Rey woke early the next morning to the feeling of Ben running a finger slowly up and down her spine. She smiled with her eyes still closed and stretched out her arms like a contented cat. She turned to look at him over her shoulder,
'Morning.' She said sleepily.
'Morning.' He smiled at her.
'What time is it?'
'Just after six.'
'Shit!' Rey jumped out of bed and started to search for her clothing.
'Why are you in such a hurry?' Ben asked propping himself up on one arm and watching her with amusement.
'I have to get home before mum. If she knows I spent the night here she'll sit me down and make me listen to another one of her 'no one wants to buy the cow when you give away the milk for free' speeches.'
Ben laughed, 'Okay. I'll give you a ride.'
'Thank you.' She said gratefully.
She collected up her clothes and watched Ben get out of his side of the bed. Wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. Facing the window, he stretched and she let her eyes wander over him from head to foot.
'What time do you have to go?' She asked mournfully.
'We're setting off soon. Poe has a lunch thing.'
'Oh,' She said not bothering to mask her disappointment.
'Hey,' He said coming towards her and putting his hands on her shoulders, 'I'll be back at the weekend okay? And until then we can text or Skype or use smoke signals, or whatever it is you kids are into these days.'
Rey laughed, 'Okay.'
He kissed her gently, 'Get dressed. We leave in five.'
She nodded. After putting back on her walk of shame dress and heels she winced at herself in the mirror. No way would the receptionist believe she wasn't a prostitute now. Hell, she was having a hard time believing it herself.
'What's up with you?' Ben said pulling on a pair of well worn Levi's.
'I'm such a mess!' Rey said holding her hands out to her sides.
'No you're not. You're beautiful.'
'Urgh, I feel so exposed now.' She said folding her arms over her chest.
'I have a jacket on the chair over there, take it.' Ben said.
'I can't do that.'
'Yes you can, it's simple. Just walk over there pick up the jacket and put it on.'
Rey pulled a face at him then walked across the room towards the jacket. She put it on. It was way too big for her, but that didn't matter because it had a hidden feature.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. 'Mmmm.'
'What?'
'Smells like you.' She said with a smile.
Ben smirked at her and pulled a white tee over his head one handed. He grabbed his keys off the bedside table.
'Come on. Let's get you home.'
In the elevator Ben crowded her up against the wall, putting one hand on her face and kissing her lips gently.
'I wish you didn't have to go.' She said when he pulled away.
'I know.'
'How important is a job and a steady income anyway?' She joked.
'Steadily moving down my priorities list.' Ben replied giving her a loaded look. He took her hand as they left the hotel and held it until they reached the car.
'You have to keep this car now, never mind the environment. I need you mobile.'
'Yes Miss.' Ben said.
Rey laughed, 'Oh, am I the teacher now?'
'Works for me.' He said with a wink that made her tingle all over.
They reached her house and Rey sighed,'Will you text me? When you get home?'
'Absolutely.'
'And you'll be back next weekend?'
'Wild horses couldn't keep me away.'
'Okay.' Rey nodded, reluctant to leave the car. Ben took her hand brought it to his lips and kissed it.
'Come on I'm walk you to your door.'
They stood in front of her house and Ben enveloped her in a hug. She sank into his body. She looked up at him and he caught her lips with a chaste kiss that quickly developed into something more.
'I'll see you next week kid.' He said as he walked away.
'Wait! Your jacket!' Rey cried starting to shrug her arms out of the soft leather.
'Keep it. I'll pick it up in a week.' He said with a small wave.
Okay, there really was no denying it now. That man was really working his way into her heart.
**********
Rey beat her mom home by mere minutes.
'Did you have a good night hunny?' She asked as she came in the door.
'Yeah.' The best! The best night ever!
'That shift was crazy. I'm off to bed. You can take care of yourself can't you love?'
'Yeah, no problem.'
Her mom started up the stairs then turned to Rey once more,
'Ben goes home today, huh?'
'Yeah.'
'You okay?' Qi'ra asked with a tilt of her head.
'Yeah I'm okay.'
'Don't worry, he cares about you. I can tell.'
Rey smiled, 'Thanks mom.'
Buzz, god damn you, buzz.
Rey sat in her room, trying to focus on her homework but also starting to suffer the effects of a nasty headache caused by keeping her peripheral vision firmly focused on her phone.
Surely he was home by now? What if something had happened? Should she ring the hospitals? But which one would they take him too? Okay that was enough caffeine for today…..
Vader jumped up on her knee and Rey stroked her absent mindedly.
Buzz
'Ahhh! Yes!' She called out, standing up and unceremoniously throwing Vader onto the floor in her quest to reach her phone before it buzzed for a second time.
