Part of me is hoping and praying we can find somewhere with a phone or reception and call for help. I don’t plan on wild camping again tonight. Especially with how it ended last night. James’ body was not only toasty but firm and cosy. I hate to admit how comfortable I was with him entwined around me.
The conversation has waned completely since this morning’s argument. So, I decide to bring it up again. “So you don’t like Michael then?”
I hear James take a long breath behind me. “No.”
“Have you ever liked him?”
“Not really.”
I stare ahead of me. I never knew this. The way James hangs on his every word in meetings, the way he leans towards him in that flirtatious way, the way he always sucks up to him at events. It doesn’t add up. “Well, you’re a very good actor. Or maybe you’re a master of manipulation.”
“No… I’m a salesman. I’ve had to learn the skills to make people like me and make people believe I like them. Unless you’re naturally extroverted or have had to fight for your meals on occasion, it’s not something you’d understand.”
I stop, spinning to face him with a notch between my eyebrows. James stops too, groaning and dropping his shoulders. “What now?” he says.
“You’ve had to fight for meals?”
He shrugs.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
He nods, peeking over my shoulder. “Please keep walking.”
I roll my eyes at his attempt to push the conversation away. I walk on anyway but can’t help myself from saying, “Still can’t believe you don’t like Michael.”
“For crying out loud! Felicity! Why doyoulike him? He’s ripping you off. You should be earning so much more. I hate you, I really do. You’re a proper prim cow sometimes with all your rules anddon’t-ruin-our-imagerubbish,” he says. “But you are very good at your job and he should be doing a whole lot more to ensure you don’t leave.”
I swallow, unsure what to say. I honestly didn’t think he felt that way. We have occasional meetings between ourselves and a few members of our respective teams to talk about marketing the hospitality offerings and he’s always so quiet in them, letting others talk. I always assumed he didn’t care or hated being in the same room as me.
“You like my hospitality marketing ideas, do you?”
“Of course, I do. We get great leads through them. Why do you think I don’t?”
“You never say.”
I can almost hear his eyes roll. “I forgot you need constant affirmation. Thank you, Felicity. I like some of your marketing ideas.”
“Then why do you try to sabotage me and my department?”
“I don’t. Only when I see a way to make myself more money.”
I take a big step over a small stream, missing slightly, my heel landing on a slimy rock. My foot slips, and I’m about to right myself when a large hand finds the small of my back, pushing me carefully to the other side. “You alright?”
“I’m fine. I had it.”
“Sure, you did,” James says, removing his hand as he steps in front of me.
I frown at his back as he takes the lead again, his backpack bouncing as he strides ahead. “Is that all you care about? Money?”
“Yeah. What else is there to go to work for?”
I pull a face, using my hand to list off the reasons. “To inspire.” James scoffs. “To motivate. To learn. To grow in yourself. To leave something behind in life.”
“Trust me, nothing you do in your job is everlasting. Someone can replace you tomorrow.”
I don’t agree with that one. I’ve heard it said loads, but surely nobody could do what I do, day in, day out. Or at least they couldn’t do it as well as I do. God, I sound smug. What I mean is, I’m passionate… But I suppose other people are too…
“Who’s covering for you this week?” James asks.
