The Mistletoe Pact by Jo Lovett
Then – July 2021
Dan
Dan’s heart rate had picked up way more than playing with daisies warranted. Right now, he’d kill to be able to reach out and kiss Evie. But Sasha, Max and Greggy were right over there and of course neither of them wanted to kiss or anything else in front of them.
Evie moved herself backwards slightly, and glanced over her shoulder at the others, presumably struck by the same thought at the same moment.
‘So now that you’re a flower-necklace-making expert,’ she said, ‘maybe we should go and join in with the others.’
‘Absolutely.’ Dan didn’t like doing any kind of exercise with Max, but just now it felt like the lesser of two evils. He jumped to his feet and held a hand out to Evie. Her hand fitted so well in his. He could ask her if she’d like to meet up some time, and he was pretty sure that, if she said yes, they’d have a great time together.
He was also pretty sure that he could get to like her far too much – maybe already did – and that there’d be huge potential to get hurt if they started something. Far too big a risk.
‘Race you over there,’ he said, indicating the others with his head.
‘Are you joking?’ Evie said. ‘That is so unfair. I’d smash you if we had a race.’ She started jogging very slowly. Dan laughed – you couldn’t grow up in the same village as Evie and not know how much she hated running – and joined her.
‘Yasssssssss,’ crowed Evie half an hour later, dancing gleefully around the goal they’d made with jumpers.
‘That was a total mis-kick,’ Dan said from the middle of the goal, folding his arms across his chest.
‘It was not,’ said Evie, still dancing. ‘It was pure calculation. Either I’m very talented or you’re a rubbish goalie. Or both.’
Dan laughed and shook his head. What he wanted to do was join in with her ridiculous dancing, because it just looked so much fun.
Evie finally stopped the dancing and said, ‘I think we might need to get going soon, Sasha, otherwise we’ll be late for the theatre, unless the journey home’s a lot shorter than it was on the way here.’ She looked at the others and said, ‘We’re going into town to see Hairspray.’
‘Wow,’ said Greggy. ‘How did you get the tickets? I hear they’re like gold dust. I mean, are you sleeping with the producer?’
‘Yeah, totally,’ Evie said, and, even though he knew it was a joke and that her love life was nothing to do with him, Dan felt a stab of pure jealousy at the thought of Evie sleeping with anyone. Insane. ‘Friends in very high places. No, it was a present from all the parents at school at the end of the year.’
As they packed all the picnic gear away, Dan reflected that this had been the most relaxed he’d been around Max for years. That would be the presence of Greggy, and also Evie.
They all wandered back to the car park together, chatting and laughing.
‘So this is us,’ said Evie, stopping in front of a remarkably clapped-out green Renault Clio parked expertly in a tiny space. ‘You’ll be astonished to hear that this is the car that broke down that time you gave me a lift to Melting.’
‘I am astonished,’ said Dan, laughing. Astonished that the car still worked at all. It made his own ten-year-old VW Golf look like a high-performance luxury sports car.
‘This car,’ said Evie, ‘is remarkable. It’s actually one year older than me. And still genuinely drives like a dream, occasionally.’
‘Wow.’ Dan nodded. ‘I don’t think I should say anything else because I don’t want to offend you.’
‘Honestly,’ Evie said. She got her – very dented – boot open on the third attempt and she and Sasha chucked their blanket and picnic bag in. ‘So it was lovely to see you all.’
She hugged and air-kissed Max and Greggy, while Dan hugged Sasha, and then Evie turned to Dan. They both hesitated for a moment and then simultaneously went in for a hug. If the other three hadn’t been standing next to them, Dan would have really struggled not to bury his face in Evie’s hair and inhale far too deeply.
She felt good pressed against him for the brief moment of their hug.
‘Goodbye, then,’ she said. He really wanted to ask her if she’d like to meet up sometime. But he really didn’t want to get hurt or to lose Evie as a friend when things didn’t work out.
‘Bye,’ he said. ‘Great to see you. Ignore Sasha’s directions on the way back.’
* * *
That evening, while Sasha and Evie were at their big theatre evening, as evidenced by a constant stream of Facebook updates from Sasha, Dan had four friends – the maximum he could seat in his flat – over to watch the cricket.
‘Good day today?’ Zubin asked him.
‘Yeah, it was actually. Picnic with my brother and his partner and one of my sisters and her best friend. Really nice day.’
‘You getting a bit closer to your brother?’ Zubin took the lid off a bottle of Corona. Dan had told him once, when they were at uni, that he’d felt awkward around Max since the accident, which was more than he ever told most people. He hadn’t told him the full story, because he never told anyone the full story.
‘Yeah, little bit.’ Not really at all. Although today had genuinely been nice. ‘What about you? See the kids today?’
‘Yep. Took them to their football matches this morning and then swimming this afternoon. The little one’s five tomorrow and I can’t see him because his mother’s taking him to her parents’. Bit of a killer, if I’m honest.’
‘I’m so sorry, mate.’ Dan squeezed Zubin’s shoulder in sympathy. This was why you were better off not getting into romantic relationships. They caused a lot of hurt.