaled. “Because.” Benji shook his head. “Because…..my mom said so.” I mumbled that entire sentence. It did sound a bit childish. “Your mom said so?” His grip left my arms. “Is there anything going on with you two?” My gaze went from the ground to Benji. “Are you kidding? Jack is my brother’s friend. He hated me when I was in high school.”

“Sorry.” Benji enwrapped me in a hug. “I guess that’s the overprotective me that acted like that.” His hug was nice. Thump! Thump! Thump! I pulled back. “I have to get back to work now.” I started walking back to the doors. “Stay with me tonight.” I stopped and turned around. “What?” Benji laughed as he settled his hands in his jean pockets. “Remember its Wednesday?”

“Oh yeah.” Every Wednesday Benji and I started this thing where I would come over and spend the night as we ordered some kind of take out and watched cheesy horror movies. “Uh sure I will. That’s the highlight of my week.”
“Okay then I’ll pick you up at six.” I smiled and nodded. “Benji got in his car and I went inside.

“A date huh?” Amanda popped out of nowhere. “No. Benji and I do that every week.” She smiled slyly then walked off. “I hate when she does that.” I walked back to my unattended cart and continued where I left off.

It was nice to be in silence. Either people were reading, on the computer, talking to others quietly or sleeping. This was why I decided to become a librarian. Then a little girl came up to me. She had brown curly hair, green eyes and looked about five. “Miss?” She tugged on my shirt. “Yes can I help you?” I bent down to her level. “You’re pretty.” I exploded with the biggest smile I have ever worn.

“Why thank you.” I gave her a small hug. “I want to be like you when I grow up.” It was nice to be admired but did she really want to be me? “The best person you can be is yourself.” I patted her head softly. “Angelique!” The mom called from down a couple of book shelves. “Bye.” The little girl named Angelique who had soft brown curly hair, green eyes and looked about five then ran off in her pink and purple jacket.

Ah lunch!
I really didn’t eat during my half an hour break instead I spent it calling Jack. “Hello?” He coughed lightly. “Sorry to bother you but I’m calling to say you don’t have to pick me up tonight.” I heard him sigh. “Why is that?” I fiddled with my fingers. “Because my friend is picking me up and I’ll be spending the night.” I waited and waited for his response. “Sounds fun. See you tomorrow then.”

“Well that was easy.” I pressed end and smiled like a little girl on Christmas. I stood up and walked over to the vending machine. I pulled out a dollar and pressed the button for Lemonade. I sat back down and opened the bottle. The cold tangy liquid coated my throat. The sensation of it was pretty nice.

Well I guess you could say the rest of my shift was productive. I put away book after book after book. Every so often I would look down at those cream colored heals. They were amazing. I felt like a total model as I walked around in them.

I punched out, grabbed my purse and walked out into the “lobby” area. I couldn’t tell if there were more or less people at this time of night. I pulled out my phone and punched in Benji’s number. “Hey sweets I’m on my way.” Just hearing his silky voice made my heart beat faster. “Uh okay I will be waiting outside.” I held my phone between my head and shoulder as I put on my blazer. “Sounds good. Be there in 5.”

I walked outside sucking in the wonderful crisp air that had hit me. It was already dark. The street lights were either dim, flickered or completely out which made it easier to see the stars. I then sat down on a bench and swung my legs back and forth slowly.

The thought that was still racing through my mind was Benji. He’s never made my heart beat the way it did today. Was it the little change that he made with his hair? Was it how he dressed? Or how he touched me? There were all these questions that my heart kept asking but my head had none of the answers.

Benji pulled up in his all black car. I opened the door and got in. The smell if pizza loomed in the air. “Bought some pizza on the way over.” I smiled and buckled up. “I also bought some new cheesy horror movie, including one about a possessed car.” The thought of a car coming alive made me laugh.

The city lights passed in front then behind the car as he drove. It kind of put me in a trance. It was rather nice. “So this Jack guy. I’m meeting him tomorrow.” It was like I was knocked out of my world and put back into reality. “What?” Benji gave me a smirk. “I’m meeting this Jack tomorrow.” Oh great! Cause nothing spells disaster like two guys meeting. One being Benji and the other being Jack.

