Benjamin rolled downstairs and spotted Amelia chilling in her red Audi.
He always thought Audi's were kinda meh, but seeing Amelia behind the wheel made it look pretty slick.
"Hey, Aunt Amelia, sorry for making you wait so long!" Benjamin said as he hopped into the car.
Amelia just shrugged and smiled, "Benjamin, chill out. No need to be so formal. Your dad and I almost tied the knot back in the day!"
Amelia was slowly shaking off the shadows of her past. Despite the regrets, she had to face the here and now.
Daniel leaving was a big bummer for Amelia, but with Benjamin back, she saw a chance to make things right.
"Aunt Amelia, you're family and a friend of my dad's. Showing respect is a no-brainer! Plus, guys should always be polite to pretty ladies!"
Benjamin said, feeling a bit awkward, not expecting Amelia had such a history with his dad.
He sneaked a glance at Amelia. She was drop-dead gorgeous, she had this unique charm. This woman almost married his father.
"You sure know how to charm the ladies, way better than your dad!" Amelia asked, "Benjamin, where do you wanna go? Let's find a spot to chat."
Besides wanting to talk about Daniel, Amelia was curious about Benjamin' s life abroad and how he managed on his own.
She also wanted to make up for rejecting Daniel back then. She had moved away for work, faced tough times, and a broken marriage. Only then did she remember Daniel. But when she went to find him, he had already passed away, leaving a permanent regret in her heart.
But with Benjamin around, she had a new plan-to make up for her regrets through him.
"Aunt Amelia, you pick. I just got back, and everything feels so new. It's been years, and my hometown's changed a lot!"
When Benjamin first landed, he only wanted to visit his dad's grave and didn't pay much attention to his surroundings. It wasn't until these past couple of days that he realized how much Crystalhaven had changed since he left four years ago.
Amelia had thought about taking Benjamin to a coffee shop but decided to bring him home instead. It was already past 3 PM, and dinner was just a few hours away. She figured they could chat at home and have him stay for a meal.
"Alright, we'll go with my plan today!" As Amelia drove, she started chatting, "So, how long have you been back, Benjamin? Got a girlfriend abroad?"
Benjamin grinned. This question wasn't new. Sophia had asked him the same thing. He replied, "I've only been back a few days. I've been around blonde foreign girls, but I still wanna find a local girl to marry!"
It wasn't just about looks. Although Benjamin wasn't into most blonde foreign girls, some were definitely attractive. More importantly, he felt foreign women were too open and had frequent flings, which he couldn't handle.
Plus, before coming back, Benjamin had been wondering if Sophia was still single, holding onto a tiny hope about her, but things didn't turn out as he expected.
Amelia laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "No way, Benjamin! A good-looking guy like you doesn't have a girlfriend? Come on, don't mess with Aunt Amelia. How's that even possible?"
The first time Amelia laid eyes on Benjamin, she was floored. How could someone be that charming?
Even though Benjamin was only in his twenties, he still made Amelia, a woman in her thirties, feel a flutter in her chest. You can only imagine how those young girls must feel when they see a hottie like Benjamin.
"Aunt Amelia, seriously, I'm not joking. I've never had a girlfriend!" Benjamin had been overseas since he was eighteen. Between all the intense training and missions, he barely had any free time, and there weren't any girls around that caught his eye.
Even though some curvy European women tried to get his attention, he just wasn't into it.
Amelia sneaked a glance at Benjamin, a tiny spark of joy flickering in her eyes. She thought to herself, Benjamin must still be a virgin. It's pretty rare for a guy in his twenties to stay that way.
"It's fine not having a girl around. You're still young, and focusing on work is more important. Guys get distracted when they have a girl, can't fully concentrate on their work!" Amelia spoke from experience. Her husband used to be all about his work before they got together.
After they got married, he wanted to get it on every night before bed, and sometimes even in the morning. All that action took a toll on his health, and he eventually became impotent, leading to their divorce a few years later.
Benjamin thought about it and found some truth in her words. He couldn' t forget the bliss he felt after being with Sophia once, it was seriously addictive.
"Aunt Amelia, I gotta disagree. I think things should just happen naturally. No need to avoid or force anything. Work and love aren't mutually exclusive, right?"
Benjamin never saw love and career as conflicting. When a guy has money, plenty of women will come running.
But Benjamin wasn't into those kinds of women, so even though he had plenty of cash, he never flaunted it.
Amelia paused, then smiled. "You're quite the talker, way better than your dad's clumsy attempts. Alright, I won't argue with you, kid. You'll get what Aunt Amelia's saying when you have a woman someday, right?"
Kid? Benjamin found it amusing. Despite his fame in European and American Underworld, he was being called a kid. "Aunt Amelia, I'm twenty-two. No matter how you look at it, I'm a grown man, right?"
"Have you slept with a woman then?" Amelia asked casually.
Benjamin suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. He wanted to say yes, but thinking about his secret relationship with Sophia, he clammed up. If he let it slip, it wouldn't be good for Sophia's reputation.
Amelia chuckled. "If you haven't slept with a woman, then you're still a kid. That's the difference between a man and a boy!"
Benjamin was left speechless.
Amelia and Benjamin were cracking up in the car, time just flew by, and before they knew it, they were at Amelia's place. Her crib wasn't in the city but out in the burbs. The vibe there was chill, the air was way fresher than the city's, and the best part? The house prices were like half of what you'd pay in the city.
Plus, it was just a short drive to get downtown.
That's why Amelia snagged a house there. But there was another reason she moved.
She used to live in the city, but this creep kept bugging her, stalking her all the time. She called the cops, but it was useless. Every time she did, he'd vanish, only to pop up again later.
One time, right at her doorstep, the guy grabbed her and almost dragged her to the rooftop to assault her. Luckily, someone came down the stairs, and the dude got scared off.
Amelia knew she was a looker; every time she walked down the street, guys would stare. If she dressed a bit sexy, people would even trip over themselves checking her out.
When they got inside, Amelia kicked off her shoes and socks, showing off her delicate, pretty feet. She slipped into some comfy slippers and headed to the fridge, turning back to ask, "Hey Ben, what do you wanna drink?"
"Just some water, thanks!" Benjamin had this thing where he only drank water, no soda, unless it was a special occasion.
Amelia handed him a bottle of water, "Make yourself at home, Ben. Aunt Amelia's gonna go change."
"No worries, Aunt Amelia, take your time."
After a few sips of the cold water, Benjamin felt the heat in his body fade away.
A few minutes later, Amelia came back out, and Ben was floored. She was rocking a low-cut black tank top and super short shorts.