It took Ella ten minutes to locate Ben. He was surrounded by a veritable tribe of young women. "Excuse me." Ella pushed past a couple of women, then latched on to Ben's arm and dragged him toward her, "I promise to bring him back. Soon." She smiled at the women. "Come on Lothario. Good job you aren't driving my car tonight."
"Heard of planning. That's why I can drink. I have plans. Someone will give me a ride home, or I can get a taxi. See, all good planning." Ben smiled happily. That is what she liked about Ben, the fact that he knew he couldn't drive after the reception and had arranged for a sober driver.
"If it was good planning, you wouldn't have to look for a taxi out here! Your family-farm is in the middle of nowhere! No chance of a taxi here!" She grinned at him. "I'm leaving now, I could offer you a lift, but I doubt you want to leave."
"Too early." He chuckled. "You dragged me away. To offer me a lift?" He shook his head at her. "Ella, you dragged me away, did you see those gorgeous..."
She chuckled at his expression and interrupted him. "If I give you something, for Peter, will you forget it and leave it here."
"Why can't you give it to him?" He shrugged his shoulders and then grinned, "Are you scared of Peter?"
"Yes. Of course." She said with sarcasm. He frowned at her.
"Not nice, Ms Jones! You don't do sarcasm! Just frosty normally!" He said as if he was paying her a compliment.
Ella rolled her eyes. "I can do both sarcasm and frost! A particular skill. You, of course, have other skills." She looked over her shoulder and nodded towards his harem.
"Oh yeah!" Ben grinned and he also looked over his shoulder. "Yup. Lots of skill." He turned around and looked at Ella, "Ok, no sarcasm. Why can't you give it to Peter?"
Ella reminded him, "He's your share-milker, more chance of you seeing him."
"Ok, yeah, yeah." He nodded, as if that was news to him. "Ok. Go and get it. You can keep it with my other stuff."
"What other stuff?" She frowned at him.
"Emergency stuff. You know Ames." Ben laughed as he remembered the conversation he had with Amelia, "She insisted I came prepared for any emergency!" Ella laughed, given Ben's state, he couldn't possibly help Amelia if she had an emergency at this reception. Ben carried on, "That woman is so paranoid. I have a case full of first aid stuff to cover almost every eventuality. Plus, my parents would deal with any emergency! It is their farm. They have everything for any emergency!"
Ella nodded, "Great! But you know Amelia. You should have prepared for everything and anything!" She laughed. "At least it was only first aid stuff, she could have asked you to arrange for substitution for the priest, the band, the venue, the..."
Ben laughed and draped an arm around her shoulder and drew her closer. "Thanks Ella, you are right, it could be worse! Did I tell you that you are gorgeous?"
Ella giggled. "You are drunk!" And she slipped out from Ben's embrace.
"Maybe. But you are gorgeous."
"Thank you Ben, for that compliment. But I am not your taste! And you don't fancy me."
"I know." Ben agreed, smiling broadly. "But still, you are gorgeous!" Again he draped an arm across her shoulder.
Ella giggled again. "Come on, Lothario, let's go get that stuff." She knew he needed her support so she allowed him to leave his arm on her shoulder!
At the bar, David watched their antics and was not happy. He wondered when Ben had developed this camaraderie with Ella. From his vantage, at the bar, he could see they were laughing.
Ella looked over at the door.
"To where?" Ben quirked an eyebrow at Ella.
"To my car. I need to collect the stuff."
"Can't you bring it here. Or even better, I can meet you at the bar!" Ben said with a charmer's grin.
Ella shook her head and rolled her eyes at his antics. But she really liked Ben, because he always stood up for Amelia, and he was up front about everything. Ella threaded her arm through the crook of his elbow and pinned him to her, "I could, but you'd be buried in women again, you need air and you really don't need any more alcohol! In any case, I doubt they'd let me drag you away again." She tugged his arm and dragged him toward the doorway of the marquee. "Come on. A bit of fresh air will help you!"
