When a slow song started Ben looked around for Joelle. He wasn't much into dancing at all, but he didn't want Joelle to have to just sit and watch other couples dance all night, so he made sure to dance all the slow ones.

He didn't see her anywhere nearby, so he asked Nicole if she had seen her. "She was really upset when we got back from the bathroom. There was a gay girl in there. I think she went to talk to Laura."

"A gay girl?"

"One of the girls in the tuxedos."

"The one with dark brown hair?" Hearing the tension in Ben's voice, Nicole only nodded. She knew she had said something to upset him. Ben stood and looked around for Joelle. He spotted her two tables over, not looking very upset. She was deep in a conversation with some of the preppy girls. Then she gestured to Carrie's table. She was spreading the word.

His first thought was to confront her, his second was to leave her here. He looked at Carrie, at least she didn't look upset. She probably had no idea about the rumor that was burning its way through the room. He couldn't stop it now, but he could slow it down.

He was on a mission, but one he had to admit, he was happy to do. He stood tall and walked through the center of the room to get to Carrie's table. He wanted as many people as possible to see him. She was shocked to see him approaching her table, and she looked around to see if Joelle was watching him. Ben hoped she was.

He leaned down to speak quietly in her ear, "Dance with me?"

She answered with a look of confusion. Her friends welcomed him.

MG smiled and gave him a happy, "Ben! Come join the harem." Steve leaned back and put his arms around Casey and Gina who were sitting on either side of him. "Life is good, man."

Ben smiled at them, then tugged at Carrie's hand, pulling her toward the dance floor. "I'm going to borrow one if you don't mind."

"Have at her. I have a few to spare." MG rolled her eyes, and Casey smacked him on the arm.

Ben held tight to her hand as he led her through the dancers till they were positioned near his table, where Joelle couldn't miss them. He turned her to face him, then let go of her hand to wrap his arms around her and hold her a little too close for comfort. She placed her hands on the shiny braids on his shoulders and started to sway with him, not wanting to make any more of a scene than they were already.

"What are you doing?" She spoke quietly to his neck, refusing to look at him.

He smiled, "Dancing." He shuffled left and right, keeping time with the music, "Am I that bad?"

She smiled a little, but refused to look into his eyes, looking instead at his tie. "She'll see us."

"Good." He hesitated, trying to decide how much to tell her. "She told people you're gay." "So you're proving her wrong?" Now she looked at her favorite blue eyes, rock steady as ever, and smiled, he was rescuing her, again. "I figured she would," Carrie glanced over at Joelle, now watching her and Ben, "She's called me worse, it's OK."

That stopped him from dancing. He glared down at her and she looked away, studying his tie again. "OK? It's OK? What the hell!?"

She shrugged, a little confused by his strong reaction. He's angry for me? "She's never liked me."

He let out an exasperated sigh. Carrie started them swaying to the music again, trying to keep up appearances. He dropped his head so he could whisper in her ear, "Even before ..." He stopped, not sure how to define what had happened between them, "It's never OK."

His intensity unnerved her, so she tried another angle, "But, gay, really? It's only an insult to her. She thinks God hates gays." Carrie looked at him now and smirked.

The song ended, and they stood, stuck, unsure what to do now. Carrie slid her arms from his shoulders to his neck and hugged him tight. "You didn't have to rescue me," she whispered in his ear. Then she turned and kissed his cheek, "But thank you." Ben smiled and squeezed her in a tight hug. He leaned back just a little, pulling her off the floor, then he started walking toward her table, carrying her with her legs dangling. She giggled and held on tight.

When he set her down he couldn't help but take a quick look inside her jacket. She caught him and dared him to try to find out what she was wearing with a seductive look. He blushed a little and walked away smiling.

When he got back to his table, Joelle couldn't contain her hurt and outrage, "Why would you dance with her?" Her voice was shaking, trying to contain her tears.

So many unkind answers flashed through his mind, but this was not the place for a fight. "Because she's my friend." He used his deeper, commanding, Army voice, daring her to question him any farther. Then he softened his voice, "Do you want to dance?"

