what would you most like to be doing?’
Anna frowned. It was hard to think of one thing better than being with Felix.
‘OK,’ she said slowly. ‘I guess playing my saxophone with an awesome jazz band – preferably somewhere tropical that had white sand beaches and huge ice creams!’
She spent the next twenty minutes filling him on her passions (jazz, books, horses and tapas) and her loathings (maths, heights, the smell of popcorn and all forms of reality TV).
‘That is so weird,’ he said. ‘I thought I was the only person on the planet who hated reality shows.’ He took a sip of his drink. ‘And chat shows – I hate
those, especially the ones where . . .’
He stopped in mid sentence and pulled a face.
‘Oh God, there I go again. I forget your dad’s on TV and . . .’
‘You know who my dad is?’ Anna’s heart sank.
Felix nodded. ‘Zac told me,’ he admitted.
‘And that’s why you’ve asked me out.’ She couldn’t conceal the note of irritation in her voice. ‘Because if it is . . .’
‘Don’t be silly, of course it’s not,’ Felix said. ‘I’ve never even seen your father – I’ve more interesting things to do with my life than sit
around watching TV.’
Anna smiled. ‘That’s a relief. Sorry, I get a bit sensitive about it,’ she confessed.
‘Why? Because your dad’s so, well, direct?’ He laughed.
‘I thought you didn’t watch the show.’
‘Zac filled me in – said that he’s had a few run-ins in the past, and now he goes just about as far as he can go without getting sacked.’
‘He’s outspoken, that’s for sure,’ Anna admitted. ‘But what really gets me is the way all my friends at my old school angled to get invited to my place, not because
they wanted to be with me, but just so they could meet my dad. And when they did, he ended up being so totally over the top and embarrassing.’
‘If you’re talking embarrassing parents, I bet my mother could give your dad a run for his money any day! The way she goes on and on . . . Oh. Sorry.’
‘What for?’
‘Zac mentioned about your mum dying,’ he said hesitantly.
‘It’s OK,’ Anna assured him. ‘What about your dad?’
‘They don’t live together any more,’ he said shortly. ‘Anyway, let’s just concentrate on us, right?’
‘Us?’ If he was thinking of two-timing her with this Ruth girl he had another thing coming.
‘Yes.’ Felix leaned towards her, cupping her face in his hands.
Part of Anna’s brain was insisting that she push him away, insisting that she demanded to know the truth about Ruth. But the kiss that followed made the construction of even the simplest
sentence a total impossibility.
They drove into Fleckford to see what was on at the cinema, and Anna couldn’t resist glancing in the shop windows, revelling in the reflection of herself holding hands
with this tall, muscular guy, beside whom she looked almost petite and dainty. Suddenly, the disastrous hair colour with its unfortunate streaks seemed original and edgy and she marvelled at the
way in which she could be herself with Felix, feeling absolutely no need to say anything clever or witty. But the best thing of all was that with him, she felt bubbly and vivacious and more like
the other girls her age than she had ever felt before.
There was just that one thing lurking at the back of her mind. It was when they had abandoned all idea of a movie – she hated horror films and he couldn’t stand the thought of
another vampire movie – and were walking up Chinnor Hill to the Ridgeway, a few flakes of snow falling from a leaden sky, that she could stand it no longer.
‘Who’s Ruth?’ She hadn’t meant it to come out quite as abruptly.
‘Ruth? She’s my aunt – my dad’s sister – and she’s over from Barbados for a flying visit.’
‘Your aunt? I thought . . .’ She checked herself quickly.
‘You didn’t think it was a girl?’ he asked, mischievously.
Anna said nothing.
‘And if it
Anna frowned. It was hard to think of one thing better than being with Felix.
‘OK,’ she said slowly. ‘I guess playing my saxophone with an awesome jazz band – preferably somewhere tropical that had white sand beaches and huge ice creams!’
She spent the next twenty minutes filling him on her passions (jazz, books, horses and tapas) and her loathings (maths, heights, the smell of popcorn and all forms of reality TV).
‘That is so weird,’ he said. ‘I thought I was the only person on the planet who hated reality shows.’ He took a sip of his drink. ‘And chat shows – I hate
those, especially the ones where . . .’
He stopped in mid sentence and pulled a face.
‘Oh God, there I go again. I forget your dad’s on TV and . . .’
‘You know who my dad is?’ Anna’s heart sank.
Felix nodded. ‘Zac told me,’ he admitted.
‘And that’s why you’ve asked me out.’ She couldn’t conceal the note of irritation in her voice. ‘Because if it is . . .’
‘Don’t be silly, of course it’s not,’ Felix said. ‘I’ve never even seen your father – I’ve more interesting things to do with my life than sit
around watching TV.’
Anna smiled. ‘That’s a relief. Sorry, I get a bit sensitive about it,’ she confessed.
‘Why? Because your dad’s so, well, direct?’ He laughed.
‘I thought you didn’t watch the show.’
‘Zac filled me in – said that he’s had a few run-ins in the past, and now he goes just about as far as he can go without getting sacked.’
‘He’s outspoken, that’s for sure,’ Anna admitted. ‘But what really gets me is the way all my friends at my old school angled to get invited to my place, not because
they wanted to be with me, but just so they could meet my dad. And when they did, he ended up being so totally over the top and embarrassing.’
‘If you’re talking embarrassing parents, I bet my mother could give your dad a run for his money any day! The way she goes on and on . . . Oh. Sorry.’
‘What for?’
‘Zac mentioned about your mum dying,’ he said hesitantly.
‘It’s OK,’ Anna assured him. ‘What about your dad?’
‘They don’t live together any more,’ he said shortly. ‘Anyway, let’s just concentrate on us, right?’
‘Us?’ If he was thinking of two-timing her with this Ruth girl he had another thing coming.
‘Yes.’ Felix leaned towards her, cupping her face in his hands.
Part of Anna’s brain was insisting that she push him away, insisting that she demanded to know the truth about Ruth. But the kiss that followed made the construction of even the simplest
sentence a total impossibility.
They drove into Fleckford to see what was on at the cinema, and Anna couldn’t resist glancing in the shop windows, revelling in the reflection of herself holding hands
with this tall, muscular guy, beside whom she looked almost petite and dainty. Suddenly, the disastrous hair colour with its unfortunate streaks seemed original and edgy and she marvelled at the
way in which she could be herself with Felix, feeling absolutely no need to say anything clever or witty. But the best thing of all was that with him, she felt bubbly and vivacious and more like
the other girls her age than she had ever felt before.
There was just that one thing lurking at the back of her mind. It was when they had abandoned all idea of a movie – she hated horror films and he couldn’t stand the thought of
another vampire movie – and were walking up Chinnor Hill to the Ridgeway, a few flakes of snow falling from a leaden sky, that she could stand it no longer.
‘Who’s Ruth?’ She hadn’t meant it to come out quite as abruptly.
‘Ruth? She’s my aunt – my dad’s sister – and she’s over from Barbados for a flying visit.’
‘Your aunt? I thought . . .’ She checked herself quickly.
‘You didn’t think it was a girl?’ he asked, mischievously.
Anna said nothing.
‘And if it
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