Vader meowed angrily at being discarded in such a rude fashion.
Rey reached her phone and checked the screen:
Hi, this is 02, have you consider our new star fighter monthly call and text bundle? The value is out of this world!
'Arghhh!' Rey threw her phone back onto the bed and slumped back down into her desk chair once more.
Vader eyed her knee for a moment but thought better of it and wandered out of the room to find a safer place to sleep.
An hour later, homework abandoned, Rey swung round in her desk chair eating red vines and staring at her phone with a look of pure hatred.
'Buzz. Buzz you bastard!' She cried.
The phone rudely remained silent.
'I'll replace you! I mean it!'
Buzz
'Yes!' Rey shouted jumping off her chair.
B: Hey Rey, just got back. Traffic was a nightmare. Missing you already. xx
Aww, that was sweet.
R: Aw, that sucks. Are you exhausted? xx
B: Yeah, food then bed. Shame you can't join me. ;-)
'Ahhhhh!' She stamped her feet on the floor excitedly.
R: Yeah it's a real shame, you could have continued my sex-ed lessons. :-)
B: Soon…. Xx
Rey smiled and bit her bottom lip.
Five days. Just five days to go.
**********
Monday
'Why don't you send him a dirty text?' Rose said on Monday morning when Rey was in full mope mode over Ben being away. They had been texting non-stop since he got home, but Rey was missing the chemistry they had when they were together.
'A what?' She asked, utterly confused by Rose's suggestion.
'You know! Sexting? Text 'sex' messaging? I want you to put your D in my V? Winky face, heart, XOXO?'
'Rose! I've never done anything like that before. I wouldn't know where to start….'
'Think 50 shades!' Rose said with a glint in her eye.
'Oh yes! I loved 50 shades! Okay I can do that!' Rey said chewing on her lip thoughtfully.
'And tell me what happens please. I need to live vicariously through you right now as my own love life is nonexistent.' She complained glancing over at Finn.
'Mmm…..we really need to come up with a plan to get you on Finn's radar. How about this, next time there is a project assigned where we have to work in pairs, we try and get you two in the same group? Doesn't matter about me, I can work with anyone.'
'Okay. Rose said cheering up.
'Okay, now lets google 'sexting' while Mr Robson isn't looking.'
'Yes! Let's do it!' Rose said with a grin.
**********
That evening Rey helped herself to some of her moms Pinot Grigio and tried to put her 'sexting' plan into action.
She opened whatsapp, having managed to finally convince Ben to join her in the 21st century, and typed out a message.
R: Hello Mr Grey…
Ben replied instantly.
B: What?
Rey rolled her eyes and tried again….
R: Can Mr Grey see me now?
Ben continued to miss the boat completely...
B: I don't know what you're talking about? who's this 'Mr Grey'? What are you doing?
Rey called out in frustration….
R: I'm sexting you!
B: Okay…..what?
R: You know like in 50 shades of grey? You're Mr Grey and I'm Anastasia?
B: God, that fucking book... Why are women so obsessed with that book?!
R: We just like it okay! moving on! What are you wearing?
B: Shouldn't I be asking you that?
R: Well ask me then!
B: Okay, what are you wearing?
Shit. She hadn't thought this through. She looked down and guessed that my little pony pyjamas was not the answer he was looking for, time to get creative…..
R: A red bustier, a matching thong and a smile. ;-)
B: Really? :-O
R: Yup
B: Pictures or it didn't happen….. ;-)
Rey giggled. Okay, he was calling her bluff. Clever boy.
R: Ha ha ha, piss off. Tell me what you're wearing first?
B: My Super Mario Onesie.
R: What?
B: My super Mario onesie. It has little Yoshi's and little clouds on it. :-)
What the actual fuck? Was he fucking with her?
R: Okay….. can you take it off?
B: It's a cold night...
R: Work with me here!
B: Okay…..I suddenly felt the urge to take it off.
R: Are you naked now?
B: Yes.
R: Really?
B: Fuck no. I told you it's a cold night.
R: Argh! Will you please try to get involved?!
B: I'm trying Rey, but I really have no interest in these daft fucking role play games.
Rey thought for a moment and realised she was trying too hard, it felt forced and wrong, they weren't Anastasia and Mr Grey they were Rey and Ben. She smiled. They were Rey and Ben and they needed to act like Rey and Ben.
She closed her eyes and let her mind travel back to the night they were together.
R: I wish you could touch me now, like you did the other night.
There was a moment of silence….then he responded.
B: It felt good touching you….
R: Your hands were so warm….. I swear I can still feel them on my skin…
B: I can still fucking taste you….
