Chapter Text
Smack! “I never wanna see your face again! Ugh.” She turned around and stormed out of the club.
Ben was left with his hand rubbing his left cheek, “Oh that's gonna bruise.” He turned in his bar stool to look at his friend.
“You are a scoundrel, Ben Solo.” Phasma threw her hands in the air in exasperation.
“What is that? The fifth one in that many weeks?” Hux glided in front of them placing a shot glass with red liquid in front of him.
Ben eyed the drink suspiciously. It's not like Hux was a bad mixologist. He is great actually but he tends to experiment a lot. And Ben was his favorite test subject. He loves his friend to the moon and back but he really didn't want to destroy his kidneys just to please him. He pushed the drink away with his pinky finger before looking up. Hux had his arms crossed on his chest and gave him a disapproving look.
“Sixth actually, but who's counting?” Then he turned around and looked at Phasma, “I am a scoundrel, it's in my blood.” He winked and gave her his best crooked smile, that he knew he inherited from his dad.
Phasma rolled her eyes before downing her own drink, and said something under her breath that sounded like fucking Solos. Ben couldn’t help but laugh. Phasma was his dad’s, the famous country singer Han Solo’s, agent and PR manager. Let's just say his dad didn't make it easy for her.
“Did you know these girls go around and tell their friends to stay away from my club, because, wait for it…we have a sexual predator prowling about?” Hux snorted.
Now it was time for Ben to look exasperated. “What? They need to learn the definition of sexual predator. These girls are so dramatic. And you wonder why I can't keep one around. Sexual predator, really ? Now that's a first.”
“But you are ruining my club's reputation all the same,” Hux said, pushing the drink towards him again.
Ben took it and downed it in one go. Bad decision! “Dude, lay off on the sweet stuff. Ugh, what was that?”
“It's my new pomegranate shot,” Hux said proudly. “Phas, likes it. Don't you Phas?”
“Yeah, it's okay,” Phasma said. She was clearly distracted, typing away on her phone.
“Come on, Phas, put the phone down. You came out to have fun.” Ben turned to his friend.
“I'm sorry, Solo, but not everyone was born into a musical dynasty, or can be an award winning composer, or has an inheritance to their name to live a completely hedonistic life,” Phasma said putting her phone down.
Ben huffed. “I do not live a hedonistic life. I work really hard. And I enjoy sex. But I don't see myself committed to any one of these... girls. And trust me they’re getting what they want out of it. I don't see anyone complaining when I'm pleasuring them. Why can't they just take it as it is? Two adults getting what they want from each other. No strings attached. And trust me I never try to give them any illusions of commitment when we hit it off.” He finished his speech just to see his friends shaking their heads at him.
Ben rolled his eyes at them. He went back to what he was doing before Laurel, or was it Lizzy , rudely interrupted him, scanning the club scene. The DJ was quite good today and he made a mental note to let Hux know that. There was a leggy blonde across the bar, who had been eyeing him, and a gorgeous red head on his 5. He noticed her when he turned to talk to Lizzy, yes her name was Lizzy , his mind finally supplied. He wanted to wait a little before approaching her so he ordered another drink. He needed to wash down the horrible taste Hux’s drink left behind.
Ben was downing his fourth shot of the night when Phasma suddenly said, “Hey who is that with Dameron and Finn?”
Hux shrugged, “Dunno, maybe a friend?” and went back to cleaning the glass in his hands.
Ben turned around, bringing his glass to his lips and to see who they were talking about. He almost fell off his stool, choking on his drink.
Next thing he knows Phasma was pulling him up to stand beside her and patting his back, as he coughed to clear his throat. Hux looked concerned too.
“Are you okay, man? What happened?” Phasma asked.
“Don't tell me the drink was that bad,” Hux sounded incredulous.
“No, it's not the drink.” Ben said, turning around and looking at the booth Poe and Finn was sitting in. He gulped. “Um, that's Rey.”
Hux took a very dramatic double take. “That's Rey? Little Rey? Rey Kenobi?”
Ben nodded.
“Well she isn’t little anymore,” Hux said clearly checking her out.
Ben smacked him on the back of his head. Hux yelped, “What was that for?”
“Just don't. Not her.” Ben was serious.
Hux snickered at that. “Ahem, Ben kriffing Solo, is asking me to behave?” When Ben didn't look up he added, “anyway, what is she doing here in states? Wasn't she in London?”
“I don't know. I haven't seen her in years!” Ben said.
“Okay, I'm totally out of loop here. Who is she now?” Phasma asked looking between them and the booth.
“Oh Rey is Ben’s childhood friend if you can call it that. She is six years younger than him. She’s the granddaughter of the guy Ben was named after,” Hux supplied.
“No way! Ben Kenobi’s granddaughter, the Ben Kenobi? Three-time Oscar winning composer?” Phasma said.
“One in the same,” Hux said then added, “Ben hasn't seen her in ages.”
“Aww, why don't you go and talk to her?” Phasma said encouragingly.
Like Ben needed any convincing. He was already on his way leaving his friends calling after him.
Ben walked up to the booth. Rey was standing now, her side leaning against the booth animatedly talking to Finn and Poe. As Ben got closer he could hear what they were talking about. She was asking them what they wanted to drink because she was getting herself a refill.
“Rey,” Ben finally managed to call her. He saw her back stiffen. Then she slowly turned around. Her beautiful hazel eyes met his and they were as beautiful as he remembered. Sometimes brown and sometimes green. Right now in the dim light of the club, they were looking more green than brown. Her shock was written all over them but with a hint of something else that Ben couldn’t place at that moment.
She was wearing a blue silk top and tight black skirt that reached just below her mid thigh. Her long toned legs clad in black sheer hose. Ben followed them down to her feet. Rey had on slick black pumps that were a little too high to be comfortable.
He tore his eyes from her legs to look up at her face. Her hair was pulled back, but not in her usual three buns. Ben wondered if she had grown out of them. Rey’s lips were parted, a faint blush coloring her high cheekbones. She looked flustered for a minute, before finally recovering.
“Ben?” Her eyes were round and her face finally broke into a wide dazzling smile. Ben felt his heart constrict.
She closed the gap between them in two long strides and was instantly in his arms.
“Hey,” he said, holding her close, her lithe body pressed against his. “What are you doing here?”
Rey took a step backward untangling herself from him and looked up, “Um, I moved back a week ago. Leia didn’t tell you? I went to her house the other day.”
Of course his mother knew; she had left him all those messages that he hadn’t bothered to check.
“No, I didn’t know.” He looked past her at Finn and Poe. Poe gave him a pointed look, before shaking his head.
“Yeah she’s back for good now. Moved in with Finn.” Poe supplied.
“Temporarily,” Rey piped in, looking at her friend, and smiled.
“You can stay as long as you want, peanut.” Finn told her with a bright smile.
Rey turned around and said, “So Ben, how are you? I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Guilt coiled in his belly because he knew it was his fault. He ducked his head. “Yeah, sorry. You wanted to get more drinks?” Waving his hands towards the bar. Rey looked back at her friends at the booth.
“Yeah, go ahead. You've got a lot of catching up to do.” Poe said looking straight at him.
Rey turned to him and said, “Let's go then.”
Ben could only follow her back to the bar.