Page 32 of All I Want for Christmas

‘Hilarious. But if you knew me at all, you’d know a comment like that would only make mewantto do it.’

‘So you’re contrary?’ He nodded. ‘Worth knowing.’

She sighed. Jousting with him was exhausting; their wordswere weighted but the silences were heavy too. ‘Do you at least know when you’ll be back? I’ll try to be gone before you return.’

‘No.’

‘A ballpark idea?’

‘Darcy, just do what you need to do. Stay here till midnight if that’s what it takes.’

‘God, no,’ she said quickly. ‘It wouldn’t be anything like that.’

‘It can be, though, if that’s what you need.’

‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘I have to be somewhere for eight.’

His eyes narrowed fractionally and she saw his mouth part as if to say something.

‘Socks!’ Angelina said, pushing on the door and throwing a pair towards him.

He caught it with one hand, his gaze not lifting off Darcy. ‘Great.’

‘So, is there anything I should do on my way out? An alarm I should set?’ Darcy asked as he began putting them on, one-legged, perfectly balanced.

‘It’s fine. Don’t worry about anything. Help yourself to coffee, whatever you want. There’s not much food in, but there’s cheese and grapes in the fridge.’

‘No, I –’ She shook her head quickly. As if she’d come over here and eat his food! ‘I’ll be fine. Thanks.’

He nodded, standing on two feet again, his hands on his hips. He looked so different in his jeans and socks. Saturday Max. ‘Well, have a good day. I hope it’s productive.’

‘Me too,’ she agreed, watching him leave. Angelina was holding out a short navy coat for him and a grey scarf, and he shrugged them on carelessly.

She listened to their steps on the stairs, the withdrawal oftheir voices and finally the click of the front door. Several seconds passed as she stood motionless, trying to understand how the hell it had come to pass that she was alone in Max Lorensen’s townhouse on a Saturday lunchtime. Was this a dream or a nightmare?

She sank onto the sofa with a groan.

It was both.

Chapter Eight

Seven fifty-two.

Darcy sat alone at the table, staring out of the window at the wildflower meadows which were an incongruous luxury in a marine city. The sleek blonde wood room was an homage to eco luxury, with no decoration beyond an antiqueshousugi bantable, some hides on chairs, and plants and vines hanging from the ceiling. It certainly wasn’t the sort of place to sit staring at her phone, the ambient noise level never rising beyond a civilized murmur. Everyone was dressed in a sombre but refined colour palette and she suspected that if she checked labels, all she would find was Massimo Dutti, Loro Piana and Celine; just so much as a ruffle or a hint of pink would disturb the peace.

She was trying not to drink her glass of water too quickly, but after the day she’d had, she could have downed a bottle of wine. The minutes ticked by at half speed. The waiters probably thought she’d been stood up. She had known it was silly to arrive so early, but she’d been propelled all afternoon by a need to get going – to get gone – and she hadn’t been able to shake it off when she’d got back to the apartment. Somewhat to her relief, Freja hadn’t been there – no doubt getting ready at Tristan’s – and she’d been able to shower and calm herself down in peace.

‘My God, are we late?’ Freja asked, rousing her from her thoughts.

‘No, I’m just crazy early for once.’ She pressed her cheek to her friend’s.

‘Don’t tell me you’re hungry?’ Freja asked with mock surprise.

‘Always.’

‘Of course.’ Freja was wearing a dark green silk dress shot through with delicate gold thread which Darcy had never seen before.New?she asked wordlessly, with an arch of her eyebrow; Freja winked back in silent reply. Her ringleted hair was blown out and she was wearing chunky gold earrings, also new. Darcy wasn’t sure she’d ever seen her friend look sophisticated before. The two of them very much alternated between Hedge Backwards (running/gym kit), Rotting Corpse (PJs), Basic Bitch (jeans) and Club Rat (anything black, cropped or tight).

Freja looked back, holding her arm out towards someone, a smile enlivening her face. Darcy caught the look of pride in her eyes. ‘Darce, finally, you get to meet Tristan. Tristan – no pressure, but this is the most important person in my life.’

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