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Abby

“What’s up, Abs?” Tom asks as I take a seat in his office.

“I want to talk to you about Cameron.” I blow out a sigh, trying my best not to bounce my knee.

“He seems like a decent bloke. I appreciate him coming to speak to me about his plans for The Juniper. How is it you guys know each other?”

“He’s the guy from the other day, the one I thought you’d like.”

“You’re seeing him?” His tone is full of surprise. He knows me well enough to realise that repeats are not my modus operandi.

“It’s complicated.” I close my eyes for a moment, trying to work out how much to say. “Without TMI, I met him a few months back, when Laura and I visited Alex in Glasgow.”

“Huh,” comes his response.

“It was just a one night thing. He didn’t even know my name. And then it was really random, but we bumped into each other by The Juniper one day.”

“No way.” Tom leans forward in his seat. Clearly, Cass, Jack and their nosiness have been rubbing off on him because he seems invested in this story.

“Yes, way. I thought he was just contracting there, and we’d had fun, so I saw him again that night I left early.”

“You mean on time.” He huffs out a chuckle as he says it.

“Well, yeah. But then the next morning, he told me he owned the building. And now it feels weird.”

“What makes it weird?” He narrows his eyes in confusion.

“You mean a lot to me, Tom. You’re like a brother, not that I really know what that’s like.” I squeeze my lips together. “And The Thirst Trap is like a home to me. I don’t want anything to happen to it. I don’t want to lose you or the bar.”

“Why do you think that might happen?” He rubs his palm over his chin.

“With Cam planning to have a bar at The Juniper, it’s going to threaten what you have here.” I gesture around us with my hands. “You and the bar are more important to me. I don’t have to see him again. It’s just a fling, nothing serious.”

His frown deepens. “You’re important to me, too. Here at work, I don’t know where we’d be without you. You keep this place running smoothly, and I really appreciate it. I also value our friendship, but I don’t want either of those things to get in the way of your relationships.” He holds up his hand when I open my mouth to protest. “I don’t care if it’s just a fling. I think this guy means something to you, given he’s a repeat.” If he was wearing glasses, he’d be looking at me over the rim of them right now, such is the superiority on his face. The guy ends up in a throuple and now clearly thinks he’s some kind of relationship expert.

He continues, “As I said, Cameron seems like a decent guy to me. It certainly didn’t strike me that he’ll be going out of his way to steal our customers. And, if he tries, a little competitionis good. If our customers have more choice where to spend their money, it just means we need to bring our A-game. And I know your competitive streak will mean we win.” His smile is smug.

I sit back, letting what he just said sink in. I hope I know him well enough after all these years that I’d realise if he was hiding any concern or worry about The Juniper.

“It really is just a fling,” I tell him, unable to stop the pout.

He chuckles. “Really? That’s all you’ve got to say in response?”

I push my tongue firmly into my cheek. “And yes, I’ll make sure we win.”

“I know I can count on you.” A warmth settles in my heart. It feels good to belong, to be part of something bigger than myself. “I’m glad you spoke to me about this, but I don’t want you to worry, okay? We will take this as it comes.”

“Thanks, Tom, I appreciate it.”

“So you’re gonna see him again?” There’s curiosity in his tone and a twinkle in his eye.

“He is fun. Probably,” I say it with a shrug, and yet, relief washes through me. I don’t believe in women needing a man’s blessing for anything, but Tom is my friend as well as my boss, and his understanding means something to me.

I don’t contact Cameron for a few days after spilling water all over his crotch. In part, there’s a perverse pleasure in making him wait to hear from me. But there’s also an uncertainty. Seeing someone on repeat is new to me, and I need to take it slow, even if my indecision is driving me crazy. The date of the next play party is fast approaching though, so I shoot him off a text on my walk home from work late one night.

Me:

Fancy a playdate? There’s a regular play party on next week. I’ve got the night off to go.