Settling Slowly

Chapter 6 - Uninvited Guests

"Alright there, miss?" the mushroom man asked. "I would have taken his coat. Your boyfriend looks like he can handle the cold."

I didn't help his argument by telling him that Grigory was Russian. "He's not my boyfriend."

"Coulda fooled me," he said. "What can I help you with, darlin'?"

"Uh... I have a list," I said and passed it over with a frozen hand. My fingertips were going blue. "Bloody hell," I muttered and stuck them in my pockets.

It started to snow.

"Bloody h-hell."

"Shoulda taken his coat," I was told.

I nearly snapped at him to just do his job. I fumbled money from my purse when he asked for it. Grigory still wasn't back. I decided that he could find me and went to the sweet stall a few yards away. It was ablaze with colours as warm as I wished I was.

"Why aren't you all wrapped up?" the guy asked.

I glowered at him. "Wish I was. C-can I have s-some pear drops p-p-please?"

"Sure thing," he said. "Want to try some winter spiced toffee?" He pointed to a plate of what looked like delicious goodness.

"I think it'll break my teeth."

He smiled. "Take some to go. All of it if you want. I've got loads I've been trying to get rid of."

"Since you're offering."

"Good, my wife keeps moaning at me. We've got loads of it at home."

He filled a large bag with pear drops, big and small, and then put the whole plate of toffee into a paper bag for me. I paid and still Grigory hadn't turned up. I growled. Of course he would disappear when it was snowing and I was freezing cold. I was going to die out here at this rate.

Then he appeared. With a huge knitted jumper. It was in shades of mauve, grey and lilac and should have been an absolute monstrosity, but it worked. It looked really warm too.

"Whose b-birthd-day is it?" I asked.

He just gave me a flat look and told me to take my coat off.

"Ha! N-no chance."

"Zoey, the jumper is for you."

I just blinked at him for a moment. "You did-n-n-n't have t-to do that. I'm —"

"Don't say you're fine," he sighed. "You're not fine. You're freezing."

"There's only one st-stall left."

"Zoey, it's fucking snowing. Put the jumper on," he snapped. In Russian.

Shocked I did as I was told. I smiled as I put the jumper on. It was really, really soft and really, really warm. I pulled my coat on over it and before I had it done up he pulled a hat over my head. It had earflaps and tassels that hung passed my shoulders. Then he wound a scarf around my neck and put some gloves on my hands.

I looked up at him, surprise and gratitude in my eyes. "I would have been fffffine with just the j-jjumper."

He put a gloved hand on my face and smiled at me. "You would have been fine, but not warm."

I smiled a little too. "You didn't have —"

"Just say thank you, Zoya."

"Thank you."

He kissed my forehead. Even though the hat was in the way I felt more warmth simmer through me than when I'd pulled the jumper on. Grigory picked my bags up and asked me something.