"Not sure about that." Ben grumbled and leaned on her.
David, who was sitting at the bar, slowly getting drunk, saw them leave arm-in-arm He knew he should have followed Jack's instructions and made some time to talk to Ella. But he wasn't sure what he was going to say to her. Instead, David glowered at Ella and Ben.
His place was nearly done. She had organised workers and they had nearly finished before she left for Auckland. She'd left instructions in absolute minutiae! They followed her specifications to the letter. His furniture arrived last week and he'd run out of excuses to get her to come round to his place to check. There were a couple of snags, so he phoned her and left her a message. She simply arranged for the snags to be sorted, without even talking to him.
David thought he ought to head home before he really got paralytic. At the moment he could find someone who'd be able to drive him home. If he stayed, he wouldn't have the skill to ask for a favour.
Ella followed Ben back into the reception to make sure that he did put the signed copy of the book for Peter, in the first aid case.
"Right. I suppose you don't want me to drop you at your place?"
"You got it right." Ben nodded. "The night is young!"
"Well, stop drinking." At least taking him out of the marquee to collect the book, allowed the air to sober him a bit. "Amelia would not be happy with you, if you couldn't walk out."
"Yes mummy!" Ben grinned at her.
"Fine. Honestly, you guys..."
"Are lucky!" Ben completed. He kissed her on the cheek.
Unfortunately for David, he saw that. He was about to get to his feet, when his sister tapped his shoulder.
"What?" He grumbled and continued to watch Ben and Ella.
"Mum said, you said you wanted a lift home."
"I have changed my mind." He picked up his glass and started to walk towards Ben and Ella. Surely Ben's harem was enough for him, David thought. He was going to stop Ben adding Ella to his harem. But David's sister stood in front of him.
"What?"
"I said, I have changed my mind. Ok?"
"I don't know what is going on here, with you! My toddler has better behaviour than you at this reception! What is the matter with you?
"Can't I change my mind about whether to stay or leave. What is the problem with you!"
She glared at her brother then she looked over her shoulder, following David's gaze and she saw Ben. "Fine. If you don't want a lift, tell mum! I am going to dance with Ben." She turned around and marched off.
Ella pushed Ben further into the hall. "Wait a second." She told Ben.
"What? Why?'
"Cause I am looking for a adult to babysit you. Preferably someone who is not inebriated." She thought she ought to find someone to look after Ben. But then Ella saw David's sister. She was making her way towards Ben: she was walking straight, no sign of any alcohol-behaviour and was grinning at Ben. Great. Perfect. Until Ella saw David, who was scowling at her. She assumed he was scowling at her, not his sister.
Ella folded her arms, straightened her shoulders and glared at him.
David lifted his glass and toasted her. She rolled her eyes.
"Ahah." Ben said and he gave Ella a thumbs-up with a wink, "Here comes my babysitter!"
Ella shook her head at Ben. David, from a distance watched them.
"Hi Ella." She grinned at Ben. "Can I borrow Ben?"
Ella nodded. "Yes. Of course."
David's younger sister dragged Ben onto the dance floor. And unfortunately for Ella, her eyes met David's gaze.
Again he toasted Ella, but his head nodded towards Ben, then he shrugged, and lifted a hand as if he was saying oh dear, what a shame.
Ella ignored his gesture and turned away. David smirked to himself. Thank goodness for his sister, he thought as he watched Ella. He saw Ella stop at the exit.
Ella took another glance at the hall. A proper scan. She would miss this particular community, well, some at least. She found that David was still watching her. She squared her shoulders and left.
David went from smirking to a frown. Where is she going? Was she leaving? So early? David looked around, trying to find Ben, just in case Ben and Ella had agreed on a tryst. David scoured the group dancing and David was ecstatic when he saw Ben. David released a breath and looked back at the door. No sign of Ella.