Through the Glass (34 page)

She glanced over to where he stood. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, observing like he always used to. But this time it was different.
This
time the smile on his face was genuine and full of adoration.
This
time she could see who she was through his eyes and it all fell into place.

Finally Felicity turned and looked at Julian. Her face streaked with mascara. “How? Why?” was all she could manage to say.

“Felicity…you’re such a talented artist. This is what you deserve. Your own exhibition.” He held his arms out to gesture toward her paintings. “What do you think?” Julian looked worried now.

“It’s…it’s
wonderful
, Jules. Thank you…thank you so much.” She rushed toward him and flung her arms around him, burying her head into his shoulder.

“Um…Felicity…I think your gratitude is aimed in the wrong direction, honey. It was Jim who did all of this.”

~~~~~

Slowly, she turned to look at Jim, who now stood with his hands in his pockets watching as the realisation hit his beautiful Felicity. Myriad emotions coursed through his body and his eyes stung with the familiar feeling of unshed tears.

“You? You did this? For me?” Her voice was almost a whisper as she slowly walked toward him.

He cleared his throat. “After you left to go back to London and I read that letter, I realised I needed to do something to get you to remember how much you love painting and maybe that way you would come back to me.” A little saltwater escaped and he wiped at his eyes.

“Oh Jim. I wanted you to come after me…desperately.”

“Aye and I would have if Euan and Tara hadn’t turned up just as I’d arranged to do that very thing. Then I heard that you’d left for New York. I asked Jules for his help and he’s being far too bloody modest if you ask me. I couldn’t have done this without him. I just had the idea…
He
made it happen.”

She made her way to stand in front of Jim and looked up into his eyes. She smoothed her hands up over the lapels of his suit jacket, and he pulled her into him as his heart pounded in his chest.

His lip trembled as he looked down at her. “
This
is who you are.
This
is who I love.” He leaned to kiss her. Brushing his lips softly over hers, he felt her melt into him.

“I get it now… I understand…and you’re right…I love you so much, Jim… Thank you for reminding me.”

He stroked her face and ran his thumb over her lower lip. “Flick?”

“Yes, Jim?”

“Please, can I take you home now?”

~~~~~

December 2012

Being back at the cottage for the last few months had been wonderful. Flick had forgotten how much she had loved it there for those few short days at the beginning of the year. They settled into life back together with ease, but this time things were so much better. It felt like it did in the early days when they had first met. The long walks together with Jasper were so special, and she had been painting such a lot. She told Jim how much she loved him as often as possible as if she was making up for lost time, and whenever she did, the look in his eyes made her heart skip and swell.

Christmas morning arrived and Flick was rather giddy. She had been working on a little painting for Jim in secret, and she was eager for him to unwrap it.

“Jim…wake up sweetie… I think Santa Claus has been,” she whispered, sliding her hand down his naked back. He murmured and rolled over, wrapping his arms around her.

“Mmmm… Merry Christmas, gorgeous. I love you,” he said huskily in his delicious, deep morning voice. His Scottish accent sent shivers travelling the length of her spine, and she decided maybe the gifts could wait a while. She slid her hand delicately down his smooth skin and grasped his prominent, morning arousal. He groaned his approval, and while caressing him, she moved to straddle his waist. Once she had guided him inside, she gazed down and began to move, keeping her eyes firmly locked on his. She smoothed her hands over his toned chest, and her fingertips traced his defined abs as she moved, revelling in the fullness of having him inside her body again. She would never get enough of this feeling.

He caressed her waist and moved up to cup her breasts lovingly, toying with the buds that peaked as she arched into his touch, needing more and more of him.

Rocking her hips back and forth she watched Jim’s eyes darken with lust as he moved his hands down to grip her hips. With one hand, he pulled her down so that he could take her mouth. His hand cradled her head as her tongue explored and tasted the man she craved with every fibre of her being.

She had so much lost time to make up for.

