As Jeremy, too, took in the mountain of food in my trolley, I wondered how he would excuse my shopping expedition. Especially when he knew as well as I did that he’d cancelled the holiday to get his money back. However, it seemed Jeremy expectedmeto do his dirty work for him, as both heandhis bint trained their eyes my way expecting an explanation. As I looked from him to her, I couldn’t believe their gall. His downright lies and her downright arrogance made it clear they really did deserve each other.
“I can’t think why you’d say that, Jeremy,” I said, feigning surprise. I turned my attention to his bint. “He told me the reason I couldn’t go was because he was taking you.”
The bint’s eyes widened, her fury evidently building.
I looked to my ex. “Didn’t you?”
Jeremy began to splutter, but no matter his denials the woman was having none of it.
Grabbing my trolley’s handlebar, not only did I feel satisfaction, I knew it wouldn’t be long before Fin was back with the shampoo. “Anyway, I must dash,” I said ready to go and meet him.
Jeremy and his new woman clearly didn’t hear me. By then they were too busy arguing.
“You bastard!” his new woman said.
“Honestly,’ Jeremy replied, “I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
Leaving them to it, I smiled, surprised to find that manoeuvring my shopping suddenly seemed a whole lot easier. “Have a great Christmas,” I called back. “Because I know I will.”
16
Four Days until Christmas
Having arrived at work early, I had the staffroom to myself and although I knew this was just the calm before the Christmas shopping storm I felt energised, ready for a busy bookselling day. There were three reasons for my good mood: it was my last shift before Christmas; I’d managed to get one over Jeremy and his new woman; and, finally, Fin’s hearty, yet fun, breakfast. I smiled as I thought about the lengths Fin had gone to that morning, wondering if there was no end to his culinary talents.
Under normal circumstances, I’d have been quite miffed about someone raiding the spoils of my late-night shopping trip. However, Fin didn’t just plunder the cupboards for the ingredients to make the fluffiest of pancakes, he did it to make the fluffiest ofRudolphpancakes. Using bacon for antlers, cherries for eyes, and a plump juicy strawberry for the reindeer’s nose, the dish was a smile on a plate. Although my breakfast did come with a lecture about the freshness of the strawberries and cherries I’d snuck into the trolley, which according to Fin must have been imported, rather than home-grown, because it certainly wasn’t the UK’s strawberry and cherry season.
I shook my head, still able to hear his sermon. In my view, what did it matter if the fruit was flown in? Then again, I reasoned, despite Fin’s tutoring I still didn’t know a fresh pineapple from a dud, even when it was stuck under my nose. And neither was I a world-renowned chef.
As I made myself a cup of coffee, my thoughts returned to the day ahead. It was Secret Santa day and having drawn Annie’s name out of the hat, I had the perfect gift wrapped and ready to go under her tree. I pulled the gift out of my bag and placed it on the table ready for her, chuckling as I imagined her face when she opened it on Christmas morning. The perfect cookbook payback.
I looked forward to my last shift of the year and though I wasn’t celebrating in any traditional sense, I felt full of Christmas cheer. If all went to plan, that evening Annie’s house would be a daughter-free zone. And with Emma moving out, that meant Fin could move in and my staycation could begin in earnest.
I pictured Fin’s smiling face, telling myself it was funny how quickly I’d got used to having him around. My optimism waned slightly. He might have only been with me for a few days, but I’d still miss him.
The quiet was disrupted by chatter filtering into the room before the door opened and my colleagues sauntered in. They talked about their plans for the upcoming holiday and listening to them, it seemed, like me, they couldn’t wait for their time off to come around.
“It’s all about the food and drink in my opinion,” Richard from non-fiction said. He rubbed his rotund belly. “As much turkey, stuffing, and real ale as my stomach can take.”
“Don’t forget to leave room for plum pudding,” Janice from holiday and travel said. She appeared to come over all dreamy. “Smothered in hot brandy sauce… I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.”
“There’s always room for a bit of dessert, Janice,” Richard replied, with a laugh.
“Well I’m hoping for something special this year,” Samantha from children’s said. She giggled as she raised her left hand and wiggled her ring finger.
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Janice said.
“About bloody time, you mean,” Richard said. “How long have you been seeing him now? I was beginning to think he was gonna leave you sitting on the shelf.”
“Richard!” Samantha and Janice said in unison. They simultaneously nodded in my direction; an action that lacked the discretion I was sure they’d gone for.
Although their response came as no surprise. In a place like the Yorkshire Dales, everyone seemed to know everyone’s business, Jeremy’s affair and the reasons I’d needed a new mattress included. Ever since word got out, I’d been a woman to be pitied and I’d had nothing but tea and sympathy from those two for months.
“Don’t worry,” I said, making sure to sound like the lonely, dejected spinster they had me down as. “Just because my love life’s non-existent, that doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for someone else.”
Richard coughed, clearly embarrassed at the alleged faux pas. “Apologies, Holly,” he said.
It was at times like that that I felt sorry for the man. He’d never seemed comfortable at even the slightest of sexual references, however innocent, which unfortunately for him seemed par for the course when working in a group like ours.
