Christmas at the Beach Cafe(11)

I pressed my lips together, resisting repeating his rude ‘arse-end of nowhere’ comment back at him. ‘We like it,’ I said in a terse kind of way.

‘I hope you don’t mind, I thought I’d do a bit of a fry-up,’ he said. ‘Are you hungry?’

If I’d been properly cool, I might have replied ‘Not particularly’ and stuck my nose in the air, but as I was a) not cool and b) extremely hungry, I muttered a rather ungrateful ‘Yes’ instead and started getting out plates and cutlery. I’ve got my eye on you though, I thought, as Ed shambled in bleary-eyed, his hair sticking up in true hungover style (adorable) and we sat down to eat. I’ve got the measure of you, Jake Gray, don’t you think I haven’t.

A couple of days passed, and Jake was still staying with us. Worryingly, he showed no signs of moving on any time soon. I was starting to get antsy. Not only did I still have tons to do before Christmas – the recipe book hadn’t had a look in since he’d arrived, I was yet to tick off any more stocking fillers on my list, and I hadn’t even started making Ed’s present, for example – but I was also keen to return to the ‘just-the-two-of-us’ tranquillity that I’d been looking forward to for weeks. All Jake wanted to do was party, and the novelty was rapidly wearing off.

‘So,’ I said brightly on the fourth morning of his stay. Ed had gone out to get a newspaper, leaving Jake and me in the flat. Jake was lying on the sofa with his feet up, watching The Muppet Christmas Carol but I felt too twitchy to sit down and relax. ‘What are you planning to do for Christmas itself ?’

Was that too unsubtle? Oh well, needs must.

He was laughing at something Michael Caine had just said, and for a moment I didn’t think he’d heard. Then he turned and gave me a cool, appraising look. ‘Why? Had enough of me, have you?’

Yes. ‘No,’ I said guiltily. ‘Of course not. I was just asking – ’

‘Only winding you up.’ He yawned and stretched. ‘I dunno yet. Probably go and see the olds. Or Melissa. Ed’s wife? She was asking what I was up to.’

WHAT? ‘Oh,’ I said, trying to keep my cool. Inside, my heart pounded, and I felt hot all over. Why had he said ‘Ed’s wife’ like that, when they were getting divorced? More to the point, why was Melissa asking Jake round for Christmas? ‘I thought she was with some other bloke now,’ I added, hoping he hadn’t noticed the way my hands had clenched into fists. ‘Haven’t they got a baby or something?’

Or something. See how casual and not-bothered I could sound, like I couldn’t care less.

‘Yeah, Violet. Melissa and Aidan have split up. She was upset about having Christmas just with the baby, said she still thought of me as family, so . . .’

Oh, did she now. I felt my eyes narrow to slits. Did Ed know about these plans? ‘Wouldn’t that be kind of weird?’ I asked, my heart hammering even harder. ‘Going to spend Christmas with your brother’s ex-wife?’

He shrugged. ‘Nah, not really. We always got on well. Besides, their flat is amazing, like total luxury.’ He glanced around at our small unluxurious living room just in case I hadn’t got the point.

I gave him a cold look in return. ‘But after the way she stitched Ed up . . . ?’ I said, then faltered. Did the guy have no concept of brotherly loyalty? Surely I didn’t have to spell it out to him?

He snorted. ‘Is that what Ed told you?’ he asked, sounding amused.

My face flamed. What did he mean by that? Of course that was what Ed had told me. Was Jake insinuating that he was lying, that there was more to the story than I knew?

‘Hello-o-o!’

I’d never been more relieved to hear Ed’s voice. ‘Hi!’ I yelled, feeling semi-hysterical. ‘We’re in the living room!’ I didn’t want to continue my conversation with Jake a minute longer. Quick, Ed, I felt like shouting, get in here now and rescue me from hearing any more about your sodding ex-wife.

‘God, it’s Baltic out there,’ Ed said as he walked in and chucked the newspaper down on the coffee table. Then he became aware of the strange atmosphere. ‘Everything all right?’

‘Sure,’ Jake said, eyes back on the T V. ‘Well, apart from Evie trying to get rid of me, that is . . .’

My mouth fell open. The nerve of him! ‘I wasn’t,’ I protested. ‘That’s not true!’

He winked at me. ‘Only joking,’ he said, but I knew he wasn’t. He knew exactly what he was doing. ‘Oh I love this bit,’ he said, turning back to the screen. ‘Michael Caine, you legend.’