Page 55 of Twilight at Croftwood Library
‘The farmer was right. It is the best tree.’
‘Yes, the best at completely filling the room,’ he said, stepping backwards as the branches pinged outwards and hit his shins. ‘But it is taller than you, so I guess it ticks all the boxes.’
‘It does. I love it. Thanks for taking me, Oliver. It’s much better than my fake one.’
‘No problem. Well, I’d better get off. See you.’
The most natural thing in the world would be to kiss him on the cheek but after making such a fuss about the handholding it would be weird. She wished more than anything that she’d just kept hold of his hand at the Christmas tree farm. It would have been worth the inevitable heartache when they’d have let go and she’d have to try and be happy with that being all she could have. All he was going to give her. And these little things he gave her all the time; the odd look, the odd comment, his hand today, they meant everything and were devastating at the same time and Lois wasn’t sure how much longer she could carry on like this. Somehow, she had to forget that he had ever been a possibility.
30
By the time Oliver got back to the coffee house, it was the lunch rush and Patsy and Jack were run off their feet.
‘Sorry, Pats. Where do you want me?’
‘Can you start on that wadge of food orders, and we’ll keep going on the drinks. Oh, and Amy was looking for you.’
Amy was going to have to wait.
He enjoyed the repetition of making toastie, after panini, after sandwich. Being with Lois had done wonders for his mood even if her little freak out when he’d grabbed her hand had almost ruined the whole thing. He hadn’t been to Coddington since he was a kid and it brought back great memories. That was probably why he’d got a bit carried away, kind of forgotten who he was there with for a minute.
There were still a couple of orders to finish when Amy came down from the flat.
‘Oh, you’re back. I came down earlier looking for you. I didn’t know you were going out this morning. I asked Patsy to tell you to come upstairs when you got back.’
‘Patsy and Jack were run off their feet when I came back so I haven’t had the chance.’ It might have been nice if Amy had thought to lend a hand.
‘Where were you, anyway?’
‘Wholesaler.’
‘Oh right. Well, come up when you can.’ She disappeared back upstairs.
‘Don’t worry, you get off,’ Oliver said in response to Patsy’s side-eye glare at where Amy had just been stood.
‘Stick up for yourself, Ollie,’ she mumbled.
Oliver smiled and shook his head. There was no-one like Pats for telling him what was what. And no-one else who could get away with calling him Ollie after being scarred for life by being labelled Ollie-the-Wally at school.
‘Ignore her. I can look after myself.’
‘Sure you can. Why don’t you just tell her where you were? Let nature take its course.’
He sighed. ‘You know why. I’m not going to stop being friends with Lois because Amy says so. We’re not in primary school. It’s just easier not to have the conversation at all.’
‘You chicken.’
‘I’m not scared of her. I just want an easy life.’
‘Understandable, you’re a man after all. Just watch yourself.’ She pointed a spoon at him. ‘And watch Lois, she’s lovely and she deserves better than what you’re offering her.’
‘I’m not offering her anything, Pats.’
‘Exactly.’
It was only once Jack had left, he’d closed up and finished cleaning that Oliver finally went upstairs to the flat where he found Amy lying on the sofa watching television. She didn’t look up when he walked in, and he could tell by the expression on her face that she was not happy. He could and maybe should have come up earlier, but he had a feeling that this would have greeted him whenever it had been.
‘Do you fancy a takeaway?’
