Chapter 9

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It was lunchtime on the day of the Christmas Special show and Laura was already exhausted. She had been in the studio since 5 am with no time for breakfast. She had just delivered a box of haberdashery to wardrobe because a thousand spare needles just wasn't enough! Her belly rumbled, but before she could think about heading to the canteen, her phone chimed. She huffed as she read the message, another trip miles away from the canteen to collect a delivery of camera batteries from reception. She tapped out a reply and shoved her phone in her pocket and began walking. Her route would take her past the rink, she felt nervous for no reason she could put her finger on, but she really couldn't face adding more steps to the trip to avoid it so she told herself she was a big girl and walked faster.

The temperature plummeted as she approached the rink and she berated herself for forgetting her fleece. It would have been worth the extra steps, she conceded, as she opened the rink door and shivered. She heard the noise of the skates scratching the ice before she saw anyone. She looked up to see who was practicing. She spotted Perri's tall, lean form as soon as she looked up. He was in track pants and a hooded jacket but he still managed to look graceful as he travelled across the ice like he had been skating all his life. He was laughing with Vanessa and Laura felt...she didn't exactly know. Perri looked straight at her, as if he had a sixth sense, and she jumped. She tried to act as if she hadn't spent the past few minutes staring at him and began walking parallel to the rink towards the other door. She didn't make it even half-way because Perri was as fast as he was graceful on sharp blades.

"Hi" he said, flashing his brilliant white teeth at her from only a few feet away.

"You come to cheer me on?" he asked. Laura couldn't help but smile at his cocky manner.

"No, I'm working she replied" smiling with the same incandescence. He pulled a sad face turning his mouth into an upside down semi circle and looking down.

"Well you've jinxed me now," he said, "It will be your fault if I land on my backside in front of a room full of people."

"What? How do you work that one out?" she laughed.

"You're my lucky charm....didn't you know?" He made a pffft sound. Laura rolled her eyes. He was so silly, but her face felt like it had split in half, her smile was that wide. Perri soaked up her reaction. While he took in her entire image he noticed she didn't have warm clothes on. He unzipped his hoody and draped it around her shoulders, rubbing her arms briefly. "You're gonna catch your death in here like that." He chastised.

"So will you!" She countered, nodding at the fact he was now just in a t-shirt. She pulled his hoody tighter across her body and let his scent waft up to her nose. "I should get going, I have to collect something from reception she told him" She gripped his jacket and hesitated, then she began to remove it from her shoulders.

"Nah, you can borrow it till you get your fleece back." He said as he pulled the jacket back on to her shoulders. He did a little spin on the ice and faced her again, you can give it to me at lunch when you've got your parcel." Laura looked at him with her mouth open. Have lunch with a celeb. Her boss would kill her, she looked over at Vanessa who was trying not to look obvious as she tried to see what was going on. She would kill me, she thought, looking at Vanessa's stern expression.

"I can't," she finally replied, I'll get in trouble, she explained.

"It doesn't have to be here." He replied, "you get a lunch break right?" Laura nodded, waiting for him to continue. "So meet me at 1.00 outside and we'll go get something to eat, somewhere your boss won't see." He skated right up to her, and even though she was on the kerb which was half a foot higher than the ice, he still looked down at her. Perri pressed home his advantage. "I need to be fresh for tonight, having a break away from here will help....please?" Laura got the feeling that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Looking up at him and seeing his brown eyes, magnified by his glasses, making him look even more like Puss in Boots from Shrek, she wondered what harm it could do, it was just one lunch.

"Ok,"

"Noice" he said, in an exaggerated Essex accent. He pushed off backwards. "See ya in a bit." He waved and spun round, speeding back to Vanessa. Laura watched him go until he was in front of his professional partner. She threaded her arms into Perri's hooded jacket and zipped it closed. She stroked her arm as she continued her errand.

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