1
Ben Cooper was the most beautiful man Spencer Henderson had ever seen. Not that he would ever tell him that. Skin the colour of honey that went an even deeper gold in the heat of summer, spectacular green eyes, and dark hair that he had always kept short. The last year or so, he’d grown it a little longer on top, and it was tousled, partly from styling but mainly, Spencer knew, from the way Ben ran his hands through it at regular intervals. Even now, as Spencer looked across at him, Ben ran the fingers of one hand through his hair as he laughed at something Cameron was saying.
They sat on the sofa, side by side, beers in hand, reminiscing about some basketball game. Spence thought it was the game they’d played the weekend before, the one where some crazy dog had darted out onto the court and caused havoc—hugely funny to watch, but the team had never really got back into the swing of things after that and had ended up losing the game. Not good for someone as competitive as Ben.
Ben had always been involved in some sort of sport, ever since Spencer had known him, which felt like forever. He couldn’t remember a time when Ben hadn’t been a constant in his life. They met when Spence moved in down the street just as they were both starting school and had stayed friends ever since. Ben’s body reflected the amount of time he spent doing physical activity, with a defined layer of muscle over his six-foot two-inch frame. He had broad shoulders and narrow hips and moved with amazing grace for someone his size. His body was a masterpiece, but it was the way he was so comfortable in his own skin and not even aware of the impact he had on others that made him all the more attractive. He always got second glances from boys and girls alike.
Right then, it was Suzie’s turn to admire him from afar. From her seat at the dining table, she was staring at Ben, so focused on him that Melanie had to wave to get her attention. Suzie and Mel had been their friends forever too. Mel had been dating Cameron since high school, but Suzie was single, and her mission was to remedy that as soon as possible, with Ben as her target. She had flirted with him for years but had really upped her game lately, probably realising that if it didn’t happen soon, it would never happen.God, I hope it doesn’t happen.
Spence glanced back at Ben just as he looked in his direction. He blushed, as if Ben could read his thoughts, but Ben just flashed that brilliant smile of his and raised his beer bottle in salute. Spence picked up his own beer from on top of the mantelpiece, against which he had been leaning, and saluted in return. He chuckled under this breath.Yeah, here’s to Suzie staying single for a long time to come.He ignored the flash of guilt at not wanting his friend to find true love.
“Hey, mate, get over here,” Cameron called. “You’ve got to hear this story.”
“I was there, Cameron, I was there.” Spence couldn’t think of the last time he’d missed seeing Ben play. He supported the team and Ben at every opportunity, happy to see his friend playing the game he loved. At one point, he thought that Ben might have tried to go professional, but he’d nixed that pretty quickly. Ian Cooper, Ben’s father, had firm ideas of what his son should be doing, and mucking around with sport wasn’t it. He could almost recite the lecture himself from the number of times he had heard Mr. Cooper prattle on about the merits of a real job, knuckling down, and taking life seriously. Basketball, apart from the supremely talented few who made it, was an unrealistic ambition—a pipe dream.
So Ben had changed his dreams, not willing to upset his father.God, that still pisses me off.Thank goodness Ben’s desire to establish a landscaping business received the tick of approval from his father, because Spence didn’t think he could’ve handled the response if it didn’t. Though it didn’t happen now, Ben’s arsehole of a father hadn’t hesitated in the past to use his fists to direct Ben down whatever path he saw fit. The man was a builder by trade, large and bulky, with a hair trigger temper and a propensity for whiskey to go with it.
The combination resulted in Ben spending many a night down the road at Spence’s place, licking his wounds and waiting for his dad’s hangover to wear off. His own parents were happy to give Ben refuge, but Ben refused to consider anything long-term, worried about his sister, five years younger, who still lived at home.
Dragging his thoughts back to the present and onto happier topics, he wandered over and dropped into the armchair to join the conversation.
* * *
Cameron continuedto recount the story of the dog. “It was crazy, man. I thought the other team was going to go nuts when the dog ran onto the court. Especially when it ran right up to you.” He grinned. “I mean, who would think we would really pull a stunt like that just to put them off their game? It’s not like we even won. It sure was funny, though.” He burst into laughter.
Ben frowned.Funny?“Are you crazy? If I hadn’t had that dog jumping all over me then we would have won—”
Cam nudged Ben in the shoulder. “Come on, bud, surely even you can see the funny side. OMG, the looks on those guys’ faces.”
Finally, Ben cracked a smile.Okay, so Cam has a point.Their opponents had been totally bamboozled by the interruption, and the game had turned into a comedy of errors. His smile turned to laughter as he gave Cam a friendly push back. “Just so long as we don’t have a repeat. I’m going to get some snacks.”
