Looking at her cell phone for the fifth time that night Rey sighs and sets down her wooden spoon. The room around her is lit with the distant glow of a corner lamp and bright lights from her stove range. After firing off a quick text she sets the cellular device screen side down against her kitchen island and sets to work making the finishing preparations for her evening meal. Steak simmers in the pan decorated by caramelized onions and soft looking mushrooms. She impressed even herself this time and is beginning to feel incredibly stupid that she has gone to so much trouble for a guy who couldn't be bothered to simply text her back.

At her side, large brown eyes staring up at her expectantly is the only man she will ever need in her life. Bending to give her faithful companion a scratch behind the ear and loving pat on the head Rey smiles at her friend, "Oh BB, why do I keep doing this to myself?" she asks, The floppy-eared fur ball cocks his head to the side as his master says his name. BB is an oversized Bernese with a head like a brick and a bottomless pit for an appetite. He's always at her side and never misses a step when his Rey is involved.

The overgrown puppy yawns, a low keening whine erupting from his throat as he sits, shifting onto his hip to lean against the kitchen island. When Rey doesn't return for more puppy lovings he allows himself to slide to the floor, placing his head on massive paws to keep watch.

Rey has been seeing Snap for what is beginning to feel like years. They met at one of Finn's parties. He was a friend of Poe's who came highly regarded but was turning out to be just another arrogant flyboy. Poe and Snap are pilots and worked together for a few years before Poe left the private sector and started working for Falcon industries where he expanded his knowledge from flight to repair and really sank into his passion for aeronautics.

In the beginning Snap had come across as smart and sweet. He was always randomly showing up at Rey's place of work with lunch or treating her to evenings out. His love of adventure was electric and addictive. All around he was just a really fun guy to be around. That however was where the positives ended. He was notoriously running on his own clock and had the worst habit of ghosting Rey had ever seen in another human being. She couldn't even begin to count how many times they had planned this dinner date and each time Snap would text ten minutes in and tell her that he couldn't make it, ending with a 'Sorry Babe.' which was beginning to make Rey's blood boil.

Tonight, she hadn't even received that. Now forty minutes into their date, steaks simmering beautifully and risotto freshly made, Rey is left with a beautiful meal for two an no one but her faithful BB to share in the amiable silence.

She's just popped the cork on a bottle of zinfandel when her phone chimes. Glaring at the offending electronic Rey pours herself a healthy glass of the red wine and turns to lean against the counter. BB lifts his head expectantly as she brings the glass to her lips and sighs into the aromatic liquid. "You know buddy, men are just useless," she mutters before taking a mouthful, allowing the decadent thick flavor to cleanse her pallet before she responds to Snap and his many excuses.

Screw him she figures, he can wait. Through sheer force of will Rey sets to arranging her plate with creamy, parmesan garlic risotto, steamed veggies and a gloriously cooked steak. She has no one to impress tonight she figured so why not pile on the onions. Feeling rather proud of herself Rey flips the range lights off and brings her meal and wine to her small bar height kitchen table. She keeps the dining area neat, the walls a dark rich royal blue edged with intricate white crown molding around all the doors and windows. Her dining nook awards her with a beautiful view into her widespread front yard nestled into the forested mountainside. All around her are incredibly tall trees of wondrously lush greens. It's private and quiet and more importantly it's hers.

As Rey settles into her kitchen table, she tries to push Snap and his stupid face from her mind. BB shifts from his place by the island and with a pathetic sigh he collapses onto his side. His large opulent eyes watching carefully should his loving momma decide to accidentally drop something on the floor. He's a mooch but he's a well behaved one. Puppy dogs who don't hang around the table at supper are often rewarded he's come to learn. So happily, he watches from afar.

After a few moments of silently poking her steak Rey throws her chair back. She isn't as controlled as she might like to think, stalking over to where her cellphone sits. Resting her hands against the dark granite countertop Rey leans, then pushes herself away. The inner struggle is torture. She wants so desperately to give him a piece of her mind but knows it would only be a matter of time before she's suckered in by pretty words and promises. She's pathetic.

"Ugh!," she cries, drawing away from the counter with decided irritation. She's done her hair, shaved her legs, even put on those damned black underwear that Snap likes so much. What was it about him that drove her so utterly mad? Was it the dark hair or the strong nose? Maybe it was the beard? His smile? None of it makes any sense to her because at the very core of it all, no one is worth feeling this way over. She's attractive, she's smart, she has a good job and owns her own home. She's a catch dammit and if Snap Wexley doesn't see that then that's his problem not hers.

