after five. We stay open if someone needs to come by after work to pick up their vehicle."
"So you work ten or eleven hours a day?"
Ben shrugged and lifted his glass to his lips. I watched his throat work as he swallowed. Watching a man drink should not be sexy. Jeez, what was going on with me?
"Not every day, but a few days a week, yeah." He looked at me. "What about you? What do your days look like?"
"Nuh-uh. What do you do after work?"
He grunted and shook his head. "Not much. I come home. I either cook or pick up something on my way. I eat. I shower, watch TV or read, and go to bed."
I cocked my head as he spoke. That certainly didn't sound like the kind of life a playboy bachelor would have. Blondie and her friend at the bar obviously didn't know shit about him. Or he was purposely leaving out his bar trolling to make himself look better.
"What about dating?"
Ben laughed. "I don't have a lot of time for that."
I completely understood that because that's what I told Cam every time she said she was worried I wasn't getting out and meeting men. "What about marriage, kids, stuff like that? Or are you a confirmed bachelor?"
He seemed completely unperturbed by the fact that I was practically interrogating him and shrugged. "I guess I think that when I meet the right woman, I'll make time for her."
I gave him a light slap on his shoulder. "That's exactly what I tell Cam when she asks me that question."
"So you're waiting for the right woman, too?" he asked.
I laughed and shook my head, but didn't answer.
He finished his drink and gestured to my half-empty glass. "Do you want another?"
I shook my head again.
"Then, how about you tell me about a typical day for you."
I sipped the vodka and soda before I answered. "I work long hours but I'm usually at home on my couch in my pajamas." I chuckled at the expression on his face. "Yeah, even when I shower, I usually dress in clean leggings and tees when I'm done, but they're still essentially pajamas."
"So you're a hermit?"
"Pretty much, but I kinda like it. People are...hard and sometimes it's just easier to avoid them."
He didn't say anything to that, just looked at me as though I were a puzzle he was trying to figure out. His intensity was actually pretty flattering.
I finished my drink and sat my glass next to his. "Speaking of hermits, can I see the rest of your house? Especially Betty Boop. She's a must on this tour." I asked. It was probably rude to ask him to show me around but I knew exactly where I wanted the tour to end—his bedroom.
"Sure." He straightened from the counter and gestured to the bar that ran between the living room and the kitchen. I hadn't noticed it before, but there was a small tank on the opposite end.
I slid off the island. At The Boot, I hadn't realized how much taller than me he was, but now it was obvious. Then again, I was only a few inches over five feet so he probably wasn't quite six feet tall. In my flat sneakers, I barely came up to his chin. I felt small, even delicate, which was rare for me.
Would I feel the same way if I were lying under him in bed?
My entire body flashed hot and I knew it was time to step away before I attacked him like a rabid animal. Humping his leg probably wouldn't impress him very much.
I crept closer to the tank but all I could see was the shell, no crab in sight.
"Guess it's past Betty's bedtime," I murmured, still feeling more than a little hot.
Ben grinned. "Probably. Maybe you can meet her the next time you're here."
The next time I was here? Was he already expecting a replay before we'd even gotten started? I shot him a sideways glance, but he was already moving away from me.
"Follow me."
When he turned, my eyes dropped to his butt. Hmmm, maybe a replay wouldn't be a problem. If the act was half as fantastic as the view, I wouldn't mind coming back again.
I realized as we left the kitchen that there was a row of stools on the other side of the bar. The kitchen opened directly into the living room, which I hadn't noticed because the room was dark. Ben hit a switch and all the lamps in