Chapter 4 of A Degree of C is ready for you to read! I apologize for the delay. Let me know if you enjoy it as much as the previous chapters by leaving a rating and/or comment below. -LSEiland
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An hour's worth of sleep was not the amount Ben wanted to start his day on, but would have to be enough to get him through everything he had planned. The alarm clock to his left read 5:00 A.M. Having envisioned ending his night with Elise by his side, waking up alone was a huge disappointment. The kiss Elise planted on him in the hallway outside his hotel room was her way of softening the blow when she cut their night short. Elise made it clear that approval from Ben's grandmother was not enough to convince her to invite him back to her suite.
Continuing to replay the night as he lay shirtless in bed, Ben thought about how his body had begun to crave Elise's touch. Her presence did something indescribable to his senses. As hard as waiting may be, this window of time gave him an opportunity to end his current relationship. That admission made him feel like an asshole. Ben groaned deeply and stared at the ceiling as he thought about his predicament. One woman had been on his mind this weekend, but it wasn't Sophie, his girlfriend of two years.
Sophie was a talented fashion photographer. She and Ben met at a party held during a snowstorm on one of his regular trips to NYC. Tony had convinced his friend to brave the weather to hang with him and a few clients that were snowed-in. Playing wingman, Tony repaid Ben's generosity by setting him up with the woman he pegged as "hottest" in the room. Ben had not expected much from their introduction, but was eventually susceptible to Sophie's aggressive courting.
Her carefree nature ensured that their relationship remained lively and unpredictable, but a deeper connection was missing. Ben spent more of the last three months figuring out a drama-free way for them to part ways than actually missing Sophie when she was halfway around the world at some swanky editorial shoot.
Convincing himself that the distance between New York and Amsterdam would soften the heaviness of his words, Ben retrieved his iPhone from the nightstand and dialed Sophie's number. He double-checked that his grandmother, thankfully a perpetual early riser, was not in the room, just before she picked up on the third ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Sophie- it's Ben." Keeping his voice even was a challenge.
"Hey! I know you've been beyond busy this weekend; it's good to hear your voice."
Her warmth radiated through the phone and instantly made this call difficult for him.
"Yours too... Listen..." Ben said with trepidation.
"Uh, oh...sentences that start with 'listen' are never good. Did something happen during the wedding?"
The inflection in her voice signaled that she was anxiously awaiting his reply.
Was Sophie referring to something happening between him and another woman? Instead of seizing the opportunity to deliver his bad news, Ben treaded lightly.
"My sister got married without any mishaps," he said, gripping the phone tighter in response to some anxiety of his own.
"Good. I'll be home in a week, can what's on your mind wait until then?"
Sophie sounded determined to deal with the subject of Ben's call at a later date.
Definitely not,
Ben declared internally. In his mind, he blurted out the good-intention-laced break-up speech he had rehearsed.
"Yeah... yeah, it can wait." Ben tugged lightly as he ran his left hand through his hair in exasperation. He desperately wanted a clean slate with Elise. Sophie stood in the way of that, but he was certain she deserved better than to be dumped via phone or text.
"Awesome! I have to get ready for my next shoot, but I'll call you tonight when I get back to my hotel."
Goodbyes were traded as the two ended their conversation.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Two floors up and three hours later, Elise was busy packing in lieu of returning home in four hours. She had woken up refreshed after a decent night's sleep. Ben being her first thought this morning was not a surprise. He had managed to hijack her weekend, but Elise would not change anything that transpired between them here in New York. Their present city puzzled Elise when she thought about the future. Could their opulent surroundings, and the love that radiated from Cara and Marco, have influenced the amorous moments they shared?
Elise was hovering over her carry-on bag, trying to find ample space for a pair of tan wedge sandals, when she was struck still after hearing a knock at the door. Her heart had been put through the ringer since she met Ben. It had raced, skipped a few beats, and now felt like it had outright stopped as she wondered who was behind the knocks emanating from the living room door. Curiosity kicked in and led her to the suite's entrance, where she eagerly peeked through the peephole.
