Chapter 5
PETE
It’s inviting trouble, but I’ve got no hope of hiding my smile as I head towards the table where Sean and Vic are waiting. My cheeks are aching by the time I reach them but fuck it. I don’t care.
Those few minutes chatting with Charlie have been the highlight of my week. Probably my month, actually. I thought I’d built up our New Year’s encounter to more than it was, but if anything, I’d underestimated the effect he has on me.
Maybe it’s the fact he’s new and exciting, I’m not inclined to analyse why he makes my insides dance about like bees are in there.
Or why my heart thumps louder and I feel lighter than I have in ages.
I’m going to enjoy it for what it is. Even if we only talk, it’s a refreshing change from my usual routine.
“Well?” Vic doesn’t even bother to hide the fact he was watching. At least Sean’s pretending to look at the menu.
I roll my eyes as I sit down. “Well what? I said I was going over to say hello. And that’s what I did.”
Vic’s eyes narrow. “That was a long hello.“
“Leave him alone,” Sean cuts in, and I’m about to thank him when he adds, “Did you get his number?”
“No?” Should I have done? The thought never actually occurred to me, but now I’m second-guessing whether he was expecting me to ask for it. “He didn’t ask for mine either, though.” Maybe because he doesn’t want it.
Vic sighs. “Pete. I might not know you as well as Sean and Jerry do, but I want to see you happy or at least have some fun. And that guy—” He nods in Charlie’s direction. “—has fun written all over him.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“He almost swallowed his tongue when he saw you shirtless.” I’m about to protest, but he holds up his hand and turns to Sean. “Am I wrong?”
Sean shakes his head. “Nope. He looked about two seconds away from climbing you like a tree.”
That makes me laugh. “Yeah, right.”
“Do you ever look in a mirror, Pete?” Vic tsks. “I’m not sure you do, because you have this whole hot, rugged lumberjack vibe going on, and I’m almost positive Charlie’s into it.”
I open my mouth but nothing comes out. I’m not blind; I know I’m not unattractive, but to hear Vic spell it out like that makes me duck my head in embarrassment.
I can feel the flush creeping up my neck to my cheeks as I confess, “Thanks, but it’s not my looks that are the problem.
” God, I can’t believe I admitted that out loud, but I want to cut off their matchmaking before they can get invested.
I glance over at Charlie—he’s tucking into his food while scribbling down notes in the notebook he has on the table.
His dark hair is the kind of messy that’s expensive to achieve.
His clothes are stylish, and I’m not sure how old he is, but I’d bet money he’s a few years younger than I am.
All that adds up to him definitely not being interested in someone like me.
When I turn back, Vic and Sean are looking at me like I’ve got two heads. “What?”
“You can’t say something like that and not explain what you mean.” Sean nudges his knee against mine under the table. “All teasing aside, we’re your friends, Pete. I hope you know you can talk about anything.”
“Thanks.” I’m touched, really, but I don’t think I’m the type to share easily.
Scratch that. I know I’m not. The thought of telling them about my insecurities where meeting someone is concerned makes my skin itch.
So instead I shrug. “He’s young and used to city life.
” I gesture to myself. “Couldn’t be more different if we tried. ”
“That’s not always a bad thing,” Vic tries, and I wish they’d let this go.
I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but they’re not making that easy. Yes, he agreed to meet me later for a drink, but that doesn’t mean he wants anything more. “He’s here for two weeks, then goes back to wherever he lives. There’s no point getting attached.”
This time Vic grimaces. “Do I have to remind you that there’s such a thing as sex?” I huff and Sean laughs. “We’re not suggesting you propose to the guy, but you could have a little mutual fun for the next two weeks.”
I look between the two of them, eyes narrowing. “Isn’t that how you two started out?”
“Exactly,” Vic says, sitting forward. He looks far too excited all of a sudden. “And look at us now.” He reaches for Sean’s hand and gives it a squeeze.
“And as happy as I am for both of you, not everyone gets to be that lucky. And besides, you two had history.”
“True,” Sean concedes. “But we hadn’t seen each other in eighteen years.”
“But it was still there. I know nothing about Charlie apart from the fact his ex left him here last New Year’s Eve.
For all I know, they might be back together by now.
But then if that was true, would he have agreed to meet me for a drink later?
” I scrub a hand over my face and groan. “Why is it all so hard?”