Benji turned down a neighborhood that I liked to call the “rich” section. The houses were big, the grass was green even in winter and the smell of snob flowed through the air. Benji pulled into his driveway then shut off his car. “Let’s do this!” He grabbed the pizza and I grabbed the movies and my purse.

He unlocked the front door and we went inside. His house was big and cold. “Sorry about the temperature in here. I haven’t really been home a lot this past week.” Not only did Benji own his own bar here in Utah but he owned a couple of other bars in Chicago, California and Florida. “No it’s fine.” I took my shoes off, put the movies on the couch then set my tan blazer next to them.

“You do know I don’t have any clothes for tomorrow nor do I have any pajamas.” Benji put the pizza boxes on the island in the kitchen and poured some soda into two wine glasses. “Yeah I realized that, but you can borrow one of my shirts if you please.” He handed me a glass. “Okay.”

Benji set his glass down a sip later. “Come with me.” I set my glass on the island then followed him to his bedroom. He opened his closet and pulled out a black button up shirt and handed it to. “Really what’s with guys and having women wear their button up shirts?” Benji laughed as he scratched the back of his head.

“Guess we think it’s sexy when a woman that we like is wearing one of our shirts.” Benji smirked then excited the room. “When you get done just hang your clothes up in the closet.” I nodded and shut the door after him. When I put on the shirt it made me feel like a 10 year old little girl who decided to try on mom’s dresses.

I buttoned the buttons, put the clothes on an empty hanger then walked out into the living room. There sat Benji with a channel changer in hand and the case for the possessed car movie in the other. “Okay cheesy movies! Let’s do this!” I sat down next to him crossing my legs. “I really do like seeing you in my shirts.” Thump! Thump! Thump!

“Let me go get the pizza and soda.” I got up and ran to the kitchen. In one hand I tried to grab both of our glasses and in the other I held the pizza box. I came back into the living room. “You know I could have helped you.” He helped set the pizza down on the coffee table. “No I told you had it.” I gave him his drink then grabbed the pizza.

Benji played the movie. As I took a bite of the pizza it made me think of Jack teaching me how to make homemade pizza. “Jack and I made pizza the other night.” I sipped the soda. “Oh really?” I nodded. “It was fun and it tasted really good.” Benji looked over at me.

“You know I really don’t want to know what you do with that guy. It makes me angrier every minute.” I set the glass down and chewed my pizza slowly. “You already know how I feel about you.” I sighed. “Sorry.” I stared at the TV screen. I pretended to watch it but I actually had no clue what was going on. “Listen Charlotte.” He turned to me. “I don’t mean to sound like that but it’s hard not to.”

I smiled and patted his shoulder. “Don’t be sorry. I understand.” I then pushed him over. “You really want to do this lemon?” I laughed and threw my pizza in the box and went running. “Charlotte!” I laughed running up the stairs and into the bathroom. “Seriously Char? This is my house I know where everything is.” He smiled then picked me up like a sack of potatoes.

“Really do you have to carry me like this?” Wiggle as I may I couldn’t get him to loosen his grip. “It’s either this or princess style.” I honestly hated being carried like that. “Okay I’ll stay like this.” Once down the stairs and in his room he put me down. “I’m getting old!” He laughed. “You’re only 24! You’re not old.”

I maneuvered behind him then pushed him onto the bed where I fell and we began wrestling. “Don’t wrestle with a woman!” We rolled around on the bed. “Ha! Says you who started this whole thing!” I went to push Benji away with my legs which in turn made me fall off the bed.

“Ow!” I yelped. “You okay?” Benji lay on the bed staring down at me. “Yeah.” I started laughing. “You thick headed woman.” He helped me up from the ground. “Come here let’s see if you have a bump.” He sat up, spread his legs then I sat in between them. “Where does it hurt?” I pointed to it and he felt the spot.

It didn’t really hurt but I wasn’t about to tell him. “I don’t feel a bump.” He then turned me around and kissed my forehead. “What was that for?” He smiled fixing my hair. “That was to make sure a bump doesn’t appear.”