“Why would you? You never asked.”
I suppose he has a point. I do tend to avoid conversations with him as they nearly always end in an argument over something work related.
He takes another bite, staring out into the scenery as a large bird glides by. Must be some kind of hawk or falcon or something. I sort of wish I had binoculars and a bird book so I could identify it. “What about you?” he asks.
“Huh? Me?”
“Siblings?”
“Oh no, just me. Only child, my parents are divorced.” I cringe. Not sure why that’s relevant.
James nods as if he understands. “My dad left before my youngest sister was born.”
“Sorry,” I say, shuffling as the twiggy surface below me is starting to grow uncomfortable.
He shrugs as if it’s of no importance. “Sophie’s in labour. The eldest of my three sisters. She’s a year younger than me. That’s who I called earlier. Well, not her. Her husband. But he’s not answering and I’m sort of shitting myself right now.”
“Oh god, that’s… Did Michael know that?”
James bites the side of his cheek, pulling it into his mouth, leaving a hollow. “Not in detail, I guess. He doesn’t really ask about our personal lives, does he? But that’s why I shared the jet. I was late for the flight because I was at the hospital with Mum. Was hoping that meant I was off the hook. But nope.” He takes a long sigh. “I’m going to fucking sue him, Felicity.”
I frown. This is the most I’ve ever heard James talk about himself. It’s annoying because I’d prefer to keep him at arms’ length, but also, I feel bad for him and slightly resentful of Michael for dragging him out here – even if he wasn’t fully aware of his situation. And yet, I can’t bring myself to say anything bad about him, or even agree.
What’s wrong with me?
James finds another zip inside the main compartment of his rucksack. He pulls out a beige bag, fastened at the top and frowns as he opens it. Without putting too much thought into it he sticks his hand in and out come a handful of condoms and a bottle of lube. My mouth drops open as James panics, stuffing them back into the bag and to the side of his lap.
“Was that…!?”
“Mmmhmm.”
“Oh my god!Oh my god!What does he think…?”
“I don’t want to think about it,” James mutters and I’m sort of relieved when I notice colour flooding into his cheeks too. Only problem is, I can’t tell if he’s embarrassed or outraged.
“Where’s your tent?” he asks, changing the subject, a notch forming between his brows as he peers across at my now-empty bag I’m busily stuffing tampons back into.
“I’m not sure…” That’s when it hits. I grab at the sleeping bag, still fastened into its packet. “This is all I’ve got. Does he think I’m going to sleep under the stars?”
James shakes his head, a sympathetic—actually no, a patronising expression crossing his face. “Do the math, Felicity. One tent. Twenty-something condoms.”
“Is he… Is he pimping us out to each other?”
He looks back at the scenery ahead of us, broken up between patches of cloud. I’ve been in tall buildings in London before where you feel like you’re higher than the weather. A white blanket blocking out the world below. It’s somehow slightly nerve-racking seeing it here though. I didn’t think we were even that high above sea level. Or maybe it’s just low-lying cloud.
“So, let me get this straight,” I say, clenching my eyes closed as I exhale slowly. “We’ve been abandoned in the Scottish Highlands with one tent, two sleeping bags, some empty bottles and a few protein bars, twenty-something condoms and a bottle of lube?”
“And one hundred and eighty tampons,” James adds helpfully.
Chapter Six
“Idon’t know what he’s thinking…” James mutters. He moves his bag again, shifting it away as he pulls out an Ordnance Survey map and begins to unravel it. There’s a clinking, rattling sound in his bag as it lands with a thud.
“What was that?” I ask.
He frowns, as he finds another zip in the main compartment, opening it to find a bottle of clear liquid. “Vodka…” he muses. Then he laughs. “Christ, what sort of shit does he think we’re going to get up to?”
“This isn’t funny… He’s given us empty bottles for water but a full bottle of vodka?”
