Free Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy Page A

second?”
    “Sure.”
    It was Ben. “Hey, what’s going on?”
    “Hey, Mol. I wanted to see what you were up to.”
    “Just talking to my friend from Boston.”
    “Why does it sound like there’s an echo?”
    “Oh… I guess because I’m in the bath.” I readied myself for a suggestive response.
    He didn’t disappoint. “Can I come join you?”
    “Nope. I’m on the phone with my friend, remember?”
    “Okay, so maybe later?”
    I swirled around the water with a hand, disappointed that it was starting to turn cold. “How about I come to your place?” It had been hard to kick him out, and there was no way I was sleeping next to him. He’d freak out when I had one of my dreams.
    “Sounds good to me. I’m on Basil Street now. Number Five.”
    I hadn’t thought about where Ben lived. I still pictured him sleeping in his bedroom at his parents’ house—the room with the band posters lining the walls and every video game console known to man hooked up to his TV. I was curious what his current place looked like.
    “All right, I’ll be over in a bit.”
    “Great, I can’t wait.”
    I switched back to Becca. “Sorry about that.”
    “Who was it?”
    “Ben.”
    “Wait, as in high school boyfriend Ben?” Becca knew all about the drama surrounding us. She jokingly referred to him as “the one who got away” even though I’d remind her that I was the one who dumped him.
    “The one and only.”
    “Care to expand on why he’s calling you? Is he the ‘ocean air’ you mentioned earlier?”
    I laughed. I loved Becca’s humor. “Maybe a little.”
    “All right, go get some ‘ocean air’ then.” She laughed. “One of us needs a little fun.”
    “You could try dating again, you know.”
    “Great idea. Because I have such a good track record with that. Hey, doesn’t Ben have a brother?”
    “Yes, and he’s the last guy in the world I’d set you up with.” I wouldn’t sic Jake on my worst enemy.
    She laughed again. “Fine, but you can’t keep all those cute southern boys to yourself. You better send one my way eventually.”
    “All right, I’ll keep that in mind. Good luck with Civ Pro.”
    “I think I’ll be okay on this one. It’s Contracts I’m dreading.”
    “You’ll be fine. Just don’t push yourself too hard and make sure to get some sleep.”
    “I’ll try,” she promised.
    I hung up and added some more hot water to the bath. I enjoyed a few more minutes of soaking before draining the tub and taking a quick shower to wash off the remaining bubbles.
    It took me a minute to figure out what to wear over to Ben’s. I didn’t have much experience going over to a guy’s place for the express purpose of hooking up. I eventually settled on black yoga pants and a tank. It seemed like the right mix of cute and casual.
    I felt a small flutter of nerves as I parked out front of his place. I couldn’t pull in because his truck took up the whole driveway. His house was one of those small, cottage style homes. I walked up the front steps, ringing the doorbell while simultaneously reminding myself that there was nothing to be nervous about.
    Ben answered the door in nothing but boxers. And I worried about what I was wearing.
    “Nice of you to dress up for me,” I teased as I followed him in.
    “I just got out of the shower. I figured you were clean, I should be too.”
    He led me into his small den that had an equally small kitchen located just off it.
    “Nice place,” I commented, taking it in. What it lacked in space, it made up in character. Chair rails and the original wood floors gave the place a warm feel, and the sparse furniture made the most of the limited space.
    “Come on. Let me give you a tour.”
    He showed me a decent sized bathroom, a small room that housed all of his musical instruments, and finally his bedroom. For some reason we both paused in the doorway. As natural as what happened at my house had been, actually planning to let it repeat itself felt different,