Rey squeezed her thighs together. Fuck yeah! That's the kind of stuff she was looking for!
R: Did I taste good?
B: Amazing. I want more.
R: I want to taste you.
B: Fuck Rey…...You're getting me hard here….
Rey let out a short wicked laugh.
R: That's the idea…. ;-)
B: Tell me what you would do to me, if you were here...
She thought for a moment, what would she do? She had never actually performed a blow job before but she figured it was easy right? Like, you couldn't really get it wrong unless you decided to take the name blow job literally. She decided to start off slow….
R: I would take you in my mouth as far as I could….
Rey closed her eyes and imagined her mouth was wrapped around Ben's cock, she thought about what her next move would be…..
R: Then I would run my tongue up your shaft and around the tip of your cock…..
Did she really just say cock?! she took a big gulp of wine. Was he even into this?
B: F.U.C.K
Okay, that seemed like he was into it…
R: I would let my lips slide down your length slowly….
That was pretty good! Maybe she was better at this than she thought! She polished off the last of the wine, needing the false sense of confidence alcohol always instilled in its consumers.
R: Then I would suck you so hard baby, until you came, hot and salty in my mouth...
Thank you google for that information!
B: Fuck Rey, I wish you were here….
R: Me too….. tell me what you would do to me...if I was there...and you could do whatever you wanted?
B: I would fuck you senseless
Rey laughed out loud.
R: It's not poetry, but I like it. ;-)
B: I aim to please….
Rey yawned and looked at the clock, it was getting late and she had a test in the morning.
R: I have to go to bed, will you call me tomorrow? I need to hear your voice.
B: Yes. Sweet dreams baby. xx
R: you too. xx
**********
Tuesday
Ben rang at 7pm on the dot. Just as he said he would.
'Hey you.' He said and Rey closed her eyes savouring his smooth voice.
'Hey, How was your day?'
'Not the best. I had a meeting with the Dean, seems budget cuts mean I'm losing funding for my research project.'
'Oh god! I'm so sorry Ben! What does that mean for you?'
'I'm still a teaching aid and I can keep working towards my PhD but all my current research projects, not relating to my studies, have to be shelved, unless I can find another investor.'
'I'm so sorry Ben. I know how much your research means to you.'
'Thanks. I'm okay. Well, I'm not but I will be.'
'Were you upset? When they told you?'
There was a snort in the background on Ben's end and Rey heard Ben mumble something.
'What's going on? Who's that?' She asked.
'Just Poe. Being an asshole. As usual.'
'Oh say hi from me!'
'Poe, Rey says hi….he says hi back. He says how have you been?'
'Oh you know, can't complain, ask him how he's doing?'
'Rey wants to know how you are?' Ben called.
'I'm good Rey! Thanks for asking!' She heard Poe shout back.
'You two do realise that you don't actually know each other, right?' Ben interjected.
'A minor detail!' Rey heard Poe call out and she chuckled.
'Poe would you kindly piss off?' Ben said.
Rey heard laughter in the background.
'So how did you take the news?' Rey asked.
'Not well….'
'He broke the Dean's favourite lamp!' Poe called.
'Oh, Ben!' Rey cried.
'It was an accident, I was merely gesturing in the lamps general direction….' Ben said.
'Was he mad?' Rey asked wincing.
'Livid!' Came the response from the peanut gallery.
'Poe FUCK OFF!' Ben shouted.
Rey rubbed her forehead, 'Such a temper! Where does it come from? You're so sweet when you're with me!'
'Yeah well that's different. Poe says you have a calming effect on me.'
'What a lovely thing to say.' Rey said feeling all warm inside.
'It's true. I feel better already just hearing your voice.'
'Drive up here. Now.'
She heard him chuckle, 'I can't wait to see you again.'
'I can't wait to be seen by you again.'
'Soon baby...soon.'
The way he drew out the word 'baby' sent a shiver down her spine.
**********
Wednesday
'Rey, put that away do you want to get our phone privileges revoked again?' Baz stood in front of Rey with her eyebrow cocked, her hands on her hips, and he foot tapping impatiently on the floor.
Rey snorted and mumbled, 'This from the girl who has her phone surgically attached to her hand.'
'What was that?' Baz said sharply.
'Nothing!' Rey called cheerfully as she put away her phone.
God honestly! She was just telling Ben about her mom going away for the entire weekend. A whole weekend alone with Ben! She was brimming with excitement, even Baz being a buzzkill couldn't bring her down.
Baz returned to her seat behind Rey. She turned sweetly to the girl in the seat next to her,
'Tallie? do you want to come to that new Thai place for lunch with me?'
