Chapter 54

“Do you think we should go back up to the party now?” Chris asked Kate as they lay in the cushions.

“Do you want to?” Kate asked.

“Well no, I’d much rather stay down here with you, but… well what if Natalie comes down here?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Kate agreed. “I only meant to show you around down here, but I forgot how much I love this room. It’s just the most ideal atmosphere for everything!”

“It is. I could write so many songs down here.”

“Uh-huh, same with my books. It’s just all warm, and comfortable, and almost like you’re not even on the planet any more. You just feel like you’re away from everything.” Kate sighed. “Oww, I want one!”

Chris laughed. “Come on, let’s get out of here before we get caught.” He said, heaving himself out of the pool of cushions, and taking Kate’s hand to pull her up after him.

“Will your friends have noticed you’re not there?” Kate asked as they walked back round the swimming pool walls and towards the lift.

“Doubt it. They’re probably too busy getting drunk.”

“Oh. Are they…”

“Hooligans?” Chris asked, grinning at Kate. “No, they’re just a bit… hyperactive! They’re lovely guys, I’ll introduce you to them.”

“Alright…” Kate said.

“You don’t sound too eager.”

“No, it’s fine!” Kate said, going over to the lift and pressing a button. “Have we left everything as it was?”

“Er… think so. Oh, hang on.” Chris said, flicking open the control panel and turning the swimming pool glitter off. “There.”

“Okay, we better go then.”

“Yeah.” Chris agreed, although he didn’t really want to leave.

If this had been his house, him and Kate could have stayed down here all night just talking like they had been so far.

They got on so well, had loads in common, and Kate was such an interesting person. She was such an individual, and she really really did love what she did. Her passion for writing shone through with every word she said about the subject. She was really talkative for a shy person, and once she got started on a familiar subject there was no stopping her! Not that Chris had wanted to stop her; he wanted to hear everything she had to say. And plus she was just so uniquely beautiful that he couldn’t take his eyes off her, so the more she talked, the more he could just sit and stare! She had a truly lovely smile, and what surprised Chris most about her was how honest and open she was for someone he’d only just met. She was so modest too, and she hadn’t been exaggerating about the compliments thing. Every time he said something nice she went all embarrassed and looked away. It wasn’t annoying though, just cute. He definitely wouldn’t be opposed to spending a bit more time with her.

They got into the lift and it starting moving upwards, taking them back to the noise and bustle of the party that had been going on above them the whole time.

“So what other hidden things are there in this house then?” Chris asked, breaking the silence.

“Now would it be right if I told you that? Told you all the secrets?” Kate asked, looking Chris in the eye.

“Well… yes!”

“And why might that be?”

“Because I know about the den now, you might as well show me the rest.”

“Don’t find that a particularly good reason.” Kate said with a grin. “I think you’ll find all that’s for me to know and for you to find out.”

“And when might I do that?” Chris asked.

Kate was just about to answer when the lights dimmed and the lift shuddered, and she was thrown off balance. As a reflex reaction, Chris caught her in his arms and held her there until the lights had come back on and the lift had resumed its journey.

“You okay?” Chris asked, looking down at Kate.

She looked up, flustered and a little embarrassed.

“Yeah, I’m fine, let’s just get out of here as quick as possible.” She said, straightening herself up.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Chris asked, noticing that Kate’s hands were shaking.

He took her hands gently in his, and she looked up at him in surprise.

“You’re shaking.” He said.

“No, I’m fine.” Kate said, taking her hands away. “Oh good, we’re here.” She said as the lift pinged to signify it had reached its destination.

She quickly left the lift with Chris following her. Soon they were back in the relative normality of the guest suite.

Chris didn’t like the sudden silence between them; he felt he needed to say something to cancel out what had happened in the lift that had scared Kate back into her shell.

“Thanks for showing that to me.” He said.

Kate turned round at him and smiled. “That’s okay, I thought you’d like it. Don’t go telling everyone though, it is a secret.”

“Sure. Why did you show me?”

Kate shrugged. “I dunno. Just… I wanted to.” She said by way of explanation, turning to walk towards the door.

Chris didn’t want them to go back with other people again. He’d enjoyed Kate’s company so much, he just wanted to make their time alone a little bit longer. Getting a mad impulse, Chris opened his mouth before he had time to think about what he was saying and stop the words.

“What would you do if I kissed you?”

Kate turned back round and looked at him with a surprised expression on her face, which soon turned into a smile.

“I’d probably kiss you back.” She said, biting her bottom lip as if she hadn’t meant to say that and it’d just slipped out.

Chris smiled and moved towards Kate. She did the same and they met half way, fitting perfectly into each others arms in that awkward, first time intimacy way. Chris gently pressed his lips onto Kate’s, closing his eyes and pulling her closer to him as he did so.

