birthday dinner

Ben would suggest Mexican food. It was authentic, after all. They were at some place called the Red Rooster in Spanish. And it was dark.

He ordered her a tropical smoothie without the alcohol.

"Gotta get off to a good start. " His smirk was becoming, but she still wasn't sure what to make of him. Was he a relative? Who was he? She was sure she knew, and it was biting at her to ask.

And Lonnie sat there at the booth just staring at her, sleepily.

"Hey, you gotta stop doing that." Ben jabbed Lonnie in the elbow with his elbow and jarred his chin from relaxing on the palm of his hand.

"What?" Lonnie squinted.

"Staring, girls don't go for that," Ben told him.

"All right, " Lonnie looked away then. "Is it all right to stare over there?" He pointed.

"Stop pointing." Ben told him then as he dug into the chips and the salsa.

"You know, I have a boyfriend, don't you?" She got out her cell phone and showed them both the proof they needed.

"You known him long?" Ben wanted to know.

"Well, I would, but Mom sent me here." Ellie dipped her chip in salsa. Her tongue burned from the heat of the peppers. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea to try the salsa, she thought. She sucked at the drink then with a skin straw. It would take forever to drink.

"Really, Aunt Maggie appreciates this, you know, you coming down here. Her friend, Connie had to go to Florida to visit her kids."

Ellie nodded. She would be glad when Connie got back.

"So does she live with her?" Ellie hadn't really seen any proof that Connie lived there.

"Mostly during the day, sometimes at night." Ben told her.

"So do you miss my Mom?" Ellie bluntly asked.

"What?" Ben wasn't smiling now.

Ellie thought Ben was going to choke on a chip. He drank at his lime beer then to wash it down.

"Well, yeah, we miss her around here, but if you think-" His eyes were familiar and she was afraid she knew why, but she didn't want to admit it. "There is nothing going on. I respect your Mom. A lot."

Ellie just nodded. Perhaps this wasn't the time to ask him anything more than to taunt him with the idea that he wasn't on the up and up.

About that time the band started up with Mexican music, Ben asked her to dance with him. It was the last thing she expected to be pulled up to the dance floor for a quick two-step which she had no idea how to do.

Ben was slow enough to teach her to catch on. It was actually fun which Ellie wasn't expecting. Yet, arms far apart, nothing fancy, they were soon gliding across the floor in a big circle. It felt odd looking at Ben without his feed cap on. And then Lonnie tapped Ben on the shoulder. He wanted to dance with Ellie.

Ellie froze. She didn't know about this. She didn't know him. It was awkward. But not for long. This guy knew his stuff and she had to follow. Now. His step was quicker, swifter and he knew the traditional Mexican two-step which upped it a notch to the regular two-step.

It was a rush. It startled Ellie that it really was a thrill. She felt as if she was hanging on to air as they twirled around. She felt dizzy and yet full of life. She just wished he was Eric, but he wasn't.