'There's my girl!' Randy announced as Ben and Rey walked through the door of the cafe. He eyed Ben suspiciously. Rey walked up to him and made a big show of kissing him passionately. Ben rolled his eyes.

'What are you doing cavorting with the enemy?' Randy murmured against her lips.

'We're working together now,' Rey said, taking a seat next to him. Ben took the seat next to her.

'So Randy, what can you tell me about Miss Johnson?' Ben asked.

Randy grinned at Rey.

'She's my little ball of sunshine. I don't think I could love anything more.'

Rey beamed back at him.

'And do you ever get the feeling that you might love Rey more than she loves you?'

Rey glared at Ben.

'I thought we were on the same side now?' she gritted out.

'Just because we're on the same side doesn't mean I'm not going to do my job properly, Miss Johnson.'

Rey sighed.

'Fine but please call me Rey, I feel like I'm your teacher with all this "Miss Johnson" stuff.'

'Very well, Rey,' Ben said with a small nod.

He saw her expression soften as he uttered her name. She turned swiftly towards Randy.

'You can answer his question,' she told him.

'I do love Rey more,' Randy said.

Ben looked triumphant.

'Rey gasped.

'No you don't!' she protested.

Randy laughed and sipped his coffee.

'Yes I do, Rey, but honestly look at you and look at me, of course I love you more.'

'And you're happy about that?' she asked in a small voice.

Randy shrugged.

'It is what it is.'

'Let's just order,' Rey mumbled looking at the menu.

The waitress came over and smiled at them all.

'Eye whites only scrambled eggs and gluten free toast please,' Randy said.

Ben rolled his eyes again.

Rey ordered a club sandwich.

Ben ordered a coffee.

'Oh, and I'll have another coffee too please,' Randy interjected. 'With cream and one for Rey, the same way please.'

'So now it's with cream,' Ben mumbled scribbling in his notepad.

Rey turned to look at him and sighed.

'Problem?' she asked.

'No, I'm not the one with the problem.'

'You aren't really a team player are you, Ben? Perhaps Randy could work with you. He's a trained sports psychologist.'

Randy nodded enthusiastically.

'Rey and I have been working on some cognitive behavioural training haven't we darling?'

'What the fu—-I mean what does that mean?' Ben asked.

Randy explained.

'We've been working on focusing Rey's thoughts on positive outcomes rather than negative ones. For instance, we imagine the wedding as a championship game of football and saying "I do" is the goal that will win the game and that's why she isn't going to run this time because this time she can visualise her victory,' Randy said confidently smiling at the waitress as she delivered their food and drinks.

Rey noted that the waitress lingered in front of Ben for longer than was necessary. She tapped her fingers on the counter until the waitress backed off.

'That sounds really interesting,' Ben said sarcastically.

'It is really interesting,' Rey said smiling at Randy.

'It's not going to work,' Ben muttered under his breath.

'What was that?' Rey snapped.

'I said I need to get going,' Ben replied, getting out of his seat.

'Got more people to terrorise do you?'

'Yup.'

'I'll see you lovebirds later,' he joked.

Rey glared at the back of his head as he walked away.

'Enjoy your coffee, Rey,' he called back over his shoulder before leaving the cafe.

Rey ran out into the street.

'What did that comment mean?' she demanded.

Ben turned to face her.

'Your coffee order changes as often as your taste in men, Rey. It's like you take on a new personality everytime you enter a new relationship. You don't even know yourself. You're nothing but a lost little girl…'

'And you're the monster that little girls are afraid of!' Rey retorted.

Ben stepped closer to her.

'Are you really afraid of me, Rey? Or are you more afraid of what I represent to you?' he said in a low voice.

'Get out of my head,' she whispered.

'Stop letting me in,' he rumbled back.

They were inches from each other, close enough to feel each other's breath. She didn't know why she felt the urge to kiss him. But she did. It was there raw and burning under the surface.

Just as Rey was about to lean forward to close the mere inches of distance between them, Randy appeared.

'Rey, is everything okay?' He asked.

Rey quickly took a few steps back. Randy looked at them both and frowned.

'Yes everything's fine!' Rey squeaked in a voice that sounded anything but fine.

'I need you inside,' Randy said, still looking at them both suspiciously. Ben never took his eyes off Rey.

Rey nodded and Randy slid an arm over her shoulder, angling her back inside the building.

Ben finally allowed himself to let out the breath he had been holding in. He ran a hand through his hair.

'Shit,' he mumbled as he walked back to his hotel.

Later that day, Rey spun around on a chair in Roses salon while her friend swept up for the day.

