Page 34 of Only for Christmas

‘Interested, then. Either way, it’ll be easier to reject his advances if he thinks you’re with me. The more visible we are, the harder it’ll be for him to make a play during work hours.’ He nodded to where the takeaway van was parked up. ‘How about a compromise? We get coffee from the van.’

She could certainly do with a hot drink; she was starting to feel the cold. Apart from her hands, which were nice and toasty. She’d move them soon. Really soon.

‘It’s up to you,’ he said, with a shrug. ‘I’m only trying to help.’

‘I know you are, although I have to question why?’

His eyes lifted to the sky. ‘I’m asking myself the same thing.’

‘What’s in it for you?’

‘Absolutely nothing.’ He smiled down at her. ‘Other than doing a fellow human being a favour.’

His smile made her want to wrap her arms around him and warm the rest of her body. Instead, she did the sensible thing and slid her hands out from underneath his. ‘Fine. Takeaway it is.’ They headed over to the van. ‘And I know what you’re thinking,’ she said, sensing him watching her with an amused smile.

‘What am I thinking?’

‘That you don’t normally have to work this hard with a woman. I imagine you have a harem full of hotties all clamouring for your attention back home.’

He laughed. ‘Why would you think that?’

‘Oh, please. You own a mirror. Look in it.’

He stopped walking. ‘Is that your way of saying you think I’m handsome?’

She gave him an exasperated glare. ‘You’re passable.’

He resumed walking. ‘Flattered, I’m sure.’

‘So how many women do you have on the go?’

‘None.’

‘I find that hard to believe. There must be at least one?’ They joined the end of the queue and she rubbed her chilly arms.

‘Nope, no one. I’d like there to be, but I’ve been single for a while.’ He rested his hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged him off. ‘Stop that. People will see.’

‘I thought that was the idea.’ He turned to her, one eyebrow raised. ‘So it’s okay for you to ask questions about my love life, but I can’t do the same?’

‘Somehow I doubt your romantic history is as traumatic as mine.’

‘That’s quite an assumption. I’ve had my heart broken. Several times, in fact.’

That was a surprise. She imagined him impervious to heartbreak; he seemed too… robust to be floored by love. ‘Then why keep putting yourself out there?’

‘Because if I don’t, I’m never gonna meet her, am I?’

The queue shuffled forwards.

Sarah waited a beat before asking, ‘Her?’

‘The woman of my dreams. My one and only. My true love.’

‘I can’t work out whether you’re being romantic or sarcastic.’

‘Both.’ His grin widened. ‘Americano for me,’ he said, reaching the front of the queue, before turning to Sarah. ‘What can I get you, honey?’

---