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Madelyn only bothered to look up from her phone when it rattled out of her hands and onto the London sidewalks when a shoulder hit hers hard. Another phone clattered next to hers.
“Ow.” She rubbed her shoulder and reached down to grab her phone, tucking it into her coat pocket.
“I’m terribly sorry.” The soft British accent hit her ears.
Madelyn’s head snapped to the source, blond curls covering half her face until she pushed them out of her way. The man was tall, with dark hair and impossibly dark eyes. She gulped. “A.. apology accepted.”
“Is this Kings Road?” he questioned, grabbing his phone and tucking it into his coat pocket.
She stood there, dumbstruck for a moment. “Kings Road?” Then she snapped back to her senses. “KINGS ROAD.”
“Kings Road.” His eyes darted. “I’m running late, so if you could point me in the direction...” He flashed her a smile, his nose scrunching up.
“Uh… end of this block, take a left.”
The smile on his face widened. “Thanks.” He gave her a quick hug before taking off at a jog. He called after her. “Sorry about the shoulder.”
Madelyn watched him until he disappeared around the corner, giving a little wave. “Bye handsome hot guy with no name.” She muttered to no one but herself before continuing on her way to her job.
-
Ben’s publicist stood outside the building, tapping his foot against the pavement. Ben held up his hands in a pleading gesture. “I can explain, I—”
“Let me guess, you got lost.” His publicist gave him a knowing glare. “You have no sense of geography. Get inside. The interview is starting.”
Ben nodded and headed into the building.
-
Madelyn hung her coat on the hook by her front door after a long shift at the library where she worked. She fished her phone out of her pocket to inspect it for damage. At that point, she noticed, the case was black and not navy like hers. She turned the phone on to find ten missed text messages. The first one read:
You have my phone.
The words stared back at Madelyn from the small screen on her desk. It was correct. The phone she currently possessed was not hers. But the identity of the true owner eluded her. The phone was locked. She continued to flick away the text messages until she found this one.
Code is 568399. Please respond.
She quickly punched in the code and the screen and responded to the text with a smirk.
Wrong phone, who’s dis?
Madelyn watched the three little dots blink on the screen while the other person typed a response.
The rightful owner of the phone currently in your possession. Perhaps you remember me? The gentleman who collided with you on the way to Kings Road?
Madelyn blushed as she typed.
I remember you. Or more specifically, my shoulder, remember you. Did you get where you needed to?
More blinking dots.
Yes. Eventually. Now, the matter of switching phones.
Madelyn thought about that, smirking.
What will you pay for ransom?
What are you asking?
A meal with you?
I am willing to offer a cup of coffee and a pastry of your choice.
Madelyn tapped her nail on the table, considering her options. She typed back a response.
You drive a hard bargain, but I will accept your terms. Brickwood 7, tomorrow morning. Do you need directions?
What about tonight?
Can’t I’m busy. You’ll have to struggle through the next 8 hours or so without your beloved… She quickly scrolled through his apps. …Farmville. Really FARMVILLE? Who even plays Farmville anymore? Not even my gran plays Farmville!
Ben glanced down at the phone, mildly amused and offended at the same time.
I happen to LIKE Farmville. Fine tomorrow.
He slumped in his chair.
See you then. Sweet dreams, Farm boy.
Ben groaned and tucked Madelyn’s phone into the pocket of his jacket so he wouldn’t forget it in the morning, and then headed off to bed.
Madelyn settled onto the sofa, the phone not too far away. She lied when she said was busy. Unless catching up on whatever trashy movie she found streaming counted as busy. It had been months since she had gone out on an honest to god date. After too much leftover Thai food and not enough beer, she fell asleep.
-
Madelyn came careening into Brickwood at 7:05 the next morning, her long tangly blonde curls flying behind her. The morning started with her sleeping through her alarm, using body wash instead of shampoo, and then having to go back to her apartment halfway to retrieve the phone.
To her mild shock, Kings Road guy was nowhere to be seen. She pouted a bit, brow furrowed as she gets in line. Surely, he didn’t come and go. She still had his phone. Madelyn continued to look around the small and increasingly bustling cafe for him.
At nearly quarter past seven, the door flung open, and he stepped through, his dark hair mussed. She stared as he glanced about the cafe. With a semi-dazed expression, Madelyn waved him down. Ben’s face broke out in an expression of relief. He quickly made his way to the front of the line, where she waited.
“I am terribly sorry.” He huffed. “I got lost.”
