Read Online Oughta Be a Movie: a Sugar-&-Spice romantic comedy by Susan Hammond - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susan Hammond
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alone.”
At that moment, Ellie Grantham, a friend of hers and Bree’s since elementary school stopped them to tell Bree how wonderful the wedding had been and to give her version of Bree’s expression when she realized that Steelhead Trout was actually playing. “Priceless.” The three women visited a little longer, talking about mutual friends and who was having babies. Ali didn’t have much to add to that.
When she turned back to the table, Josh was sitting alone. Looking around, she located Ben talking with Cyndy—aka Sin—at the bar. Should she wait for him at the table or go to the bar? At that moment, Cyndy saw her looking that way and moved closer to Ben, putting her hand on his arm, her expression a challenge. That tore it. Ali walked toward them and was only a step behind Ben when Cyndy focused on him and asked, “Do you still live in that cute, blue bungalow? We had so much fun there.” On the last words, her hand began stroking his arm as she looked at Ali with a condescending smile.
“No. I bought a place five years ago.”
Ali could feel her face flush and was about to turn around and go back to the table where she should have gone in the first place when Ben looked over his shoulder and saw her. His quick smile just as quickly turned thoughtful, probably wondering if she’d heard Cyndy’s remark.
The other woman was locked and loaded and not deterred in the least by Ali’s presence. Why would she be? Ali was out of her league. Cyndy’s next exclamation was almost a purr. “Ohhh, I’ve gotta get myself back out to LA and check out your new place. See what fun we can have there.”
Ben didn’t respond to Cyndy, just took Ali’s hand as the band started a new song and said, “This is the last song on this set. Ali and I have some things to do if you’ll excuse us.” He was walking away and tugging her along before Cyndy could say anything else.
Clearly Ben had done a lot more than “keep up” with an old high school friend. If he’d moved five years ago from the house Cyn remembered, it had been a while. It shouldn’t matter, but around girls—women—like Cyndy, Ali never fit in. Kinda like the world is a tuxedo and she’s a pair of brown shoes. Odd that in high school she hadn’t cared. So why did she care now?
Ben’s hand moved to her back, and he steered her to the dance floor. If she were cool, she’d make some clever but ladylike remark about what a bitch Cyn was, but at the moment not one cool, clever word came to mind. And the words that did come to mind were definitely not ladylike. She peeked at Ben’s face and could see his jaw twitching. Then he was pulling her away from the dance floor and toward the hallway leading to the club offices. As soon as they were away from the crowd, he turned her around to face him.
“Ask me.”
Chapter 8
Ask him? She wasn’t sure if he meant ask about Cyndy or ask him why he’d downplayed their relationship earlier. But she recognized his angry tone. “It’s not any of my business, Ben. I’m sorry I interrupted your conversation.”
“That wasn’t exactly a conversation.” He was looking at her with such intensity that she glanced away but jerked her head back to face him when his voice softened. “What if I want it to be your business?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I didn’t lie to you, Ali, but…it wasn’t the truth either. God, what a cop out.”
“Then why are you angry with me?”
“I’m—ah, shit.” He looked up at the ceiling like he’d find an escape hatch. Then he reached over and squeezed her hand before stepping back and leaning against the wall.
“I’m not angry with you. I’m angry with me because it’s something I’m not proud of. It’s embarrass—”
“Ben, you don’t need to explain.”
“Yes, I do. She was rude to you, and I—I should have called her on it. I’m sorry I didn’t, but it’s just…it’s just that in spite of how things turned out, I treated her like
At that moment, Ellie Grantham, a friend of hers and Bree’s since elementary school stopped them to tell Bree how wonderful the wedding had been and to give her version of Bree’s expression when she realized that Steelhead Trout was actually playing. “Priceless.” The three women visited a little longer, talking about mutual friends and who was having babies. Ali didn’t have much to add to that.
When she turned back to the table, Josh was sitting alone. Looking around, she located Ben talking with Cyndy—aka Sin—at the bar. Should she wait for him at the table or go to the bar? At that moment, Cyndy saw her looking that way and moved closer to Ben, putting her hand on his arm, her expression a challenge. That tore it. Ali walked toward them and was only a step behind Ben when Cyndy focused on him and asked, “Do you still live in that cute, blue bungalow? We had so much fun there.” On the last words, her hand began stroking his arm as she looked at Ali with a condescending smile.
“No. I bought a place five years ago.”
Ali could feel her face flush and was about to turn around and go back to the table where she should have gone in the first place when Ben looked over his shoulder and saw her. His quick smile just as quickly turned thoughtful, probably wondering if she’d heard Cyndy’s remark.
The other woman was locked and loaded and not deterred in the least by Ali’s presence. Why would she be? Ali was out of her league. Cyndy’s next exclamation was almost a purr. “Ohhh, I’ve gotta get myself back out to LA and check out your new place. See what fun we can have there.”
Ben didn’t respond to Cyndy, just took Ali’s hand as the band started a new song and said, “This is the last song on this set. Ali and I have some things to do if you’ll excuse us.” He was walking away and tugging her along before Cyndy could say anything else.
Clearly Ben had done a lot more than “keep up” with an old high school friend. If he’d moved five years ago from the house Cyn remembered, it had been a while. It shouldn’t matter, but around girls—women—like Cyndy, Ali never fit in. Kinda like the world is a tuxedo and she’s a pair of brown shoes. Odd that in high school she hadn’t cared. So why did she care now?
Ben’s hand moved to her back, and he steered her to the dance floor. If she were cool, she’d make some clever but ladylike remark about what a bitch Cyn was, but at the moment not one cool, clever word came to mind. And the words that did come to mind were definitely not ladylike. She peeked at Ben’s face and could see his jaw twitching. Then he was pulling her away from the dance floor and toward the hallway leading to the club offices. As soon as they were away from the crowd, he turned her around to face him.
“Ask me.”
Chapter 8
Ask him? She wasn’t sure if he meant ask about Cyndy or ask him why he’d downplayed their relationship earlier. But she recognized his angry tone. “It’s not any of my business, Ben. I’m sorry I interrupted your conversation.”
“That wasn’t exactly a conversation.” He was looking at her with such intensity that she glanced away but jerked her head back to face him when his voice softened. “What if I want it to be your business?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I didn’t lie to you, Ali, but…it wasn’t the truth either. God, what a cop out.”
“Then why are you angry with me?”
“I’m—ah, shit.” He looked up at the ceiling like he’d find an escape hatch. Then he reached over and squeezed her hand before stepping back and leaning against the wall.
“I’m not angry with you. I’m angry with me because it’s something I’m not proud of. It’s embarrass—”
“Ben, you don’t need to explain.”
“Yes, I do. She was rude to you, and I—I should have called her on it. I’m sorry I didn’t, but it’s just…it’s just that in spite of how things turned out, I treated her like
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