He frowned in confusion. ‘Xander.’
Xander turned his attention back to Immy. They glared at each other and Quinn wasn’t sure if they wanted to kill each other or rip each other’s clothes off and make love to each other right here on the floor of the sweet shop.
‘You have no right to care what I do and who I do it with,’ Immy hissed to Xander, clearly forgetting Quinn was even in the room with them. Was something going on between them? Maybe there was a fine line between love and hate. Had they stumbled across it?
‘I might not have any right, but I still care,’ Xander said, quietly, stepping closer to her.
Quinn watched Immy’s breath catch in her throat, her eyes dipping to Xander’s lips.
‘Umm… should I go?’ Quinn said.
‘Yes!’ they both said together.
Quinn didn’t need telling twice. He quickly left and a few seconds later Xander locked the door behind him.
Well that was something Quinn hadn’t seen coming. Now he just had to sort out his own love life.
CHAPTER 9
Alex hadn’t seen Quinn all day. She knew he was avoiding her and she hated that. She’d had to plaster on a brave smile with all the customers and inside she couldn’t escape the horrible feeling of dread that she had lost her best friend.
Her phone beeped with a notification and she quickly grabbed it, hoping it was a message from Quinn but it was another message from St Nick instead. The Lovegrove Bay community Facebook page had been awash with much excitement all morning as more baubles had been found and yet no one had any idea who was doing it. She felt a delicious thrill that she was the only one privy to this direct line to St Nick. She needed something to cheer herself up so she opened the message.
Dear Alex,
That’s a lot of questions but a good detective always pushes to know more. I love cosy mysteries like Midsomer Murders, Death in Paradise, Beyond Paradise, the list is endless. Something dramatic without being sinister or gory and something that has good humour is right up my street. I often watch them with my other half and, while I love solving the clues and finding out who the murderer is before it’s revealed, I love watching her get so much enjoyment out of solving the crimes even more. Sometimes I’ll even deliberately get the answer wrong because she gets so happy when she beats me to the answer and seeing her happy is the best thing in the world. I guess that’s what love is, always putting someone else’s happiness above your own.
Alex couldn’t help smiling about that. This was clearly a man very much in love and she adored that. It gave her hope in the world. She carried on reading.
I’m neither a milkman, postman or a hairdresser but you’re right that I work somewhere that sees a lot of footfall and that gives me the opportunity to talk to people and get to know them. You’re also right that I am a man.
So are you ready for your second clue? I work directly for Santa. While that isn’t my paid job, I do help the big man a lot in December.
Snowy hugs,
St Nick
‘He’s an elf,’ Alex said, out loud. The following night all the elves would be helping to decorate Quinn’s cottage into something beautiful and festive, along with her and Quinn, so St Nick would be there. This was very exciting as there were around fifty elves who all had various jobs decorating the house and gardens but half of them were women. This clue narrowed it down massively. Also, out of the men, she now knew she was looking for one who was either happily married or in a relationship. She knew a few of the elves were older and widowed or young and not in a relationship, so she could narrow it down even more. Later she would write a list of all the male elves and then she could cross off anyone who was single. This was a massive clue and much better than the previous day’s clue of not being a painter.
She couldn’t wait to show Quinn this latest message. Then her heart sank. What if their friendship was ruined by the kiss and her inability to trust him enough to want a serious relationship? As tonight was Wednesday they were due to watch the latest episode ofMidsomer Murderstogether but instead she was supposed to be going on a date with Pip. What she really wanted was to curl up on the sofa with Quinn and, as Immy was out and Zara was at Harley’s, maybe they could share a few more kisses as they watched their favourite programme together. Would he want that, even if they weren’t properly together?
She switched off her studio lights and locked thedoor. She walked past Quinn’s studio which had been closed all day.
How must he be feeling right now? She had walked away from a serious relationship with him, that had to hurt. And despite his magnanimous attitude to her dating Pip tonight, that had to hurt as well.
Suddenly she knew what she had to do. Immy had given her a choice of three the night before – go all in with Quinn, date other people or be alone for the rest of her life – and now she knew which one she had to choose. While she didn’t feel ready for a serious relationship with Quinn, and she wasn’t sure what it would take for her to be ready, the thought of being with anyone else but him, even for a date or a kiss, made her stomach turn. She didn’t want anyone else but Quinn and it felt disloyal to go on dates with other people.
She pulled her phone out of her bag and quickly dialled Pip’s number, cringing at what she had to do.
Pip answered on the third ring. ‘Hey Alex, I’m looking forward to meeting you tonight.’
‘Oh Pip, I’m so sorry, I’m going to have to cancel. And please don’t take this personally, I’ve loved chatting with you over the last few days, you seem so lovely and kind. This is one hundred percent a me problem not you.’
There was silence from Pip as she stepped outside into the cold night. Snow was falling thick and fast and no one was around. She decided honesty was the best policy.
‘I have been in love with the same man for four years with never any thought that he could possibly feel the same way and last night we kissed and he very much has feelings for me. But he wants something serious and I was hurt very badly in the past and I got freaked out about having a relationship with him and basically ran away. He said if I’m looking for something casual I should go out on dates with other people but I can’t do it, I can’t be with anyone else but him. It feels like a betrayal and I can’t hurt him like that, even if I can’t be with him. I’m so sorry.’
There was more silence from Pip.
