Page 69 of The Night Before Christmas
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
‘Run that by me again,’said Felicity, tapping her fingers on the table rhythmically to try and keep herself calm.
‘Your “friend” Adam, he came to see me a couple of weeks ago.’ James was methodically taking all the sugar packets out of the bowl and arranging them on the table by colour as he spoke. Pink sweeteners. Brown demerara. White caster.
‘To be clear, he’s not my friend. Came to see you where exactly?’
‘At my work. He came to see me at my office.’
Felicity made a mental note to ask him where he worked later. She had managed to glean that it was some kind of office job during their shifts together, but probably should have pried a bit deeper. Or, you know, a bit.
‘And?’
‘And he offered to take me for a drink.’
‘And?’
‘And I agreed.’
‘Yes, obviously, you agreed, although I have no idea why.’
‘The poor bloke was a mess. He wanted to talk, who was I to turn him down?’
Felicity had been making a mental list of all the questions this conversation was generating and it was already quite long. She rubbed her forehead with her thumb and forefinger and tried to focus.
‘And so, you met him for a drink? Then what happened?’
‘He said he was still in love with you, and he asked me to back off. Begged me, really. It was quite touching. He said I needed to end it now before it went any further.’ James took a deep breath. ‘He told me all about your story, how long you two were together, you were childhood sweethearts, all that jazz. He said it was destiny for you two to end up together and I would just be getting in the way.’
‘And you believed him?’
James looked sideways at her from under the cap. ‘Of course. Well, I mean, I didn’t know what to believe but there’s a code.’
‘I can’t believe that’s a real thing.’
‘Well, there is, it’s a guy thing. You and I had only ever had one kiss and so I didn’t really feel I had much claim over you or anything. I mean, it was a hell of a kiss…’
As he said this, he leaned forwards ever so slightly so she could feel his breath on her ear, and it made her whole body vibrate…
‘…but it was just a kiss and I wanted, I want, you to be happy. I really thought that if I backed off then you two could have a chance, and truth be told…’
He sounded strained, and Felicity sneaked a glance at his face.
‘Truth be told?’
‘Um… yes.’ James shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘Andtruth be told…I wasn’t exactly free.’
Felicity jerked in surprise, knocking her coffee cup properly sideways this time. There was a brief interlude while she mopped ineffectually at the resulting stain with a tissue shefound in her bag. It bought her vital seconds to gather herself together.
Eventually Felicity stopped mopping and summoned the courage to ask the question she had to ask.
‘When you say “not free”…?’ she said quietly, staring at the table in front of her.
‘I mean, I had a small obligation to someone. I don’t anymore.’ This last part was added somewhat hastily.
‘A small obligation? I’m afraid, much as I’d like it to be, this is not the Victorian era. No one has obligations these days.’
‘Okay but I did.’
