Neither of us speaks for a moment and I take the opportunity to discover parts of him I didn’t have the inclination to before. His abs are tight and he’s got the very beginnings of a six-pack. I roll my fingers up and down his stomach and Ben closes his eyes, but I don’t think he’s anywhere near falling asleep, just enjoying the sensation.
‘Did you work out a lot this summer?’ I ask as my fingertips brush over his hard muscles.
‘Not really.’ He smiles.
‘I don’t believe you,’ I tell him.
‘OK, so I might have done a lot of crunches by the pool this summer,’ he admits. ‘In between beers.’
‘How do you drink so much and still stay so …’ I gesture to his abs.
‘Dunno,’ he says. ‘Good metabolism?’
‘If you say so,’ I reply, rising from the bed, looking for my underwear, which I can’t immediately see. When we gotin we didn’t flick the light on. Instead I let the glow of the street lamps outside light our way, the hideous net curtains shielding us from the view of the hall block across the road.
‘Where are you going?’ Ben asks, sitting up on his elbows.
‘Get some water. Want me to bring you one to your room?’
He glances around like he can’t work out where he is. ‘But we’re in your room,’ he replies, somewhat dimly.
‘I know. But if you want to go back to your room to sleep, I’ll bring one to you.’
‘Why do I want to go to my room?’
‘Because these single beds are so small. Too small for two.’
‘I reckon we could make it work. If we put our minds to it.’
I smile to myself. Whatever. I grab my dressing gown and fetch us both some water from the kitchen, returning to find that Ben has lain back down, tucking himself against the furthest side of the bed against the wall.
‘See?’ he says. ‘Plenty of room.’
‘You don’t have to stay,’ I tell him. ‘This girl needs her beauty sleep.’ I hand him a glass and take my dressing gown back off and his eyes cast over my breasts again, but at least he glances back to my eyes to speak to me.
‘You kicking me out?’ he asks with a surprised laugh. ‘Are you done with me now?’
‘Might be a good idea.’
‘Wow! Brutal,’ he chuckles.
‘Before the others come home,’ I rationalise, and then it’s too late as I hear laughter in the hall, hushed voices, more laughter. I hear Liv cry, ‘Shh, shh’ and then I hear nothing – not a single noise.
Ben glances at me and gives me a furrowedWhat is happening?look, followed by a laugh that he smothers.
I give him the same expression.
There is not a sound to be heard, and then a bedroom door closes and there are muffled noises probably not too dissimilar from the sounds Ben and I made not that long ago.
‘Do you think that silence was them kissing? Are they going to …?’ I ask, but I already know the answer.
‘Probably. And good for them,’ Ben replies cheerfully. He unfolds the duvet, gesturing for me to get in beside him. ‘Come on,’ he says. ‘You want to be the little spoon or the big spoon?’
I blink. ‘What?’
‘I’m joking,’ he says. ‘Just get in and be quiet. It’s sleepy time now.’
CHAPTER FIVE
