forbidden { michael gray } ON TEMPORARY HOLD

e l e v e n

THREE MONTHS LATER

"Make sure you give table 5 some extra biscuits with their tea!"

Talya shouted an okay to her boss before adhering to the instruction. The cafe was ram-packed and she'd hardly had a moment to think since the lunchtime rush happened. With expert agility, she balanced three plates of biscuits between her hands and carried them over to the table which seated a group of women, all nattering happily as they sipped on their tea and coffee. "Here you go, ladies."

All of them thanked her, except for one, who stared hard at her. Talya wasn't sure why, and she was too busy to find out what was wrong with the middle-aged woman, so she gave them all a quick smile before rushing back to the counter to make some more tea.

By the time the women finished gossiping and decided to pay, it was almost time for Talya to finish for the day. One by one, the women all paid for their separate drinks and left until finally, the woman who has stared at her earlier walked over to the till. "Mine was just two earl greys."

Talya punched the amount into the till. "That'll be £3, please. Was there something wrong with your order, madam?"

The woman looked taken aback. "No. Why would there be?"

"Oh!" Talya said with a relieved laugh. She'd had one too many complaints, according to her boss, and if she wasn't careful she could be out of the job. "It's just you were staring at me before, I wondered if I'd messed it up."

"No, you haven't. I just feel as though I recognise you from somewhere. Do you know where it might be from?"

Well, she thought. It could be my murderous family who has free reign of Greet. Maybe you've seen our family pictures in newspapers. "No, love. Can't think where, unless it's this place."

The woman continued to peer at Talya before suddenly her eyes widened. "Oh, my! You're Talya Ivanov! I'm Percy Fleet's mother!"

Talya's jaw dropped. It was her son who Alexei had beaten so badly he had gone into a coma. "Mrs Fleet! I'm so sorry for not recognising you! How is Percy?"

"He's wonderful. He recovered better than the doctors could have ever hoped for. Making lots of money for himself in this brave, new world. In fact, he's picking me up soon in his new car. Fancy coming to see him?"

"I'd love to, but I still have half an hour left on my shift."

Mrs Fleet paused for a moment as she thought. "I'll have him pick you up once he's dropped me off. It's far too cold for you to be walking home anyway."

Talya nodded and smiled brightly. "That would be great! It was lovely seeing you, Mrs Fleet."

The woman smiled, popped a few coins in the tip jar and left, leaving Talya wondering what to expect when Percy picked her up.

-

By the time Talya's shift was finished, it had started raining heavily. She lifted her umbrella and stood outside the cafe, staring at every car as it drove past, wondering if it was Percy. It had been so long since she has seen him, and they had been little more than 14, that she wasn't sure what to expect from him. They were both 18 now, so she knew that puberty will have changed his appearance, but what she saw when his car finally rolled up next to her was certainly not what she expected. "Percy?"

A towering man with curly brown hair and broad, muscular shoulders stood before her, wearing a suit that she didn't doubt costed more than her paycheck for a months work would amount to. "Alright, Talya?"

She was completely gobsmacked. This was a boy who had been no taller than her when she last saw him, one who was never the strongest or the most handsome. But clearly, things had changed. He was absolutely gorgeous, it was undeniable. "Christ. You've changed, haven't you?"