Page 55 of Escape for Christmas
‘Pssht!’ Agatha said. ‘We can do that. I’ll look after the bar.’
‘I’lllook after the bar,’ Amber said from the corner. ‘I did bar work when I was a student. I needed the money,’ she continued pointedly.
‘I had a part-time job too. In a newsagent’s,’ Suzanne shot back. ‘We weren’t well off, either.’
‘It’s lovely to see you came down,’ Sophie said, cutting off a potential source of conflict.
‘Well, I heard the music and smelled the delicious food,’ Amber replied. ‘And I wanted to do my bit and help.’
‘Thank you, Amber,’ Sophie said gratefully. ‘Thank you both, but I couldn’t possibly allow my guests to do all the work while I make an idiot of myself.’
‘Why not?’ responded Nico, sweeping Sophie into his arms without warning. She was so surprised that her breath was taken away. ‘You’re our host!’ He twirled her round so fast she let out a gasp of shock. ‘It’s your job to entertain us!’
Sophie found herself bent over backwards, supported by his strong arms. She thought she was going to fall over and let out a little shriek, but Nico pulled her upright just in time.
‘Bravo!’
‘Encore!’ Una whooped.
Applause and delighted laughter broke out from the other guests. Even Amber seemed to be smiling.
‘So you don’t have two left feet then …’ Suzanne observed to Nico.
‘My mother made me go to Latin classes for a while when I was a teenager. If I’d mentioned that, I’m afraid you’d all have had inflated expectations of my ability. I couldn’t handle the pressure.’ Nico’s eyes twinkled.
‘You’re a dark horse, that’s for sure,’ Agatha remarked, scrutinising him while Sophie caught her breath after literally being swept off her feet.
‘That reallywaswicked of me,’ Nico said to her. ‘I suppose I should apologise.’
Sophie felt herself blush. ‘There’s no need. Everyone seems to have enjoyed it.’
‘But didyouenjoy it?’ Somehow he made a simple question sound quite indecent.
‘It was – er – exhilarating.’
‘That’s a word for it!’ Agatha declared, chortling.
‘Youmustat least have a go at learning the salsa,’ Una said to Sophie. ‘You’ve been working so hard to look after us.’
‘You’re paying me to do that,’ Sophie said, only half joking.
‘Oh, let your hair down for once!’ Agatha declared. ‘We’ll muck in with the food and booze. Now let’s get the real party started.’
Sophie laughed and decided that Agatha was right. They should all let loose and celebrate in their own way. Somehow her guests had also become co-hosts and were taking matters out of her hands.
She was partnered up with Hugo for her first lesson.Nico was with Suzanne. Una with Agatha. Amber had gone to the bar to mix another jug of sangria. The music had been turned up louder, the beat of the salsa drowning out the wind howling outside.
Somehow, despite nothing really going to plan, Sophie had got exactly what she wanted: laughter and dancing, a family rescued from the snow and guests getting on like a house on fire (apart from the minor glitch of two warring siblings).
That was way more than she could have hoped for when she’d first posted the ad a few months ago, or when her year had started. She might be hurt over what had happened with Brody, but she knew she needed to remember quite how far she’d come this year.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
‘No. Please – no more. I’m absolutely done for!’ Agatha collapsed into the armchair, very red in the face. ‘And no more sangria for me. I feel quite discombobulated.’
‘Discombobulated?’ Nico echoed. ‘That sounds like fun.’
Everyonewas having fun, Sophie thought, even Amber and Suzanne, although they were pointedly seated at opposite sides of the guest lounge.