Shaking her head, ridding herself of any doubt or ill-feeling Rey disappears up the stairs and into her open bedroom stripping the form-fitting dress off in the process. She tosses the black fabric monstrosity onto her bed and makes short work pulling on a pair of calf-length yoga pants and a black wide neck sweater that falls over one shoulder loosely. Mussing her masterfully crafted hairstyle, Rey shakes her head, running her fingers through the brown mop a few times before pulling it into a messy bun atop her head. There, peaceful comfort, she thinks as she gazes at herself in the mirror. When was the last time she wore makeup?

A quick trip to her ensuite and her face is bare, her body comfortable and her stomach more than ready to devour that steak! After she tidies the kitchen some that is. She hates a messy kitchen after all. Soon the leftover food is sitting on its own plate, her cookware soaking in the sink. She straightens her spice rack, puts away the extra vegetables, and grabs her bottle of wine. This is going to be a 'me night.'

She's just settled into her table for a second time, piece of steak cut and ready to be inhaled when the sound of tires on gravel draw her focus. BB shifts so he's laying on his belly, ears perked in interest. The vehicle is louder then Snap's jeep, it's moving slower too. Snap's usually quick to pull in, careless of who or what might be around. Rey bristles. BB stands up moving to the door with surprising grace for a dog of his size and wags his tail happily. "Friend or foe?" Rey calls to BB as he paces in front of the door ready to investigate the newcomer. She's too far out for it to be a coincidence and most of her friends make sure she was home first. Poe and Finn knew that Snap was supposed to be coming over so they wouldn't just randomly show up. Rose was in the city with Jannah… Who does she know that drives a motorbike anyway?

Peering out the window panes of her front door she watches as a tall man slips off a rather impressive looking motorcycle. He's wearing a dark leather jacket, zipped up to the neck, dark blue jeans and a pair of leather motorcycle boots that came up over his ankles. As he removes his helmet he shakes out his dark hair, letting it fall haphazardly all around him. Rey can see that it's thick and falls about shoulder length, maybe shorter, she can't tell from this distance but he takes care to run his fingers through it a few times before he advances on her doorway.

BB simply stands and stares, his tail wagging as the stranger approaches. He has long lean legs that carry him quickly to her threshold taking her stairs two at a time. He's preparing to knock when he seems to realize she's standing there staring at him in the dim light of the evening autumn sun. His knuckles become a hesitant wave as he smiles, hunched some to look in at her.

"Hi," he calls awkwardly through the glass, stirring Rey from her reverie.

She pulls the door open a crack, standing so that her body blocks him from entering. BB on the other hand is much less apprehensive. His big head is wiggling between her hip and the doorframe until he manages to weasel his way out the door and is now doing circles around the stranger. "BB!" Rey calls as the tall, dark figure rises to his full height and laughs some, "I'm sorry he's a bit of a brute,"

"No problem," the stranger says happily, holding the back of his hand out for BB to sniff at. The dog starts there, sniffing at the leather, then the man's wrist before he moves on to his pants, and then the helmet he holds in his other hand. "Love dogs," he answers as BB sticks his head in the helmet and then sneezes, moving to dance back and forth on front paws.

"Can I help you?" Rey asks, her hand pressed on the edge of the door, still using her body to prevent any further intrusion. She may be small but she's mighty and she feels fairly confident she could take this man if he started anything with her. Well, probably not but she was prepared to scream really loudly if she needed and hit him with her walking stick she keeps tucked against the door frame.

"Oh uh yeah," the dark-haired man says. He holds his free hand out in pleasant greeting as he continues, "I'm Ben."

Rey stares at the offered appendages confusion etched across her delicate features, "Ok, hi Ben…" she says slowly, giving him a quick once over again. He has a long face and strong nose, with plump lips and a beauty mark to the right of his nose. His eyes are kind, a sort of whiskey color in the autumn light, lined with thick manicured brows. The hand he extends towards her is large, much larger than her own but she shakes it tentatively all the same making sure to give it a good strong squeeze "I'm Rey. Are you lost?"

Ben laughs lightly, his mouth drawn in a wide and brilliant smile. It draws at the corners of his lips up showing off heavily lined dimples and white teeth, "Yeah, no, I'm not lost. You're Rey Nima?" When Rey starts to look a little apprehensive, Ben's smile falters and he takes a step back giving her some space, "You're friends with Huxley right?"

