by Sophie Hart
‘Have you got time to take a break? I was wondering if you could help us out with something?’
Annie was instantly intrigued. ‘I’d love an excuse to get me away from my desk. But what do you need me to do?’
‘Come and see,’ Jamie grinned, as he began to walk away down the corridor.
Annie stared after him in confusion. ‘Do I need to bring anything?’
‘Nope. Just yourself.’
She hurried to catch up with him as he strode past the kitchen, his long legs quickly covering the distance.
‘I didn’t realise anyone else was still around,’ she told him.
‘We’ve been putting in a few late nights of our own,’ Jamie replied. ‘Working hard on our latest project.’
‘Oh, is that the one you mentioned before? The holiday finder app?’
‘No, we finished that one, and the client loved it. This is a new game,’ he announced, his blue eyes twinkling as he pushed open his office door with a flourish. Annie stepped in and glanced around. The unit was a similar size to her own space, but furnished completely differently. The walls were decorated with a couple of framed prints – a black and white photo of the New York skyline, and a dramatic shot of waves crashing around a lighthouse – whilst a spiky-leaved spider plant stood on the window sill. Other than that, the room seemed devoted to technology: two desks were pushed back to back, with a computer and multiple screens on each, as well as a laptop, an iPad, a couple of phones and a plethora of other gadgets. An empty takeaway pizza box was resting on a spare chair, and Jamie hastily folded it up and pushed it in the recycling bin.
‘Sorry about that,’ he apologised, looking shame-faced. ‘Like I said, we’ve been working a lot of late nights.’
‘No worries,’ Annie smiled. ‘Hi Matt, how are you?’ she asked, greeting Jamie’s brother, who was lounging in his swivel chair. Matt had the same blond hair and slim figure as his brother, although his hair was shorter, and Annie didn’t think he was quite as attractive as Jamie. Right now, Matt also wore that same expression of exhausted exhilaration.
‘Great thanks, Annie. So you’re here to try out our new app, are you?’
‘Am I?’ Annie shrugged helplessly. ‘I’m not really sure what I’m here for.’
‘Annie Hall, you are in the enviable position of being the first person ever to try out Coconut Shack, the incredible new smartphone game that’s about to take the world by storm,’ Matt informed her. ‘Do you realise just how lucky you are?’
‘I don’t think I do, no,’ Annie replied honestly.
Matt looked at Jamie, and the pair of them shook their heads in disbelief, which made Annie giggle.
‘Right, sit down here,’ Jamie told her, indicating an unoccupied chair which she assumed must be his. He placed his hands on her shoulders as she sat down, and Annie felt her skin tingle at the warmth of his touch.
‘Have you done much gaming before?’ Jamie asked, appearing not to notice her reaction.
‘And by gaming, we don’t mean “Have you spent hours trying to complete Grand Theft Auto 5”,’ Matt clarified. ‘More like the apps on your phone – Plants vs Zombies, that kind of thing.’
‘I did have a bit of an Angry Birds addiction for a while back there,’ Annie admitted. ‘And I’ve played Bejeweled and a few others.’
‘Perfect! Then you know exactly the kind of thing we’re aiming for. You can try it on the Mac for now,’ Jamie suggested, leaning over her to press a couple of buttons on the keyboard. A brightly coloured screen popped up, bearing the title ‘Coconut Shack’. The graphics were bold, simplistic and childlike, but Annie could see how they would have mass appeal.
Jamie passed her a black pad, which was plugged into the side of the computer. ‘This works the same way as the touch-screen technology on your phone,’ he explained. ‘So you’ll play it through this for the moment. Ready?’
Annie looked panic-stricken. ‘Aren’t you going to explain what I have to do?’
Jamie shook his head. ‘Nope. We want to see how intuitive the game is, so if you can pick it up without being told the rules, then we’ll know it’s worked. It has to be really easy and simple, yet addictive.’