Madelyn raised a brow. “You got lost? Didn’t you use a map? Do you not live here?” They scooted up a spot in line.
Ben’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Ah… yes to all. I have no excuse other than I have no geography?” He shrugs his shoulders. “I have all my life. As you saw the other day.”
The cashier cleared his throat to signal it was their turn to order. Madelyn hustled forward. “Ummm…” she scanned the menu. “medium vanilla latte and… orange cranberry muffin.” She gestured to Ben, who was studying the menu.
“Pot of tea and a cheese toastie.” He smiled.
Madelyn pulled her wallet from her purse, but Ben stopped her hand.
“Please. As payment for being late.” He smiled at her and Madelyn nodded, tucking her wallet back into her purse.
Ben paid as Madelyn found an empty table. As she sat down, he extended his hand. “The name is Ben.”
She took his hand and shook with a firm handshake and they both sat. “Madelyn.”
His nose scrunched up as he smiled. “Madelyn. It’s nice to know the name of the ransomer of my phone.”
“Nice to put a name with shoulder I ran into.” She matched his smile. “Although I have to comment, you promised me coffee and pastry. Tea and a cheese toastie are neither.”
“Well, I don’t care much for sweets and always tea over coffee. Besides, you are partaking of coffee and pastry of your choice, so the promise has been fulfilled.”
Madelyn chuckled. “Semantics. You wouldn’t be a barrister, would you?” A server came by to drop off a pot of tea for Ben, Madelyn’s latte, and the food.
Ben laughed. “No. Definitely not a barrister.”
“Then where were you running to, oh so late, on Kings Road?” She sipped her latte and hummed. “Sweet caffeine and sugar.”
Ben watched her indulge in her coffee as he fixed his tea to his liking. “An interview.”
“Oh, like a job interview?” She perked up.
“Something like that.” Ben fibbed. He was hesitant to share what he did for a living and rather enjoyed this casual conversation. “I’m a musician, among other things.”
“Oh, an artist.” Madelyn smiled. He looked like an artist. There was something almost soulful about him. “I work at the library.”
Ben smirked at her. “Where are your glasses? And the messy bun and stern look?”
Madelyn narrowed her eyes. “Quiet, sir.” Her lips twitched. “I’ve heard all the jokes.” She did her best to hold the face. “Okay, I can’t keep a straight face. I have perfect vision and a messy bun with this much hair hurts my neck.” she pulled out a hunk of her hair, tangled from her morning “jog” to the cafe. “Not all of us were born with perfect glossy lock with just enough body.”
Ben turned to his left and then to his right and then pointed to his chest. “Me?”
“Yes you, Mr. Perfect Hair.”
He took a big bite of his toastie. “It’s good product.” His mouth full of food as he smiled. Ben swallowed the bite and leaned over the table. “So, do you have the goods?”
“The goods?” Her brow furrowed. “OH! The goods.” She dug in her purse and pulled out Ben’s phone.
He grabbed for the phone, but Madelyn pulled it back. “Hey! No grabby hands. This is a mutual exchange.”
Ben pulled Madelyn’s phone and placed it on the table. “Nice wallpaper background. Boyfriend?”
“Brother. An Aston Martin? Seemed very cliche.”
“It’s called manifestation. Now, slide the phone across the table.” He raised a brow. “Slowly. And no one gets hurt.”
She chuckled for a moment before matching his expression. “We will exchange in the middle. No funny business or the phone gets it.”
In what was one of the most bizarre exchanges ever, Madelyn slid the cell phone across the table and Ben did the same. As soon as they reached the middle of the table, the two of them scrambled to grab their respective phones. Ben made a show of taking the phone and pressing it to chest.
“I will never let you go again!” He quickly unlocked the phone and started flipping through apps. “You didn’t dig through it?”
She looked at him, bewildered. “No, I didn’t. It’s personal. Did you dig through mine?!” Panicked, she unlocked her phone and can’t see anything.
He smirked at her as he pocketed his phone. “Is there something I should have looked at?”
“No….” Madelyn responded, placing her phone in her purse. “So I guess, that’s it.” She hoped she didn’t sound disappointed.
Ben pondered her words. He guessed it was. But he found himself wanting to linger in her company. “I guess it is.” He cleared his throat. “I am sure you have better things to do than sit around with a man who has no sense of direction and can’t tell which phone is his.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I should head off to work. The books won’t read themselves.” Madelyn gulped down the last of her now lukewarm latte and stood. Ben followed suit. She extended her hand to him. “Thank you for returning my phone and it was a pleasure to meet you.”
