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His body collided with something warm and soft and recognisably human. A squeal, a scurry, a waft of floral perfume. Oliver uttered an apology, regained his balance and stepped back.
His foot landed on something soft.
Looking down, he realised it was a hat. A floppy bright pink hat. Probably even more floppy now. He bent and picked it up, then took his first look at the human he’d collided with.
Fiery red hair, a pointed chin, a small nose peppered with freckles.
Two ridiculously bright blue eyes blinked owlishly back at him, before she said, “Oh dear, I think you just squashed my new hat.”
Oliver grimaced as he dusted off his footprint and handed it back. “My apologies.”
She plonked the hat on her head, and the price tag dangled over her left eye. This had to be her.
“Is your name Felicity by any chance?”
“Yes!” A wide grin swept across her face, revealing a little gap between her front teeth.
“Great!”
Now a wrinkle puckered her nose, bunching the freckles into a golden mass. “I, um… You’re—”
“Oliver.” She blinked, uncomprehending. “Aaron’s brother,” he supplied, trying not to stare as amusement replaced his irritation. She reminded him of an elf. He was almost tempted to push the hat off her head again to see if her ears were pointy.
“Oh, Oliver, yes.” She swivelled the hat, and now the tag was over her other eye. “I was expecting Alice.”
“Her dress fitting ran late, and Aaron’s car has a problem so he asked me to come instead. You didn’t get my messages?”
“My phone went flat on the flight.” That elfin grin again. “I don’t deserve to be a millennial, I’m so useless with technology. I just came in here to ask where I could charge it and then I saw this hat and I realised I don’t have a hat, so I bought it.”
“I can see. It’s still got the tag on.”
She went a bit boss-eyed. “That’s what that thing is.” She giggled, swivelled the hat so the price tag was at the side. His fingers itched to remove it, but he thought that might come over as paternalistic.
“I’m sorry I tripped you up,” she said.
“I’m sorry I trod on your new hat. Can I take your bag?”
He reached for the handle and their hands overlapped briefly, then her eyes slanted past him, surprised.
He turned his head to see the woman in the geometric dress smirking at his shoulder. “Iknewit. YouareOliver Blake.” A hand shot out in greeting. “Jessica Burman, Perth Today.”
Oliver felt his hair follicles tighten. “Ah, look, it’s not a great time right now, Monica.”
“Jessica.”
“Sure, Jessica. I’m just picking up my—” What exactly should he call her? Almost cousin? Stray elf? Jessica pounced into the gap.
“I shouldn’t have barged in, but I couldn’t miss such an amazing opportunity.” She smirked at Felicity. “I’ll leave you two alone. But do at least take my card, I seriously would love to interview you.” She thrust a business card into his hand and sashayed off.
Oliver was tempted to drop the card and grind his heel into it, but shoved it into his pocket instead.
When he turned back to Felicity, her blue eyes were even rounder than before. “Wow! That was very Hollywood celeb.”
He shrugged. “Egh, really, it’s nothing. Big fish in a small pond. Let’s get out of here before we have any more misadventures. I’m parked out front.”
As he wheeled her case, he sensed her appraising him from under the brim of her hat. “You advise people how to get rich, don’t you? I remember Alice telling me.”
“That makes me sound very mercenary.” He managed to produce a relaxed sounding laugh. “It’s more like how not to stay poor.”
