The Pursuit of Happiness

Ben Hartmann breezed into the HR office and laid a stack of time cards in Olivia Sanders' in-tray. "Last week," he said by way of explanation before easing himself into the chair across from her.

"Thanks," she replied, looking up from her computer screen. "What's up?"

Why was he in her office, bothering her? no doubt was what she meant to say. Telling himself to get a grip, he shrugged, "Not much. Just checking in to make sure all is good in your world..."

She smiled, the tiniest of dimples creasing her porcelain skin. "All is good. Did you have a good weekend?"

"Yeah, I guess. Been refinishing the floors in my house, so it wasn't exactly fun..."

Her nose wrinkled sympathetically, "I can imagine... now you know, if you're looking for something fun to do, we're still tossing around the idea of a front office vs. operations bowling night. Say the word and I'll set it up."

Did that mean they'd get to interact after office hours? "Do it," he answered. "We could use a little more inter-departmental bonding around here." That sounded official, right? As the Operations Manager, he was supposed to keep morale high, and maybe this would help.

Olivia favored him with a full-on grin. "Great! You guys will need to have 4-6 bowlers - if you have more, we can double up on the lanes."

Shaking his head, Ben stood, "I don't think too many participants will be the problem..."

*****

Bowling night at 300 Dallas was about to begin! Olivia was thrilled to have two full lanes, and between her and Ben, they'd divided up the employees so that they'd get to bowl with people they didn't necessarily interact with all the time. And then she relaxed and let Dave in Project Management bring her a drink from the bar.

For the most part, Olivia loved her job. Last year, she had been hired at Flemming Design as the Human Resources Manager. HR was her calling, she felt, and Flemming was a good place to work. Landing the Manager gig while still in her early 30's was icing on the cake. Sure, there was an occasional dose of office drama to deal with, but turnover was relatively low and that spoke volumes for the company.

Her eyes were drawn to Ben as he selected a ball and hurled it down the lane. Strike! God, was there anything the man couldn't do? Did he have to be stereotypically tall, dark, handsome, and a really decent guy to boot? It was all she could do to not sigh like a teenager.

And then she reminded herself that women who looked like her did not date guys like him. He was, well...almost perfect. And she was most definitely not. The forty extra pounds she was carrying in her caboose (and elsewhere) prevented her from dating in general - never mind dating someone like Ben. So, with the reality check over with, Olivia faked a smile and set about to enjoy the evening.

Alcohol flowed freely, and in a much more relaxed environment, a little flirtation arose. At first, she saw it between a designer and account manager. Then, it became a lot more personal when Dave actually patted her on the butt as she stood up to take her turn on the lane. Her cheeks flamed, as she tried to laugh it off and proceed with her turn. It bothered her. The fact was, even though she knew all the rules about sexual harassment, she was woefully inept when it came to facing situations like this in her personal life.

After bowling her frame, she turned back towards all her co-workers to see Ben embroiled in a serious conversation with Dave. Neither of them looked very happy. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Was it about her? Surely not!

Suddenly Dave smiled and clapped Ben on the shoulder in a friendly manner, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Whew! That kind of drama she did not need!

Around 10:00pm, the party started to break up. Some of the younger crowd were headed to a bar to continue the party, while the "old married folks", who were already out past curfew, headed home. Olivia stayed and paid the bill, fully intending to expense it on Monday. Ben helped out, making sure no one left anything behind in the lanes. Then he walked her to her car, like a gentleman. She reminded herself to breathe...

*****

"You okay to drive?" he asked, watching her fish in her purse for her keys.

Olivia smiled up at him, and Ben felt his heart melt. "Yeah, I'm good. Didn't really feel like I could drink much and be the company representative at the same time..."

He frowned a little, "So...when do you get to cut loose?"

She shrugged, and he thought he saw a smidge of despair in those dark brown eyes, "I don't really cut loose too much." Looking sheepish, she continued, "I guess I'm just the boring, responsible type..."

Ben chuckled, "I don't buy that completely...I think there's a little bit of a wild child inside you, just looking for an opportunity to express herself."

