Chapter 28 #2
‘Can I just say,’ I said to Erik before we decided what to do next, ‘how pleased I am that you suggested this trip, even if it was inspired by something that neither of us wanted to be caught up in.’
He shifted to look at me, and I confidently returned his gaze as any friend would.
‘You’re enjoying yourself?’
‘Immensely,’ I sighed contentedly. ‘And I hope you’re feeling better, too. Are you?’
‘Immensely,’ he echoed with a grin. ‘A bit of distance and a distraction was just what I needed and you’re a total distraction, Skylar.’
His smile faltered and his gaze dipped to my mouth and then back to my eyes.
‘Well,’ I swallowed, determinedly not looking away, ‘I’m delighted to hear it.’
I refused to allow myself to be seduced, especially when such progress was being made.
The day had been a tonic for us both and I wasn’t going to do anything that might jeopardise the headway we’d made with regards to thinking about the photos in the press and my own personal quest to friend-zone Erik again.
Even if the look on his face, to my mind at least, hinted that I wasn’t quite the kind of distraction I’d been striving to be…
‘What do you fancy doing next?’ I asked as I quickly distracted myself by sorting our rubbish into recyclable or not. ‘I think there’s a little close nearby with more shops or we could try The Mermaid? We haven’t been in there yet.’
‘The pub looks packed,’ he said with a nod to the door, which was constantly being opened to let people in, but no one seemed to be coming out.
‘You’re right. And to be honest, I’m not sure we do need to visit more shops.’
There was an array of bags at our feet now.
I’d been particularly tempted by a stall organised by a woman called Lizzie Dixon who ran the café with Jemma and sold the most exquisite handmade crafted items and fabric decorations.
Knowing my father’s fondness for fall decorating, I knew he wouldn’t mind me adding a few more to our already impressive collection so had rather gone to town.
‘We could always go back to get the truck and then drive out to the farm with the pumpkin patch,’ Erik suggested. ‘Didn’t you say there was a nature trail there, too?’
‘I did,’ I confirmed. ‘But what about your knee? You don’t want to have another flare up ahead of the drive back to Norwich tomorrow, so maybe you should rest it for the remainder of today.
’ I still hoped to at least visit the pumpkin patch, but that would depend on how Erik was feeling in the morning.
The truck was so big, I didn’t dare offer to get behind the wheel myself.
‘And besides,’ I added, not wanting him to feel bad about calling it a day, ‘it is quite late. It would be getting dark by the time we got to the farm.’
‘Would you mind if we just went back to the apartment then?’ Erik asked, having mulled over what I’d said. ‘I’m pretty certain no one has recognised me today but perhaps I shouldn’t push my luck.’
I was sure he had been spotted but didn’t want to worry him by mentioning it.
‘Not at all,’ I responded. ‘I’ve had a few ideas about the Spooktacular, and it would be good to make a note of them while they’re still fresh in my mind.’
‘Have you got a notebook?’
‘No, I’ll just send myself an email with it all written in.’
‘That’s a good idea,’ Erik laughed. ‘Come on then. Let’s go and ask Bella if she knows where we’ll find a taxi.’
We were starting to feel the cold by the time we arrived back at the apartment, so I turned the heating thermostat up a few degrees while Erik turned the sofa bed back into a sofa so we could sit on it for the evening.
‘Don’t forget I’m on there tonight,’ I told him as I unpacked the bags of snacks we’d picked up to see us through the rest of the day. ‘No arguments. Your knee will need some decent support ahead of driving tomorrow and the bed is ever so comfy.’
‘Fair enough,’ he accepted surprisingly. ‘You don’t fancy driving the truck then?’
‘Er, that’ll be a hard no,’ I said and he laughed at the look of horror on my face. ‘Unless you’re really struggling, of course.’
‘I’m sure I’ll be fine,’ he grinned. ‘Would you like something to drink?’
‘I could go for a tea.’
‘Nothing alcoholic?’ he asked. ‘Bella has put a couple of miniatures from a local distillery called Brambles in the cupboard above the fridge.’
‘No thanks,’ I said. ‘I’m not drinking alcohol at the moment.’
‘Why not?’
So I don’t run the risk of flinging myself at you again was the honest response to that question.
‘I guess I’m just not in the mood,’ I said in lieu of the truth. ‘But don’t let me stop you. If they’re only miniatures, they’ll be well out of your system by the morning.’
‘No, they can stay where they are,’ he said as he plumped the sofa cushions. ‘I told myself I’d keep a clear head this weekend.’
My head snapped up and I found he was looking at me.
‘Any particular reason why?’ I swallowed.
‘You know part of the reason why,’ he said softly. ‘You, me and alcohol is a recipe for disaster where our friendship is concerned, isn’t it?’
‘I don’t think there are any paparazzi lurking here to record any mishaps,’ I said and made a show of looking around, while admiring his ability to be honest about the situation out loud, unlike me, ‘but you’re right, booze has caused us some bother in recent weeks.’
Not that alcohol was entirely to blame.
‘Exactly, and because of that, I want to keep a clear head.’
‘Me, too.’
‘I want this weekend to be the best it can be. No bother allowed.’
‘Agreed.’
‘Because the truth is, Skylar,’ he carried on even more honestly, ‘I had to think hard before suggesting you should come with me on this trip. I knew the apartment was going to be tiny and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to…’
‘Go on,’ I encouraged and moved next to the sofa, so I was standing in front of him. The air between us seemed to positively crackle. ‘Tell me what it was that you weren’t sure you were going to be able to do.’