Work Text:
Ben drummed his long fingers on the coffee stained table. Why the hell was it taking this long to complete his order? He came here every goddamn day, was it really that hard? Did baristas take a course in how to exasperate their customers?
“Should I come back there and do it myself?” he barked to the terrified girl behind the counter.
The barely teenaged barista shook her head violently and sped up her actions. “I’m so sorry Mr Solo, we were out of almond milk and I know you don’t accept any alternatives.”
“I will be looking for an alternative coffee shop if you don’t complete my order in five minutes…” Ben said sternly, tapping his omega to indicate the countdown had begun.
“Right away, Sir!” The terrified student said and almost saluted before checking herself.
Ben smiled to himself. He enjoyed making low level employees suffer. Then his smile faded as he noted two girls at the table next to him were whispering and looking over at him. Urgh. It has to be that stupid fucking magazine piece Poe had made him participate in. Why the fuck couldn’t his journalist best friend find other people to interview? Why did he have to bother his existing friends? Now his face was out there for the world to see and for some reason he had developed a bit of a fan base. It was extremely annoying for someone as antisocial as he. The girls stood up and headed towards him…quick as a flash Ben pulled out his phone and called his assistant Rey. She picked up instantly.
“Ben Solo’s office? However if you want Mr Solo you are shit out of luck as he hasn’t graced us with his magnificent presence yet this fine winter's morn.”
Ben gritted his teeth. He knew she could see his name on the screen.
“Darling, I’m so sorry I’m late, I’m held up at the coffee shop, why don’t you come and join me?” He purred.
Rey sighed. “Can’t you just shoo whatever barely legal flies are buzzing around you away yourself? Why do you always have to make me come and be your bodyguard?”
Ben ignored her protests. “You’ll be here in five minutes? Wonderful I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too, mainly because Armitage is gonna strangle me in your absence. Okay, I’m coming. At least I can make you move faster then.”
The two girls sat back down at their table with matching disappointed looks. Ben glared once more at the pitiful barista who pointed to the slow machine and looked apologetic.
“See you soon, sweetheart,” Ben sang.
“I’m charging you overtime for this,” Rey growled into the phone.
“No problem, sweetie,” Ben replied.
Rey hung up and Ben put down his phone.
Five minutes later, Rey swept into the coffee shop with a huge grin. As much as Ben delighted in seeing Rey smile, he knew it was a dangerous thing. Happy Rey meant a scheming Rey. She was up to something. She appeared in front of his table with a pout.
“Snookums, I haven’t eaten all day and I’m jonesing bad for a caramel macchiato. Large. Can you get one for me, pretty, pretty please?”
Ben scrunched up his face, he should have known she was after food. “Aren’t you on a diet?” he shot back.
There was a gasp from the table next to them.
Rey put her hand to her mouth and turned on the water works. “You’re right. I’ll just have some water…”
“Disgraceful,” Ben heard one of the girls whisper next to them. Ben vibrated angrily. Okay, he wanted to repel them but he didn’t want to give himself a reputation in the process. He still had a business to run at the end of the day.
He reluctantly handed over his wallet to Rey. “Here, get whatever you want.”
Rey smiled broadly. “Thank you, snuggle bunny!”
She skipped off to the counter and made her order. She came back with Ben’s drink, her own and a cookie as big as her head. She sat down and took a bite of her cookie.
“How did you get served so quickly?” Ben demanded.
Rey rolled her eyes. “What did you do to that poor girl? She was afraid to make your order. In the end I went back there and did it for her.”
“You know how to make my order?” Ben asked with surprise.
Rey made a face. “Of course. I’ve been your assistant for three years, Ben. I watched a whole procession of student barista’s come and go through this place and the only constant is me standing here waiting for your overly pretentious coffee to be made. More often than not I knew they would screw it up and who would hear about it? Little old me that’s who. So I got one of them to teach me a long time ago how to successfully complete your order myself so I wouldn’t have to deal with the fallout of another trainee forgetting you need half a brown sugar and a temperature hotter than the sun and heaven forbid they try to substitute your almond milk!” Rey took another bite of her cookie.
Ben tasted his coffee.
“How is it?” Rey asked.
“Perfect,” Ben replied.
Rey smiled smugly. “Of course it is. Can we get out of here now, please? Armitage has been waiting for you for over half an hour, I think his head will explode soon.”
