Page 35 of Under the Mistletoe with You

‘I bet he’s distracting you far more than me just asking you about it.God, he’s so fit in real life.I thought maybe it was just that thick make-up they slather on for the HD cameras, but he is really good-looking isn’t he?’

‘I wouldn’t know.’

‘You absolute liar.’She cackles and Christopher places all his attention on making this coffee for her.‘Maybe youshouldshare the bed with him.It’s so cold out, and just think of the savings on your bills.You know, get a little cosy?’

‘I think that would be highly inappropriate.’

‘Let a girl dream, will you?I think it would behighlyhot.’

‘Speaking of,’ he says, setting down an espresso in front of her.

‘So, what are you going to do with him?’

‘Well, it doesn’t look like the snow has cleared so I was going to see if there was anywhere nearby that could put him up.’

‘Chance would be a fine thing.I’ve already called them all.’

Christopher raises his eyebrows.‘I didn’t realise you had attained psychic administrative powers during the last thirty seconds of this conversation.’

Shaz rolls her eyes at him.‘Ha ha, but no, I may have got desperate yesterday after Gar’s accident and rang round everywhere just in case someone could take Kathy.I even got desperate and rang a few places almost as far as Chester – though God knows how we’d even get there in this weather – and they near laughed at me before hanging up.’

‘Is she really that bad?’

She sighs loudly.‘I’m just being dramatic.I just got annoyed when she had recleaned the house because I hadn’t done a good enough job the first time.It’s not as exciting as your situation, I’ll tell you that.’

Christopher pulls a sad face.‘You mean she’s not a looker?’

Shaz snorts and gives him a playful whack on the arm.‘I wish.I didn’t bleach half my skin off cleaning for her to think it wasn’t a good enough job.’

She isn’t being hyperbolic.Her poor hands are cracked and red.The cold must be making it so sore.He slips into the kitchen and collects a hand lotion from beside the sink, which Laurel sent him as an advance Christmas present, all while trying not to notice what a complete bombsite his beloved kitchen is.

‘Here, use this,’ he says, handing it over to her.‘It’s soothing.’

‘You’re a sweetheart.’She takes the tube and dabs a glob on the back of her hand, then sniffs.‘Ooh.It smells posh.A Laurel gift or an Esther gift?’

‘Laurel.’

‘Truly, what would you do without your ex?’

‘Probably be still working in finance.’

He knows his relationship with Laurel is strange to some people, but they were childhood friends, then dated for ten years through the tricky teenage years and their mid-twenties.After they broke up, things were a little strained, but ironically the chaotic situation of last Christmas brought them closer together again, but just as friends.She’s a fashion designer now, sharing a size-inclusive brand with Ambrose, having built her audience up from being an influencer.She really helped him make the leap from boring finance drudgery to cookery school.

And she is very good at choosing thoughtful gifts – pretty much everything nice in Christopher’s house is from her.

‘Well, I am much better off for her interferences, either way.’She rubs the cream over her sore skin and sighs with relief.

‘Good?’

‘Good.With Kathy, it is what it is, isn’t it?Mother and daughter-in-law dynamics are not known for being uncomplicated.We just have to learn to live with each other, and instead of pissing myself when she oversteps, I need to tell her to piss off or just let it go.’

‘A lot of piss,’ he says sagely, before realising what he’s just said.‘Christ.’

‘Tis his season, yes.Anyway, yes, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s horrendous out there.You’re still not going anywhere, in case you were hoping.’

‘I was hoping.’There it is, then.He confirms it with a glance at his phone – all the trains are cancelled still, theweather forecast says not to travel, and there are hundreds of notifications on his WhatsApp.

‘It looks like you’ll be stuck with the gorgeous film star for a little longer.What a disaster for you,’ she drawls.