“Fine. Then give me a kiss.” He puckered his lips, and I had to laugh.
“I still have the same problem as before. You’re way over there, and I’m not climbing down to you.”
“Fine.” Ben fake pouted as he stepped toward me. Stopping next to the bunk, he held my dress just out of reach. “Where’s my kiss?”
I rolled my eyes then leaned as far out of the bunk as was safe and gave him a little peck.
“That’s not the kinda kiss I was talking about.” He pouted.
“I tried to give you something more earlier. You’re the one who ran away. Remember?” I plucked my dress out of his hand and rolled back into the bunk.
“Because I know how much you want to see Monica!” Ben hollered through the curtain.
I might’ve been grinning as I struggled to pull my dress back on in the confines of the bunk bed. “Hey, do you know where my panties ended up? Are they out there?”
“Nope. All I have is your jacket.”
I searched the sheets and finally found them hiding at the bottom of the bunk. I really didn’t want to put them back on, but something was better than nothing, especially considering where we were.
Once I was as dressed as I could be, I rolled to the edge of the bunk and turned to stick a leg out to climb down.
“Here. Let me help you, baby.” Ben’s hands came around my waist, and he slowly pulled me out of the bunkbed in an impressive display of strength. He set me down between his splayed legs, and I turned around to find him smiling at me.
My heart might’ve lurched. To have all that was him looking at me like that? It felt like something from a dream. My life had never been this happy, this…lucky for lack of a better word. It didn’t feel real.
“I’d love nothing more than to stay here with you, but I don’t want to be the reason you miss out on the show you’ve been waiting for months to see. And we can always come back after. Have a little sleepover…” He waggled his eyebrows.
I had to laugh. I wanted to agree, but then I remembered my obligations. Bruno. Lucy.
But before I could tell him as much, he threw an arm around my shoulders and led me down the tight hallway. “Come on. The show is supposed to start in a few.”
“Oh. Um, I need to use the restroom. I’ll be quick. I promise.”
Ben tipped his head. “You can use this one here. I’ll be outside with Roscoe. But we don’t have a lot of time if you want a good spot to see your show.”
I remembered his phone call just a few minutes ago and smiled. “I’ll be two seconds. I swear.”
Then I pulled open the door and ducked into the tiny bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I realized it felt more like a slightly bigger airplane bathroom than anything else. Shaking my head, I took care of business then quickly washed my hands.
But when I blinked up at the mirror, the person I found staring back made me stop. With the scarf still twisted around like a headband, holding my hair back, my eyeliner slightly smudged, and my lips void of color, I looked like Cinderella cleaning out the fireplace.
Ack. And Ben saw me like this?
Oh hell no.
Pawing through my bag, I pulled out the tiny makeup purse I kept on hand and fixed my face. Some eyeshadow on my lids. A slick of color on my lips. Then I pulled the scarf off my head. As cute as Ben had been giving it to me, I wanted to look like I belonged on his arm. So I wound the scarf around my thigh like a makeshift garter—I’d never get rid of it; he’d given it to me after all. Then I brushed my hair and quickly pulled it into a half up and down ‘do, letting the ends curl down around my shoulders.
That would have to be good enough.
When I stepped out of the bus, I found Ben all hooded up with his hat and sunglasses back on while Roscoe stood at his side, as stoic as ever.
Ben sucked in a breath. “Whoa. I mean that respectfully of course. You were gorgeous all day. I swear. But this is…whoa.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. “You ready?”
“Yeah.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me to his side. “Can’t have anyone wondering who you belong with.”
I tried and failed to hide my smile. “Can you even see in those things?” I tipped my head toward the setting sun. “Isn’t it dark?”