There was only one gorgeous face that could heat Elise's body deliciously. As much as she wanted to grant Ben entry, Elise was content on ogling him as he remained oblivious to her presence. The biting of her bottom lip was solely in response to that slick blonde hair and those thin lips she was already addicted to kissing.
Elise must have lingered a little too long because a megawatt smile spread across Ben's face as he now glared knowingly into the peephole.
Accepting that she had been busted, Elise opened the door slowly. Her wary smile was greeted by the reassured smirk Ben proudly displayed as he wished her a good morning and entered the room.
Gaining entry into Elise's hotel suite was a big step for the man who was hoping to someday share a bed with this beautiful woman. His mind frequently settled on sex when Elise was near him, but a committed relationship is what Ben was already certain he wanted to build with her.
Spying a huge plastic bag and inhaling a mouthwatering aroma, Elise closed the door and hastily made her way toward Ben, who now stood beside the dining table. He winked at her just before her eyes trailed down to follow his hands. They were busy unpacking take-out containers.
"My grandmother was right; I watched you- quite unabashedly, yesterday."
Ben took his focus off what he was doing to take in Elise's expression. She tried to hide a tight smile.
"One of the things I noticed was that you didn't eat much at the reception." He sat down at the table, silently prompting her to take a seat across from him.
Elise settled into her seat with something on her mind. "Now that you mention it, I haven't been very hungry lately."
"Hunger is a funny thing. As much as I love food, it hasn't been able to satiate my
true
desire this weekend."
Ben's actions remained halted as he used his magnetic stare to pour meaning into Elise's bright brown eyes. He wanted her to realize that she had been his sole craving all weekend.
This classified as another moment where Elise could barely endure being at the receiving end of a look so suggestive. The intent of his words and unquestionable determination in his piercing green eyes made the muscles centered between her legs tighten in response. Elise needed to break the sexual tension in the room before she redirected her curiosity and dragged him into the bedroom of the suite for a round of lovemaking that she had already imagined to be incredible.
"Well, whatever you've brought is definitely awakening my appetite." She rested her hands on the container he had placed in front of her and looked over at Ben with an innocent grin. "May I?"
"Go for it." He laughed as her eyes widened once she had gotten a glimpse of what was hiding under the lid.
"Ben, this looks delicious. Why do I sense there's a story behind this meal?" said Elise, gazing expectantly into the container.
"I don't know how much Cara has shared with you about our childhood here, but we basically grew up on this breakfast. Every Sunday, our parents would treat us to these giant buttermilk waffles."
"Nice try, but even
giant
is an understatement. I hope you don't expect me to finish this by myself." Elise's look signified that she was truly thinking about how she could possibly make that happen.
"Actually, I was hoping you would share. I've got half a ham and cheese omelet and hash browns for you, if you're interested." Ben cocked his eyebrows twice.
"Mmm... deal!" As if she needed more encouragement after being promised cheesy eggs and seasoned potatoes.
The two proceeded to divvy up their breakfast and munch happily, engaging in conversation between each scrumptious bite.
- - - - - - - - - -
Ben thought about how much he enjoyed talking to Elise. There was an air of effortlessness to communicating with her that he had not been privy to with any other mate. He was leaning back in his chair, listening to Elise downplay missing the chance to venture around New York City because she had been attending to bridezilla Cara, when he decided to offer his tour guide services once again.
"So stay."
"What?" Just vacating the table, Elise made her way to the adjacent picture window. Her eyes surveyed the beautiful canopy of trees that encompassed Central Park.
"Stay one more day. We can go wherever you want. I'll even introduce you to a few hidden gems in this city. At no point will you be bored, I promise."
Ben's last words replayed over again in Elise's head. Spending a magical day in New York City from his perspective would be ideal, but she knew it was time to return to Chicago. And time to face the reality of her fresh break-up with Vincent.
Closing the space between them was Ben's strategy for emphasizing the uniqueness of what he was offering; the two of them, left to explore
anything
on a whim. Contemplation was evident in Elise's reflection as Ben stood behind her. Her eyes were still focused on the view while his searched her face for a hint to a final decision.
