The Friends We Keep(22)

No one knew about the pills. Maggie had once seen her taking them, but Evvie said they were painkillers for period cramps. She didn’t sleep well on them, always up until the early hours, and there were times when her heart would race in a way that seemed worrying, but being this thin was worth any price. Whenever she thought about stopping them, the thought would be immediately pushed aside by the fear of gaining weight.

Evvie looked at herself in the mirror as they were leaving, and removed the fedora. There was no reason to dress up for Evil Ben.





eleven


- 1989 -



Topher pushed open the door to the pub, followed by the girls, Maggie scouring the room until she saw Evil Ben standing at the bar with his friend. They were both clearly on their second, or perhaps third, pint. When they spotted him, Evil Ben had his head thrown back with laughter at something his friend had said, but hearing the door open he had turned, still smiling, and his gaze rested on Maggie.

Topher nudged her sharply. “Oh my God, he’s smiling at you. Smile back!” he commanded, in a very loud stage whisper.

Maggie smiled, in a wobbly sort of way, then turned her back. “Oh God,” she murmured. “I have no idea what to say. Now I’m embarrassed. We shouldn’t have come.”

“We can’t leave now,” said Evvie. “And at least he’s smiling. That’s actually the first time I’ve ever seen him smile.”

“I’m going over there.” Topher marched off toward Evil Ben before any of them could stop him.

“Get drinks!” Evvie called out after him. “Pints of shandy all around please!”

“Shandy?” Maggie wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Really? Can’t I have a gin and tonic?”

“No. You can’t. It’s much too grown-up, and you said you’d cook a farewell dinner for us tonight. The last thing we need is for you to get shit-faced. Also”—she peered at her friend meaningfully—“the last thing you need is to disappear on us and spend the night with Evil Ben.”

“I would never do that,” said Maggie.

“Good. Because you’re an amazing cook and we want this dinner to be special. So, no going off with men, and no drinking the hard stuff until later.”

“Fair point.” They found a table on the side and sat waiting for Topher to bring their drinks, watching as he chatted casually with Evil Ben.

“What do you think they’re saying?” Maggie leaned in, not taking her eyes off Ben and Topher.

“I don’t know, but they look like they’re getting on like a house on fire.”

“Oh my God!” said Maggie. “What if Evil Ben’s gay?”

“Don’t be daft,” said Evvie. “He wouldn’t have snogged you, even when drunk. Plus, didn’t he have a girlfriend for a while when we were in our first year? Remember her?”

Maggie did remember, because she was a redhead like herself. Maybe he likes redheads, she had thought at the time; maybe one day he will break up with her, and then he will notice me. Maybe that’s why we snogged that time, she thought now. Maybe he’ll remember that I’m his type after all.

Topher came back to the table, expertly carrying three pints against his chest.

“Well?” Evvie couldn’t wait. “What did you say? What did he say? What were you talking about?”

“He was actually really nice,” Topher said. “I introduced myself and said I was part of the Evil Ben fan club, and that all three of us were up for it if he wanted to take his pick.”

“Nooooo!” Maggie’s eyes widened in horror as she shrank back.

“Of course I didn’t say that. I just said that we had all seen him around for so long and he had rescued us a hundred years ago, and we never even had the opportunity to thank him properly. It seemed weird that other than you, Maggie, we had never really spoken to him, and that includes Evvie, who worked with him! Given that none of us would ever see him again, I invited him to join us for a drink. He’s apparently up here to see some old friends.”

“He’s joining us for a drink? Are you serious?” Maggie whispered, not knowing whether to laugh in delight or throw up as Evil Ben and his friend both picked up their pints and made their way toward them. “I feel a bit sick.” She looked at him, surprised that he still had the same effect on her, still made her heart flutter, even after all this time. “Oh God. What am I supposed to say to him?”

“Be your charming self,” whispered Topher.

“I can’t believe you did this for Maggie,” said Evvie under her breath, raising her glass to Topher. “I have a whole new level of respect for you, even though there’s no one I’d less want to have a drink with.” She sighed, looking away.

Topher bowed his head. “I aim to please.”

“Hi,” said Evil Ben, pulling a stool over and sitting down. “Thanks for inviting me to join you. It’s nice to see some familiar faces.” He looked at Maggie then, who blushed.

His friend sat next to him and smiled at the girls, the smile clearly lingering on Evvie. “I’m Rich Keogh.”

“We all feel like we know you, even though we never really did. Well, most of us.” Topher shot Maggie a look, the color of her cheeks deepening. “Obviously, you were our knight in shining armor when we first arrived, when Evvie worked here. And I know Maggie ran into you a couple of times. So what brought you back to town after all this time? And how’s the work at the research lab in Hertfordshire? Sorry . . .” He trailed off. “I guess I should have warned you that you were about to be subjected to an interrogation.”