She could feel the warm glow building in her belly and that Jim’s movements had become more urgent. When she pulled herself upright again, he slipped his hand down between their bodies and massaged her sensitive place pushing her higher and sending tingles through every nerve ending in her body. It was the most amazing sensation. She threw her head back as they climbed together, up towards the stars, calling each other’s name in the heat of their passion, and covering one another in warm kisses. This was the way love should be. This was
real
. And it felt so good to be in his arms again.

Once their breathing had calmed, she pulled on his T-shirt and went downstairs to light the fire that he had built in readiness before bed on Christmas Eve. She made fresh coffee, and he arrived in the kitchen behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck.

“Mmmm, you smell delicious. Have I told you I love you this morning?” he mumbled into her hair.

She covered his arms with her own. “You have…but I never tire of hearing it.”

~~~~~

After eating croissants and drinking their coffee in the kitchen whilst Jasper looked on, apparently waiting for their leftovers, they went and sat beside the Christmas tree in all its pine-fragranced freshness. Flick handed him a small parcel. He ripped the paper off, being careful not to damage the contents.

When he took out the canvas, he gasped. “This is the view of the valley that you painted while you were here when the snow hit.”

“It is. I wanted you to have this, seeing as the original is on display now. It’s somewhere that means so much to both of us, and although we can walk up and visit there whenever we like, it felt like the right thing to paint for you.”

“Flick, it’s so beautiful, thank you so much. It means such a lot to me too… I just love it.” He kissed her deeply. He looked a little overwhelmed and cleared his throat. “Erm… here’s your gift… Merry Christmas, gorgeous.”

Flick eagerly tore the paper off, not taking as much care as Jim had. He laughed as he watched her. Taking out and looking over the contents, she began to sob quietly, her body shaking and tears flowing freely. She looked up into his eyes where she saw her own tears mirrored in his eyes.

Looking down again, she read the cover of the book. “
Reaching Everest, a Biography of George Leigh Mallory
by Edgar Johnston-Hart.” She curled her lips up into a huge grin. “Oh, Jim…it’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you. Of both of you.” She flung her arms around him and kissed him once again.

~~~~~

They prepared their Christmas lunch together and enjoyed a slow dance in the lounge to Bing Crosby’s
White Christmas
. After sitting on the old tapestry couch snuggled up together, Felicity lifted her head from Jim’s chest. “C’mon, let’s go for a walk up to the view point.”

“Awww, Flick I’m comfy and cosy right here with you,” Jim whined, nuzzling her neck. Jasper had clearly heard the word
walk
, and his ears had pricked up. His tail had begun wagging frantically in a rhythm all of its own.

“Too late, Jasper’s ready, too. C’mon…please?” She pouted and fluttered her eyelids at him, and he finally gave in to her feminine whiles.

After wrapping up warm, they trudged along in the biting air of the chilly December afternoon up to the view point depicted in Felicity’s painting and the old photo from Jim’s childhood. They stood and admired the view in silence, their arms wrapped around each other and Jasper sitting beside them.

As Flick glanced up at the sky, she gasped. “Jim, it’s snowing!” The sparkling flakes cascaded from the sky and began to settle all around them, carpeting the bracken with a white blanket. The landscape was rapidly transforming into something of a winter dreamscape.

After they had watched the snowflakes flutter down for a while, Flick turned to Jim. “I was wondering…why did you put my name on the exhibition as Flick MacDuff?”

He chuckled. “Ah…It was mainly because we didn’t want you to put two and two together if word got out about the exhibition…although looking back I think it was a bit daft really.”

“It has a nice ring to it really, doesn’t it?” She smiled out at the view.

“Aye, well I always thought it did.” His smile was tinged with a little sadness

She pulled away from him and grasped his shoulders, turning him to face her. He looked a little confused.

Undeterred, she gulped in the cold air. “Jim, I know that we’ve had a rocky relationship and that I was stupid on more than one occasion. But…I want you to believe me when I say that it will never,
ever
happen again.”

“I know, Flick, you don’t need to—”

“Jim, please let me finish… I have something I need to ask you...but I’m a little scared of the answer. And I distinctly remember you saying that
you
were only going to ask once…so I figured…it must be my turn…” She rambled as confusion still clouded his eyes, a line appeared between his brows. Felicity continued regardless. “The name, Flick MacDuff…I’m hoping it’s still up for grabs?”