The kiss itself was like one of those perfect American teen movie first kisses; not too fast, not too slow, just enough depth, but not too much for a first kiss, there was no slobber or clashing of teeth… In conclusion: just very sweet, and leaving both parties feeling slightly giddy as they broke apart.

Kate smiled shyly at Christian. “Um… we should, er…” she trailed off, lost in his eyes.

“Go back?” Chris finished for her with a grin.

Kate nodded. “Uh-huh. That.”

“Okay, if that’s what you want.”

Kate and Chris got detached from each other and left the guest suite.

“I wonder if Mark and Rose are here yet?” Chris said to himself as they walked through the study and out into the main hall.

“Who are Mark and Rose?” Kate asked.

“Mark’s one of the guys I’m in the band with, and Rose is his girlfriend.” Chris said, forgetting that Kate wasn’t part of the a1 circle. “Ah, and there they are!” he said, seeing Paul, Ben, Mark and Rose emerging from outside through the patio doors.

“…absolutely scarred for life.” Rose was saying as she walked with Mark, his arm around her.

“No, it was wicked!” Paul said.

“It was cold.” Ben said. “And now, I think I’ll have another drink.”

“Well look who it is!” Paul exclaimed, gesturing towards Kate and Chris. “And where might you two have been?”

“Is this Kate?” Mark asked.

Chris rolled his eyes. The subtly of that boy.

“Yes, this is Kate. Kate, meet the gang; Paul, Mark, Rose, and you already know Ben.”

“Hi.” Kate said quietly, smiling nervously at the slightly tipsy group before her.

Oh good, Rose thought, another girl for her to hang out with. She was getting a bit fed up of all the laddish behaviour on display tonight. Kate looked quite a lot older than Rose though, she was probably closer to Mark’s age, but right now Rose didn’t really feel at all intimidated by that fact; she was still buzzing from being described as one of the gang!

“Hiya!” Rose said, smiling at Kate. “This is your friend’s party, right?”

“Er, yeah, it is.” Kate said, looking surprised that someone was talking to her.

“It’s cool.” Rose said.

“Right Mr. Read, time for your dare.” Paul said to Mark.

“Oh no, I was hoping you’d have forgotten.” Mark said. “Can we stop playing now? I really don’t wanna be involved in this.”

“Oh, you’re not doing dares, are you?” Chris asked.

“Yes we are, and you’re just in time, mate.” Paul said.

“For what?” Chris asked sceptically.

“To witness Mark’s dare, and then do yours!”

“What? I didn’t…”

“I’d save your breath, Chris. You’re playing simply by being here, according to Paul.”

“So have Ben and Paul already done theirs?” Chris asked.

“I’ve done mine!” Ben said proudly.

“They’ve both done one.” Rose said. “Paul snogged Natalie and Ben streaked around the house.”

“He did what?”

“Streaked. It was horrible.” Rose said.

“It was fun!” Ben said.

“Is he drunk?” Chris asked.

“Very.” Rose said.

“Oh God.”

“Ready, Mark?” Paul asked.

“No.” Mark said.

“Great. I challenge you to drink ten glasses of champagne in one go.” Paul said with a grin.

“Oh, excellent.” Ben said approvingly.

“And…?” Mark asked.

“And nothing! Just wanna see you drink ten glasses in a row.”

“Alright…” Mark said suspiciously. “I’m not complaining, but that seems very easy. You sure there’s no catch or anything?”

“Nope.” Paul said, grinning to himself. “I shall be your glass passer, and your challenge starts… now!”

Mark took a deep breath. “First glass please.”

Paul picked up a glass of fizzy golden coloured liquid and handed it to Mark. Mark drank it all in one go and held his hand out for another one.

“Glass number two.” Paul said, presenting it to him.

Mark downed that in one as well.

“Next!”

He drank another glass, and another, and another…

“How you feeling, Mark?” Paul asked, handing him his sixth glass.

“Um… fine! Great! More!” Mark said, laughing, and taking the glass from Paul, spilling some of it on the floor as he did so.

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Paul?” Rose asked worriedly, watching Mark make his way through another two glasses of alcohol.

“Yeah!” Paul said, laughing as Mark lost his balance briefly.

“I’m fine!” Mark said loudly. “I am fine.”

“Good for you mate. Another?”

“Yes! Bring on the alcohollllllllll!!”

“Two more to go, you feelin’ okay?”

“Yessssssss!” Mark said, still laughing. “I miiiight need to be sick soon, but it’s okay!!!!”

“Paul…” Rose started, but he didn’t sway from his quest.

“Okay, ninth glass, you got it?” Paul asked, putting another glass into Mark’s hand.

“Yeeeeep!” Mark said, tipping the glass haphazardly into his mouth, miraculously getting it all in without spilling any down himself.

It took him a couple of goes to drink the whole glass, but he finished it with a grin, and held out his hand to Paul.

