“Of course it did.” I’m almost certain she’s going to want them in the exact same place as they were last year, so either Vic just wanted to get out of helping or he had ulterior motives.
I narrow my eyes at him, but he’s still smiling, so I decide to ignore it. Whatever it is that he and Sean are up to, I very much doubt it’s anything bad. “Where do you want them?” I ask Hailey.
“Same places as last year.”
Knew it.
“Do you still need a hand?”
“Nah, I’ll get one of these two to help.”
Unlike the unloading, this bit is a two-man job. Normally, I’d bring Sadie, but I told her to enjoy her lie-in because Hailey offered to help. It’ll be the last delivery on a weekend fromnow until Christmas. But there’s no point making Hailey come outside when I can get Sean to do it instead.
She grins. “Perfect. I have to nip upstairs anyway.”
She disappears through the door and I turn to Sean. “Fancy helping me outside after I get the first one set up in here?”
“Sure. Do you need help with both?”
“Nah.” I gesture to the empty stool beside Vic. “Have a seat, it won’t take long.”
Hailey’s already set a stand in the corner where she wants the tree, and it doesn’t take me long to carry the tree inside and get it secured and level.
“Wow,” Vic whispers reverently. “How are you so quick at that? It took Sean ages to get our tree straight last year.”
“Hey!” Sean nudges him none too gently, then has to grab his arm when Vic nearly falls off his stool.
I shake my head at the pair of them. “Practice.”
The pub is warm, and even though I took my coat off, I’ve still got a T-shirt and a thin fleece on. I need a bit of cooler air before I start to overheat. I look at Sean, then nod towards the front doors. “Ready?”
Vic straightens. “What, now?” He glances between the two of us, then gives Sean a very pointed look. “Why not sit and have a drink first?”
I roll my eyes. “Seriously?” Subtle they are not. “Whatever the pair of you are up to, can you hurry up and get it over with? I have things to do today.”
“Er...” Sean looks at me, then towards the door at the far end of the bar. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Sorry. It’s just?—”
Hailey walks back through the door into the bar area, carrying two mugs of tea. She’s talking to someone behind her, not looking where she’s going, and trips. “Shit!” The contents of both mugs fly towards me and I’m too slow to dodge.
“Ow!Fuck.” Scalding-hot liquid hits me square in the chest, and suddenly I’m extremely grateful I’m wearing two layers this morning. It’s probably the only thing saving me from a painful burn, and I scramble to get them off as quickly as possible before it seeps through to my skin.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Pete.” Hailey sets the now-empty mugs on the bar and hurries over to me. “Are you okay?” She flutters her hands in the air, not sure whether to touch me or not.
I glance down at my bare chest, assessing the damage. Apart from being a little damp and hot, I’m relatively unscathed. “Yeah, don’t worry. It’s all good.”
“Again, I’m so sorry.” She gestures over her shoulder. “I was just talking to Charlie and paying no attention to where I was going.”
I follow where she’s pointing and . . .oh.
ThatCharlie.
His mouth is slightly open, gaze focused on my chest. My very bare chest, I suddenly realise, and it seems to take a lifetime before he looks up, and I’m faced with a pair of very wide brown eyes that I never expected to see again.
“Hi,” I manage. I don’t know what to do with my arms. I kind of want to cross them in a futile attempt to try and cover up, but I’m still holding my fleece and T-shirt. And let’s be honest, it’s kind of pointless now.
“Hi,” Charlie replies after a beat. He licks his lips before he seems to catch himself.
I’m suddenly aware of three pairs of eyes watching this whole exchange, and my cheeks heat. I rub the back of my neck. “Didn’t expect to see you again.”