‘Okay,’ Annie agreed nervously. She tapped on the pad to start, and the title graphic was replaced with a Hawaiian-looking backdrop. On the left of the screen was a helicopter, next to it was a giant coconut, and along the bottom were palm trees and pink hibiscus flowers. As Annie moved her finger on the keypad, the helicopter began to fly. It seemed obvious that she had to pick up the giant coconut, so she hovered low over it, and it quickly attached itself to the bottom of the helicopter. Then she flew off, over the palm trees, the background scrolling along behind. When she flew over a flower, the helicopter got tangled and crashed.
‘Oh!’ Annie wailed in disappointment. ‘Can I have another go?’
‘Go ahead,’ Jamie nodded, smiling at Matt.
This time Annie knew what she was doing. The palm trees boosted her flight, giving her longer in the air, but she had to avoid the flowers as they could crash the helicopter. When she flew over a crab, she jabbed at the touch-pad and the coconut dropped, landing on the crab and crushing it. A message flashed up on the screen saying that she’d passed Level 1 and won fifty points.
‘Hurray, I won!’ Annie cheered, looking triumphantly at the brothers. ‘Can I carry on?’
‘Sure,’ Jamie agreed.
The game continued in the same simple yet addictive format. As Annie passed through the levels, there were more coconuts to load and more crabs to crush, and each episode was slightly harder with the introduction of more obstacles. Every time Annie died, or finished a level, she promised herself ‘just one more go’. Over an hour later, she was still sitting in the chair, telling herself that she would put it down in a minute. Matt had already left, explaining that he’d promised his girlfriend he wouldn’t be home too late, which left only Jamie to supervise Annie’s progress.
‘Come on, Annie. You can do it!’ Jamie cheered, as she cleared the final hurdle and made it onto Level 12.
‘I’ll just play up to fifteen,’ she said casually, already absorbed in the game.
‘Well, you’ll have to stop at twenty, as we’ve only built that far. Aargh, watch out for that hidden flower! Oh no, you didn’t listen to me,’ he sighed, as Annie crashed once again.
She looked up briefly to glare at him, then carried on playing. They were sitting close together, their bodies almost touching, and Annie couldn’t help but be aware of his presence beside her. His skin was warm, and he smelt of coffee and lingering traces of aftershave.
When she failed the same level three times in a row, Jamie looked at her pityingly and asked, ‘Would you like me to complete it for you?’
‘Would you like to shut up and let me concentrate?’ Annie narrowed her eyes in mock-annoyance, and Jamie burst out laughing.
‘I love a woman with attitude,’ he teased. ‘See, this game is turning you into a monster. Maybe you should stop playing?’
‘Not yet,’ Annie begged. ‘Just five more minutes.’
When she finally hit Level 15, almost twenty minutes later, Annie sat back and glanced up at the clock. ‘Woah, how did it get to eleven o’clock? I can’t believe the time went so fast.’
‘That’s a good sign,’ Jamie smiled. ‘I’m glad you enjoyed it.’
‘It’s addictive,’ Annie confessed. ‘Honestly, you’ve made a really good game.’ Her eyes were shining, her adrenaline pumping.
‘Thanks. Do you have any suggestions on how to improve it?’
Annie thought for a moment. ‘Not really. It’s great as it is.’
‘How about the name?’
‘Coconut Shack? It’s good. I always like alliteration though. How about something like… Coconut Cracker?’
‘Coconuts & Crabs? Crab Crusher?’
‘Coconut Crush?’ Annie suggested.
Jamie stared at her, his eyes growing wide. ‘Yes! That’s absolutely
perfect, Annie.’ He looked as though he might throw his arms around her, but then thought better of it. ‘If we had one, I’d crack open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. I don’t suppose you fancy the cold dregs of a mug of coffee?’
‘Not really,’ Annie giggled, looking around. ‘This place is a mess,’ she stated, matter-of-factly. ‘Do you ever let Celeste clean it?’
‘Nope. There are all sorts of important things in here, we don’t want them messing up. Besides, we might lose the creativity if everything was too ordered.’
‘Hmm.’ Annie looked sceptical. ‘Is this what you’re like at home?’
‘Not exactly,’ Jamie admitted. ‘To be honest, I spend most of my time here, so my house is pretty tidy. Although I love to cook, so on my days off the kitchen’s always full of clutter.’
