Page 61 of The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop
‘I’d love to be tortoises together.’ He leaned forward and kissed her, briefly, on the corner of her mouth. Ollie felt a delicious shiver go through her, followed by a sense of contentment that, she realised, she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
‘So, tacos.’ She got up quickly, unsure what to do with the feelings, knowing that if she stayed on the sofa, gazing at Max for too much longer, she’d blurt something out, some overshare that would knock their newly determined tortoise relationship off course. ‘How spicy do you like them?’
‘I’m OK with spice,’ Max said. ‘What can I do to help?’ He followed her into the kitchen, and they prepared the food together, behaving, Ollie thought, as she switched on the oven, got out salad and sauces and spices, as if they’d known each other for years.
‘Are you going to be here for Christmas?’ Max asked, once they were sitting at the kitchen island, their tacos fully loaded on their plates. He picked one up and bit into it.
Ollie nodded, taking time to eat her mouthful, wondering how she could be honest without alerting Max to her worries about spending it alone. ‘It seems a shame not to be, now that I’ve got this place so beautifully decorated.’ She gestured at her shimmering, opulent garlands.
‘Do you have family coming down, then? And when I say down, I don’t know where they are, but I guess you can’t get too much further south than here.’
‘My parents still live in Yorkshire, but they’re going on a Scandinavian cruise over Christmas.’
‘Oh. Wow.’
‘I know. They invited me to go with them, but I can’t because of the bookshop. Besides, going on a cruise with your parents in your mid-thirties … seems a little bit like a sign that you’ve given up.’
‘Not necessarily.’
‘Have you ever been on a cruise with your parents?’
‘My parents don’t go on cruises. They tend to go to Spain or Greece if they go abroad, but they’re near some great beaches: they live just outside St Ives.’
‘Are they retired?’ Ollie asked, putting a slice of escaped pepper back in her taco.
‘My mum’s an illustrator,’ Max explained. ‘She exhibits some of her drawings in galleries in town, and gets commissions for children’s books and greetings cards, that sort of thing. Dad used to be a landscape gardener, but he gave up a couple of years ago. He still does triathlons, even though he’s sixty-eight.’
‘Is that hard for you? Did you compete alongside him?’
‘I used to,’ Max said. ‘It was something we enjoyed doing together, but we’ve swapped that for barbecues and beers when I go and see them.’ There was a pause, which Ollie wasn’t sure how to fill, and was relieved when Max did it for her. ‘I missed it, like I missed all the things I had to give up after my illness. But, in some ways, slowing down has been the best thing for me, even if the reason I had to do it wasn’t exactly welcome.’ He put his elbows on the counter and leaned towards Ollie, his expression turning serious. ‘I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I’ve noticed that, even when you’re trying to relax – the incense, walks in the countryside – you’re always working hard at it, as if it’s another thing you need to tick off a list.’
Ollie picked up a taco, put it back on her plate. ‘I’m the kind of person who will always be busy, unless I remind myself that I need some breathing space. Ihaveput some of those things on a list – it helps me remember to do them.’
‘But even on your walks, you’re intent on following these local legends—’
‘You’re interested in those too,’ Ollie pointed out.
Max nodded. ‘I am. It’s fun, and that shell is a great find.’ He pointed to where it still had pride of place onthe mantelpiece. ‘But what would you be doing this evening if I wasn’t here? Research for more events at the bookshop?’
Ollie sighed. ‘Part of the reason I’ve been doing that is because I’m still finding my feet here. I spend time with Thea and Becky at work, I know Meredith a little bit better now, and there’s Liam and Marion – and you, of course. You’re here now, you were here on Saturday, but if I just … If I always call on you, then …’
‘Then what?’
They gazed at each other over the island.
‘That whole thing about moving too fast?’ she said.
He nodded.
‘The more you come over, the less I want you to leave. But tonight’s a work night, so …’ The implication of her words hung between them, and she saw Max swallow.
‘It’s different on a work night?’ he asked gently.
She nodded. ‘I’ve said it, now: that I want us to take things slowly. And having you to stay when I’ve got work the next morning isn’t a good idea. I need my beauty sleep, and if you were here …’
Max cleared his throat. ‘Right.’ The silence fizzed between them as they focused on their food. Ollie wondered if she’d pushed things too far, bringing sex into the conversation.
‘Have you heard about Christmas Yule logs?’ Max asked, when he’d finished eating.
