Today was Thursday, though, and I wouldn’t worry about that now. Besides, Griff may still call this evening or tomorrow with plans of coming to visit. I could also go visit him. Tonight I would open up the wine that Creed had brought me the other night and watch Hallmark Christmas movies. No thoughts of Griff or going to see him. That could wait. Today had been a great one at work and we had almost unfinished uncrating the exhibit. I was excited about the coming week when we would prepare for opening the exhibit to the public.
When I pulled into my driveway, a silver Jeep was already parked there and the engine was running. Exhaust from the heater gave that away. I parked under the carport and wrapped my scarf around my neck, before opening the car door and stepping out. Creed was already out of his Jeep standing in front of it, waiting on me.
“Hey,” I said more pleased than I should be to see him. It was hard to get lonely when he kept showing up.
“Come with me,” he said with a grin on his face. I wasn’t sure any female would say no to Creed Sullivan when he told them to come with him. So, I didn’t feel guilty when I nodded and asked no questions before heading to the passenger side of his Jeep.
When we were both inside the warmth I buckled up the looked at him. “Where are we going?” I asked him.
“Do you remember Fleur Young?” he asked me.
How could I forget? Fleur was in love with Creed when we were kids. One summer when I had returned, they were an item although it didn’t last. My returning to Portsmouth had ended it quickly. Creed had broken up with Fleur and we had begun our whatever it was when we were fifteen. Fleur tried to make my life hell when she got the chance.
“Uh, yes. I recall Fleur,” I said the words a little too sourly.
Creed chuckled and I cut my eyes at him. “It’s been awhile but I don’t think Fleur wants to rehash old times with me. We have no old times worth speaking of,” I told him.
His crooked grin was so damn sexy I had to look away from him. Why did the man have to get better with age? He had been beautiful enough when we were teenagers. Just ask freaking Fleur Young about it.
“Fleur and her husband, Josh Clark, own a bar in Hampton. It’s not a big place, but it’s on the water and they have the best Lobster rolls in the state. Some nights they have live music. I fill in for them if I can. Just me without a band.”
Fleur was married. I relaxed a little then and I knew I was being ridiculous. I wasn’t with Creed. If they had been dating that would have been fine. I wasn’t sixteen anymore. Odd how my thinking it over rationally still didn’t make the idea of Fleur and Creed together okay.
“Oh,” I said, trying not to sound as happy about Fleur’s marital status as I was.
“I’m going to play for two hours tonight. They don’t stay open late this time of year. Not enough customers.”
“Sounds nice and I’ve not had a lobster roll since I’ve been back in New England.”
He shook his head. “Shame on you.”
We rode in silence for a moment then I felt Creed glance over at me. “You weren’t really going to hold our past with Fleur against her still, were you?”
I bit my bottom lip a moment because I wasn’t sure if I was going to lie or tell the truth. A lie would save me the embarrassment. Finally I just said, “Old habits die hard.”
Creed laughed loudly then and I smiled, liking that I’d made him laugh. Even if it was at me. He had a great laugh. It was something I used to love to hear and rarely did anymore.
“Derek is one of my friends now. I learned to forgive and forget,” he said in a teasing tone.
Derek Clark was Fleur’s brother. He was one year older than us, but I didn’t recall a reason for us to dislike him. He had always been nice to me. “Derek was never an issue,” I reminded him.
“Not to you he wasn’t. He worshiped the ground you walked on. If you’d told him to jump off a cliff, he’d have done it and taken a fucking selfie in the process.”
I turned my head to look at Creed. “No he would not! He was just a nice guy. He had to be because his sister was trying to make my life hell.”
Creed rolled his eyes. “You were blind to poor Derek’s efforts. If I hadn’t been so damn jealous, I would have appreciated it more. I couldn’t laugh about it back then because I was terrified you’d fall for the older, popular guy.”