Page 36 of The Night Before Christmas
‘That’s one way of putting it.’
‘What is it between you two, anyway? You and Adam I mean?’
‘Nothing. There’s nothing between us.’
‘Well then, don’t you think it’s time you made sure Adam knew that?’
Felicity nodded. Andrea was always bloody right.
Irrationally, she hoped Andrea might go back to the James topic, tried to think of ways she could steer things back around to him, but the conversation was clearly over. They worked merrily away in silence for the rest of the morning and when break time came, Felicity checked her phone and smiled to herself as she saw all the questions from Bex and Sophie that she knew would be there.
As she scrolled further down, the blood rushed to her ears when she saw Adam’s name.
Dinner, tonight? Please. I really need to talk to you about something.
She replied before she could think about it too much.
Busy tonight, sorry.
She knew she needed to see him. Knew she needed to sort things out. She had promised James after all, and she’d promised Andrea, too, in the end; but tonight was classic movie night on Netflix and, besides, two dates/non-dates in two days with two different men? After a kiss like that? It just wasn’t her style.
Two dates every few years, that was really more what she was used to.
His reply was immediate.
Coffee then?
Maybe next weekend?
That sounds like a cop out to me.
It is.
That shut him up for a bit.
When she’d returned to her flat the previous night she had stared at the ring for a long time. She had even contemplated putting it in the bin or putting it in the post to Adam or, hell, maybe just taking it to a pawn shop. God knows she could use the money, but something had made her hesitate and she just couldn’t put her finger on exactly why that was.
Her head was mostly full of James of course, how could it not be after that kiss? That evening? It had been magical. Mostly. He had been so considerate and kind when she told him her sad story. And even when she fell over.Cringe.So why couldn’t she just take him at face value? He was so kind and so gentle with the animals; he was volunteering at an animal shelter for goodness’ sake, didn’t that speak for itself? But, but, but (went her mind),was it really possible to find a man who was genuinely kind and also really sexy? There had to be a catch, didn’t there? He had to have some kind of terrible flaw. What was it going to be? Extra toes? A hairy back? A wife and three kids? Or worse, a deeply entrenched fear of commitment? She was petrified of finding out.
But, of course, there was a niggle there. A sense of unfinished business with Adam – annoying as that was. He had that way of getting under her skin but James was right. She had to get it sorted one way or another. Get it gone. Whateveritwas. She hastily sent another text before she changed her mind.
Okay, fine. Next weekend. Just a coffee. I’m free Saturday.
This time his reply took a little longer and she sipped her drink and tried to stop herself picturing Adam at the other end of the line, looking at his diary perhaps – he was usually so busy, she thought, yet lately for some reason he seemed to have time on his hands – or trying to craft some kind of masterpiece response to make her go weak at the knees.
Her phone buzzed again.
11am Saturday. Costa Coffee in the town centre. See you then.
So, not a masterpiece then. Still, the scene was set.
Just coffee.
That was safe, right?
On Monday, she waited for James. She was working, of course, but she had one eye on the door, and it felt like a repeat of New Year’s Eve, except this time they had kissed and now the stakes seemed way higher. At break time, she caved and asked Andrea where he was.
‘Oh, yes,’ she said vaguely. ‘Something came up for him at work. He said he was very sorry, but he can’t help out this week after all.’ Then, presumably seeing Felicity’s face drop like a stone, she added, with fake breeziness, ‘He said he would try to be back next week. Don’t fret.’
