Friday, March 8th, 2013 -- early evening
Ben's been going over it in his head, on and off, all day -- longer than that, really. Even as worn out as he'd been yesterday from feeling sick, he hadn't slept great during the day. It wasn't until he talked to Adam that evening about Jackie moving in with the two of them that he'd really even been able to sleep well at all, but even then, even though he was certain that this was the right thing to do, he still couldn't get it out of his head.
It wasn't like there were a whole lot of ways to say it, either. I want you to move in with me is pretty straightforward. All the same, he plays the scene over and over, how he'd say it, what she'd answer, until finally, Hayley gets to his house and he's free to go to Jackie's. He makes it there in what's probably record time, and he wastes no time in trotting from the driveway where he'd parked his beater to the front door of Jackie's house. He'd changed out of his work clothes, into something more casual, and belatedly, just as he's about to knock, he realizes that maybe he should have kept the suit and tie on instead of jeans and a hoodie -- but whatever, no going back now (and it seems sort of unfair, thinking that he should distract her with a tie so he gets a more favorable answer), so he knocks twice, shoves his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, and rocks back on his bootheels while he waits.
Jackie had spent the last half of work pondering what secondary surprise Ben could have in store for her after his teasing via text, but as the bar got busier it was pushed from her mind. It lingered here and there while she cooked dinner, but she eventually reached the decision that it was best to simply wait for the reveal from him. First of all, because she never was able to predict his surprises. Secondly, because he enjoyed it so much when she was above and beyond dazzled by what he had in store for her. Why take that away from him by creating countless theories? It was when there was a knock at the door that her excitement returned and peaked. The thumping of barefeet could be heard beating against the hardwood floors and the door was tugged open with a flourish. "Evenin', sweetheart!"
She somehow managed to restrain herself for just long enough for him to get into the house and close the door behind him. Once that was done she was tossing herself at him in a firm hug around the shoulders. Maybe it was okay that Ben was dressed so casually because Jackie was as well. Jeans and a sweater, the logo on the front obstructed by a floral cooking apron. Apparently she was in full chef mode and the proof was in the aromas of that promised breakfast for dinner coming from the kitchen. "Perfect timin'."
No matter how anxious he'd been about this, it all melted away the second he saw her. Grinning lopsidedly, laughing, he catches her when she throws herself at him, actually goes far enough to lift her up a little, do a little half turn with her in his arms, pressing a kiss to her cheek at the same time. "Hey, sunshine. Happy to see me?" As if that wasn't obvious. He sets her back down on her feet, goes to take off his boots there in the entryway. "My timing is always perfect," with a little lift of his brows, and his smile goes a little sly, though that eases away before long. "Dinner smells great, sweets. Thanks. How'd the rest of your day go?" He unzips his coat, but he's bringing it with him into the kitchen to toss it over the back of one of the chairs there at the table. "Need help with anything?"
There was a delighted little squeal when he picked her up off her feet, a wriggle before she was set back down. Jackie had been dealing with her own doubts and worries the last few weeks, but it felt like that had all been lifted from her shoulders following yesterday. There was no tension or sign of any gray clouds lingering around her with the way she beamed up at him. "Oh, y'know, just a lil'." Hand up, fingers pinched. She waited while he removed his boots and chuckled at his reply. "Perfect timing and so modest, is there anythin' you can't do?" A good nature roll of her eyes and she was making way for the kitchen along with him.
The dining room table was already set with majority of the things she had promised in their text messages. A plate piled with pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and a container of orange juice. They were arranged between two seats kiddy corner to one another with place settings already in front of them. "Nope, everythin' is pretty much done, that's why your timin' is so perfect. I'm just gonna make a couple pieces of toast. Y'can have a seat an' start servin' yourself." She was already in front of the toaster tucking a few pieces within the slots.
