The Holiday Buddies (A Romantic Comedy)

Chapter 15

Sienna

Readers, it's safe to say I shat it.

That red lipstick has a lot to answer for. I became a different person while playing that pool game. I was fucking shameless. I made it perfectly clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I was more than a little into Joe.

And, even better, I had absolutely no doubt that the feeling was mutual. In those few minutes, I knew he would probably do whatever I wanted, no questions asked. I was winning the game.

I held all the cards. I had all the power.

But as I shook Joe's hand, stared intently into those bright green eyes again, I realised I had no idea what the rules of the game were. I had no idea what to do next.

I simply had no game. And I got scared.

What did I even want to happen here? Yesterday morning I was still mourning my past relationship and today I was already moving on? Did I really want a holiday fling? Would that just make things even harder for me?

Half of me was fantasising about the idea of Joe just throwing me, caveman style, on that pool table and having his wicked way with me, while the other half was already realising how hard it could be to get over him if that did happen.

Maybe the moments of anticipation are better than the follow-through. Maybe I need to protect myself and see this as just a flirtation and nothing more.

And, yes, maybe I need to stop overthinking every bloody thing.

I laugh inwardly at the very idea of the flirtation turning into anything long-term as I glance across the table at Joe. Glasses now back in place, he's studying the menu and I can't help but marvel at his hotness once again. This is not a guy I can picture wanting to chill out and binge watch my sitcoms with me on my lumpy sofa. He belongs on red carpets, at nightclub openings, film premieres, after-parties.

He must feel my eyes on him because he glances up at me. "What?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. Surely he must know how sexy that eyebrow quirk is?

"I was just wondering if you watch TV," I blurt out honestly. Then want to smack myself in the head.

He laughs, puzzled. "Why wouldn't I?"

I shrug, knowing I'm blushing. He has no idea what's going on inside my brain right now. "What shows do you watch?" I quickly follow-up.

It's his turn to shrug. "Lots of stuff. Mostly comedy." Right answer. And it's provided me with a nice, easy topic of conversation that doesn't involve me trying to badly seduce him again.

The waitress appears then so after we have ordered we start to talk about our favourite sitcoms. It turns out he also likes my beloved Modern Family, and we also have shared love of The Office (both the American and British versions), Brooklyn 99 and Parks & Rec. He convinces me to try The Book Group, and Spaced, while I urge him to give Schitt's Creek a second chance. We both vehemently agree that Everyone Loves Raymond is a turd, with King of Queens coming a close second for the boobie prize.

Over starters and white wine, we discuss favourite Friends episodes - his is the one with Ross' leather trousers and mine is the one with Ross' fake tan. We agree, once again vehemently, that Ross is the best character.

"He makes a lot of silly mistakes," Joe says at one point. He grimaces, pushing his glasses up. "I can identify." Then he changes the subject before I can query this any further. "You were right about the baked feta - it was amazing."

"See, don't knock it 'til you've tried it. Always good to try new things," I say lightly.

His eyes flicker up, holding my gaze, and I feel my breath catch in my throat. "I'm definitely out of my comfort zone," he says softly. His eyes are suddenly burning into mine before he glances away, almost shyly.

My insides are humming with lust. I know he's not talking about cheese anymore.

That loaded silence looms up again; only a few seconds but it feels like minutes.

He sighs, pulling off his glasses. "I'm not imagining this, am I?" He asks quietly, deliberately not looking at me. "There's something here, between us. It's not just me, right?"

I inhale sharply. "No. It's not just you," I manage finally. Those green eyes latch back onto my face and, once again, I see the heat in them. I feel a shiver of desire run through me.

The moment is interrupted by the waitress bringing us our main courses. "Can I get you anything else?" She asks, her eyes lingering flirtatiously on Joe. She's pretty. I want to punch her.

He shakes his head. "No," he says tersely. "Thanks." She nods, clearly disappointed, and leaves us alone again.

"So this looks great," I say brightly, looking down at my plate. Wondering where my appetite has gone. I start cutting up my meat, pop a bit of potato in my mouth. Try to ignore the fact that Joe is still watching me. I can feel the frustration emanating off him.

"Sienna . . ." His voice sounds pained.

"We should probably talk about this later," I interject, looking back up at him. "In private." Despite the fact that our voices are low, I've noticed that the couple at the next table were half-listening to our Friends-related conversation, and I don't think it's the best idea to have a conversation about our mutual attraction while they're still sitting there.

"Okay." He nods, apologetically, flicking a glance at the couple. So he clearly has his suspicions too.

"In the meantime though," I say. "Maybe you could tell me a bit more about yourself. Because I feel like you've not really given me anything so far."

He hesitates. "Alright," he says eventually. "I'll tell you anything you want to know."

I smile. "Good."

Time to get to the bottom of who Joe - oh, for heaven's sake, I don't even know his bloody surname! - really is...

Yeah, they probably should know each other's surnames by now. 🤣 But they've finally admitted they are attracted to each other, yay!

What did you think of their taste in comedies?

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