Page 47 of A Lot to Unpack
I reach the tree, feeling around, my numb fingers bashing into the sides as I clumsily try to find whatever might be in there… but there’s nothing. Just bits of tree, some melted ice (at least that’s what I’m optimistically telling myself it is), but nothing of note.
‘What are you doing?’ a voice asks, causing my soul to jump out of my body for a second.
I squeal, partly because he’s startled me, partly because he’s rumbled me.
It’s Jordan, because of course it is. He’s staring at me, grinning, but the look in his eyes is one of genuine confusion.
‘I’m just… Nothing,’ I insist, rather pathetically.
‘Nothing?’ he replies. ‘Because from where I was standing, it looked like you were elbow deep in a tree.’
‘I thought I saw a red squirrel,’ I tell him, like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
‘So you thought you’d – what? – high-five it?’ he replies, clearly not buying what I’m trying to sell.
‘Okay, fine, I saw you do it first,’ I confess. ‘And I thought it was weird, so I just, you know, had a bit of a look and a feel.’
He laughs at me.
‘Oi, it’s not funny,’ I tell him. ‘You’re being really weird today. You can’t blame me for checking up on you…’
He laughs harder and it boils my blood ever so slightly – simmers it, I guess – even in this chilly weather.
‘You’re following me,’ he says.
‘No, I’m not,’ I reply.
‘Liberty. You’ve been tailing me since the hotel.’
Shiiiit.
‘You’re making it sound like I’m being creepy,’ I snap – although I’ve no right to be so defensive because it is creepy to stalk a person.
‘Because you are,’ he teases. At least he’s finding it funny. ‘Why are you following me?’
‘I wasn’t. I was just… walking. Coincidentally. In your exact direction,’ I offer up.
‘And into a tree…’
‘Okay, maybe I was a little curious, and following you… a bit,’ I reply.
‘Obviously,’ he replies.
‘But you are acting weird,’ I insist.
‘Because you were following me,’ he says, snorting with laughter. ‘When I noticed you I thought it might be funny to mess with you, to do weird stuff, to see if you followed me. When I saw you with your arm up that poor tree I knew it was time to put you out of your misery.’
‘That is so sneaky,’ I say, annoyed.
‘So is following me!’ he claps back. ‘Look, it’s cold out, and you’re going to follow me anyway so… do you want to grab brunch?’
‘What?’ I blurt.
‘Brunch,’ he says slowly and loudly, like I might be hard of hearing. ‘That’s my plan anyway, so you might as well sit with me, if you’re going to stalk me – maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for?’
‘Are you sure?’ I check.
‘No, but I’m hungry,’ he jokes. ‘So, do you fancy it?’