'Oh, I would love to Baz, but I've made plans with Rey and Rose. I want to ask Rey if that hunky boyfriend of hers has any friends for me!' Tallie said with a smile.
Baz rolled her eyes. Since when did everyone care so much about Rey? It was really only since she started going out with Ben. That boy was weird. I mean she practically threw herself at him and he turned her down? What was his damage?
Baz ran her thumb along her bottom lip. Rey's popularity seemed to be completely dependent upon her relationship with Ben remaining intact. So logically….if something was to happen to that relationship…. perhaps Rey's cred would also go down and everyone would finally get back to what they were supposed to be doing, hanging on her every word.
'Is Ben a bit happier today?' Rose asked.
'Yeah, he's still bummed about his research money falling through, but he is super excited we have the house to ourselves this weekend!' Rey replied.
Baz smiled as a plan formed in her mind. A plan to get the attention back on her once and for all and get Rey well and truly out of the picture. No one turned Baz down. When she wanted something, she got it and she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty in the process.
**********
That night, Rey had arranged to have a Skype call with Ben.
She sat in front of her laptop and fluffed up her hair as she waited for Ben to connect.
She felt butterflies in her stomach when she saw him. He was massive, he waved uncomfortably at her. He filled the entire screen. Rey giggled.
'For someone who studies modern warfare you sure seem to hate technology!'
'I like weapons! I just can't be bothered with all the numerous ways people can talk to each other these days.' He said throwing his hands up in frustration.
'Then why did you agree to this?'
'Because you wanted me to do it.'
She smiled, 'How was your day? Better than yesterday?'
'It's better now. I don't want to talk about me. Tell me about your day.'
Rey sighed, 'Same old. Same old. Mom took my mini skirt so I had to wear a longer one to school….'
'Good.'
'Ben! First of all you don't get to dictate what I wear, also do you have any idea how mortifying it is to know that my mom is out there wearing my mini skirt?'
'Point taken. Carry on.'
'Anyway, then Baz had a go at me for using my phone in class.'
'You should not be using your phone in class.' Ben said in his best stern teacher voice.
'Um, If you recall, I was texting you to say we had the house to ourselves this weekend.'
'Then fuck Baz, she was way out of line.'
Rey laughed, 'You're so funny.' Then it happened. She didn't mean to say it. It just slipped out, completely involuntarily and there was nothing she could do to stop it. 'I love you.'
Shit. What did she just say? What the fuck did she just say?
Rey felt the blood rush to her face.
Did she really feel that way? She did. Oh god! And she just told him, but it was far too soon! They had only been on one date for God's sake!
'I meant to say that I love that you're so funny!' She said in a high pitched voice that did not reek of desperation. Absolutely not.
Ben didn't say anything. He just blinked at her. The silence was excruciating. Ret felt sick. She had to end the call. Now.
'Oh I hear my mom calling! She needs me to help her with…..something. We'll speak tomorrow yeah? Bye!'
Rey hung up quickly.
What the hell was wrong with her? How could she possibly be in love with Ben Solo already? But she was. She felt it. She loved everything about him and in her typical oversharing style, she had blurted it out to him at the most inopportune moment ever!
She had really outdone herself this time.
She threw herself down on the bed. She had just told her fake boyfriend that she real loved him. And he didn't respond. If that wasn't the right time for a breakdown, she didn't know what was.
**********
Thursday
Rey waited all day, but Ben didn't call or text. She spent the day in a depressed haze, not knowing what to do. Eventually at 7pm, she caved and text him.
R: Hey. x
He replied straight away.
B: Hey. x
R: Are we okay? x
B: Yeah, we're okay. I've just been busy. x
Yeah right. Busy avoiding me more like. Rey thought to herself.
R: Okay. No worries. x
B: Rey I'm really sorry, but I'm not going to make it this weekend. I have a lot going on at work right now and it's just not possible. Next weekend yeah? I promise. x
Rey felt her heart sink. She had definitely scared him away and now he was backing off. She had no doubt in her mind that he would come up with another excuse the following weekend.
R: That's okay. Yeah next weekend. That will be great. x
The tears started the moment she pressed send.
**********
Friday
Rey missed school, choosing instead to stay at home curled up in bed feeling desperately sorry for herself and cringing every time she replayed the awful conversation in her mind.
Rose text her during their first lesson,
Where are you? What's happened? x
Rey replied instantly.
I'M IN CATASTROPHE MODE
I'm coming over. x
I'm okay really. Just ignore my dramatic ass. x
No you're not okay. I'm coming over. x
Rose turned up an hour later. She knocked and waited a moment before trying the door and finding it open.
