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Cass’s face lights up as Duncan puts an arm around each of us. Clearly, Cass’s two minutes are up and Duncan can’t stay away any longer.
“Duncan,” I reply.
Cass’s response is to wrap her arms around his neck, and when he pulls her tightly against him, she kisses him passionately. After they finally break apart, Duncan looks at her with so much intensity and heat that I feel it in my bones. My heart twists painfully in my chest at the sight. Maybe Cass was right to think I can’t handle this. Little daggers of jealousy are stabbing me all over as the two of them continue to stare at each other.
Lucas never looked at me like that. There were times when he looked at me with affection and lust, but the only person Lucas looked at with that much intensity was Amber. Miserably, I can’t recall any guy before Lucas looking at me that way, either. In every relationship I’ve been in, I’ve worked hard to make my partner happy. I’ve sacrificed what I want for them every single time, and still no man has looked at me like that.
“Do you think you can help us?” Duncan asks, finally tearing his gaze away from Cass and looking at me. “Can you convince Ben this is a good thing?”
“I’ll do my best.”
Seeing Cass and Duncan all lovey-dovey is more difficult than I’d expected, which is all the more reason for me to be here for Ben. I know our friends being together won’t be any easier on him and he might need to talk about it. Of course, he has Seb to vent to, but now he has me, too.
“Is Seb likely to need convincing?” I ask.
Duncan shakes his head. “Not as much as Ben. Ah, look, the guys are here.”
When I turn my attention towards the door of the bar, I see Ben and Seb walk in. Ben is in his standard uniform for going out—black pants, belt, boots, and a shirt. Only the colour of his shirt seems to change. Tonight it’s royal blue. His hair is long and mussed up and his stubble is at least a day old. I’ve never seen anyone pull off untidy as well as Ben does. Seriously.
Impulsively, I put my hand up and wave to Ben. A myriad of emotions passes over his features when he sees me. Surprise, happiness, and then, finally, wariness as he takes in Cass standing next to Duncan and me.
His mood is as dark as a thundercloud as he walks over to us. “What’s going on?” he demands as he comes to a stop next to me.
He hasn’t stopped scowling since he saw Cass at the bar, and now he turns that scowl on my bare legs and made-up face.
“Not much,” I say, resisting the urge to hug him and give him a kiss on the cheek like I do with my other friends. Despite how annoyed he looks, I’m happy to see him.
“I asked Cass and Lainey to come out with us tonight and play a little pool,” Duncan says.
Ben looks less than impressed and I understand completely. Any day other than Saturday would have been better for the unveiling of Duncan’s secret girlfriend. Too late to point that out now, though.
“Duncan bet me I couldn’t beat your arse at pool,” I say. “You better give me a chance to win that bet, Armstrong.”
I have no bet with Duncan, but my first boyfriend taught me how to play and I might as well put my skills to good use and ease the tension building in our little group. Duncan can talk to Ben after the two of them have relaxed a little.
“You’re not dressed for pool,” Ben says, looking over my outfit once more.
The look of disapproval on his face is similar to one my father might display if I wore this dress to a family dinner. I’m about to start tugging at the hemline, but I stop myself at the last second. Where has my desire to please a man gotten me? Not loved. Not approved of. Yet, the need to please is so ingrained in me that I’m going to need an industrial-sized wrench to pull it out.
Or maybe I just need Ben.
He isn’t my father or my lover, and I don’t have to worry about disappointing him. I trust him. He’s a friend who likes me the way I am. He might be the perfect person to help me break my habit of trying to please a guy. And he can coach me in perfecting his ‘I don’t care’ attitude at the same time.
“I don’t need to be dressed appropriately to whoop your butt,” I say.
Ben’s scowl finally disappears and he shrugs. “You talk a big game, Lainey. You better have the goods to back it up.”
I grin. “I do.”
Duncan touches me on the arm. “I booked us a couple of tables over there.” He points in the direction where we first spotted him.
“Come on,” I say to Ben, sliding off the stool and walking towards one of the designated tables. “Show me what you’ve got.”
