Eugenie peered out the window, watching Ben head off to who knows where. At least he had the dog with him for company and hopefully he’d stay away from that rickety bridge. And, if anything should happen to him again, she was confident Chip would come and get her. However, she was worried about more than just his physical well-being. She sensed a loneliness inside him, a deep hurt.
She placed the small train she’d been looking at back on the shelf. Being in his private room while he was away didn’t seem right so she turned off the light and closed the door, though not before she’d noticed something large in the corner draped with a cloth. Her curiosity was piqued by the shrouded object and she took a step closer before deciding against uncovering it. If Ben had wanted her to see whatever was under the cloth, he’d have shown it to her.
Feeling awkward in the house by herself, she intended to go back to work in the barn but slowed as she passed through the kitchen. It really was desperately in need of cleaning. She was surprised Ben didn’t get sick with food poisoning.
Despite the fact she’d done no real cleaning in her earthly life, she couldn’t resist tackling the dishes. Plus, it was the one job she felt confident doing. A grimace passed over her face as she drained the cold, greasy water. Hot water and the liberal use of dish soap would deal with the problem though.
She washed the plates, bowls and cups, then scoured the collection of pans. When she came upon a shot glass, she paused. Ben had been drinking that first day but since then he’d been sober, or at least only imbibing lightly. That was a positive change. When she dried the dishes and put them away, she made sure to tuck the shot glass towards the back; out of sight, out of mind.
Once the dishes were done she decided to wipe down the counters. Unfortunately, the stove was still dirty, the floor needed mopping and the curtains were laden with dust, not to mention you could barely see out the windows. There was no way she’d have time to get everything done unless...
Zeke had explained she likely had powers she hadn’t discovered yet. Maybe this was the time to start exploring them. The trick was to coordinate thought and gesture, or so Zeke had told her. She decided to start with cleaning the floor. Hand out, palm down, she furrowed her brow imagining water covering the floor, a mop swishing it about to lift the grime. Before her eyes a sheen of water did appear on the floor but...bloody hell...too much!
“No! Stop! Enough!” She felt like the inept sorcerer’s apprentice in the poem by Goethe, shouting instructions.
By the time she’d regained control, the floor was clean but her shoes were wet and squished with each step. Grumbling, she sat down and removed them, placing them near the furnace vent to dry. Well, at least she had a clean floor to walk on now.
Using a chair, she took down the curtains next and placed them in the sink; the washing machine looked far too complicated for her to try. She flicked her wrist and thought about soap and sure enough some appeared in the sink. Was it enough though? The curtains were really quite filthy. Maybe just a tad more. When a nice puddle of soap was in the sink, she turned on the taps and watched with a pleased smile as bubbles began to appear. Satisfied, she left the curtains sloshing about in the water and turned to the stove.
Removing the grease from it proved to be a snap, a scrubber zipping over the surface at blinding speed. She gave a nod of approval and glanced back to see how the curtains were doing only to give a cry of horror. Soap bubbles were spilling over the edge of the sink and dripping down the cupboard doors.
At least she didn’t panic this time and managed to handle the situation without too many more mishaps. She did decide, however, to avoid using her powers on anything that involved water and used good old-fashioned elbow grease to clean the windows while the curtains dripped dry on a rack in the laundry room.
With the kitchen finally cleaned, she looked in the fridge. It appeared Ben had purchased groceries recently. It would be nice for him to come home to a hot meal except, of course, she had no idea how to cook.
“Zeke?” She called out his name and before she could blink he appeared beside her.
“What’s up, Babe? Michael’s given me a really important assignment so I can’t spare a lot of time.”
“I need to cook a meal and I haven’t the faintest idea how to go about it.
“Let’s see what we’ve got, shall we?” He started opening cabinets and peered into the refrigerator. “Okay, how long do we have?”
“I’ve no idea. Ben stomped out with his dog. Something I said really upset him.”
“Okay. Well, you’ve got the ingredients for pasta and Bolognese sauce which, by the way, is my favourite so I’m going to show you how to make it and then one day you can invite me over for dinner.”
Zeke surprised her by giving her very easy to follow instructions, allowing her to do the cooking while he supervised. It wasn’t long before the sauce was gently simmering and the pasta draining.
“Now all you need is a small side salad and you’re all set.” He removed some vegetables from the fridge and showed her how to wash and cut them. “I don’t see any dressing but there’s the olive oil we used earlier. Leave it on the table and he can help himself if he wants some.”
“Thank you, Zeke!” Eugenie threw her arms around her colleague and hugged him, only to back away feeling embarrassed. She’d never done anything like that before. Was this easy feeling she had around Zeke what she had witnessed between Annie and her brother all those years ago?
Zeke didn’t appear to notice her awkwardness. In fact, he went a little pink but grinned at her. “Have fun with your man.”
“Oh, but he’s not my...” But Zeke had already left and she was alone in the kitchen.
The meal prepared, she surveyed her afternoon’s work. Dinner was simmering on the stove, the table was set for one, the kitchen was clean and tidy. She gave a satisfied smile and was preparing to leave when she heard the backdoor opening.
“Whoa! What happened in here?” Ben pushed the door shut, blocking the cool breeze that had followed him inside through the utility room. His cheeks were reddened from the cold, his hair wind-swept. Chip had come in with him and immediately made his way to a bowl of dog food that stood in the corner.
