“Maybe do that then, yeah?”
“I didn’t want to seem clingy.”
She blinks at me pointedly.
“Okay, okay.”
I go to my room to grab my phone just as I hear the front door open, and the sounds of male voices tumbling in the door. I can tell from the volume and the laughter that they’ve already been drinking, and when I round the corner, I see that it’s not just Ben, Colton and Jake, but a couple of women that are with them as well. I tuck my phone back in my pocket, the opportunity lost, and head into the kitchen.
They’re deep in a discussion about one of their friends, so I pretend to be very interested in putting candy pumpkins on top of all the graveyard cupcakes in the kitchen. I keep looking up trying to get a surreptitious glance at Ben. Whatever his mood had been earlier, he seems to be in a good one now, laughing whole-heartedly at the story Jake is telling.
“Can you make the punch, Vi? I’ve got to get the bread in the oven and then get the other desserts out.”
“Can do.” I nod.
“Is there anything I can do, Joss?” Ben turns to her, without even glancing my way, and I feel a pang of something in my chest that I try to ignore.
“You want to finish the cupcakes Vi is working on, so she can do the punch?” Joss’s eyes flash up to me for half a second.
“Sure.” He smiles at her.
“Anything we can do?” One of the women smiles at Joss.
“Yeah, can we help?” Jake asks.
“Nah, we’ve got it. Unless you all want to search for some horror movies to put on?” Joss nods toward the living room.
“Oh. I’ve got ideas for that.” Colton takes off and the rest of them follow, leaving the kitchen a touch quieter than it was before.
“Here.” I push the tray toward Ben on the counter and hand him the bag of pumpkins.
“Thanks,” he says without looking up at me.
“Are we okay?” I ask softly, and he finally brings his eyes up to mine. He smiles, and it almost looks real. The only giveaway being that it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t we be?”
“Okay. I’m just sorry about everything.”
“We’re all adults. No need to be sorry.” He shrugs and starts putting the pumpkins on the cupcakes.
Apparently, that was going to be the extent of the discussion. And I wasn’t about to press for more or discuss last night with this many people in ear shot. So instead, I start pulling out the things to make the punch, excusing myself when I have to get down on the floor beneath Ben to reach for a punch bowl in the back of the bottom cabinet. It feels bizarre to be working in here like strangers when just last night he’d pressed me for more. How quickly a day can change things.
* * *
An hourlater and at least another dozen or so people have shown up, mostly Joss’s friends but a couple of people from our grad program as well. Everyone mingles pretty well despite the varied interests and ages in the room, mostly bonding over the ‘80s horror movies on the screen and the potency of the punch I’d made. I might have over poured a bit when I was lost in my thoughts about Ben.
By the time Cameron shows up, I’m thoroughly drunk and clinging to Joss like a lifeline as I endure Ben ignoring me like I don’t exist. At first, I thought he was just giving me space, but now it feels downright personal the number of times he refuses to look at me even when I speak.
Unfortunately for Cameron, I’m not treating him much better, and I can tell he’s getting increasingly frustrated with me. When I excuse myself to go to my room for a minute, he trails me, and I turn to stop him before he follows me in. The last thing on earth I want is to be alone with him or have Ben see him follow me into my room.
“Did you need something?” I look back at him.
“I just wanted to talk some.” He gives me a lopsided grin.
“I’m not really in the mood to talk Cam. I just want to have fun with my friends tonight.”
“I mean, I’m a friend, and we could have fun if you’d just let me.” Clearly, he has also had the punch if he thinks that’s a possibility.
