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“Why don’t you give me a call when you’re over him?”
“I haven’t blown it with you completely?”
“No.” He grins and shakes his head before his face takes on a worried expression. “Ah, Lainey?”
“What?”
I follow the direction of his gaze. Ben is here, standing at the entrance of Barnaby’s, watching me intensely. His eyes lock with mine, and I feel like all the air just left the room.
“Are you sure that Ben is over the thing you were having?” Rob asks.
“Um, I think so.”
My brain feels too addled to think of the correct answer. I’m bombarded by so many feelings at once—happiness to see Ben, relief he’s here instead of home alone, the desire to talk to him and to hug him, as well as sorrow at what we lost. I’m also sure that his presence here tonight is going to cut my night short, because how can I stay here and watch him pick up other girls?
“He doesn’t look over it to me,” Rob says.
No, well, I don’t know. The intensity of Ben’s gaze has my stomach in knots.
“The guy has a couple of inches on me, Lainey. Now, normally, I can hold my own, but I’m not sure I want to walk out of here right now.”
It takes me a second to work out what my companion is saying because I’m so focused on Ben.
When it sinks in, I ask, “You’re afraid of him?”
“I wouldn’t say afraid, exactly, but he does work crowd control or something, doesn’t he?”
“Actually, he’s about to become a private detective.”
I can’t take my eyes off Ben as he starts walking towards me, meaning I have no idea if I’ve helped alleviate Rob’s fear. I’m too busy existing in a bubble of anticipation and excitement. I don’t think Ben has taken his eyes off me since he walked in.
About halfway across the room, he’s stopped by Seb and Duncan. They exchange a handful of words before Ben fastens his gaze on me once more and continues walking towards me.
“I’d definitely say he’s not over it. You didn’t bring me here as bait, did you?”
My gaze snaps to Rob. “Bait?”
“Am I here to make him jealous?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I would never use you to make him jealous.”
“Okay.”
He looks placated, and I’m relieved, until the excitement kicks back in because Ben is suddenly standing at the bar with us. The energy is rolling off him in waves, and I have to hold on to the bar so I don’t get pulled into his orbit.
“Rob,” he says, lifting his chin in acknowledgement.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
Ben just stares at me, causing my stomach to sky dive. “Lainey.”
“Seb said you weren’t coming tonight.”
“I wanted to talk to you. I mean, I need to talk to you.”
“Why?”
Rob goes to move away, but I reach out and put my hand on his arm. It’s not as if I want him to stay, and I’m not using him as a shield, but I feel bad about inviting him the way I did and letting him leave without saying goodbye.
