Returning to Normal

After Ben had ran into Lainey in the park he was getting inpatient for her to come back to work. The rumor he had heard a couple days ago was that Lainey was suppose to come back to work today so he made sure to be at work for that.

He was busing off a couple of tables and every time he heard the door open he glanced up and looked to see if it was her. He was hoping the it didn't look too obvious that he was looking for her.

Ben saw some customers come in so he went over to them to see what they needed.

"Drinks? Food? " Ben said in his usual surly voice but almost missing his usual rude touch.

As he took their order he looked up when he heard the door open again.

While part of Lainey was loathe to return to work - loathe to deal with trying customers, and especially loathe to leave Tirion in the care of a sitter - another part of her was looking forward to a bit of normalcy in her life. Serving regulars and meeting new customers, the sounds and excitement of the pub. The satisfaction of a job well done-

Lainey walked through the door to the pub, pausing as she was immediately caught in another's gaze.

-Ben.

Before the irrational flush could rise to her face, Lainey's attention was grabbed by a pair of the pub oldest regulars and the woman went to talk to them before hurrying to the back to put on her apron and store her belongings.

Coming out from the back, Lainey went to clear some tables near the back, passing Ben on the way to the dish room.

"Well," she said with a little smirk, "I see you haven't burned the place down in my absence."

Ben was taking out some plates of food that had come up. Making his way over to refill some drinks when he got close to Lainey and he smirked a little when Lainey commented about burning the place down,

"Well, I kind of need a job you know." Ben stated matter of factually.

"Besides, I wouldn't get to she your shinning face." Ben stated with a smirk on his face.

Ben heard his name called so he walked over to see what was needed.

"So, the only reason this place is still standing is because you need a job?" Lain quirked a brow at him. She snorted at his next comment. "Shining, is it?" Rolling her eyes, the redhead moved past him to put the dishes in the washroom, denying to herself the light flush that blossomed across her face the moment she'd passed him.

Why was she - almost - happy to see him? It was Ben, for god's sake. The same man she had barely tolerated since she started working here. ...the man who'd let her cling to him when she was terrified out of her wits when Eli hadn't arrived, yet. She peeked out through the door, green eyes resting upon him for but a split second before she tore them away and went back to her duties.

It's Ben, she told herself. Why did she feel like that was precisely the reason she was feeling so odd?

Ben grabbed some food that had appeared in the window for one of his tables, "Well I thought you might need your job too." He smirked and headed over to the table that the food belong too.

Ben smirked as he walked up to Lainey and whispered in her ear, "I meant smiling face, smiling. Its been a long day already."

Ben was trying to watch her out of the corner of his eyes, he was really glad that she was back, he really had missed her, not that he would admit it.

This time, there was really no logical way for Lain to hide the blush that rose to her cheeks, apart from turning away - only to have said blush noticed by a customer who proceeded to tease her.

"No - it's not..." Lainey sputtered, tone at a whisper. "How about a free refill on the house, hm? Just..." the redhead shot a glance over her shoulder to ascertain Ben's location, "don't mention this, yeah? It's really not what you think and if you say something, he'll get absolutely impossible to work with."

Ben was cleaning up some tables after some people had left only to have some more people come in again. Ben could not help but look back at Lainey every once in awhile.

What was his problem he was not suppose to have feelings anymore, he had spent years making himself be hated by others because that was what he thought he deserved, by being their when someone needed him the most something inside of him changed a little, but he was still afraid of feeling again.

Ben saw her blushing as she was talking to a customer and was wondering what made her be that way. But turned back to the table.

"What can I get for you?" Ben asked a little more nicer than usual.