Page 19 of Under the Mistletoe with You

‘Yes, but it’s rather full.I didn’t have time to unpack everything when I moved here.I really had to just focus on getting the bakery up and running.’

The spare room really is a dumping ground.If he’s honest with himself, he has no idea what half the stuff is.There are boxes that haven’t been opened or thought about, plus all his home baking equipment because the flat’s kitchen is way too small for it.It’s not as if he needs it with a professional bakery downstairs, but he can’t bear to get rid of it all.

The only thing he really did unpack was all the cookbooks.There’s a lifetime’s worth of them in here.Once they were boxed up, he did have some regrets about not culling them, but it was too late at that point.

The thing is, he hadn’t thought of his move as downsizing, because it’s not as if his London flat was big.It’s just, somehow, this flat is even smaller.

He’s been waiting for a free weekend to sort it, but there’s not been a spare moment where he’s had the energy to sit upright, never mind unpack a room of boxes, or even a single one.

And so, the spare room remains full of stuff.

‘Wait, if that’s full of stuff, and I’m sleeping in the bed ...where areyougoing to sleep?’

Christopher looks down at the couch.‘Here,’ he says, trying to sound casual.

‘Oh.’

‘It’s fine.Honestly.It’s just for one night and then we’ll get everything sorted out.’

‘Are you sure?It’s a pretty small couch.And you’re ...you know.’

‘What?’

‘Extremely tall.’

‘I’m notextremelytall.I’m just tall.’

Nash ‘hmms’ in disagreement.

‘I’ll be fine,’ Christopher says, hoping to close the matter.

The flat might be small, but surely they can keep out of each other’s hair, at least for just one night.

How hard can it be?

As if in answer, Nash knocks back the last of his tea so that his cup is nearly vertical over his head, followed by one very longahhhhhh.

Despite all the fantasies and dreams, Christopher realises that Nash Nadeau might just be the most annoying man he has ever met.

Chapter Seven

Nash

Nash is pretty certain that this Christopher Calloway guy is the most annoying man he hasevermet.

Perhaps being stuck in a tiny apartment with the world’s prissiest Englishman drinking tea awkwardly on a couch that’s definitely too small for the guy to sleep on is some kind of divine retribution for lying and running away from his problems.

And sure, Christopher is probably not going to murder Nash in his sleep, but unless Christopher gives him some space, Nash might take that option himself.

The only upside to being squished on the tiny couch is that Christopher also seems annoyed, which is quite funny.And at least the tea is good.

But what happens now?Do they both sit here until it’s time to go to sleep?Nash could pretend to work in the bedroom, but he knows he’ll just lie there and stare at the ceiling listening to the quiet sounds of Christopher being tall and awkward on the other side of the door, which somehow feels worse.

He really is very tall and awkward.Far too tall for a place this small.It’s like seeing an elk in a stable.Nash swears he saw Christopher stoop to pass through the door.Why the hell would you buy an apartment with doors too short for you?Is everything in Britain built for hobbits?

This tense silence is excruciating, and so he decides to do the thing he’s been avoiding: he checks his messages.And there are a lot of messages.

Christopher looks over, but not like a normal person.He doesn’t turn his head and sayhey you’ve got a lot of messages.He just side-eyes as he’s sipping his tea, looking like that meme of Kermit the frog.