178 Bens haunting pas (1/2)
”No, I'm fine, thank you.” She approached his desk, placed her bag down on it, and picked up the colorful propeller hat from the top shelf, bringing it to her face.
*Sniff* *Sniff*
Ben blinked. 'Did she just smell it?'
As if not discovering anything interesting, she returned it to its prior spot and continued her observations...
Watching her snoop around like a crime scene detective, Ben decided to ask her what he'd been wondering this whole time. ”Why'd you want to come here?”
She wiped her finger along the top of his computer monitor, glancing at it to observe the level of dust. ”I required an answer…”
”An answer to what?”
She swiveled around and looked into his eyes. ”Who are you who is so wise in the ways of marketing?”
…
She spun back around and continued examining his room. ”You intrigued me… My defeat in the media competition was my first blemish this year... So, I wanted to have a look around your living quarters, to understand you…”
Ben raised an eyebrow. ”And…have you succeeded?”
After picking up his headset and taking a cursory glance at it, Olivia put it back down, and released a deep exhale. Her expression changed; it became more aloof, as if he and this room now bored her, since she'd already found everything she needed. ”Obviously…”
She turned back around to face him, placing her hands behind her back, as one side of her mouth showed the tiniest upward curve. ”It must have surprised your family when you decided to live here instead of staying with your uncle, but I suppose you would have had to first forgive him for being a raging alcoholic...”
Ben narrowed his eyes. ”We've barely spoken to each other and you just entered here. How could you know all that?”
She started speaking at a faster pace. ”Your headset, the initials engraved on it indicate it first belonged to someone else; a gift, but not from your parents or a school friend, the model is much too old. It would've come from someone significantly older, yet someone close enough to give you such an expensive item. Since you mentioned having a cousin nearby, thus a high chance of other relatives, the most likely suspect...is your uncle.”
”But...how could you tell he's an alcoholic?”
”A conjecture, a sound one though… It was evident by the dings and nicks all over the headset, clearly from someone dropping it on innumerable occasions. To treat such a pricey electronic item this way though, well, that would only be a habit of chronic drunks...”
Ben was wide-eyed. ”My God, that's incredible…”
Olivia's proud smirk grew a bit wider.
Ben cringed. ”And totally wrong…”
…
”What?” She blinked.
”Every single word you spoke…was wrong.”
”…You're saying I…was...slightly off?” Her eyebrows elevated.
”Not a thing you said was accurate…”
She swallowed. ”Define...accurate…”
”The headset's always been mine...”
Olivia squinted. ”The age and the scratches...”
”It's old because I bought it used a long time ago, and the wear and tear is also mine--it's from rage-quitting.”
...
She pointed at the headset. ”T-the engraving...”
”The engraving is JVC...it's...the name of the brand...”
…
Olivia raised an eyebrow. ”Interesting…” She paused for a moment, then her speaking pace accelerated once again. ”That stain on your shirt cuff. It's dressing, from your breakfast, indicating you were in a rush due to the midterm.”
Ben winced and sighed, but she continued. ”Naturally, there was only time to grab something nearby, the closest place being the dining hall downstairs, which is where you ate.
*Sniff* I smell Chicken!
Romaine!
Olive oil!
You ate a caesar salad, yet there's no smell of cheese, but the university cafeterias prepare all their caesar salads with cheese unless specifically asked not to. Hence...” Her eyes widened in dramatic fashion. ”You're lactose intolerant!
Ben gasped as he took a deeper look at Olivia... ”Nah.”
…
Her eye twitched. ”Excuse me?”
”Nope. I haven't even eaten breakfast today. This is from the classroom earlier, and you were there when I got the stain. It's from my cum.”
...
Olivia's brows bunched. ”But I cleaned all of it…”
He sighed. ”No one's perfect…”