Rey hated waiting. She especially despised waiting in in a situation where she didn't know what to expect would happen next. She liked to have some control in the situation. Especially at business meeting. Rey didn't like surprises.
Typically Rey would have time to look up information on a client, get to know them better based off of what info she finds from their professional and social accounts. She gets to the lunch meetings prepared and knows just what to say to land the contract.
She was almost scared to google Ben Solo's name as she sat at the subway station waiting for the train to come. She did it anyway despite her trepidation. She hadn't wanted to know any details of what occurred in his life after the day that he married that awful woman, Bazine.
Sometimes curiosity got the best of her and she would read articles about his mother's success or his father's retirement from being a fighter pilot with the military. She couldn't bring herself to look up Ben's name specifically though.
She didn't want to hear about how successful and happy e was with her not in his life. She didn't want to know about his influence in the upper echelon of society in Manhattan.
She especially didn't want to look at photos of him looking lovingly at a woman that wasn't her.
Nope, curiosity would not kill the cat in her case, she managed to escape seeing any updates about Ben's life.
Now, here she was sitting at a table at a fabulous chic Michelin rated French restaurant, where prices for micro size dishes was more than Rey spent on food for herself in a week.
Ben wasn't late, Rey had arrived fifteen minutes early. She glanced down at her phone and saw a message from Gwen Phasma.
'Wine and dine him. Put your past behind you. We really need this client', the message read.
Rey was startled by someone clearing their throat behind her. She saw a shadow looming over the table.
Rey whipped around and stared up at the figure.
"Rey its so good to see you again", she heard a voice say. Rey shifted her feet and took a step back. Ben's voice gave her goose bumps as a teenager us t being in his presence and still did.
Rey started to say something but got choked up for a few seconds when she tried to speak.
He looked the same, even after eight years. He had a dew strands of grey hair that he sported at his hairline. On the skin around his eyes, he had a few crinkles and his hair had grown out from just around his ears to the center of his neck.
Ben looked just like he remembered him looking the last time that she saw him. In face, possiblt better. It was obvious that he had spent a lot of time at the gym. His grey, tailored suit ouldn't hide his lean, muscular build.
"Hello, Ben", Rey managed to stutter out. "I uhh…was surprised to learn that you were our potential client and that ..umm..you asked for me to meet with you directly or at least my title."
"Oh, it shouldn't be a huge shock Rey. I needed the best ad agency to handle my company's campaign and your company has quite the reputation for excellent service. When I saw on the webpage that you would be the head ad executive it was a no brainer. I trust you completely".
Rey smiled at him and them shook her head. "While I appreciate ou coming to our ad agency. Its just somewhat of a shock after all of these years. How can you trust me? You don't know me. Or at lest you don't know me now."
Ben gestured to the chair in front of the table. "Have a seat. I've taken the liberty to call the chef ahead of our reservation and the kitchen has prepared a special menu for us", he noted as he pointed to the long, laminated black menu laying on the table, with a fancy script in white lettering.
Rey glanced around the restaurant and noticed that all of the other tables had white laminated menus. She looked down at the menu and noticed that each category only contained two choices. For the main course there was a choice between beef burgundy and lemon sage lamb chops.
As much as Rey loved to cook, she didn't have such a sophisticated palate. She preferred a burger to lamb chops.
When the waiter came by Rey ordered the beef burgundy.
"Which wine with your meal would you like madam?", the waiter asked.
Rey shook her head, "I shouldn't", she stated.
Ben smirked. "Oh you definitely should. They have a fantastic chardonnay on the menu. I highly recommend that you try it".
What's going on here, Rey thought to herself. Why is Ben acting like this? Why is he insisting on her drinking wine. She wasn't even of legal drinking age the last time that he saw her; she turned 20 shortly after the last time that she saw him.
Rey didn't drink much alcohol. Even in her days working at Maz's cantina she was never tempted to drink. She knew that she wouldn't be able to handle drinking more than one glass , that she would only finish out of politeness for he situation. She ordered a glass of chardonnay. He ordered the same.
In her back of her mine, panic began to set in as she thought about seeing Gwen's expression when she saw how much Rey charged on the corporate credit card. She hadn't anticipated having to add alcohol to the charges.
Once the waiter left their table, Ben caught her gaze once again.
"So Rey, we have a lot of catching up to do", he said.
Rey shook her head. "No Ben, this lunch is about discussing the business opportunity that my company is able to provide to you and your company. Its not time to catch up on what's been going on in my life within the last eight years.
She didn't want to know what was going on in his life within the last years. He hadn't bothered to reach out to her in that time. She had worked hard to keep any thoughts of him and how much she missed him out of her mind after finally accepting that he wasn't hers and never would be.
Ben didn't seem to notice the frown that had spread across Rey's face.
"Why don't you start by telling me how you stumbled upon this business. Let me know about your schooling and professional experience that qualifies you to be the head ad executive handling my company's campaign.
He got her there, she thought to herself. He was still asking her about herself by turning the question to directly relate to their business relationship.
"You look incredible by the way. You always were beautiful though", he told her.
