The Back Up Benefit

The Best Friend

I couldn't really be bothered with company when my doorbell rang. I'd just got home from pitty buying junk food at the supermarket after my boyfriend broke up with me. I knew it wasn't going well for a few weeks before but I hadn't realised he was cheating on me.

I was sick of boyfriends treating me like I wasn't enough for them. He was the third in a row to cheat and I was starting to lose faith in men. So tonight I'd lie on my sofa, watch rubbish films and eat all the food I could. Maybe have a glass or two of wine.

The doorbell rang again then the person on the other side opened my letter box to call through of me.

"Lizzie! It's just me but I've brought food." my best friend shouted.

I kind of regretted texting Ricky, my best friend, when I was in that immediate post break up anger. I loved him to bits and I knew his heart was in the right place but I just wanted to be alone tonight and cry. I sighed and went to the door.

"Hey." I greeted him.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

I just shook my head at him instead of answering and lead him back to the sofa where I was planning to sulk.

"Come on, give me a hug." he sighed and put the bag of shopping on the floor.

He pulled me off the sofa and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"You've lost too much weight." I told him. "But I still love you."

I told him this every time we hugged. When we first met he'd been pretty chubby and rough looking but recently he'd lost a lot of weight and had a haircut that made him look much younger and incredibly handsome.

"You need to eat more too." he laughed. "And that's why I'm here. I'm not letting you sit alone and feel sad. I'm going to cook you a nice dinner and we'll watch a film together."

"I dunno Rick." I shrugged.

"I won't leave you to wallow in sadness. Let me spoil you." he told me.

He took my hand and lead me through to the kitchen. He pointed to a chair with authority and started pottering about.

"I've already put a pizza in the oven." I told him as I sat down in the indicated chair.

"Oh." he said, looking a bit disappointed.

"I'm sure whatever you're doing is better though." I tried to justify. "And besides it's only one of those little cheap ones. It wouldn't feed two of us. What were you going to make."

"Pizza." he smirked.

"Oh darling!" I giggled. "Great minds think alike! Yours are much better!"

"Yeah they are!" he grinned.

He continued making us dinner. I loved going round to his for dinner cose he was such an amazing cook. We'd met over our mutual love of food. About three years ago I was working for my dad's catering company who were serving hot dogs at a festival that Ricky's band were performing at. He kept coming back for more food and to chat during the day. I thought at the time he was incredibly greedy after the fifth visit. It turned out he was actually giving away his food to his band mates and using that excuse to come back and talk to me.

I'd since branched off from my dad's company slightly and made my own line of vegetarian hot dog sausages for which Ricky and his band mates were always a willing test audience.

"I've also brought you some posh hot chocolate, some beers, ice cream, crisps and chocolate cake. I can only have the crisps, beer and pizza but that's still cool." he told me ask he unpacked his shopping onto the work top.

"Aw, you poor little lactose intolerant thing." I cooed. "There's still some of that vegan ice cream that's not really cream at all."

"Ah yes, the ice something." he nodded with a little chuckle.

Last time he was over we'd made a dairy free alternative to ice cream for him. It tasted great but it looked horrible. When it froze it was solid and had to be hacked apart with a spoon. When it defrosted it looked like something in a toilet which had both disgusted and entertained us to no end.

I watched him cook me supper and smiled a little to myself. I was so lucky to have such a sweet best friend. We settled down on the sofa with our home made pizzas, Ricky was such a show off and made two. He flicked through the tv to see if there were any good films on but we agreed it was all rubbish and switched it off. Instead we talked and inevitably the break up came into conversation.

"I can't believe he cheated on you." he grumbled.

"I'm starting to think men don't like me." I sighed.

"I'm a man and I like you." he pointed out.

"Yeah but not in that way." I shrugged. "You're different. You're a friend and you're gay so you'll never like me that way."

He stopped eating and looked at me taken aback.

"I'm not gay." he stated.

"Yeah and the Pope's not catholic." I joked.

"No, seriously. I'm straight. I like women." he said.

"Oh fudge." I mumbled. "Sorry."

"It's ok. I just don't know where you got that idea from." he shrugged, trying to be nonchalant but I could tell he was embarrassed.

"Well, you're such a nice guy. You talk about your feelings with me. We share a bed on holiday and you don't make it weird. And you never bring a girlfriend to meet me." I explained. "And what about that guy at Uni?"

"He was a secret a long time ago. I was confused and doing a lot of weird stuff. We agreed never to talk about that." he said, blushing. "The reason I do all that stuff is cose we're friends. I care about you and trust you."

"That doesn't explain the lack of girlfriends." I frowned.

"Well, sort of. I don't want you to feel like there's another woman in my life." he shrugged. "Besides, hardly any of them get serious enough for me to want to introduce them to friends."

"Have you been having one night stands Ricky?" I gasped.

"Maybe." he blushed.

"You saucy man!" I laughed.

We laughed it off but were left in a slightly awkward silence. I took a loud gulp of beer in the silence then decided I should share something myself to lighten the mood.

"I've only slept with two boyfriends." I announced. "It's either that I don't trust them enough or I just don't want to. So instead of doing it with me they find someone else. Every time they do that it reminds me to save it for someone better."

"Good girl. Keep it that way." he smiled and patted my knee. "You'll find the right guy one day."

"Oh god, Rick!" I groaned. "Don't say that! That's the worst!"