‘You must have blinkers on, Aubrey. The man is smitten with you. Smitten. He can’t take his eyes off you. Even when you were doing the robot and everyone else was gasping at how bad you were, he had this look on his face that I can only describe as wonderment, and that’s really saying something. If a man can find the way you dance cute, then the sky is the limit.’
‘I’m trying not to take offence as I untangle that, Sabrina. How can the robot dance be bad? It’s the robot. It’s meant to be robotic.’
‘Your robot short-circuited! There was a system failure and a malfunction in the motherboard.’
‘Wow.’ I promptly dissolve into giggles. ‘You paint a tragic picture of my skills, Sabrina. Was I really that bad?’ I mean, it tracks. I absolutely hate being in the spotlight, and that hatred is magnified when you add a dance battle into the mix.
‘Worse. And despite that, the man stared at you like you were a goddess come to life.’
Did he? ‘And he joined in with my dance, what – to save me from further mortification?’ I remember the crowd calling for Jasper, wolf-whistling, so I’d just presumed he wanted more of the limelight.
‘To save you and to be close to you.’
‘Oooh, maybe I do see it now.’ Jasper has been looking out for me this whole time. It’s in the little things he does. He’s considerate, aware. The type of guy that’s always on your side. I’m not used to a man like that, so much so that I didn’t even recognise it in him until now and that’s only because Sabrina’s pointed it out. Could I really let myself fall for Jasper though? Risk it all again, so soon?
Sabrina blanches when she spots another staff member coming our way. ‘Oh shoot, there’s my manager. I’m supposed to guide you to the Elfie-Selfie Station and encourage you to pose for an “elfie” that you can share on social media.’
I keep my face neutral when the sucked-lemon-faced manager swings her gaze to us, and I say quietly, ‘They’re really big on photos around here.’
‘It’s the way of the world, is it not? If you don’t take a photo, did it even happen?’
I laugh. ‘True. Are you allowed to come and get an “elfie” with me?’
‘Sure, as we’re supposed to be encouraging shares to social media!’
As the manager walks past, she shoots Sabrina a dark look and says to me, ‘I hope Sabrina is assisting you with whatever you need?’
I give her a wide smile. ‘She is, in fact, and has ever since I stepped on board. I commend you on hiring such friendly staff, such as Sabrina, who has gone above and beyond for us passengers and truly made this trip unforgettable. You’re lucky to have her.’
The manager’s jaw unhinges before she quickly collects herself. ‘Thank you. That’s lovely to hear.’
When she leaves, Sabrina screeches. ‘Oh, that was priceless! Thank you, Aubrey.’
‘I meant every word.’
We find the Elfie-Selfie Station and pose, pulling silly faces. ‘I’m going to miss you all at the end of this journey,’ Sabrina says when we finish, handing our props to the next passengers.
‘I’m going to miss you too. I guess it’s an ongoing stream of goodbyes for you in this line of work?’
Sabrina smiles. ‘It is. Some are harder than others. It’s always surprising how close you can grow to a group over a short amount of time. Being together like this, in a bubble almost, fast tracks those friendships. And then the dreaded goodbyes come and, as much as you plan to catch up again one day, that day never comes. You must find that too the way you live?’
It’s a little soul crushing to think I’ll never see Sabrina or the rest of the group again. She’s right – we’ve grown close over such a short time, aided by the fact we’re confined to the train for half the day. It’s a wonderful way to travel, in that respect. ‘Yes, I find goodbyes difficult too when I travel, but someone is always leaving for the next adventure, and then I find myself with itchy feet, inspired to explore further. I’m not sure where to next, though. Maybe Paris? Maybe I’ll work my way down France…’ I can then meet Jasper for the Camino in March.
‘Sounds bloody good to me.’
‘What about you? Do you plan to stay on the Winter Wonderland Express long term?’
‘It was the plan, but now I’m not sure. I love the train but my manager has it in for me. You saw the way she looked at me. According to her, I can’t do anything right. I’ve been offered a job crewing on a yacht in the Maldives, so I might go for that. I’m just… not sure. You ever feel like that? At a crossroads, let down by people and just meh?’ It’s a big change from Sabrina wanting to get her boyfriend a job on board to suddenly wanting to leave. I’m sorry that her manager is dulling her shine. It’s not right.
I give her shoulder a squeeze. ‘Yeah, hard relate.’
‘You better head to dinner so you don’t miss out. All I have to do is protect my baubles from being squeezed and all will be well. If I knock any more wine off the table, I might actually get fired, so wish me luck.’
I smile. ‘Princess would never allow that, there’d be mutiny on board.’
Sabrina grins. ‘God love her. Have fun at dinner, I’ll be along later.’
At the table, I sit with the group who are gossiping hard behind their hands.
