With or Without You - Pt 4

     Ben walked into a room on his way back to the hotel and stopped dead in his tracks. 'It's her!' He must have made some kind of noise because she turned around. Ben almost fainted as she smiled.
     Willow approached him slowly and offered him her hand, "Hi, I'm Willow.."
     Ben shook her offered hand and smiled as she he noticed her palms to be sweating. "You know where I'm from?"
     She nodded, "Yeah.."
     Ben laughed, "Daniel Jones here. Nice to meet you."
     Willow kept a straight face and checked him out, "Really, huh? I could have sworn you were cuter..and a little taller..and a little more built..and.." She smiled at him, "Ben right? No, I'm actually a fan of the band and don't live for Darren."
     Ben laughed, "Yeah, it is Ben.."
     Willow sat down and looked up at him, "Oh, and I was just joking about the whole comparison thing.. You do that to many unexpecting females?"
     "Not too many." He laughed and sat across from her.
     The two started talking. Ben was surprised about how easy she was to talk to.
     She stopped dead in mid sentence. Ben looked at her oddly then followed her gaze.
     He sighed, Daniel had just walked into the room with Darren.
     Darren looked over the table and ended up grabbing a muffin and a cup of coffee. As he turned around, he jumped, "Ben!"
     Ben kind of laughed, "Yeah.."
     Darren quickly looked from Ben to Willow, "Hello.."
     Daniel turned around with grapes in his hand, he let his eyes quickly slip over Willow. 'Cute..' He thought to himself.
     Willow stood up and offered Darren her hand, "Hi, I'm Willow."
     Darren quickly looked at his muffin and coffee, then set the coffee down next to him and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."
     Ben was standing off to Willow's side. She slowly approached Daniel, "Hey.."
     Daniel looked at his hand full of grapes. He handed them off to Ben, "Here." He wiped his hands on the seat of his jeans. "Hello, Daniel here.." He said as she he shook her hand.
     She laughed, "Ok, tell me something I DON'T know.."
     Daniel rubbed his chin, "I don't like underwear.."
     Willow quickly went a bright shade of red.
     Darren smacked Daniel, "Oh Jonesy. Please, I'm trying to eat my muffin here. I do want to keep breakfast down."
     Ben almost rolled his eyes, all he had managed to get from Willow were sweaty palms and here Daniel was turning her crimson. He handed Daniel back his grapes.
     Willow, once returning to her regular color, continued with what she had planned on saying, "I really love the music. I'm this big old fan here.."
     Darren and Daniel smiled.
     "Quite a sad fan at that. I don't know, you guys seem to have quite the following of young female fans. I feel beyond out of place at times when I get into talking about them with other fans."
     "Yeah, in a way it..well I don't know. I mean I LOVE to know we're touched all these people. But true, we do have quite the following of younger female fans and I'm sure that degrades us to others. But oh well.."
     "Well what else to say..here I figured when I finally met you guys I'd have so much to say, but I'm like stuck.. I love the cd. Even though I'm really not into pop or anything. I'm more into alternative and kind-of-rock bands. I listen to lots, yet when people go through my CDS they always point out how your cd just sticks out so much. Off the cd I'm a big fan of To the Moon and Back, excellent, excellent work Daniel. I also love Universe. As she for your B-Sides I'd had fallen in love with This Side of Me but I've also grown onto Love Can Move You.."
     Daniel smiled, "Thank you, finally Daniel gets a little credit here.."
     Darren looked over and frowned, "What do you mean, 'finally'? You get credit.."
     Daniel cast Darren a quick look, he wasn't about to get into this now, "Oh, nothing. I'm just saying.."
     "Umm, I guess I'll be asking for autographs now. My friend will kill me if I don't get yours Darren.." She stopped and turned around, "My bag.."
     Ben picked it up and passed it to her.
     She smiled politely, "Thanks.." She sat and fished through it. Even though she really didn't want to she had to pull a few things out. She placed her book, discman, and a few CDS by her side. "Here, if you wouldn't mind.." She asked handing Darren and Daniel a cd and two metallic markers.
     As she Daniel took her offered marker and cd, he looked at her, "You're a fan of Sarah McLachlan's?"
     Willow smiled, "Yeah..how did you know?"
     "You look like her. Well fashion wise anyway.."
     Darren looked over at Daniel oddly, "You know who Sarah is?"
     "Well duhh, I only hear her practically EVERYDAY. Actually I've been listening to her recently. She's grown on me."
     Willow smiled, "Got a favourite song?"
     Daniel stopped to think for a second, "I'd guess I'd have to say Witness.."
     She smiled and nodded, "Cool, same here. I love the line, 'Will we burn in heaven like we do down here?' It's just TOO true."
     Darren picked up her cd booklet and looked through checking out her taste in music. "Wow, I can see why we stand out in your 'like' list. These are some heavier bands.."
     Ben peaked over Darren's shoulder, "Ooh, I love The Tea Party. Econoline Crush, they are opening for them right?"
     Willow walked over, "Yeah.."
     Ben nodded, "They're quite good themselves.." Ben sat and broke off a piece of Darren's muffin and popped it in his mouth. He looked over and picked up her book, "Winterson!? You read her?"
     Willow nodded and sat across from him, "Yeah, I love Jeanette. You a fan?"
     "Yeah, I just finished Sexing the Cherry.."
     Both Darren and Daniel looked over at him. Daniel laughed, "Pardon me?!"
     Ben rolled his eyes, "No, it's not like that you idiot.."
     Daniel raised an eyebrow at Willow. She shook her head, "Nope, sorry to disappoint you but it isn't a porno book..well at least not to a certain extent.."
     Daniel handed Willow the cd that the guys had signed for her friend Dawn. "So why didn't you bring your friend with you?"
     "She couldn't come. She's a teacher and couldn't get the day off.."
     That caught Darren's attention, "How old is she?"
     "21.."
     "And she's a fully employed teacher?!" Darren asked quite shocked.
     "Yeah, she's a computer teacher in grade school. Yeah, she is quite young.. She's a big fan and was crushed to find out she couldn't get the time off..I guess it was for the best. I'm sure she would have made the fool of herself."
     The guys laughed, "And how would that be?"
     "Well she's a BIG fan of Darren's.."
     Darren grinned, "Ohh, I see.." He picked up the cd he had signed for her and added a 'love' before his name and smiled, "Hey, anything for a fan.."
     The rest of the back up band had finally got into the room. They all exchanged hellos. Willow managed to get them to all sign this Savage Garden logo picture she had.
     Ben looked over at her, "Hey, would you like to join us for lunch, well actually brunch, I suppose?"
     Willow smiled, "Would I?!" She laughed, "I don't think I COULD turn down that offer even if I wanted to."

