Page 79 of Fix Them Up
‘Liam said the same thing.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘It’s not that bad. People are busy – not rude.’
‘Trust me; this town is full of busy people – mainly busybodies. But we still have time to say hello and ask how you are.’ Danny shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t be able to do it.’
‘Live in London?’ I asked, a bit incredulous.
‘I lived in a small town back home. I never liked cities. I get why people do, but even going into Manchester stresses me out. I only go to do my Christmas shopping.’
‘On Christmas Eve?’
‘Yep.’ Danny grinned.
As I began to mix the plaster, I thought about Danny’s and Liam’s aversion to London. I didn’t get it. But then, I hadn’t known any different growing up. It was natural to move to London. Could I even imagine myself living somewhere else? I tried to picture myself in this house – living here in this town. I could maybe go freelance, but I was so sure I would fuck it up. But then, a slower pace of life sounded lovely. I could do exactly what I wanted to do. No more shitty meetings with clients I hated. No more packed Tubes. No more roommates and their crusty Super Noodles on the kitchen worktop.
It took an hour to complete one wall in the front room. Danny was laughing at my shoddy attempt when I smelt cedar and rain. Liam. I turned my head enough to see him from my periphery. He was leaning on the doorway, his hands crossed over his chest.
Danny’s hands moved to mine, guiding me. ‘Just go to the edge.’
I laughed as I tried and failed to push the mixture to the corners of the wall. I couldn’t quite angle my wrists in the right way. I stepped back, assessing my efforts. The white mush was patchy and uneven. It looked more like one of those hipster bars in Camden with exposed plaster and Edison bulbs. Fine for a dive bar. Not entirely the vibe for a house someone was going to buy.
‘Oh my god, this is terrible.’
‘You’re a natural,’ Danny replied, humour in his voice.
I attempted to make it better, spreading the remainder of the plaster, trying to keep it all even. Once I was done, I turned around to look at Danny.
‘What do you think? Any better?’
Danny grinned. ‘I’ve seen worse.’
I snorted. ‘Thanks.’
I turned to ask Liam and paused. He was looking at Danny with an intense, watchful expression. His eyes weren’t moving from him. A light blush on his cheeks. His gaze shifted to me and darkened with something else. Desire. He was… god. Liam’s eyes were dark and stormy.
Jealousy.
Liam was jealous.
I glanced at Danny. His eyes were shifting between Liam and me as fast as lightning, and a new realisation dawned on his face. His smile turned feral.
‘Alright, boss?’ Danny said, humour at the edge of his voice. ‘I was just teaching Kat some tricks of the trade. She’s a natural.’
Danny bumped my shoulder.
‘I don’t remember paying you to flirt, Danny.’
God, it was immature to find it sexy. I needed to grow up. I was a feminist, for fuck’s sake. I didn’t need some alpha dickhead getting all possessive. But damn. The murderous look on Liam’s face sent a thrill up my spine. I’d never had anyone jealous because of me, so sue me. It was a novel experience, the way Liam’s eyes tracked Danny’s shoulder touching mine.
Danny didn’t flinch or cower. He was grinning. He must be so used to dealing with Liam’s moods that it made him invincible. Or reckless.
Danny shrugged. ‘You know me. I can’t resist chatting up a pretty girl.’
‘She’s a woman, not a girl. And I do know you,’ Liam seethed. ‘Get back to work.’ Liam angled his head. ‘Kat, a word?’
Liam turned on his heel and stalked from the room, and I couldn’t help but stare at his arse in those utility trousers. I should be angry at him for being petty and territorial, but with an arse like that, I couldn’t stay angry forever.
Danny gave me a look. ‘I wonder what’s got into him today?’
‘I’ll go check on him,’ I said, shuffling from the room, leaving Danny to finish the wall.