Then, he launched into an impressive persuasion speech at the end of which Olivia agreed to let him drive her to her nearby apartment to drop her car, then take her out to a local country bar for a few drinks and some music. "I haven't been to a honky-tonk since I was at Tech," she confessed, with a tentative smile.

He smiled back, reaching for her hand as they navigated through the crowd near the entry. "Well, I hope that's not because you don't like country music, because you would pretty much hate this if that were the case..."

"Nope...I like it well enough..." she assured him.

First stop was the bar, and then the search for a table. Ben spotted a booth near the back of the club, far enough away from the stage to not be deafening.

Why couldn't he take his eyes off her? Quit staring! he lectured himself. She looked so young...pure...beautiful eyes, skin, smile... wearing the cutest little jeans with bling on the back pockets and a filmy blue blouse that clung in all the right spots and just hinted at cleavage. He felt a million years older than she was, even though the age gap was probably less than five. What was he doing?

Olivia was making short work of her margarita, and he noted the rise of color in her cheeks. He tipped back his beer bottle and smiled at her, "Girl, you're going to need another one of those quick!"

Looking slightly embarrassed, she replied, "Trust me when I say that if you want me to cut loose, I will need to be well and truly tipsy..."

Ben laughed, "Okay, then. Come on, finish that one up and let's dance..."

The dimple in her cheek deepened, "I never figured you for a dancing sort of guy..."

Reaching for her hand, he helped her stand, "Then I guess I am full of surprises..."

"You kind of are..." she admitted as he dragged her to the dance floor.

*****

He knew how to dance cowboy style... Olivia marveled, as Ben placed his hand on her shoulder and clasped her right with his left. As she took hold of his forearm, she was impressed by the strength she felt there. Honestly she liked this hold better than the one found in traditional dance because it was hard for the guy to hold the girl too close, if she didn't want him to. Although with Ben, she really wouldn't have minded.

It was a lively two step, and Olivia found herself having too much fun to worry about the fact that she probably looked totally out of place with someone like Ben. He was twirling her, and promenading her, and generally making her look like she really knew how to dance when it was all him. When the song ended, Ben hooked his arm around her neck and kissed her slightly damp forehead, "That was fun! You're really good, Liv..."

She raised an eyebrow ironically at the compliment and replied breathlessly, "I'm a little thirsty... shall we get another drink?"

The second margarita went down even faster than the first, and Olivia could almost feel her inhibitions flying out the window. Ben made her drink some water afterwards, but it didn't stop her from talking waaayyyy too much, and leaning her head against his shoulder occasionally. They danced again, and she found herself a step closer to him than she had been previously. It felt right to be close to him, her heart insisted. (Her head was currently out of the room, so her heart was ruling things right now...)

*****

In the fourteen months since he had met Olivia Sanders, Ben had grown to really like her. It wasn't just her sweet smile, beautiful eyes and bountiful curves - although he was definitely a fan of those. She was kind, patient and intelligent. And she had been a friend to him - and he didn't have many of those. Sure, it was a "work friend" kind of thing - they would chat at the office, but never outside of it. Maybe he should have risked something sooner, because he had to admit that things were going well. Although he was plying her with alcohol, which wasn't exactly fair...

Olivia took it a little slower with her third margarita, but her flirty side was already on display. Her soft looks lasted longer, as did her touches on his arm. And the question that had been burning in her brain for hours just came tripping off her tongue, "So did you and Dave have words earlier tonight?"

He thought he'd been discreet. "A few, but everything's cool now..."

She swallowed hard, "What was it about?"

Ben took a swig of his beer, "Well... I saw your reaction earlier when he smacked your butt... so I made it clear to him that it wasn't cool, and just because you were too nice to say anything didn't mean you liked it." He paused, and continued sincerely, "I hope you don't mind that I did that..."

For a second, he thought he saw tears in her eyes, "No, I don't mind. Thank you, actually. I wanted to tell him to keep his grubby hands to himself, but couldn't find the courage..."

God, but she was sweet! He squeezed her hand, "Words aren't always necessary," he advised. "A slap across the face, elbow to the ribs or knee to the groin can get your point across too..."

She smiled, turning her hand so their palms connected, "So you're advocating physical assault?"

"Only to ward off unwanted advances..." his fingers twined with hers and he had an almost uncontrollable impulse to drag her into his arms.

