Page 37 of The Night Before Christmas
‘I’m not fretting.’
‘Well good. So long as you’re not fretting.’
There was a hint of a smile as Andrea put her mug on the side and headed back out into the corridor, which for some reason Felicity found deeply irritating. She stared at it, Andrea’s stupidThe Cats Rule: I Just Live Heremug, with its grubby handle and its tattoo of tea stains, for a long moment, the back of her neck prickling uncomfortably with a sudden heat.
Felicity hadn’t for one moment anticipated that he might not come. That wasn’t on the agenda. Truth be told, she hadn’t thought about much else all weekend except seeing him. Not after that amazing non-date. That kiss. Bloody hell, maybe the fall had put him off after all? Or the confession. Or Adam. Any one of those things could put someone off, to be fair. Unless he really did have a Kardashian-style girlfriend or a wife and three kids, and was just trying to find a way to let her down gently.
‘Felicity!’ Andrea called from somewhere in the building, and she tried to compose herself. It was time for lunchtime feeds, and she could hear the animals getting restless and, in some cases (Bobby Charlton), demanding their dinner quite vocally. She knew she should mentally park the James situation to think about later.
‘Coming,’ she shouted back, jumping down off the desk where she had been perching and resisting the temptation to take her phone out of her pocket and text him immediately.
She did, of course, text him as soon as she got home that night.
Act casual.
Hey. Just checking in as Andrea said something came up for you. Hope all okay, F x
James (an hour later – a whole hour!):
Hey yourself. Yes, sorry about that, hope it wasn’t too busy today, so you had time to miss me. PM x
Sorry, who is this?
Ha. Cheeky bugger.
They call me, Man. Penguin Man. And you are?
Lady. Crazy Cat Lady. At your service.
And then hastily, before she could regret it:
Fancy a drink?
In for a penny and all that.
James (three minutes later, as if three minutes didn’t feel like a bloody lifetime):
No can do this week, I’m afraid. And anyway, didn’t you have a little something to sort out?
Yes, damn your eyes. Okay, fine. But next week you are taking me out again.
Fine, but next time I’m kissing you properly. You have been warned.
Felicity (basically on fire at this point):
Fine.
Fine.
Goodnight then.
Goodnight yourself.
xx
XXX
Felicity (wondering how long this might go on for):
