Page 31 of Decorated

“If you’re going to say that you want to stay here and be with me, then don’t,” he said, the pain in his chest starting to spread. “We’ve only just met, and I’m a disaster. You can’t throw away an amazing opportunity on a man you just met.”

“I wouldn’t be throwing away anything for someone I just met,” Archie said.

The words were so hopeful, but Blaine didn’t want to allow himself to hope. He couldn’t ruin a good man by latching onto him and becoming a burden, which he was certain he would be.

As if he needed proof of that, he spotted Dave walking into the room just then. Worse still, Lucy Evers was with him.

“Oh, God,” he said, taking a large step back from Archie. “I’ve got to go.”

“Blaine, wait,” Archie said, taking a step after him.

Blaine pushed away even farther, nearly stumbling over one of the kids in his bid to leap behind the Christmas trees.

Archie took another step after him, but he was stopped as Rebecca flicked on a microphone at the front of the dais and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, if you would like to take a seat at one of the tables or come stand closer, our program is about to begin.”

NINE

“Blaine,”Alfie growled, fists clenched, trying to keep his voice down as the kids lined up on the dais for their performance.

Frustration like the grind of a stressed engine rolled through him as he watched Blaine slip out of sight between two of the trees. He should have seen the signs before Blaine cut and ran. He knew enough of Blaine’s past to know he was a flight risk in the face of just a hint of a serious relationship on the horizon. If he had to guess, he’d say that Blaine had been burned so many times that even a whiff of smoke made him bolt.

“Ladies and gentlemen, good evening, and welcome to the joint RAF and Hawthorne Community Arts Center Christmas toy drive party,” Robert Hawthorne greeted the guests as he stood by his daughter Rebecca’s side. “We’re so glad you could all join us here tonight. A special welcome to the kids of the Aylesford and Maidstone Children’s Homes. We’re happy to have you here, and we can’t wait to see what you’ve prepared for us tonight.”

Everyone who had paused their conversations and celebrating to watch the show applauded politely. Alfie put on asmile and clapped as well, though he felt like he might come out of his skin with the need to catch Blaine before he got away for good.

He stopped clapping and took a step towards the trees, but froze when Robert went on with, “We’d also like to welcome Group Captain Parker and Corporal Spears, who are part of the force behind the toy drive that has been going on here at Hawthorne House and in several other places this month.”

Alfie was forced to turn and nod graciously to the people who clapped politely for him and Parker. He smiled and waved in acknowledgement.

In the process, he spotted a familiar-looking man at the far end of the room. Dave, Blaine’s former business partner. He’d only seen the man in passing that one time before, but it was enough for him to recognize Dave now. He had a tall, stylish woman with him who had to be the owner of the house Blaine thought he’d burned down.

“Without further ado,” Robert went on from the dais, “let’s all sit back and enjoy the holiday song stylings of the kids from Maidstone Children’s Home.”

There was more applause as Rebecca made one last sweep around the kids spread out on the stage, then headed to an old upright piano at the side.

Most of the people in the room gave their attention fully to the kids. Alfie wished he could stand there and watch them as well. In the short time it had taken to help with their costumes, he’d made an impression on the kids, and they’d made an impression on him. He wanted to give them his full attention and cheer them on.

But a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye pulled his focus back to the trees. Blaine was either trying to hide deeper between the branches or he’d somehow gotten himself stuck.

Alfie clenched his jaw and silently growled to himself before taking a few sideways steps towards the trees. He checked to make sure none of the kids were watching him, and was momentarily distracted as one of the boys who were dressed as gingerbread men suddenly sang the chorus of the Christmas song louder than the others while breaking out some serious, viral video worthy dance moves.

The urge to just watch the kids and enjoy everything they could do was so strong. Not only that, a large part of him wished he had somehow had a more active role in planning the show. Right there, up on the stage, was a living example of everything that called to him. His poor, frightened Afghani girl would have such a good time singing and dancing with other kids.

Another shuffle from the trees and an indistinct “Uff” yanked Alfie’s attention back to Blaine. He peeled away from watching the show, stepping behind the trees and going after the biggest kid in the room.

Sure enough, Blaine had somehow gotten his sequins stuck in the branches of the rainbow tree decorated with blue decorations. His sleeve had snagged a large, glitter-covered pine cone, and in the process of trying to detach himself without dragging the entire tree down, Blaine had somehow caught his other sleeve on the string of blue lights. The more he tugged and pulled, the more damage he caused to the decorations.

“Need some help?” Alfie murmured, reaching for him.

Blaine flinched and hissed. The movement caused him to lose his balance and spill sideways into the tree. Alfie caught him and pulled him into an embrace, knocking several ornaments off the tree as he did.

They were lucky that the first of the kids’ songs ended just then and the applause hid the rustling of the tree and the crunch of one of the glass ornaments breaking as it fell.

“Let’s get you somewhere you’ll cause less damage,” Alfie said, more or less carrying Blaine away from the trees and back to the far corner of the room.

“You don’t have to help me,” Blaine insisted in a whisper as the applause died down and the next set of kids lined up on the stage for their song and dance. “I’m beyond help.”

“You are not,” Alfie said, barely acknowledging Blaine’s self-deprecation. “Take a second,” he said, making sure Blaine was standing firmly on his own two feet, then brushing pine needles off his shoulders.

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