Annie raised an eyebrow in surprise. ‘You love to cook? You sound like the perfect man,’ she said without thinking, then immediately regretted it, her cheeks flushing pink.
‘Well, I wouldn’t exactly say that…’
‘Do you live on your own?’ Annie asked, attempting to change the subject, then realising it looked as though she was prying even further into his personal life.
‘Yeah,’ Jamie nodded, not seeming to notice. ‘I do now. I used to live…’ He trailed off, then started again. ‘Matt and I bought a place together a couple of years ago, just off Drayton Road, but then he moved in with his girlfriend, so now it’s just me.’
‘Oh, I’m not far from there,’ Annie told him. ‘In Hellesdon.’
‘That’s really close,’ Jamie agreed. ‘I’m surprised I haven’t bumped into you.’
‘Well, I’m usually here,’ Annie laughed. ‘And then we bump into each other in the kitchen.’
Jamie laughed too. ‘You’re obviously a hard worker.’
Annie shrugged. ‘I enjoy it. I suppose it’s true what they say – it doesn’t feel like work if you’re enjoying it.’
Jamie nodded. ‘I know what you mean. Although I’d rather work from a Caribbean beach than an industrial estate in Norwich.’
‘Mmm, I’ll join you there,’ Annie grinned. ‘Take me with you if you win the lottery.’
‘I will,’ Jamie promised, his eyes sparkling. ‘I’ll give you a job as my number one games tester.’
‘It’s a deal.’ Annie smiled, then checked the time once again and groaned. ‘It’s been fun, but I think I need to head home now.’
‘Yeah, I need to make a move too. I’ll just finish a couple of things here and then I’ll be off.’
‘Don’t stay too late,’ Annie warned him, as she stood up and swung her bag over her shoulder. ‘Thanks for tonight, Jamie. I really enjoyed it, and I think you’ve got a fantastic product.’
‘Thanks, Annie. I enjoyed it too. You’re a pretty mean gamer.’
Annie laughed. ‘Good night, Jamie. See you tomorrow.’
‘Night, Annie.’
Annie walked off down the empty corridor, a definite spring in her step despite the late hour. As she pushed open the exit door, she realised that she was smiling away to herself, happiness zinging through her body, as she thought about the evening and the fun she’d had with Jamie.
Woah, what was that all about? she wondered suddenly, stopping dead as she made her way across the car park. It was just Jamie! Jamie, the guy that she saw every day at work, the guy who shared chocolate biscuits and banter during their afternoon tea break. So why was she suddenly grinning like an idiot, feeling as though she could float home instead of drive, and finding herself softly humming ‘When You Say Nothing At All’ under her breath?
Annie caught herself sharply, feeling emotions start to stir that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Well, she wouldn’t think about them right now, Annie told herself sternly. She was over-tired – it had been a long and stressful day – and she obviously wasn’t thinking clearly. Plus she needed to stop spending her evenings watching Notting Hill, then she wouldn’t spend the day with cheesy Ronan Keating songs stuck in her head.
No, Annie decided, climbing into her car and slinging her bag onto the passenger seat. She would drive home, go to bed, and when she woke in the morning it would be just another ordinary day. These unexpected, inexplicable feelings of happiness and excitement and promise would have completely disappeared, and everything would be back to normal. Just the way she liked it.
15
Chapter Fifteen
‘Sex is always about emotions. Good sex is about free emotions; bad sex is about blocked emotions’ – Deepak Chopra
‘It’s great to see another large turnout today,’ Annie said, smiling round at the group. It was a Saturday morning and she was back in the boardroom, with eight sets of couples seated in a semi-circle in front of her.
‘Today’s exercise is going to be all about listening and communicating with your partner. The difference is that your partner isn’t going to be the one you arrived with today.’
This announcement caused some murmurings and raised eyebrows around the room.
‘That doesn’t mean there’s going to be wife swapping going on,’ Annie quickly clarified, to relieved laughter and sniggers. ‘I’m not suggesting you all throw your car keys into a bowl in the centre of the room. But I do want you all to team up with someone else. It doesn’t matter how you’re mixed – male or female, I don’t mind. So, if you could all pair up…’
Everyone eyed each other a little nervously. There was a scraping of chairs as some people pushed theirs back and stood up, moving across the room. Others turned to their neighbour, with a terribly British ‘So shall we…?’ and there were grateful smiles all round when everyone was suitably partnered up.
