Page 13 of The Night Before Christmas
‘Sure. Coffee would be great.’
‘Okay. But first you have to meet my boss. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’
James raised a curious eyebrow but there was no time to explain further. The mention of coffee was like a homing beacon to Andrea and within mere seconds, James, Andrea and Felicity were huddled together in the tiny break room, munching their way through baked goods, licking sugar off their fingers andsharing what felt like a reasonably companionable silence as long as Felicity didn’t catch Andrea’s eye.
That’s all she had to do.
Whatever you do… Don’t. Look. At. Andrea. And stop letting your leg linger against James’ thigh like that even though it’s right there next to you and his jeans are stretched over it, all tight and everything.
‘So,’ said Andrea eventually, her mouth full of doughnut.
‘So,’ said James.
‘Here we all are then.’
‘Looks like it.’
‘How did it feel to see Holly and Gennie again then? Thanks so much for the treats.’
‘Oh, you’re welcome. Great, actually, it’s great to see them again. Holly is so tiny I was sure she wouldn’t make it.’
‘We’re not out of the woods yet, but she’s a little fighter. I hope she’s going to pull through.’
‘Oh God yes, me too. And Gennie of course.’
‘She’s very nervous, the mum, but I think she’ll come right. You two did well.’
Felicity had completely lost the power of speech but Andrea, to her credit, was doing a great job of making small talk, not something she was normally fond of. Felicity was doubly grateful for this as it meant that as the two of them chatted, she could take a break from trying not to squirt jam down her front and could legitimately go back to pretending to listen/staring at his lovely face, in side profile now but no less appealing as a result. He’d taken his jacket off to reveal his extremely solid-looking forearms, which were so distracting that she almost missed Andrea’s crowning moment.
‘Why don’t you stay and help us with the cats this afternoon, James?’ said Andrea, brightly, as they reached a slightlyawkward lull in the conversation. ‘If you don’t have anywhere you need to be, that is.’
‘Love to,’ said James, standing up and brushing down his jeans. ‘But sadly, I have a lunch thing I really can’t miss. Maybe another time though.’
‘Sure, of course, anytime.’ It was Andrea’s turn to raise questioning eyebrows at Felicity, who studiously ignored her and led James out of the tiny room towards the back door. He hovered there a moment, then turned back towards her.
‘So.’
‘So.’
‘Thanks for coming to see us. Them, I mean. Thanks for coming to see them.’
‘My pleasure.’
‘And for the doughnuts of course.’
‘No problem. I’m so glad Holly is doing okay.’
‘All thanks to you.’
‘Oh no, that was all you. I was basically just the entertainment.’
Felicity giggled. The sound tailed off into a long silence.
‘You seem rather quiet today. Everything okay?’ James was looking at her intently.
‘Am I?’ She glanced up at him then found she had to look away. ‘Just tired, I guess. And… I had a party the other night. Why is it that when you’re eighteen you can survive on two hours’ sleep and drink yourself into oblivion with no ill effects whatsoever, but when you’re in your thirties it takes three days to get over a teeny tiny bit of Prosecco?’
‘That is both one of life’s greatest mysteries and its biggest cruelties.’