I glance up to find the two of them staring at me with raised eyebrows. They look scarily similar in that moment. “Now what?”
“You’re meeting him for a drink?” Vic hisses across the table. “When did that happen?”
“Err . . . when I went over to say hello.”
“And you couldn’t have led with that? We were trying to build you up enough to go over and ask him out, when you’ve already done it!”
“Sorry?” I’m not sure what I’m apologising for exactly.
Sean meets my eyes, and I can almost see him thinking. “If you’ve already asked him out for a drink—and he said yes—why are you so convinced he’s not interested?”
It’s a fair point.
“I don’t know. I only went over to say hello, but when I was talking to him, the invitation slipped out.” Because I wanted to spend more time with him.
“And in the fifteen seconds it took you to walk over here, you’ve changed your mind?”
“Maybe?” I shift in my seat, uncomfortable with all this scrutiny. But also a small part of me needs to get this out. “I guess now I’m wondering what the point is. Even if we hit it off, I live here and he lives . . . not here. One-nighters aren’t really my thing.”
“He’s here for two weeks,” Vic points out.
“Even worse. Plenty of time for me to get attached.” I know myself well enough to accept that’s a distinct possibility if I’m not careful. And how mortifying would that be?
“So you’re going to meet him for a drink and . . . just talk?” Vic almost looks confused.
“A foreign concept I know, but yeah, probably.”
“From the way he was eye-fucking you earlier, I think talking was the last thing on his mind.”
“Who’s eye-fucking who?” Hailey whispers, appearing at my side from nowhere and startling all three of us.
“No one.” I glare at Vic, then Sean, willing them to keep quiet. I should know better.
Vic grins and leans closer to Hailey. “Your guest this morning when Pete was half-naked.”
Her eyes light up with recognition. “Ahh.” But that’s all she says on the matter.
“What can you tell us about him?” Vic asks. “Where’s he from?”
She fixes him with a pointed look. “Like I told you this morning, he’s a paying guest at the pub. If you want to know anything about Charlie, you’ll have to ask him, not me. Or Char,” she adds on quickly.
Something clicks in my brain. “Was this why you two were all squirrely this morning?”
Hailey laughs. “You so weren’t subtle.”
“In my defence,” Sean begins, “it was all Vic’s idea.”
Vic gasps and glares at his husband. “Really?” He faces me. “We just wanted to introduce you two again. See if that spark was still there.”
My eyes narrow. I only told one person about New Year’s Eve. “Sadie.”
“She was here with Tim when I took the booking.” Hailey winces. “I may have mentioned that Charlie had been here at New Year’s and was left stranded by his boyfriend. Sadie said he must’ve been the one you’d spoken to outside.”
My gaze shifts to Vic. “And you overheard, I take it?”
“It’s not like I was eavesdropping. It was right here at the bar.” He knocks my shoulder. “We thought you might like to see him again since he was back here. Sadie said you thought he was hot.”
I am going to kill my sister.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, then sigh and give up trying to be offended.
These are my friends, and as interfering as they are, they all mean well.
“You can all stop now. Like I said, I’m meeting Charlie for drinks after we’ve had food—which we still need to order by the way—and I’ll take it from there. ”
All three of them stare at me, waiting, until they realise I’m not going to say anything more.
“Okay, then.” Hailey claps Vic on the shoulder. “I need to ask a quick favour, Vic, so why don’t you come with me and you can order food at the same time.”
As soon as they’re out of earshot, Sean turns to me with a serious expression. “You know, I almost messed up with Vic because I didn’t think I had much to offer him. That he wouldn’t want someone who wanted to live out in the sticks.”
I scoff because Vic and Sean are perfect for each other.
“You’re a national park ranger, and you look like that.
” I wave a hand at him. He’s blond, broad-shouldered, and hot.
“What’s not to like?” Despite Sean saying more or less what Sadie said to me the other day, I still can’t get past the fact that maybe I’m the problem.
Sean bites his lip before saying quietly, “You remember my ex, right? The one who left me when I refused to quit my job and move to the city?”
It takes me a minute, but eventually it clicks. “Oh.”
“It wasn’t fair, but my experience with him made me second-guess everything with Vic.” He gives me a pointed look. “Sound familiar?”
I sigh because I can see what he’s saying, but . . . “That was one guy who made you feel shitty. When it’s the last three or four you’ve been with, you start to think that maybe the problem is you.”