‘You little…’ He raised a fist in mock anger but then he opened out his palm, kissed it and blew it in Olive’s direction.
‘Did he just blow you a kiss?’ Jane asked, as Oscar retreated to the bathroom.
‘Hmm? What?’ Olive rejoined Jane in the queue. ‘Oh, no! No, no. I think he had some dust on his hand.’ Olive openedher purse and absently flipped through her cards, but inside she was replaying how Oscar’s lips had moved when he’d kissed his palm and how she couldn’t wait to kiss him again when they were alone.
‘Because you know Tamara would be furious with you if he did,’ Jane tutted.
‘Furious that someone else blew me a kiss?’ Olive stepped forward in the queue.
‘Furious that you’respending time with Oscar. Making him blow you kisses.’ Jane stared up at Olive with her black kohl eyes.
‘Hang on, Oscar’s spending time with me too and I’m pretty sure it was his choice to blowmea kiss.’
‘Sure.’
‘Okay, Jane. You tell Tamara whatever you like. I’ll just be here. Living my life.’
‘What’ll it be, ladies?’
‘A flat white and a latte, please.’
‘Er… and a peppermint mocha —’
‘Oh, I’m getting yours too, am I? I don’t think so, after the way you’ve just spoken to me. Just the flat white and the latte, thanks.’ Olive paid for her drinks and walked to the collection counter whilst a flustered Jane had to try several attempts to get out the name of her coffee.
‘Everything all right?’ asked Oscar, wiping his hands on hiscoat.
‘Yep,’ said Olive, not looking his way.
‘You sure?’ he said, placing a hand on the small of her back, but Olive stepped forward, looking over the counter to see whether their drinks were any closer to being made.
‘Of course.’ She half smiled.
‘Olive, c’mon. I know we’re not best mates yet, but I can tell when something’s up.’ Oscar watched as Jane argued withthe barista when her card wouldn’t work in the machine.
‘No, we’re not best mates. We’re not anything, really,’ Olive shrugged.
‘Don’t do that.’
‘No, it’s fine. I get it. We’re just us. Unattached and having fun.’
‘Is that not what you want?’
‘Of course it’s what I want, I just don’t like the uncertainty that comes with it.’
‘Uncertainty?’
‘Yes,uncertainty – especially when you’ve got so many other options.’
‘Options? Olive…’
‘Flat white and a latte!’ called another barista who placed their drinks down so quickly they would have toppled over had Olive not been there to catch them.
Olive handed Oscar his coffee and darted back through the crowd with half a mind to head straight into the theatre without waiting forhim, but her heart tugged her back. She heard the door of the coffee shop open behind her.
‘Hey, now. What’s all this? I thought we had things figured out?’ he queried as they slowly made their way back to stage door.
‘I don’t want to be a placeholder for you for when something or someone better comes along. I don’t want to be a crappy filler episode. I want to be a… a Christmasspecial.’
