Friday morning dawned gray and dreary. A slow incessant rainfall had started up during the night creating rivers in the gutters and leaving the trees drooping under the weight of the pouring rain. But Rey wouldn't let it get her down. Tonight was the night! She and Ben had a date and planned to meet at a nearby Italian restaurant that was a favorite of hers. Maybe if she was lucky he would share a slice of their tiramisu with her, her favorite indulgence after a long week at work. It hadn't been a hard week, but she'd been anticipating this first date and that had made the days drag by like cold caramel.

By the time evening decided to roll around, it was apparent that the rain was here to stay. Rey chose leggings and a soft gray sweater dress, with a fuchsia scarf around her neck to add a bit of color back into the day. She put her hair up in a loose braid, spritzed Chanel Mademoiselle on her wrists, and was just gathering her umbrella when there was a knock at the door. She walked over, took a deep breath, and threw it open with a bright smile.

"Hey, Ben, it's nice to see you again," she greeted him.

"Hello, Rey," he returned. "Wow, you look…" Ben's words petered off as he took in Rey's outfit with an admiring gaze.

She raised one eyebrow and smirked at her date. "How do I look, Ben?" she asked.

"You look- warm!" Ben said, inwardly groaning at his lack of charm yet again.

"Smooth as ever, Solo," Rey teased, "I think I look a little better than warm... don't you?"

A blush stole over Ben's cheeks, rising up to the roots of his hair. He pulled on his sweater collar nervously before responding.

"You look beautiful, Rey. Really. You take my breath away. You always did, you know?" he said glancing down at his feet. "That's why I could never talk to you in school. Add on the fact that you seemed to loathe the sight of me and it was hopeless," he sighed dramatically, a hand over his heart.

"So, you're telling me that I got a scorpion in a lollipop because you didn't know how to say, 'Hi Rey you look cute today?'" Rey's laughter rang in the air as she reached for his hand. "Come on, Ben. I'm famished and we've got reservations. You can explain the lolly on the way."

Ben groaned.

Ben was determined not to mess up this chance to impress his childhood crush. Rey had been the apple of his eye since their first day of Kindergarten when she'd shared her snack with him. Even at five years old, he had been tall for his age and he'd owned a bottomless pit for a stomach. So when a pig-tailed Rey had plopped herself down next to him at snack time and offered half her goldfish crackers he'd been smitten. Ben chuckled at the memory while he drove, at least, as infatuated as a little boy could be.

He had been determined to return her kindness and when he'd found the longest worm he'd ever seen on the playground, he had wanted to show it to her. If only he could have made it to her side that fateful recess, maybe it wouldn't have soured the tone of their school years to come. When the teacher had called 'recess over' he'd needed to find a hiding place for the worm; it was too cool to let go. So, he put it in her My Little Pony lunchbox, intending to retrieve the worm before she saw it. Unfortunately, as little boys are wont to do, he'd forgotten what he'd done and Rey had discovered the worm squirming in her sandwich, and ice had entered her heart. How was he supposed to know she was terrified of crawling things?! To his dismay, she had stuck her tongue out at him and refused to talk to him from that day forward.

Now he found himself on a date with the girl who would later be voted Homecoming Queen and Miss Congeniality in high school; he felt like his awkward teenage self again. His palms were sweating, his heart racing and all he could think of was if her lips were really as berry sweet as they looked. Get a grip man! he cursed himself. This isn't the first date you've ever been on. For once in your life make those Solo genes work for you!

Ben cleared his throat and Rey turned to look at him.

"Rainy weather we're having today, huh?" he said.

Ugh.

Rey had a faint look of amusement on her face as she replied, "It is. I don't mind it though. Makes it easier to be stuck indoors when I work. It's probably good for business at the cafe, isn't it?" she asked, giving him an opening.

He gratefully grabbed at it, this was a topic dear to his heart. "Yeah it is, but whether it's the cold or the Pumpkin Spice season beginning, is not so clear," he laughed.

"It's probably the pumpkin spice," she chortled, "that stuff is addictive. I've got friends at work who mark its arrival on their calendars every year! It's ridiculous. Can I tell you a secret?" she asked.

Ben nodded his head.

"I hate it," she whispered.

Secretly, he absolutely agreed with her, but outwardly, he faked shock. "Rey! How do you survive without it?! It's the very nectar of the gods. I'm convinced it was the secret to Hercules' strength!" he cried.

Rey snorted and rolled her eyes. "I manage quite easily, thank you very much," she sassed back. "Now, chocolate, that's something I cannot exist without!"

"Any specific type?"

"Yes. All of them," was her emphatic reply.

"So you're telling me you aren't picky when it comes to chocolate?"

"Right-o!" she agreed.

