Page 90 of The Day After Christmas
Felicity’s stomach roiled as if in protest.
‘You don’t need to worry,’ he said, still looking her right in the eyes. It was something they’d been working on, on her therapist’s advice. Maintaining eye contact. All she had to do was not look away.Don’t look down.
‘I’m quite worried actually,’ she said. ‘No one’s going to come. This is going to be a disaster and Animal Saviours is going to have to close and it’s all my fault.’
‘Right, but you see that’s the opposite of not worrying.’
Felicity nodded.
‘You don’t need to worry,’ he went on, ‘because your dad will come and he’s the only person we actually need to come. He’s told all his readers. Or at least, all of Diana’s readers. Blessed Diana and her followers can save the day all by themselves.’
‘That’s true I guess.’ She shrugged.
‘But also, you don’t need to worry because you actually askedmeto do the advertising, and I sorted it.’
‘You did?’
James smiled. ‘I did.’
‘Felicity!’ came a shout from the corridor. It was Andrea. ‘Come quickly. There are loads of people coming. Action stations, everyone.’
Felicity’s heart nearly stopped in her chest. She kissed James full on the mouth and he laughed and pulled her into a hug. ‘I delegated that job,’ she whispered. ‘I forgot.’
‘Yes, you did.’
‘And you did it.’
‘Yes, I did.’
‘Thank God for you, James Cowley.’
‘He did do a spectacular job with me, it has to be said.’
‘That He did,’ said Felicity, smiling. ‘Plus, you always did look hot in an Animal Saviours top.’
‘This old thing?’ said James, gesturing down at himself in the rather tight-fitting polo shirt, left over from his days volunteering at the centre when they first met.
‘Come on, God’s gift. Let’s go.’
And they marched out of the door to meet the crowds James had indeed conjured up out of nowhere.
CHAPTER 44
The day went by in a flash. Felicity barely had time to look up but every time she did, there was an even longer queue of people for the signing table.
The whole place looked great, the children adored meeting the puppies and kittens and rabbits, and Saskia entertained them all with her stories of daring rescues and Andrea’s various antics over the years, which had them all transfixed. It was James, though, who had had the really cunning plan. They’d sourced an old room divider and set it up in front of the table with big signs about Diana Edwards and “her” work. The squeals of delight and occasional screams of not-quite-horror-but-perhaps-extreme-surprise as avid fan after avid fan turned the corner into the makeshift signing booth and came face to face with Harry punctuated the day.
They had set up some donation buckets on tables beside the queue along with back catalogue copies of Harry’s books in what Felicity thought would be a vain attempt to raise a few more pennies on top of the £5.00 entrance fee. But when she went over and had a look at lunchtime, the books were almost all gone and the buckets were full of cash. Who knew authors could have such loyal and wonderful fans?
‘What a day,’ said Felicity, eight and a quarter hours later, kicking off her battered old Converse in the hallway of what she still thought of as James’s house.
As she wiggled her toes in the soft deep-pile carpet, she winced. They ached as if she’d just run a marathon. Or at least, she assumed that’s what it must feel like. Never having run a marathon, of course, or even done any running of any kind since adulthood. But in any case, her feet hurt quite a bit. The day had been a huge success, the centre was packed out and Felicity spent most of it walking about, standing, pointing and lifting small puppies and kittens out of cages so their visitors could give them a stroke. Not the most taxing of days but she had spoken so much it felt like she’d run out of words. Another unusual state of affairs.
‘You okay?’ said James, padding into the kitchen ahead of her and flicking on the kettle.
‘All good,’ she said, scooping up their little black cat Bobby Charlton and hugging him to her chest. He immediately started purring and rubbing his soft face on her chin. Felicity giggled. ‘Hello, gorgeous boy,’ she whispered into his fur, carrying him through to the lounge and lowering herself gingerly onto the sofa, praying he wouldn’t jump off as she did so. Mercifully, he stayed in her arms but he did look rather put out when she had the audacity to move forwards a few inches so she could tuck her legs underneath her. Eventually, though, she was forgiven, and Bobby curled up under her chin and purred louder than ever against her neck. After such a long day, it was just what she needed.
‘It went well, I think. Do you think it went well? I think it did,’ James was saying, carrying two huge steaming mugs of tea and a plate of biscuits through on a peculiarly chintzy tray that really didn’t go with anything else in that house.
