‘Ah yes, little Bertie. You bring him in after school tomorrow. I’d like to meet him.’
As much as I’d tried to resist Beryl’s sly interrogation technique, she’d got more information from me than I’d like, and knew a vast chunk of my life story.
‘Right, well, I’ll pop in with Bertie and look forward to starting on Wednesday.’
‘And don’t forget about Miss Harry. There’ll be no job without her say so.’
‘I won’t forget.’
I left the shop calculating how much I’d be earning each week. Beryl had been cagey on the question of wages, so I was assuming she only paid minimum wage, but even so, it would be enough to tide us over, and like the supermarket slogan said,every little helps.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Isat cross-legged, leaning against a wide-trunked oak. ‘What time did Maggie say she’d get here?’
Seb checked his watch. ‘She should be here any minute.’
He dropped to the ground and sat beside me, not quite touching, but close enough for me to feel his warmth. My body tingled. He tugged on his beard, twisting it this way and that around his fingers. I laughed.
‘What?’
‘It’s just that thing you do with your beard. It reminds me of when I used to style my sister’s hair.’
‘Oh, really? It’s a habit I’ve fallen into. I fiddle with my beard when I’m thinking.’
‘Well, I think you’d look very fetching with a braided beard.’
‘Oh, you do, do you?’ asked Seb, his eyes twinkling. ‘Go on then, give it a try.’
I shuffled forward onto my knees in front of him. ‘Are you sure?’ Seb nodded, and I divided his beard into three sections. We were so close I could feel his breath on my hands. My heart pounded as my fingers began knotting the wiry hair. Iwasn’t attracted to facial hair, but the sixteen-year-old in me was enjoying an excuse to touch him, even if it was more wire brush than smooth skin.
‘Does that hurt?’
‘No,’ he muttered. I couldn’t risk getting caught by his magnetic eyes, so focused on his lips, chapped from spending so long outside in the cold.
‘When did you grow a beard?’
Seb took a while to answer. ‘I’ve had it a while.’
‘Right.’
‘You don’t like it?’
‘It’s not that. It still surprises me. When I picture you, it’s as a clean-shaven sixteen-year-old, so each time I see you it’s a shock. And it seems a bit of a shame to hide your entire face under hair.’
Seb grinned. ‘I’m pleased you like my face, even if you don’t like my beard.’
I risked letting my gaze travel up to his face and found he was staring at me. ‘I think you’re done,’ I said, resuming my position at his side so he wouldn’t notice my blush.
Seb pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned the camera on himself. He barked out a laugh. ‘I look completely ridiculous.’
‘Yes, you do.’
The sound of an engine reached us. ‘Crap, I need to undo this before Maggie gets here or she’ll never let me live it down.’ Seb yanked at the braid. His beard tangled, resulting in something resembling one giant dreadlock.
I tried and failed not to laugh.
‘It’s not funny. I’ve got a meeting with the council later. Help me, Liv.’
