Turn Me Bad

Chapter 6

The afternoon seemed to drag even though the rest of the shoot was much shorter. Violet was distracted by thinking of the evening ahead, all the while trying to kid herself that she was not paying it any attention whatsoever. It was just something to do.

She could hear Abby’s voice asking, ”Who are you trying to kid?“ in making out her thought process. That was not her style or in her makeup, but even the most sane of us have several voices in our heads that we can choose to listen to – and we don’t always listen to the most sensible if our heart and body is yearning to do something else completely.

The group concluded their day at the college which, because it was more centrally located than the workplace, meant that less than half of the team needed a lift back in the minibus. When they had all said their thanks and goodbyes to each other, Violet initially made it look like she was heading back on the minibus before telling Charlotte she had chores to do in town.

”Oh, OK,”’ her colleague said, clearly surprised, but too distracted by waving goodbye to Benjamin to pry into what they were. Violet almost thought Charlotte might hang around herself and try to hook up with the dreamy model, but after she had agreed to safeguard all Violet’s files back to the office, the chance was thoroughly missed.

Benjamin was too charming for his own good but, although she still didn’t know him that well, he knew enough from their evening together to see that her work colleague did not really interest him. Neither was he even trying to tease Violet by talking to Charlotte. It was just what he did well, being the center of attention.

Having left her colleagues to be driven off in the minibus, Violet then set her workplace high heels to trotting back around to the college’s reception. The noise they made ensured that, when she found Benjamin waiting there for her, he could not get away with pretending he didn’t know she had taken up his offer.

In spite of the moody demeanor she had been practicing all day, that was when her lips gave in and smiled, even as she told them not to.

There he was, back in his leather jacket and with cigarette smoke already escaping unhurriedly from his lips. The smoke did not make him look cool; he made the smoke look cool, in spite of all the people across the U.S. who were pursuing healthier lifestyles and trying to give up. Vexingly, there was no look of relief on his face in that she had not left him hanging. He was far too full of himself and she should probably have turned back and gone home.

”So, how did our little background extra enjoy his work day?“ she asked.

”Pretty cool team you’ve got there,“ he replied, as if making some mundane remark on what the weather was like. ”Apart from the one giving everyone a hard time.”

”Not everyone; just you,“ she hit back.

”And yet here I am, hanging around for more.”

”You sure about that? Don’t want to make a quick escape somewhere?” she prodded, determined to get some kind of reaction out of him. ”I can turn my back if you like?”

”You need me to promise not to do that again?”

”Again? What do you think it is you’re getting from me this evening?”

“OK, Violet; I’m sorry,“ he said, holding up his hands and, although he was laughing in the process, she did really sense him retreating a little concerning his behavior. “You’re completely in the right; I wish I could take it back, and I apologize.”

Violet decided to say nothing else, folding her arms and waiting to see what else he had.

“As I said though, I’d still like to apologize for it in deed rather than word, so can I take you to dinner? Having to talk to your friend Charlotte all day has really zapped my energy, so I have to admit I’m famished.”

She should have smacked the cigarette out of his mouth for having made a joke at her friend’s expense – a friend that right then was certainly still swooning over him. But, at the same time, she couldn’t help but let her smile show some more. It might have been mean but it was also true; Charlotte did go on a little and it was a criticism Violet had to spend all of her working day trying suppress rather than voicing.

“Alright, Ben,” she replied. ”Have it your way. Truth is I’m starving; too many salads to annoy Caitlin with.”

”There’s no reason we have to wait till the end of the week to treat ourselves,“ he said.

”Don’t I just know that must be your life’s motto.”

”Motto?“ he considered. ”Only when it suits, maybe.”

”But I want you on best behavior, you hear me,“ she added, pointing to stress this requirement. ”And don’t you be thinking that I’ve forgiven you.”

Benjamin held up his hands in a defensive position, then saying, ”Hey, I completely understand. “Although she knew he was still enjoying being told off and she had failed to make him feel comfortable whatsoever, the truth was that his company for the evening felt too good.

”Where you taking me then, leather boy?”

”Why don’t we just walk down the main street and see what draws your palette. That’s what I always do.”

”For food or women?“ she asked, a comment that caused him to tilt his head to one side like a puppy trying to convince its owner it could never possibly misbehave.

*****

It was the perfect weather for a cold beer, which Violet found her mouth drawn to even though she rarely drank it. It was the perfect weather for a lot of things actually. The conditions that families hope for when they take off for summer vacations and the kind that people who overlook such forward planning regret when they are stuck at work all day.

Good weather was hardly unusual for their part of the world. Often taken for granted in fact, but being stuck inside college rooms all day had brought memories of stress and hard work to Violet, so much so that walking away with a handsome man at the end of it all and enjoying herself felt like a guilty pleasure it would have been an insult not to accept.

They settled on a Mexican bar in the end. Violet had stopped giving him grief about the other night, but still maintained her bossiness and teased him about finding the most expensive plate on the menu just for the sake of it. None of that appeared to bother him of course – though she hadn’t pried she expected he could afford it – and he responded by encouraging her to take as much advantage as she could.

It was probably fair to say that having taken the day so seriously and been deliberately over-professional about everything, Violet needed a come down period and it was easy to relax and enjoy herself.