Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 41

"For the last time. No!" Ella said firmly and folded her arms. It was bad enough trying to dodge David after their last meeting, when she wasn't sure what to make of that meeting. She loved the fact that they ate and talked, as if they were friends. But she wasn't ready to dismantle the wall she had erected over ten years. It would be easy to fall in love with him. Ok, ok, her  heart questioned her brain, fall in love?: She did that ten years ago and was still in love with him. She just found a way to live her life without him,  just by putting it away.  Focusing on her work allowed her to bury the fact that ten years later, she was in still in love with him.  She was not ready to rescue it from her emotions-depot, and definitely, without assurance from him.

In any case, given the last few minutes, Amelia and Ben want her to date another guy!

Amelia watched Ella's face as Amelia continued to encourage her, "Come on Ella. He's a nice guy." Not that Amelia knew him that well. However she trusted Ben, and if Ben said Peter was a good guy, then Peter must be a good guy!

Ella countered and her lips turned down, "Great. If you think he is a nice guy, you go with him, Ames!" Ella kept her cool, just. She didn't know this guy, Peter. Ella retorted "I give you my blessings, he is yours!"

Amelia rolled her eyes at Ella's riposte. "I told you it would be a waste of time." Amelia muttered as she headed past Ben.

Ben took a straightforward approach, as he said, "Look Ella, this is a really special occasion for him."

"Lovely. Happy for him!" Ella smirked at Ben, and was happy to see that her response was having the right effect.

Ben poked his tongue in his cheek, took a breath then continued, "He's collecting an award."

"Lovely. Pass on my congratulations!" Ella said bluntly seeing that her original relief was transitory given Ben was still talking about it.

Ben squared his shoulders, and continued, despite the fact that Ella was batting away this argument. "No guy likes to go to these things on their own, it makes them look sad." Perhaps a bit of emotional blackmail might work, so he continued, "Desperate even."

Ella said with a laugh, "And you are asking me to go with him?" She continued to laugh. "Me? You can't be that desperate, Ben! And that guy can't be that desperate!"

Ben wanted to throttle her! "Yes, I am!" Ella smirked at that statement. Ben shook his head at her, and exasperation laced his words, "I am asking you for a favour. He's our milk-sharer. I have known him for years. He is a great guy." Ben stated bluntly, given emotional blackmail was a no-brainer.

"Lucky you." Ella replied.

Ben gritted his teeth. "Peter is a really shy guy. He's not confident around women."

Amelia feigned a grimace and rubbed her temple with her fingers, "Ben! You want to set him up with the frigid icicle," She looked over at Ella, "no offence, Ella!" Amelia shrugged when her friend smacked her arm. Then Amelia turned around to look at Ben, "How is that going to boost Peter's confidence?" Again she rolled her eyes, "He'll be permanently petrified of women after that." Amelia added and grinned at Ella. Ella didn't take any umbrage at Amelia's statement, so she grinned back at Amelia.

"This is his fifteen minutes of fame!" Ben grumbled loudly. "And you, Ames, do want him to go alone?" Ben gave Amelia a look before turning to face Ella. "Do you Ella? Honestly, I can't believe you two would be so nasty to a great guy!"

"It has nothing to do with me! Remember!" Ella growled at him. "And Amelia is right. I am an icicle! But that doesn't mean I am nasty! In any case, are you saying that it is not good to be nasty to a great guy, but ok to be nasty to a guy who isn't great?"