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Aaron had been roped in to being barman for the night. Charity was God knows where, it was Bailey’s night off and Chas had begged Aaron to cover for her. Apparently, Aaron had been too much of a soft touch to resist, which is why he was pouring a glass of red wine when Robert came in, quirking an eyebrow at him.
“Got talked into it,” Aaron said before he could ask.
“You know you look really good behind the bar,” Robert said, still smiling at him.
“Don’t get used to it,” Aaron said, but he smiled slightly when he poured Robert his pint without waiting to be asked. “How was your day?”
“Fine,” Robert said, not wanting to get into it. He’d much rather watch his fiancé working. Aaron should not look this good behind a bar. Of course, by the time last orders were called, the novelty was wearing off somewhat. He wanted Aaron to himself, in the back room, not waiting for him to finish work and lock up the pub.
As fate would have it, Chrissie was the last person in the pub, slowly sipping her glass of Chardonnay. Robert thought about making a quip about drinking alone, but let it drop. The last thing he wanted was to get into a slanging match when both Aaron and Chrissie were present. The atmosphere was already awkward enough.
“I think I should go,” Chrissie said, finishing her wine. “Leave you to your own twisted version of happy families.” Robert didn’t bite, just sighed as Chrissie left, walking around to join Aaron behind the bar.
“You look tense,” Robert said. Aaron just shrugged. Neither of them noticed Chrissie slide back into the pub, having forgotten her phone, still sitting on the table. She didn’t want either of them to notice her, but luckily they both seemed involved in their own private conversation, both behind the bar. From this angle, she could see Robert’s face clearly, but only the back of Aaron’s head.
“I’ll lock up,” Robert said. “You look exhausted. How about you go upstairs, have a shower and wait for me in bed?” Robert suggested, his trade mark smirk firmly in place, perfectly clear what he was suggesting. Chrissie felt her skin crawl. How could she once have been attracted to that? That grin had had her almost falling at his feet. God, he must have laughed at her, what an easy mark she'd been.
“No,” Aaron said. “Not today, it’s been… I’m not in the mood.”
What surprised Chrissie was the instantaneous change on Robert’s face. The smirk had faded, replaced by a genuine concern. And Chrissie could tell the difference, she’d been on the end of Robert’s fake concern too many times to fall for it again. But the way he looked at Aaron, that was real and honest.
“What’s wrong?” Robert asked.
“Nothing.”
“Aaron, I know you too damn well, I’m not doing the circle of “nothing’s wrong” all night.” Robert sighed, looking at Aaron’s face intently. The younger man didn’t back away from Robert’s gaze. “Flashbacks?” he asked quietly, so quietly that it was a strain for Chrissie to hear it. Maybe she shouldn’t be here. This was too intimate and private for her to intrude on. But before she’d made a decision, their conversation had continued.
“Yeah, it’s…” Aaron shook his head. “It’s never going to be over, I’m always going to be haunted by it. Just taken its toll on me today, that‘s all.“
The look in Robert’s eyes was one she had never seen before. A softness, as if his entire world was right in front of him. “It‘ll be all the work, I was at the yard all day then came over here and…”
“Sh,” Robert said gently, a palm curling itself around Aaron’s face, making Chrissie feel awkward again. This was the caring gentle side of Robert that even she had rarely seen. In public, the two men were rarely intimate or affectionate, something that she’d been grateful for once her husband had decided he wanted Aaron after all. Not seeing it was easier. But this, this honest affection, when it wasn’t for show, for anyone other than themselves made Chrissie wonder how she’d been so blind. How she’d missed it. It was so obvious they loved each other.
“Do you want me to sleep at Vic’s tonight?” Robert asked, without being pre-empted, with no criticism in it. Aaron could answer either way, it was obvious. That surprised Chrissie, surely Robert was always out for what he could get, to volunteer for an uncomfortable night didn’t sound like him somehow.
“No,” Aaron said. “I need you with me, I don’t want to be alone.”
“If you’re sure,” Robert said honestly. “I don’t mind. I get that you wouldn’t want to be touched tonight, after everything.”