"The rest of my day was busy and cold." A grin flashed over her shoulder at him. "Thank goodness for that walk-in freezer or I wouldn't have been able to focus." Brow raise. "How was the rest of your day? Work that bag over right?" At this rate she was going to have to stand in front of the home freezer as well.
He takes a seat after she tells him there's not much left to do, and like she suggested, he starts portioning out some food for himself. He stops to shoot her another obnoxiously proud grin when she mentions that the rest of her day was cold, though -- and he knows she'll appreciate the look, since she's grinning right back at him. "Yeah, thank goodness for that. Me? Yeah, I did, and when I couldn't anymore, I went for a run. Maybe I should get a walk-in freezer at my office. You think?" He tries to keep a straight face, but he's not very successful. "I just hope you didn't cool off too much, sweetheart. I know I wasn't able to work off all the extra energy." His focus lingers on her for another few seconds, already heated, but it would be a shame to let all the food get cold, so he tears his gaze away, pours himself some orange juice. "I actually did get a call from Richard just a couple of hours ago, though. Right in the middle of my run. Are you busy tomorrow night?"
"The bag and a run. My oh my, someone had some pent up energy." She loved it, obviously, by the way her tone bounced around the words. "Nah, I like y'havin' to work it all out over the bag. I'm tellin' you, I want an invite next time along with a front row seat." When he says he hopes she didn't cool off too much she has to turn her attention back on the toaster. She could feel the warmth of a blush beneath her cheeks and it wasn't going to help the situation if he saw it. "Nope, my shift ran out before I was done. I'm sure I'll figure out some way to settle down before the night is over."
It was when he mentions Richard, that name alone is enough to make her expression go blank. She remembered the last time they were at Richard's home, dinner with him and Claudia. It didn't end well for Jackie. Not that Ben was aware of that. She couldn't control her expression enough to look at him. Instead she busied herself with buttering the two freshly popped pieces of bread and replacing them with another pair in the toaster. "Nah, I don't work. Didn't really have any plans. Why? What's goin' on?" At least she managed to keep her dread out of the question.
Ben's been going over it in his head, on and off, all day -- longer than that, really. Even as worn out as he'd been yesterday from feeling sick, he hadn't slept great during the day. It wasn't until he talked to Adam that evening about Jackie moving in with the two of them that he'd really even been able to sleep well at all, but even then, even though he was certain that this was the right thing to do, he still couldn't get it out of his head.
It wasn't like there were a whole lot of ways to say it, either. I want you to move in with me is pretty straightforward. All the same, he plays the scene over and over, how he'd say it, what she'd answer, until finally, Hayley gets to his house and he's free to go to Jackie's. He makes it there in what's probably record time, and he wastes no time in trotting from the driveway where he'd parked his beater to the front door of Jackie's house. He'd changed out of his work clothes, into something more casual, and belatedly, just as he's about to knock, he realizes that maybe he should have kept the suit and tie on instead of jeans and a hoodie -- but whatever, no going back now (and it seems sort of unfair, thinking that he should distract her with a tie so he gets a more favorable answer), so he knocks twice, shoves his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, and rocks back on his bootheels while he waits.
Jackie had spent the last half of work pondering what secondary surprise Ben could have in store for her after his teasing via text, but as the bar got busier it was pushed from her mind. It lingered here and there while she cooked dinner, but she eventually reached the decision that it was best to simply wait for the reveal from him. First of all, because she never was able to predict his surprises. Secondly, because he enjoyed it so much when she was above and beyond dazzled by what he had in store for her. Why take that away from him by creating countless theories? It was when there was a knock at the door that her excitement returned and peaked. The thumping of barefeet could be heard beating against the hardwood floors and the door was tugged open with a flourish. "Evenin', sweetheart!"
She somehow managed to restrain herself for just long enough for him to get into the house and close the door behind him. Once that was done she was tossing herself at him in a firm hug around the shoulders. Maybe it was okay that Ben was dressed so casually because Jackie was as well. Jeans and a sweater, the logo on the front obstructed by a floral cooking apron. Apparently she was in full chef mode and the proof was in the aromas of that promised breakfast for dinner coming from the kitchen. "Perfect timin'."
