Look Back at Me (Fleckney Fields Series, Book 1)

Lilies and Plums

She was enjoying her coffee already when he came in.

"Morning."

Oh, this rumble? That's a purr. Like a tiger. And what's the most curious, you've noticed, Viola. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. She quickly lifted her hand, cupped his jaw - he froze under her touch - and kissed his cheek as well. He gave her a surprised look, but didn't say anything.

"Morning," she greeted him back and picked up her cup with both her hands. It's like her palm can still feel the harsh whiskers of his beard.

He took off his jacket and sat down. He gave Miss Rosa a nod, answering some sort of a mouthed question from her, and Viola assumed he had a usual order here.

"How are you this morning?" he asked, giving her a small smile.

"I'm feeling–" She chuckled. "Festive. It's just so odd not to work. And everyone wanders the streets. And there are all the lights and stalls, and–" She shook her head in amusement. "I don't know, I supposed I caught the Festival bug."

He lifted his left eyebrow and smirked.

"If it gets me a breakfast with you," he said with a shrug, "bring it on."

"Where are my flowers, by the way?" she asked teasingly and sipped her coffee. "I thought you were picking them up."

"I sent them to your place."

Miss Rosa put a large mug of coffee in front of him, smiled at them both, and left.

"But they'll freeze," Viola said. "There's no one in the surgery to receive them."

"Fenton's there," Rhys dismissed, tore open three sticks of demerara sugar at once, and shook them into his coffee.

"No, he's not. He's probably in the Square as well," she said. "He said there were never any patients during the Festival days."

"Fenton doesn't do Festival," Rhys said.

"He's coming to the Dance," Viola drew out, and Rhys froze with his coffee lifted to his lips.

"Does he now?"

Now, that's not a purr. That's a - silly and utterly fake - growl. He took a sip, keeping their eyes locked. Viola batted her lashes in an innocent look. She could obviously question this odd mood of hers - like she'd had too much bubbly - but on the other hand, she wasn't doing anything wrong! She needed to remember that if something felt good, she tended to immediately default into restricting, that was just the nature of her disorder. Flirting with him felt good - like having a spoonful of Miss Rosa's famous Pavlova. Repeat after me, Viola, you're allowed to have pudding - and to enjoy it.

Miss Rosa was back - with a plate of bangers and mash, with steamed vegetables on the side.

"More coffee for you, Viola?"

"Yes, please," Viola said - and added, "and a slice of your plum galette, please."

Both Miss Rosa and Rhys gave her a shocked look. When Miss Rosa was gone, Viola finished her coffee, watching Rhys send the first forkful of his mash into his mouth.

"Should I call Mrs. Tomlin and cancel the delivery?" he asked. "Since your Fenton might be away."

"Why is he 'my Fenton' all of a sudden?" Viola asked with a laugh, knowing the answer perfectly well.

Rhys once again gave her a cocked eyebrow look. "Because I'm pretty sure he'd bought a Golden ticket to the Dance."

"Two actually," Viola said and gestured 'bunny ears' in the air with her right hand. She then hid behind her coffee mug, only to discover it was empty.