⎾ CLEVER ⏌

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

A few compliments as well as looks here and there were nice. But Benjamin was already aware of the way he looked. He knew because he actually put in some effort to look as he did. He got regular haircuts every other month, he maintained his stubble to his liking, he preferred clothing that formed to his body rather than something that looked like an over-sized sack. While it did help from time to time, he didn't need the expensive name brands or the flashy accessories. It was just basic paying attention to see what matched and suited whatever colors he might be wearing that day. Just as Evie, he didn't mind answering any questions. It was only fair. Not only that, it might put an end to some of the most burning questions he had about his soon-to-be-bride. He smiled as she gave him an answer. "Alright, sounds good. And in fairness, I have no limits either." he replied. Benjamin pursed his lips as he thought for a moment. He wanted his first question to be a good one despite how many were suddenly coming to mind. "Okay first question. Have you ever dated anyone?" he asked curiously.

 

[xDarkWinterx]

There were many things to ask of Ben. She could only imagine what questions Ben would have in store for him. Evie saw no need to have limitations, after all what good would it do. Ben was likely to find out if she lied anyways. She didn’t like the idea of lying, after all what kind of relationship would they have if she couldn’t even answer simple questions. Evie laughed softly as Ben spoke nodding a little. She couldn't’ see why he would have limitations if she did not. If Ben had, then she would not have continued with their little game. It just wasn’t fun. Evie waited as Ben seemed to throw a few ideas around before speaking. She shrugged her shoulders a little, ”A few times, but no one person in particular….What about you, any other girls catch your fancy?” Evie asked teasing Ben, just as their waitress came to drop off their drinks. She thanked her as she took her glass taking a sip returning her attention back toward Ben.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

Benjamin only saw it fair that he have no limits for himself either. He didn't know if Evie would want to continue playing if he did not otherwise. At this point in his young life he had nothing even worth trying to hide. Hardly anything scandalous ever happened to him. His family might have been well known, but they weren't on the level of other families in this city. It wasn't long before Benjamin asked his first question. He watched her shrug her shoulders and give him his answer. Once again, he smirked as he was teased. "Recently no. I haven't really been seeing anyone....My last serious girlfriend was in high school. We broke up on the day of our graduation. If I recall correctly she said something about not being able to show herself in public on the arm of a Havard man while attending Yale." Benjamin had always wished he was kidding when he spoke of his ex. Most people thought her words to be quite baffling, but word-by-word that was what she told him. As he finished speaking, their waitress soon came over with their drink order, and setting it down before them. He smiled politely and pulled the glass forward to take a sip. "Alright, questions two and three....Do you have any hobbies? Or what do you like to do for fun?" he asked.

 

[xDarkWinterx]

The idea of dating never really excited her. She found that most men only wanted one thing. Evie had a few boys she had dated but many of them were pissed off when she wouldn’t put out. She didn’t see the need for rushing into sex. Evie wanted her first time to be with her husband. She was old fashioned in a way. Evie listened as Ben spoke of his ex-girlfriend in high school. She had to laugh a little. Evie always found the stereotypical hierarchy amusing. ”See I find that to be just sad, everyone is always worried about the best schools and thinking they are better for it. “ She spoke rolling her eyes a little as she crossed her arms leaning on the table again. ”So did you eventually got to harvard, if so what for?” Evie asked figuring it would be interesting to know if Ben had gone to Harvard or not; not that she cared one way or another. She listened however as Ben asked a few more questions. Evie shrugged lightly, ”Hmm, reading, watching classical movies, traveling, and yoga.” She spoke listing a few things she enjoyed doing. Evie wanted to go traveling, but never found much time especially with school. Perhaps she could take a year off and go backpacking through Europe. ”If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” Evie asked curiously wondering if Ben planned to stay in New York his whole life.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

Dating was just a way to pass the time. Eventually the time would come that he would be wed. Until then, he saw no harm in getting his jollies while he was still a "single" man. Most girls he went out with were from similar standing or he had met somewhere in the city. Sometimes it would last a few hours, sometimes days, but it was never more than a few months once they learned he was promised to another. Benjamin was amused as he spoke of his old girlfriend. He hadn't thought of her in years. But he always remembered her last words spoken to him. Preposterous if you asked him. They had dated for a year and a half, and she threw it all away over his choice of higher education. "I completely agree. But she came from one of those families, you probably know the type. Her parents went to Yale, their parents went there as well, and somewhere on the campus there's probably a plague with the family crest dating back to the eighteen-hundreds." he continued, smirking as she rolled her eyes. He smiled at her next question and nodded. "I did. I got a full scholarship and a single dorm room. I wasn't about to pass that up to be wait listed at a school that wasn't even my second choice. So I went on without her and got a Bachelor's degree in Business management and marketing. I've thought about pursuing my Master's, but I wanted to take a break from school and focus on working instead."

