I can barely breathe at the contact.
Finn brings his brothers to Seaglass for the after-party. They sit at a table by the balcony. I pop out from behind the bar to say a quick hi.
‘What have you got playing?’ Finn asks me with a frown, clearly disapproving of our music choices.
‘I don’t know. Would you like to take over the playlist?’ I ask, syrupy sweet.
‘Damn right I would.’ He jumps to his feet and sets off towards the bar.
I watch him give Chas a hug before turning back to his brothers with a grin and an eye roll. What is helike?
Liam purses his lips at me. Tyler is nonplussed. They’re fourteen and sixteen now. Tyler has grown a little taller since last year, but Liam has gone outwards as well as upwards. I wonder if he plays rugby.
‘How are you two?’ I ask them while Finn’s otherwise engaged.
Now he’s chatting to Chas, who I know will indulge him, music-wise.
‘Good,’ Liam mumbles.
‘Fine,’ Tyler replies.
‘Did you have a good time in LA at Christmas?’
Tyler shrugs and nods, but Liam’s expression thaws by several degrees. ‘We went to Disneyland.’
‘Awesome! Was that fun?’
I know this already. Finn mentioned it, but didn’t go into detail.
‘Yeah,’ he says.
‘Did your grandparents go with you?’
‘Yeah, but not to Disneyland,’ Tyler chips in.
‘It must’ve been nice seeing where Finn lives.’ I’m a little envious because I haven’t, but the thought of being on Finn’s home turf also makes me feel strangely nervous. ‘Do you think you’ll go back?’ I ask.
‘We are. This Christmas,’ Tyler replies.
‘Cool!’
‘Maybe we’ll make it a regular thing, right, lads?’ Finn says, overhearing as he returns.
I cock my ear to the speaker. ‘Who’s this?’
‘Liily,’ he replies.
‘Sick,’ Tyler proclaims.
‘I’d better get back behind the bar,’ I say.
Finn reaches over and squeezes my hand as I start to walk off. ‘See you later.’
He takes the boys home at 10 p.m. I happen to be looking towards the door when I see them leave, and the darkness that washes over me at the realisation that he didn’t even say goodbye impacts me for the next forty-five minutes.
Then he waltzes back in again and all is right with the world.
He smiles as he comes over to the bar where I’m pulling a pint, resting his elbows on the top and leaning right over.
