might have noticed in her English class if she hadn’t been focused elsewhere. But it was only now, seeing him standing up and from a distance, that she realized how well built he was, with strong arms and wide shoulders. He looked almost like a rugby player, except he was slimmer. But if Jodie was being honest, she was happy for Laura.
“He’s all right.”
Laura tilted her head and gave Jodie a patronizing nudge on the shoulder.
“Oh what, too young for you?”
“Very funny”
“How’s that going by the way? Is there any progress on the ‘extra credit’ front?” Laura punctuated the words ‘extra credit’ with a sleazy pelvic thrust that Jodie chose to ignore.
Laura may have been her best friend, but at times she could be about as subtle as a pool cue in the back of the head.
In fact, Jodie decided there and then that she was not going to mention her previous night’s dream, for two reasons - both of them Laura’s mouth.
Three regular lattes announced the return of Sean, who handed Jodie hers with a friendly wink and the question,
“I trust you’ll take a latte?”
Jodie smiled and took the coffee from him, thinking what a nice gesture that had been:
“Thank you.”
Sean handed Laura her coffee and took a seat beside her. Laura linked one of her arms with his and gave him a cute peck on the cheek.
“You’re so thoughtful,” she added. Sean smiled at her, then at Jodie, giving her a wry shrug.
“Guilty,” he added, a hint of sarcasm in his voice that just made him sound all the smoother. He took a sip from his coffee cup, before turning his attention back to Jodie.
“We’re going to catch a movie. Do you want to come with us?” he asked. Laura nodded at Sean, before turning to face Jodie and mouthing ‘no’ .
Jodie smiled, realizing that Laura clearly had other plans and that focusing on a film’s plot in a darkened movie theatre wasn’t one of them. After all, why waste good darkness and comfortable seats on a film?
“No,” she replied, “Sorry, I can’t. I’m meeting my Mum in an hour or so.”
Laura quietly mouthed the words ‘thank you.’
TWENTY
The bag of peas had started to thaw on the table as Katy finished her coffee. Rob was fidgeting with his napkin, a telltale sign of nerves, as they sat in the small café of the supermarket, neither looking the other in the eye between conversation, both frightened of the awkward silence and the uncomfortable body language.
Katy brought her hand up to her bruised forehead and rubbed it gently. Rob, feeling guilty, leaned forward.
“How’s that feeling now?” he asked. Katy looked across the table, reading Rob’s expression and assessing that he was actually concerned for her well-being, a feeling that she hadn’t felt that often in the last few years, at least, not from young men. Nevertheless, she didn’t let him off the hook entirely and replied curtly.
“It feels like I have a lump the size of my fist on my forehead, what do you think?”
Rob sat back in his chair and took a stressful sip from his coffee mug.
“I did say I was sorry.”
Katy sighed, realizing that perhaps she was being unfair. After all, it had been an accident.
“I know, I know, it’s fine.”
And then silence, the sort of silence that usually preceded the end of a bad job interview, except that in this case, there was no easy way to get out of the situation. Rob, sensing an unease between them and, if he was being honest with himself, not ready to end the conversation with the woman he was finding himself very attracted to, persisted.
“So, what do you do?” he asked, leaning forward again, a sign of his interest that was not lost on Katy. In fact, she had found herself surprised by the question. She had just assumed that the conversation was over. She considered lying to him about her job, a conceit that she would later go over in her head, wondering why she had felt the inclination to do so.
Was it because she felt threatened? Or
“He’s all right.”
Laura tilted her head and gave Jodie a patronizing nudge on the shoulder.
“Oh what, too young for you?”
“Very funny”
“How’s that going by the way? Is there any progress on the ‘extra credit’ front?” Laura punctuated the words ‘extra credit’ with a sleazy pelvic thrust that Jodie chose to ignore.
Laura may have been her best friend, but at times she could be about as subtle as a pool cue in the back of the head.
In fact, Jodie decided there and then that she was not going to mention her previous night’s dream, for two reasons - both of them Laura’s mouth.
Three regular lattes announced the return of Sean, who handed Jodie hers with a friendly wink and the question,
“I trust you’ll take a latte?”
Jodie smiled and took the coffee from him, thinking what a nice gesture that had been:
“Thank you.”
Sean handed Laura her coffee and took a seat beside her. Laura linked one of her arms with his and gave him a cute peck on the cheek.
“You’re so thoughtful,” she added. Sean smiled at her, then at Jodie, giving her a wry shrug.
“Guilty,” he added, a hint of sarcasm in his voice that just made him sound all the smoother. He took a sip from his coffee cup, before turning his attention back to Jodie.
“We’re going to catch a movie. Do you want to come with us?” he asked. Laura nodded at Sean, before turning to face Jodie and mouthing ‘no’ .
Jodie smiled, realizing that Laura clearly had other plans and that focusing on a film’s plot in a darkened movie theatre wasn’t one of them. After all, why waste good darkness and comfortable seats on a film?
“No,” she replied, “Sorry, I can’t. I’m meeting my Mum in an hour or so.”
Laura quietly mouthed the words ‘thank you.’
TWENTY
The bag of peas had started to thaw on the table as Katy finished her coffee. Rob was fidgeting with his napkin, a telltale sign of nerves, as they sat in the small café of the supermarket, neither looking the other in the eye between conversation, both frightened of the awkward silence and the uncomfortable body language.
Katy brought her hand up to her bruised forehead and rubbed it gently. Rob, feeling guilty, leaned forward.
“How’s that feeling now?” he asked. Katy looked across the table, reading Rob’s expression and assessing that he was actually concerned for her well-being, a feeling that she hadn’t felt that often in the last few years, at least, not from young men. Nevertheless, she didn’t let him off the hook entirely and replied curtly.
“It feels like I have a lump the size of my fist on my forehead, what do you think?”
Rob sat back in his chair and took a stressful sip from his coffee mug.
“I did say I was sorry.”
Katy sighed, realizing that perhaps she was being unfair. After all, it had been an accident.
“I know, I know, it’s fine.”
And then silence, the sort of silence that usually preceded the end of a bad job interview, except that in this case, there was no easy way to get out of the situation. Rob, sensing an unease between them and, if he was being honest with himself, not ready to end the conversation with the woman he was finding himself very attracted to, persisted.
“So, what do you do?” he asked, leaning forward again, a sign of his interest that was not lost on Katy. In fact, she had found herself surprised by the question. She had just assumed that the conversation was over. She considered lying to him about her job, a conceit that she would later go over in her head, wondering why she had felt the inclination to do so.
Was it because she felt threatened? Or
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