Page 83 of The Night Before Christmas
No way was she going to be their bloody bridesmaid.
There had been long weeks before. Long, tedious weeks. Many of them, in fact, throughout her life. Weeks when life was just an endless routine of getting up, going to work, coming home, and going to bed. When time had been slow, interminable. Verging on unbearable. But not like this. Now, when things were finally happening in her world, when she was finally starting to live again, life chose to be particularly cruel.
Time flew when she was with James. Actually flew. That wasn’t just a metaphor but a cold, hard fact. The minutes were like seconds. Just when you want life to slow down so you can appreciate every moment, that’s precisely when it decides to speed up and whizz past at a million miles an hour. And then, when James and Felicity were apart and she was absolutely desperate to see him again, desperate for time to fly, that’s when it slowed down so much it was like wading through thick, viscous mud. Or time still flew but it was full of nightmarish visions of her ex-boyfriend collapsing in a heap on the floor and having to spend the night in A&E and then meeting with her best friend for wine and revelations.
How was it possible that two measly days could feel like forever?
By the time Saturday finally (finally, finally) came around, Felicity was about ready to spontaneously combust. When James knocked on the door of her flat it was all she could do notto immediately fling the door wide and jump into his arms. She stood in the hall and counted to ten. Very quickly.
When she opened the door and saw him, she burst out laughing.
He was dressed as John McClane fromDie Hard. Complete with dirty vest (very tight!), grey trousers, bare feet, police badge and (toy) gun holster. He had even smeared his face with what looked like army paint. The overall effect was funny, of course, but also incredibly sexy. Especially the bare shoulders. And the bare feet, for some reason.Hmmm.Never thought I was a feet kind of girl.
‘Well, hello there, officer,’ said Felicity, leaning against the door frame, trying to appear casual even though her whole body was tingling.
‘At your service, ma’am,’ he replied in a passably good New York accent. His blond hair was flopping over his eyes, and he pushed it back with one hand as he proudly presented her with a large bag of food with the other.
‘I got pizzas and beer. What else would John McClane eat?’
‘Twinkies!’ replied Felicity. ‘But I can live without those.’
‘Check the bag.’ James laughed, kissing her on the cheek and, pulling out his toy gun, he pretended to check the threshold, pressing himself against the wall of the hallway and then shouting ‘Clear!’ from the living room.
Felicity giggled and shut the door behind him. She peered into the bag. He had actually brought real-life Twinkies.
What else could they watch on such a night butDie Hard 2?
As they munched on stuffed crust pizza and cold Asahi beers, watching the ‘real’ John McClane attempt to take downan entire battalion of political terrorists in an airport with just his bare hands and a couple of flares, Felicity could not stop sneaking glances at James, who was sitting next to her on the sofa, apparently engrossed in the film. She was obviously trying to concentrate on the film too, of course, but he was just so damn close. She thanked the sweet Lord for her small flat – and even smaller sofa – and edged closer. Their hands were almost – almost – touching, and you could practically see the sparks flying between them. Felicity was just wondering if it was time to get naked yet when James turned to her.
‘So,’ he said, looking her right in the eye. ‘I have a very important question for you.’
Felicity’s heart did a backwards somersault. ‘Go on, officer,’ she said in a low voice.
‘Vest on or vest off?’
She laughed and began grabbing at it with her hands. ‘Definitely vest off,’ she said, pulling it over his head and running her hands over his perfect, perfect chest. The holster was the next thing to go.
Felicity woke up the next morning and even though it was still only February, it felt like the first day of spring. Unusually for her, a starfish sleeper mostly, she had slept all night nestled in the crook of James’ arm as if she had been made specifically for that spot. She cringed at how cheesy it all was, but she had even woken up with a smile on her face. An actual smile. James stirred as she traced a figure of eight on his bare stomach with her finger, idly.
‘Mmmmm, that’s good,’ he murmured.
‘Good morning,’ she whispered, the memory of the night before suddenly coming back in a rush and making her squirm.
‘Good morning yourself,’ he said, turning to kiss her forehead.
‘Let’s just stay here forever,’ she said.
He made an appreciative noise, moving his lips against her skin, and then leaned back onto the pillow, smiling a broad, happy smile. She took the opportunity to sneak another look at his Disney Prince chest and abs. Honestly, the man looked like Li Shang fromMulanwith his clothes off. It had virtually taken her breath away.
‘What are you looking at?’ he said quietly, his eyes still closed, but his voice had a smile.
‘You,’ she replied guiltily.
‘Fair play. But it’s my turn next.’
Felicity playfully pulled the covers up to her chin and giggled as she felt his hands start to wander.
‘Okay, okay! One more time but then we really must get up.’
