Page 11 of Love Around the Corner

“On the house,” she said, sliding into the seat opposite. “You look like you need cheering up.”

“Do I?” He put his glasses back on and Dee’s expression came into focus, uncompromising but steady.

“Are you okay?” she said. “How did things go last night?”

He picked up a sachet of sugar and ripped it open, dumping it into his latte. It was an extra sugar kind of morning. “Not great.” The words came out strangled and he realized how much he didn’t want to admit she’d been right.

But Dee wasn’t triumphant. She just put her hand over his and squeezed. “What happened, honey?”

She’d never called him ‘honey’ before. He almost smiled. “You’ll never believe it,” he said, stirring in the sugar, watching the whirlpool of coffee spin around the handle of his spoon.

“Go ahead and try me.”

He flicked a quick glance up, found himself caught by her steady gaze. “Turned out…” He shook his head, blew out a breath. “Turned out I knew the guy.”

Dee’s eyebrows rose. “From where?”

“Here.” He bit his lip against the thickening of his throat. “It was Carter.”

“Alfie?” Dee barked out a laugh. “You’re kidding me.”

He shrugged. “Told you you’d never believe it.”

“No, no,” she said, still laughing. “I believe it. I always thought that boy had hidden depths. So, what did he say? Was he as surprised as you?”

Leo shifted in his seat and took a sip of coffee. Then another.

“Leo?” Dee sounded suspicious. And when Leo still didn’t answer, she said, “You did tell him, didn’t you? You didnotlet that poor boy sit there waiting.”

“I— No, I met him. But… He was so obnoxious, Dee. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t tell him.”

She stared. “So you just left him there?”

“Hey, he told me to piss off. So I did.”

She winced, shaking her head. “But— What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know.” He stared out the window again, watching the men securing the Christmas tree in place. “Nothing, I guess.”

“Nothing? Uh-uh. That isnotan option. You can’t leave it like this, Leo. It’s not fair.”

“Fair on who?” He turned back to her. “Nothing about this isfair.”

Her expression softened and she patted his hand again. “Listen, you guys got off on the wrong foot last year. But I’m telling you, Alfie Carter is a real sweetheart—and heisthe guy you’ve been talking to all these months.” She smiled. “Maybe there’s more to him than you think?”

But Leo shook his head. He just couldn’t knit Carter and Camaro89 together into one person. “Maybe he was getting help from someone else.” He winced at the idea. “Christ, what if I’ve been falling in love with…with his assistant or someone? What if it’s some kind of twistedCyrano De Bergeracsituation?”

Dee looked sceptical, but all she said was, “Well there’s only one way to find out. Tell Alfie the truth. You know you have to, right?”

“No. I don’t know that.” He slumped in his seat, rubbing at his eyes. “I can’t even think straight. I— I didn’t really sleep last night.”

Behind Dee, the door opened. Leo’s heart jolted but it was only a couple of teenagers on their way to school. He sank back in his seat, relaxing as the door swung closed—only to be stopped halfway and pushed back open by none other than Alfie Carter.

Of course. Of fucking course.

Glancing over her shoulder, Dee stood up and fixed Leo with a meaningful look. “Okay, get your head together,” she said softly, “but then youdoneed to tell him, Leo. It’s only right.”

Leo wasn’t sure he agreed. What would be the point in making Carter as miserable as himself? Besides, if he told him… Well, that would end everything, wouldn’t it? And as twisted up as this was, he wasn’t ready to lose Camaro89 just yet.

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