This was a spectacularly bad idea.
Anna’s heart was beating so furiously that it felt as though it might burst out of her chest. The atmosphere in the car had been stifling since the moment they set off, and as Warren parked under the security light in the driveway, the tension hung around him like fog.
“Why is the house so dark?” She craned her neck to look up, but there wasn’t a single light on in the house.
“I guess they’re not here yet,” Warren said, switching off the engine.
“They said they’d be here from lunchtime.” She checked her watch. “It’s seven o’clock. What time are we going to eat if they’re not even here yet? Also, do you have a key?”
“Yes. I have a key.” He peered out into the darkness. “I’ll call Mum.”
He didn’t speak much during the conversation, and Anna couldn’t make out anything Jen was saying. After a few grunts from Warren, he ended the call.
“They’re not here,” he said, pulling on the door handle and stepping out of the car.
“What time will they arrive?” Anna asked frantically, trying to keep up with him as he grabbed their bags and strode to the front door.
“Tomorrow,” he said. “Lunchtime.”
“What?” Anna’s eyes widened. “Why?”
“Because apparently you arranged to have dinner with them on Saturday and not Friday.”
“No!” Anna stood close beside him on the doorstep. “I said Friday. Definitely. I know I said Friday.”
“It doesn’t matter now,” he said, walking inside. “They’re not here. It doesn’t make much difference who messed up the plans.”
“Sorry,” Anna said, her insides tied in knots as they walked through the grand entrance hall, which looked stark and barren without a Christmas tree dominating the space. “Maybe it’s a good thing,” she suggested quietly. “You didn’t want to have dinner with them, anyway.”
He threw his keys on the table, dropped their bags, and headed down the hall. Halfway to the kitchen, he swung back to her, his eyes filled with rage.
“Maybe itwouldbe a good thing if they genuinely got the days mixed up, but I think we both know there will have been some work thing that came up.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” Anna murmured, but he spoke over her.
“At least their behaviour isn’t surprising,” he shouted. “What really gets to me is your mum didn’t even bother to call me. And I had one lousy message from Carla, who apparently thinks some random dogs are more important than celebrating with me.”
“Warren,” Anna said, tears filling her eyes, which she had no control over.
“No!” he snapped. “You can’t make this okay. Carla should have called me! And yourbrother,” he fumed. “It’s like he went on a quest to find the cheapest bottle of champagne he could find!”
“Yes,” she said, her hands shaking from the adrenaline rush. “I think that’s exactly what he did.”
Warren looked as though he was about to continue his rant, then registered her words. His forehead creased. “What?”
“I think he purposely bought you terrible champagne.”
Warren stared at her as she moved past him. The door wasalready ajar, but she pushed it wider and stuck her hand around the corner to flick on the lights.
“Surprise,” she said weakly.
It didn’t quite go as planned. There was a stunned silence as Warren stepped into the doorway, only broken by Josh jumping out in front of him.
“Surprise, Uncle Warren!” he shouted, arms stretched out. “Well done on your star.”
“What’s going on?” Warren put a hand over his mouth as his eyes scanned the room, decorated with a star theme and filled with all his friends and family.
“Do you know what the best thing about this is?” Carla said loudly, waving her phone in her hand as she moved beside Anna. “I started recording the moment I heard the front door open, so I have that entire rant recorded.” Her eyes flashed with mirth. “Now, just for a laugh, let’s try that entrance again…” She flicked the lights off and counted down from three before hitting the switch again.
