Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Penguin Man did, in fact, turn up out of the blue.
It was the day after the day after the day after Boxing Day – whatever it’s called – when the rest of the world was lost in a fog of cheese and wine and Morecambe and Wise repeats and Felicity and Andrea’s universe had shrunk down to being almost entirely focused on nursing Gennie and Holly back to health.
‘There’s someone here to see you,’ Andrea had said, slyly, when she spotted Felicity walking past her office door.
‘What? Who? Where?’
Andrea just smiled and waved her pen in the general direction of the cat nursery. Felicity’s mouth went dry. She ran her fingers through her hair and wondered if she smelled of dog food and whether she could quickly duck past the doorway and make it to the toilets to check.
But as she approached the room all thoughts of her own appearance went straight out of her head. James was standing by the central table, peering down at the two new arrivals with a look of absolute reverence on his face. He was wearing a soft-looking vintage brown leather jacket over a striped shirt and jeans, and his blond hair was just the right amount of tousled. Her memory had definitely underplayed the level of handsome.
Felicity leaned on the door frame and tried to look cool and effortless and not at all embarrassed about being covered in cat hair from head to toe.
‘Well now. If it isn’t Mr Penguin Man himself.’
Smooth.
James lifted his head and a slow easy grin spread across his face. His eyes seemed to her in that moment to be the bluest blue that anyone’s eyes had ever been.
‘Well good morning. How are you?’ He was speaking in low tones, not wanting to wake the sleeping pile of floof in front of him, and her heart gave a little appreciative twinge.
‘Good, I’m good, thanks,’ she replied, attempting to lower her voice to match his, even though it seemed to have gone all squeaky for some reason. ‘How’s you?’
‘Yeah. Good thanks. I brought snacks.’ He nodded towards the side counter which was covered with paper bags overflowing with fresh doughnuts and cookies alongside several boxes of food for the cats.
‘No wonder it smells like a bakery in here, wow. Are those Yum Yums? Andrea is dead partial to a Yum Yum.’
James shrugged and turned his attention back to the cats, but she could see he was suppressing a smile.
‘Just a little something to keep you all going.’
‘And more cat food. That’s amazing. Thank you. Can I get you a coffee or something? It’s about that time.’
‘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 and sharing 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 slightly awkward 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.’
‘You’re not kidding.’
A pause.
‘Surely you of all people didn’t go to an actual Christmas party?’
Don’t say it was just your mates, don’t say it was just your mates.
‘ Oh, no, it was just a couple of mates.’
Damn.
‘And a tiny bit of Prosecco, you say?’
‘Well… maybe a couple of glasses.’
‘Sure. And the rest. Well, I hope you behaved yourself anyway.’
‘I can neither confirm nor deny.’
‘You forget I’ve already seen what you’re like to party with.’
‘So you have. Great fun. The life and soul, that’s me.’
‘Of course. Like a tiny Christmas elf.’
Felicity snort-laughed before she could stop herself and her hands flew to her face in horror.
‘Oh God. Pretend you didn’t just hear that, please.’
‘Hear what?’ He gave her a flash of that grin and her insides did a little flip. Felicity smiled up at him gratefully. ‘I’d like to come back sometime. See how they’re doing. Is that okay?’
Be cool.
‘ Of course.’
‘Great. I’m heading to a party on New Year’s Eve but I was thinking I could drop in for a bit on the way over. Are you working? It’d be sometime in the afternoon, most likely.’
Another party?
‘Oh right. Yeah, I’ll be here… Quite the socialite, aren’t you? Which poor animal’s likeness will you be ripping off this time, pray tell?’
His blue eyes crinkled. ‘I don’t think it’s that kind of party. Mind you, if I remember rightly it’s black tie, so I might end up looking like a penguin anyway. Probably should find the invite, now you mention it.’ James’ brow wrinkled ever so slightly as he began patting down his coat.
She waited a moment, trying to picture him in black tie and then deciding that was a dangerous train of thought. As the silence extended between them, she found herself wondering if he might even invite her. Attempted to project the words into his mind through telepathy. Tried to summon the courage to ask if he was going alone.
But it was James who spoke in the end, breaking the tension abruptly. ‘Must have left it at home. Dammit. Anyway, see you on New Year’s.’
‘See you.’
And with that he turned and headed out of the door.
Dammit indeed.
She watched him go, taking long decisive strides. He was just so… broad.
He didn’t turn or wave. As he disappeared from view, she felt a pang of disappointment.
‘He came back.’ Andrea had sidled up behind her in the doorway.
‘Yup.’
‘Interesting.’
‘Is it?’
‘Isn’t it?’
‘I’m not sure yet,’ said Felicity. Her face was burning suddenly and she didn’t dare turn around. Hopefully the back of her head still looked reasonably nonchalant.
‘Is that a real leather jacket, do you think?’
Felicity shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I suspect so.’
‘Hmm, I’m not sure how I feel about that.’
‘I think if it’s vintage that’s okay, right? It’s not like he’s harmed any animals to make it?’
A long pause. She could practically hear the cogs in Andrea’s brain rotating.
‘I guess you’re right.’
‘Come on. It’s better than that awful plastic stuff, isn’t it? For the planet, I mean.’
Another pause.
‘I like him. Let’s assume it’s vintage.’
‘Good call.’
‘He’s got a great arse.’
‘Andrea!’
‘What? Well. He has.’
‘And that makes the wearing of dead animals okay, does it?’
‘No. Of course not. But it doesn’t hurt.’
‘You’re impossible.’
‘I’m charming and endearing. You like it.’
‘Don’t have much choice, do I? You’re also my boss.’
‘You make an excellent point. Now get back to work.’
‘Gladly.’