'Witness' - The White Bridge Crime Series 3 - LGBT, manXman

20

(Three Months Later)

Adrian ushered Tom into the house with a cheery grin and a loud exclamation of 'Merry Christmas!'

He hugged his friend and shepherded him into the living room.

Rex and Eli were already there, with Dom, each of them sipping drinks and laughing.

They welcomed Tom cheerily, and Eli made space for him on the sofa.

Adrian pressed a drink into Tom's hand, and a dish of roasted peanuts into his other hand, and settled down with Dom on the loveseat.

"How are you?" Eli murmured in Tom's ear as the others continued their conversation.

Tom smiled wanly.

"I'm getting there, I think." He sighed. "I just wish I could hurry up and... get over him."

"You're still in love with him," Eli said gently. "Of course it's going to take you time."

Tom drained his drink.

"Freddie's coming today, isn't he?"

Eli nodded.

"It that alright?"

"We can be civil," Tom said. "We manage at work, we'll manage here."

Eli squeezed his hand.

"Don't worry. Rex and I'll look out for you."

*

When Fred arrived, Eli and Rex immediately began to dominate Tom's attention.

Although everyone knew what they were doing, they flirted with Tom so often and so shamelessly that Tom and Fred couldn't help but laugh.

By the time Freddie had been with them for an hour, they were all laughing and talking as if the past year had never happened.

Adrian and Dom spent a few minutes on the phone with Rachel, who was spending Christmas and New Year with Dom's sister in Italy, before Adrian scurried back to the kitchen to check on the dinner.

"Alright," he said, coming back into the living room rubbing his hands happily and looking satisfied. "Turkey should be ready in an hour or so. The Queen is on in ten minutes, so we can watch that, if you like, and then open the presents."

"How's my dough looking?" Dom asked.

"It's rising fine." Adrian grinned. "Dom's making us struffoli for dessert."

"What's stiffoli?" Fred asked.

"Struffoli," Dom laughed. "They're little fried dough balls, dipped in honey. I was going to make a cake, but I didn't think we'd have enough room after the turkey."

The group settled down around the TV to watch the Queen's Christmas speech, before Adrian and Dom started bringing piles of presents in from the hallway.

Freddie came over and sat beside Tom, holding a neatly wrapped parcel.

Tom accepted it with a word of thanks and opened it eagerly.

Freddie had bought him a beautiful, leather-bound notebook, diary, organiser combination.

"I thought you could use it at the restaurant," Fred said softly. "You're always complaining that people move your stock list, so I thought you could use this, and leave it behind the till. Justin and I can make notes on it for you, and it's always in the same place, and-"