17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
‘ T here you are,’ Mick came in to find Evie sat slumped against the sitting room wall, inert. ‘Everything alright?’
Evie felt heavy with the weight of whatever was going on with James, but she knew she couldn’t discuss it with Mick. ‘I’m fine. Everything’s fine, tell the boys to get on with the sitting room and I’ll join them in a minute.’ She forced a smile, though was pretty sure Mick wasn’t convinced.
‘Alright boss,’ he stopped by the door. ‘But when my missus says she’s fine, she usually isn’t. If you’re not, maybe talk to someone? Maybe James? He seems a nice enough lad.’
Smiling whilst aware there was no chance she’d be discussing this issue with James, Evie pulled herself up. ‘Shut up you, let’s get on.’
Evie focused on exhausting herself throughout the afternoon, working on papering the sitting room with the team until her bones ached. She wanted to be so exhausted all she’d be able to achieve when she walked through the door would be a bite to eat before heading to bed. Unaccompanied, save for Lou Lou.
‘That’s the last of it,’ Mick said, coming over as the rest of the team packed up. ‘It’s looking really good. Are you feeling better now?’
‘Yup,’ she said dismissively.
Mick grinned. ‘Good, then we’re taking you to the pub.’
Evie shook her head. ‘No I can’t, I need a shower. A sleep. Some dinner…I need to take Lou Lou for a walk,’ she added as he shook his head.
‘Go for a quick shower if you must but the rest of us will continue to stink. Sleep is for when you’re old. You can get dinner at the pub, take the dog – I presume it’s a dog and not a child? – with you to the pub, that’ll do for a walk,’ he replied listing off the various problems she’d raised on his large fingers. ‘Everything can be solved with a trip to the pub and a pint of cider if you ask me.’
Faced with a wall of reasons why she could join them, Evie realised she didn’t want to be at home alone. Especially if James had plans to dump her. Not that they were openly together anyway, so he couldn’t dump her as such… She realised Mick was staring, waiting for her reply.
‘Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’ll skip the shower but I’ll get the dog,’ she smiled. ‘It is a dog. Not a child. It’s Cyan’s dog though goodness knows why she gave it to me to look after.’
Mick shrugged. ‘She’s a superstar, she doesn’t need a reason.’
Evie popped back to the cottage where a very sleepy Lou Lou greeted her with little joy. ‘I know, I’m not who you want but you’ll have to put up with me,’ she said to the little dog whilst scooping her up and nuzzling the soft brown furred neck.
‘I’ll happily put up with you,’ James said walking into the kitchen where she stood. ‘You’re definitely who I want.’ As he spoke he strode over to her and planted a kiss on her cheek. Evie touched her hand to where he’d kissed her and wondered who this man full of joy was that before had wanted to get rid of her. Unsure what to say, she turned and placed Lou Lou on the floor.
‘I’m going with the guys to the pub,’ she spoke, not offering him the opportunity to join. He was bent down stroking Lou Lou so didn’t see her face which was twisted with worry over what was happening between them.
‘Cool, I’ll join you. I’m starving and fancy chips,’ he said straightening up. ‘I’ve been in the garden all day trying to figure out the logistics for the dome.’
Evie couldn’t help but giggle. ‘Dome? But I thought it was just going to be a simple wooden pergola?’
‘Same,’ he sighed. ‘But Cyan has it in mind she wants it to have a similarity to the O2 in London.’
‘In the gardens?’
‘Don’t,’ James laughed too. ‘It’s ridiculous and I have no idea what we’re going to do. At the moment we’ve dug out some foundations and I’ve had an architect design the structure – he was designing over video call whilst the guys were digging out almost at the same time. It’s quite a permanent 'temporary' structure through, if it needs to be removed it’ll have to be dug out.’
‘But it sounds awful.’
‘I know. Which is why I need a drink, when are you off?’ He stroked her arm, sending goose bumps all over her body, ‘unless you fancy a bit of time just us…here…’ he said meaningfully. Evie stepped back to give herself space, causing James to remove his hand from her arm, but if he thought anything about it, he didn’t give it away. Instead he scooped up Lou Lou and gave her a kiss on her tiny nose. ‘I think we’ll bring the little Miss with us too. She’s been alone all day.’
