The Best Man: Part One Read Online Free PDF Page B

mounting up. Noah knows the feeling all too well from his days living with her, the pair of them twisting themselves up to pay the bills—the daily grind of struggling to make ends meet, of never feeling as if you can relax, as if things will just work. Nothing ever just works out for people like him, or Julie. At least not until he met Connor.
    He walks her to the cashpoint despite her protests and draws out money from the shop’s account. She’s burning with embarrassment as she accepts it, but it doesn’t come close to the humiliation he feels when he has to ask Connor to replace the funds. The shop can’t afford to give money away, and he explains to Connor about having to dip into the account, about Julie’s struggles with finances.
    Confiding in him results in Julie rushing back into the shop on the Friday afternoon, beaming and glowing with happiness. “He’s only gone and paid my rent and college fees for the next year,” she says, breathless, and when Noah says, “Who?” she answers with her eyes wide, “Connor.” And suddenly Connor’s got another fan, won another person over. It makes him irrationally angry, can’t really figure out why, and half an hour after Julie’s left the coffee house he’s still in a foul mood, Ron busying himself in the kitchen, out of Noah’s way.
    It makes sense, therefore, that Patrick would choose that moment to pay his first visit to the shop, looking pristine and polished in his black suit and crisp white shirt.
    Noah greets him with a blunt, “What do you want?” which makes Patrick raise his eyebrows.
    “Bad time?”
    “No. Just busy.”
    Patrick looks around at the empty shop, then back at Noah. There’s unwelcome humour lighting up his eyes. “Clearly.”
    “Look,” Noah huffs, “have you come in here to buy something, or…?”
    “I’ll have a coffee, if that’s not asking too much.”
    “Why would it be asking too much?”
    Patrick stares at him. “Why do I get the feeling you’re about to rip my head off?”
    “It’s not you,” Noah says after a moment, deflating with a heavy sigh. “I just…”
    “Go on.” Patrick’s frowning now, all trace of humour gone.
    Noah doesn’t feel comfortable discussing his relationship issues with Patrick, especially when the relationship involves Patrick’s best friend. He can’t speak his mind, because Patrick’s loyalty is to Connor. “Nothing.” He attempts a smile, waves a hand up at the menu board on the wall. “Cappuccino? Latte?”
    Patrick doesn’t look at the menu. “Just a plain white coffee. Three sugars.”
    “No one needs three sugars,” Noah says, tutting, while fiddling with the coffee machine.
    “I do.”
    “You’ll get fat.”
    “I’ve been taking three sugars my whole life,” Patrick drawls. “Does it look bad on me?”
    Noah looks over his shoulder at him. Despite himself, he gives Patrick’s body a once-over, his cheeks warming when he realises what he’s doing. “Not yet,” he admits grudgingly, grabbing the finished coffee and putting it on the counter in front of Patrick. “But you’re getting older.”
    “That’s the second time you’ve called me old. Could give a fella a complex.”
    “I’m not calling you old. I’m just saying you’re not young.”
    “Because that’s better,” Patrick says dryly.
    Noah can’t help it. The smile that spreads over his face this time is genuine, and the sight of it seems to warm Patrick’s eyes.
    “Here.” He nudges the coffee closer to the edge of the counter. Patrick’s hand closes around it.
    “Thanks. What do I owe you?”
    “Nothing,” says Noah. “It’s fine.”
    “Thanks. Keep smiling,” Patrick adds just before he turns to leave. There’s an honesty to his tone that puts a hitch in Noah’s heartbeat. “Looks good on you.”
    Ron edges out of the kitchen after Patrick’s gone, Noah still staring at the door as if hooked on the sight of it.
    “Who was that?”
    Noah pulls himself together,