Heartbreaker (8 page)

eLeVeN

______________________________________

It’s Sunday. Bennett left about an hour ago. I’m sitting on my bed waiting for Gerry, thinking about Friday night and Cam. He didn’t hang around long after Dad showed up, made some excuse to get back to his friends. More likely, back to Jennifer. The thought makes my throat dry and I push my nails into the palm of my hands. I wish I didn’t care. I wish I was over him. I know deep down I never will be. And that stabs at my heart even more.

I had a thumping headache the next morning. I’d love to blame the beer, but one or two brews a hangover do not make. I used it as my lame excuse, though. Dad and Bennett never questioned it, even though I’m pretty sure they were on to me. They still let me have a slack day on Saturday, nursing my sore head, watching old eighties movies and eating pizza. Drove Bennett crazy. He hates corny, kept rolling his eyes every time I laughed at the lines from my favorite, The
Princess Bride.
Cam and I loved that movie. I’ve seen it about fifty times, and it never gets old. I dig the nails into my palms harder, remembering those movie nights. I really need to stop dwelling, but it’s hard to move on, when you’re stuck. And I’m stuck right now. Stuck between reliving the last two years, wishing they’d never happened, so I can go back and do it again.

Do it right.

Not wrong.

If only.

Gerry comes in smiling. She looks more cheery than usual, but is dressed in plain clothes. I immediately miss the bright colors. The black jeans and swirled mottled green t-shirt don’t look right.

She crosses her arms, her head tilted, like she’s guessing my thoughts. “All my clothes are in the wash. I had to borrow some of Taliah’s.”

Taliah is Gerry’s sister, who is the polar opposite to Gerry. She wears conservative, like a uniform of solidarity with the straight laced, goodie goodies of the town. She drives Gerry crazy, always telling her to dress properly and to dye her hair back to its natural color. I often wonder why she still agrees to work at their Hocus Pocus shop. I guess the money’s too good to turn down. And Taliah likes money.

“Oh, right. I did wonder,” I say, giving her a quick smile.

Gerry takes up her usual posy and crosses her legs, her head resting against the wall. “Are you ready to keep going?”

The answer to that question is always no, but I automatically nod then stop, remembering I have something to ask her. “But before I do … what about you and Bennett?”

Gerry frowns, like I’ve asked her an unanswerable question. “There is no me and Bennett.”

“You sure. Looked like there might be some silent lust signals the other night. I’ve never seen him make goo goo eyes at anyone.”

Gerry coughs out a laugh. “Goo, goo eyes, are you serious?”

I punch her shoulder. “Deadly. He hasn’t even as much as glanced at a girl since I’ve known him, and he was definitely checking you out on Friday.”

Gerry deepens her frown. “Um … why is that exactly? I mean, look at him. He must have girls lining up behind him in the street.”

Now it’s my turn to laugh. And I’m not laughing at the ridiculous notion of what Gerry is saying. I’ve actually seen several girls stopping in the street to stare at him.

“I think when I’ve told you the next bit, you might get Bennett a bit more. There’s a lot more to him than freakish good looks.”

Gerry inches forward and rests her head on her hands, elbows propped on her knees. Now I have her full attention, not that she wouldn’t have listened before, but the added incentive of finding out more about Bennett, obviously makes my sorry tale a lot more interesting. Not that I blame her.

I wish I liked Bennett like that. Would have made my life much easier.

Sucks, that nothing for me is ever easy.

Twelve months ago
...

It’s the late shift tonight. I’ve been run off my feet. I haven’t even had chance to chat to Bennett, who’s sitting on his usual stool at the end of the bar, waiting for me to finish up.

Since our coffee six months ago, we’ve been seeing a lot of each other. We always sit together in class and get our cheesecake and coffee fix afterwards, and on the weekend Bennett hangs out at the bar where I work, mostly doing his assignments. Lucky for him it’s a college bar and nobody questions his studiousness, though he’s often interrupted by girls hitting on him.

Gives me an endless source of entertainment and constant fodder for teasing him. I wonder when he’ll crack. It can only be a matter of time. I mean he is a young human male, and they aren’t known for their stamina in warding off willing females. Well, at least none that I’ve ever known, and none that look like Bennett.

I decide tonight I’m going to up the ante, and see if he’ll take the bait. There’s a really nice girl I’ve gotten to know. She’s a lot shyer than the average college girl who comes in here. I decide she’d be good for Bennett, and just the right girl to quench his thirst and stop his dry spell.

Lucy is her name, and she finds me as I’m bringing a box of new glasses from out the back.

“Hey, Bailey, how you doing? Do you need some help?”

She’s dressed in her usual vintage. Tonight’s she’s got on a short black tunic dress with high necked white jumper, a long silver pendant chain hanging around her neck. Her lovely blonde curls tied up in a high ponytail. I give her a grin and shake my head. “I got it. What are your plans for tonight?”

“You know, the usual. Take home a hot, rich guy, have my wicked way with him. Then he falls in love with me and I have to let him down easy. Tell him I’m not into hot, rich men.”

I laugh. “Yeah, those rich, hot sorts can get a bit tiring. Where are all the low life’s hiding, nowadays?”

“Bad boys. Yummy. Might try one of them for a change.” She grins.

