Page 9 of Closer than Ever

“Thanks. Wait and I’ll get the heating on so your American ass doesn’t freeze off.”

“Ha. You know me so well.”

Hayley couldn’t handle the cold; Anna did remember that. But that phrase, ‘you know me so well’, was that true after all this time?

Anna got the fire going and turned the oven on as Hayley looked around the living room.

“You framed this?” Hayley picked up the picture of them by the loch from the sideboard.

Anna fought a blush and failed. “It was such a wonderful day. I like to remember it.”

Hayley’s smile was a full beam. It was almost dazzling to look at. “I’m really happy that you have this. It was a great day.”

In truth, that was the day that Anna had suspected Hayley might like her back. Hayley was coming to the end of her time in Scotland and things between them had been at boiling point, or so it had felt. Hayley had held her hand and snuggled into her. They’d talked about their dreams for the future and of travelling together. It was a future which had each other in it, to some extent. The memory was now something bittersweet because none of it ever came true.

Anna prepared their meal and Hayley took a seat on the kitchen breakfast bar. Anna had a small dining table by the front window but this was fine for now. Hayley offered to help but Anna just wanted her to relax. She’d had a long journey.

“How’s the jetlag?”

“I’m five hours behind so it’s not too bad yet. I guess I’m a little tired from the journey. I might find it difficult to get up in the morning. What time do you normally get up?”

Anna always got up at the same time. She had an established sleeping routine and tended to stick to it even if she didn’t sleep well, which she often didn’t. No good could come from lying in bed alone with her thoughts. So, Anna spent as little time in bed as she could. “Seven, normally, but it’s fine. I’ll let you have a lie in.”

Hayley would be sleeping in the living room on the sofa bed. It wasn’t ideal that she didn’t have a spare bedroom for guests.

“That’s so kind of you but you don’t have to. Just come in whenever you want. I sleep like a log, so you won’t wake me.”

Anna served up two plates of lasagne with salad and slices of garlic bread, remembering how deep a sleeper Hayley used to be and how well Anna used to sleep next to her whenever they shared a bed. She may or may not have watched Hayley sleep from time to time, like a total creeper. Shrugging her thoughts away, she slid onto the high stool.

“This looks delicious!” Hayley’s eyes widened. “I remember how you used to cook for us all back in the apartment sometimes. It was the best I ate all that year.”

“I enjoyed it. Plus everyone was always eating crap or hungover so the bar wasn’t very high.”

“It made it feel like a home away from home. And that was all down to you.”

“Oh.” Hayley had never said this to her before. “I’m glad it made you feel that way.”

“I tried to replicate your potato gratin over the years, but I’ve never been able to make it quite as good.”

“Plenty of double cream. I’ll show you before you go, if you want.”

Hayley smiled. “I’d love that.”

Anna was starving, she realised with the first few bites.

Hayley made a face after she tasted hers. “Still an amazing cook then I see?”

“You like it?”

“Sure do.”

Hayley took another bite and Anna watched her. She was still adjusting to the fact that Hayley was really here, even if only for a short time. She forced herself to look away. Hayley eating food had always been a fascination of hers. There was something so pleasure centred about it. God, she had to stop sexualising this poor woman. Hayley was visiting an old friend and didn’t deserve to be lusted after like this. It wasn’t fair. Anna hated herself for it. It wasn’t right. After what felt like a long silence, Anna finally broke it. “So, what is your plan for this trip of yours?”

Hayley looked up from her food. “Plan? Did I hear you say plan?”

Anna raised an eyebrow and gave a disparaging look.

“Anna, you know I have no plan. That’s half the fun of it for me.”

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