AllFreeNovel
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He smiled. I love that he smiled so much.
“I actually brought some of my own clothes with me this time. And this.”
“And stop buying me presents! It makes me feel uncomfortable. We’re friends.”
“You’re cooking me dinner. The least I can do is bring the cocktails.”
“Drinks before dinner?” He smiled again. “If you’ve brought me more nettle juice, I’ll kill you.”
“Then you need to kill someone called Hashim. He’s one of the production company drivers and apparently and expert on shopping around our remote set. This gin is handcrafted from shit grown in a Berkshire field outside Slough.”
“Delightful.” Matt grimaced. “Go on then. There’s ice in the freezer.”
“Yes, dear.”
“I didn’t even get that kiss you offered.” Matt pointed at his apron, prompting me to press my stupid face against his cheek.
“We’re like an old married couple,” I muttered on my way to the freezer.
“Nah. We’re like friends.”
“Friends?” I laughed. Using my hands to scoop ice cubes out of a shop-bought bag, I sprinkled them into the glasses while Matt cut up the lemons.
“Two dude-bro friends just having dude-bro cocktails on a Saturday evening,” he carried on. “I’ve already been to the gym, by the way. For future reference, texts are good. You know, for saying things like, ‘Matt! I’m coming to stay again! I need feeding, and I’m bringing very…pink drinks.’”
“It’s the Pride edition,” I blurted out.
“It’s…” He lifted up one of the glasses and sniffed it. “I usually stick to white wine, but this smells…pleasant.”
“Hashim said it was top notch. I usually don’t drink at all. I’m supposed to be on some calorie-controlled diet to keep my body looking the same all the time. Keeps me healthy and my head clear.”
“Oh.” Matt took a small sip. “Well, the stir-fry is healthy. Ish. Sesame oil and noodles—probably not what you usually eat. Not a macrobiotic piece of tofu in sight.”
“Hate tofu.”
“Me too. Something about the texture.”
“Ugh.”
“Cheers!”
We clinked glasses and grinned like idiots. I had no idea what I was doing. Zero.
I took off my hat and threw it down next to the puke bucket full of flowers. Matt put two plates of food at the table, and I got up and grabbed two forks. He tutted at me and handed me chopsticks. Laughing.
I loved when he laughed.
I loved that we were doing this.
And I was shit scared of messing things up. Honestly. I wasn’t good at friendships. I wasn’t good at anything involving other people. Most of all, I was totally crap at looking after my poor, neglected heart.
“You staying then?” He peered at me from under his fringe and took another mouthful of food from the tips of his chopsticks.
“Is that all right?” I asked. My stomach did another little jolt.
“Are you going to wander around naked again before bedtime?”
“Absolutely. I need to practise my lines for tomorrow.”