"So," he said, "if I'd just given you a chocolate-covered grasshopper in third grade, instead of a scorpion in a lollipop you'd have forgiven me?"

Silence reigned in the car for a heartbeat and then Rey whooped in laughter.

"Of course, Ben! Chocolate-covered bugs are the way to every little girl's heart! How did you not know?"

"And here I thought giving you the coolest candy for Valentine's Day would win me big points! Did you know my dad brought those back to me from one of his trips abroad? They were unique. I didn't share them with anyone else in the class. I thought you'd notice."

"And I thought you were trying to make me toss my cookies!"

"Huh. I never considered that."

"Well, I guess you'll just have to make it up to me," she said, smiling.

"I'll try," he promised, grinning.

Dinner went well and it was soon followed by more. Ben found in Rey a lively companion who encouraged him to seek out adventure more. She'd even managed to get him to go on a memorable rafting excursion. He'd hesitated to get in the raft that morning, convinced that it wouldn't continue floating once he had boarded. In his defense, it had looked no bigger than a bathtub! But once they'd set off down the river, he had enjoyed the rush of fighting the rapids and the passing beauty of the rugged canyon, the sound of her laughter carried over the rushing waters.

Life was more exciting when she was near...even the tedious accounting books seemed benign when she was leaning over his shoulder asking questions. Today he hadn't been able to get away from the cafe, and she'd brought him lunch from their favorite deli.

"Ben," she asked between bites of roast beef, "why did you open the café? I mean, I never thought of you as a people person back in school."

Ben paused, fountain pen still for a moment.

"I don't think I am, yet, but I keep trying," he joked. "That's why I pay well and carefully hire nauseatingly cheerful employees. I wish I could give you some grand reason, but truly it's a lot simpler than that. I was always good with numbers but could never stand a nine-to-five office job. The thought of office politics made me shudder. This way I am my own boss and reap the rewards of my hard work."

"I admire that," Rey replied. "I could definitely do without the office gossip mill. Did you know, they've even got a pool running on us?!" she offered mischievously, eyebrows wiggling up and down.

Ben choked on a bite of his ham sandwich. He quickly placed it down on the wrapper and took a drink of cola. Wiping his palms on his jeans as he attempted to stop sputtering. He knew he looked like an idiot, she just startled him; she always surprised him.

"What- uh, what's the wager?" he asked as nonchalantly as he could.

He would swear her eyes glowed brighter than the sunlight coming through the window.

"Well, they're all betting on how long it'll be before one of us, and I quote, declare our undying affection for each other, end quote. I may or may not have a friend who revels shamelessly in eighteenth-century soap operas," she giggled.

"Oh. Is that all?" he asked, his face still.

"No, actually," she cleared her throat lightly, "Um, they insisted on a separate bet as to which oneofuswouldsayitfirst," she said in a rush.

Ben watched a delicate blush color steal across her cheeks before turning to watch the trees swaying in the wind at the park across the street. Dried leaves skittered down the gutters next to the sidewalk. Outdoors, winter held the world in thrall, but here in his cafe, all was cozy. Tucked away in his own little bubble of happiness he realized it was Rey who made the world brighter just by being in it. He realized…

She was watching him warily, and he quickly pulled himself out of his ruminating.

"So who's winning?" he smiled, joining in the game.

Rey released the breath she had been holding, afraid she'd scared him off a bit.

She tapped her chin in proverbial deep thought. "Poe is. He's the VP of marketing. He's the only one who picked a date before New Year's. Everyone else..." she paused, "everyone else thinks we're slow-burners. They'd be right," she laughed deprecatingly while picking at her sandwich.

"Remind me to thank him one day," he said, leaving his seat to kneel before her.

"Why?' she whispered.

"I needed that shot of confidence to tell you...that I love you," he said tenderly. "I hope I never recover from the loop you gave me the day you walked back into my life."

He took her hands in his, caressing them with his thumbs. On his knees, they were at eye level and he gazed at her with such adoration her heart seemed to flutter out of her chest. He leaned in to kiss her, but her small hand on his chest halted him in his tracks. His eyes searched hers, suddenly fearful he had spoken too soon.

"I love you too, Benjamin," her eyelashes sparkled with unshed tears as she leaned the rest of the way to kiss him. It was chaste, thanks to the audience, but sweeter than wine to them. As he pulled back, she smirked.

"Just promise me..." she spoke.

"Up to half my kingdom," he teased.

"No more worms in my lunches…"

The sound of his laughter filled the cafe.

The End

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A/N: Sorry for such a late finish to this story, but I hope you found it worth the wait! Yes, Chanel Madmoiselle is my favorite perfume, and yes Ben uses fountain pens. So do I. They are miles better than ballpoints. Now I need to go work on my Christmas story :))