Ben got to his feet, leaving Cam and Spence to their teasing about his taking the game too seriously. So what if I like to win? Got to take the wins where I can find them. Arseholes.
But he couldn’t help the grin as he headed to the kitchen. He wouldn’t change his friends for the world.
The apartment wasn’t large, and it only took Ben a few steps to get to the kitchen, which looked onto the living area with its dining nook. The open-plan living room contained a sofa and two armchairs facing a low table and an entertainment unit. He had a state of the art flat-screen television and sound system, but the furniture had definitely seen better days. The fabric on the sofa was worn in parts, the armchairs didn’t match, and the table showed the many years of use. Rings marked where drinks had previously stood, and the scratches attested to its multiple purposes as a dining table, desk, and games table.
When he’d first moved in, Melanie had helped him dress the place up so there were bright cushions, some framed prints of the coastline, and a cheery rug on the floor. The dining nook held a round table with four mismatched but functional chairs. Only having four chairs meant that, more often than not, meals were a casual affair. First-in, best-dressed at the table and the rest of them balancing plates on their laps. But Ben didn’t mind if it meant his friends were with him and he wasn’t alone.
Off the living room was a hall that led to a bathroom and two large, airy bedrooms. The size of the rooms and the high ceilings were benefits of living in an older building. The original fixtures and fittings gave it character. At least that was what Ben liked to tell himself until he finally had the money to fix the whole place up a bit. He put up with the outdated bathroom because it was clean and still functional but had invested in a kitchen upgrade. He loved to cook, so this had been the first room he tackled.
He leaned into the fridge and started pulling out the bits and pieces to make an antipasto platter—some cheeses, salami, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. Reaching into the pantry, he grabbed a loaf of sourdough and the olive oil. He took the wooden chopping board from another cupboard and a knife from the block before slicing the bread. As he pulled the platter together, he glanced at his friends, and a wealth of emotion bubbled up. He was so grateful to be part of such a caring group and couldn’t imagine how he would have gotten through the past few years without them.
Cameron was always so upbeat and guaranteed to cheer him up. He was a no-frills kind of guy. An honest, reliable, hardworking tradie. He had his job as an electrician, he had his friends, and he had Mel. He didn’t need anything else. He really was suited to a quiet, simple life.
Mel was a mother hen, taking care of Cameron as well as Ben. She’d happily made herself at home at his place and sorted out the apartment. Now she kept a lookout to make sure he was taking care of himself properly. Cooking wasn’t a problem, but she found other things to nag him about—the laundry on the floor, the pile of forgotten bills, the lack of love life…Who needs a girlfriend with Mel around?And Cameron didn’t seem to mind her interest in Ben’s welfare, most likely because the two of them were usually together at his place. Cameron on the sofa watching the game while Mel found other stuff to keep busy.Yep, definitely a mother hen.
This visit, she had brought along one of those expandable files for managing paperwork, convinced she could teach Ben a system to keep him on top of his bills. It didn’t matter how often he told her the pile of bills on the kitchen counter actually was his “system,” and the fact that the utilities had never been cut off didn’t sway her either. Neither did the fact that he successfully ran his own business. Sure, some people were slow to settle their accounts, but it was hard to push people for payment like old Mrs Jones, who he’d known since he was in kindergarten.
He started to place the olives and tomatoes on the platter, draining off the excess oil, and looked at Suzie.
Of all his friends, she was most complex to figure out. Probably because he sensed she wanted something more from him. She was Mel’s best friend and had been since they were all in high school, so she was always around, a part of the group. Even as he looked at her now, she was staring at him, those big brown eyes studying him with intensity. He thought she was about to rise from the table and come over to him, maybe to help with the food, but Mel grabbed her arm, so Suzie turned her attention back to Mel and they continued their conversation.
Ben breathed a sigh of relief, not entirely sure what he was afraid of. After all, he had known Suzie for years, and she was a really nice girl. He just didn’t feel anything more than friendship towards her and was worried that she would push for something more. It concerned him that any rejection of a possible advance by Suzie could jeopardise their close-knit group. The very thought of anything upsetting the balance sent shivers down his spine. Heneededthis group; he needed his friends. They were his family.
Finally, he started putting the finishing touches to the platter and glanced at Spencer. If the others were his stars, then Spence was his sun. Together, they made up his universe. Without Spence, there would be no direction. He had provided Ben with security and stability and guidance ever since they were little kids. Spence made him feel safe and was the best thing to have happened to him.Without Spence, I’d fall apart.He caught himself before he got too emotional. Getting emotional wouldn’t get him anywhere, as he’d learned in the past.
Ben picked up a cheese knife and the platter and headed back into the living room. “Food’s on.” He placed the platter on the low table. “Who wants another beer?”
