Page 35 of All I Want for Christmas

‘Well, I can honestly say I’ve never even seen reindeer brains before, much less eaten them.’

‘It’s more delicious than you could imagine.’

‘I’m counting on it.’

Tristan laughed.

‘I still can’t believe Viggo let you work without a break,’ Freja fumed. ‘I thought you said the guy was lovely!’

‘He is. And it really wasn’t like that.’

‘No? How not?’

Darcy hesitated, unable to see an exit strategy. ‘Becausehewasn’t actually there.’

‘Huh?’

‘When I got his text saying the boxes were available, I assumed the address he gave was his, but it wasn’t. That’s all,’ she shrugged.

It was not all, of course. Freja knew her too well. ‘So whose was it, then? Where were you?’

‘Does it matter?’ Darcy replied, as dismissively as she could.

Freja’s eyes narrowed. ‘Yeah...I think it does. Where were you that you couldn’t leave and couldn’t eat?’

She sighed, knowing her flatmate wouldn’t give it up. ‘I was at Max’s house, but—’

‘Max?’ Freja looked at her blankly, before giving a gasp.‘Max the Lawyer?’

‘Yes.’

Freja sat back in her chair, her hand plastered over her open mouth.

Darcy rolled her eyes. ‘Frey, that’s a bit dramatic, even for you.’

‘You were in his house? But...how? You unmatched with him.’

‘Because he was the one who got the approval for the archive material to be taken off site. He lives on the same road and he’s a trustee, so it was enough to convince the insurers to allow it – but I couldn’t take it away. I had to stay and work there.’

‘Who is this guy?’ Tristan asked, looking bewildered by the sudden drama.

‘A man-whore who she needs to keep well away from,’ Freja said. ‘He is everything Aksel the Vet isn’t. He’s trouble. Toxic.’

‘Do you always describe everyone by their occupations?’

‘It helps keep them...one-dimensional.’

Tristan’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Now who’s toxic?’

‘That’s not toxic. It’s sensible. Until they can prove they’re trustworthy, they don’t get to be fully fledged people in our lives.’

Tristan absorbed this for a moment. ‘So what was I? Tristan the Scientist?’

She beamed at him. ‘Actually no, you’re saved in my phone as Boss Baby.’

‘Boss Baby?’ He laughed. ‘I see.’

‘You’re herboss?’ Darcy asked in shock.

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