'I hate him!' she wailed as she twirled.

'He's quite handsome though isn't he?'

Rey stopped spinning and stared at her friend furiously.

'Well he is!' Rose retorted.

There was a bang on the door and the girls both looked to see Ben waving at them through the glass.

'Shit, he's like beetlejuice if I say his name one too many times, he turns up,' Rey muttered.

'Should I let him in?' Rose asked.

'By all means let him in, he certainly won't go away if you don't,' Rey announced loudly.

Rose unlocked the door and Ben walked in with his hands in his suit pockets looking smug.

'Where the hell have you been all day?' Rey asked.

'Miss me bad, huh?' Ben said with a wink.

Rey flushed as her heart fluttered in her chest.

'What are you doing here?' she asked.

'I can hardly write a story about the infamous Rey Johnson without speaking to her very best friend Rose Tico-Hux now can I?'

'Apparently you've decided to talk to everyone in town. Sergeant Skywalker said you and him split a side of nachos earlier,' Rose said.

'Yes, he's an interesting man. He certainly had a lot of opinions about you,' Ben said giving Rey a look that forced her to suppress a shiver.

Rose sensed the impending brawl and stepped between the two of them.

'The only way I will agree to be interviewed is if you let me cut your hair.'

Ben snorted.

'No way.'

'Okay, let's compromise, how about just a wash?' Rose offered.

Rey's eyes gleamed. She picked up on the mischievous energy radiating from her best friend.

'Yes, let us give your hair a wash for you.'

She came towards Ben and pushed a hand through his short black waves. His eyes widened but he didn't pull away.

'Let's get the city grit out of those luscious locks,' she murmured.

His hair was super soft, she sort of felt deprived when she had to pull her hand away again.

'Okay,' Ben agreed. He hadn't taken his eyes off hers since she touched him. Her heart hitched in her chest.

Ben followed them to the basin and sat down in the chair. Rose ran the water over his hair.

'Rey started plucking bottles off the shelves.

'So Rose, what can you tell me about Rey?' Ben asked.

'Everything. She's my very best friend and the love of my life,' Rose said.

Rey beamed at her.

Rey poured the contents of one of the bottles into her hands and began massaging it into Ben's scalp. She watched with interest as his eyes fluttered shut at the contact.

'And why do you think she runs out on all these men?' Ben continued.

Rey pulled his hair.

'Ow!' he complained.

'Sorry!' Rey sang cheerfully.

Rose pressed her lips together.

'I think Rey is better equipped to answer your question,' she said.

'The reason I walked out on those men is because of the dreams,' Rey said mysteriously, making a face at Rose.

'The dreams?' Ben asked as Rey continued massaging his scalp. It felt nice to touch him. She tried to ignore the pleasant sensation forming in her stomach. She put the contents of a different bottle into her hands and ran it through his hair.

'Yes, with each of my past fiancés, I had a premonition that our marriages would be doomed to fail. I dreamt that the wedding cake was full of rats or that my dress would be eaten by moths.'

Rose stifled her laughter as Rey continued.

'One time I dreamt that I was walking down the aisle completely naked!'

'I would like to see that,' Ben muttered.

Rey blushed.

Rose chucked a towel over his head and started rubbing.

'Just drying you off,' she said in a loud voice.

'One time I dreamt that my dress was every colour of the rainbow!' Rey announced.

'That doesn't sound like a bad omen,' Ben said as Rose pulled the towel away.

Rey held a hand mirror out in front of Ben.

'I'm glad you think so because your hair is now as bright as Joseph's dream coat!'

The girls burst out laughing.

Ben looked in the mirror at his hair, each strand was a different shade. Green, blue, red, pink, purple, Rey had left no coloured stone unturned.

His nostrils flared and he fixed his eyes on Rey. Anyone else would have been terrified under the intensity of that glare. Not Rey. She felt exhilarated and a little turned on.

Ben stood up.

'Thank you, ladies,' he said with a little nod.

'It'll wash out, it's not permanent!' Rose called after him between giggles.

Ben left the shop and disappeared down the street.

Rose and Rey high fived.

'That'll teach him!' Rose said.

'He'll be back, he's like a bad smell that one,' Rey complained.

Rose returned to her sweeping.

'You seemed to like his hair,' she said quietly.

'What?' Rey snapped.

'I just noticed you let out a little sigh while you were ever so gently caressing his tresses that's all.'

'It was all part of the ruse,' Rey retorted.

Rose nodded.

'Sure it was,' she said with a smirk as she brushed.