bombard her back, and they started an all out pillow war. Jo continued to fob him off, knowing her best move, and when James hit right where she wanted him to, she grabbed her eye, doubling over and whining with fake pain.
“I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” James asked while catching his breath, his hand on her back, leaving his defences down.
Jo continued to hold her left eye while she reached behind her back grabbing the largest cushion. Quickly releasing her eye she smashed him over the head as hard as she could.
James tried to fend it off, but wobbled unsteadily, caught his foot in the sofa and fell on the floor with a loud thump.
“Game over. I win!” Jo shouted, raising her hands in triumph and then squealed, as James grabbed both her legs pulling her down onto the floor next to him.
Having the wind knocked out of her, it took her a moment to catch her breath. Turning to say something smart to James, she suddenly realised how close they were sitting. Their noses nearly touching as they both panted hard. Her cheeks warmed, her whole body tingling as James’s musk cologne filled her senses and sent the butterflies in her stomach into a wild frenzy. James gazed into her eyes, parted his lips and leant in closer. She stopped breathing as his breath brushed her face and she closed her eyes waiting to feel his lips on hers ….
A sharp creaking sound made her jump and she opened her eyes, to see James quickly twist his head. She followed his movement and saw Spencer appear as he closed their bedroom door. He stood with his hands on his hips, looking around at the cushions and bits of foil spread everywhere.
“Hey you two, are you starting World War Three? That’s not a very nice resolution for the New Year!”
Early the next morning Jo stood at the sink, rinsing a cup. Her mind filled with James and that almost kiss from last night. She hadn’t been able to sleep and gave up when the clock clicked over to six. Shaking her head for the umpteenth time, she tried to work out what had happened between them.
The fact that he’s been dating an old girlfriend—that he doesn’t tell her about—then he starts trying to match her up with Tobias, and then he tried to kiss her didn’t make much sense. Who wouldn’t get mixed messages from all that. It must have been the beer and champagne clouding his brain. There was no other plausible explanation. She just hoped things wouldn’t be weird between them. She really wanted to keep him as a friend.
Looking out the window at the frosty ground and thick mist, she continued to puzzle over it when the creak of floorboards made her jump. She turned quickly and sucked in a quiet breath. James stood in the doorway wearing an old woollen jumper and wrinkled jeans. His hair was messed up and his eyes were red. Appears she wasn’t the only one who didn’t get much sleep. He looked at her not saying a word and Jo’s heart went into overdrive, pounding in her chest and ears.
She had absolutely no clue what to say to him, but somehow fought the urge to run away. “Sorry. Um ... morning,” she stuttered. “Er ... Tobias. He ... um ... went for a walk ... I didn’t expect it to be ... I thought he'd come back,” she rambled on like a bumbling idiot.
“Right… Um … sorry,” he replied, while he folded his arms and gazed down at the floor.
Jo had never seen James lost for words. That was her M.O.
Sighing quietly, she tried to think of something clever to say to fill the awkward silence.
“So, it looks a bit bleak today.”
Definitely not clever, or interesting. Good one, Jo!
James nodded and then scratched his temple, looking more and more uncomfortable.
“Would you like a cup of tea? The kettles just boiled and it’s ancient, so it takes ages.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Okay, we have dialogue. Progress!
Jo bit her lip as she turned back toward the sink, wondering how long this weirdness was going to last. Could be a very long New Year’s day. She
“I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” James asked while catching his breath, his hand on her back, leaving his defences down.
Jo continued to hold her left eye while she reached behind her back grabbing the largest cushion. Quickly releasing her eye she smashed him over the head as hard as she could.
James tried to fend it off, but wobbled unsteadily, caught his foot in the sofa and fell on the floor with a loud thump.
“Game over. I win!” Jo shouted, raising her hands in triumph and then squealed, as James grabbed both her legs pulling her down onto the floor next to him.
Having the wind knocked out of her, it took her a moment to catch her breath. Turning to say something smart to James, she suddenly realised how close they were sitting. Their noses nearly touching as they both panted hard. Her cheeks warmed, her whole body tingling as James’s musk cologne filled her senses and sent the butterflies in her stomach into a wild frenzy. James gazed into her eyes, parted his lips and leant in closer. She stopped breathing as his breath brushed her face and she closed her eyes waiting to feel his lips on hers ….
A sharp creaking sound made her jump and she opened her eyes, to see James quickly twist his head. She followed his movement and saw Spencer appear as he closed their bedroom door. He stood with his hands on his hips, looking around at the cushions and bits of foil spread everywhere.
“Hey you two, are you starting World War Three? That’s not a very nice resolution for the New Year!”
Early the next morning Jo stood at the sink, rinsing a cup. Her mind filled with James and that almost kiss from last night. She hadn’t been able to sleep and gave up when the clock clicked over to six. Shaking her head for the umpteenth time, she tried to work out what had happened between them.
The fact that he’s been dating an old girlfriend—that he doesn’t tell her about—then he starts trying to match her up with Tobias, and then he tried to kiss her didn’t make much sense. Who wouldn’t get mixed messages from all that. It must have been the beer and champagne clouding his brain. There was no other plausible explanation. She just hoped things wouldn’t be weird between them. She really wanted to keep him as a friend.
Looking out the window at the frosty ground and thick mist, she continued to puzzle over it when the creak of floorboards made her jump. She turned quickly and sucked in a quiet breath. James stood in the doorway wearing an old woollen jumper and wrinkled jeans. His hair was messed up and his eyes were red. Appears she wasn’t the only one who didn’t get much sleep. He looked at her not saying a word and Jo’s heart went into overdrive, pounding in her chest and ears.
She had absolutely no clue what to say to him, but somehow fought the urge to run away. “Sorry. Um ... morning,” she stuttered. “Er ... Tobias. He ... um ... went for a walk ... I didn’t expect it to be ... I thought he'd come back,” she rambled on like a bumbling idiot.
“Right… Um … sorry,” he replied, while he folded his arms and gazed down at the floor.
Jo had never seen James lost for words. That was her M.O.
Sighing quietly, she tried to think of something clever to say to fill the awkward silence.
“So, it looks a bit bleak today.”
Definitely not clever, or interesting. Good one, Jo!
James nodded and then scratched his temple, looking more and more uncomfortable.
“Would you like a cup of tea? The kettles just boiled and it’s ancient, so it takes ages.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Okay, we have dialogue. Progress!
Jo bit her lip as she turned back toward the sink, wondering how long this weirdness was going to last. Could be a very long New Year’s day. She
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