passenger side door.
"Where's Jen and Carl?" I ask.
"At Carl's Mum's café. Getting them on the way. Hop in, I won't bite." He grins impishly at me and I climb in.
"Not that I wouldn't like to," he adds as he pulls away. I shake my head, saying nothing.
He really is a terrible flirt.
We pull up outside 'Cara's Café' and Jen and Carl both come running out.
"No way, Carl's mum owns that place?" I look at Alec.
"Yeah.. She always has. Why?" He looks at me back.
"I used to go there when I was little. She does the best ice cream."
Alec nods. "That she does."
He's still looking at me when Jen and Carl get in the back seat. I glance back at him and look down.
I wish he'd stop looking at me.
"Are we going or what?" Jen smacks the back of Alec's seat.
"Sure thing." He gives her the finger over his shoulder and pulls away. I turn my attention to the view out the window.
Devon really is a beautiful place, when you look past the almost-always-there smell of cow poo, of course. But I guess, if you live in Devon you don't really notice it. Just like I don't notice the smell of exhaust fumes in London.
It's so quiet here, and while a part of me craves the hustle and bustle of the big city, the rest of me is strangely content. It had always been a second home to me, so coming back - even with how much I protested - is almost a relief.
Fields roll by as we leave the Bay and head into the county properly. I roll the window down, just a little, and breathe in the fresh air. The others are chatting casually as I admire the peace around me.
Half an hour later we arrive in Barnstaple, and Alec parks in the shopping centre car park. We take the lift down to the shopping level.
"Okay, River Island!" Jen claps and takes Carl's hand, dragging him alongside her. I laugh quietly at her enthusiasm.
Alec wraps an arm around my neck.
"Is the big city girl starting to like small country living?" he says in my ear in a low voice.
"Maybe she is, just a little," I reply, but don't shrug him off this time. I have no reason to - I walk around this way with my guy mates in London all the time.
He smiles at me and for some reason I half smile back at him. His smile is contagious, the kind that could charm the knickers off the wicked witch of the west.
The kind of charming that's dangerous.
We enter the shop, Alec still attached to my side. I spy Jen holding up two pairs of jeans, trying to decide between them.
"Baby, they look the same." Carl runs a hand through his hair.
"No, they're not." She turns to me, seemingly unfazed by Alec's arm around me. "Lexy, they're different, aren't they?"
I nod my agreement and point to the right pair. "They're a shade darker, and the stitching is different." I spin both pairs round. "Not to mention, the right ones have back pockets and the left ones don't."
"Then you should go for the right ones." Alec puts his opinion in.
"Why? What if she likes the left pair better?" I turn around.
"Because Carl likes resting his hands in the back pockets of her jeans. All guys do." He shrugs.
I look at Jen and she shrugs too.
"Right pair it is then," she decides, handing them to Carl and putting the left ones back.
I've always thought I knew a lot about guys and relationships, despite having been single for over two years, but clearly, I'm only just starting to learn.
But then again, who buys jeans based on whether or not their boyfriend likes to put his hands in the back pockets?
Jen, apparently.
"You should buy a pair like that," Alec whispers as I finger a white skirt.
"What, so you can put your hands in them?" I laugh.
"Ah, she learns quickly!" He winks. "Although, I do like these skirts and dresses you seem to like. You have good legs."
"If you're trying not to flirt, you're doing a bad job at it."
"Oh, I'm not trying not to flirt. I'm just being myself."
"Alec?" I look at him with my eyebrows raised.
"Yes, Princess?" He grins cheekily and puts his arm over my shoulders. Again.
"Shut
"Where's Jen and Carl?" I ask.
"At Carl's Mum's café. Getting them on the way. Hop in, I won't bite." He grins impishly at me and I climb in.
"Not that I wouldn't like to," he adds as he pulls away. I shake my head, saying nothing.
He really is a terrible flirt.
We pull up outside 'Cara's Café' and Jen and Carl both come running out.
"No way, Carl's mum owns that place?" I look at Alec.
"Yeah.. She always has. Why?" He looks at me back.
"I used to go there when I was little. She does the best ice cream."
Alec nods. "That she does."
He's still looking at me when Jen and Carl get in the back seat. I glance back at him and look down.
I wish he'd stop looking at me.
"Are we going or what?" Jen smacks the back of Alec's seat.
"Sure thing." He gives her the finger over his shoulder and pulls away. I turn my attention to the view out the window.
Devon really is a beautiful place, when you look past the almost-always-there smell of cow poo, of course. But I guess, if you live in Devon you don't really notice it. Just like I don't notice the smell of exhaust fumes in London.
It's so quiet here, and while a part of me craves the hustle and bustle of the big city, the rest of me is strangely content. It had always been a second home to me, so coming back - even with how much I protested - is almost a relief.
Fields roll by as we leave the Bay and head into the county properly. I roll the window down, just a little, and breathe in the fresh air. The others are chatting casually as I admire the peace around me.
Half an hour later we arrive in Barnstaple, and Alec parks in the shopping centre car park. We take the lift down to the shopping level.
"Okay, River Island!" Jen claps and takes Carl's hand, dragging him alongside her. I laugh quietly at her enthusiasm.
Alec wraps an arm around my neck.
"Is the big city girl starting to like small country living?" he says in my ear in a low voice.
"Maybe she is, just a little," I reply, but don't shrug him off this time. I have no reason to - I walk around this way with my guy mates in London all the time.
He smiles at me and for some reason I half smile back at him. His smile is contagious, the kind that could charm the knickers off the wicked witch of the west.
The kind of charming that's dangerous.
We enter the shop, Alec still attached to my side. I spy Jen holding up two pairs of jeans, trying to decide between them.
"Baby, they look the same." Carl runs a hand through his hair.
"No, they're not." She turns to me, seemingly unfazed by Alec's arm around me. "Lexy, they're different, aren't they?"
I nod my agreement and point to the right pair. "They're a shade darker, and the stitching is different." I spin both pairs round. "Not to mention, the right ones have back pockets and the left ones don't."
"Then you should go for the right ones." Alec puts his opinion in.
"Why? What if she likes the left pair better?" I turn around.
"Because Carl likes resting his hands in the back pockets of her jeans. All guys do." He shrugs.
I look at Jen and she shrugs too.
"Right pair it is then," she decides, handing them to Carl and putting the left ones back.
I've always thought I knew a lot about guys and relationships, despite having been single for over two years, but clearly, I'm only just starting to learn.
But then again, who buys jeans based on whether or not their boyfriend likes to put his hands in the back pockets?
Jen, apparently.
"You should buy a pair like that," Alec whispers as I finger a white skirt.
"What, so you can put your hands in them?" I laugh.
"Ah, she learns quickly!" He winks. "Although, I do like these skirts and dresses you seem to like. You have good legs."
"If you're trying not to flirt, you're doing a bad job at it."
"Oh, I'm not trying not to flirt. I'm just being myself."
"Alec?" I look at him with my eyebrows raised.
"Yes, Princess?" He grins cheekily and puts his arm over my shoulders. Again.
"Shut
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