Page 6 of The Last Dance

2

Later That Night

Henry

I made it through the show. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I’ve been up and down the last few weeks and I’m sure it has everything to do with the anniversary of her death coming up. I want to tell Ambri all the things clouding my head, but I don’t even know where to start. Everything about her feels right and then suddenly everything plummets to shit because of her. Not Ambri. Rory.

We’ve been spending more and more time together lately because when she’s not around, my world dims. I don’t know how I never saw her how I’m seeing her now, but I don’t think I want to be only her best friend anymore. Just when I think I can tell her that, everything floods back too quickly for me to process and I end up losing it in the men’s room of a bar while my friends are in the next room.

Ben and Claire met us on the ground floor of the Crystal at Ringlers Pub after the concert for a celebratory drink for Ambri’s recent graduation and her upcoming birthday that she insisted she doesn’t want to celebrate this year. She hates when she’s the center of attention.

I left her at the bar with Ben as Claire secured us a table. I had to escape even if only for a minute to pull my head together. I lean against the sink in the bathroom staring at myself in the mirror.

‘What the hell just happened?’ I ask myself, wishing I knew how to answer it. My head is all over the place.

I can do this. If I can make it through the night things will settle down in the morning. I take a deep breath, blow it out and throw my arms out a few times as if I’m getting ready to head into the boxing ring. Which is what it kind of feels like I am.

They’re sitting at a booth outside the bathroom when I walk out.

‘Finally,’ Claire says as I slide into the booth next to Ambri.

‘Sorry, bathroom was full,’ I lie. I never lie to these people. And lately, I’ve been doing it a lot.

‘How was the show?’ Claire asks.

Awkward, because of me. For some reason, I’d never needed Ambri closer to me than that moment. The second I grabbed her hand I knew I wouldn’t be able to let her go without finally telling her everything I’m feeling. If we weren’t shoved that second time, I’m sure I’d have kissed her. And I’m almost positive she’d have kissed me back.

Ambri and I glance at each other awkwardly, almost as if trying to have a silent conversation discussing what we will say, before looking back to Ben and Claire. There is no way she doesn’t suspect something is going on with me. Claire’s phone makes a shutter sound. She’s taking pictures ofthismoment?

‘It was good?’ We say in unison, mine being a little more of a question than hers.

‘That’s it?Justgood? Ambri didn’t try to climb onto the stage and maul him or toss her panties, flash her tits,nothing?’ Ben groans exaggeratedly. ‘Sounds lame to me.’

I clear my throat, finally starting to relax a little with Ben being Ben. ‘I do believe that the concert tit-flasher was your wife…’

‘That wasonetime, Henry, and come on… it wasDave Grohl. He’s swoon-worthy enough, who wouldn’t give him a peek?And… I do believe he gave me a thumbs up.’ Claire giggles. ‘I think that’s a pretty good story even if it does include me randomly flashing an entire room of people. If Imustdefend my actions yet again…’ she rolls her eyes dramatically ‘… it was dark enough that hardly anyone saw.’

‘Yeah, right up until they put the spotlight on her.’ Ben bursts into a laugh as he drapes an arm around Claire, kissing her on the cheek as if he’s never been prouder.

‘Speaking of swoon-worthy…’ Ambri nudges me with her shoulder ‘… Henry here put the moves on a little elderly woman at the shop this morning. It was pretty cute.’ She takes a sip of her drink with a grin.

‘Did you, now?’ Ben asks. ‘Finally ready to start dating again? Them older women could teach you some shit.’

‘How would you know?’ Claire asks him with a glare.

‘I’ve heard. Guys always talk about the cougars.’

‘It wasn’t exactly a cougar moment. I bought her coffee. There were definitelynomoves,’ I say, feeling the heat of my face flushing. I’m not normally easily embarrassed but generally when I do random things like buy elderly women coffee, I don’t have an audience that will tell all our friends.

‘He was really sweet. She was smitten.’ Ambri glances over at me with a laugh. ‘Are you guys starving? 'Cause I am. Wanna split something?’ she asks me, looking through the menu that was lying in the middle of the table, looking over at me for my answer.

‘Have I ever said no?’

She smiles.

By split something, she means each get something different and split it down the middle. She hates being confined to only one option. And I hate ever letting her down by saying no.

‘Well, who isn’t smitten with him?’ Claire says. ‘I think if he wanted to, he could talk his way into any woman’s heart and probably her panties too.’ She laughs. Clearly she’s been married to Ben long enough that even her jokes are crude.

---