Chapter 7
PETE
“I hear you had a date yesterday?” Sadie leans against the side of her car, one eyebrow raised. “How come I’m the last to know?”
I roll my eyes. “You’re not the last to know. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I had to find out from Lucy.”
“She only knew because she served us.” I hate how gossip travels around here sometimes. I had lunch with Charlie, that’s all. Nothing to get all excited about. The fact that it ended up being the best part of my day is neither here nor there. “Anyway, it wasn’t a date. We’re just friends.”
“Mhmm.” She follows me into the makeshift office at the Christmas tree farm.
We’re both working here this morning before Sadie goes over to the garden centre in the afternoon. It’s still early, we’re not opening for another forty minutes, so we’ve got the place to ourselves for now.
“Lucy said the two of you looked all cosy.”
“Bollocks.” I flick the kettle on and pop a couple of tea bags in the travel mugs we keep here. “Now you’re just fishing.”
Sadie comes to stand next to me and nudges her shoulder against mine. “Does it have to be just friends though?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I sigh, not really wanting to go over this again. “Because he’s only here for a couple of weeks and then goes back to his life. Neither of us want to start something that’s going nowhere. And no,” I add quickly, “we’re not interested in some no-strings sex.”
She frowns and leans back against the counter, crossing her arms. “I thought all gay men liked no-strings sex?”
I glare at her, both eyebrows raised. “Really, Sadie?”
She’s quick to raise her hands. “Sorry! Sorry. I know you’re not all the same. I don’t know why I said that. I just want you to have some fun for once.”
“So do I, but that doesn’t necessarily mean fucking someone I hardly know.”
“Sounds like a good time to me,” she says under her breath.
I snort. “I’m gonna tell Tim you said that.”
She laughs. “Do it. He knows all about my fantasies. In fact, we’ve—”
I slap a hand over her mouth. “Nope. I do not need to know that.”
“Prude.”
I ignore her and pour water into our travel mugs when the kettle boils. “It’s just not for me, okay?”
An image of Charlie all sleep-rumpled and cute flashes into my mind, calling me a big fat liar. I could kill him for sending that fucking photo.
And me for sending one in return.
Sadie lets it drop, thank God. She gets the milk from our mini fridge and finishes off the teas, and I think we’ve moved on when she stops and looks up at me, eyes narrowed. “Was that who the photo was for?”
Shit.
“What photo?” I was almost positive no one was around when I took that.
“I saw you setting up your camera when you were chopping wood yesterday. Figured you were just being vain, but . . .”
Heat climbs slowly up from my neck, filling my cheeks until I’m sporting an obvious blush. “No.”
Her frown is replaced by a shit-eating grin. She reaches up and prods my cheek. “You’re such a liar.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Her laughter follows me out the door as I head towards the entrance gate.
“Did he like it at least?” She calls from the office doorway.
I turn, walking backwards, and shrug. “Who?”
She shakes her head at me. “Just friends, my arse,” she says before disappearing from view.
Her words work their way under my skin as I open the gate and swing it back, leaving the entrance open for customers to drive in.
Friends can flirt, right?
I’m still thinking about it Tuesday morning when I spot a couple of familiar faces walking towards the hut.
Nothing’s changed after those photos or our lunch together.
I’ve texted back and forth with Charlie over the last couple of days and it’s been .
. . nice. He’s been busy with book work and I’ve been here.
We haven’t managed to set another date to meet up, and I wonder if that’s me second-guessing things. He said he’s been busy writing, so I haven’t asked.
I want to, though.
I just don’t know if I should.
Sean and Vic approach the hut, hand in hand, both of them smiling. The sharp pang of jealousy takes me by surprise and I push it away with a frown. I’m happy for them. Sean’s been my friend for years. He deserves to find someone who makes him light up like that.
I want it, too. But I don’t want to be envious of my friends to the point where it shows. I plaster on a smile that becomes more genuine when they finally reach me.
Until Vic opens his mouth. “Sooo, you and Charlie?”
I’d glare at Sadie if she wasn’t out cutting a tree down for a customer. “No.”
“What do you mean, no?” Vic cocks his head to the side. “You met him for lunch on Sunday, right?”
“Yep, lunch. Just lunch.”
Both he and Sean look so disappointed, I want to laugh at their faces.
“Not interested?”
“Not interested in having this conversation with you two.” Or anyone.
Vic puts a hand over his heart. “Don’t be like that, Pete. We want you to get your man.”
I glance at Sean. “Has he been reading Hailey’s books again?”
Sean laughs. “Yep.”
That makes me think of Charlie, and I bite back a smile. It’ll only encourage them. “Just friends,” I repeat.