I chuckle again, knowing full well how straight laced and innocent Lucy is when it comes to guys. She’s worse than me, can barely say hello to anyone new. I was always so spoilt with Cam. We started dating when we were only fifteen. I never had eyes for anyone other than him, so I never tried to date. The irony is I still don’t want to date and don’t consider myself available to try.

Bennett hasn’t met Lucy yet, and I’m kind of excited to match them up. Bennett has become my best friend here and I’d love to see him with someone like Lucy. Someone nice and sweet. She’s cute too. I fast forward my thinking, imagining the nice babies they’d make.

I shake my head, trying to curb my wandering thoughts.
I have to set them up first. Then we’ll make wedding plans
, I mumble to myself.

“What?” Lucy asks, and I realize I voiced my last thought aloud.

“Ah, nothing. Um, speaking of boys, I’d like you to meet my friend, Bennett.”

I’m putting away the glasses in the open wooden shelves and Lucy is leaning across the bar. She arches a brow. “Friend, Bales?”

“Oh, yeah, there's absolutely nothing between me and Bennett, except an abnormal love of chocolate cheesecake.”

“Okay, sounds interesting. I suppose I can meet this cheesecake boy.”

“He’s really nice. You’ll like him.”

“As long as he’s not hot and rich.” She grins again.

I don’t reply just wink and gesture for her to follow.

Takes a bit of effort on her part, as she has to shove through the crowds to reach the far end of the bar where Bennett is. He’s becoming a bit of a bar icon, no one ever sits in his seat, and the bar is always cleared for him to set up his laptop. I wonder if in the future, bar legends will be written about him and chuckle at the thought as I come to stop in front of him. He doesn’t look up at first, but I know he senses me, because he stops typing.

“Hey, there busy boy. Do you want a drink?”

He flicks his gorgeous blues on me and smirks. “Depends, what's the busy girl offering?”

“What about a pink cosmo?” I grin.

“Do you think I can handle it?”

“Sure, if I put a little umbrella in it, it’ll go down easier.”

“Can you put two in, I love those suckers.”

I spy Lucy, making her way over, and give her a big grin over Bennett’s shoulder. Bennett arches a brow, but doesn’t look behind him. He mouths, “Hot guy.”

I roll my eyes, and mouth, “No. Hot girl.”

Then his grin widens. “There is a god. You’ve just made my night, Bales.”

I reach over and punch him on the shoulder. “Neanderthal.”

He beats his chest, like an idiot. “Go get busy. Make pink cosmo with many umbrellas. Leave me to think about you and hot girls.”

I shake my head as Lucy appears beside Bennett, looking at him with a frown. Well that’s a first, most girls’ eyes bug out of their head when they spy Bennett.

“Friend of yours,” Lucy asks cocking her head in Bennett’s direction.

“Afraid so. I’d apologise for him, but can’t take the credit. Bennett, this is Lucy, say hello.”

“Hello,” Bennett says looking back at his computer.

Lucy shifts on her feet, looking uncomfortable. I shove Bennett. “Hey, don’t be rude. Say hello properly and buy my friend a drink. She’s thirsty ...”

Lucy cuts in, “Um … no that’s okay, Bales, I was going to head home anyway…”

“Bennett will walk you. He lives near,” I say real quick, and Bennett twists his lip. That’s another advantage, these two literally live round the corner from each other. Location, location, location. Essential in matchmaking real estate.

“No, no that’s alright. I’m fine.” Lucy starts to turn and I give Bennett a pinch, glaring at him.

He sighs
and shuts his laptop, smiling a tight smile. “Um, sorry, Lucy, I’m going too, so I can walk you home if you like.”

She turns to Bennett. “If you’re sure, thanks, that’d be nice.” She flicks a fierce glare at me, and I cringe a little. Didn’t think their first meeting would go like this. “I’ll see you later, Bales,” she says with a hint of annoyance.

I grin at them both, trying to be enthusiastic. “Yeah, we’ll catch up soon, Lucy. Bye Bennett.”

He doesn’t look at me or reply, just shoves his bag over his shoulder and walks out behind Lucy. Giving me the ice cold shoulder.

Uh oh.

Maybe I over stepped the mark, but I’m just trying to help h
im get over, whatever it is he needs to get over. I’m still not sure what his problem is, we’ve never really talked about it. Just like we’ve never really talked about Cam. He only said that he’d sworn off girls to concentrate on his studies. And he only mentioned that once, and didn’t elaborate.

Now
as I watch his blue shirt disappear in the crowd, I’m wondering if I’ll ever find out. He may actually never speak to me again.

Crap!

My shift over, I’m on my way home. I stayed till closing so it’s the middle of the night. Ted, the bar owner wanted to call a cab, but I told him I caught the bus late all the time. Not really true. Bennett usually drives me home, but I used to catch it, before Bennett and I became friends. After tonight, I may be catching it a lot more.

Ted insists on walking me to the bus station and seeing me on the bus safely. He reminds me of my Dad. Quiet, bordering on grumpy, yet concerned and protective. I like him a lot.

My stop is the second last one, and it’s just me and another guy left. I ring the bell and the bus pulls over and I hurry down the aisle and step off, waving thanks to the tired looking driver, who gives a weary wave back. The weather is freezing and I’m glad of my woollen coat, scarf and gloves. I’m lucky the bus stop is directly opposite my apartment building. I wouldn’t want to be walking around this neighborhood in the dark for too long. I’ve heard a few stories from the people I work with about some of the antics that go on around here.