“Okay,” I tell Jez. “The day after Sean’s funeral.” I’m waiting for a thunderclap of doom and lightning to strike me, but nothing happens. Outside the hall, the day remains incongruously sunny and warm.
Jez grins widely. “Our contact is Farzad.”
“Have we used him before?”
“No. He comes recommended by Britt atThe Telegraph.”
“I wouldn’t trust Britt to recommend coffee to a coffee bean.”
“Jesus, stop being such a fucking killjoy.”
I shake my head and push past him, making my way into the gift shop. Xavier’s still standing by the book display. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“What’s the matter?” he immediately asks, making no effort to hide his concern.
“Nothing,” I say quickly. “Just work shit.” I look around the colourful gift shop. “Seen anything nice?”
His eyes kindle with irritation. “Well, I saw a nice three-piece jigsaw and a toy microphone, but I’ve put them to one side because I’m not three.”
I blow out a breath. “Sorry,” I say honestly, and he relaxes a little, but his eyes are still busy. I look at the stands. “Did you see any books you’d like?”
His face lights. “Look at this.” He drags me over, his hand so warm on my arm, and I wonder when I’d started to feel cold down to my bones.
He gestures to a rack of books on comic book art.
I pull one down, fascinated already. “This looks good.”
“I know.” He leans over me and flicks through the pages. This close, I can feel the hard press of his body against mine. He gazes down at the pages, his eyelashes outrageously long, seemingly casting shadows onto his tanned cheeks. “Look at this chapter.”
I whistle at the picture he points to. “I’d love to be able to draw like this.”
“You can’t draw?” He glances up at me. His attention is heady, his ocean eyes bright and warm.
“Nope. Photography is my art.”
“I love art. It’s my favourite lesson at college.”
“Really?”
He nods. “Art and languages.”
“Well, you can do a lot with both of those.”
“Not according to my grandmother. You can’t draw when you’re a banker.”
“Is being a banker what you want to do?”
He draws himself up and gestures down at the beautiful lines of his body. “Reuben, does this look like a banker to you?”
“Exchange the first letter of the word for another one, and it would.”
His laughter is loud and ribald, and I find myself joining in. My hand twitches with the desire to pull him close. It’s happened a few times this afternoon, and I’ve only just stopped myself.
“What are you two laughing about?” Jez asks, coming up to us and pocketing his phone.
“Just the books,” Xavier says quickly.
Jez looks at the racks of colourful books with disinterest. “Yeah, you’re in good company with Reuben. He’s a massive nerd about comic books.”