Feeling more comfortable that she could direct her words through Lou Lou, Evie stroked her. ‘Poor thing needs a bit of love and attention.’
James locked eyes with her meaningfully before breaking it. ‘Let’s go then, but I’m not bringing her in that bag, I’ll carry her if needed,’ he said indicating the pink fluffy carrier Cyan had presented Lou Lou in.
They walked back to the main house where Mick and the gang were all climbing into a truck. Seeing Evie and James they waved them over. ‘I’ve kept a seat for you Evie upfront, James you’re going to have to find something to hang on to in the back,’ he said, pulling her up into the main compartment.
Bumping along the track towards the pub whilst hanging on to Lou Lou, Evie tried to get her thoughts in order. On one hand she was sure James was looking at ways to stop their relationship before it had started, otherwise why would he have numerous calls from Chloe and the one she’d overheard where he was clearly keeping a secret? But on the other hand, the looks he was giving her were so meaningful, and they’d shared so many kisses, there had to be something going on.
‘Here we are,’ Mick announced as they pulled into the carpark.
Evie jumped down onto the gravel and watched the men extricate themselves from the back of the truck, James got out last and limped over to her. ‘Bit of a bumpy one in there,’ he winced. ‘I think you definitely got the better option.’ Looking to check none of the team were watching them, he leant into Evie and kissed her quickly on the lips. ‘Let’s get a drink.’
Mick appeared from round the side and they immediately sprung apart. ‘Looks like Bryn and the other lads have a table for us outside.’ Evie could feel James stiffen beside her at the mention of the security guard, but she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong. As they walked into the pub to order drinks, Chloe was behind the bar and her smile widened as soon as she saw them. James smiled warmly at her too, and ordered the round of drinks.
Watching the interaction between Chloe and James, Evie looked for signs that something was going on between them. Did Chloe’s hand rest for a moment too long on his when she passed him back his card? Was she looking at him in a way other than as a barmaid serving a customer?
‘Penny for them,’ James said, nudging her then walking ahead holding the tray of drinks.
Making their way to the large table outside, Evie sank gratefully in the space on the bench indicated by Mick, with James sliding in next to her. She placed Lou Lou on her lap.
‘Reckon we’ll get it all done in a week then?’ Mick asked from the other end of the table to James and her.
James took a deep drink of his pint before answering. ‘We have to. I don’t know how, to be honest, as I think the list of jobs is getting longer by the minute, but there’s no question. It has to be done. Even if we have to make a wooden replica of the O2,’ he groaned. There was a pause at the table before everyone began laughing and making comments about Cyan.
The next few hours passed in a warm buzz of conversation, good food and quite a few pints of the local cider. Inside the pub the music had been turned up and a few of the lads had decided to go in to try it on with the local girls.
‘Come on, you can have a dance too,’ Mick said, trying to pull Evie up.
She shook her head. ‘I can’t, what will I do with this one?’ Lou Lou was fast asleep wrapped in Bryn’s jumper, happy as anything.
‘He can watch her, come on,’ Bryn replied, indicating James, ‘I could do with a dance,’ he added, pulling Evie off from the chair and close to him.
Looking to see if James minded but unable to read his body language in the half light, Evie allowed herself inside to dance with Bryn.
‘Nothing’s going to happen you know,’ she said to the security guard as they threw themselves around on the small dancefloor to a Cyan heavy soundtrack.
Bryn threw his head back and laughed, ‘I should think so too – my fiancée wouldn’t be impressed,’ he smiled then spun her round. ‘But I was getting the sense you needed a bit of time away from the boss man…not my business of course,’ he said holding her close and talking into her ear.
‘A bit. Maybe,’ she replied.
‘What?’ he asked over the noise.
She leant in closer to him. ‘I did need a bit of space, thanks,’ she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and they continued to dance to pop classics late into the night.