Page 20 of Topped

Norman nodded approvingly, glanced around to check where Rupert was, then leant forward conspiratorially. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but keep doing it. I haven’t seen the boy this happy in years.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” He shot me another look and raised a thin, grey eyebrow. “Don’t fuck it up.”

“Wasn’t planning to,” I muttered, a tight feeling in my chest. I didn’t know whether to tell Norman we weren’t dating, that this wasn’t anything more than a tentative friendship. But I couldn’t. Because it would feel dishonest.

It had only been a few weeks since we’d started talking properly, but I already felt attached to Rupert. I liked him. Probably more than I should. And when I’d teasingly asked him if he fancied a shag, I’d only been partially joking.

If Rupert had said yes, I’d have taken him up on it in a heartbeat and that realisation had been keeping me up at night for the last week. I hadn’t told anyone about it because I already knew what Darcy and Alfie would say. They’d tell me to talk to Rupert, to spend more time with him, to see how I felt.

Which was why I was here, asking him on a not-date.

See, sometimes I did take their advice. They’d be so pleased when I told them. If I told them. Which I wouldn’t, but that wasn’t the point.

“Ready to go?” I asked as Rupert appeared from the back of the shop wearing his long, royal blue coat and hat, his yellow umbrella tucked under his arm.

“Yes. I assume it’s still raining?”

“Pissing it down.”

“How lovely,” Rupert said with a smile that could only be described as charming. “At least it’s not snowing.”

“If we get snow in October, I’m leaving this fucking country. I’m not kidding, I’ll fucking move,” I said as I opened the door for him, the pair of us ducking out into the street. The wind had started to pick up too, gusting down the narrow road and swirling around the bottom of Rupert’s coat. It was already too strong for him to put his umbrella up.

“Where would you go?” Rupert asked as he pulled his collar up and the pair of us walked quickly down towards the front. Luckily Novel Tea was only one street over, so we didn’t have to go far.

“Not sure. Somewhere warm. I think Darcy and Owen have the right idea—they’re sodding off to Australia for three or four weeks over Christmas.”

“That would be too hot for me,” Rupert said. “I’m built for temperate climates. I went to a family wedding in India a few years ago and nearly melted. It was forty-five degrees! I’m not used to that. Luckily, I don’t go very often. Although, summer here is infinitely worse. Somehow a nice summer’s day always manages to feel like the surface of the sun!”

“It really does. Thank fuck I can go and stand in the freezer.” Luckily Lick It! hadn’t gotten too warm, mostly because we had to keep it cool, but there were days I’d volunteered to fetch stock from the kitchen freezers as often as possible so I could cool off. British summer was a hell understood only by those who’d experienced it. “Have you got a lot of family in India?”

“A bit—mostly aunties, uncles, and cousins. My grandfather too. He and I read a lot of books together. He’s retired now so it keeps him busy. We play chess online too, and I still can’t beat him.”

“That’s nice you get on well though.”

“Do you not get on with your family? You don’t have to answer if you’d rather not. I know family can be a difficult subject for a lot of people,” Rupert said. We’d reached Novel Tea at this point, golden light shining out of the large windows into the grey daylight. It wasn’t too busy, and there were several tables around the edge we could snag. I guessed the bad weather was putting people off.

“We’re fine,” I said as we stepped inside, the warmth and delicious smells of coffee and cake enveloping us. I didn’t really know how much to tell Rupert. It would kind of ruin the vibe to say my family had always considered me a problem child and too much work. I’d given up trying to get their approval several years ago, and we were barely more than acquaintances now. But it didn’t bother me, because I’d found my real family. And I liked them a hell of a lot more.

“We send birthday messages, Christmas presents, check in occasionally. Darcy and Milo are more like family to me, and they’re awesome,” I continued as we joined the short queue by the counter.

“They do seem very nice,” Rupert said.

“You’d like them. Alfie’s a nerd and Darcy’s sweet as fuck, once you get past the bossiness and the stress.”

“I mean, he has to deal with you. Is it any wonder he’s stressed?” Rupert shot me a teasing grin, and my mouth fell open in delighted shock.

I gasped playfully. “Rupert! I never knew you had it in you to be so mean. Don’t worry, I’ll still buy you lunch.”

“Oh, you don’t have to…”

“Of course I do, I invited you.” I gestured at the counter. “What do you fancy?”

We discussed the various options, and when we got to the front of the queue, placed our orders with Alex, the sexy, vaguely emo-looking owner. He had fluffy blond hair, sleeve tattoos, a permanent don’t-fuck-with-me look, and a skin-tight black T-shirt, and was most famously known as the partner of international superstar and all-around hottie, Henry Lu.

I fucking loved that, despite having the money to do anything, Alex was still running a coffee shop with his brother. But he was a typical no-nonsense Yorkshireman, and I couldn’t imagine him wanting to leave. Especially not for somewhere like LA.