Page 48 of Asking For a Friend

I walk carefully up the stairs with the breakfast. Spilling or dropping anything will kill the romance for sure. Hesketh jumps out of bed and takes the heavy tray from me. “Wow, this looks lovely.”

We settle back into bed, the tray between us. I press the plunger on the coffee pot, filling the room with the rich aroma of roasted beans. “Here you go, and good morning, darling.” I pass him the cup.

“I could get used to this.”

“Yeah, well, I expect the same when I’m at your place.”

“I can do that.” He leans back on the fluffed-up pillows and lets out a contented sigh. “This is good, Lando.”

My phone buzzes from somewhere in the room. It must still be in the pocket of my jeans. Answering it would ruin the moment, so I ignore it and add apricot jam to the croissant I plan on feeding Hesketh.

“We’re going to have to change the sheets,” Hesketh grumbles and licks a flake of pastry from his thumb.

“Then let’s make it good and messy.” I grin and pick up the jar of jam.

My phone vibrates again just as Hesketh’s rings, and not for the first time this morning. For the last hour, notifications pinged our phones, but we ignore them while we have a shower after making a mess again. I chuckle. “That will be Connor and Ellis. They will want updates, clucking like old mother hens.”

Hesketh carries on fixing his hair with a wry smile. “Ellis can wait. He kept all this a secret from me.”

“You don’t care about that. You loved the surprise.” I kiss the edge of his jaw, loving the rough scruff of whiskers against my lips.

“I loved that you were brave enough to reach out. It saved me from camping outside your front door until you forgave me.” His tone is light, but I know he still feels guilty. He promised me he would explain what had happened, but Ellis had already filled me in and told me the man I saw Hesketh with was his estranged brother.

I pick up my phone and, sighing, turn it around to show Hesketh. “I’ve got two from Connor, one from Sophie, and one from Scottie. You’d better check yours.”

“You’d think after all their meddling, they would know what we plan to do all day.”

“Oh, shit! No!” I glare at the screen. “Those fuckers. I’m going to kill them.”

Hesketh looks over my shoulder. “Oh wow! Lando, you’re amazing.” He places a warm kiss on the crook of my neck. “It’s gone viral. Look.”

One of my bloody friends has uploaded me singing onto TikTok, and so far, it’s had over five hundred thousand views. It’s all over my Instagram and YouTube. Hesketh opens up his phone. Ellis has inundated him with calls. He listens to one of the voicemails while I read all the comments.

The expression on Hesketh’s face when he realises it’s me is everything I’ve ever wanted from a man, that in a room full of people, I’m all he sees. The moment is so romantic, the tender kiss, his hands on my face as he speaks quietly and wipes a tear away.

A sniffle escapes me, and then I’m back in Hesketh’s arms. “Hey, it’s okay. I don’t think they meant to do it to upset you. We can ask them to take it down.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s just…Well, it’s daft. Never mind.”

“Tell me.”

I look up into his deep blue eyes. “I never thought anyone would love me as much as I love them.”

“Baby, I love you more.”

Christmas is only a couple of days away, and Lando hasn’t mentioned it once. He hasn’t put a tree up or decorated his house, not even one strand of gaudy tinsel. Maybe he doesn’t celebrate it or goes away somewhere, but he hasn’t said anything like that either.

I want to wake up with him on Christmas morning and have breakfast in bed again while we’re opening our presents. Hell, I’m so happy to be with him that I want silly matching pyjamas, Christmas movies, popcorn, and Baileys on Christmas Eve.

Ellis and Sophie are nagging me to invite him over for Christmas dinner. Sophie is way too smitten with him for my liking. She admitted she was a huge fan and had read all his books. I don’t think she’s told him, but I know Ellis will. He loves to make her blush.

As much as I want to delay it, I have to go back home. We did stay in bed for most of yesterday, so I didn’t need any clothes, but I only have my tux to wear, and I may be slightly overdressed for whatever he wants to do today. And it would give me the chance to get some shopping done. I need to give him a gift, even if he doesn’t want anything from me. Not like my previous boyfriends. They had a list as long as my arm of presents they wanted me to buy for them. Not only for Christmas but every day of the week: theatre tickets on a Friday night, new clothes on Saturdays, dinner on Sundays, and whatever they could think of on the other days. And here’s Lando, who doesn’t ask for anything. Do I know him well enough to choose something he would want?

I’m waiting for the kettle to boil to make coffee. On the top of the Christmas present list is a Keurig. But come to think of it, that would be a present for me. I’ve only ever seen him drink herbal tea. Why would that be? Maybe he just doesn’t like coffee.

My phone vibrates across the counter. After yesterday’s constant ringing, I eventually called Ellis and told him to fuck off and leave us alone, then put it on silent. This morning, I pick it up.

“I still haven’t asked him,” I say before Ellis can say anything. “I don’t think we’ll be coming. He’s not even mentioned Christmas to me.”

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