With twinkling eyes, she asked, "Will you let me practice on you sometime?"

He grinned, "Are you saying you want me to let you beat me up?"

"Or, maybe we could just call it teaching me self-defense..." she amended.

The thought of grappling with her was appealing, albeit in a completely lecherous way. And while he tamped down the surge of desire, he managed to agree, "Sure then. Anytime..."

*****

They were dancing again - this time to a slow song - and Olivia was pressed right up against Ben. His arm was hooked around her neck, and hers was wrapped around his back, her head resting against his shoulder. Their feet moved very little.

She was fatigued, she reasoned. After all, it was almost 2:00 am... Or, if she was to be more honest with herself, she'd have to admit that she was out of control! He smelled so good! Whatever his cologne was, she was a huge fan. She breathed deeply, smiling when she felt his fingers caressing her earlobe.

"You asleep?" he murmured in her ear.

"Almost..."

"You ready to go home?"

"After this dance..." Not that she really wanted to leave, but it was getting late and she didn't actually want to fall asleep on him.

"Okay, after this dance..." he tweaked her ear again, "You have really cute ears, by the way..."

Olivia smiled into his shirt, "Thank you..."

"And really soft hair..." his hand stroked down the length of the sable locks before tucking a strand behind her ear.

His breath against her ear was strangely erotic, and Olivia's nipples tightened. Great... oh God! He can't notice...please!

If he did, he was too much of a gentleman to take advantage, or say anything. And as it was, he loosened his hold slightly as the last strains of the song sounded.

"Thank you for coming out with me..." he smiled into her eyes.

"You're welcome... thanks for talking me into it..."

Ben kept her hand in his as they made their way out of the building, and Olivia was starting to think that maybe he actually liked her. At least a little. Was it stupid of her to hope?

*****

Helping her step up into his vehicle was interesting. She wasn't all that coordinated at this point in the evening, and he didn't have running boards on his full sized pickup truck. A bit of a challenge for most women, even when completely sober. Ben ended up with one hand in hers and another on her waist, guiding her upward.

Something had happened between them tonight, especially during that last dance, and Ben did not want to lose that momentum. As soon as he settled himself in the driver's seat, he reached for her hand. "Liv... come here..." and he pulled her across the bench seat towards him.

She knows, he thought, as she raised her fingertips to his throat. So, what the hell? And he threw caution to the wind, lowering his mouth to meet hers.

Dear God, but she was sweet! She melted against him, one hand firmly anchored against his neck, the other clutching his sleeve. The touch of her tongue sent his already raging libido through the roof. Long, pleasurable moments followed as the kiss blossomed and intensified.

"I am so crazy about you, Liv..." he murmured against her cheek when they broke away to catch a breath.

She laughed, burying her face in his neck, "I don't know what to say about that, except I feel the same way about you..."

His arms around her tightened and he pressed his lips to her temple. She felt really good against him, and he didn't want to let her go, but reality surfaced and he found himself saying, "I probably better take you home."

"Hmmm..."

It didn't sound like she wanted to go anywhere, but Ben knew that he would be the worst kind of cliché if he followed his instincts and tried to seduce a drunk girl in the cab of his pickup while parked outside of a honky-tonk. So he eased back from her, and started up the engine.

*****

Olivia was tired, but floating. She knew she'd had too much to drink and was consequently acting a little more forward than normal, but maybe that's what it had taken to get her to this point... To forget about all her body issues and the certainty that Ben would never want to be with someone like her, and just let it all unfold...

With one hand holding hers, he unlocked her front door for her, and handed her back the keys. "I'd better let you get some sleep..."

"Why don't you come in for a while?" she was shocked to hear herself say.

He chuckled and pressed a brief, hard kiss to her lips. "Girl, you are killing me..."

"So is that a yes?" she asked, reaching a hand out to touch his chest. What the hell was she doing?

That earned her another kiss - this one longer, hotter, more satisfying. "No," he breathed against her ear. "Much as I would love to tuck you into bed, I am going to go home instead. Safer that way..."

She could not seem to stop saying the most inadvisable things, "Am I dangerous then?"

