The One That Got Away Read Online Free

feels
unnatural to me. We were once friends and I think that we can be
again. Let’s forget the tour and go out and grab a coffee and catch
up properly as friends would. I can feel that you are not relaxed
which is unlike you. There’s a coffee shop down the road. I’ll take
responsibility for keeping you from your work. Let’s just get out
of here.” I am taken aback but feel relieved. Of course he is
right. We need to start again; there is no reason at all why it
should be difficult between us. He has obviously forgotten about
the party and so should I. With relief I smile at him and nod.
“Come on then, I’ll grab my coat and bag and we can go.”
     

Chapter Two

    Sitting here in the coffee shop I look over
at Ben queuing for the coffees and laugh at the memory of April’s
face as we both left the office to come here. She looked in total
shock and disbelief that I was playing truant with the new
owner.
    Ben carries the coffees over and laughs as he
sees my expression. “Penny for your thoughts,” he grins. I laugh as
I say, “It’s just April’s face as we left. I certainly have some
explaining to do.” He pushes my coffee over to me and settles down
opposite.
    “ This is
better,” he says happily, “much more relaxed and how it should be.”
I nod taking a sip from my drink. “Did you keep in touch with any
of the old crowd?” I say looking at him with interest. He shakes
his head. “No, unfortunately not. I heard that Craig married Helen
which is bizarre when you come to think of it.” I raise my eyes up
in disbelief. “But wasn’t he going out with Anna?” Ben laughs and
nods. I shake my head. “Did you?” he asks and again I shake my
head. “No, I kept in touch with Julie for a few years but then she
moved to Canada so we lost touch.”
    We both sit there for a minute pondering the
past. Ben looks at me and his expression changes slightly. “So tell
me about Nathan, how did you two get together?” I blush and say, “I
had problems with my computer so we spent a lot of time together
and it went from there really.” He raises his eyes up and laughs.
“So, the typical office romance hey. Well he seems like a good
guy.”
    I nod. “Yes
he is. The only bad thing I can say about him is that he is a total
tech freak, but then that probably comes with the territory of an
IT manager.”
    Ben laughs and feeling bolder I ask him,
“What about you Ben, is there anybody special in your life?” He
fixes me with a strange look. His eyes burn into mine and once
again I feel compelled to stare into them and can’t look away. Then
he breaks the stare and answers, “I have a girlfriend, Melissa is
her name and we have been together for just a few months.”
    I feel strangely deflated. I don’t know why
but part of me was hoping that he would say that he hadn’t met
anybody. I can feel him studying me and my reaction so I just smile
and say, “Where did you meet?”
    “ A friend of
a friend,” he says still looking intently at me. “What does she do
for a living?” I continue, wanting to know everything about her and
their relationship. He grins. “She’s a model."
    Suddenly I feel very inadequate and now just
want to change the subject. I don’t want to know any more. “So how
did you go about building up your empire?” I say quickly changing
the subject away from glamorous girlfriends. He smiles at me and
the checks his watch “That particular story will have to wait for
another day. I am afraid that we need to get back as I have a
meeting with Bob at 4pm that I mustn’t be late for.”
    “ Of course,
I’m so sorry; yes we must be getting back.” I say feeling very
flustered all of a sudden. I jump up quickly and he looks at me
with amusement.
    “ Come on then
Bella, we can carry this chat on another time.”
    As we walk back along the road I have to ask
the question that has been eating at me all day. “Ben, will there
be a lot of changes, I mean should we start looking for new