‘Okay, no problem. Listen, thanks for letting me know. If you need anything, I …’ The voice was insistent in its refusal, and he rolled his eyes. Whoever the woman was, she was a woman who spoke her mind. ‘Okay, okay. Still, anything, okay? And thanks, okay?’ He was saying okay a lot, gesturing again for Rebecca to sit down next to him. The man had no boundaries, and after last night, and the heat she’d felt from his touch, she found herself nodding, taking up his invitation to sit down. Tucking her feet under her, hiding her Homer Simpson socks, she waited for him patiently. He was saying goodbye to the woman, and talking about bacon sandwiches for some reason, so she respectfully tried to tune him out. Looking around her, she could see various plans and notes. Technical stuff that looked like it was gobbledy-gook in places.
‘App designs, for clients.’ He was talking to her now, and his phone was on the coffee table. As it lit up, she saw a familiar image, the café, sitting in front of the mountains looking gorgeous. Just in the window, she could see herself, behind the counter, bowl in hand.
‘I like the view,’ he nodded at the screen. ‘Gorgeous here, isn’t it? Hans always sent photos, but it’s nothing like the real thing.’
Their eyes met when the screen went dark, and he nodded towards it again.
‘Sorry about that, a call from home. I—’
‘It’s fine, I should have given you more privacy. You working today?’
He looked back at his laptop screen, which was showing a very full inbox with a lot of urgent-sounding headings.
‘Yep, my trip here was a tad unscheduled so—’
‘Just a tad?’ she teased. He blushed, and she felt a bit mean. ‘Sorry, go on.’
‘I came last minute, as you know, and my clients are just used to me being around. I don’t usually travel.’
‘I gathered,’ she smiled, wanting to leave on a good note. The fact that he was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a white vest was nothing to do with it. Having a man sprawled on her sofa wasn’t going to stop her leaving to see her friend. ‘So, Hans is coming in today to run the café, I have a waitress coming too at 11, to give him a hand. I’ll be back later. If you need anything, he’ll be downstairs. You should be able to get some work done up here, it’s pretty quiet.’
‘You not working today?’ he asked, half reaching for her hand but putting it back on his own lap. She noticed a watch on his wrist, an old leather strap around an expensive-looking time piece. It had gone nine.
‘Nope,’ she said, standing up again and picking up her boots and bag. ‘Off into town, got things to do. You need anything?’
He reached into his side pocket, flashing a bit of toned midriff. He might make apps for a living but he clearly made time for the gym too. Pulling out a black leather wallet, he took out some Euros and offered the notes to her. ‘Here, for the bin and the sheets.’ It was a bit of a wad, more than what was needed.
‘It’s fine, don’t worry about it.’
‘No.’ He stood now and walked over to her, pushing the notes into her free hand. ‘Please, let me. I’ll feel better. I’ll get on with ordering a sofa too.’
She wanted to protest, but the wine-soaked sofa behind her covered in her now battered sheets silenced her. ‘I’ll pay half, okay?’ She closed her fist around the money, offering him a fist to bump. He laughed, bumping it but dodging her attempt to put the money back into his hand.
‘Nice try, now scoot. I have a lot of angry clients to soothe.’
As if on cue, his mobile phone rang again, and his laptop pinged with yet another email notification. She sighed dramatically, putting the money into her bag and waving him goodbye. He flashed her a big smile, his black-rimmed glasses nudging up his nose with the movement. She headed to the hallway, sitting on the little chair to push on her boots. As she laced them up, hearing Luke chatter away to a client, instantly turning him from angry to elated with a few work updates, she felt weird leaving him. Like she wanted to stay around today. Odd.
Lacing up, she grabbed her thick, red coat and headed out to the café. She wanted to avoid running into Hans. The last thing she needed was him to see their rather domestic setup. She was pretty sure she’d just offered to buy a sofa with a man she lived with. That was enough weird behaviour for today.
*
‘It’s not funny Holly! You utter shitbag!’
Holly was now on all fours in front of her corner sofa, braying like a donkey, wearing loungewear, laughing her head off. ‘Stop then, give me a minute. I’m going to give birth here!’ She exploded again into a fit of giggles. Rebecca slurped her tea and waited for her friend to roll herself
