Chapter 6

"So," Jack asked Ebony as they sat in the snack room in the library, "Are you even considering going home yet?"

Ebony considered for a while and looked out of the window to the darkening sky outside. It was getting late. She and Jack had spent the rest of the day working on their various projects and studying. Ellie, presumably in a mood and waiting for Jack to go and find her, had never returned and, when Ebony had mentioned her, Jack had shrugged and remarked that it was better to letter her cool off for a while. For all that her dislike of Ellie had motivated Ebony's advance on Jack that afternoon, Jack himself was the reason she had stayed so long. He was a good study companion and always ready to help with any computer stuff; plus, as Ebony was beginning to find out, he had a witty, sarcastic sense of humour and she was actually enjoying herself. She had made more progress with her course work in that afternoon and evening than since the start of term!

"Nah," she sighed in reply, "Not really much point. I'll only pig out on junk food and spend half the night in front of the TV, then be late for lectures tomorrow morning!"

"Sounds familiar!" Jack laughed.

"Besides, I'm getting more work done here."

"You haven't put pen to paper for the last half-hour and you know it! Neither have I. It's nearly eight, why don't we go and get something half decent to eat?"

"Won't that get you in trouble with Ellie?" Ebony said the other girl's name teasingly and batted her eyelashes.

"Nah," Jack shook his head dismissively and rhymed off a list of reasons, ticking them off on his fingers as he spoke, "Point one: it's not like I'm leaving her out of anything as she's always telling me she can't get in and out of the city at this time of night anyway. Point two: why should Ellie stop me having a bite to eat with one of my friends when I've been a good boy and spent almost the whole day working, well, mostly working! Point three: I'm already in trouble and Ellie's imagination will put me in far more trouble than the facts will! Point four: I really couldn't care less!"

"Well, when you put it that way," Ebony laughed, getting to her feet and grabbing her stuff, "What girl could resist?"

xxxx

Luke dumped his bag down on the hotel bed. It was a shabby little place, but not too shabby. His father would approve... just! He hated having such a rich family. It wasn't like they had always been this way. They had been normal up to a couple of years ago, then his father had had a big win on a race he'd bet on, gambled the money again on the stock market and won! Now he seemed to think that, just because he hadn't had to work for his money, his son shouldn't either. At least the sizeable allowance he'd given Luke allowed the not-so-poor student to take some time off college, fly down to see his girlfriend after a day at college and stop in a half decent hotel in the city centre, not to mention eat out at a half decent restaurant. As Luke splashed some water over his face and selected the items he would need for the restaurant, he thought how surprised Ellie would be to see him and smiled.

xxxx

It had taken Ellie all afternoon to calm herself completely and get rid of most of the traces of her annoyance with Jack, but when Dal had turned up in his new car, a present from his parents, to take her to their dinner date in the city centre, the lack of her usual enthusiasm tipped him off. When he asked what was wrong, Ellie just shrugged and muttered something about course work. As they drove into the city, she was quieter than usual and Dal asked if she wanted to talk about it.

"It's nothing, honest," Ellie forced a smile, "Just some course work that's proving a bit more difficult than anticipated!"

"Are you sure?" Dal asked, glancing over at her quickly, "It might help if you talk the problem through. Get it straight in you mind. You know?"

"No, it's fine. I'll just mull it over. I don't want to distract you while you're driving."

"You distract me enough just being so beautiful!"

Ellie smiled, her feelings brightened a little by the compliment, then turned back to her musings about 'nothing'.

It wasn't nothing. It was very definitely something. It was just something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Ebony's arrival shouldn't have affected her this much: she'd just come over for some help with her work and Jack, being the sweet, helpful guy that he is, had decided to help her. She had only come over to get Jack's help. That was all. She had done exactly what Ellie had done when she first met Jack: picked out someone who could help her and made friends with them. Ellie had seen her being paired up with Jack in a tutorial. He was just a friendly face to Ebony. A useful, friendly face. No more. There wasn't even the slightest chance a girl like Ebony would have serious designs on stealing Jack's affections away from her. No chance at all. And Jack wasn't the kind of guy to two-time anyone anyway. So why was she so upset?

xxxx

Trudy walked up the stairs from the dining hall of the hotel, Brady in her arms and her new bodyguard trailing along behind. Being new to the job, Lex still lacked some of the icy reserve of the other bodyguards. He was quite handsome too, Trudy mused. He was no Kevin Costner, that was true, but then she was no Whitney Houston. Still, she could dream. She smiled to herself and almost walked into the young man turning the corner ahead of her, heading out of the hotel. He was about her age, maybe a year or two older, but better dressed. He looked as though he was going out for the evening. She smiled and apologised. The young man smiled back, his ocean-blue eyes flashing at her good-humouredly as he side-stepped and made his way passed Trudy and her entourage.

