Use hedgehog as an insult.
"You're such a hedgehog," James said, thwacking the bag of bananas into the fruit bowl on the counter. "Why do you have to be so prickly? I was just asking you a question."
"And I don't think it's any of your business whether or not I have a boyfriend," Lottie replied, opening the door to the ancient refrigerator and gently placing a carton of milk in the door pocket. She hoped none of the thirty-year-old fixtures would fall out and splatter food all over the floor next time she opened it. Beggars couldn't be choosers, she knew that--but she did wish their grandmother had updated the house just the slightest before naming her two young adult granddaughters as the new owners of the property. They had not been entirely prepared for the house left to them in her will.
"I'm just interested to see where your life has gone. It's been years since we've talked," James said, leaning against the counter and sticking his hands into the pockets of his expensive suit jacket.
"Well, last time we talked I believe you had a mullet, so things have definitely changed," Lottie remarked, returning to the remaining groceries on the table.
"You can ask me anything, if it makes you feel more equal," James suggested with a grin.
"Why would I want to ask you about your love life?" Lottie scoffed. "You always have some girl fawning all over you."
James looked a little taken aback. "Maybe a few years ago, but not now."
Lottie laughed. "What, you? You're such a player. I bet you don't go an hour without some girl giving you her number."
James shook his head. "I think you've got entirely the wrong impression."
Lottie silently stowed the remaining cans of food in the cupboard. "Whatever. I don't really care, to be honest. Thank you for your help with the mortgage stuff, but I'd appreciate if you can do so without butting your head into my love life."
James rolled his eyes. "I'm just intrigued, that's all. The last time I saw you, you were a kid. Now you and Tara are all on your own and I'm worried about you."
Lottie looked perplexed. "About me and Tara?"
He shrugged. "Mainly you. Tara has a life and a career." Lottie laughed and he shook his head. "I know her acting stuff is a little kooky, but she enjoys it. What are you doing? Working in a cafe? It would suck if you got stuck there just because you're worried about adding to the family debt."
Lottie grabbed the last plastic bag and balled it in her first. "Well, I am worried about that, but you can't do much to change that, can you? My job might be boring, but it pays the bills, and I have plenty of friends to keep me happy. If it makes you feel any more optimistic about my prospects, I do have a boyfriend, and he's a pretty nice guy who's studying for a degree and has plenty of prospects ahead of him."
James's interest was evidently piqued. "Can I meet him?"
"Why?" Lottie asked, tossing the plastic bag on to the counter. "Will you quit it with this whole 'big brother' act? I'm not twelve anymore, and it wasn't cute back then either."
James held up his hands in defence. "Sorry, sorry. I guess the dynamic has changed." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Or are you still secretly in love with me?"
Lottie's face coloured slightly. "What? I was never in love with you."
He roared with laughter. "You so were. It was absolutely adorable."
Lottie stepped forward to meet him at the counter. "Listen. I am not twelve, or adorable anymore. I'm twenty years old, and I have mortgages and bills to worry about, not to mention the fact that Tara is having a baby and her boyfriend is halfway round the world and refusing to answer her phone calls. I have enough to stress me out, without adding your patronising attitude to the mix."
James's face fell. "Tara's pregnant?"
Crap. She'd misjudged James's presence in the house to mean that he and Tara was best buddies again. Maybe she really had just dragged him over here to be a financial advisor. "I thought she told you," Lottie murmured, stepping away from him.
James stood up and brushed off his jacket. "I think I'm going to talk to your sister. Don't leave, okay? I might have some questions about the house later." Before she could answer, he swung open the door to the back hallway and barrelled in the direction of the study.
Lottie fell against the counter and hung her head. She didn't know if she could imagine a worse re-encounter with James Montgomery if she'd tried.
Word count: 799
"And I don't think it's any of your business whether or not I have a boyfriend," Lottie replied, opening the door to the ancient refrigerator and gently placing a carton of milk in the door pocket. She hoped none of the thirty-year-old fixtures would fall out and splatter food all over the floor next time she opened it. Beggars couldn't be choosers, she knew that--but she did wish their grandmother had updated the house just the slightest before naming her two young adult granddaughters as the new owners of the property. They had not been entirely prepared for the house left to them in her will.
"I'm just interested to see where your life has gone. It's been years since we've talked," James said, leaning against the counter and sticking his hands into the pockets of his expensive suit jacket.
"Well, last time we talked I believe you had a mullet, so things have definitely changed," Lottie remarked, returning to the remaining groceries on the table.
"You can ask me anything, if it makes you feel more equal," James suggested with a grin.
"Why would I want to ask you about your love life?" Lottie scoffed. "You always have some girl fawning all over you."
James looked a little taken aback. "Maybe a few years ago, but not now."
Lottie laughed. "What, you? You're such a player. I bet you don't go an hour without some girl giving you her number."
James shook his head. "I think you've got entirely the wrong impression."
Lottie silently stowed the remaining cans of food in the cupboard. "Whatever. I don't really care, to be honest. Thank you for your help with the mortgage stuff, but I'd appreciate if you can do so without butting your head into my love life."
James rolled his eyes. "I'm just intrigued, that's all. The last time I saw you, you were a kid. Now you and Tara are all on your own and I'm worried about you."
Lottie looked perplexed. "About me and Tara?"
He shrugged. "Mainly you. Tara has a life and a career." Lottie laughed and he shook his head. "I know her acting stuff is a little kooky, but she enjoys it. What are you doing? Working in a cafe? It would suck if you got stuck there just because you're worried about adding to the family debt."
Lottie grabbed the last plastic bag and balled it in her first. "Well, I am worried about that, but you can't do much to change that, can you? My job might be boring, but it pays the bills, and I have plenty of friends to keep me happy. If it makes you feel any more optimistic about my prospects, I do have a boyfriend, and he's a pretty nice guy who's studying for a degree and has plenty of prospects ahead of him."
James's interest was evidently piqued. "Can I meet him?"
"Why?" Lottie asked, tossing the plastic bag on to the counter. "Will you quit it with this whole 'big brother' act? I'm not twelve anymore, and it wasn't cute back then either."
James held up his hands in defence. "Sorry, sorry. I guess the dynamic has changed." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Or are you still secretly in love with me?"
Lottie's face coloured slightly. "What? I was never in love with you."
He roared with laughter. "You so were. It was absolutely adorable."
Lottie stepped forward to meet him at the counter. "Listen. I am not twelve, or adorable anymore. I'm twenty years old, and I have mortgages and bills to worry about, not to mention the fact that Tara is having a baby and her boyfriend is halfway round the world and refusing to answer her phone calls. I have enough to stress me out, without adding your patronising attitude to the mix."
James's face fell. "Tara's pregnant?"
Crap. She'd misjudged James's presence in the house to mean that he and Tara was best buddies again. Maybe she really had just dragged him over here to be a financial advisor. "I thought she told you," Lottie murmured, stepping away from him.
James stood up and brushed off his jacket. "I think I'm going to talk to your sister. Don't leave, okay? I might have some questions about the house later." Before she could answer, he swung open the door to the back hallway and barrelled in the direction of the study.
Lottie fell against the counter and hung her head. She didn't know if she could imagine a worse re-encounter with James Montgomery if she'd tried.
Word count: 799