Objection

Chapter 6 - Eliza

"What does the birthday girl want to drink?" Eliza asked Shan loudly, the noise of the bar around them almost drowning her out. The music was on but not thumping yet and the DJ Shan had taken them to see was starting soon. The place was filling up fast.

"Vodka cranberry!" Shan called back, distracted immediately as Jess pulled her into an enthusiastic kiss, both of them laughing through it. Eliza grinned, looking back to the bar and focusing all her attention on the, admittedly quite fit, bartender. It was already quite late on a Tuesday evening - the only day they could reliably get enough people together from their friendship group of mostly hospitality workers - which should have meant cheaper drinks and less of a crowd. London had other ideas, however, and Eliza was jostled by a group of guys passing out overpriced jaeger bombs to one another next to her, one of them winking at her as he did.

At least she didn't have work tomorrow. She'd already agreed with Louis that their plan was to get almost too drunk, get a kebab on the way home, and then spend Wednesday hungover in each other's company, watching TV and thinking about nothing at all.

Frankly, the way the night was going, the way the guys at the bar were looking at her and the fact Ben was still nowhere to be seen, she could have done with something a bit stronger than alcohol. Shan and Jess had both taken a pill, she was anticipating not being able to get her friends attention the rest of the evening once it kicked in. If she'd not been trying to manage her own, formerly too-frequent, use, she would have joined them.

She finally got an order in, the industry discount the only thing that soothed the pain as she saw how much it was, and broke up the couple to give Shan her drink, getting a kiss on the cheek in return.

It was as she was making her way back towards Louis and the rest of their group that she felt someone grab her around the waist. Eliza yelped in alarm, pushing away from whoever it was and spinning around angrily, ready to throw her much-too-expensive drink over the guy's face.

"Woah, woah, it's just me! Sorry!" Ben blurted, hands up defensively.

"Ben?"

"I just got here, sorry!" He said, and she blew out a breath, rolling her eyes and pulling him into a hug.

"Gave me a heart attack." She said, laughing at herself. She pulled back and they kissed, Ben taking her in his arms again, hands securely on her back. He tasted like his last cigarette and mint.

She relaxed into it, trying to stay in the moment and not think about the fact that they were probably blocking someone's way or that the guys from earlier were probably watching. Finally he pulled back, smiling down at her. He did look cute, hair all messed up from work, his smile crooked, eager.

"Sorry I'm late."

"It's ok, it's not started yet." She nodded over her shoulder to Shan and Jess who were back at it, Jess bending Shan backwards as they made out. "Besides, I don't think she's keeping track."

"I was gonna say happy birthday at least." He said, laughing.

"Give it a couple hours, I think they're both coming up right now."

"Right."

She took his hand, commenting on the new blue plaster on his thumb as she did, and led him over to their group's table, Louis pulling them both into a hug. The DJ had finally started but she didn't feel nearly drunk enough yet. It was something of a blessing when Harrow came back to their table with tequila shots, foisting one on Eliza who wouldn't have said no if she'd had the option.

"Do you think she's having a good birthday?" Louis asked, grinning as he looked across the floor to where Shan and Jess were now dancing with each other, getting extremely handsy with it.