Page 30 of Only Ever You

“I mean exactly what I said.”

Faye certainly wasn’t in love with Bash for there to be a ‘you too’ situation in the first place. And even if she was, why would she admit it?

“Waking up …aroused,and being in love, are two non-synonymous things,” she said.

“You and him are fairly synonymous from where I’m standing,” Maisie rebuked under her breath, pulling up her bold red scarf.

Faye didn’t dignify that with a response. The more she refused, the more that none of her friends believed her. She could bet that none of them said these things to Bash, either.

She clacked her metal tongues and placed twoS’more Dough?’s into aBaked By The Dozenbranded box for the next customer.

A queue formed fast as a wave of new shoppers entered the closed off street all at once. In some ways, Faye wished that Bash could see this. He would love the Nordic style huts selling hot chocolate and marshmallows, the rows and rows of lights like firebugs dangling overhead. The Christmas tree at the end of the street was gourdy and definitely not in line with the style of his work, but she was sure he would stand and admire it all the same.

Her bouquets of dough-pops were something Faye only made for online orders or occasions like these, and tonight they’d proven popular. One man had run up and hushedly purchased one, all the while looking over his shoulder. Faye’d handed over the lollipop versions of her regular doughnuts, all bound together with brown paper and snowflake themed ribbon, and watched the man dart offthrough the crowd that thinned at the exact moment in which she saw him tap on the shoulder of another man. He offered out the bundle of mini doughnuts like it was a first date bouquet of flowers, and given how the recipient gasped and blushed against the chilly air, Faye guessed that it was.

Her chest squeezed with longing to experience something like that.

Her dating life was more shrivelled than a prune. Flowers still bloomed in bright pinks and yellows outside ofBaked’s windows the last time she’d gone on a date, and before that since she’d last taken her clothes off for a man.

The dry spell hadn’t been intentional. Things just hadn’t … felt right this last year. No date had made her laugh like she should, or smile because of meaningless little things. Therefore she’d given up.

Towards eight p.m, the lull began. The shoppers thinned. The chill dropped so low that Faye and Maisie huddled near the warming ovens.

They would stay for another half an hour before packing everything away. The spare doughnuts would be dropped off at one of the shelters nearby like Faye often did with surplus produce she could no longer sell in the bakery but were still perfectly fine to eat. There were sure to be some hungry mouths who would appreciate the treat tonight.

In a gap between customers, Maisie fished around in the depths of her coat pocket. “I brought your Christmas present with me,” she said, surprising Faye, “since I know you’re not going to be here.” Faye chose to ignore the wiggle of ginger brows.

Surprise still lit up her face as Maisie pulled out a flat, palm-sized gift box tied together with ribbon, saying, “Open it now, please? I don’t want to wait another year to see what they look like on you.”

An inkling niggled within Faye that she knew what the gift might be. She made quick work of the ribbon and tissue paper andlifted one of a pair of handmade, glazed clay Christmas tree earrings. Beside them in the poly-foam padding sat a pair of snowmen.

“Oh Maisie, they’re adorable!” Handmade gifts were especially nice, and Maisie’s side business was full of them.

Maisie blushed at the complement. “I’d hoped you’d like them. They felt veryyouand I knew I had to give them to you.”

“You are so talented. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now let’s try them on.”

Faye hadn’t worn any earrings tonight since her beanie defeated the point, so she uncovered her ears whilst Maisie took the Christmas trees and placed them for her. They wobbled where they dangled when she tilted her head and posed for the photo Maisie took on her phone.

“I’ll say it again. You’re so talented, Maise. I’m going to miss you when you go.” Faye didn’t want to think much of how the time she’d thought she had left to say goodbye to her friends had been cut short with Maisie’s departure as well. Though she empathised completely with why her friend needed to leave for a while. It just … sucked.

Maisie fiddled with her coat’s belt accentuating her full figure. “I’m not goingpermanently. And I don’t know how long it’ll be for, but the rest of my family and friends are here so I’ll be back all of the time.”

“It’ll be weird having an empty seat at our friend nights,” Faye noted.

“You can always video call me and I’ll drink my own wine all of the way from Wales.”

Faye chuckled at the very plausible mental image of that.

“And anyway, the tables will be turning soon enough,” Maisie said with the same look in her eye fromSamuel’s.

Faye’s smile died. “Yeah … ”

The joy of Christmas time faded around her.It’s only for a year,she had to tell herself.You’ll only be gone for a year.Phonesexisted for this very reason to connect people when they were apart … But it wouldn’t be the same.

Seeing her sadness descend like the hours counted down right in front of her eyes, Maisie opened her arms. “Come here.” She bundled Faye up in a hug. They were the best (second to Bash’s); big and warm and from the heart.

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