He was not up to the lecture he'd get from Ben, and he couldn't call Ben without telling him he was headed to a midnight showdown with Anderson Layne. Not that Kitty wouldn't lecture him, but the lecture would somehow be easier to take from her. Because you don't have a lifetime of history with Kitty. When Kitty says you're being reckless, you tell yourself she doesn't know what she's talking about and that she's just being shrill. When Ben says you're being reckless, you can't ignore him because he knows you very, very well. And he's usually right.