Speaking of his own education made him curious of hers. He remembered once hearing something about medical school. But that was a few years ago after they graduated high school. He wasn't sure if that was still something she was working on or just something was all said in conversation. Moving on the next topic, he watched as she shrugged her shoulders and listed off various activities. Again, he found that they shared a few interests. He had read nearly everything in their families library and was vastly interested in traveling more. The last time he traveled anywhere was during the family vacation to Florence last summer. He wanted to travel more, explore the roads less traveled, and eat all the delicious food he could find. "That's a bit tough...There are some countries like Ireland, Germany, and Spain I wouldn't mind going back to. But then again, I haven't explored much of Asia or South America, so it might be nice to go there as well." he replied honestly. Taking another sip, a few more questions flooded his mind. "Two more questions. Is there anywhere you want to go? And have you given any thought about where we should go for the honeymoon?"

 

[xDarkWinterx]

Evie listened as Ben spoke. She could understand, many of her friends from high school had only gone to certain colleges because their parents did. Evei never got the idea of it parents wanting their children to take after them. Her own father however had wanted her to go to law school, but she never found the thrill of it. Sitting in a courtroom all day defending clients who were more than likely guilty. Evie didn’t think she could stomach the idea, which is why she had passed it up for medical school.

She listened as Ben answered her next question. Evie knew that Ben was into some sort of business management, but not enough to understand any of it. She found the idea boring herself. ”Is that something you enjoy, business management and marketing? Or was that something your parents wanted you to go to school for?” Evie asked curiously wondering if Ben was given the chance, would he have gone to school for something else.

The idea of traveling excited her. She wondered if that would be something Ben would be interested in. Evie listened as Ben spoke of the places he had been. She nodded a little, at the idea of going to Ireland and even Asia. Evie had never been but she did want to go exploring there. To see the green fields of Ireland and try some new foods in Asia.

There were many places Evie wanted to go. She shrugged a little, ”Hmm, too many choices there; Egypt, New Orleans, Fiji, Italy, Ireland, and most definitely Asia. “ Evie listed off a few places she wanted to go. There were probably many more but nothing she could think of. She had all the time in the world really to see the world. Evie was a little surprised Ben was asking her about their honeymoon, but perhaps it was best to get the ideas out in the open as the date would soon get closer. She wasn’t sure really where she wanted to go. ”That depends, are we looking to explore or looking to relax?” Evie asked with a few honeymoon ideas in mind.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

Lucky for Benjamin, his family hadn't been state side long enough to hear the grueling stories about how many generations had gone to this school and was apart of that fraternity. Instead, during the great war they were more focused on getting out of mother Russia alive. Had they stayed very much longer it was likely his grandmother would have been born somewhere in the outskirts of Moscow. Since coming to this country his family had built their wealth, sending whoever chose to go to college. His father had hinted at some schools but in the end it was his own choice that mattered. If there was one choice he didn't have though, it would be learning the art of business.

No one had ever asked him that. He stared at her curiously for a moment before breaking out into a smile. "I guess you could say it's a bit of both." he said, running a hand through his hair. "When my great-grandfather came to this country he was very poor, didn't speak a word of English, and was expecting another mouth to feed. Over time, he slowly built his shop and when he died, he passed it on to the next generation. Three generations later, it's always been assumed that at some point in my father's life I would take over. So on that part you could say it was expected of me. But personally, business is like a game of chess. If you rush in foolishly, you'll wonder how an empire of fifty years died in under a month. Take your time and strategize, the results can sometimes surprise you. And it's in those little surprises I guess you could say that business is fun."

Traveling was almost normal for Ben. Every summer, every holiday, he could recall his family taking some sort of trip. Although the vast majority were domestic, there were some international trip that stuck out to him as well. Benjamin wasn't sure if Evie's family traveled much, let alone at all. From the sounds of it he wanted to assume that it was very little. He listened as she listed off the various places she wanted to go. He could understand not being able to narrow her list down entirely. After all, there were so many beautiful places in this world, so many foods to eat. He got wanderlust just thinking about it.

Switching subjects, he couldn't help being curious where she might want to go for their honeymoon. He knew it was well off from now but he saw no harm in discussing it. It certainly wouldn't do them any good if they waited to dish all this out on the eve of their wedding. He thought a moment after listening to her question. That was a good point. Some of his friends told him how exhausted they were after their honeymoon because their wives wanted to do nothing but explore everything. But then there were others who complained about being bored and locked all these different couple things like couples massage, or couples night at the bar. All these different things that were supposed to be both fun and relaxing with your spouse. "Can't we do both?" he asked curiously. Benjamin was all up for exploring new places, but he also didn't mind the idea of just sitting outside a villa in Tuscany, sipping a nice vintage wine.

