24. All Of Me
24
All Of Me
Ben
"W ant more juice?" Amelia peeks around the fridge door. She is wearing an oversized T-shirt that hangs to mid-thigh. Her hair is in a messy bun and she has fluffy pink socks on. She looks so delicious and what I really want is her and not sodding orange juice.
I grin. "Yes, sure."
"Why are you looking at me like that?" She pours juice in my glass and slides on the stool next to me.
"You look mouth-watering," I place soft kisses on her neck and nibble on her earlobe. My hand slides under her shirt. I can’t get enough of her.
"Ben! Not again! Have some self-restraint." Her protest is followed by a moan as I pinch her nipple. I'm about to take her shirt off when the doorbell chimes.
"Who’s that?" she whispers between kisses.
"Don't know, but they can bugger off," I gently bite her bottom lip but the arsehole at the door doesn't get the message. Whoever it is now has their finger on the bell nonstop .
"Fuck," I swear and get off the stool. "Stay here," I order.
"Are you mad, look what I'm wearing?" Before I can stop her, she slips pass me and runs up the stairs. I shake my head.
"Hold your horses," I shout and pull open the door. I'm faced with Coop. His face is thunderous. "Hey."
"What. The. Actual. Fuck. Ben!" he shouts and for one moment I'm worried he'll punch me. But then he gets a hold of himself. It helps that Lizzie puts a calming hand on his back.
"Maybe come in and shout at me inside, so you don't give my neighbours a reason to gossip," I exhale and head back to the kitchen. I have a suspicion I know what that is about.
"Want a cuppa?" I ask Coop and Lizzie as they join me in the kitchen. Lizzie grins and gives me a thumbs up but Coop is just glaring at me.
"I take it Neil called you?" I ask tentatively.
"What the fuck, Ben! Why did you cancel the deal? You could have at least spoken with me about it. I can't believe this! We have been business partners for over fifteen years and friends even longer, and you just go and cancel a major deal without even talking to me."
Furball shoots into the kitchen and sits down next to me as if to protect me.
"Oh, that cat is adorable," Lizzie coos and bends down to stroke him. My bodyguard immediately surrenders his protective position and drops on his side for some patting from her.
"Sugar?" I ask Lizzie and she nods. She and I know we need to let Coop vent. He hardly ever loses his cool, and when he does, he just needs to vent.
"Hello? Is anyone listening to me? Ben, forget the freaking tea and tell me what the fuck happened," he shouts even louder with his arms crossed.
"Coop—"
"It's my fault." Amelia stands in the doorway pulling nervously on the black T-shirt she’s wearing with yoga pants. It has a grey cat emblazed on it and the slogan "I'm purrrrr-fect"
"I'm sorry, Coop," she sniffles.
"Amelia," Coop's expression changes immediately and he gives her one of his signature grins before pulling her into a hug. "How are you?" Apparently our argument is over. That’s why Lizzie calls him her teddy bear. He couldn’t harm a fly with that heart of gold.
"I'm okay. I'm really sorry." She looks from him to me and I hold out my arms. She crosses the kitchen and cuddles against my chest. I love that she sees me as a place of safety now.
"Ben? What happened?" His anger has been replaced with worry.
"Neil disrespected Amelia." I leave it there as I don't want to repeat the hurtful words that wanker muttered.
"He called me a fat wallflower with no taste, and Ben cancelled the deal," Amelia says quietly.
"Motherfucker," Lizzie hisses and I have to bite back a laugh. Lizzie says it as it is. Always.
"I told him he shouldn't have done that just because of me," Amelia sniffles.
"Yes, he should have!" Lizzie exclaims.
"What did you tell him?" Coop asks me.
"Fuck your company. And fuck your deal." I shrug. I don't regret a word of what I said.
A big grin appears on Coop's face. " Good. Oh, and sorry for shouting. I should have known."
"You should have," I agree, "But I should have given you a heads up as well." Truth is the conversation with Neil left me raging with anger and then worried about how Amelia felt. I completely forgot to message Coop.
"Neil called me first thing this morning and said I needed to talk to you because you lost your marbles yesterday and cancelled the deal for no apparent reason." He slides onto one of the stools and takes a piece of the toast I haven't finished.
"I guess you’re joining us," I chuckle and point at the bread in his hand.
"Hey, he called me in the middle of making breakfast. I have some half-cooked eggs sitting on my cooker."
"He barely gave me time to get dressed." Lizzie rolls her eyes before waving at Amelia, "I'm Lizzie, by the way. This lunatic’s girlfriend."
"Fiancé," Coop corrects her and pinches her in her side making her squeal and jump. Amelia giggles against my chest. This right here is why we need to step back and make time for things other than work.
“Ben, you did the right thing.” Coop says before taking another bite from my breakfast. Yes, I fucking did.
“U ncle Ben, catch me.” My daredevil nephew jumps off the climbing frame in my garden, full of trust that I will stop his fall. Luckily, I know him well and I’m always on high alert around him.
“Why don’t we play a bit of football?” Coop asks, white as a sheet. I swear, if he ever becomes a father, Lizzie will have to keep a stash of chamomile tea or some other calming remedy handy. He's been a wreck dealing with all of Robbie's little stunts this afternoon
After he and Lizzie joined us for breakfast they stayed for lunch. My sister and Robbie came over as usual and I convinced Amelia to invite Miranda and Bri. I suggested Bea as well, but Amelia mumbled some excuse and just texted the two of them.
Five women in one house―Coop and I took Robbie outside to escape the laughter. Poor Smutty had enough of all the noise too and is probably hiding in one of the bedrooms.
“Football’s boring,” Robbie whines. Every time he tears apart my favourite sport, my heart bleeds for Aston Villa. It's like a dagger through my footballing soul.
“How about you carry on painting your bird house?” I ask him.
“Yes!” he cheers and sprints to the little shed at the end of the garden. We grab his equipment and the wonky bird house we nailed together―I'm shit at DIY, especially with the help of a pint-sized assistant like Robbie―but I tried my best. Once he’s settled at the garden table he starts painting the roof a garish green. Not sure any birds will ever go into that monstrosity.
Coop stuffs his hands into his pockets. “So, how’s it going with Amelia?”
"I told her I love her," I blurt out.
"And what did she say?"
"Nothing." I ruffle my hair.
"Does that worry you?" Coop's eyes are on me. Does it?
"I'm not sure. She seems to trust me so I don't think it’s that. It feels like she loves me but she’s just afraid to say it. Shi―” I catch myself. Fi doesn’t like me swearing in front of Robbie. “Coop, I don’t know. Maybe I’m just imagining it all or it is wishful thinking. But I’m willing to wait and find out." Yes, yes, that's my plan.
"And what if she never says it back?" Fucking Coop and his pragmatism.
"Then I'll wait for forever." I help Robbie squeeze more paint into the pot. Coop doesn’t reply.
“Uncle Ben can I marry Amelia?” Robbie pipes up.
“Sorry?” I feel an actual twinge of jealousy, even if only for a few seconds.
“I like her.”
“That’s great, Robster but you don’t need to marry her. You can just be friends.”
“Oh, okay,” he grins. Crisis averted . I already have to share her with Furball, I’m not sharing her with anyone else.
“You were jealous of a five-year-old there for a minute, weren’t you?” Coop smirks.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I huff but we both know he’s right.
"Ben I don't think you'll have to wait long. Everyone can see that she loves you from the way she looks at you.
"You old sop," I chuckle, but his words make me grin. Let's hope he’s right.