No matter how anxious he'd been about this, it all melted away the second he saw her. Grinning lopsidedly, laughing, he catches her when she throws herself at him, actually goes far enough to lift her up a little, do a little half turn with her in his arms, pressing a kiss to her cheek at the same time. "Hey, sunshine. Happy to see me?" As if that wasn't obvious. He sets her back down on her feet, goes to take off his boots there in the entryway. "My timing is always perfect," with a little lift of his brows, and his smile goes a little sly, though that eases away before long. "Dinner smells great, sweets. Thanks. How'd the rest of your day go?" He unzips his coat, but he's bringing it with him into the kitchen to toss it over the back of one of the chairs there at the table. "Need help with anything?"
There was a delighted little squeal when he picked her up off her feet, a wriggle before she was set back down. Jackie had been dealing with her own doubts and worries the last few weeks, but it felt like that had all been lifted from her shoulders following yesterday. There was no tension or sign of any gray clouds lingering around her with the way she beamed up at him. "Oh, y'know, just a lil'." Hand up, fingers pinched. She waited while he removed his boots and chuckled at his reply. "Perfect timing and so modest, is there anythin' you can't do?" A good nature roll of her eyes and she was making way for the kitchen along with him.
The dining room table was already set with majority of the things she had promised in their text messages. A plate piled with pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and a container of orange juice. They were arranged between two seats kiddy corner to one another with place settings already in front of them. "Nope, everythin' is pretty much done, that's why your timin' is so perfect. I'm just gonna make a couple pieces of toast. Y'can have a seat an' start servin' yourself." She was already in front of the toaster tucking a few pieces within the slots.
"The rest of my day was busy and cold." A grin flashed over her shoulder at him. "Thank goodness for that walk-in freezer or I wouldn't have been able to focus." Brow raise. "How was the rest of your day? Work that bag over right?" At this rate she was going to have to stand in front of the home freezer as well.
He takes a seat after she tells him there's not much left to do, and like she suggested, he starts portioning out some food for himself. He stops to shoot her another obnoxiously proud grin when she mentions that the rest of her day was cold, though -- and he knows she'll appreciate the look, since she's grinning right back at him. "Yeah, thank goodness for that. Me? Yeah, I did, and when I couldn't anymore, I went for a run. Maybe I should get a walk-in freezer at my office. You think?" He tries to keep a straight face, but he's not very successful. "I just hope you didn't cool off too much, sweetheart. I know I wasn't able to work off all the extra energy." His focus lingers on her for another few seconds, already heated, but it would be a shame to let all the food get cold, so he tears his gaze away, pours himself some orange juice. "I actually did get a call from Richard just a couple of hours ago, though. Right in the middle of my run. Are you busy tomorrow night?"
"The bag and a run. My oh my, someone had some pent up energy." She loved it, obviously, by the way her tone bounced around the words. "Nah, I like y'havin' to work it all out over the bag. I'm tellin' you, I want an invite next time along with a front row seat." When he says he hopes she didn't cool off too much she has to turn her attention back on the toaster. She could feel the warmth of a blush beneath her cheeks and it wasn't going to help the situation if he saw it. "Nope, my shift ran out before I was done. I'm sure I'll figure out some way to settle down before the night is over."
It was when he mentions Richard, that name alone is enough to make her expression go blank. She remembered the last time they were at Richard's home, dinner with him and Claudia. It didn't end well for Jackie. Not that Ben was aware of that. She couldn't control her expression enough to look at him. Instead she busied herself with buttering the two freshly popped pieces of bread and replacing them with another pair in the toaster. "Nah, I don't work. Didn't really have any plans. Why? What's goin' on?" At least she managed to keep her dread out of the question.