‘So everyone’s going to hear your secret in a year’s time.’
It was weirdto hear someone say something so potentially horrifying in such a cheerful voice.
‘Yes, and I don’t want that to happen.’ Georgie miraculously had her voice completely steady despite the sudden churning of her stomach. ‘Because…’ She searched for inspiration. ‘Because basically it’s very, very embarrassing. Very embarrassing indeed. Extremely embarrassing.’
‘I’m not quite sure I get what you’re saying.’ Raf smiled and she fake-made-a-face at his sarcasm, internally cheering because hetotallybelieved the embarrassing thing. ‘Would you be embarrassed if we all heard your embarrassing secret?’
‘Yes, my embarrassing secret is embarrassing—’ she wasgoodat this ‘—and no I do not want anyone to hear what it is.So, I need to open the resolutions envelope and check my list.’
‘Okay. Obviously having a drink together is lovely but also… we’re here in the pub now because?’
‘Because you seem very kind and helpful and you’re staying with Noah who has the envelope.’ Oh. Dammit. She could just have explained all of this to Noah instead. ‘And…’
Gaaah, Raf was wearing his raised-eyebrows look again. She did her best shut-up look, the one that worked on naughty kids at school.
‘Basically, it’s extremely embarrassing and I don’t really know you and you live in New York, whereas I see Noah quite a lot. And it’s embarrassing. As I mentioned.’ She tried to make one of those faces that you made at work when you wanted to pretend that something was period-related so none of your male colleagues would question you further.
‘You wouldn’t have had to tellhim that, though?’
Oh, for feck’s sake. Bloody lawyers.
Georgie did not gnash her teeth like she wanted to. Instead, she said, ‘Oh, yes. Duh. I did not think of that.’
‘So shall we just tell him now?’
Georgie stared at him. ‘That my secret is embarrassing?’
‘Er, no? That you need to check your resolutions?’
Oh.
Having a lawyerly brain herself would have been handy right now. As would having had a good night’s sleep last night.
‘I suppose so,’ she said eventually.
Raf laughed. ‘Don’t worry. No actual need since he’s busy serving at the moment.’ He finished up his pint and said, ‘Want to go now?’
‘Great.’ Georgie stood up so fast she knocked over her stool.
The pub was seventeenth century. Noah had converted an adjacent, also very old, barn a few years ago into a house for himself and there was a door directly into it on the far side of the main tap room.
‘We’re just going to go and have a coffee,’ Raf called to Noah as they went past the end of the bar.
‘My favourite pub ever,’ Georgie added to Noah. She didn’t want him to feel hurt that they were leaving so soon.
Noah gave them both a massive pantomime-style wink and a thumbs up. Several of the people in the bar went further and they exited to a chorus of catcalls. People in Melting liked to make a fuss at any crumb of a hint of possible romance. Apparently the two of them exiting the pub together was like a whole loaf to them.
As they entered the house, Georgie reminded herself that, as well as the resolutions, she needed to remember to check Raf’s trainers if she could. That would be easier than having to ask Noah’s help in finding out the size.
‘We’d better have actual coffee,’ she said, when they got into the huge, stainless-steel-applianced kitchen, ‘so Noah doesn’t suspect anything.’
‘Remember it doesn’t matter if he does?’ Raf was looking all raised-eyebrows yet again.
‘Oh yes.’ Lying was so confusing.
‘I’ll put the kettle on anyway.’
‘I might pop to the loo then.’