'Rey?' She called as she walked up the stairs.
Rey didn't respond. She pulled the blanket up over her head.
She heard Rose enter the room then let out a soft sigh. Soft footsteps moved towards the bed. Rose carefully peeled the blanket away from Rey's face and smiled down at her.
'It can't be this bad.'
'It's worse.'
'What happened?'
Rey told Rose everything, which naturally lead to more distraught tears.
'Oh Rey, Maybe he really does have to work?' Rose said encouragingly.
'Or maybe he is so freaked out by the crazy girl who prematurely ejaculated the 'L' word all over him, he can't even look at me again let alone contemplate dating me.'
'I refuse to believe that. If you could just talk to him, I'm sure you two could straighten this whole mess out.'
'He's barely responding to my messages.' Rey said miserably.
Rose thought for a moment. Her face screwed up in concentration. Then her eyes widened and she smiled.
'You can go to London! Then he has to listen to you!'
'What? I can't do that! That would make it worse! He would think I was some sort of crazy stalker!'
'No he wouldn't. Look Rey, do you really love him?'
Rey paused.
'Yes.'
'Then isn't it worth taking the chance? What do you have to lose if you think you've lost him anyway?'
Rey pouted and sat up, 'You come in here with your logical arguments and sensible suggestions, where the hell are my marshmallows and sympathy? What kind of best friend are you anyway?'
Rose smiled, 'The best kind. Come on let's go book your train tickets.'
**********
Saturday
Rey sits nervously in her seat on the train drumming her fingers on the table so hard the business man sitting next to her stops tapping on his laptop and gives her an annoyed look.
She still doesn't know if it was a good idea to go to London. Doesn't really matter now anyway, the decision is made and she is on her way. For better or worse. Probably worse.
Getting off the train at Kings Cross she worked out how to get to UCL. She didn't have Ben's home address, so she was hoping that he was at work as he had said he would be.
Oh god. What if he took one look at her and told her to get lost? Her heart was hanging on by a thread, buoyed only by the small shred of hope Rose had managed to instil in her. If he didn't want to see her, there were going to be ugly tears. It really wouldn't be pretty.
She reached the university and used the campus map on her phone to locate his building. By the time she stepped out of the elevator on the floor his office was located on, she had managed to convince herself that it was all going to be fine, that as soon as they saw each other all that other stuff would be forgotten, and he would kiss her and they would end up having a lovely weekend even if she just got to watch him work she would be content….
'Oh Ben! You're so funny!'
Rey stopped dead. No. It couldn't be….How on Earth? Why?
Rey jumped into the stairwell next to the elevator doors and peeped through the window in the door. She watched Ben come out of his office with Baz hot on his heels. She was wearing a black shift dress which snugly hugged her curves. Ben locked his office door and Baz flipped her hair over her shoulder.
'It was really nice of you to offer to show me around. I really appreciate it.' She said taking hold of his arm.
'Don't mention it.' Ben said, and that's when Rey felt her heart break. Before he spoke she had been holding on to the irrational hope that Baz was there for her own reasons and Ben was moments away from throwing him out on her ass, but no. Ben had invited her here. Invited her to see where he worked and blew her off with a lame excuse. He had obviously seen something he liked the other day when Baz was flirting with him and had just strung her along knowing she would be easy to get into bed.
'Asshole.' Rey whispered as tears formed in her eyes. She ran down the stairs before they had a chance to see her. The only thing that could make her heartache worse right was if they saw her there, chasing after a lie.
What an absolute idiot she was for thinking her comment had scared him away. He probably laughed his head off later maybe he even told Baz all about it. What a dickhead.
By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs anger had set in and she was thanking her lucky stars she hadn't slept with him.
She managed to slip out of the building unseen and suddenly not feeling very touristy she headed back to Kings Cross to wait for the next train trying not to feel too miserable about the fact that she had bought an open-ended ticket in the hope that she wouldn't be using it until the following day, not within hours of arriving.
She popped into a newsagent and bought herself a flake. Chocolate being the only food that could put any kind of a dent in her melancholy mood right then.
She parked herself down on a bench and glanced at the schedule board. Just a half hour wait. Not too bad. She took out her phone and text Rose.
FYI we hate him. Get ready to listen to me bitch as soon as I get back. x
Rose replied straight away.
That bastard! I never liked him anyway. Marshmallows and sympathy at the ready. Keep your chin up. x
Rey cheered up a little after seeing her friend's response.
Tnx Rose. You're a good friend. X
Don't be sad Rey. We will fix it together. X
Rey ate her flake and cried as it crumbled onto her lap.