“How’s the old vision?” Ben asked. “How many fingers?”

“Twelve.” Mark said confidently.

“Err, very good mate.” Ben said, looking at the four fingers he was holding up in front of Mark.

“Last one! You’re doing great Mark, keep it up.” Paul said, encouragingly, giving Mark his last glass. “After three; one… two…”

“Three!” Mark shouted, putting the glass to his lips and taking big gulps of the liquid in it.

As he swallowed his last mouthful, Mark triumphantly held the empty glass up in the air.

“I aaaaaaam the champiooooooooooon!!” he shouted, laughing.

“You certainly are.” Paul said. “Nice one, Mark. I think that’s probably more alcohol than you’ve ever drunk in your whole life. Need to sit down?”

“Veeeery good idea.” Mark said, swaying slightly.

Ben caught him. “Where do you want him, Rose?”

“I love you, man.” Mark said, looking at Ben.

“That’s great, Mark.”

“And I love you!” Mark said, pointing to Paul. “And you! And you! And especially you.” He said turning to Rose. “Youuuuu are beautiful.”

Rose laughed. “Let’s get you sat down. Outside I think would be a good idea.” She said to Ben, going round the other side of Mark and taking his arm.

“This is a grrrrrrrreat party!” Mark exclaimed as they dragged him through the crowds and out onto the patio.

“Against this wall?”

“Yes please.” Rose said, as her and Ben lowered Mark into a sitting position against the stone wall he’d been sat against earlier while Ben did his dare.

“Fine! I’m fine!” Mark said drunkenly.

“I know you are.” Rose said.

“And I do love you.”

Rose smiled. “You just sit there until you feel a bit better.”

“I feel great! Give me a kiss!” Mark said, pulling Rose towards him, making her lose her balance and fall onto him.

Ben laughed. “Think I’ll leave you to it.”

“Thanks.” Rose said, trying to get up again. “Mark, let me get up.”

“I want a kiss!”

“You can have one in a minute.”

“I want one now!”

“You’re spoilt, you know that?” Rose asked, smiling at Mark before moving in to kiss him.

“He doesn’t drink much.” Chris said to Kate as they waited for Ben to come back. “Sorry, that wasn’t the best first impression you could have had.”

Kate smiled. “It’s okay! This is a party!”

“He’s not usually like that!”

“He alright?” Paul asked Ben as he came in from outside.

Ben grinned. “He’s fine, or so he keeps saying. Left him and Rose there to… amuse each other.”

“Good idea.”

“So where were you two, anyway?” Ben asked Chris and Kate.

“Kate was just showing me around the house.” Chris said.

“Oh, boring. We were hoping you were shagging, or something.” Ben said, picking up a glass of red wine from the nearby table.

“Ben!” Chris said, rolling his eyes.

“I haven’t seen Dawn yet tonight, is she here?” Ben asked.

“Oh, she’ll be with Jamie.” Kate said. “New love.”

“They got back together then?”

“Very much so.”

“So… actually, no, I’ll stop this conversation right there.”

“I think you’re very wise.” Kate said.

“Oh, I love this song!” Ben exclaimed, as Get Your Freak On by Missy Elliott came on the stereo. “Dance with me!” he said, grabbing Kate’s hand and pulling her into the middle of the room.

Paul laughed. “He’s happier than he was earlier.” He said, walking with Chris to the patio doors.

“Was he not happy earlier?”

“Oh, he was just missing Chloe, you know, the usual.”

“When is he not missing Chloe?”

“It’s lasted though.”

“What?”

“A week ago you said that you didn’t think it’d last very long.”

“A week isn’t a very long time though, is it?”

“Longer than a day.”

Chris smiled. “Yes, it is longer than a day. But this is hardly lasting, is it?”

“What?”

“It’s not a relationship!”

“Why not?” Paul asked.

“Because they’re hardly gonna see each other, and at the moment, all Chloe’s doing for Ben is making him unhappy.”

“That’s not true.” Paul said.

“When was the last time Ben was as happy as he normally is?” Chris asked.

“Um…” Paul thought. “A week ago.”

“And what was special about a week ago?”

“Chloe was here.” Paul muttered.

“And since then, Ben has been…”

“Miserable.”

“Exactly.” Chris concluded.

“He’s only miserable because he loves her so much.” Paul said.

“Yeah well, we’ll see.”

“Oh you said that last time!”

“And we will.” Chris said as him and Paul stood by the pool.

“That was great! Again!” Ben laughed as him and Kate joined them.

“No, no more dancing!” Kate said breathlessly.

“Bet you’d dance with Chris.” Ben said. “And I’m way better.”

“As a general rule I don’t dance with anyone!”

“Not even with me?” Chris asked, smiling as she came to stand by him.

“Possible exception there.” Kate said. “But only possible.”