Aaron shook his head. “Stay,” he said. “You help, you help me through it all.” Robert moved and kissed him, a gentle sweet kiss with no demand for anything more, again surprising Chrissie who somehow couldn’t tear her eyes off of the pair of them. Aaron had made it perfectly clear Robert wasn’t getting more out of him tonight, and yet Robert was still there, caring for him, loving him. Again, she wondered how she’d been so blind. Robert drew out of the kiss and his eyes landed on Chrissie over Aaron’s shoulder. He hid it though, looking at Aaron instead.
“Go and have a shower,” Robert said.
“Rob, I already said…”
“I can smell petrol on you from the scrap yard,” Robert interrupted. “Go, I’ll lock everything up, and I’ll be upstairs in ten minutes. You’ve done enough today.”
“Fine,” Aaron said, kissing him once more before leaving the pub, his footsteps sounding up the stairs.
“Sound more enthusiastic,” Robert called after him. “Had a good look have you?” Robert asked coldly to his ex wife.
“I forgot my phone,” Chrissie said, picking up the item in question. “I wasn’t… Not that I have to explain myself to you.”
“No, you don’t,” Robert said. “But I have to lock the door, so if you don’t mind. I have a fiancé to get back to.”
“Why him?” Chrissie asked. “Did you hate me that much?”
“No,” Robert said. “I hate you now, I didn’t hate you then. And he… he’s the only person in the world I don’t have to hide from. When you’ve been hiding for as long as I have, that means a lot more to me than your money ever did. I no longer owe you anything at all, so leave.”
“Robert…”
“I’m asking nicely,” Robert said, his voice tinged with a warning now. Chrissie went to the door but paused before she left.
“Are you really going to marry him?” she asked.
“Yes,” Robert said. “Providing Aaron doesn’t come to his senses before the wedding day. I have my methods of persuasion though, I’m sure you remember.” She had nothing to say to that, so she left.
Over the next couple of weeks, she paid attention to how Aaron and Robert were with each other in public. They never said anything, or did anything that would make anyone think they were together. But whenever they were in a room together, they were both acutely aware of where the other one was. And now she was looking for it, she saw the tiny touches that no casual observer would ever notice. Robert’s fingertips briefly grazing against the small of Aaron’s back when they passed. Aaron’s hand taking Robert’s fingers gently, almost grounding himself to the touch. A slight nod of the head which from either of them meant “I want to talk to you.” Once she started noticing those little things, it was like she couldn’t stop.
“Have you got a problem with me?” Aaron asked one day, when crossing paths in the street. He’d noticed her attention on him and Robert over the last week or so and it was becoming irritating and making him self conscious. More self conscious than normal, and that was saying something.
“No,” she said. “I’ve just…”
“Been watching me, yeah, I noticed,” Aaron said sharply. “Why?”
“Just… the way you are with Robert.”
“Oh, come on,” Aaron said. “You can’t still want him after everything.”
“No, I don’t,” she said. “But it is different, seeing him with you. He’s different, and it’s like… I’ve just noticed.”
“Not my problem you weren’t paying attention,” Aaron asked. “Honestly, how thick have you got to be? How many hotel stays did he go through during your six month marriage? Didn’t pick up on it, did you?”
“And you’re not the slightest bit worried that he’ll do the same thing to you?” Chrissie said. “How do you know it was always you he was meeting? Could have been any number of other men. Or women, he’s clearly not fussy.“ Aaron laughed under his breath. “Why’s that funny?”
“Because it’s laughable, thinking he was with someone else when he was with me,” Aaron said. “I can still remember how much he’d beg me to make him forget you.”
“Don’t,” Chrissie said shortly, cutting him off. She didn’t need to hear it, sure that it was true. She didn’t have feelings for Robert any longer, but he had been her husband none the less. It didn’t make it any easier to hear those things though. “Good luck, marrying him. I think you’ll need it.”
“I bet we’ll last longer than you did,” Aaron said. Chrissie sighed and left him alone. In the middle of the street, Robert came up to him.
“What did she want?” Robert asked, watching Chrissie's retreating back.
“Warning me against trusting you when you go away on those hotel trips you’re so fond of,” Aaron said.
“Aaron,” Robert started with concern.
“No,” Aaron said, interrupting him. “I know. I trust you.” Robert smiled and kissed him, gently because they were in public.
“I love you.” Aaron just smiled. No more needed to be said.