A fellow customer appeared to check out the game table and I found myself distracted. Taller than anyone I knew, he looked down at me with deep brown eyes that were warm and friendly. He had a square jaw and a dimpled chin, and his smile revealed the most perfect of teeth. He reminded me of a younger Keanu Reeves. Embarrassed to be arguing in front of him, I lowered my voice and turned away. ‘December’s the shop’s busiest time of year too, Gideon, but you know what? I still put us first.’
‘So why aren’t you there?’
‘Where?’
‘At the shop?’
As I realised what he was referring to, a flush crept across my cheeks. ‘You know why.’
‘Do I?’
I looked down at my feet, not wanting to answer his question out loud. ‘Because Wednesday is half-day closing,’ I finally said.
‘So you’re a part timer. I rest my case.’
Opting for Twister, Keanu mouthed an apology as he reached in front of me to get it. He gave me a nod and another smile as he went on his way.
I almost swooned as I watched the once seen never forgotten chap disappear into the crowd.
‘Hattie, are you still there?’
I forced myself back to the matter at hand. ‘That’s not the case and you know it. It’s not my fault Settledown’s old school.’
Gideon laughed. ‘Even so, you can hardly compare your job to mine. Sitting behind a till isn’t exactly brain work.’
I rolled my eyes. Because tapping numbers into a cash register is so much easier than tapping them into a calculator… I wondered what had happened to the Gideon I’d first met. Back then he’d said turning Gran’s little wool shop from a beloved but neglected concern into a thriving enterprise was something I should be proud of. He’d admired my business acumen and creative thinking.
‘Besides, it’s not like weneverhave time together,’ Gideon said. ‘Plus we have the holidays to look forward to. Come January, we’ll be so sick of each other we’ll be glad to get back to work.’
‘That’s not the point.’ I chewed on the inside of my cheek. For a man of few words, he seemed to have a lot to say. ‘Gideon, there’s only so many times a woman can come second to–’
‘I know. But Julia and I–’
‘Julia? I was going to saysecond to a spreadsheet.’
‘Come on, Hattie. She’s a work colleague.’
‘A colleague that can moonlight as a Priyanka Chopra lookalike.’ I looked down at the thick green tights and blue wellington boots that poked out from under my duffel coat. Attire that Julia/Priyanka wouldn’t be seen dead in. I suddenly felt like a bad Paddington Bear knock-off. ‘You do know she can take people out with her eyelashes,’ I said. ‘A simple coordinated blink and flick of her head, and that’s it. You’re done for. Rumour has it she’s a paid assassin.’
‘Tell you what, why don’t I swing by when I’m done?’
‘So now I’m meant to sit around waiting for you, am I? Like I don’t have anything better to get on with.’
‘Well, do you?’
Frustrated, I tipped my head back and looked skyward. Considering I’d already set the evening aside for us, we both knew the answer to that. I swapped my phone from one hand to the other. ‘What time are you thinking?’
‘I’m not sure.’
Letting Gideon’s words hang in the air, my irritation grew. He seemed to be making the transition fromattentive boyfriendtocan’t be arseda bit too seamlessly for my liking. Fed up with coming second place to his job, I wanted to tell him not to bother, but opening my mouth to speak, I wavered. ‘Look it’s fine,’ I said instead. Even if he did call round, I supposed I’d only end up equally annoyed when he fell asleep on the sofa. ‘We can rearrange. Just get done what you need to get done.’
‘And you’re definitely okay with that?’ Gideon asked.
I wasn’t at all, but what choice did I have? ‘I am.’
Gideon perked up. ‘Honestly, Hattie, this time I really will make it up to you.’ Whether he meant that or not, at least he had the decency to sound like he did.
I heard Julia’s voice in the background. ‘Time to go, Gideon,’ she said.