When she got back to her room, Trudy was off on another daydream. Lex had to call her back as she even walked straight past her own door! She didn't match his smile as he ushered her into the room, after checking it himself. Nor did she meet his dark eyes with hers as he said goodnight and stepped outside to brief the night guard. This daydream hadn't been about Lex and his deep, dark eyes. This one was about a well-dressed young man, with eyes the colour of the deepest sea.

xxxx

Luke walked quickly through the city streets. It wasn't a particularly cold night, but there was a cool breeze and in this city the weather could change so quickly you could easily see four seasons in one day! He was smiling a little at the memory of the young mother who had almost collided with him in the hotel corridor. The forbidding presence of the silent young man behind her had puzzled him. Who was he? Friend? Lover? Certainly not the child's father: she had bright blonde hair and ice-blue eyes, neither of which could have been passed down from that particular young man. As the restaurant approached, he shrugged off the conundrum, determined to enjoy a good meal. He had a friend who worked here and, if he ate at the bar, he might get a chance to catch up with her occasionally.

As he walked in, heading straight for the bar and ignoring the semi-partitioned area reserved for the dining tables, he spotted her. It wasn't difficult. With scarlet hair and an off-the-shoulder, matching top, Salene was easy to spot anywhere! He caught her eye as he sat down and she hurried over.

"Hey! How are? I haven't seen you in ages!" Salene bubbled, cheerfully.

"I'm fine," Luke replied, giving his friend a quick hug over the top of the bar, "I just came down to see Ellie. I told you she lived near here?"

"Oh, yeah, I think you mentioned it," Salene replied, sarcastically, "You know, just one or two... or maybe three dozen times! So, is she meeting you here?"

"No, I just arrived. I'll head over there tomorrow. Surprise her."

"You'll have to bring her here, this time, so that I can meet her. I can't believe how few people have actually met this girl you claim to have given your heart to!"

"Hey, there's no 'claim' about it! I've fallen for her hook, line and sinker! She's perfect!"

xxxx

Dal and Ellie sat at a table in a quiet corner of the restaurant. The noise of the bar was dimmed a little by the wooden panel, carved with an ornate design of inter-weaving grasses, across the middle of the divide between the two rooms, leaving a gap at either end for customers and waiters to pass through. Through the gap at one end, Ellie could see the end of the bar. The red-haired barmaid had hurried off and, although she could see the bright colour of her hair and top penetrate through the partition screen, she couldn't see who she was talking to. Who ever it was, it was someone the barmaid must have known well because she'd ran off with a grin splitting her face from ear to ear and had hugged the anonymous form at the other end of the bar. Ellie turned her attention back to Dal, who was quite happily describing, in minute detail, exactly what improvements she should convince Alice to make to the farm. Honestly, thought Ellie, why does he think I left!

"Ellie?!" Jack's voice cut into Ellie's boredom like a knife into a boil.

Ellie sat up straight and looked around, wildly. They had just walked in: Jack and Ebony. Jack was now advancing upon Ellie's table with a look of dismay and confusion and even a possible attempt at anger! Dal had now also noticed the intrusion and had got to his feet.

"Who are you?" Jack and Dal snapped at each other at the exactly the same moment.

"I'm her boyfriend," they each replied, "Who are you?"

Ellie sat staring quietly forward, focussing intently upon the table's centrepiece, as the two boys worked out the truth and turned to her. Feeling their gaze upon her, she looked up and gave a half-hearted laugh.

"We never said we were exclusive!" Ellie simpered, cringing.

Dal and Jack looked at each other, then turned back to Ellie.

"Some things don't usually need saying!" Jack replied.

"No?" Ellie raised her eyebrows and indicated Ebony, who was leaning against the wall and trying to keep out of the fight.

"No. I don't need your permission to have dinner with a friend; and whether you believe me or not, that's all we are!"

"If you don't, why do I?"

"I didn't lie to you about being able to get into city centre in the evenings. You said you had no way in here. You said you had to help your sister with the farm. Now I find out that all the while you've been spending the days with me and the evenings with this guy?" Jack's voice rose to a crescendo.

"You can't deny it, Ellie," Dal cut in, "We're both standing right here in front of you claiming to be your boyfriend."

Ellie looked down, confused, and said nothing.

"I-I can't believe this!" Jack cried, throwing up his hands and storming out of the dining area, followed closely by Ebony.

Ellie bit her lip and looked at her hands, then got up and ran after him. Dal sighed and followed.

"Jack!" Ellie cried, calling the young computer expert to a halt in the middle of the bar, "Don't go!"

"Why not?" Jack spun round as the blonde raced up to him and Ebony moved, tactfully, off to one side: this show was far to enjoyable to interrupt.

"Because!" Ellie blurted out the word as though it in itself should be an explanation.

"Be-because what, Ellie? Wh-why should I stay? Wh-why shouldn't I just go a-and forget I ever knew you?"

"Because!" Ellie stressed the word, "Because I don't want you to go!"

"And we always have to do everything you want!"

"Jack, please," Ellie whined, "I'm sorry, I love you, I made a mistake!"

"You made a mistake!" Jack cried, aware of the pained look on Dal's face behind Ellie, "What? Did you forget you already had one boyfriend?"

"Obviously!"

The voice that had cut in was not Ellie's or Dal's or even Ebony's. It was a new voice; new to Jack, at least. It was clear that Ellie recognised it perfectly: she fainted.