Ally hadn’t taken the interruption to her bothy escape quite so easily as Jamie. She was still squinting against the light now, looking ethereally tired and more beautiful than he’d ever seen her with her hair messy at the back and her cheeks blushing pink with embarrassment after the heated scramble for underwear while Jamie, amused, had curbed the bothy fire and laced his boots. Ally didn’t think it was funny, so he didn’t push her to see it that way.
In the back of Finlay’s jeep as they bumped their way down the road to town, Cairn Dhu Mountain shrinking in the rear-view mirror as though it wasn’t some magical place up in the clouds where they’d excursioned in heaven itself, Ally hurriedly switched her phone back on.
Finlay, who’d been seemingly oblivious to their embarrassment – as though he hadn’t even suspected what they’d been doing – didn’t fail to notice Ally had followed his advice on relay running their phone batteries. He nodded approvingly to himself now as he drove not one mile an hour over the speed limit.
Jamie, who had nothing to fear and not a drop of awkwardness or tension left in his body, reached a hand over the space between them, thinking Ally would take it in hers. He wanted to squeeze her fingers, take that preoccupied look from her brows, make her smile again. But Ally was reading from her screen, engrossed.
‘Oh!’ she said, and Jamie caught the flush bloom in her cheeks.
‘Everything OK?’
She handed him the phone so he could see it for himself.
Future Proof Planet are delighted to extend you an offer of twelve months’ employment in the role of Blue Sky Thinking Technician based in our Zurich office.
He scrolled a little further over the details of salary, benefits, the included flat share, and all the rest of it; the promise of a wonderful opportunity for Ally.
A glance told him she was about to burst with excitement and something else, something regretful, something anxious, preventing her from enjoying her success fully. He knew the cause, the fly in the ointment: it was him.
Thinking fast, he had precisely one second to get his response absolutely right or he’d risk blowing this whole thing. It had to be pitch-perfect. Too sorry sounding, and there was a risk she’d turn this dream job down to stay with him or if he seemed sulky she might think he believed he had the power to stop her going and would hate him for it. Too cool and she’d think he didn’t care about her now he’d got what he wanted.
She hadn’t spoken at all since Finlay’s arrival at the bothy, and she wore a startled expression like she couldn’t quite process what they’d done. Gently was the only way to go now. A show of unwavering support. So he wet his lips, set his face in a delighted smile and began.
‘Ally! This is… this is wonderful! Congratulations!’
He took her hand and squeezed it on the seat between them, like he’d wanted to a moment ago, only now he was sort of patting it too.
Her eyes flew to his, questioning. ‘Really?’
‘Of course, really! I’m thrilled for you! Switzerland? You’re going to have the best time!’
She didn’t look sure.
‘Aren’t you happy?’ he asked her.
‘Uh, of course I am.’ She took her phone once more and set her eyes on the screen, scrolling absently like she couldn’t make out a word of the job offer.
‘You should be. Did I say I was delighted? Because I am, truly.’
‘Yes, you said that.’
Why did she look close to tears? What was he getting wrong?
‘You should reply right away, tell them you accept!’
She looked blankly back at the message. ‘I should?’
‘Heck yes, you should!’ Heck, yes? Since when did he say heck anything?
He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.
Finlay flicked the indicator for the turning into the McIntyres’ mill house and the repair shop driveway. The sight of it gave Jamie the feeling astronauts must have when they splash down in the ocean having spent weeks in orbit. Everything looked the same and yet nothing was the same.
Finlay cut the engine, turning in his seat with an arm over the passenger headrest. He looked ready to deliver a steely message about irresponsible behaviour and the deadliness of mountain terrain and the brainlessness of the pair of them, but surprisingly even he seemed to get the measure of the mood in the back of the jeep and he kept his mouth shut.
‘I’ve got a lot to do,’ Ally said, gesturing at the phone in her hand.
‘Of course. You crack on!’ Jamie’s cheeks hurt from the artificial grin. ‘I’ll see you in a bit.’
