He laughed again but this time it didn’t reach his eyes. “Not everyone adores me,” he said into my ear, giving my waist a quick squeeze for emphasis.
“Yeah, I definitely just tolerate you.” I draped my arms tighter around his neck and swayed to the music, forcing him to move in sync with me.
“I tolerate you too.” He smiled a real smile this time.“But I’ve got a feeling you won’t tolerate me anymore if I let you continue to the point of alcohol poisoning.”
“Booooooo!” Right on cue I stumbled on my wobbly stiletto and grabbed a chunk of his hair to steady myself. His hand met mine at the back of his head and laced our fingers together.
“Come on, let’s get you a cab.” His warm voice traveled from his curved lips over the music to my ears.
“Picture first, then go,” I said like a child as I stumbled out of the crowd pulling him with me toward the Catch Group branded photo booth. Ten minutes later, he finally managed to steer me toward the exit.
The line for the lift was several people deep so we left the circular function room via the echoey concrete stairwell, his arm gripping tight around my waist to avoid a festive neck break. It pulled my dress up even higher, but I didn’t care, the fluorescent lights made the world feel even blurrier. The icy wind hit my skin as he pushed through the fire-exit door; I huddled close to him to stay warm. Police sirens echoed down the dark London streets, filling the silence as he pulled out his phone and I clumsily tried to punch my address into the bright screen. He read it out loud to make sure I hadn’t accidentally sent myself to Brighton.
“The Uber will be here in a few minutes. How are you not shivering right now? Your arms are freezing.” He faced me, rubbing his warm hands up and down my bare arms.
“Alcohol blanket.” I beamed at him as the lights frompassing cars shone on his chiseled face. I wanted to touch him and couldn’t think of a single good reason not to. I put my hand on his cheek and watched as he automatically leaned into it, his stubble scraping my palm. Our eyes locked and he gave me that smirk. The one that made me blush the first day we met. The one that made my blood boil. The one that sent electricity shooting through me so hard I needed to squeeze my thighs together to make it stop.
We stayed like that for a few moments, frozen in this magical, glittering darkness where we could drop the guards we held in the daylight. I leaned into him until our chests touched, the warmth of his body enveloping me. He pressed his forehead to my brow and I closed my eyes. The bridge of his nose gently pressed against mine and I could feel his warm breath on my cheek. Finally, I gave in to the gravitational pull I’d been ignoring for months, turning my face and dragging my lips toward his. The impact of his soft mouth hard against mine sent a shockwave through me, a clicking into place unlike anything I’d ever experienced as I moved to deepen the kiss.
“Grace...” he breathed onto my lips, his voice low and heavy. “We can’t... I can’t.” His mouth pulled away from me, leaving a chill in its place. His brow tilted down and he shook his head as though he could hear every thought running through mine.
“Why not?” I gave a pout, eyes still closed. My ego was too drunk for denial and had the overwhelming urge to change this night for the better.
“I can’t. Not... like this.” He seemed to hate himself for saying that, for being a gentleman.
“I haven’t even drunk that much!” A poorly timed hiccup immediately followed, ruining my argument.
He shook his head. “We both know that’s not true. And anyway, that’s not the only reason.”
I stared up at him, eyes glassy from the cold and rejection.
“I can’t do this with you when you’re thinking of him.” His fingers squeezed my shoulders as if it was taking all his willpower to keep them there.
For the first time since Eric had arrived at the party, I pictured William’s face. Embarrassed, I pulled my arms away from him, crossing them in front of my chest, still trapped in his half embrace. I stared at the chewing-gum-spotted pavement, blinking furiously.
“Hey, look at me.” His expression was more gentle than I’d ever seen.
We were never close enough friends to spend time outside of work, and with every mingling breath we shared I was realizing maybe we didn’t for a reason. Not because we didn’t like each other enough to cross that friendship threshold, but because we both knew what might happen if we did. What I wanted, needed to happen right then.
He took a deep, shuddering breath, but before he could say anything, a car beeped its horn and flashed its lights in our direction.
“Eric?” a man shouted from the driver’s seat.
And then, in the blink of an eye, albeit a slow,laborious blink from my alcohol-glazed eyes, Bancroft had switched back to his usual self.
“My next clear memory was waking up with the worst hangover of my life and his suit jacket wrapped around me like an expensive-smelling cocoon.” Back in the kitchen, I finish with an exasperated sigh, taking in Yemi’s and Alice’s shocked expressions.
I don’t fully remember the rest of the night; it’s like a terrible nightmare you wake up from but have no memory of, despite your heart racing and body sweating.
“Oh. My. God. I can’t believe you didn’t tell us!” Alice gasps.
“I didn’t want to tell anyone.” I press my cold hand against my face.
“And I only suspectedsomethinghad happened because Eric got in touch with me to get her home safely,” explains Yemi. “He wanted to confirm the address because Grace was too drunk to tell him.”
I shoot her a quick, tight-lipped smile because it’s the only way to explain that even though William breaking up with me shocked me to my core, losing Bancroft was a devastation I never saw coming.
Sighing, I say, “I never thanked you both. You two were basically keeping me alive, fed and washed those first few months. Thank you.” My eyes glisten with gratitude.