     Ben had got Willow aside and they told them they would meet back at the hotel the band was meeting at in a half hour.
     They were planning on dinning at a small Italian restaurant.
     Ben had asked Willow if she minded walking.
     Willow smiled, "Of corse not."
     "I figure I want to see the city and I don't really have to worry about being mauled by some females. So why bother with an automobile."
     "Well if you don't mind, I'm hoping to stop by the hotel I'm staying at to drop this stuff off."
     "Actually, I think we're at the same place.."
     She looked at him, "What?"
     He blushed a little, "I tried to get the elevator open for you.."
     She laughed, "Oh my god! Really?" She laughed again, "Well thanks for trying..and here I was thinking it was some rude American.."

     Willow let Ben into her room as she went to drop her bag off and grab her small purse. She went into the bathroom to fix her hair.
     Ben looked around her room and sat on the edge of her bed.
     Willow peeked out from the bathroom as she fixed her hair. "So how did you meet up with them...I truthfully doubt the whole 'personal add' story Daniel fished out." She said from inside the bathroom.
     Ben yawned and lay back on the bed. He laughed, "Yeah, Dan's story is quite far fetched. Though we did meet some what like that. I was in a previous band and I met them..they offered me an opening I couldn't turn down. So here I am.."
     Willow laughed, "Sounds like fun.." She finished putting her lipstick on and went into the room.
     Ben looked up and smiled at her. He sat up.
     She plunked down beside him and lied down yawning. She looked up at him and smiled.
     "So how old are you?" Ben asked sitting against the back board.
     She rolled onto her side, "How old am I? Isn't a more relevant question is 'Do you have a boyfriend?'?"
     He laughed softly, "No, all I need to know is how old you are, that's all that matters.."
     "It is, huh? 20 and yourself?"
     "20, good. 22 here.."
     "So why is that all you need to know?" She said yawning again, 'I really shouldn't have got up so early' she thought to herself.
     "Because at the time, that's all that matters to me. I have confidence in myself.."
     She laughed, "A little conceited are we?"
     "Aren't all men?"
     She lay on her back looking at the ceiling, "Too true.. So it wouldn't matter to you if I had a boyfriend?"
     "Well, no not really. I don't need to know right now.."
     She laughed again, "Yeah, sure. Like I would even think twice about doing anything if I had a boyfriend.." She looked over at him, he was cute.
     Ben grinned, "Who said I was going to be doing anything?"
     She almost blushed, "I was referring to myself.." Ben laughed. She continued, "I just don't know if I can keep my hands off Daniel.."
     Ben wasn't sure wether to smile or not. She had told him that she liked Daniel..
     She sat up and shook her head laughing, "I'm joking..I know Daniel has a girlfriend.." She walked over to her dresser and took her earings out. She refixed her hair and turned back to him, "Are we ready?"
     Ben nodded and stood up. He walked over to her and ushered her out the door to the elevator.
     They got in and Ben looked over at her, "So is that the only reason I'm getting the time of day?"
     She looked over at him, "Huh?"
     He laughed, "Daniel being hooked up, is that the only reason I got a second look?"
     "No, of corse not. Ug, I hope it doesn't come across that way. Sorry, I've got a weird sense of humour."
     "It's ok, I'm sure you'll get a taste of my screwy sense of humour all too soon."

     They got off at the 23 floor and walked over to Darren's room.
     Willow knocked on the door.
     Nichole smiled and let them in.
     Ben looked around, "Any reason you have two beds in your room Darren? Someone we don't know about?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.
     Darren rolled his eyes, "Oh be quiet! It's nice of you guys to finally join us." He went over to the bathroom and knocked on the door, "Almost finished with the loo Jonesy?"
     "Can I not get ONE minute of peace to myself?" Daniel called from the bathroom.
     Darren laughed, "Not a chance in hell bud. Come on, Ben and Willow finally decided to 'grace us' with their presence.."
     Willow laughed and shook her head.
     Ben massaged his neck. Willow looked back, "Are you ok?"
     Ben smiled briefly and nodded, "So did you manage to find a restaurant?"
     Lee nodded, "Yeah, we managed to find one. Surprisingly there aren't that many in this city.."
     Daniel stepped out of the bathroom and ran his fingers through his hair, "So are we ready?"

Chapter 5




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