Finding Katie

Chapter 8

Ben

I stared at Liam. Though it took a moment before I saw him. Even longer before my hand fell from Katie's jaw. Under the table, my fingers stretched and curled a few times.

Finally, I managed to reply the first thing that came to my mind. "I don't know."

Frankly, right then, I had trouble remembering my own name and it took a few minutes before I clued in on what the topic around the table was.

By the looks of it, Katie didn't fare much better. She was smiling, yes, but it wasn't showing in her eyes. Only a few of her smiles ever did.

I spoke up for Arsenal when Liam gloated about their latest loss, but it was by rote. I couldn't care less about football right now, but if I didn't help educate Liam about all the errors of his football ways, my mates would all give me shit the next time I saw them. Being dumbstruck by a lady's presence would not be silently overlooked.

The debate around the table was a long running one and didn't require much attention since the arguments were well known and instantly repudiated. Just as well. Otherwise, the guys would have cause for their complaints next time I saw them.

Not that they were completely focused on the football match or the debate either.

I met Hugh's gaze across the table and he grinned at me. If he'd been able to get away with it without Katie seeing, he would have waggled his eyebrows, just like Carl in the café earlier.

All right, so it had been a while since I'd shown any serious interest in a woman, so their surprise wasn't entirely without merit. I could only imagine how my mother would react if she got wind of Katie. And to be fair, I would have been just as invested if it had been either of them arriving with a woman.

Especially if it was Liam. He's even worse with ladies than me. I've never even seen him show an interest in a woman. There could, of course, be a perfectly obvious reason for that, but I didn't think so.

I glanced at Katie when Hugh drew both Ezra and Liam's fire by mentioning the world cup and indicated the bar with my head. "Do you want another?"

Much as inviting Katie here had been my idea and much as I liked my friends, I would much rather speak to Katie alone without them listening. Or, as in Ezra's case, inelegantly trying to spur me to lay my claim.

To my joy, Katie grasped my unspoken directive and rose when I did with her empty glass in her hand.

I carried the other four glasses to the bar and gave them to the barman with an order for a fresh round while Katie ordered a sparkling water. Then smiled at her. "I'm glad you wanted to do this."

"So am I. Your friends seem nice."

"Most of the time they are. They're on their best behaviour because of you."

We both looked to the table, and the three men sitting around it hastily turned to stare at anything else but us.

"But," I sighed, "they're not exactly subtle."

Katie smiled her thanks when the barman placed a fresh glass and a bottle before her, then climbed onto the tall barstool beside me. "How long have you known them?"

"Ezra and I were in school together. Hugh, I met while at university and Liam joined my firm last year."

"I take it you don't often bring a woman to meet them?"

The corner of my lips twitched. "You noticed? I can't say that either of us does that often. Ezra and Hugh have brought dates a few times, but Liam never has."