She arched an eyebrow. “Oh, you will alright.”
Her confidence whipped the fluttering in my stomach into a swarm.
I leaned over to kiss her again, and my smile spread over her lips. “Merry Christmas, Francesca.”
“Humbug,” she pouted before gripping the back of my head and sliding her tongue into my mouth.
As the trainrattled out of the station, I wrapped my hands around a polystyrene cup of coffee. My face ached from the grin I’d tried, and failed, to bite back all morning. Avoiding Jeremy’s inquisitive gaze from across the table, I focused out the window at the stark frost-ravished landscape rolling past.
“You’re looking awfully chipper, Trusty. What’s got into you?”
“Francesca, Francesca, Francesca,”my mind sang. I tried to temper my smile as I glanced at him. “Just looking forward to getting home and seeing my dad.”
“Fair enough. It’s always good to get home for theholidays and spend a little time with the folks.” Jeremy threaded and unthreaded his fingers on the table. “I do feel awful for Francesca though.”
Her name sounded strange on his lips now, like he was saying a word only I understood the meaning of. I really didn’t want to share her with him anymore.
“Hmm… how so?”
“The poor thing’s spending Christmas on campus. Her mother’s away on a Caribbean cruise with her ghastly new husband.”
My heart sank. “I… I didn’t know.”Why hadn’t I asked about her plans?
“You know what she’s like, brave face and all that. She said she didn’t care, that she doesn’t even like Christmas anyway. But I feel bad, us off having our jollies while she’s stuck there all alone.” Jeremy’s mouth stretched into a grimace. “That’s what I tried to talk to you about before you dashed off. I was hoping you’d be able to persuade her to come with us. I’d even asked my folks, and they were fine, delighted in fact. You know, with the idea of me finally bringing a girl home!”
“Yeah, but it’s not likethat, is it?” I blinked rapidly, as if my eyelids had just learned Morse code for ‘back the fuck off, Jeremy’.
Colour flushed Jeremy’s cheeks. “No, but… maybe. I think there’s something between us. I mean, she’s not disinterested. And…”
“And, what?”
He glanced around to check no one was listening in,then leaned forward over the table. “We nearly kissed a couple of weeks ago.”
I almost snorted out my coffee. “You what?”
The train rounded a bend, and the carriage rattled over the tracks.
“I popped by one day, but you were out. I knocked on Francesca’s door, and she was super stressed about an assignment, so I offered to help. Afterwards, we loafed about, listening to… you know, her music.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I know her music. I hear it through the wall most days.” I gestured with my hand for him to continue. “So…”
He huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, well. We had a moment.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What sort of moment?”
“She rested her head on my shoulder, and so I leaned in.”
“Right. And?”
Jeremy frowned and fixed me with a curious gaze. “Why are you suddenly so interested? You all but disappeared on us over the last few weeks.”
“Did you kiss or not?”
He huffed and slumped back in his seat. “Not.”
I realised I’d been leaning in too. Relief seeped through me as I sat back in the musty seat.
“But it almost happened.” He chewed his thumb. “I think she wanted to, but she got shy.”
