Page 125 of Under the Mistletoe with You

‘Teegs,’ whispers Shaz.‘Record this, will you?In case they kick off.’

Still keeping out of sight, with shaking hands, Tegan points her phone camera to film through the doorway by Christopher’s knees.

‘Wealsoheard that he’s been delaying signing his next contract,’ someone from the mob shouts from the doorway.‘I’m sure his production team would be very happy to knowthat he’s hiding out all the way over here.Especially with Barbie Glynn’s contract on the line, too.’

Christopher gasps.There must have been a leak.It’s all out there now.Poor Nash.

‘Is that some kind of threat?’Christopher asks, his hands curling into fists at his side.

‘Please leave, or I’ll be forced to call the police,’ says Tamara.

‘For what?For entering a public place?’

‘I repeat, this is aprivateparty,’ Tamara emphasises, ‘and you are currently trespassing,’ she growls, with all the fury of a warrior.Though, God bless her, not a single one moves.

Christopher can hear some faint whispering coming from the kitchen behind him, and wills Nash to stay where he is.

‘We’re just after an interview, my guy,’ the reporter calls to Christopher again.He tries to walk around the tables, presumably to get through Christopher to the kitchen behind, but people keep pushing their chairs out, or standing up to block him.

‘I’m not yourguy,’ growls Christopher.

‘You seem to care a lot about this.Why else would he be here, in the middle of nowhere?Perhaps then you’re Nash Nadeau’s guy?Care to comment onthat?’

There it is, laced in just enough plausible deniability for them to say they’re not being completely homophobic and trying to out Nash.And just as the boiling hot rage is about to spill out of Christopher’s body, the room explodes with shared furious protest.

Shaz abandons her place in the kitchen with Nash and Tegan and instead storms right up to the reporter and stabs a finger into his chest.‘Oi.Dickheads.I have no idea what you think you’ve seen but have you ever heard of a deep fake?One, why would a film star be here in the middle of winter?Two, how would he have even got here?And three, this is private property and FOUR—’ she roars, just as thereporter tries to interrupt her.‘We are doing a community initiative to feed the members of our community who are without a Christmas dinner and maybe youse would all like to fuck right off back to your own sad little dinners so we can get the fuck on with it, yes?Yes?’

Shaz is radiant, glowing and wholly terrifying – Christopher sends a thanks to the gods that he has never faced her wrath.

One of the photographers clearly decides this is more hassle than he can be bothered with and turns tail out of the front door.But too many remain, including the smarmy guy who has managed, in all the chaos, to make his way round to the counter.He’s merely steps away from where Nash is hiding, and if Nash moves to go upstairs, they’ll all spot him.He’s trapped.‘Idon’t have to move.’

‘Oh yeah?’Shaz takes the tea towel slung over her shoulder and starts whipping it round in her hands, winding it up into a twisted rope.

‘I think it’s time you left,’ growls a deep voice that belongs to someone who looks the spitting image of Tegan.Her mum?Christopher wonders.He is not quite sure when she arrived, and for some reason, she is wearing a medical boot on one foot.‘You don’t get to come here and intimidate everyone.’

This is a slightly ironic thing to say because she is one of the tallest, broadest women he’s ever seen and she couldabsolutelykick the shit out of basically anyone, boot or no boot.

‘Oh, what are you going to do?Kick me with your boot?’stammers the journalist, losing a bit of his bravado.

‘I’ll do something much worse with it, which you definitely won’t enjoy.And now, look, all your little photographer friends have left,’ the tall woman snarls.

She’s right.They’re all hurrying outside, the door barred behind them by Mervyn and Ursula.

‘It’s just you, me, and my wife with that towel.You want to risk it?’

The man takes one look at the towel and Shaz, then back to the tall woman, and bolts.

The bakery is filled with triumphant cheers as the reporters and photographers dive back into the van and drive away.Christopher locks the front door behind them, just to be safe.

Nash emerges from the kitchen, and everyone cheers again.‘Thank you, everyone.You really didn’t need to do that.’

Thelma pats him on the arm.‘You helped us, lad.It’s only right that we help you.’

‘Shaz, did you know you’re absolutely terrifying?’Nash laughs with relief.

‘You know, that’s the loveliest thing you’ve ever said to me?You can stay.’

Now that the moment of terror is over, Christopher’s brain finally catches up with him.And he realises that the tall woman has her arm around Shaz’s shoulders.Wife?Did the woman saywife?As if to confirm his suspicions, she bends down to give Shaz a kiss.