Page 99 of All I Want for Christmas

Beside her, Aksel finished his drink and shifted position. ‘Just to change the subject quickly – what are you doing on Friday night?’

She tried to think. ‘No plans yet, I don’t think. Why?’

‘You know it’s St Lucia’s Day?’

‘Oh. No, I didn’t know.’

‘Yeah, it’s a pretty big deal. There’ll be processions allover the country, except here – in the city – we do it a little differently.’

‘How?’

‘The procession’s on water. Everyone goes out on kayaks. We start at Nyhavn, sing some carols, have some food and drink, paddle round to the next stop, do the same. Rinse and repeat. There’s always a huge crowd – both on the water and on the banks, but it’s more fun on the water. Fancy being my date?’

‘I’ve really not kayaked that much.’

‘You don’t need much experience. It’s in the canals, so there are no tides or currents.’

‘Is it safe?’

‘Very – it’s well lit and there are security marshals everywhere. If you went in or under, I guarantee you’d be hauled back out in seconds.’

‘Chilly, though.’

‘I’ll keep you warm,’ he said flirtatiously, reaching out a hand and covering hers. ‘Plus, we’d hire you a wetsuit as well as the kayak.’

She was already anticipating that invoice.

‘What do you say? Are you in?’

She swallowed nervously. ‘...Okay sure, why not?’ She had nothing else on her horizon to which to look forward.

He beamed. ‘Great! You’ll love it. I know you will.’ He grabbed her hand and held onto it and she saw his stare deepening, the mood between them changing.

He leaned over and kissed her lightly, once, twice...She closed her eyes, not stopping him but not falling into it either. She wasn’t sure how she felt, stuck in her head and not her body. She was hardly an innocent, but this just didn’t feel like the right time. But how could she tell him that whenthe ghost of the other night still lingered? She sensed they were only going to get past it by overwriting it. His ego needed to settle this doubt once and for all. The kiss grew deeper, his enthusiasm – and wine-fuelled confidence – surging as he began to take control. He broke away to take the wine glasses out of their hands and Darcy watched dully as he set them down on the table. He resumed kissing her again, both hands now free and beginning to wander, pulling her closer to him.

The kiss was good but her mind was fractured on other things and when he began unbuttoning her shirt, finding her braless underneath, she didn’t feel the same quickening of lust but simply a nervous flicker that she was going to have to do this sober.

He pulled back to remove his hoodie, the t-shirt coming off with it, although whether that was intentional or not, she wasn’t sure. ‘So hot suddenly,’ he grinned, suddenly half naked in her living room.

He began kissing her neck, pushing her back on the cushions – but the sudden sound of small explosions made them both start. They looked up like meerkats, trying to identify the noise.

‘Oh! The popcorn!’ she remembered, trying not to sound too grateful for the distraction. ‘I’d better take it out before it burns!’ She slid out from under him and walked over to the oven. She put on the oven gloves and lifted the pan out. Inside, the corn kernels were popping as wildly as her nerves.

‘...Do you want me to get that?’

She looked up to find Aksel pouring himself another glass and nodding his head towards the front door. ‘Huh?’

‘Someone just knocked.’

They had? Oh God!

She froze, the pan held between her gloved hands. Freja was back and this was going to happen way sooner than she had anticipated. This was it.

She felt panic shoot through her veins again as she looked back towards the bedrooms. Should she just come straight out with the dress and explain? Wouldn’t it be worse to have Freja go in and start looking for it...?

‘Darcy?’

She looked back at him, still motionless. ‘Uh, yeah...yeah, if you wouldn’t mind. It’ll be my flatmate, Freja...She’s always losing her key.’ That wasn’t quite true. She’d lost it once.

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