‘Oh. Sorry. No. Just tired.’ Anddeeplydisappointed about not having got the letter. ‘Sorry. Bad example for you. I am going to be friendly to other drivers now.’ She did a big smile to demonstrate that she was honestly no longer feeling tetchy.
Andoh…
Why hadn’t she just looked for the letter anyway? What was the worst that could have happened if she’d got it? Raf was highly unlikely to have been spying on her and Max, but if he hadand he’d seen her take it, so what? She’d have got it and disposed of it by then.
Actually, the worst that would have happened was that shewouldn’thave found it and he’d have spotted her rummaging through all his stuff. That definitely wouldn’t have been good. But probably worth the risk, because if she didn’t find it, she was going to have to ask for it, and really it would just lead naturally into that conversation.
Yep, when she fed the cats tomorrow, she was going to do that.
She messaged Raf when they got inside.
Fed the cats. All good.
Great. Thanks so much. Found a local cat feeder so might call on you for help again when they can’t make it but other than that won’t need to call on you again – way above the call of duty. Thanks again. I owe you a huge drink.
Damn. It.
The following evening, they were back in the Cotswolds. Max was hanging out with Georgie’s mother’s cleaner again, because her mother and stepfather were at another family party thatthey hadn’t told Georgie about (to celebrate Georgie’s half-sister Lottie getting a new job) and Georgie was with her friends in the pub for Beth’s birthday. Noah was sitting in state next to the fire, with his plastered leg up on a stool, laughing with Beth. Raf was behind the bar, doing the landlord thing, ably assisted by Mick, the new barman, and Mick’s boyfriend, Leo.
‘Have you thought any more about speaking to Declan?’ Georgie asked Poppy, when she was sure that no one could overhear them.
‘I keep thinking about it and then I can’t decide what I want so then I bottle it. And I don’t want to have any kind of shouting match in the house with Daniel there, because even though he obviously can’t understand the words he might get the emotion, and I don’t want to do that to him.’
‘Oh, Poppy.’ This was so sad. Georgie hugged her friend, and tried to think what the best advice might be.
She was still wracking her brain when Raf plonked himself down next to them.
‘Hey,’ he said. ‘How’s it going?’
He gave Georgie a companionable little nudge in her side and to her shame, because she really should be focusing on Poppy and her problems, and also slightly to her horror, because she wasn’t spending time with Raf forromanticreasons, was she, she felt her entire body heat up.
‘Good, thanks,’ Poppy said. ‘Great, actually. Yep.’
Georgie’s heart broke again at Poppy’s bravery.
‘I might get going, though.’ Poppy looked at her watch. ‘Yep, it’s half eleven.’
They carried on talking after Poppy left, and were still going at midnight, when Raf kicked everyone else out of the pub and they all moved on to one table together. Georgie could feel herself beaming as she and Raf had to squish up next to each other.
‘Last week I hadfartoo much to drink,’ he said, gesturing to the pint of water he’d just got himself. ‘Seriously. It’s a huge occupational hazard, being a landlord. I’d never thought about it before. So I’m on water this week.’
‘Same as you,’ said Beth, nudging Noah in a very companionable way. They seemed to have become very good friends recently.
‘Yes, although it took me about seven years to realise and act on it rather than seven days,’ said Noah. ‘Raf was always the clever one.’
‘I think you’re very clever.’ Beth smiled at him. Now Noah was smiling back at her in a way that Georgie would have had to have described as lovestruck in other circumstances. It was such a shame that they both seemed to be with the wrong people.
Georgie looked up and caught Raf looking at her looking at them. He raised one eyebrow very slightly, and she nodded, knowing that he was thinking exactly the same thing as her. Maybe they could discuss it later. Raf wasn’t going to want Noah to get hurt either.
‘Another drink?’ Raf asked everyone.
‘Maybe just one,’ said Beth, like she had the last three times she and Georgie had had another glass of wine. She looked at her watch. ‘Oh my goodness, it’s so late. I should go home.’
‘How are you going to get home?’ asked Georgie. ‘A taxi would cost an absolute fortune from here to Bath. And you’rewayover the limit.’
‘You’ll have to drive back in the morning,’ said Raf.
‘My parents are away, though,’ Beth said. ‘And your mum won’t want me to stay, will she, Georgie?’
