The look on his face was difficult to read. “I don’t get drunk, Claire.”

“Why not?”            

“I like being in control.”

I nodded, completely understanding. “Me too.” More than you’ll ever know.

To my surprise, the food arrived in no time. The waitress lingered around, making small chat with Ben and letting him know if he needed anything – anything at all – that she would be there. It was hilarious.

The food was absolutely divine. The best I’d ever had, and it sure beat the happy meal from this afternoon. But I was weary of how much to eat, knowing well that it most likely would be meeting the toilet bowl in the morning.

“How long have you lived here?” Ben asked me.

“Over ten years,” I answered.

“Quite a while. What made your mother decide to come here after leaving Michigan?”

“My mom’s Australian. She met my father when she went to the states on a work visa. She worked as a nurse there, and he lived at the apartment complex she did. They got married only a few months after dating, and when she had me, we moved around a lot. My father didn’t want to be in one spot too long. So when I said Michigan to you before, I meant really that I was born there.”

“Where did you grow up then?”

“Everywhere. They travelled a lot, and when Mom wanted some stability, much to my father’s resistance, they settled in Ohio. I don’t remember much about actually living there. I was too concerned with my parents’ relationship.”

He cocked his head to the side and looked at me curiously. “Why is that?”

“It was very strained near the end. I only remember bits and pieces.” I paused, trying to sift through the memories of my adolescent years. “I remember the police coming to the door and arresting him. He ended up being some crook, and it devastated Mom when he was laid with heavy charges of fraud. Faked his name and everything, even to her. That’s why he didn’t like being in one spot too long. He was on the run.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah. It was a very hard time for her. My father got put away. He’s still rotting in prison. Armed robbery and assault – those kinds of charges. I don’t really know the details. She doesn’t talk about it, and I don’t care anymore to ask.”

“Why don’t you care?”

I shrugged and stared down at my plate. “I didn’t have fond memories of my father. He wasn’t a very affectionate man, and I remember him being aggressive to Mom on a few occasions. I don’t think I ever respected him, or regarded him as someone I loved. It was always Mom and me, you know?”

Ben nodded. “So what happened after?”

“We were there for another two years. Then when I turned ten, my grandmother passed away. We came here for the funeral and to go over the will. My grandmother left her a lot of money, and Mom decided it was best to stay here and start fresh. She bought the house we’re living in outright, and the rest went to me. It’s to see me through school so I don’t have to work while studying at the same time.”

“That’s an incredible gift from your grandmother to you.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “My grandmother was a cow. She’d abuse me over the phone when I was kid. Called me a tool when I took too long to give the phone to Mom. No, it was Mom that decided to tuck away the rest for me.”

Ben laughed lightly. “Right. That’s some story.”

“It’s only interesting when you’re reflecting back on it. It certainly wasn’t living it.”

“No, it wouldn’t be.” He paused and locked his eyes with mine. “You ever curious about seeing your father again?”

“No,” I said firmly. “He really hurt my mother. It only took the last few years to finally move on to someone else. She lost her trust in people and it really messed her up. She had to start over again. There’s no way I want to see a man I can’t trust.”

He reflected on that. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “Trust is very hard to come by.”

“Well, enough about me. Tell me why your family decided to come here.”

“They wanted a new place to open up some businesses.”

“Like the furniture one?”

“No, that’s mine,” he said before swiftly changing the subject. “Now are you an only child?”

Smooth, Ben. Real smooth.

“Yes,” I answered. “Are you?”

“I have a younger brother.”

Is he as hot as you? “Is he in the same line of work as you?”

“No. My brother’s…” He stopped talking for a moment as a fleeting look of irritation crossed him. “He’s not very stable.”

Was his brother mentally unstable? Or was it drugs? Maybe alcohol? Or did he mean violent? I wanted to know what was wrong with him that had Ben momentarily look so unforgiving. I wanted to dig into the layers of this mercurial man and see what remained. His answers were too vague for my liking.

“What about your parents?” I then asked.

“What about them?” he replied, looking away from me.

“Are they here?”

“No – well, I mean, they were here. But they died a long while ago.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” It seemed like such a recycled line to use, but I was short of knowing what else to say. I didn’t know the boundaries when it came to this. Was it alright to ask him how they died?

Reading me so well, he shot me a weary look. “Too much thinking, beauty. Car accident. That’s how they went.”

“Oh. That’s rough.”

He nodded, saying nothing more.

“Is that why your brother’s unstable?”

He was taken aback by the question, but he looked equally impressed. His brows came together. “Partly, actually.”

“I guess we all have ways of acting out,” I remarked.

“I agree. Different people cope in different ways.”

Oh, how true that was!

Thankfully we moved on from that sore topic, and talked about other things. He told me his hobbies, one that included being a pilot, and when I laughed at that, he demanded to know why.

“Well, because you’re wealthy,” I explained.