 

[xDarkWinterx]

Evie had gone traveling a few times over the past years. However many of the places she had been to, she hadn’t been able to enjoy. Her family usually went on on business usually, but never to actually enjoy the travel. Evie envied other families who allowed their children free reign for the places they travel. She couldn’t help her own wanderlust. Evie wanted to be free to do what she wanted. However with Ben, she wondered if that would be possible. She knew that he had hand in his own families path, while she didn’t.

As he questioned Ben about his choice of profession, he saw the surprise slide over his face. Evie found it amusing to see that Ben had never been asked such a thing. She listened as Ben spoke, finding it easy to understand his love for business. Indeed it was like a game of chess, by building an empire that would be forever standing if only the cards were dealt properly.

The idea of having fun while also being on their honeymoon sounded like the best of both worlds. Evie had a few ideas in mind, however she wasn’t into the idea of couples relaxation time. The idea of Ben and her getting a couples massage sounded weird. She wasn’t too fond of the idea of someone touching her. Evie barely tolerated getting her nails done, or even her hair cut.

She smiled as Ben spoke, ”Of course, the best of both worlds. “ Evie spoke laughing softly, as she thought about it. ”Hmm, well. There’s Barcelona, Mykonos, Italy, or even Hawaii.” She spoke listing a few places she had thought about for a honeymoon. There were too many places she wanted to see, but it was important to think about their honeymoon and agree on some place before they got married. "Is there anywhere you want to go?" Evie asked finding it only reasonable Ben had some say too.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

In the many trips they took as a family he could never recall any of them being there for business. Usually whenever his parents needed to go somewhere on business, he was left with either of his grandparents. His mothers' family owned a nice spot of land up in Connecticut, away from the city. They had made their money while living in the city. And what he learned, spent it as well. These days he isn't sure how they make their living. He hasn't asked nor cared enough to find out. His fathers' side still resides in lower Manhattan, doing whatever pleases them. When it came time for Benjamin to take his fathers' place, he planned on taking Evie wherever she desired. Together they could see it all.

Benjamin smiled as she spoke again. For their honeymoon he didn't mind doing both. Given the amount of ideas both their parents had for their wedding it was very likely that they were going to need both. If it was somewhere new, he didn't mind going around to see the sights. Or even just revisiting a place was fine. There would still be much that city could offer him and have a great time. As for relaxing, he didn't care for the idea of anything involving the word "couple". Most things involving that one word were usually dull and aimed at people who had been married for at least twenty-ish years. Definitely not for a couple there on their honeymoon. The last thing he wanted was to be surrounded by older couples who thought it best to give them all their tips on living a happy marriage.

As she went on about the places she wanted to visit, he wasn't at all surprised by how common they were. Then again, he guessed that was the dream for most people. A beautiful paradise, white sandy beaches, and all the touristy crap you could handle. "Not bad, but if we go anywhere I'm putting it out there now. I'm not going to Hawaii for my honeymoon. I've been there enough as a kid. It's crowded, way too themed, and I don't know if you've been watching the news but kind of under some lava right now." If Evie wanted to go some other time that was fine. He would be happy to go with her. Just not on their honeymoon..or peak season for that matter.

He thought for a few moments about where he might like to go himself. There were some more obvious places that came to mind. "Uh let's see....Maldives has some really nice beaches if that's your thing. You can also get a really good view of the stars at night. At least that's what I hear. Florence might be nice too, lots of history, not far from Tuscanny or Monteriggioni. I also just wouldn't mind going back to England. Out of all the times I've been I have yet to visit Windsor Castle or St. George's Chapel." he replied. There were more places he might think of. But for now these were just ideas. He liked to think eventually they would come to an agreement. For now, he didn't mind just talking and seeing what they might have in common.

 

[xDarkWinterx]

Vacations were few and far between. After all the only few places she had been was within the US, not out of it. Evie was never really given the chance either to explore those places. She wanted the opportunity to branch out on her own, after all being away from her family a little over a year until she found her own place. Evie was happy to finally be taken care of herself, however the idea of getting married worried her. She hoped that Ben wasn’t too controlling. Evie also hoped, she wasn’t going to be a kitchen wife, she wasn’t much of a cook.

The idea of nice sandy beaches as all nice and wonderful, but would be boring after awhile. She wanted to explore the sights, with a little sunbathing on the side but not too much. Evie laughed softly as Ben spoke of not wanting to go to Hawaii. She understood the hatred for it, however it was still beautiful. Evie could always visit Hawaii on her own some day if Ben didn’t want to join her.

