Falling for Bentley (Part One) by Shawnte Borris

close?”
    “We are,” I answered happily. “I talk to my dad at least once a week, if not twice.”
    “What about your mom?”
    “What’s with all the questions, Bentley?”
    “Nothing, I’m just trying to get to know my new friend. If you don’t want to answer the question, you don’t have to.”
    “With my dad traveling all the time for his job, my mom just got tired of dealing with life all on her own. So she decided to split and leave me with my dad; neither one of us has seen or heard from her since.”
    “That’s rough,” Bentley said, laying his arm across the back of the booth pulling his t-shirt taught across his chest.
    “It’s okay. Well, I don’t mean okay she left her child behind, because seriously, who does that, right? But everything worked out; I travelled lots with my dad and when I couldn’t any more he sent me to one of the best schools in the country. Then, in high school, I asked to live with my grandparents, and well, you know the rest,” I shrugged.
    Whitney walked over and handed us our milkshakes. “Have y’all decided what to order yet?”
    “I think I’ll get the pork chops with the hash brown casserole and a side garden salad with a vinaigrette dressing, please,” I said then put my menu back in the holder.
    “I’ll have a steak sandwich, medium with a loaded bake potato and steamed vegetables, Whitney.”
    “Good choices, it shouldn’t take too long.”
    Looking straight at me, Bentley replied, “We’re not in a hurry.”
    Whitney looked down at the two of us and smiled before she walked away to put in our order.
    I waited for Bentley to take a sip of his milkshake before I asked, “Well, what do you think?”
    “You’re right, they are good. I can’t believe I haven’t had once since I was a kid.”
    “Do you want to know Maggie’s secret?” I asked leaning in towards the table.
    Bentley met me half way, “Yes.”
    I looked around the diner before I crooked my finger, telling Bentley to come closer, “She not only uses real strawberries, but she adds a bit of jam, too.”
    “Don’t worry, I’ll take that info to the grave,” he whispered back.
    I leaned closer to the milkshake, “Nah, don’t worry about it. My grams makes them the same way. Who do you think taught her how to make them?” I took a big drink, but kept my eyes on Bentley.
    I pulled back a little, and Bentley swiped my bottom lip with his thumb then stuck it into his mouth. “You had a little milkshake on your lip, thought I’d get it for you.”
    “Thanks,” I sighed back.
    “Did you always like it here? I mean with your grandparents and all,” he asked.
    “I love it here, always have. I couldn’t wait to spend my summers here as a kid. Then, when I was old enough for school, I counted down the days until Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, and everything else in between to get back here.”
    “If you had the opportunity to stay here, would you?” Bentley asked with a different tone in his voice I didn’t quite understand.
    “I’d need a job to stay,” I replied truthfully.
    “If you had that, would you stay, even after all the bullshit I put you through?”
    I didn’t even hesitate, “Bentley, I would give anything to stay here.”
    “Even giving up your job at the academy? Schools here can’t pay you what you make there.”
    “True, but if I could teach and live here, I would. Money isn’t everything, Bentley.”
    Bentley sat back and looked like he was thinking about what I said. I drank my milkshake while I waited for him to process whatever he was going after. “Hales.”
    “Yeah?” I said looking up to him.
    “I really am sorry for what I did and said to you in high school.”
    I placed my hand on his, “I know, and I accept your apology. I don’t think you are the same person any more. If you were, I wouldn’t be sitting here.”
     
     
    RUBBING MY BELLY and pushing my plate away, I announced, “I’m full. That was so good. I can’t believe I