“Fine, fine,” Vic concedes.
“Are you here to pick up a tree?” I ask, wanting to move the conversation along.
“Yeah.” Vic nods at Sean. “He’s going to cut it, not me.”
I reach behind me and hand him a saw. “Need a hand?” I ask, glancing between them.
“Nah, we should be good. As long as Vic doesn’t take ages to pick one.”
“Me?” Vic scoffs. “I’m not the one who’s picky.” He turns to me. “We’ll shout if we need any help.”
“Can’t wait.” I watch them walk off to choose a tree together, trying not to let it bother me.
I’ve not got mine yet. I’m usually one of the first to put one up.
For one thing, it’s a good advertisement if I have anyone round, and as a family, we’ve always got our trees up early.
I always think if I’m going to have a real tree, I want to get the most out of it.
I serve a few people who’ve opted for the pre-cut trees, and I’ve just finished ringing someone up when Vic and Sean reappear, carrying a tree between them.
“Relatively quick for you two,” I call as they get nearer.
Vic laughs. “I bribed him.”
“Yeah. Not sure I want to know.”
They set the tree down and I take the card Sean offers me.
“You seeing Charlie again?”
“Why?” I don’t look up as I take payment.
“Just wondered.”
I hand him back his card and finally glance up to find them both staring at me. “What?”
“You should bring him here,” Sean says, casually enough, but Vic’s smirking.
“And why would I want to bring him to where I work?”
“It’s romantic.”
I laugh out loud and gesture around the parking area and the piles of pre-cut trees. “I worry about you two if this is your idea of romance.”
Vic rolls his eyes. “Not this bit.” He nods to back where all the cut-your-own trees are. “There’s something special about wandering around all the trees and picking your own.”
I’m not convinced. At all.
I mean, I think it’s special, but then again I planted them.
“Ask Jerry,” Vic says. “This is where he kissed Reed.”
“Really?”
“Yep.” Sean points to the saw he’s left on my table. “You could impress him by cutting down a tree for him.”
I think of the picture I sent him and his obvious reaction at lunch. Then sigh, internally. No, we’re not doing that. “He’s staying at the pub; he doesn’t need his own tree.”
“Have you got yours yet?”
I debate lying. “No,” I say eventually, regretting it when Vic’s eyes light up.
“Perfect. You can cut it together, then invite him back to yours to decorate it.”
I hate how much I like that idea. “What part of just friends did you not understand?”
Vic cocks an eyebrow. “It wasn’t a euphemism. Decorating the tree is exactly that. I never mentioned sex.”
“Do you do that with your friends?”
“No, but I have Sean.”
“I don’t think it’d be a good idea.” Having Charlie in my home, doing something that I’d love to do with a partner . . . no. I can’t do that.
I’m not sure what expression I’m wearing right now, but it makes Sean lean in a little. “All joking aside, Pete. You could invite him as a friend, it doesn’t have to mean anything more than that if neither of you want it to. He’s away from home; he might appreciate a little Christmas cheer.”
As much as I know it’s a bad idea, I can’t bring myself to say no outright. “I’ll see.”
We make plans to meet up for a beer on Friday night, with Jerry and Reed too. I’ll be the odd one out as usual, but I’ve long since got used to that.
You could ask Charlie, my mind helpfully supplies.
I ignore it and focus on wrapping their tree.
Thankfully, it’s busy enough for the rest of the day that I don’t get a chance to think about it until I’m at home later that night.
I’ve spent the last hour getting the Christmas decorations down from the loft.
I’m not going to put them up yet, but talking about it today made me feel the need to do something.
My house is severely lacking in Christmas cheer, but it’s only just December. It can wait a bit. I think about Charlie and what Sean said. Then snort out a laugh.
Living at the pub, he’s drowning in Christmas decorations and music whenever he goes downstairs. I highly doubt he’s missing out on anything.
That makes me think of Friday night.
I haven’t made any more plans with Charlie. He’s texted me twice today, but that was this morning before he told me he was going to put in a few solid hours of writing.
Should I ask him?
My phone buzzes and I know it’s Charlie before I even pick it up.
I sink back into the sofa as I read his message.
Charlie: Hey. How was your day selling Christmas to everyone?
I’m already smiling as I type back.
Pete: I don’t sell Christmas
Charlie: Sure you do. Christmas trees are the focal point of a home’s Christmas decorations. I bet yours looks amazing. Send me a pic
I grimace, feeling oddly guilty.
Pete: Haven’t got mine up yet
Charlie: What?? Surely it’s a prerequisite that you have yours up before everyone else?
That makes me laugh.