Servings - Ben tags Ben

[Oberon Sparks]

"No, because I have a good feeling that I would lose one. I can grill, and that's pretty much the end of it." All of the other cooking talent went to Rose or to Jude, who was actually able to bake. "But trust me when I tell you it will be the best damn burger you've ever had." Cheeseburgers, served with grilled bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms were his specialty.

Ben was a little nervous as he kept eating. He really didn't have a problem with the age difference; they were both adults, so what was the problem? It just wasn't that big of a deal to him. "No, I'm not illegal. Thirteen years isn't too big of an age difference." Unless, of course, you thought of it as being almost half of his life. But it was subjective, all of that. "There was an equation my roommate told me about in college. Something like halving your age and subtracting seven from it, and the number you end up with is the acceptable range for seeing someone." He made it into Ben's range, but not the other way around. "Granted, I'm pretty sure that roommate ended up switching from an Engineering major to Modern Dance, so I wouldn't trust his judgement on much." And they hadn't actually defined what this was, had they? It was a date--Ben was sure of that because Ben was happy he wasn't illegal--but they were still just getting to know each other.

"Oh, please." Ben passed his plate over for some chicken. It smelled delicious. "Your family?" He cocked an eyebrow curiously. They hadn't defined whatever this was, so he really wasn't ready to be meeting family... "They live in the area?"

[Benjamin Rhodes]

"I look forward to that," Ben gave the younger man a genuine smile. Food and Ben, they just work well together.

Hearing the equation made Ben laugh. "Is that so? Well, I'm in the clear then aren't I?" He chukled. The younger man had a sense of humor, a personable demeanour and wasn't a chore to look at. Why was he having dinner with Ben?

He wasn't complaining of course. Dinner was going smoothly and the conversation didn't have the awkward stiltedness first dates usually had. Probably because Ben was trying not to think of it as a date. But whatever this was, he was actually quite glad he was spending it with the younger man.

The look on the accountant's face was surprising. Did Ben say something offensive...? "Yeah, my parents own a chain of restaurants around Pilot Ridge. I don't know if you've heard of it, it's small. But they're catering the field day and I'm manning the refreshment booth with my brother and my cousin. You should come." Ben laid the pieces of chicken on the younger Ben's plate.

"Hope it's not too dry," Ben cut into his own and took a bite. Eh, it could be worst.

[Oberon Sparks]

"Apparently so." Ben grinned, then leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "But if there are any more cooking Bens in Pilot Ridge, I'll hold him, you punch." He winked after it. Yeah, there was definitely still a part of his mentality that was stuck in college. He couldn't help that though, it was a symptom of living like the Sparks did.

It had been a while since Ben had been on a date himself, so it really was easier not to think of this interaction as a date. But if Ben was interested, so was he.

"Yeah, I'll see if I can stop by. So you were raised around here then?" Okay, that was a little different than what he'd thought. It was pretty rare to find an actual native to the area still living there. They tended to move out, because strange things did have a habit of happening in Pilot Ridge. "It seems like everyone I meet is a transplant; not many natives around."

He sliced off a piece of chicken and ate it. If Ben was worried about how the chicken turned out, then he obviously lacked tastebuds. "This, sir, is delicious. Thank you."

[Benjamin Rhodes]

Leaning in when the younger man did, Ben couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of him being in a fist fight. "Yeah, that will happen." The psychologist shook his head in amusement. The wink only added to the hilarity, leaving the older man in stitches. Younger Ben obviously knew how to work a crowd. Even if it was a crowd of one.

"Yeah, I was." Ben nodded, biting into his chicken. "I wanted to move out earlier but I guess with my parents being here and the family business being here, I thought it was better that I stayed close. My eldest brother lives here too. And my uncle and his son." He offered with a smile. He was somewhat proud of his family, really.

When the younger man complimented his chicken, Ben grinned. "Glad you like it. Please, don't hesitate to take more. I've got way too much still." He was slightly disappointed he couldn't get his other friends over but at least the other man was there. "So, I take it you're not a local?" Ben asked of the younger man based on his surprise of Ben being a native.

[Oberon Sparks]

Ben took another bite and grinned as the older Ben started laughing. So what if it had been a while since he'd flirted with someone? Apparently, he still had it.

"No. I went to University of Vermont; that's how I ended up here. I'm from Omaha." Yup, middle-of-nowhere, Nebraska. Of course he wanted to stay in the area with interesting people. And the lie about when he'd come to Vermont came smoothly; all of the Sparks had been using it for years now. "I was raised by my aunt and uncle, so my cousins are like my sisters. They're all still in Nebraska."

Still, because he was lying, he decided to switch the topic. And why not go with a good icebreaker? "I think it's my turn to ask a question then. If you could invite any five people--historical or famous or people you actually know--over for dinner, who would you invite?" It had worked for him in college; people liked unusual questions.

[Benjamin Rhodes]

Ben didn't question any more than he should, not knowing the lie was a lie - the younger man made it sound flawless.

The question made Ben pause and consider his answer. "Well, Ella Fitzgerald would be at the head of the table. Um...C.S. Lewis, Freud so I can tell him what a twisted fellow he is, maybe the person who invented dessert and the guy who started up Starbucks." Ben chuckled at his last answer. He had run out of people and that was the only person he could think of. Originality, he has those.

"I don't know what that tells you about me but, I suppose the first choice is because I love jazz and one of her songs is my favourite."

Conversation after flowed a little freer and as the booze disappeared, so did the food and once dishes were cleared, Ben took out the blueberry cheesecake he had stored in the fridge; store bought unfortunately but it was from a bakery he frequented so he knew it was good. Cutting two slices, he brought it out to the living room with two mugs of steaming hot coffee.

"Cheesecake's a little cold if you don't mind that." He smiled, relaxing in his couch. "Won't your housemate wonder where you are by the way?"

[Oberon Sparks]

Dinner was delicious, and Ben enjoyed himself and Ben's company as they ate and shared more about their lives. Of course, his own was a mixture of truth, Oberon, and pure fabrication, but it was nice talking to someone who didn't just view him as the more bold form of his originator. "Cold is fine. It wasn't until I was in college that I learned that people actually make cheesecake from scratch. I thought it was the kind of thing you could only buy at the store."

"Nah, when I left he was playing videogames. I'll probably find him still there when I get back." Jude, for all of his random antics, was refreshingly predictable. Ben--and all the Sparks, for that matter--had come to rely on the fact that there was nothing they could do to predict what their housemate was going to do on any given day, but Mario Kart could keep him glued to the television for hours at a time. Damn blue shells. "That probably doesn't bode well for my attempt to seem like I'm not just a college boy who hasn't grown up yet....Though Jude kind of is, I'm the mature one." He flashed the older man a goofy grin, despite the fact that he wasn't really kidding around. He wanted Ben to take him seriously, because he seriously did like him.