James kept his word and didn’t bring up business again throughout lunch, s

     James kept his word and didn’t bring up business again throughout lunch, staying relatively quiet for the rest of their time together. Maurice suspected he wasn’t the kind for small talk or personal conversations, and the comfortable ground of professionalism had been his only card. Still, Maurice could tell he was trying.
     As Maurice and Rupert waved them off—they’d decided to spend the rest of the day exploring Grey’s Harbour alone—Maurice felt a great weight lift. 
     “That. Went much better.”
     “Better than I could’ve hoped,” Rupert agreed with a smile, relief clear in his voice as he hugged himself tight. 
     “You don’t wanna go with them? They’re only here one more day, right?”
     “Nah, I’ll spend tomorrow with them while you’re at work. This is such a rare occurrence.”
     “What is?”
     “Us having a day off at the same time. And more than once in a week? Unheard of.”
     Maurice chuckled. “I really do need to hire some more staff, huh?”
     “Wouldn’t be a terrible idea.”
     Maurice’s mind circled back to his conversation with James. Getting rid of his useless business partner sooner would come with many advantages, surely enough to outweigh the risk? …A good idea to look into in the new year, perhaps.
     He glanced sideways at Rue, whose arm pressed ever so slightly against his own. Typically, Maurice would have felt uncomfortable with anyone standing that close, but he found himself savouring the light warmth the familiarity brought. He almost wanted to ask if Rupert had meant all he’d said in the cafe or if he’d simply been praising him up to James. Smiling faintly to himself, he decided to assume the former, and to be honest, he wasn’t sure he’d survive hearing it again anyway.

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