The Promise Read Online Free PDF

She and Michael were going to be married!
    “I'll see you in an hour, babe. And … Nancy?”
    “Yes?”
    “I love you.” He hung up the phone and ran toward the gate. He was the last passenger to board the plane to Boston. Nothing could stop him now.

Chapter 3
    He had been pounding on the door for almost ten minutes, but he wasn't going to give up. He knew Ben was in there.
    “Ben! Come on, you … Ben! I … For Chrissake, man …” Another rash of pounding and then at last the sound of footsteps and a sudden crash. The door opened to reveal a sleepy Ben, standing confusedly in his underwear and rubbing his shin. “Christ, it's only eleven o'clock. What are you doing asleep at this hour?” But the grin on Ben's face told him with a second glance. “Jesus. You're smashed.”
    “To the very tips of my toes.” Ben looked down at his feet with an elfin smile and an unsteady wobbling of the legs.
    “Well, you're going to sober up real quick, podner. I need you.”
    “The hell you do. Six Beefeaters and tonic and you think I'm gonna waste it? Bullsh—”
    “Never mind that Get dressed.”
    “I am dressed.” He squinted unhappily as Mike turned on the lights. “Hey, what the hell are you doing?” But Mike only smiled as he headed toward the tiny, disheveled kitchen.
    “What'd you do in here? Detonate a hand grenade?”
    “Yeah. And I'm gonna shove one up your—”
    “Now, now, this is a special occasion.” Mike turned to smile at him from the kitchen doorway, and for a moment there was hope in Ben's eyes.
    “Can we drink to it?”
    “All you want But later.”
    “Crap.” He let himself fall into a chair, and let his head loll back against the soft cushions.
    “Don't you want to know what the occasion is?”
    “Not if I can't drink to it I'm graduating from graduate school. That I can drink to.”
    “And I'm getting married.”
    “That's nice.” And then he sat up straight, and the eyes came open. “You're what?”
    “You heard me. Nancy and I are getting married.” Mike said it with the quiet pride of a man who knows his mind.
    “This is an engagement party?” Ben sat up with a look of delight. Hell, that was worth at least another six Beefeaters. Maybe even seven or eight.
    “Not an engagement party, Avery. I told you. It's a wedding.”
    “Now?” Confusion again. Hillyard was a real pain in the ass. “Why now?”
    “Because we want to. Besides, you're too loaded to understand anyway. Can you get it together enough to be our best man?”
    “Sure. Son of a bitch, you're actually going to—”
    He leapt out of his chair, lurched horribly and stubbed his toe on the coffee table. “Goddamn—”
    “Go put some clothes on without killing yourself. I'll make you some coffee.”
    “Yeah …” He was still muttering to himself when he disappeared into the bedroom, but he looked slightly more composed when he returned. He was even wearing a tie, with a blue and red striped T-shirt. Mike looked at him and shook his head with a grin.
    “You could've at least picked a tie that went with the shirt.” The tie was a dark maroon with a beige and black design.
    “Do I need a tie?” He suddenly looked worried. “I couldn't find one that matched.”
    “Just zip up your fly and we're all set. You might want to find the other shoe, too.” Ben looked down to see only one loafer, and then he started to laugh.
    “Okay, so I'm gassed. But did I know you'd need me tonight? You could've at least told me this morning.”
    “I didn't know this morning.”
    That brought a look of sudden seriousness to Ben's eyes. “You didn't?”
    “Nope.”
    “Are you sure about this?”
    “Very much so. And look, don't make me speeches. I've had enough of those tonight. Just get yourself decent so we can pick up Nancy.” He handed his friend a mug of steaming coffee, and Ben took a long hard swallow, then grimaced.
    “What a waste of good gin.”
    “We'll buy you another round after the wedding.”
    “Where