Chapter 14
My mind wandered.
It wandered out the door, down the stairs, outside the building, onto the street, hailed a taxi, drove to the library and went inside. It looked up a book called "Men: what they are really all about" It turned to page 22; "What does it mean when they say-"
James nudged me, bringing my mind rushing back from the library (I am so odd sometimes) and all the way back into M's office.
M had her hands together, resting them on the desk in front of her.
"Okay agents..." She said wearily, after a long pause. "You can be mission partners again."
Yes! I mentally pulled a party popper and cheered.
"However," she said sharply, returning to her usual strict self, "Only if you both go on One mission apart. They don't have to be long or difficult but one must be completed by each of you."
I looked at James.
"Fine." He said.
I hurried inside, James behind me. I breathed in the comforting smell of books as I walked into the foyer.
"Hi Harold!" I called over.
"Hello, hello!" Harold popped up from behind the desk, his tiny glasses balanced on the end of his nose, books scattered in piles all around him. He always reminded me of Professor Flitwick from Harry Potter.
I pattered up the stairs, James swung up the banister to land very close to me.
"So, is this your favourite place in the world?" He said, grinning.
I smiled, "My second favourite."
"And your first favourite would be... your bed?"
"Obviously!" I laughed as I reached the top of the long flight of stairs.
I came up close to James. I felt him tense as I went up to whisper in his ear, "Come with me."
He bit his lip and I smirked slightly and sprinted away. James followed me. I turned round every so often to look at him and he made a playful grab for me but I giggled and tutted at him, skipping away ahead of him.
At last we arrived, I collapsed on the cushions warmed by the sunlight coming in through the window beside it. It was my own private reading corner. There was a wooden seat, which was basically a wide big window sill for the large window which overlooked the rest of London. I'd filled it with cushions and I hid books, and occasionally food and drinks underneath them. James threw himself down beside me, tickling me. I giggled, hitting him with a cushion. He grabbed the cushion from me and sat on it, looking up at me with a grin. I picked up a book and handed it to him.
"Read." I commanded.
He opened the book up while I continued reading Jane Eyre.
"So, about the other night?" He said awkwardly after a while.
I looked over the top of my book. "Yeah... what about it?"
"Y'know, before M came in... when the movie had finished?"
I nodded.
"Do you remember... what I did? What... we did?" James said, and I could feel him tense up.
I nodded again, after a seconds pause.
James hesitated, "Things got out of hand... went to fast." He said haltingly.
I put my book down.
"James..." I began.
But he ran his hand through his hair, getting worked up. "I mean, and what about back at the pool, and just there a minute ago, friends don't do those sort of things, do they?"
I shook my head, "Uh, no. Not really."
James collapsed on the pillows beside me, rubbing his hand against the bridge of his nose.
This was kind of weird for him. He was normally such a quiet person, not really talking that much unless you talked to him a lot. He usually just kept quiet about his feelings. But now...
"James," I said quietly. "I don't regret what happened. I wanted it to happen."
"Me too." He said, sounding slightly exasperated. "And now I just want it to happen again, and more!"
There was a silence.
"Did I just... say that... out loud?" James said very quietly.
"Yes." I said just as quietly. "You did."
"Oh... shit."
"It's okay." I said, moving across to pin him down onto the bed of cushions. "I agree."
As James reached up to me, he hesitated, "Amy, are sure you're okay with this?"
"Yes," I whispered. "I don't think I've ever been so sure about anything else ever."
I kissed him and reached up and pulled across the curtain which hung across the window beside us.