Rey thought bout how she used to dress as a teen . She preferred to look comfortable. Jeans, a t shirt and sneakers was her go to outfit. It still was but now in her role, she put in more effort into her appearance.
The black stiletto pumps, the elegant suits and dresses that she always got compliments on by clients. Her hair in a high bun instead of the three buns that she used to sport with her face highlighted by a bright red lipstick. She was dressed to land a deal, nothing more than that.
Rey placed her hands, grasped together tightly on the table.
"Ok, well I received a bachelor's degree in business administration and then went on to earn my MBA a few years ago after I started with Brookline advertising. The company offered tuition remission which was a great incentive of working there. I started off as the executive assistant for MS. Phasma and now I'm the head marketing executive,", she explained.
Ben seemed to be hanging on to every word that she said with his eyes. His gaze was focused on her mouth, "Impressive".
"Well, why don't you tell me about how you came to create your company?", Rey asked.
His face lit up at her question.
"Ahh well , I studied mechanical engineering and started working at Snoke Industries, which made parts of tactical gear and weapons as part of federal contract. After I earned my graduate degree in engineering, I decided to branch out as a subcontractor and start my own company. I still worked alongside Ms. Snoke but this time I was the CEO and had more control over the financial decisions", he answered.
As Ben was speaking he was moving his hands in the air. Rey happened to notice that he wasn't wearing a wedding band. She brushed it off. Not all the men that she knew wore their rings every day. She wasn't sure that Finn would wear his after they got married as he never wore any jewelry.
Rey looked down at her own ring. It wasn't a fancy, large diamond in the setting. Finn had taken her to the jeweler and let her pick out a ring. She had selected a simple proncess cut half carat diamond ring with a white gold band.
She had always imagined staring at her finger with a large diamond encrusted with smaller diamonds on a platinum band like she had seen on the movies. In the movie the woman was surprised with the proposal.
Even though she hadn't been surprised by Finn's proposal , she told herself that the ring was practical and simple as the proposal had been. She didn't want or need anything more then that.
She knew that her life wasn't a Hollywood movie with a whirlwind, fairytale romantic ending.
Ben noticed her looking down at the ring on her hand.
"I suppose that congratulations are in order. Who is the lucky person?", he questioned.
"Finn Storm. I don't know if you remember but the last time that we spoke in the office of Maz's cantina, Finn was there. IT was the day that I met him", he explained.
He nodded. "I do remember. Cocky guy that looked at me smugly when you yelled at me when we came back from the back room".
"One in the same. Anyways, we started out as friends in College but eventually our relationship changed into something more. Last year, he proposed We were planning on getting married at the end of this year.", she told him.
She didn't mention that Finn hadn't agreed to a date for the wedding yet. She also left out the part where Finn refused to commit to any of the rest of the wedding planning. She figured everything would eventually resolve itself and a date would be set.
Ben was smiling at her but his voice was low and he almost abounded like he was growling when he started to speak. "Are you sure that he's the one for you? The one man that you want to spend the rest of your life with?"
Rey shifted in her seat and tried to control her crossed leg from swinging against and hitting the other leg nervously.
"Of course I am":, she stated calmly.
Rey wasn't sure if that was the complete truth but Ben was now a stranger to her. He didn't need to know about the uncertainty and concern that she pushed to the back of her mind about marrying Finn.
"Aren't we supposed to be talking about the contract? I'd like to get back on track if possible."
Ben sighed and bit his lower lip before shifting his jaw.
"Of course, let's discuss the details", he said.
Shortly after they ironed out the details on the contract, which Ben promised would be delivered to her office the next day to be signed, the food arrived.
After they ate, the conversation became more relaxed. They made small talk and avoided speaking about any personal issues. Rey drank more wine, thinking it would help her to relax.
Rey thought that she saw something behind Ben's eyes that she couldn't quite read. His eyes would narrow and his normally amber colored eyes would almost appear to be black at certain points of the conversation, especially when Finn's name would casually be thrown into the conversation. Rey tried to distract herself from staring into his eyes by talking more.
At the end of the night after her bill was settled and she stepped outside, Ben shifted closer to her.
"How are you planning on getting back to your place?" he asked.
Rey shivered and rubbed her bare arms as the night air hit her.
"I was going to hail a cab," she answered.
"Where are you residing nowadays?", he questioned.
She gave him the address.
"You've been drinking. I think you are a little tipsy. How about I share your cab ride back home. I live about two blocks before your stop. I'd feel more comfortable knowing that you made it home safely", he said as he draped his sports coat over her shoulders. She instantly felt warmer and stopped shivering.
Rey typically wouldn't have shared a cab with anyone, but the wine was really getting to her head. She typically would have gone back straight to her office after lynch, not back to her place. She had two and a half glassed of chardonnay. And was definitely feeling the effects going straight to her head. She felt dizzy and just wanted to crawl in her bed and go to sleep. So back to her place it was.
Rey hesitated for a moment before agreeing. "Alright", she said as he hailed a cab.
Once she sat down next to him in the back of the cab, she felt his arm brushing against hers. She quickly glanced up at him. He looked so handsome. She wasn't sure what she was getting herself into.