Kitty peeled open her eyes, viewing Thea through lowered lashes. “I’m deflating my ankles,” she groaned as she shifted in the seat. “It’s like someone’s attacked me with a bicycle pump. Left me with a couple of doughnuts where my shins should be. In fact, I think I’m stuck in this seat. Wedged in. You might have to send in the fire brigade to extract me.”
“It’s tempting. I love a man in uniform.” Thea dropped her bag on the desk opposite and sat down in her own tatty chair. Kitty wriggled to a semi-upright position, the seat creaking beneath her.
“I think we should get you a lazy boy,” Thea snickered, eyeing her Development Manager's burgeoning belly. “You’re in your third trimester, which means frequent napping and toilet breaks.”
Kitty rolled her eyes, but Thea saw no point in sugarcoating the reality of motherhood. “It’s all worth it, though. The stretch marks, the fuddled brain, the mangled nipples.” Kitty’s eyes grew wider, and Thea smiled. “I’m only kidding. Motherhood may be an interesting ride, but it’s the best, I promise.”
The morning Josh told her he and Kitty were unexpectedly expecting, Thea couldn’t contain her happiness. The joy on her brother’s face, his wonder as he showed her the blurry image on the ultrasound, filled her heart.
With a sigh, she leaned over her desk, turning on her laptop and lifting its ancient lid. The screen sprung to life with a picture of her blonde-haired daughter sporting a toothy grin and a face smeared in ice cream. But even Ammy wasn’t enough to lift her spirits when a metallic “ping” heralded an email from Persephone Murray. The subject screamed at her in all caps.
PLEASE KEEP ME ABREAST OF ALL YOUR DEALINGS WITH FELIX. I NEED TO BE ACROSS EVERYTHING.
Thea’s eyes narrowed. The woman was such a control freak. She’d only left the school twenty minutes ago. What did Persephone think Thea and Felix had done in such a short time? Fallen madly in love with each other? Had a hot make-out session on the way home? Perhaps Persephone was hoping Felix would be acrossherbreasts instead.
“Why do you look so peeved?” asked Kitty.
“I had a rather disagreeable morning,” she said, checking the plastic clock on the wall.
Kitty kicked free of her frozen peas and dropped her feet to the floor. “Don’t tell me the feed prices have gone up again?” Asshe spoke, she attempted to squeeze back into her pink polka-dot gumboots.
“Worse,” groaned Thea. “I went to a meeting for the school fundraiser. It’s a dinner dance this year. Unfortunately, I arrived a bit late and got roped into working alongside an awful man. Some big-shot city -type. Fancies himself as lord of the manor.”
Kitty glanced up with a raised eyebrow. “Oh really? Sounds painful.”
“I think it will be. He’s new around here, quite popular with the ladies. I’ve heard he’s loaded. Helooksloaded. Anyway, the long and short is, we didn’t exactly hit it off, and now we have to work together to produce a culinary event to remember.” Thea threw her fingers up, wrapping them around her words in air quotes.
She picked up the cold mug of tea she’d left on her desk that morning and took a sip. Eyeing Persephone’s shouty email again, she clicked the “delete” icon with her mouse.
Now successfully booted, Kitty looked over, her head tipped to one side. “Why do I feel I’m not getting the full story here? It’s not like you to get so upset with someone for no reason. I mean, your wrath is legendary, but usually justified.”
Thea scoffed. “I suppose I might sound a little harsh, but he had a bad attitude. Superior.”
“And?”
“Well, Imayhave accidentally splashed him and his car with muddy water, which made him cross.”
“From a brief splash?” Kitty’s stare drilled into Thea.
“Perhaps it wasn’t as little as I made out. It was more like a tsunami or parting of the Red Sea level splash.”
“Oh, Thea.” Kitty groaned. “No wonder he was upset.”
She giggled. “Oh God, it was fun, though. It was a huge puddle, and I couldn’t resist. Had I known he was there, of course, I would have waited.”
“Even if you’d waited, you’d have still splashed his car.”
Thea waved a hand. “A hazard of the countryside. I told him as much. Anyway, he was a total tool about the whole thing. Full of himself, with his fancy car and his fancy suit.”
“Who exactly is this guy?”
Thea spun a full circle on her chair before stopping. “Oh, I don’t know. Some bloke who owns a posh restaurant. He’s going to cater the dinner-dance. Honestly, the parents of Clavenham Primary wouldn’t know their vol-au-vents from their vindaloo. It’s such a waste of gourmet food.”
Kitty sat up in her chair, the squeak of its springs competing with the birdsong outside. “Restaurant owner? What’s this man’s name?”
Thea made a great show of shrugging. “Frank or Fred? Something like that.” Of course, she knew his name, but admitting it would be like admitting he had some power over her. Like he’d gotten under her skin. Burrowed into her brain. “I have to meet him for coffee tomorrow.”
Kitty sucked on her lips. “Felix?”