She listened as Ben spoke of a few places he wanted to go and see again. Evie nodded a little, as she grabbed her cup. She took a sip again, as she sat there before setting it back down. ”Any specific part of England you want to see?” Evie asked curiously since England was a big country with a lot to take in.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

Benjamin had no plans on being controlling. He had seen how many of the upper class wives clung to their husbands. Like the moment something unpleasant passes their lips, their wealth would disappear just like that. If after they were married, Evie wanted to travel. If she could afford it and had the free time, then he saw no issues with allowing her go. In fact, it would probably be somewhat healthy for them to travel alone now and again. The last thing he wanted was to be caught up in some kind of weird, co-dependent relationship that required them to be joined at the hip every second of the day.

Benjamin went on once more about where he wanted to go. He watched her take a sip and was prepared as she asked another question. He shrugged a bit in response. "It doesn't really matter. I guess so long as it is close enough to get to whatever tourist attraction I wanna see. Though honestly I wouldn't be against taking a tour England via Mini Cooper. We could drive through the countryside, take in the sights, stop at a pub or two, maybe find a nice little bed and breakfast. Why? Is there somewhere in specific you want to see?" he replied. Benjamin didn't really care what part of the country they stayed in. There were plenty of sights he would like to see and probably more that were less traveled. He thought it might be nice to just hop in a car and drive. If there was anywhere specific they wanted to travel, there was also the train. Or they could just stay in one spot for a couple of days.

 

[xDarkWinterx]

There were many places Evie wanted to see but there was still a lot of school left for her to complete. She did not want to get ahead of herself. Evie also knew she would have to be there for Ben as well. She didn't want a relationship where they hardly saw each other. Sure they could vacation but it would eventually become boring alone. When it came to their honeymoon, Evie was excited to see they had some same interests. She had been a little worried.

There were so many things to see in England. Evie really loved old building. It's what made England so beautiful. The architecture was amazing. Hearing Ben ask her what she wanted to see, there really wasn't one thing she could be pin down. She wanted to see it all. Evie smiled at Ben, ”Everything!.” She spoke laughing softly. The idea of a relaxing honeymoon seemed like perfect way for them to spend it.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

The thought of traveling more in the future was nice. But there was no telling when exactly he would be able to do it. An even better question would be when would he be able to travel with Evie. Between her schooling and his work, he wasn't sure where they could find the time. He supposed during their honeymoon they could take a break from both of their priorities. He hadn't thought to ask Evie how much longer she had with her schooling. He knew when it came to medicine there was also training and residencies to worry about as well. For now, he pushed the thoughts aside, he could worry about that more when the time came. It was no use worrying about the what-if's now before anything was even happening. On the bright side, he was glad to be able to discuss their honeymoon like this. Since they had never really talked, he worried it would end up being just one long awkward trip after getting married. It was a relief to find that they had so much in common.

Out of the many countries he wanted to visit, England was definitely in his top ten. He loved the history and old architecture. He watched her curious while waiting for an answer. If she was like him, it was near impossible to narrow it down to just one place. He watched the smile spread across her face and giving him a child-like answer. Benjamin laughed, smiling back at her. "Everything it is then." he teased.

 

[xDarkWinterx]

Currently Evie was in the start of her schooling. She was only in her second year of undergraduate school. Evie would have two more years of that, followed by four years of medical school then seven years of neurosurgical residency training. In all around, it would be almost sixteen years before she would accomplish her dream. Evie knew it would take a long time but she was in no rush. She wasn't so sure Ben would be alright with her being in school and studying all the time for exams. Evie knew that would be something to discuss later down the road after they were married. For now she didn't want to get to much into it. After all she had spent many of times discussing it with her parents who didn't understand.

There was no real way to narrow down all she wanted to see. If she had no narrow it down, the list would add up and be infinite. Evie couldn't help her answer but at least Ben seemed to be content with it. She smiled as Ben teased her. ”So if we were to go to England for our honeymoon, what time of year do you think we should have our wedding?” Evie asked curiously after all she didn't want their parents to completely plan out there wedding.

 

[Pure Acid Dreamer]

If this was what Evie wanted to do with her life, then he saw no reason for him to object. It would be unfair to go up to her and say that she should drop everything for him. He knew in the long run they were looking at a lot of time apart. But that was the sacrifice that would have to be made in order for her to reach her dreams. He wanted to support that. Perhaps later if it became bothersome they could talk about it. But for now, it wasn't his business how she went about her own life. Benjamin smiled as he went to agree with her. She was right, there was no way to narrow down the wanders of what they could explore. They would have to make due with doing all that they could in the time they were given. At least until they could find the time to go again and explore some more. He watched her smile as he teased her. Her next question was more simple. For him anyways. His parents couldn't seem to figure out what time of year they should get married, thus why a lot of the planning was on hold. Or so he had heard. "Well, I've always been a bit more inclined towards the fall. When the leaves have turned colored and the air is crisp but not entirely cold. Spring and Summer are nice. But I've never really enjoyed the heat that much. I burn too easy. What about you? What time of year do you prefer?" he replied.