Be Less Dragonfly

Freya looked around the bedroom. She felt on edge about Matt moving in. Not that she didn't want him there. It was more that she was worried that he wouldn't like it.

If he doesn't, you can get someone else. But there was definitely something about him that had piqued her interest. At this point, she was hoping she wouldn't need to find anyone else.

Freya stuck her head into the en suite again. It was looking pristine after she'd spent an hour cleaning it this afternoon. The bedroom looked fine, too. Apart from not having a usable bed, but they'd be fixing that when he got here.

Her phone buzzed. A text message from Matt.

She went downstairs. The kitchen was tidy. She checked the fridge again. Yes, there was still space for his food, though how that was likely to have changed in the half hour since she'd made the space, she wasn't sure. It wasn't as if the pack of chicken breasts was going to walk onto another shelf all by itself. Stop worrying! She heard a car drive into the backyard.

She took a deep breath before heading down to the ground floor to let him in.

Matt reversed his car into the space in the yard just as the back door to the shop opened and Freya appeared. She smiled and waved at him. His heart skipped a beat. She looked as amazing as ever. Is this really a good idea?

He got out of the car and waved back. 'Can I start bringing my stuff in?'

'Yes, sure. I'm all ready for you.'

Would that that were true! He grabbed the bin liner full of bed linen and his new suitcase from the back seat and headed inside.

'Can I take something? It'll be easier getting up the stairs if I grab one of those,' Freya offered.

'Thanks.' He handed her the bin liner and tried not to be distracted by her attractive backside as she led the way up to his room.

'How was school?' she asked.

'It was fine. Everyone's settled back in after half term. And the gossip about me and Ellen has died down. I'm not getting weird side eyes from the students any more.'

'Ellen's your ex, right?'

'Yes, sorry. I thought Em might have told you.'

'She filled me in on the basics. So Ellen's still working there?'

'Yes, and so is the bastard she's moved in with, pardon my French.'

'You can curse about him all you like. I won't be offended. I don't understand how they weren't suspended.'

'Ellen worked her charm on the Head to convince him she and Colin hadn't been doing anything dodgy, and it was all the product of a Year 7's over-active imagination.'

'Do you believe that?'

'Not for one second!'

They arrived at the top landing. Matt opened the door to the room. His room, now. The lemony scent of a cleaning product, mixed with another floral scent, hit him. It was probably coming from the reed diffuser that he spotted on the chest of drawers.

'I thought you might appreciate a desk to work on, so I've put that table and chair under the window, but if it makes the room too cluttered, I can take it away,' Freya said as she followed him into the room.

'That's fantastic. Thank you. It feels very welcoming.'

'Apart from the lack of a bed! I tried putting it together, but it's a two-person job.'

'Shall we start that now, while we've got space?' he suggested, putting his suitcase in the corner. 'If I bring all my stuff in first, we'll have less room to manoeuvre.'

She smiled. 'Good idea.'

He took off his coat and hung it on the hook on the back of the door. They spent a few minutes arranging all the pieces into the correct position on the floor.

'Looks like we've got all of it. Shall we join them together now?' he said.

Freya handed him a nut and bolt. Matt picked up a side panel. 'That lines up there. Can you pass me that spanner, please?'

She handed it to him. The pieces slotted together easily. He tightened the bolt.

'You're good at this,' she said.

'I've built a few pieces of flat-pack furniture over the years. I'm surprised the removal men didn't do it for you, though.'

'I asked, but it wasn't on their job sheet, so they refused. I'd lost the will to argue about it at that point.'

'Helpful of them,' he said, slotting the next piece into position.

They continued working together until it was nearly done. 'We just need one final bolt,' Matt said, holding his hand out for it.

'It's not here.' Freya looked worried.

'Are you sure it made it off the removal lorry?'

'Definitely. I counted them all before they left yesterday. It must be in this room somewhere.'

'It could've rolled under the drawers or the wardrobe?'

'But I put them altogether in that bag. I don't see how it could have done that.'

Matt picked up the bag. 'It's got a hole in the corner.'

'Oh shit! It could be anywhere.'

'But it's a hard floor. If it had fallen out, we'd have heard it land.'

'So it's somewhere soft, then.' She looked around. 'The chair. I was standing by it when I got the first bolt out.' She felt around the seat pad and the cushion. 'Got it! It had worked its way down the side of the seat pad.'

'Thank God for that,' Matt chuckled. 'I was thinking I'd have to sleep on the floor tonight.'

'I wouldn't have let you do that.' She blushed and looked away.

What would she have done then? Let you share her bed? He'd better stop imagining how that would've panned out. Concentrate on the job at hand.

She handed the bolt to him. It fitted perfectly. He picked up the slats and fitted them across the base. 'All done.'

Matt stood up and checked their handiwork. 'Solid as a rock. That should cope with … ' He hesitated. How are you going to complete that sentence, Matthew? 'An earthquake.'

Freya didn't comment. 'We just need to sort out the mattress now.'

It was leaning against the wardrobe in the corner. Between the two of them, they manhandled it to the end of the bed frame.

'It's surprisingly heavy,' Matt said.

'Only the best for Ryan.'

So he'd be sleeping on Ryan and Freya's mattress. That was going to feel weird. Don't think about what they must've done on this bed.

She must've noticed his discomfort. 'But if it's too firm or something, I can buy a new one.'

The mattress looked in mint condition. He couldn't ask her to replace it. He'd slept on hotel mattresses, and hundreds of people must have been up to all sorts on those. 'I'm sure this one will be fine. You grab the handles on that side. On three, we'll lift it up so it pivots on the end of the bed. That'll take the weight. Then we'll just have to nudge it into its final position.'

She nodded. 'Sounds like a plan.'

'Ready?' he asked.

'Yes, I'm good to go.'

'Ok. 1. 2. 3.'

Matt did his best to take most of the mattress's weight and manoeuvred it so it dropped easily onto the slats. After a few seconds of huffing and puffing, they got it lined up correctly.

'Ow!' Freya leaned to one side and put her hand on the small of her back.

'Are you ok? Sorry! Stupid question. You're obviously not.'

'I will be in a second. I've tweaked a muscle, I think.' She grimaced again.

'If you lean the other way, does that help?'

She did as he suggested. 'Ouch. No, it still hurts.'

'Have you had a bad back before?'

'No. I must've twisted it when we were dragging the mattress.' She sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed.

'An ice pack or some frozen peas might help.'

'The freezer's broken.'

'I'd forgotten that. I could drive up to the supermarket to get some. They're open until 10.'

'Thanks, but I'll be fine. I'm just annoyed with myself.' She was rubbing her back, but it looked like she was making the twist worse with the way she was having to move her arm.

'Do you want me to do that for you?' Why are you volunteering to touch her? You'll drive yourself crazy. Matt's inner voice had a point, but he'd offered now. Hopefully, she'd say no.

Freya hesitated. 'Yeah. That might help. Thanks.'

You're going to have to do it now! He sat down next to Freya and rested his hand gently where she'd been rubbing. He massaged the area with his thumb. 'Is that pressure ok?'

'Yeah, that's much better. You have healing hands.'

Her skin felt warm and soft under his touch. He was enjoying this far more than he should. 'Shall I stop now?'

'I guess you'd better.'

Their eyes met briefly before she looked away.

This was going to be a difficult few months.