That disarmed her, she had been ready for a fight. She hesitated before answering, "Sure." She didn't take his offered hand to walk out to the dance floor. They swayed through one song in uncomfortable silence. Joelle punished him by standing far away and barely touching him. Let her pout.

He stayed at their table through the next round of fast songs. She was focusing on talking to her friends, so he scooted closer to Wayne and Pat to talk to them. When another slow song started, he pushed his chair back and stood. Joelle ignored him, so he walked back to Carrie's table and asked Casey to dance. When that song ended, and another slow one started, he asked Gina. He laughed and joked with both. Gina finally flashed him and showed him her black cami under her jacket. He smiled at Carrie and his look said, I know your secret now. Steve talked MG into a dance, but she made sure it was all fun and games as she fought with him to lead and kept bumping into Ben and Gina.

By the time they left the dance, the air was frosty between him and Joelle. It was the starting point he needed to begin the end.

Chapter 19.

Steve and his harem ended their night at the 24-hour pancake shop. Their tuxes were a huge hit with the late night customers; second shift workers, cops and drunks. The tattooed, pierced night-shift waitress flirted shamelessly with Steve, asking him what he's got to keep all those girls happy, while blatantly staring at his crotch. He laid it on thick, flirting back, probably hoping to make MG jealous. No such luck.

MG was wiping the pool of syrup off her plate with her fingers and licking them clean, completely oblivious to Steve's look of longing when she said, "What was with Gorman tonight?"

The question was for anyone at the table so Carrie shrugged and put more bacon in her mouth.

Casey smiled, "I like Ben. He is totally too good for Joelle."

Gina took a sip of coke, "No shit."

MG went into her planning and scheming mode, "You should steal him away Carrie. Carrie blushed hard and almost choked on her soda. She had wanted to tell them, but didn't know what to say or when. Her reaction took care of that.

MG's eyes lit up with pleasant surprise, "Oh, my, god, Ms. Gould, are you mad crushing on our boy Ben?"

Carrie looked down because she couldn't wipe the smile from her face.

Casey nudged her, "Carrie? Spill!" Steve pleaded with his eyes don't do it, don't do it! She toned down her excitement before answering. "He told me he wants to break up with her."

"Because of you?" Gina was analyzing.

Carrie hedged, "Yeah, I guess."

MG's mind went where it always did, "Have you ... deflowered young Ben?"

Now Carrie couldn't help laughing, "Deflowered?" MG waggled her eyebrows with sexual innuendo, "Yes, deflowered. If there was ever a guy who needed to be deflowered, it's Ben."

"Here, here," Casey toasted with her soda glass. "Wait a minute," Steve finally caught up with the conversation, "You're telling me Ben is a virgin?" He shook his head in disbelief.

Gina didn't bother to hide her disgust at how dense he was, "He's been dating that purity queen, Joelle Welker, for like, years."

Their conversation was starting to bother Carrie. Ben wasn't here to defend himself, and gossiping about his sex life, or lack of one, felt wrong. She deflected, "He was just really sweet to me when the whole thing happened with Chuck, and ..." she looked down and actually blushed, "He kissed me." Why was she so juvenile when it came to discussing Ben. She felt like a school girl with a crush, which, she was.

MG caught her deflection. She kicked Carrie gently under the table and smiled her approval. The conversation faltered, and everyone got busy finishing breakfast. They could all talk and joke about sex; but crushes, kissing, love? That caused a group shut down.

They had to let go of the limo after pancakes. MG was determined they would stay out all night, so when the limo dropped them at her house she gave everyone 15 minutes to change clothes before they were all heading out again. Steve was ready first. He waited on the couch in the upstairs TV room for the rest of the group. Gina was next. She found him leaning sideways against an armrest. By the time Casey and Carrie were ready, Gina was passed out in the bean bag chair, and Steve was fighting sleep. MG found them all crashed when she finished getting ready, a half hour later.