“Did you tell him you’ve done that?”
“No need. He was there.” I can hear the smile in his voice, and I bark out a laugh, picturing Dan’s face.
“You’re such an arsehole.”
“That’s what Dan said.”
I’m grinning like an idiot now, full of warmth knowing that Seb will always have my back. It makes me relent and answer his earlier question. “I did run into someone else this morning.”
“Pete?”
“Yep.”
“And was he as hot and rugged as you remembered.”
I picture the gloriousness that was Pete half-naked, wearing work trousers and boots. “Mhmm.”
It’s Seb’s turn to laugh this time. “And?”
“And what?”
“Did you tell him you’re there for two weeks and that you’d like to fuck him for all of it?”
I choke on the bite of sandwich I’ve stupidly just taken. “No,” I manage eventually.
“Why not?”
“Because there were other people there and I don’t know him!”
Seb huffs. “Since when does that matter?”
“Since I’m staying in a country pub in a quaint village. And I came here to work, not—” I wave my hands even though he can’t see me.
“Have a little fun?” Seb supplies.
I sit back in my chair, swinging a little from side to side. “He is hot,” I murmur, then shake my head. “No. Besides, I don’t even know how to get ahold of him.”
“Maybe he’ll come back to the pub. You said it was popular with the locals.”
“It is, I think. But it’s not like I’m going to camp out downstairs on the off chance he comes back in.” He seemed to know Hailey and the other two guys who were down there. I think about asking Hailey about Pete for all of two seconds before dismissing it as ridiculous. I’m paying to stay in her pub,not set me up with the locals. “Anyway, how’s your mum?” I ask to distract him.
He hesitates, likely recognising it for what it is, but then spends the next ten minutes updating me on his mum’s progress after tearing her Achilles.
We end the call when he gets home, but not before he makes me promise to at least leave my hotel room for food if nothing else. I’m not sure what the takeaway prospects are like round here, so it’s an easy promise to make.
I’m lost for a second in daydreams of running into Pete but then snap myself out of it. I came here to get some work done, that’s all.
I pull my laptop closer and skim the last few paragraphs I wrote before Seb called. I makemyselfa promise: I’ll go down to the pub for foodifI can get another chapter written first.
Words come easierthan I expected, and I’m closing my laptop a little over three hours later. It’s still relatively early, but that sandwich feels like ages ago, so I freshen up and head downstairs to the main bar area.
I almost bump into Hailey as she’s going the other way. “Sorry!” I catch her by the shoulders before she stumbles backwards.
“Jesus, what’s wrong with me today!” She huffs. “I have no spatial awareness.”
“At least you’re not carrying tea.”
Her cheeks heat, and I’m two seconds away from being embarrassed I brought it up when she throws her head back and laughs. “That’s very true. I don’t think Pete will ever forgive me for making him leave here in one of my oversized maternityT-shirts.” Her grin is huge. “It’s the only thing I had that was anywhere near big enough, and even then it looked ridiculous.”
