He peered at me over his coffee mug. “I wouldn’t have expected you to be celibate. You’re not a priest.”
“It just didn’t seem right. I threw myself into singing and everything that went with it. What about you?”
He shook his head. “Same. It didn’t seem right, somehow. The last person I kissed was you.”
“Fuck. No. Are you being serious?”
“Deadly. I never looked for anyone after, you know, and… I can’t believe I’m going to say this.” He looked up to the ceiling.
“Go on. Say it.”
“No one compared to you. You were it for me, and I didn’t want to ruin the memories I had of you.”
Well, fuck. I wasn’t expecting that.
“What if we’d never met up again?”
He shrugged, as if that were the only answer he needed to give.
“And now?”
“I think time and learning more about myself, I know what I’m letting myself in for now. If you want to go there, obviously.”
“Oh, I want to go there. Sooner than you think. Fuck, sooner than I thought I would, but we shouldn’t rush into it. Let’s do it right this time. We’ll go on dates and spend time together with no agenda.”
“I’m good with that.”
I kicked his foot. “We could make out on the sofa.”
His eyes lit up. “Also very good with that, but first you need to get well. Now, drink your coffee. Doctor’s orders.”
I did as he asked. He made small talk, told me about how he loved living here, and I could see why. I listened and didn’t speak. The Harvey with me now was a million miles away from the one I knew three years ago.
I figured I’d spend another day here, then go back home. I had things to do. Duncan had been blowing up my phone, asking when I’d be back. There were plans to be made. He wanted me to make a video to post on my website, and there were decisions to be made about appearances next year.
“Are you listening to me?” He eyed me across the table. “Here’s me rabbiting on, and you look a million miles away.”
“I’m sorry. Duncan’s been messaging me non-stop since I told him I was feeling better.”
“Do you need to go home? I know I can’t keep you indefinitely.”
“I’ll stay another day, if it’s not too much trouble.” It was for my benefit more than his. Spending time with him had been cathartic, digging through the baggage I carried. Plus, I’d enjoyed his company.
“You can stay as long as you like. I’m in no hurry to kick you out.”
“How about we go to the Chinese restaurant tonight. My treat.”
“Sounds good. We can make a reservation on the way back.”
Living here was a little like Liverpool. Most things were within walking distance. After a well-deserved nap in the afternoon, followed by a refreshing shower, I was ready to go out.
I hadn’t got that much in the way of clothes with me, but Harvey had said it wasn’t a posh place, and I didn’t need to wear a suit and tie.
Seeing him as he stood in the hall, I regretted my decision.
“You look fine. Don’t worry about it,” he said, but that was all right for him to say, standing there in his black jeans and button-down shirt.
He smelled amazing, too.