“Flick…I don’t understand…you want to change your name? But we can just change the name of the artist on the exhibition now that everyone—”

She rolled her eyes.
God, he can be so dense.
She stopped his words with her fingertips. “How about you stop talking and listen to me properly, eh?”

He clamped his mouth shut and nodded his acquiescence.

She fumbled in her coat pocket and dropped to one knee, warm salty tears now trailed a heated path down her chilled face. She held up the silver Celtic band toward him.  “Jim…I want to be
her
…I want to be Flick MacDuff…please…will you marry me…again?”

He stared down at her with his mouth open, but didn’t speak.

Oh shit
…“I know it’s sudden and I know that maybe it’s too soon…but—”

He dropped to his knees before her and took her face in his hands. “Felicity?”

“Yes?”

“You took the words right out of my mouth…. The answer’s yes.”

They sealed their engagement on their knees in the deepening snow with a passionate kiss, surrounded by snowflakes falling like confetti—as if they knew.

This wasn’t really a second chance at love. It was a first chance at being who they had always been deep down. Having had the chance to step back and view their own lives, like observers looking through the glass, they knew that this was who they were.

Flick and Jim.

Together, this time, forever.

Epilogue

February 2013 — Three Years After the break-up – Eight Months After the Reconciliation

Jim stared across the table at Flick. She looked stunning, his fiancée. She was letting her hair grow and had stopped attacking it with the straightening irons. It looked golden in the amber glow of the roaring fire, the natural waves falling just past her shoulders.

He couldn’t help but stare.

Valentine’s Day hadn’t exactly been filled with good memories for them. But this one was going to be different. Jim was determined about that. He arched his mouth up into a smile without realising it.

“What are you smiling about?” She tilted her head to one side and looked at him through long lashes.

“You,” he replied simply.

“What about me?” She placed her knife and fork down and rested her chin on her hands.

“Just that…you’re so beautiful, Flick. More beautiful right now than I’ve ever seen you look.”

Although the lighting in the pub was low, Jim could see her cheeks colour slightly. “Oh Jim, that’s so sweet.” She reached across the table and squeezed his forearm.

“Aye, well it’s the truth. I want this Valentine’s Day to be special, Flick. I want the memory of this one to replace all the others. We’ve wasted so much time. All I want to do is take you home and make love to you all night.” He reached for her hand and trailed circles around the back of her arm.

“That sounds like a wonderful way to spend the evening.” She flicked her hair back exposing her long neck. Jim loved to kiss her neck. It was a particularly erogenous zone of hers. She tilted her head so he had an amazing view from her bare shoulder where the top she wore had slipped down, all the way up to her pretty jaw line. A flush of colour rose from her chest up her neck to her cheeks. Definite signs of arousal.

His mouth went dry.

He cleared his throat and pulled at the collar of his shirt. “So…was your meal good?” He changed the subject before pouncing on her in public.

She giggled as if fully aware of what he was doing. “Mmm. It was delicious. The combination of spices was amazing… I’m so glad we have this place on our doorstep… Having said that…what I would really like would be to skip dessert and have that at home.”

“I couldn’t agree more, sweetheart. I’ll go pay the bill.”

He walked over to the bar where he briefly chatted with the owner. Once he had paid, he came back over to her. Gazing down at her, he caught himself staring again.
Wow…she really is stunning
. He had been filled with trepidation about giving things with Felicity another go, but up to now everything had been amazing.

Her attitude to life had completely changed. She was so enthusiastic about painting again. Her passion shone through when she stood at her easel. He could sit, pretending to read a book and secretly watch her for hours, her paint spattered face begging for him to kiss her. Every so often she would catch him and a smile would play on her lips. Sometimes she would just continue with her work but sometimes—the times he loved the most—she would walk over and remove her paint covered clothing seductively and straddle him where he sat.  He’d never really fallen out of love with her, but giving in to what his heart really wanted had been difficult. And she was what his heart truly desired.