Playing the name over in her head, Rey runs over the list of people she finds herself close with, there isn't a Huxley in the bunch. "Do you mean Armitage?" she asks cautiously, giving her leg a sharp pat to call BB back from his misadventure. The last time she let him wander too far he got into it with a porcupine and she's not keen on revisiting that ordeal any time soon. BB perks up from near Ben's bike, he was sniffing at the saddlebags inquisitively before returning on quickened paws to sit in front of Rey proudly.

Ben lets out a sharp laugh and rubs at the back of his head, "Yeah I forgot people called him that," He gives a few more passes of his broad hand through his hair, pulling it back in a sweeping arc off his face. "Yeah, Armitage Hux, he was supposed to send you a text a while ago, did he not?"

A text? The text she had chosen to ignore because she assumed it was from Snap must have been in fact from Hux. Rey finds herself relaxing some, allowing the door to open a bit more. "Give me a second?" She says before disappearing back into her home to retrieve her phone. Sure enough, she has three text messages from Hux.

- Hey, sending a friend your way, he's in need of your magic hands-

Rey groans, great she thinks.

-Sorry, should have sent that earlier he's on his way-
-Shit, he's a big fella on a bike, I didn't even think, you're out there all by yourself. He's an old friend of mine. Be. Nice.-

Who is he to tell her to be nice? she's always nice.

There's nothing from Snap she noticed with a bitter grimace as she returns to the door, phone in hand to an apprehensive looking Ben.

"Well there it is I guess," she calls lightly, "come on in, Hux sent you because?" pulling back into the house she opens the door wide so that Ben and BB can make their way inside. BB is content to settle on his bed at the base of the stairs that wind up to Rey's loft-style bedroom while Ben enters cautiously. Rey closes the door quickly and makes short work setting her phone back down on the island countertop. She leans against the dark surface folding her arms against her chest, her legs crossed at the ankles.

"Uh," Ben starts, "Whiplash injury from a while back, I can't seem to get rid of these headaches and my neck has been killing me as of late. Huxley, sorry Hux, said you were one of the best massage therapists he knew. He figured you could probably help out.

Taking a slow deep breath Rey lets the situation wash over her, of course Hux would send someone directly to her home instead of getting them to come in and see her at work like a normal person. Armitage never could quite grasp the concept of personal space well. Not unless it's his own, "So he sent you here?" she questions sharply, she doesn't take new clients in her home, it isn't a concept she's entirely comfortable with especially living so far outside of town. All of her friends know this, she thought it was obvious but of course Hux is Hux.

Ben seems to pick up on her irritation as he sets his helmet down on the floor at his feet. He's unzipping his jacket pocket to pull out what Rey realizes is one of her business cards offering it to her in way of explanation. "I tried booking in with you at work but you're hard to get in to and there's a bit of a time sensitivity thing. Hux didn't seem to think it would be too big an inconvenience, said you treat people from home all the time."

A loud harsh laugh erupts from Rey as she pushes herself away from the counter and moves towards her kitchen table where her wine glass is waiting. This is shaping up to be one hell of an evening. Mentally she makes a mental note to thank Hux later on for his kindness. "I have, I will, but…"

Nodding, Ben smiles softly, "That's Huxley for you." as his eyes follow her, they fall on the elaborate meal set at her table and the glass of wine in her hand, "Oh, were you expecting company? I'll leave I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to intrude, I thought you knew I was on my way."

Rey groans, Hux is many things but he has impeccable taste in friends. He seems to curate good people the way some people do fine art or old records. His penchant for being an annoying prat notwithstanding, he's someone you can trust and surrounds himself with people who can in kind be trusted. Ben, she decides as a result is someone she doesn't have to be nervous around. So as he moves to reach for the door Rey finds herself speaking before she can really think about what it was she's doing, "No, you're ok," she says easily enough and before she can stop herself she's telling this complete stranger about how she's been stood up and was just about to sit down to enjoy a meal by herself. "There's extra," she hedges, "If you're hungry. You'll have to wait a little bit if you want a massage anyway, I have to get the room set up and a fire started. "

Giving Ben another quick glance Rey adds with a hasty smile, "It would actually be nice to not have to eat alone," her grin widens, broad and sweet and full of impossibly white teeth, "Annnnnd" she adds in a soft sing-song, "There is something I could really use your help with."