His hold tightened, "Hell yes!" One of his hands drifted down to caress her bottom and her insides liquefied. "Your sweet ass alone needs to come with a warning label..."

"Really..." she pressed her breasts to his chest in an attempt to relieve the ache.

"I wanted to tear Dave's fucking head off for daring to touch it..." he confessed, squeezing one cheek reverently.

Her lips found his neck, and she bit down gently, "And now you're killing me..."

Ben eased his hold on her, and took her face in his hands, kissing her tenderly. "I'm really going to go now. Remember to drink a big glass of water when you get inside..."

Olivia covered his hands with hers, "Will you text me to let me know you got home safely?"

His lips met hers once more, with finality. "Yes." And he reached behind her to open her apartment door and usher her inside. "Goodnight Liv. Sleep well..."

She was tired...too tired for pajamas...so after ruthlessly slugging down a glass of water, she just stripped off her jeans and bra, and fell into bed, her phone on the pillow next to her. One hand drifted to her breast, and she imagined his hand there, teasing. But she couldn't even stay awake enough for a proper fantasy, and fell asleep with erotic thoughts in her head.

*****

Ben made it home around 2:50am, and once inside he texted, "MADE IT HOME SAFELY. THANKS AGAIN FOR TONIGHT."

A few moments later, he got a response. "YOU'RE WELCOME. I AM DREAMING ABOUT YOU..."

He chuckled, "A NIGHTMARE THEN?"

"NO... A REALLY GOOD DREAM..."

The lascivious side of him wanted to explore that comment, but he reminded himself that sexting was a really bad idea, and simply replied, "SWEET DREAMS THEN."

She replied with a simple, "XO," and he found himself grinning like a teenager.

What was it about her? he wondered as he stripped his shirt off. Was it because she was so different from his ex-wife? Maybe that was part of it... She wasn't vain or entitled - Ben didn't think he'd ever met a person with such a generous spirit, and he was fascinated by her. And Good Lord, did she have sweet lips!

Those sorts of thoughts did not make for a restful night's sleep, he knew. So instead, he forced himself to think of prairie grass bending and straightening at the whim of the wind. It was a trick he'd used for years to fall asleep, only this time, he envisioned Olivia walking towards him through the grass. Her hair was windblown; there was a blush in her cheeks, and a smile on her lips. Okay, he decided, he'd just dream of that pretty face instead...

*****

Olivia slept late, but awoke around eleven feeling fairly human. She wasn't much of a drinker, and she had consumed four drinks the previous night - albeit fairly spaced out. Maybe the water had helped?

Standing under the hot spray of the shower, memories from the country bar drifted back to her. Good grief! she groaned. She had practically thrown herself at him! True, he had kissed the bejesus out of her a few times, but that might have just been male hormones responding to what was freely offered. And he had politely declined her not-so-subtle offer to ravish her at the end of the night. Christ! How could she face him now?

She had a vague recollection of some texting, and she hurriedly rinsed her hair and shut the water off. A towel thrown around her, she dashed to the bedroom and found her phone amidst the tangled covers. And while she was relieved the messages hadn't been worse, she agonized over what she had said. I'M DREAMING OF YOU...? What the hell? And ending with XO...? How juvenile - or worse, presumptuous!

Flopping on the bed in despair, she felt tears pricking the backs of her eyes. Had she completely ruined their friendship? Please, no...

And just then, her phone rang. It was him. She hesitated before summoning her courage, "Hello..."

"Hey...it's Ben..." his voice was deep and gravelly, and it sounded like he hadn't been up long either. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty decent, considering. I think drinking water helped..."

"Good..." he paused. "So, anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to get together later. I think we should talk..."

That didn't sound good, but Olivia had to admit that it was the mature thing to do. Acknowledge what had happened and discuss the best way to put it behind them. Much better than vainly trying to pretend that nothing had happened at all...

"Yeah," she made an effort to keep her voice level. "That's probably a good idea."

"Do you want to come over to my place for dinner? I can grill something, if that sounds okay..." He sounded as unsure as she felt.

Was agreeing to dinner committing to too long of a timespan? She pushed that idea to the back of her mind, and focused on the fact that they were friends, and both far too sensible to let one evening ruin everything. "Okay, that would be nice. Can I bring something?"