𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐄 | Jamie Tartt

EIGHTEEN, BUSINESS MEETINGS

DELICATE
EIGHTEEN, BUSINESS MEETINGS

MINE, INEZ AND HARRIET'S BREAKFAST DATES have been moved inside my house until further notice. In the last fortnight since said monumental kiss ( as they are calling it) with Jamie Tartt, it is single handedly the only thing that they can talk with me about. Work? Boring... Being on a vogue front cover? You've done it before.. But kissing Jamie Tartt on my doorstep? Sign us up!

I learnt that the hard way when we were sat in a cafe in the city and Inez just asked in the middle of nowhere ' Holl, does Jamie Tartt use tongue when he kisses?' Which earnt a lot of askew looks from people who most definitely know who I am and who Jamie is but haven't yet drawn where those two lines have crossed.

So I sit in my dining room, picking at the stray blueberries on my plate as Harriet looks at me "so..how's Jamie?" she tries to ask slickly like it's the only thing that they can talk to me about.

" fine." I say simply, because I don't really know. Because now that he's four hours away from me, I can't just find him in the hallway and pull him for a talk or now... a kiss in an empty hallway.

We text, sometimes we call — but not a lot, not enough for me really. I don't know what I expected really, well I didn't expect Jamie to be sent back to Manchester in the first place — a subject my mum ignores when I've mentioned it in the last fourteen days since Jamie was exiled from Richmond.

My friends give me a look " fine?" They ask as I just nod and munch on yet another stray berry on my plate.

I shrug, " I haven't seen him, he's in Manchester now." I tell them and Inez rolls her eyes.

" why don't you go and visit him?" she says as if I'm oblivious as I roll my eyes " and exactly what excuse can I use for just being in the area in a city four hours away?" I ask and once again her eyes roll at me.

" why do you even need an excuse? you like him, he obviously likes you-" Inez trails and I palm my hands over my face, they're so right. I don't need an excuse but I want one, so if he does reject me I will seem less hurt that I would be. And as much as after that night at the bonfire I hope he wouldn't reject me, a little bit of still doubts it all.

"You're literally in Liverpool for the weekend, it's only an hour away-" she starts and I huff " what would I say to my mum when she asks where I'm going?"

" a business meeting.." Harriet trials off,

" one of your model friends is in town.." Inez jumps in.

" you're going to a concert.." Harriet says again,

" or, tell her the truth-" Inez's loud voice startles me  "That you're gonna go and snog the face off of Jamie Tartt!" My lips part and I gasp slightly, looking at them both with a crinkled nose and a false repulsion in my face " ugh-don't be so disgusting!"

We sit there, and they watch as I mentally contemplate it — texting him, saying I would be in his city for a meeting and if he wanted to meet up, if he wanted to see me as desperately as I wanted to see him. I would tell my mum the same excuse but I would only drive up in the evening to see Jamie — I don't actually need to go to Manchester at all.

And after a while of talking about things that I know they don't really want to talk about but do to fill the silence that would be left otherwise I pick up my phone. " I think I'm going to text him."

Putting her mug down with velocity " oh thank fuck, finally!" Harriet says almost exasperated by it and I roll my eyes but can't fight a small smile as I open the phone and click on the messages, where his contact sits slightly buried by other people — the two girls who are now crowded behind me included.