Zoe and Julia were sitting beside each other, but Zoe was somewhat nervous at the prospect of working with Nick’s wife; she remembered Julia’s behaviour in the previous group session, and assumed she’d be cold and unfriendly. But when Julia turned to her with a hesitant smile and said, ‘Shall we work together?’, Zoe instantly agreed.
‘I’m Zoe, by the way,’ she introduced herself.
‘Julia,’ replied Julia, and the two women grinned tentatively at each other, breaking the ice.
Nick was working with Linda, while Simon and Ray had paired up with some of the other regulars. The rest of the couples mixed themselves up and everyone looked expectantly at Annie.
‘Have you all found a partner? Great. Now, for the first part of today, I want you to tell the person you’re working with the story of how you met your actual partner. Try and give as much detail as you can – really make the person you’re with feel as though they’re living the story – whether it’s funny or embarrassing or just downright romantic.’
‘Exactly how much detail do you want us to go into?’ Simon asked cheekily. ‘I don’t want to give away too many secrets.’
Sitting beside Julia, Zoe flushed red. ‘Oi!’ she exclaimed. ‘You make it sound as though you had your wicked way with me on our first date. These sessions are about honesty, not fantasyland!’
Annie smiled at the two of them. ‘As I said, do go into detail, but preferably not explicit. Try not to embarrass the person you’re working with,’ she advised, her eyes sparkling. ‘Now, the point of this exercise is to get you reminiscing about those early days of falling in love. This is back when the physical attraction between the two of you was strongest; when you were most likely functioning on lust and hormones, and before the oxytocin kicked in. You might not know this, but in the first three years of a relationship, there are all kinds of hormones zooming around your body, literally making your heart race and heightening your sex drive. After that time period, a different hormone called oxytocin – also known as the cuddle hormone – kicks in.
‘This does mean an end to those exciting emotions you experienced in the early days of your relationship,’ Annie explained, glancing round the room. ‘But the upside of this are feelings of security, contentment, and a desire to settle down. And while these are all great, sometimes we want
to try and recapture that initial passion, and remember just what exactly made us fall in love in the first place. I’ll give you about ten minutes to chat to your partner, and then you can swap over. Any questions?’
Everyone shook their heads, and Annie added, ‘Oh, and you don’t all have to stay seated where you are – feel free to move about and find a private corner, or somewhere that you feel comfortable, where you can really open up.’
Zoe and Julia moved their chairs a little way from the rest of the group, and Zoe asked, ‘Do you want to go first?’
‘Er… okay then,’ Julia replied, not at all sure that she did want to go first. The situation between her and Nick didn’t seem to have resolved itself one bit, despite another session with Annie, so remembering how loved up they used to be was the last thing Julia wanted to do.
‘Right, so I have to talk about how Nick and I met? That’s him over there, by the way,’ she explained, pointing to her husband.
Zoe nodded. She remembered the two of them from the last group workshop, but didn’t want to bring it up in case Julia felt embarrassed by the way they’d argued.
Julia cleared her throat. ‘So, how did we meet? Well, we met at work actually. A bit clichéd, I know.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘We were working for this advertising company called Skyrocket, back in Derbyshire where we’re both from.’
‘Oh, I didn’t realise you were from there,’ Zoe exclaimed.
‘Yeah, we moved here just over a year ago when Nick got a new job. It was an offer that was too good to refuse, so we packed up and came to Norwich.’
‘And how are you finding it?’
‘It’s… all right.’ Julia sounded uncertain. ‘I mean, I don’t really know many people yet. It’s not like back home, where I grew up, and I had my mum and all my friends around. Plus I’ve been trying to set up my own business – I’m an events planner – so I’ve been rushed off my feet, and… Anyway, back to the story,’ Julia said with forced brightness, trying not dwell on her problems. ‘I was working as a receptionist-cum-PA to the MD of Skyrocket, and Nick was a junior account manager back then. I fancied him straight away actually—’