“I won’t.” Felicity briefly patted Ash’s arm. “Thanks again.”
She strode off down the street, Ash watching her go.
When she returned to the benches near the chair, her gaze fell on the open sketchbook. It was exactly where Felicity had deposited her handbag.
The sketchbook with the unmistakable drawing of Carmen on the page.
Ash hung her head. God, please, don’t let her have seen that .
Saturday dawned gloriously sunny and warm, and Carmen was glad she could at least enjoy the morning having breakfast with Felicity before she had to sink herself into her work once more.
“More coffee?” Felicity held the pot out.
Carmen nodded. “Yes, please. And another of those chocolate croissants, if there’s any left.”
Felicity laughed, and after pouring them both coffee, she headed back to the kitchen.
When she returned with freshly warmed croissants, Carmen said, “As much as I’m enjoying this breakfast with you, you do know I don’t need continual babysitting, yes?”
Felicity held up her hands. “Of course not. I’m just spending time with my darling friend. That’s all.”
Carmen rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee. “Of course. But seriously, I’m okay. I’ve done a lot of thinking this past week, and everything makes a lot more sense now.” She smiled. “Actually, you know who helped me figure some of that out?”
“Who?”
“Ash. The tattooist.”
Felicity inexplicably blushed. “Ash? Really?” She looked away and popped a piece of croissant in her mouth.
“You’re blushing.”
“No, I’m not. Anyway, you spoke with Ash?”
Carmen stared at her friend for a couple of moments. There was definitely something she needed to get to the bottom of here, but for now she’d continue her story. “Yes. It was the funniest coincidence. I bumped into her on Monday, and we had coffee together.” Briefly, she told Felicity about their conversation. “It was so strange. I barely know the woman, and yet I felt so calm in her presence, and all these feelings and thoughts just tumbled out. And the strange thing was, I didn’t feel embarrassed about it. It just seemed so natural to be talking to her about it. Isn’t that odd?”
She didn’t feel the need to share the other odd sensation she’d had, of feeling so lost when she walked away from Ash. That feeling she’d managed to push to the back of her mind all week, entirely unsure what it meant, if anything.
“Not at all,” Felicity said hurriedly. She kept her gaze averted from Carmen’s and shredded her croissant into tiny pieces.
“You’re acting very strange. Even for you. What’s going on?”
Felicity tutted. “What do you mean, ‘even for you’?”
“Stop avoiding my questions.”
Felicity shifted in her seat, then finally met Carmen’s gaze. “All right, I’ll tell you. But please promise not to laugh.”
“I promise.”
“Well, funnily enough, I, too, had an interaction with Ash on Monday. By the sounds of it, straight after your coffee with her.”
“Oh?”
Felicity blushed again and placed both hands on her cheeks as if that would magic the heat away. “Oh God, I was such an idiot. I… After the tattoo appointment, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I’ve never pursued a woman before, although I have had my fair share of attention from them in the past,” she said immodestly.
Carmen rolled her eyes, and Felicity scowled at her.
“Well, it’s true! Anyway, there was something about her. So I, um, went back to the shop on Monday, and I may have, um, flirted rather badly with her, and she made it very clear she wasn’t interested.”
It took every ounce of strength Carmen had not to laugh, as promised. Her friend, propositioning a woman!
“I can see your lips twitching.” Felicity frowned.
Carmen’s lips ached from maintaining a straight line. “I’m trying, I really am.”
“Don’t bother. It was pathetic. Go ahead, laugh all you want.”
Carmen shook her head. “No, I won’t. But Jesus, what were you thinking?”
Felicity threw her hands up. “I don’t know! She was cute and so very nice to us, and…I don’t know. It just seemed like such a good idea for a while. I was intrigued. There’s just… She has a presence, don’t you think? And those eyes. My God.”
“Are you seriously attracted to her?” And why did that thought make her stomach churn with something that felt remarkably like jealousy?
Felicity chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m not sure. Perhaps more attracted to the idea of doing something different, perhaps? I feel a little adrift, I suppose. I mean, look at me. I don’t have a husband anymore, and my charity work only takes up a couple of days a week. I’m bored. I think I was looking for a little excitement to liven things up.”
“Well, if I’m honest, then I’m glad Ash turned you down. She seems far too nice a person to just be someone’s distraction.”
“I know.” Felicity looked contrite. “It was a temporary aberration. It won’t happen again.” She took a long drink from her coffee. “Besides, she was very nice about it, and we parted on good terms. I haven’t, at least, damaged what little relationship I have with her.”
“Good.”
Now, if ever, would be a good time to talk about her own fascination with Ash, but somehow Carmen still wanted to keep that to herself. It was confusing, and part of her—a big part—thought it was ridiculous anyway. So, she changed the subject. “I forgot to tell you—Tamsyn and Maggie are getting married.”
“Really? How lovely! Gosh, they kept that a tight secret. I’ve not heard a whisper.”
“Yes, they’re keeping it very quiet and small. I spoke to her PR manager Tony last week, and he said he was relieved they wanted it so low-key. He wasn’t looking forward to handling all the fuss around a big wedding.”
“I don’t blame him!”
“So, I’m invited, and I’m allowed to bring a guest. Want to go?”
Felicity practically jumped up and down in her chair. “Oh God, I’d love to! When is it?”
“September 26th.”
“This year?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, bugger.” Felicity slumped back. “I can’t! I’m already booked on
