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11 - It's Life Jim, But Not As We Know It

"How on earth did you find her?" As he turned towards Chris, to whom the question was directed, his arm slid around my waist and pulled me close to his side.

I caught Chris's eye and replied before he did, "We met at the bar; he recognised my name." It was a very brief version of the truth; Chris gave me a quick half smile in acknowledgement and agreed then offered to fetch drinks for us all.

"You're not wearing your geeky specs," Ben observed with a smile once Chris had gone. "Are we all a slight blur?"

"I've got contacts in," I surprised him. "Disposable ones; I'm just trying them out."

"You look beautiful." His long fingers smoothed back a piece of hair that had fallen over my face, leaving a tingling trail on my skin. "But then, you always look beautiful."

I melted towards him, looking into the warmth of his eyes as I told him softly, "It's not fair to say things like that in the middle of a roomful of people, Mr Cumberbatch, but I will remember to thank you properly later." I pressed a chaste kiss to the side of his mouth but gave him a look that told him exactly what I had in mind and heard him take in a sharp breath just as two people approached: Zachary and Zoe.

The rest of the night passed in a blur; I met so many celebrities, some involved with the film and some not, and stunned myself by being completely at ease and able to joke along just as I had with Chris. Maybe it's only Ben who makes me nervous. Just then I caught his eye; the look I saw there stilled my heart momentarily. Yup, it's him all right.

When I met Alice Eve I was interested to hear that she had known Ben since starring in a movie with him in 2006. "Really, which one?"

"Starter for 10," she replied. "We were part of a team taking part in the University Challenge TV quiz show in the eighties."

"Oh my God! I've seen that!" I turned to Ben. "You were in that movie? Who did you play?"

He laughed and grimaced. "Sure, everybody remembers James McAvoy's character but no-one remembers poor me."

"Stop fishing for sympathy and answer the question, Cumberbatch." Everybody laughed when I teased him.

"My character was the team captain; a bit of an insufferable dork really." I started giggling; I couldn't help it. I vaguely remembered that character and Ben was right, he was insufferable. I clapped my hand over my mouth but by now Alice was giggling with me. Ben looked at us with a frown but I could see the edges of his mouth twitching and it wasn't long before he was laughing too. "I can see I'm going to have to keep you away from Alice," he told me in a mock stern tone, "You are a bad influence." Which of course only made Alice and I giggle more.

---

"You are coming in aren't you?" I asked Ben when the car pulled up outside my flat around two in the morning.

While I unlocked the door his arms slid around me from behind and he pressed his lips to my neck. We walked in like that until he turned me in his arms and I had time only to see his eyes darkening as his face drew closer until our mouths met in a deep toe-curling kiss, my hands coming up to graze his cheeks, my head reeling. He tasted faintly of whiskey and coffee and I nibbled gently on his lower lip, a shiver running through me when he gave a soft moan in response. His fingers traced over my back and the heat of his touch on my bare flesh sent lightning bolts of desire through me. "God, you were amazing tonight," he murmured when our lips parted, both of us breathing a little heavier. "So confident and sassy, just like you are on stage."

"You...on that screen...so bad arse..." I was peppering his jaw with kisses as I began easing his jacket off his shoulders. "And your eyes...God, Ben...your eyes almost killed me." I began unbuttoning his waistcoat as his lips crashed into mine again and I softly exhaled into his mouth, an incoherent sound escaping me that I couldn't have put a name to if I tried. He deepened the kiss and the flame burning inside me switched from high to intense. I sure hope this dress is flame-retardant; I rather like it. That was the last thought I remember before he picked me up in his arms and carried me to the bedroom. After that there was nothing but touch and taste and feel and sound...but definitely no thinking.

"Good morning, sleepy head."

"Mmm?"

"I'm sorry, love, I have to go. I have interviews."

"Okay."

"You're at Bob's tonight?"

"Mm hmm."

"I'll see you then."

"Okay, good night." I heard a soft chuckle and felt warm lips pressed to my cheek before the door closed and I snuggled farther under the covers, letting sleep overtake me again.

---

It was déjà vu.

Just as we were half way through our last set, I saw him come in and stand at the back - there were no seats left anywhere. But this time he wasn't alone; he had brought Chris, Zach and Alice with him and it was inevitable that even though the lighting is pretty dim, they turned heads. I wondered why my boyfriend - yes, I used the word boyfriend - had brought his movie star friends in to my pub. Okay, okay, not technically mine, but you know what I mean.

I studiously avoided looking at them as we went through the last half dozen songs and tried not to think about the very last one on our playlist, wondering if they would think I was deliberately singing it for them. Not that I could be of course, I had no idea they were going to show up and anyway I hadn't even been the one to choose that song to end the show. It was just an amazing coincidence.

When we reached it and I sang Pink's lyrics about a parallel universe and picking a star I grinned inside.

Just beam me up

Give me a minute; I don't know what I'd say in it

I'd probably just stare, happy just to be there, holding your face

Beam me up

Let me be lighter, I'm tired of being a fighter

I think a minute's enough

Beam me up

Beam me up

Beam me up

Could you beam me up