Caroline actually snorted in laughter as she set her bag on her desk. There, taped over her screen, was a picture of an owl staring at her, the word ‘SOON’ written on the bottom. She’d been finding these pictures all over the place, taped to the inside of her coat, taped to her bag, inside the case of her CD’s, springing out as she opened them, lurking on the ceiling, inside the saucepans...
Not always cats, she had to admit, and then burst out laughing again as she lifted the flap of her bag and saw a cat staring reproachfully at her. SOON.
“For God’s sake Toby,” She shook her head. “Where does that boy find the time?”
She knew that he’d been working overtime lately, Toby worked at a Cyberpunk bar, and due to the extra shifts he’d been working, had become virtually nocturnal. That and he appeared to go walkies during the day too. She knew a lot of that was due to his course, a mix of graphics... which also included him making a lot of stuff too. Caroline had asked once what exactly he did. Never again.
But she did miss him, whatever he was doing. She’d get back from work and he’d be out. Caroline wasn’t worried exactly, he’d leave her cute little notes around the flat, and she often got the odd kiss on the nose when he came in at 5 in the morning... but she did miss him. She missed the faces he pulled in the bathroom mirror while she was doing her make-up, making her eyeliner turn into panda rings, she missed the way he’d always drag her back into bed for another 5 minutes, and she especially missed the way he’d stand there in the morning, bleary eyed, cradling coffee and staring blankly out of the window at the birds.
“That’s a Chaf... finch?”
“That’s a blue tit hunny.”
“I was close?!”
“Not even the same family.”
“It’s a bird isn’t it?”
She could almost see him throwing his hands up in annoyance, and smiled, sitting down at her desk. Caroline was an Admin Support Worker for the Health Visitors at a surgery. Basically, she was office minion for a load of nurses flurrying around, making sure all the paperwork got done and filed in the right place. She gazed at her desk... it looked like a paper-bomb had exploded on it, and she gave a small sigh with a wry smile. Sometimes, hell, most of the time she felt like the mother of some errant kids.
“OK, so which hobo put discharges in my referrals tray?!” she hollered.
At the innocent looks all around, she just grinned and started to sort through the paper.
“Oh yeah, Caroline,” Elaine fluttered in. “Did you manage to...”
“I spoke to Sue in Gloucester, yes, they’re happy to do the hearing screening for the Tewkesbury baby,” Caroline sang out. “And Mrs MacQuire is happy to come to clinic. Well... happy being an overstatement... She’ll tolerate it.”
“You’re an angel,” Elaine said fervently. “And of course you can take this afternoon and tomorrow off.”
Caroline stared at Elaine as she bustled off.
“Tomorrow off?” She mouthed, confused. “I didn’t ask for...”
But Elaine was already gone. Pulling the picture of the owl off her screen, she logged in and lost herself in the casual thrumming of the keys as she set to work. At around 12, she got up to grab the post... and found a strange blue dark blue envelope in the post, addressed to her. Slitting it open casually, she found a piece of card inside, folded once. She recognised the slanted handwriting instantly, and the words made her laugh.
If convenient, come at once.
She flipped the card.
“If inconvenient, come all the same,” She read aloud with an eye roll. “Damnit boy.”
Toby found her Sherlock Holmes addiction cute and yet hilarious, and had bought her the entire series of the Jeremy Brett version. It was great cuddling TV, being as she’d read all the books, including the House Of Silk by Anthony Horowitz, watched all the films and the new Sherlock, and therefore the whodunit was more a ‘it’s that guy there’.
She opened the card.
Sorry to be heavy-handed darling, but Elaine and I had a lovely chat. You’re taking annual leave, like it or not. Wanna take it up with me? Uni campus, Graphics Suite, they’ll keep an eye out for you. I’ll just pretend to hug you until you get here.
