The Friends We Keep(17)

I am, thought Maggie. And how perceptive of him to notice.

“But who takes care of you?” he said softly as a lump unexpectedly appeared in Maggie’s throat.

“Let’s not talk about me. Let’s talk about you,” she said quickly.

“I’m not sure I want to talk,” he said, gazing into her eyes. “I can think of something much more fun.” And with no warning, he suddenly leaned over and kissed her as Maggie felt herself melting into him.

I’m kissing Evil Ben! she thought. This is it! The beginning of the rest of my life!

He tasted of tequila, and strawberries, but it wasn’t strawberry, she knew, it was beer. So he was drunk, so what? He wasn’t that drunk, he knew what he was doing, and this was huge, the happiest night of her life yet.

They sat on the wall kissing, then moved onto the ground. Evil Ben was above her, and then he was beneath her, his hands all over her, fumbling with her bra strap.

Maggie felt the cool night air against her skin, and abruptly realized this encounter wasn’t just happening suddenly, but completely out in the open. Her mouth against his, she whispered, “Why don’t we find somewhere inside where we can have a little more privacy.”

Ben paused, then pulled back a bit. “Yes, right. That’s a good idea.” He seemed to think for a moment. “I’ll go get us another drink. Meet you in five at the top of the stairs.” And with that he was off.

Maggie headed into the house, a huge smile stretched on her face. Once she got to the top of the stairs, she shook out her hair, wondering whether she would sleep with him tonight. She would never usually sleep with anyone on the first night, but this wasn’t just anyone, this was Evil Ben, and she already knew she would be spending the night with him. For just a second she imagined taking his shirt off, and inhaled sharply, a buzz of excitement washing over her. “Thank you, God,” she whispered, looking to see if Ben was coming up the stairs yet.

He wasn’t. She waited nearly twenty minutes, but there was no sign of him. Finally she thought she might have been mistaken, had maybe misheard, that perhaps he had said to meet him back downstairs after all. She went back to the stone wall where they had just been lying, but he was nowhere in sight. Maggie teetered across the grass on her heels, calling his name, but she couldn’t find him. She walked around the garden three times before figuring he must have gone into the house, so she headed back inside, shouldering through the people in the living room and kitchen, asking them if they’d seen him.

Upstairs, she pushed open bedroom doors to where couples were writhing among huge piles of coats on single beds. “Ben?” she said, hoping to God she wouldn’t find him there with someone else, simultaneously disappointed when he wasn’t there.

He’d gone. Left without a trace. No one knew where he was. Maggie’s happiness vanished, too, leaving her bewildered and upset, worried it was something she had said or done. It had to have been. Why else would he just disappear? Okay, so they didn’t talk much beforehand, but he was flirting with her so much, he clearly did fancy her, so why would he just leave?

Where was Evvie? There was no way she could stay here by herself. Not now. She’d go and see if she could find her. Maybe she could help her make sense of what had just happened.



* * *



? ? ?

Evvie was behind the bar, wiping up glasses and scowling, unable to take her eyes off a table in the corner where Julian, her former boyfriend, was sitting with a group of people.

Maggie followed her gaze, seeing Julian chatting animatedly with a fresher. “I take it you’re not back together then?”

“No. The bastard wanted to talk to me to tell me he was now dating that girl. And he has to damn well sit and flaunt it in here. Asshole.” She shook her head in disgust before putting a bright smile on her face. “I’m trying to pretend I don’t give a shit.”

“Stop staring at the table then. I need to talk to you. I need advice.” Evvie instantly gave her full attention to Maggie, who told her what had happened that night with Ben.

“I told you he was a dick,” said Evvie, when Maggie, perched on a bar stool, had finished.

“But it doesn’t make sense. You don’t spend twenty minutes snogging someone and then do a runner.”

“You do if you’re a dick.”

“I don’t think so. I think something must have happened to him.”

“No. You want something to have happened to him because then it won’t be about you. But it’s not about you anyway. You said yourself that he was drunk. God only knows what he was thinking. He probably passed out somewhere under a table and you didn’t even see him. Honestly, Maggie? You deserve so much more.”

“You don’t know him,” Maggie said fiercely. “He wasn’t the Evil Ben we know. He was gentle, and sweet, and flirtatious.”

Evvie looked at her skeptically. “I worked with him. ‘Gentle’ and ‘sweet’ are not words we use to describe Evil Ben.”

“That’s the point,” said Maggie. “I think he must be really insecure or something, and drinking brought out the real Ben. Remember when I met him with my parents? There’s another side to him that’s lovely.”

“So drinking brought out the real Ben who passionately made out with you and then disappeared? That’s what you want? Someone completely unreliable?”