An Unlikely Deal(21)

"I left my phone in my room and totally forgot," Bennie lies. "Sorry."

"'s okay, love."

Drew keeps his arm around Bennie's shoulders, and Bennie sends me a look full of pleading.

What does my best friend want me to do? If Drew did something wrong, maybe I could yell at him, but it doesn't look like he's done anything. He's just being his usual affectionate self.

Bennie stands up. "Potty break. Back in a flash." He pulls away from Drew and disappears down a small hallway in the back.

"Is he really all right?" Drew asks me.

"I guess," I say carefully. Every word feels like a potential mine-for me to step on and betray my friend somehow. "Why?"

"Seems a bit off."

"He probably has a lot of things on his mind. Hey, I got the job in Thailand."

A genuine smile splits Drew's face. "Excellent. Congratulations."

"Thank you, but … " I tilt my head in the direction Bennie disappeared to.

"He doesn't want you to go."

Did Bennie tell Drew about his own potential decision to move back home? I can't remember. "He probably doesn't want to be alone in Osaka."

God, I'm going to go to hell for this. I hate misleading a guy as nice as Drew.

"Yeah, I completely understand. I'm also returning to England." He purses his lips. "I asked Bennie if he wanted to visit with me, but he refuses to discuss the matter."

"Wow. That's unusual because he told me he'd love to travel more. I'd love to have a local person guiding me when I go to another country."

Damn it. I need to stop babbling. I turn to my beer. If I'm drinking, I can't talk.

"Would you like to come along then?" Drew asks suddenly, leaning closer.

"What?"

"You can come with Bennie if that'd make him feel better."

Oh crap. I take a long swallow of Asahi, then thank the bartender profusely when he places the platter of chicken and fries in front of me. Anything to buy some time.

Finally I say, "I don't know if I can afford it. My foster parents are pressuring me to come home this holiday."




 

 

Not that I've decided to go or not. But if Bennie doesn't want to visit England for whatever reason, I don't want him to have to. Picking up a piece of chicken, I make a mental note to check airfares to the States for the year end, hoping there are a few cheap tickets left to grab. I hate putting stuff on credit and paying the exorbitant interest.

Drew waves away considerations as mundane as expenses. "No need to worry about that. Everything would be fully paid, for both of you. Just show up and be your usual cheery selves."

The chicken forgotten, I stare at him. "You can't be serious."

"As the proverbial cardiac arrest," he says.

"I … " Drew is a teacher just like us, and it isn't like he has the seniority to draw a bigger salary than we do. So where is he getting the money to fund everyone?

I put the chicken down and take another long swallow of beer. I can't process why he's doing this. "I don't know …  Going to England-"

"Won't be possible," comes Lucas's cold voice.

Shit. The beer goes down the wrong way, and I start coughing.

"Lucas," I gasp as he pats my back with a surprisingly gentle hand.

Even as I sputter, it feels good to have him touch me. The spot on my back tingles, a heat that has nothing to do with the alcohol slowly spreading through my body.

Dear lord. I'm in trouble.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I manage to rasp. "Shouldn't you be back in America by now?"

Which is precisely where he belongs. But no, he's here-in this small bar in Osaka-in person.

His dark brown hair is slightly damp, as though he's just gotten out of the shower or been rained on. Since it's clear today, my money's on the shower. A dark gray button-down shirt and black slacks add an austere harshness to his presence.

He smells fresh and clean with a hint of soap, and my heart picks up its tempo as liquid warmth pulses through me. I don't understand why something as ordinary as soap can smell so incredible on him … and turn me on. My hands curl into fists so I don't do something stupid like bury my nose into the crook of his neck and inhale.

Drew cocks his head. "Do we know you?" The tone is mild, but there's something underneath that isn't.

"You don't." Standing behind me, Lucas rests his hand on my nape, and my entire body prickles with needle-sharp awareness. "But Ava does, and I say she won't be going to England or anywhere else with you."

Drew stands up, his eyes on Lucas. "Ava, are you actually friends with this person?"

How I want to say, "No, throw him out," but I know better. Lucas isn't the type to just let people boss-or toss-him around, and he has means and connections. Google says that his half-sister is on a first-name basis with the ambassador of Japan and often entertains equally important people. He could probably get all of us deported just for embarrassing him.