She shook her head, half-irritated, half-amused, but overwhelmingly touched. She tucked the card back into the envelope, and then into her pocket. She waved goodbye and picked up her stuff, and headed off, holding tight to the paper like a talisman. It was a five minute walk from the Practice to the Uni, and in the weak spring sunshine, it was a nice walk... but in those five minutes, she managed to get really riled.
Caroline knew what the mystic summons meant. It was time. And she was terrified.
She stopped outside the Uni, looking up at the glass and metal of the graphics building, her heart fluttering like a caged bird, fingers drumming on her thigh, the paper rustling between the fingers of her hand. She could always bottle it.
Caroline jumped. Her phone was vibrating in her pocket, and as she clicked the aged Sony Ericson out, she saw that the Soon Owl was now her wallpaper.
“Oh for the love of...”
She clicked open the message and rolled her eyes.
I can see you sweetheart. Get up here xx
She looked up, shading her eyes, and sure enough, there, on the top flight, leaning against the glass, grinning incorrigibly, was Toby. He gave her a jaunty wave and vanished from sight.
You are so going to pay for this, she tapped back.
Already did, was his reply as she jogged up the stairs.
Hoiking me out of work and putting annoying pictures everywhere wasn’t included in the deal, she stated. There will be repercussions.
Oh goodie.
You shouldn’t be able to convey sarcasm in a text, but Toby was a master at it. A door bleeped open for her obediently, and Toby opened the door for her. She pulled a face at him... then genuinely smiled, her green eyes flickering over his face.
He looked so... Tobyish. He was handsome, but not conventionally so, lightly muscled with a light tan that made his skin a glorious gold, his face fine-featured, his dark brown eyes sparkling, matching the silver spike through his brow and the 3mm stretcher through his right lobe. A new thing, but quite a cool one, although she’d warned him, semi seriously, that if it went beyond 5mm there would be repercussions. Ones that he wouldn’t enjoy.
And that handsome face... actually looked worried.
“You were seriously scared that I was going to bottle it?” She asked him softly.
He leant in close to her, twirling an errant strand of her red hair around his pale finger, his royal blue hair kissing her cheek softly.
“How the hell do you read me so well?” he asked quietly.
“Magic,” She said, then sobered, stroking his face. “But I thought that you of all people would know. I keep the promises I make.”
“I know,” he ran a hand gently down her arm, slipping his fingers between hers. “I know. Which is why... I’m giving you the chance to back out. If you don’t want to do this Caro, just say.”
They stood there, Caroline with her blazing red hair and lush curves, her black skirt with a white-lace edge and shimmering red tights hugging her long legs and gothic heeled boots with spiked heels, her claret red cami-top and golden leather jacket leaning against the golden man with the Windsor blue hair, the paint-smattered baby-blue t-shirt and scuffed blue jeans. Fire and ice. Caroline’s hand slid into his hair, combing her pale fingers gently through it.
There was a clatter of footsteps and they looked up to see a blonde girl appear in the doorway. She looked endearingly ditsy and blinked behind her hipster-size glasses.
“Am I interrupting?” She asked anxiously.
“Not at all,” Toby said quickly at the same time as Caroline said; “Yes.”
She shrugged a shoulder at the blonde girl.
“But hey, I don’t mind you watching,” Caroline added brightly.
She caught Toby gently and pulled him into her for a long sensuous kiss...
“Ohmygod,” The blonde gushed as they broke apart. “You so have to let me paint you.”
“Seriously Karly?” Toby demanded. “You have to say that now?”
The blonde blushed and ducked out of sight.
“Fellow student,” Toby explained. “She offered to give me a hand.” He ran a hand anxiously up her arm. “Caro...”
“Babe, I’m not backing out on you,” She said firmly. “I said I’d do this, I said that I’d go...”
“But I want you to come willingly.”
A wicked smiled flashed across Caroline’s face, sparking her emerald eyes.
“Babe, I thought I’d taught you; forced orgasms are amazing.”
Toby burst out laughing, then managed to get a handle on himself.
“Be serious hun.”
Caroline reached up and kissed him gently.
“Let’s do this babe,” She told him.