Ben sipped his coffee. “All the more reason to take our time.”
Rey narrowed her eyes as she finished her cookie. “Move your butt, Solo.”
“Move your butt, Mr Solo,” Ben corrected her. Rey stuck her tongue out at him.
“Remind me again why I haven’t fired you?” Ben asked as they left.
“Because who else is gonna play your little wifey for you? Everyone who works for you is afraid of you.”
“Apart from you.”
Rey shrugged as they walked. “Yeah well, I’m used to you.”
They reached their building and headed for the lift. Ben checked his watch again.
“I’m sorry do you have somewhere else to be?” Rey asked with mock concern as she pushed the button for their floor.
“Just wondering if I’ve ignored Armitage for long enough for him to crawl back into the hole he dragged himself out of.”
Rey opened her mouth to make a clever retort when suddenly she turned very pale.
“What’s wrong?” Ben asked. Rey started pushing the button for the elevator over and over. Ben stilled her hand.
“What’s going on?” he demanded.
Rey bit her lip. “Please do something for me, don’t ask any questions just do it.”
Ben nodded and Rey looked relieved.
“Rey!”
Ben looked around to see who had spoken. Beaumont Kin a snivelling little weasel from IT was coming towards them, waving with one hand and pushing the digits of the other hand through his decidedly greasy hair. Rey suddenly took Ben’s hand in hers. Ben looked at her in alarm, but she had fixed a smile on her face and was looking right at Beaumont.
“Rey! Are you going to accept my invitation to accompany me to the work Christmas party?” Beaumont asked excitedly, then his eyes focused on their joint hands.
“I’m sorry Beaumont but I can’t...Mr Solo and I are…”
“Together,” Ben said, finishing her sentence and releasing her hand so he could clasp her waist and pull her into his side.
“Oh,” Beaumont said sadly.
The lift opened and Rey dragged Ben inside. “We’ll see you later!” Rey called cheerfully.
“Wait, I’ll ride with you,” Beaumont announced and got into the lift.
Ben smirked down at Rey who gave him a look that told him not to mess with her. He ignored it. When would he ever get another opportunity like this?
“Darling, can you come over tonight? I’ve missed you so much,” he murmured in a low voice wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him.
“You know the needs of the business come first,” Rey replied through gritted teeth.
“I’m the boss of this company, honey and I say you need to take a bit more time off and spend it with me.”
Beaumont cleared his throat awkwardly in front of them and Rey widened her eyes and distanced herself from Ben’s arms.
“Well this is me!” Beaumont announced cheerfully as he got off at the floor before Ben and Rey’s. The moment the doors closed once more, Rey turned on Ben.
“How bloody dare you take advantage of me in my hour of need!”
“I was just having a bit of fun, sweetie.”
“Don’t call me that! How many times have I pretended to be your better half for you? I ask one time and you torture me!”
“I thought I played my part quite well.”
“A little too well for my liking!”
The lift opened at their stop and Rey stomped out.
“Come to my office won’t you?” Ben called after her. Rey glared but did as he instructed. The moment they were inside, Ben pressed Rey up against the back of his office door.
“What are you doing?” Rey demanded.
Ben smiled a slow smile. “I think you’re mad right now because you liked what I was doing to you in the lift,” he said caging her with his arms and dipping his head down towards her.
Rey avoided his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous!”
“I liked it too.”
Now her eyes found his. “What?” she whispered.
Ben played with a lock of her hair, twirling it repeatedly around his finger. “I said I liked it. I liked holding your hand, I liked touching you, the one thing I didn’t like was the way Beaumont looked at you. I didn’t like that one bit.”
Rey didn’t respond.
“Why didn’t you tell me I was in love with you, Rey?” he admitted gently.
She gasped in a breath. “I didn’t think you were...I thought that I was the only one…”
His eyes softened. “The only one? Are you saying you’re in love with me too, Rey?”
She nodded nervously and he smiled. He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up towards him.
“Looks like you won’t have to pretend to be my girlfriend anymore, from now on you’re the real deal,” he said with a smirk as he leaned down to kiss her.
Two hours later and looking a little dishevelled Rey left Ben’s office and returned to her desk. She took out her phone and fired off a quick text to Beaumont.
Rey: Worked like a charm. Thank you for your help! :-)
the response was instantaneous:
Beaumont: Anytime, Rey. Anytime. ;-)
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