He smiled a slight smile and gripped her hand firmly. “The same goes for me. Perhaps I’ll run into you again someday.” He closed his eyes for a moment, realizing what he said. “Not literally. In a metaphorical sense.”
She giggled and pulled back her hand. “That would be… nice. Thank you for breakfast and…” Madelyn wondered what else to say that wouldn’t sound either awkward or borderline stalker. “… until next time!”
Well, that failed, she thought to herself as she heaved her purse onto her shoulder and headed for the exit. The cafe was loud and crowded now as the morning rush was in full force. Madelyn glanced back for a moment at Ben, sitting down, sipping his tea while he thumbed through what she assumed was missed messages. There was a small flutter in her stomach, but she pushed that far away, in the same place where she kept her irrational fear of vertical blinds.
“He’s a pretty boy, but not for you, Madelyn.” she scolded herself before heading out the door.
Ben glanced up to see if Madelyn had left yet, but he couldn’t spy her in and among the people. With a sigh, he finished his food and tea and headed about his day.
-
Two Weeks Later
Madelyn flopped down at the table across from her friend Stephanie, just as her phone buzzed in her hand. “Hold on.” She held up a finger to pause her as she glanced at the phone to see a text message from an unfamiliar number.
Wrong phone, who’s dis?
It took a few seconds for everything to click, and then she started giggling and typing back. Stephanie leaned over the table. “What’s so funny?”
“Hold on, I’ll show you.” She quickly typed up a message.
Remember me, the girl who babysat your phone one time?
She showed her phone to Stephanie. “It’s that guy I told you about.” Madelyn beamed. “Ben…”
“You are swooning.” Stephanie smirked. “You are swooning over Phone Guy.”
“I am not—” Another text came onto her screen.
I have a gig coming up this weekend and I was wondering if you might want to come. I have some extra tickets.
Madelyn squealed. “He’s inviting me to a gig. Do I say yes?” Stephanie opened his mouth, only for Madelyn to continue. “I’m saying yes.”
I would like that. Send the details and I will be there.
Stephanie sat there watching Madelyn type out everything with a bemused smirk. “Can I speak now? Are you done mooning over this guy?”
“Ben.”
“Ben. Phone Guy.”
Madelyn furrowed her brow. “Ben Barnes. The struggling musician.”
Stephanie stared at Madelyn, somewhat dumbfounded. “Wait, that is Phone Guy’s last name?” she pulled out her own phone.
“Yeah….” Madelyn’s furrow deepened.
Stephanie placed her phone on the table and spun it towards Madelyn. “Is this your struggling musician, Ben?”
“How did you?” She gazed down at what had to be a professional photo of Ben, looking all kinds of delicious in a black t-shirt and jeans. “Does he have a website?”
Stephanie’s mouth fell open. “I swear…. you’re my smartest friend…” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Do you even WATCH television?”
“Hey! I was watching a documentary the other day. Why?”
“Let me ask one more question before I answer that. Did Ben actually say the words ‘struggling musician’ or did you fill in some blanks?”
Madelyn replayed the conversation in her head, like she did on a weekly basis. “He said he was a musician, among other things. I assumed he meant server or bartender or something.”
“Or how about a movie and TV star? Dorian Gray? Prince Caspian? For fuck’s sake, you are a librarian!”
“You mean… he’s like a celebrity?! But he seemed so normal!”
Stephanie snorted her drink. “Ow. That went up my nose, Madelyn. Warn a girl. I mean, he is a human being. Not an alien. I hope he seemed normal. So what are you going to wear to this gig?”
“Clothes.”
“Clothes for a gig with hot Phone Guy TV movie star you have been swooning over for the last two weeks.” Stephanie shook her head. “I am going through your closet.”
“Fine, but nothing too revealing.”
“Trust me, Madelyn.”
-
Madelyn tugged at the hem of the dress Stephanie pulled from the back of her closet.
“Why do you never wear this?” Stephanie held up the black bodycon dress.
Madelyn blushed and scoffed. “That was for a Halloween costume!”
“Well, now it is for your date.” She shoved it at her friend.
“This is not a date!”
Stephanie threw a look at her. “It is so a date.”
“He invited me to hear him play music. With a bunch of people.”
Stephanie grabbed a pair of kneehigh suede boots and an oversized tweed blazer and handed them to Madelyn. “He invited you. A person he met twice. He personally invited to come and listen to him play music.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Precisely. Now wear the dress and everything else.”
