Page 37 of The Village Christmas Party

‘Will you stop right there,’ she tells me. ‘You’re talking about a group of kids, mainly girls, I assume, not a herd of stampeding elephants.’

‘I suppose so. Oh, Gemma, it’s just I wasn’t expecting this. Everything had been going perfectly to plan up until today. How could anybody have mixed up the booking?’ I say in frustration.

‘Who knows? But people are human and sometimes they mess up,’ she reasons. ‘It could have been a young apprentice or something. Remember when you worked on reception at that hotel, and you gave the wrong suitcase to a guest?’ she reminds me.

‘Oh my goodness, yes! Luckily, he returned it an hour later, although he wasn’t happy.’

‘I bet he wasn’t. What good would a Boy George fancy dress outfit be to a fifty-five-year-old architect? Although it takes all sorts,’ she says, and despite everything I can’t help but laugh.

‘Look, I know how hard you work to make this day perfect, but life doesn’t always go according to plan, does it?’ Gemma reminds me.

‘That’s what Kian said.’

I think about how he seemed to take it all in his stride.

‘Kian?’

‘Oh yes, I forgot to say, would you believe it’s hot shop guy.’

‘It never is!’ she gasps.

‘Yep. He’s having a birthday party for his daughter’s seventh birthday. She’s spending Christmas with him this year and he organised a party for her. It just so happens to be at the same venue as the pensioners’ party.’

‘Well, it’s a great opportunity to get to know him. And his daughter. Honestly, Lauren, I think everything will be just fine. And brownie points to him for being a good dad, hey.’

‘Under any other circumstances, I would agree. But he’s sabotaged my hall,’ I say, feeling my blood pressure rise. ‘And I do think it’s nice that he has gone to the trouble of organising the party for his daughter, of course I do. She really is adorable and it must be hard when birthdays at this time of year just merge into Christmas. I just wish he had booked a different venue.’

‘Maybe you are overreacting a bit. I’m sure everything will work out just fine,’ says Gemma, yet another person who seems completely unfazed by the idea. ‘A party is a party after all.’

‘Kian said that too. Maybe I am overly stressing.’

‘Possibly. And you never know, the kids might be a real tonic for the old people. You might even get a few of them to join in with a game of Twister.’ She laughs.

‘Oh stop. I don’t think our ambulance service could cope with that, thanks very much.’

I know she is joking, but her comment fills me with dread.

‘Maybe not. But honestly, it might be fun. As Kian said, you will have separate sides of the hall and he won’t be using the kitchen if the party food is being delivered. Just try and go with it. I would come and give you a hand if I wasn’t on shift today.’

Gemma works Christmas Eve and Boxing Day as she likes a couple of days off over New Year. With me doing the party here, we have kind of kept to that arrangement every year since.

‘Oh, I’ll try, really, I will. But it will feel so strange sharing the hall with children. And I’m not sure they will like the music. Sue’s bringing her record player and her old vinyls too. I don’t know if Glenn Miller will go down too well.’

‘You might be surprised. Just stop worrying,’ she tries to reassure me.

‘Thanks, Gem. I’ll try.’

‘I’ll call you later when I have finished work,’ she says. ‘When I’m sure you will tell me how brilliant it all was.’

‘I can only hope. Oh, and did you manage to get some wrapping paper?’

‘I did. Would you believe the last two rolls from the late shop. Adults and children alike will have their gifts wrapped in Grinch wrapping paper.’ She laughs and I wish I had some of her attitude to life.

TWENTY-ONE

I’d been in a state of panic when Mum arrived at the centre and she’d taken a bottle of brandy from the cupboard – for medicinal purposes – and poured us each a measure to calm me down from stressing over the party situation.

‘Yours for the shock, mine for the cold,’ she’d said, rubbing her hands together. She’d walked over from her place in town and was wearing fingerless gloves.

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