I had a thing for my best friend’s brother-in-law, Professor Ben Harrison. One late night, I texted him: “Babe, you’re seriously gorgeous.” He replied with two words: “Keep it professional.” After a month of chasing, this unattainable hunk wouldn’t budge. Then, the second month, my best friend called, sobbing, saying she wanted a divorce. I puffed up my chest and declared, “I’ll be right there with you!” Then, I texted Ben: “Old man, you’re probably useless anyway!” “Peace out, never wanna see you again!” That night, Ben cornered me in my room, and I ended up tearfully apologizing. “I messed up.” He chuckled darkly, “Too late for that.” **** My bestie, Sarah Evans, was a total goddess. Rich, smart, cultured, kind, and generous. I often wished I had been born a guy. About a month ago, she married the ultimate D.C. socialite, Matt Harrison. As the maid of honor, I cried my eyes out. I was the saddest person in the whole room, because, let’s face it, no guy on earth was good enough for Sarah. And to make it worse, she was married, which meant we probably wouldn’t see each other as much. Matt gave me a smug grin, the look of a guy who knew he’d won. That guy was a well-known playboy. When Sarah and Matt were dating, he and I were like oil and water. I constantly got under his skin. He’d get super mad, but because of Sarah he couldn’t really say anything. On their wedding day, he was all smiles, telling me, “Okay, Taylor James, back off now. She’s mine.” “You’re a third wheel. Be cool.” I was ready to rip his head off. Then I saw this dude who looked vaguely like Matt, walking toward us. This guy was tall, leggy, and had this quiet, refined aura. Even Matt, the cocky one, straightened up and showed some respect. He called him “Bro.” The man nodded and turned his gaze to me. Matt made the introductions, “This is Taylor James, Sarah’s best friend.” “And this is my older brother, Ben.” Ben was a man of few words, just a slight nod in my direction. I stared at him. Then, a lightbulb went off. An idea popped into my head. At the reception, I sat next to Ben. I straight up asked, “You single?” My bluntness caught him by surprise. Besides me, everyone at the table was a relative of the groom’s. They all stared at me, looking a bit shocked. Ben paused, then replied, “Yes.” “Cool, let’s exchange numbers then!” I shoved my QR code at him. He glanced at me. Probably because of the situation, family around, and it being a wedding, he didn’t feel like he could blow me off. He scanned it. I was super happy and chatted with Ben all evening. He was so polite, answering everything I said with a careful, formal tone. I knew he probably didn’t want to deal with me, but whatever, I had my sights set on this guy. Ben was five years older than me. When I found out he was a college professor, I was a little surprised. Given his family background, I figured he’d be in business or politics. But he was in academia. No wonder he had that smooth, polished vibe. “Professor Harrison, you’re really good-looking!” “I’ve never seen a hotter guy.” Everyone at the table looked like they’d been frozen in place. I thought their reaction was weird, but my mind was only on Ben, so I didn’t dwell on it. I just figured I’d shocked them with my forwardness. Ben was drinking some soup. After hearing my comment he looked directly at me. He just said, “That’s quite the compliment.” Unattainable guys are hard work. To win Ben over, and be part of the family with my girl, I asked one of my friends, who is a total player for advice. She gave me four words: Be direct, be bold. “If you play it coy with this kind of guy, you’re doomed. You have to be upfront.” “The quiet ones like the outspoken ones.” I took her advice and did some online research. I saw a post about calling a guy “babe,” and I suddenly understood everything. I was ready. I’ve got a hot guy. I’m unstoppable. I opened my chat with Ben and just texted him: “Goodnight, babe.” Ben: “Wrong number.” Me: “Nope, you’re my only babe.” Ben: “Miss James, I haven’t dated you, and we’re not married, so please refrain from that.” I was grinning like an idiot. I was loving the formality. Was this what dating an older guy was like? The chase was fun. Me: “Then date me and marry me.” Long silence— Ben: “Miss James, please be respectful.” When