The Love Hack

Arty

I didn't believe in kissing and telling. But if I did? All I would say was: holy shit.

My body was still tingling from our shower. Water running all over our skin, down our face as our lips were pressed together fiercely, like we were trying to claim each other. It was intense and messy and perfect.

We didn't take it further – not yet. Ben wanted the timing to feel right, and I had realized that there was no rush. Ben wasn't going anywhere. Besides, we had done enough for one day to leave me breathless.

I should have probably started responding to Upwork messages. I already had a few bites, people wanting to know my timelines and ideas. There was really only one app that I had any interest in, it was called GreenPrint. It was supposed to help individuals reduce their carbon footprint by inciting friendly competition through challenges.

But GreenPrint had yet to respond to me. Instead, my direct messages were full of some app that wanted to match houseplants with housesitters and one that wanted to use object detection to identify inflammatory foods from pictures– a virtually impossible task given how complex ingredients could be beyond what the naked eye could see, let alone what an AI could interpret through photos.

I had plenty of options to keep me busy. I could even start working on my personal project, but my laptop remained closed and abandoned in my bedroom. Instead, I took in the current state of the house. Ben had been so busy with Jonah and now work that I was beginning to notice the mess piling up.

The next thing I knew, I was scrubbing surfaces, organizing the random clutter we somehow managed to accumulate, and throwing in a load of laundry. And when everything looked in order, I began to contemplate how it was getting to that time where we should start setting up Christmas decorations. So, I went on a mission through the garage to locate the various boxes of lights and ornaments.

I decided we should set up the tree together, or rather Ben and Jonah should set it up together, so I just brought the boxes inside and neatly stacked them in the hallway.

I had veggies roasting for dinner, I folded the blankets on the couch, and I updated the calendar in the kitchen. By the time I realized I was playing house, I was in too deep to stop. Looking around, the space just felt warm and ready to make new memories. Maybe for the first time, I felt like I had a place in the house.

At some point, Jonah had texted that he was staying at a friend's place for the night. Honestly, I was surprised by Ben's blind trust that he hadn't questioned Jonah on it once. I was fairly certain that it must be more than just a friend. Not because I had any substantiating evidence, but because I remember what it was like being in highschool. Or maybe it was just a friend, and Jonah just needed out of the house. And maybe that reality would be harder to accept, and that was why Ben didn't question Jonah on it.

With another six hours to kill before Ben was off work, I threw on a show, and before long I had passed out on the couch.

I woke to the sound of the key in the door lock, and I groggily pushed myself up to a sitting position.

Ben paused in the entryway, his eyes sweeping over the living room and kitchen. Ben's hair was disheveled and his eyes dark, he was clearly tired. He threw his coat on the rack, and his sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, exposing the strong, defined muscles there. His gym bag hung haphazardly off one shoulder, the strap creasing his shirt.

"Long day?" I asked, my voice groggy as I ran a hand through my hair in an attempt to tame it.

Ben dropped his bag onto the floor with a thud, walking into the room. When we met eyes, he immediately erupted into a soft smile, a lightness reaching his dark eyes. His cheeks had a faint blush from the cold outside.