“I...I hope you don’t mind.” She watched his eyes sweep over the kitchen and began to feel nervous. Had she overstepped herself? “I know it was presumptuous of me. I’d only intended to do the dishes but then one thing led to another and...” She ended with a shrug.
“No. I don’t mind.” He turned in a slow circle. “I don’t mind at all. I haven’t seen the kitchen look this good since, well, I guess back when I was a kid.”
“I made you dinner, too. I figured you’d be tired and hungry by the time you got home.”
He walked over to the stove, lifted the lid and gave an experimental sniff. “This smells great.”
“Well, I hope you enjoy it.” She walked towards the door. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning to continue working in the barn.”
“Where are you going? Since you’ve gone to the trouble of making dinner, you should at least stay and have some.”
“I made it for you. I—”
“Nonsense.” He placed his hand in the small of her back and guided her away from the door. “I’ll go wash up. Set yourself a place at the table. No arguing.” He raised a brow at her and she found herself conceding.
The meal was delicious, even if she did say so herself. Casual conversation flowed between them. She spoke of her life growing up in England, trying to keep her comments general enough that the passage of nearly a century wouldn’t be noticed. It was interesting that they’d both been only children. His father, however, had always been warm and caring.
“Yeah, even after my mom died, Dad always tried his best to make sure I had a good home life. He made cookies for school bake sales, helped me create Halloween costumes. And every year we’d go and get a Christmas tree together.”
“It sounds like you have some great memories.”
Ben nodded and then pushed his chair back. “That was a great meal. Thanks. I’ll gather up the plates while you relax.”
“No. No need. I’m here to help.”
“Help clear out the barn,” he reminded her. “Not act as my maid.”
“How about we do them together then?” She picked up her plate and walked to the sink without waiting for his answer.
They stood side by side at the sink. Ben washed while she rinsed. He towered over her but his height didn’t make her feel her lack of inches. Funny how she’d never liked being short and often felt intimidated around tall people. But with Ben she felt safe, protected, even though she had to tip her head back to look at him.
Occasionally, their arms brushed, fingers touching as they passed the dishes. It made her feel warm inside. Different, confused and yet, wishing the contact could be repeated. She found herself working slower, trying to drag the chore out but eventually the dishes were done and she could delay no longer.
“I need to be heading home.” She folded the dish towel and hung it up.
“It’s dark outside.” Ben pointed out. “You can’t walk to the bus stop in the dark.”
“I’ll be fine.” Her plan was that as soon as she was outside and out of sight from the house, she’d dematerialize and pop back to her apartment. He didn’t know that, of course.
“Nonsense. I’m driving you home. A man doesn’t let a woman walk in the dark by herself. I’ll just grab my keys.”
In no time at all she was in Ben’s truck and he was driving her home. It was a cool night, her breath showing like little puffs of white mist as she breathed. He flicked on the heater and she relaxed in the seat as the warm air flowed over her.
Looking out the window, she could see the stars twinkling in the night sky as the moon shone brightly. Frost made the tree branches glisten, and in the fields she could see the shadowy shapes of deer emerging from the woods to feed on the bits of grain left behind after the harvest.
All too soon they arrived at her apartment. Ben turned off the engine and silence filled the small space.
She cleared her throat. “Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem.” He was watching her, his eyes skimming over her features.
She felt her heartbeat quicken, the atmosphere between them growing thick. Unsure of what was coming, she fumbled with her seatbelt but it didn’t seem to want to release.
“Let me.” Ben leaned closer, easily releasing the mechanism.
He was so close she could make out the stubble on his chin in the dim light of the dashboard dials, see the curve of his mouth, the long lashes that surrounded his green eyes. And then he was leaning closer. His mouth brushed over hers once, twice and then he moved away. His hand reached up and skimmed over her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes fixed on hers.
“Thanks again, Eugenie. I enjoyed the dinner.”
“You’re welcome.” Her voice came out breathily as if she’d been running and it did indeed feel that way. His kiss had set her heart pounding. Reluctantly, she opened the door.
“I’ll wait until you’re inside. Be sure to lock up.”
“I will.”
She hurried from the truck and raced up the stairs, turning when she reached the top. He was still watching her. It made her feel incredibly cared for, even cherished. With a quick wave, she unlocked the door and stepped into her apartment. Leaning against the wall, she pressed her hands to her warm face. She’d never known a GA assignment could be like this!
Ben watched as Eugenie shut her door and a light went on inside her apartment. Once he was sure she was safely inside, he started the engine and headed home.
His fingers tightened on the steering wheel as he considered the fact that he’d kissed her. Why had he done that? He’d not planned on it and yet it had suddenly seemed the right thing to do. Her scent had wrapped around him, the warmth of her breath skimming over his face.
That brief taste of her had been exquisite and he’d had to force himself not to deepen the kiss. He sensed her inexperience. There was something about her that seemed pure and innocent. She wasn’t the kind you messed around with casually. And there was the crux of the problem. He had no intention of having a serious relationship with anyone. That being the case, he’d best keep his distance from young Eugenie Winslow. Yep, no more companionable dinners, no more moonlight rides. It was the right thing to do.
Too bad the right thing seemed to suck.