I saw that text, I laughed out loud. This was the best. “Babe, I’m gonna be a guest in your class tomorrow.” Ben didn’t reply. From that day forward, I went to his lectures. There, he was, in a suit and tie, gold-rimmed glasses, so hot, so restrained. Every move, every word he uttered was so captivating. During the lecture, Ben posed a question. While everyone was thinking, I secretly texted him: “Babe, so gorgeous.” “Babe, your voice is amazing.” “Babe, let’s grab some food after class?” His phone buzzed. Ben glanced at his screen, then looked at me across the room. I mouthed the word “babe.” His eyes flickered behind his glasses. I saw Ben’s long, slender fingers reach for the black mic. Then, his lips moved, speaking my name. “Miss James, why don’t you answer the question?” That was the first time I heard him say my name. For some reason, my heart skipped a beat. I was so flustered. I was just a guest, and a totally distracted one. I had no idea what he was talking about. He was just trying to teach me a lesson. He wanted me to give up. No way. Everyone turned to see who Ben was talking about. I stood up, looked him directly in the eye, and, with a touch of mischief, I said, loud and clear: “Babe, I have no idea.” The whole place erupted with noise. Everyone was gasping and whispering. Ben’s expression didn’t change, but I saw his Adam’s apple move. He just calmly said, “Sit down.” He didn’t say a word about me calling him babe, and just moved on. That’s how I became famous. Everyone in Ben’s classes knew he had a “fiancée” who was always hanging around. I stopped hiding. I went from the back of the room to the front row. I’d stare him right down. But he never called on me again. He was still cold and distant.
Ben was impossible. After chasing him for a month, I was getting tired. Last time, I braved a storm to get to his lecture, and I caught a cold. Today I was feeling pretty crappy. I laid my head on the desk and fell asleep. I woke up to the sound of Ben saying my name. I lifted my head, feeling foggy. He touched my forehead, looking worried. “You’re burning up.” He started to pull back, but I grabbed his hand. My face pressed against his hand, sighing, “So cool…so nice.” Ben froze up. His lips were drawn tight. I was probably delirious, but I was treating him like my husband. My eyes filled with tears and I said, “Babe, I feel terrible.” Ben picked me up and carried me out of the lecture hall. I was in and out of it. I just knew I was being carried to his car. I was clinging to him so tight that he had to call a driver. In the backseat, I was like a koala bear, wrapped around him. There were lots of red lights and the car kept stopping. I pressed against him for comfort. Ben’s expression darkened. He tried to push me away, but when he did, I was poked by something and grabbed at it, saying, “Stop poking me.” Ben went completely stiff. He was breathing faster. He covered my hand with his, his voice low and controlled. He tried to soothe me, saying, “Okay, let go.” “No.” I buried my face into his shoulder. Ben’s voice had a sharp edge, “Taylor James!” I pressed my luck and said, “Will you be my man?” That was when Ben had enough. He pushed me off him. Up until that point, he’d been tolerating my nonsense. But this time, he was pissed. He took the belt off his waist and used it to tie my fidgeting hands. Then, with those gorgeous hands that got right at my core, he grabbed my chin. His tone was a warning. “If you don’t calm down, I’m kicking you out of the car.” I looked at him, stunned, and the fevered fog lifted a bit. I saw a familiar darkness in his expression. It reminded me of someone. My uncle’s son, I called him ‘Cousin,” the guy involved in some shady stuff, with a dangerous aura. He tried to hide it when he was around us, but he still had this menacing thing about him. I was always scared of him. Ben squeezed my chin a bit tighter. He hissed, “Taylor, stop messing with me.” “And don’t come to the school anymore.” “Nod if you understand.” I winced and nodded. Ben studied me, and then he released me. He stared at my lip and frowned. He muttered, “You’re such a drama queen.” I knew that the spot where his fingers were, was probably bright red. For the rest of the ride, I was quiet. Then, I passed out. I woke up in the