"I shouldn't..."

{if Shame < 81
}Beth really wanted to hang out with Derek for longer. A drive in his convertible down the coast sounded like a lot of fun, and she was enjoying his eyes on her body a little more than she liked to admit. Which is why you should go home.
{else
}Beth didn't really want to go home to socialize with Brian's little brother and wait for Brian to come home and very likely crash without giving her any attention. But it was the right thing to do. {endif
} "I shouldn't..."
"What's the problem?" Derek seemed confused.
"I'd rather not risk getting home after him, and having to answer questions."
"You wouldn't just tell him we had dinner? You're not his property, Beth."
"It's going to cause a fight, and I'm trying to avoid those." She looked down at the ground. {if Shame < 85
}Why should I care? It's not like he cares about my needs. And it's not like I'm doing anything.... just having a nice dinner and a drive. But she shook her head anyway. {else
}I wish I didn't have to walk on eggshells, but I'm just trying to make it through this stressful time and then I can enjoy my life... with Brian... {if Faith > 92
}Besides, it's not like I'd ever....do anything with Derek...or anyone else for that matter...{endif
}{endif
}"Thanks for dinner, it was really amazing."
"Literally any time, Beth." He was smiling, not at all betraying any disappointment he might be feeling.
"If you tell me what the bill was I can-" Derek's hand on her arm cut her off.
"Never." His smile filled her vision, and it took an effort to break away from his gaze.
"Well, th-thanks again." Derek took her hand and kissed the back of it, which made her blush, before leaning in to kiss her on the lips, which she turned to take on the cheek instead. Right... he's still Derek.
"So close... next time, maybe."
Beth rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Next time, maybe." She was sober enough to drive, and when she got home around 8:05, Kyle was awake, watching ESPN on the couch. There were Chinese food containers on the coffee table. He introduced himself very politely{if MastrosAttire = 2}, never making a comment about her outfit or even staring, that she noticed. {else}.{endif
}Beth told him that she had been out to dinner with some girlfriends before heading upstairs to change. When she came back down, the two of them got to know each other a little better.
Kyle Jackson. Corporal, US Army, had been honorably discharged after a four year tour. He'd been deployed, first in Iraq, and then Syria. Now that he was done with his duty, it was time for him to fit back into civilian life. He wasn't eager to see his and Brian's parents, for reasons he didn't seem to want to get into, and Beth didn't press. That's why he was crashing here, and not in Newport Beach with them. He would start looking for a job, but he was really excited to be home in time for their wedding.
Beth gave him the short version of how they met, what she did, where she was from. She was coming to the strange realization that Kyle was very charming. He had a slightly "rough around the edges" demeanor that she supposed was typical of recently discharged soldiers, but his politeness was refreshing and his smile was roguish. He had much of the traits that she found attractive in Brian, with the additional benefits of youth, and the physical training of a soldier. She knew, from Brian, that Kyle had been a bad kid: ****, fighting, eventually a stolen car and a joyride before an arrest. Community service, instead of jail time, had led to enlistment. She got the sense from Brian that his parents had pushed him into the military as a way to "get rid of" the problem. {if Formation = 4
}Beth could relate more than she liked to admit. {endif
}After about thirty minutes, Beth stood up. "Well, Kyle, it's nice to have you, and please make yourself at home."
"I'm going to look for a place of my own, don't worry. This isn't a 'You, Me and...' well, you know the movie."
"Dupree?"
"No, it's Kyle. We just met?" Kyle chuckled, and Beth giggled despite herself. It was a stupid joke, but she couldn't help it. "Seriously, just pretend I'm not here."
"I think that might be traumatic for you if I did. {if Formation = 5
}I like to walk around naked a lot." Why...for the love of God...did I just tell him that? She blushed. "I'm sorry, that wasn't-"
"It's okay. No sweat." Kyle's face was red. Oh God, he's picturing it now. {else}"{endif
}
They hung out together, making small talk and watching TV until Brian arrived home around 10.