When Madelyn arrived at the venue, she found the ticket window where her tickets were. An employee led her to a small table near the stage with a sign reading “Reserved”
“Can I get you something to drink?”
“Ah…” she quickly scanned the menu. “Whisky neat.”
The server left, and Madelyn surveyed the venue. It was a small jazz club with the almost required haze in the air and a small raised stage with a piano and guitar.
“Your drink.” The server set the glass on top of a napkin of the tabletop.
“Thank you.” She fished out a few bank notes, but the server waved her off.
“The bill is taken care of.”
“Oh.”
By that time, the rest of the patrons sat at the tables scattered around. The lights on the stage go up as the rest of the lights dimmed. A young lady came onto the stage and tapped a microphone.
“Everyone, Ben Barnes.” Everyone clapped as Ben took the stage.
Madelyn grinned as she watched him hop behind the piano wearing a short-sleeved button down over a white t-shirt and faded black jeans. He caught her eye for just a moment and flashed a smile. Madelyn’s cheeks heated.
Over the next hour, she sat enraptured, listening to Ben sing jazzy original songs and covers of pop songs. She sipped her whisky, not wanting to gulp it down as she already felt a buzz. Madelyn nibbled on some chicken wings, trying her best to not drip on her dress. Which proved difficult as she fumbled every time Ben glanced her way.
Ben grinned throughout his performance. It was a small group but an enthusiastic one. He couldn’t stop himself from stealing glances at Madelyn off to the side. Part of him regretted reserving a table for her so close to the stage it was rather distracting. As the performance came to a close, Ben grabbed the mic to address the audience.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming out and supporting me tonight. I have one more song and I am dedicating it to a special someone. Hopefully, they know who they are.” He sat back down at the piano and hit the opening chords.
“Can anybodddddyyyy….” Ben belted out the iconic lyrics. “find meeee… somebody toooo… love.”
Madelyn flushed red and glanced around the room to see several others doing the same. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. You barely know this man, Madelyn. It’s not like that, she thought. After that, she enjoyed the song and clapped along with everyone as Ben took a bow and hopped off stage. She wanted to thank him for the tickets and the refreshments before leaving, but they immediately swarmed Ben. After waiting for several minutes in hopes the crowd would disperse and it didn’t, so she downed the rest of her whisky, left a tip for the lovely server and headed for the entrance.
Ben tried to make a beeline for Madelyn, but got caught up by several people. He strained to see if she was still at the table, but by the time the crowd cleared a bit, the table was empty. His eyes darted around the club to see a cloud of blonde curls exiting the club.
“Give one moment, please.” Ben commented as he headed to the door with haste, shrugging off a few more people with hasty apologies.
The night air pricked at his skin. As he glanced to the right, Ben spied Madelyn making her way down the sidewalk. “MADELYN!” He called out as he jogged to meet her.
She turned at the sound of her name and saw Ben hustling towards her. Madelyn pushed her hair off her face. “What are you doing out here without a coat?”
He furrowed his brow. “You didn’t say goodbye.” Ben stated matter-of-factly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Madelyn blinked back at him. “Uh… I didn’t think it would… All those people were… You came all the way out here so we can say goodbye?”
Ben grinned at her. “Well, yes, and this…” In what was surely an instant but felt like minutes, he cupped her face and leaned down to kiss her hesitantly.
In shock, Madelyn neither advanced the kiss nor recoiled, instead savoring the moment. As they part, she can’t help but have her lips curve up into a smirk. “So… that last song?”
Ben’s chest heaved as his heart pounded in his chest. “Did you think I meant it for anyone but you?”
“But you don’t even know me.”
“Then let me learn. A proper date. You and me, dinner, a movie. Whatever you want.”
“BEN!”
They both turned to the name to see an irate man in a suit, glaring at them. Ben chuckled.
“My manager. I should go.” He kissed her cheek. “Can I call you tomorrow?”
Madelyn nodded, still reeling from what had just happened. “Yeah… I mean yes.” A giggled bubbled up.
“Yes?” Ben grinned. “Yes!”
“BENJAMIN!”
He winced. “Got to go. Call you tomorrow.” One more quick kiss and then he jogged back to the club, glancing back at Madelyn.
“Is that the girl?” Ben’s manager asked once he reached the door.
“Yeah…” Ben watched as Madelyn disappeared into the crowd.
“And are we seeing her again?” He pressed his lips together, watching Ben getting starry eyed.
“I’m calling her tomorrow.”
“Good, then this was worth the trouble. Now come back inside, you’re not even wearing a jacket, you’ll catch a death.”