Chapter 25
25
After a leisurely Sunday, which, for Tristan, was a rarity, he got to Flowerdew Homes’ head office in Taunton early on Monday morning. He’d decided not to phone Martha that weekend: in fact, he was hoping that things might peter out between them naturally now. Martha was a lovely woman, but they’d been keeping things casual as neither wanted anything serious. She’d made no secret of the fact that she wasn’t looking for anything exclusive, and so he’d give them both a bit of space.
It didn’t take a genius to work out why he might be feeling that way: he’d really enjoyed Charlotte’s company on Saturday night, and he’d felt that spark between them, still very faint, but it was definitely there. He wasn’t going to overthink things, but the way thoughts of Charlotte kept intruding into his mind over the next twenty-four hours had to be a sign that he was ready to get to know her better, if she wanted that too.
After a morning of phone calls, paperwork and firming up the final details of his office move to Observatory Field, he was ready for a break. He checked his phone and was pleased to see that Charlotte had texted him with an update about Lorelai.
Lorelai might have hidden those papers on purpose! She seems to think we should spend more time together.
Tristan couldn’t stop the rush of relief as he read the message. Trust his gran to try to meddle in his love life. She’d been dropping hints lately that he ought to be thinking about settling down, no matter how hard he’d tried to dissuade her, and now, with Charlotte as her lodger, her imagination had obviously gone into overdrive. Lorelai clearly needed more to do with her time, he thought.
And yet he couldn’t stop remembering just how easily Charlotte had slotted into his group of friends on Saturday night. She’d chatted with the four of them all evening, and it hadn’t taken long before he’d forgotten how new she was to the village. The memory of their first encounter at the observatory was gradually receding in favour of the smiles and laughs they’d shared around the pub table. There was definitely a part of him that wanted to see her again.
So why didn’t he text her back and suggest it? Charlotte’s message certainly implied she’d be up for seeing him again, and if they didn’t get on when it was just the two of them, then they didn’t have to repeat it.
Grabbing his phone from where he’d put it on his desk, he drafted six possible responses before he settled on the one he finally sent:
Glad to hear Gran’s still capable of getting up to her antics. Do YOU think we should spend some more time together?
He waited for a response, trying to convince himself he wasn’t nervous. When the response came, a few minutes later, he couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face.
I’d like to see you again. Shall we say Saturday? Not sure I’m up for the pub though – Annabelle’s also got her matchmaking hat on!
After replying that he and his car were all hers, and to let him know what she’d like to do, Tristan once again waited.
How well do you know my hometown? Would you be up for a guided tour of some of Bristol’s best spots?
Tristan hadn’t visited Bristol in a long time, and he knew that Charlotte must know it well to make the offer. He was surprised at how keen he was to take her up on her idea, and within seconds he’d texted her back saying yes, he’d love to. They arranged to meet at Nightshade Cottage at ten o’clock on Saturday morning, but when he asked her for a few more details about what they were likely to get up to, she sent him a teasing ‘wait and see’.
He was unaccustomed to handing over control of things to someone else, and for a few moments after they’d arranged things he felt uneasy. What if they didn’t get on and Saturday was a completely awkward disaster? What if they had nothing in common? What if this was just a huge mistake?
Realising that he was beginning to catastrophise, he tried to shut down those thoughts. Painful past experience had taught him that going down that road wasn’t good for him and he had plenty to occupy him between now and Saturday. He made a few more phone calls and arranged to pop in and see Thea on his way back home later. They hadn’t seen each other for a couple of weeks, and he felt as though he needed to check in with her, especially after the debacle with Cora at the school. He knew that Thea was keen to find out about the progress on Observatory Field, and he also wanted to see his niece and nephew. As Thea texted back that she was looking forward to seeing him later, and offering to make him dinner, he looked forward to catching up with her.