Snowed in

Part 4

Phoebe

I sit nervously, my cheeks feeling flushed under Jude's gaze. I can barely remember to breathe regularly right now, and the small smirk blanketing Jude's lips isn't helping matters. He knows he's making me squirm, but he doesn't stop, even as the silence continues to linger over us. I take a sip of my tea, but almost spit it back out. Too hot.

A soft chuckle causes me to lift my eyes, forcing them to lock with his immediately.

"What?" I ask innocently, placing the hot cup of tea back on the table separating us.

"Nothing." He replies, looking bemused.

"What is it?" I push, feeling a small inch of confidence spread throughout my words.

"Well, I was just wondering, do you have an issue with your sense of surroundings?" Normally, this would sound like an insult, but from Jude's lips, paired with his classic smile, I can't help but feel warmness spread through my body.

"Do you have an issue with your sense of surroundings?" I fire back, sarcasm dripping from my lips. Jude leans back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I only asked because... well..." he trails off, eyes glinting.

"Oh spit it out."

"Well, you managed to hit me while skiing, and then didn't realise that your freshly brewed tea would be boiling hot. I was just wondering if maybe you have some recurring issues with spatial awareness?"

"Would that be an issue for you? Knowing someone with spatial awareness issues?"

"Of course not, I'd just like to know if my hypothesis is correct." There's a silence between us, comprised of Jude staring at me until I cave, and give him my answer.

"Well, it's not. I actually have wonderful awareness of my surroundings."

"Oh really?" The tone of his voice makes my heart race, throwing it into a spin.

"For your information, I can read anyone like a book. I pay attention to everything." The corner of Jude's eyes crinkle, his smirk directed solely at me.

"Okay... that lady in the corner. Red coat, massive sunglasses." I twist my body, until my eyes focus on a woman sitting reading a book in the corner of the room. I take a second to flick over what she's wearing, and her body language before speaking over my shoulder to Jude.

"She's a mum, here on holidays with her kids, 2 or 3, with her useless husband. This is the first chance she's had all week to spend a minute by herself, so she's making the most of it." Just then, two children bound up to the woman, and she can't hide her annoyance, even through her sunglasses. I watch her until I'm satisfied that my conclusion has been met, before turning back to face Jude triumphantly. He nods his head a few times, before breaking out into a soft clap. I pretend to take a bow from my seated position, before dropping my head with a small smile.

"How are you so good at that?" He says finally, forcing me to look up.

In my family, you learn how to read people's emotions. That makes sure you don't accidentally make anyone upset, no matter if it was your fault or not. But I don't want this to be a trauma dump session. I'm enjoying talking to Jude, and I don't want to ruin that now.

"I'm shy, so I watch instead of talking." I reply simply, with a small shrug of my shoulder.

"Do me." My eyes snap up, the sharpness of his words making me think of something very different entirely. But I shake those thoughts out of my mind (damn you, romance novels).