hospital. My best friend, Sarah, was there with me. I hugged her, acting all dramatic. “You finally got back from your honeymoon?” “Did you forget about me now that you have a husband?” She just laughed, “Stop it. You were running a fever of 104. You almost turned into a vegetable.” “You’re still on an IV, lay down.” I lay down and looked around the room. Then, I said, “Wait, how did you know I was here?” “Whoever took you to the hospital, that’s who called me.” Sarah was giving me a hard look. “How did you get mixed up with Matt’s brother?” When she said Ben’s name, the image of the car flashed into my mind. I blushed, all the way to my roots. Sarah was shocked. “Taylor, you don’t like, like, Matt’s brother, do you?” I pulled the blanket over my face. Muffled, I replied, “I wanted us to be sisters-in-law. And Ben is so good-looking and single, perfect!” I explained my campaign of chasing Ben. Sarah laughed. “Taylor, it touches my heart that you care about me so much.” “But this isn’t a game. You have to marry someone you love.” “I should have known, you’ve always had guys chasing you. You never cared about them.” “You were always saying all men are scum. So, now you’re suddenly pursuing someone? And just for me? “You’re like a little kid. That’s not how love works.” I argued, “Ben’s so hot! It’s love! Lust, too!” “He’s always dressed so professionally. It drives me crazy. I wanna see him naked.” “And his hands are my obsession. I want to bite them.” I got carried away. Then someone knocked at the door. Matt was standing there, smirking, and gave me a thumbs-up. Ben was stoic, his cool eyes moving to mine, and saw the look of panic in my eyes. I covered my face with the blanket. 05 Ben had come because my laptop was still in his car. He put the laptop down and left, not saying a word. I stayed hidden until he was gone. Matt came to take Sarah home, and gave me a ride, too. I was done with my IV. In the car, Matt teased me. “Wow, you dared to go after my brother.” “But dude, you’re so not his type.” “Just give it up.” I didn’t like Matt, so I refused to give in. “Whether I’m his type is up to him to decide.” “Just you wait, you’ll be calling me sister-in-law next year.” Matt snorted. “Dream on.” I wrapped my arms around Sarah, who was laughing at us. “Baby, I’m not feeling well. I wanna sleep with you tonight.” “Don’t go home.” She smelled so good. It was such a waste that Matt had her. “Taylor! Get away from my wife!” “No way!” Sarah sighed, “Okay, okay, stop it.” “Taylor’s not feeling well, I don’t wanna leave her alone.” “I’ll stay with her tonight.” Matt was fuming but had no choice but to give in.
Sarah stayed with me for one night, and the next day, Matt picked her up. I might have told Matt I’d be his sister-in-law, but I hadn’t texted Ben again. What happened in the car, and what he had said, still freaked me out. I’d lost my nerve. And to be honest, I was embarrassed. I might talk trash, but I’m a romantic at heart. I’ve never had a boyfriend. And thinking about touching him that day? I just couldn’t face him. After a week of recovery, I decided to ask Sarah out for some shopping. But then a scandal hit the news. Matt Harrison, caught in a hotel with his high school sweetheart! They spent the night at the hotel and didn’t leave until the next day! The photos showed Matt hugging some woman in the hotel lobby. I was furious. I was about to call Matt and tell him off, but he didn’t pick up. Then, I got a call from Sarah. She was crying and saying she wanted a divorce. I did my best to console her and declared, “Okay, I’ll be there with you when you do this.” Then, I went and got her. Her eyes were all puffy and red from crying. I knew it. That Matt was no good. And look what happened, he couldn’t even wait a full year. I didn’t say anything out loud, though. Because Sarah was too upset. I was furious and heartbroken for her. Matt called me, and I blocked his number. Then, I deleted him from my contacts. As I was doing that, I saw Ben’s photo, and I got angry all over again. I texted him: “I won’t bother you anymore.” “You’re just an old man anyway, probably can’t even handle it! No one wants you!” “Bye, never wanna see you again!” Then, I blocked him and deleted his number, too.
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