Unwrapping the Best Man

‘Seems very coincidental.’

I shrug. ‘Not really, not when you consider what a hotspot Berlin is for those wanting some X-rated fun. It’s perfect for an enterprise such as this with the added benefit of accommodation... Not that German law requires you to have a bedroom to screw in,’ I add lightly, trying to brush the whole conversation off. I don’t want to think about Eliza any more than I have to.

‘Surely you did enough “catching up” then?’

‘Did you just do finger quotes at me?’ I stare at him, dumbfounded.

‘Oh, God, I did, didn’t I?’

‘Jesus, man.’ I laugh, good and proper. ‘Is that what marriage does to you, turn you into one of them?’

I gesture to the ladies’ room and Ash laughs too.

‘Actually, marriage does a lot for me. I highly recommend it.’

‘It seems Eliza wouldn’t agree.’ I curse the twist in my thoughts as soon as the words are out.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

I can hardly stay quiet now. ‘She wanted to talk without her husband in earshot.’

‘What could she possibly want to say without Damien around?’

I pour another shot to wash down the bitter taste in my mouth before remembering my intention to have no more.

‘It seems there’s trouble in paradise and she wants to reignite what we once had.’

Ash shakes his head. ‘You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Why on earth would she think you’d be interested?’

I look at him and I’m quiet. I don’t know what to say. My history with Eliza is complicated. Messed-up. There was a time when I would have moved heaven and earth to have her.

‘I thought you guys were over years ago.’

‘We were.’

‘So, what’s changed?’

‘She saw me in Berlin and wanted to test the water.’ I give a sardonic laugh as I recall her confident poise, her sultry smile as she walked towards me, intent on seduction.

‘You’re kidding, right?’

‘No.’

‘Crazy bitch.’ He shakes his head. ‘I still don’t understand why you didn’t pull their membership to this place.’

‘I never expected them to use it after I bought them out, not after...’

Ash’s eyes dance. ‘After you gave Damien a black eye and he couldn’t be seen in public for two weeks?’

‘He definitely deserved it.’ My smile at the memory is dark. ‘If I’m honest, so did she, but I’ll never raise my fist to a woman.’

‘I think labelling her a woman is too kind. What you saw in her in the first place is beyond me.’

I look him in the eye. ‘When you’re sixteen and a woman twice your age takes a shine to you and shows you the wonders of the world it’s a little hard to see clearly.’

He studies me quietly. ‘Fair enough. Not that I know the ins and outs of it; you kept a pretty tight lid on it, even after it was over.’

‘And it’s going to stay that way.’ There’s no way I’m going to tell him any more now. I don’t want to put words to it, ever.