“I’m gonna get some food I think.” Chris said. “Coming?” he asked Kate.

“Yeah, alright.”

“Anyone else want anything?”

“Plate of everything please.” Ben said.

Chris sighed. “Rule one of living with Ben; never offer him food.” He said to Kate.

As Chris and Kate left the patio, Natalie sidled up to Paul.

“Hiya.” She said, giving his bum a squeeze.

Paul jumped and almost fell into the pool.

“Oh, er hi! Natalie.” He said, taking a small step sideways away from her.

“So, about earlier…”

“Yeah, um…”

“I was wondering whether you might want to… take things a bit further.” She purred, running a hand up Paul’s chest.

Paul could smell the alcohol on her breath. Great, a drunken psycho after him.

“Er, well, that’s very kind of you to offer…” Paul said, taking her hand off him. “It’s just, um, I’m a little bit busy at the moment.” He gestured to Ben. “Catching up with an old friend, you know how it is. But, er… why don’t I come and find you later on?”

Natalie smiled. “Your wish is my command.” She said, blowing Paul a kiss and wandering off.

Paul breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head.

“She’s crazy!”

“She wants you Paul.” Ben said, fluttering his eyelashes at him and laughing.

“Aren’t I the lucky one?”

“So you gonna shag her then?”

“No! Absolutely no wa… well I might.” Paul said, grinning at Ben. “So mate, man to man here, did you shag Chloe?”

“Of course I did!” Ben said, not even considering evading the subject.

He’d drunk so much that he wasn’t really thinking at all.

“Who wouldn’t?” Ben continued.

“Well I would.” Paul agreed.

“Would you?”

“Yeah!”

“Oh, well don’t.”

“No, I won’t mate. Not until you’ve finished with her anyway.”

“Thanks.”

“So what was it like shagging a 15 year old?” Paul asked.

“It felt a bit…”

“Bad?”

“Yeah, sorta felt like I shouldn’t be doing it.”

“Well you shouldn’t.” Paul said. “Bad Ben.”

Ben laughed. “Made it more fun, though.”

“Was it easy to get her into bed?”

“Piece of cake. Putty in my hands.”

“So what was she like?” Paul asked.

Ben opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words coming out, it was filled with water as him and Paul both went flying into the swimming pool. Taken totally by surprise, they both fought to swim to the top, arms and legs thrashing through the water as they ran out of breath. They both made it to the top at the same time and, gasping for breath, looked to where they’d just been standing to see a very angry Rose standing, arms folded on the edge of the pool.

“I’ve had just about enough of you two!” she shouted at them. “Just who do you think you are? What the hell gives you the right to talk about Chloe like that? Never mind that she’s my best friend, what gives you the right to talk about any girl like that?!”

Drawn by the loud splash caused by Ben and Paul when they fell into the water, and Rose’s shouting, a small group had started to gather on the patio.

“I have never heard anything so disrespectful in my whole life! How dare you?” Rose carried on, getting angrier by the second. “Paul – it is absolutely none of your business what went on between Ben and Chloe, maybe you should think about sorting your own love life out before you start getting a cheep kick out of talking about other peoples’. And Ben! Well, I just don’t know what to say. I am appalled by your behaviour tonight. You’re talking like Chloe doesn’t even exist! Just because she isn’t here, doesn’t mean that you’re free to do whatever the hell you want! I don’t know what sort of relationship you thought you were getting into with her, but I know that Chloe certainly isn’t walking around drooling at other guys while she’s with you. In fact, I know that she wouldn’t dream of even thinking about another guy, and she’s under the impression that you share the same state of mind. Is that not the case? Because don’t you think she deserves to know?” Rose asked, staring stonily at Ben who was floating helplessly in the water, looking at her open-mouthed.

“Well? Do you want me to tell Chloe the kind of guy she’s going out with? Is that what you want me to do? Want me to let her know exactly the kind of person you really are? Coz you know, she’ll listen to me. No matter how much she loves you, if I tell her that you’re no good for her then it’ll be over between you two, I can promise you that.”

“No, Rose…” Ben said, swimming across the pool and hauling himself out.

Rose moved back as Ben walked towards her.

“Rose, I love Chloe.”

“Yeah well, I thought you did.”

“I do! I don’t want anything more than for her to be here right now.”

“But she’s not and so you’re allowed to do what you like? Is that it?” Rose asked.

“No!”

“Well that’s what it seems like, Ben. It doesn’t look like you’re particularly missing her either. You know, I was worried about you hurting her right from the start. I thought that you didn’t realise how much she cared for you, or how easily you could break her heart. Ask Mark, he’ll tell you. But I decided that I was just being over-protective, gave you the benefit of the doubt, and now it looks like I was right all along. I wish I had warned her off you. I knew the rumours about you were true.” Rose said, turning and running off into the house.