She quirked an eyebrow. ‘I’m not sure I’ve ever truly been a rebel. Maybe I wanted to come across that way and looks like I fooled at least you.’
‘Well, I am easy to fool.’ He was still smiling as though it was a joke, but there was a truth there that made the light in his eyes dim. Suddenly there was an awkward silence between them. ‘I take it that your grandmere is out then?’
‘Yes. Coffee in town with her friends. They’ll take up residency in Costa and won’t be moved until lunchtime.’
‘She’s enjoying her retirement?’
‘I guess so. Though it’s hard to tell if Nan really enjoys anything, except complaining. Would you like to come in for a cup of tea or coffee?’ she added, suddenly. She probably had just enough time for that before she had to leave for work. She didn’t want him to disappear into his house yet if she was honest.
‘Yes, I would like that. I just need to put a couple of things away I bought at the market and I’ll come over.’
‘Okay. You can use the kitchen door if you like. I’ll unlatch the gate.’
He nodded and she hurried back in to hide her prohibited lights, pull off her coat and try to make herself look like she was in some sort of order, but without actually putting on any make-up and being obvious. She flicked the kettle on as she went past it and hurried out into the back garden to lift the latch on the wooden gate at the bottom.
Olivier was already there, and the rain was starting to get heavier, so they hurried back inside. Ash shivered as they got into the kitchen and rubbed her arms while Simon ran into the room to see who had joined them. Olivier crouched down and gave the dog some firm petting that soon had Simon rolling over on his back, completely at Olivier’s mercy. If he stroked his lovely hands down her body that way, she’d have been in a puddle at his feet too. Another shiver snaked down her spine, but this one had nothing to do with the rain.
The kettle clicked off and Ash went to make the drinks. Serving Nescafé to a French chef was probably a crime wasn’t it? But she didn’t have anything else, so it would have to do.
She put the mug down on the table and shooed Simon away so that Olivier could sit down and finally take his coat off. They sat opposite each other and he looked around the room. ‘You know, other than when I helped you bring the tree in the other night, this is the first time I’ve been inside your house.’
‘What? No. It can’t be.’
‘It is. I’ve been in the front and back gardens but never across the threshold.’
‘Oh. I suppose you haven’t. Was that really rude of me? Why did I never invite you in?’ she wondered out loud, even as her brain supplied a number of answers. Her nan would have killed her if she found out she’d had a boy in the house when she wasn’t around – and if Nan had been around, Ash would have rather died. His mum was a lot more relaxed about having teenagers rampaging around her house and eating all the food in the cupboards, so it made a lot more sense to hang out there.
‘I don’t know.’ He laughed.
Ash pulled her hair off her shoulders and laced her fingers back around her mug, letting the warmth of the ceramic chase the chills from the rain away. ‘Well, here it is, with all the wonder of its seventies decor.’
He smiled softly, like he wasn’t quite sure what to say to her depreciative tone. He often struggled with things like that she’d noticed. She wondered if some of the humour was lost in translation or if it was just Olivier, wanting to always say the right thing and make people happy.
‘What is your plan then?’ he asked after taking a sip of his coffee.
‘Are you back to being Marie Kondo?’
‘No. Unless, that’s what you want to talk about – I was referring to how you intend to put all those lights up without your grandmere noticing.’ His eyes twinkled at her again, the light brown of their hazel almost like gold as they were surrounded by all the cream and brown units – perhaps seventies decor wasn’t so awful.
‘They’re switching on the street lights on Wednesday. My thinking is, make sure I have it all planned out. Get all the hooks or stuff like that in the wall, so that on the day I can send her out somewhere, and then throw the lights up quickly.’
He nodded. ‘It will be quicker if you have help.’
‘True. I could ask Romesh I suppose – but he’s notoriously awful at DIY.’
‘I’m not,’ he volunteered and then bit his lip. ‘And I’m just next door so you can knock for me if an opportunity shows itself…’
‘Oh, that’s really kind. Thank you.’ Ashleigh felt herself blushing and ducked her head towards her steaming mug of coffee.
‘I should see if Maman wants to put some more lights up too.’
‘You don’t think it’s tacky then?’
‘No. Bringing light to the darkest time of the year is a lovely thing to do. I mean, some people go a little too far—’
‘Like Thomas, across the road?’ Ashleigh laughed.
‘Maybe. But it’s fun isn’t it?’
