‘Morning, morning. Hurrah for it being my last day until January the third.’
The cropped-haired blonde with a bright red trout-pout and black statement glasses came sauntering in, grabbed herself a mug and poured a coffee from the jug.
‘Morning, Penny.’ Vic grinned. ‘You do make me laugh. You onlywork three days a week – and that’s when you bother to show up at all.’
‘Three days plus two children equals a lifetime of hard graft and misery. Well, eighteen years of that guaranteed, anyway.’ A smirking Penny shimmied to get milk from the fridge.
‘Bonjour, bonjour. Joyeux Noël.’ Ray Glover came flouncing in, blowing air kisses. ‘Please note, I made the coffee this morning and also, I have a surprise for you today, Victoria Sharpe.’
‘Oh no. That sounds ominous.’
‘Not at all.’ Ray rinsed his mug under the tap. ‘I spoke to Jerico Flint last night, and he was insistent he came in to meet you before he heads off on his Christmas holidays.’
‘Ah, OK. I can’t believe I still haven’t met him in the flesh, to be honest.’
‘He’s a complete hottie, so you won’t be disappointed.’ Ray grinned.
‘Really? He did like the new cover, didn’t he?’ Vic enquired pensively. ‘Because he didn’t seem his overly effusive self last time we spoke.’
‘Well, his novel is out already, so he must do. Right. I’m off to the accountant’s this morning. I’d better check what books need cooking before I leave.’ Ray poured himself a fresh coffee.
‘I need to get cracking too.’ Penny picked up her drink from the side. ‘The terrible twins have a dentist appointment at two thirty – ha, “tooth hurty”, funny. So I need to leave early, I’m afraid.’
Giving Vic a knowing look, Ray headed to his office and shut the door.
‘Victoria Sharpe, the pleasure is all mine.’
Vic laughed as Jerico Flint doffed his trilby at her. ‘Hi. Great to meet you, and you are so not how I imaginedyou to look.’ She grimaced. ‘Shit. Sorry! I literally just said something I was thinking out loud.’
‘Oh, I do love it when one’s psyche has a moment of unwanted external revelation.’ Jerico looked over his over-sized horn-rimmed spectacles at her.
‘Mine has a habit of doing that,’ Vic laughed.
‘You imagined an unkempt, white-haired mad-professor-type, wearing ill-fitting chinos and smoking a pipe, didn’t you?’
Vic didn’t answer. Instead she took in the man in front of her. His appearance and sardonic, affable persona reminded her a bit of Vince Vaughn, the American actor whom she had loved in the hit summer romcomWedding Crashers.
Jerico Flint was around six foot, Vic reckoned. She had always liked a tall man, with both Nate and Steady Stuart fitting that mould. He was broader than Nate, though, with shoulder-length hair, raven black, and olive skin. He was around forty, she guessed. But it was his eyes that truly captivated her. They were a vivid green, surrounded by delicate crinkles. His indigo jeans were complemented by a vintage velvet blazer in a rich shade of burgundy, paired with a paisley shirt in hues of blue and gold.
Ray had come out of his office and was loitering to speak with Jerico, and Penny waved at the author from her desk.
Ray shook Jerico’s hand and winked at Victoria. ‘Ignore this one being so rude – you just can’t get the staff these days. I’m off to a meeting, but I wanted to wish you an incredibly happy Christmas.’ He handed Jerico a bottle-shaped gift bag.
Jerico recognised the neck of an expensive bottle of brandy inside. ‘How very kind.’
Ray headed back to his office and Vic chimed in. ‘So, where were we? Yes… I have to confess I imagined you were older. I love your jacket, by the way.’
‘Oh, this old thing.’ He laughed with his eyes as he handed Vic a book. ‘Mr Pigeons and the Waterloo Clock, signed, sealed and delivered. A gift for its jacket designer extraordinaire.’
Vic took it and grinned.
‘Everyone is loving this cover. I mean, people say don’t judge a book by one, and all that, but thank you. It’s going down a storm.’ He reached into his bag and took out a beautifully wrapped present. He handed it to her and, as if he knew her trait of never patiently waiting to open anything that was given to her, added, ‘Save it until Christmas – if you can.’ He winked. ‘It’s been so lovely to meet you, Queen Victoria.’ Then, with a pretend bow, he reached for her hand and held it a little longer than necessary.
‘You too,’ Victoria giggled.
As soon as the office door shut behind him, Penny shouted over from her desk. ‘Whoa there! Get a room, you two. I could feel that spark from here, lady.’
‘Don’t be stupid.’ Vic was blushing, as she too had felt an energy between them that had really lifted her mood. Ray hadn’t been lying either; Jerico Flint sure was a striking-looking man.
