Page 9 of The Village Christmas Party

‘Are you looking forward to your walk this evening?’ asks Gemma, as she half-turns around to look at a good-looking bloke heading for the exit.

‘I am actually. It might relax me a bit, and not leave time for me to do any chores that I don’t need to.’

You could eat your food off my kitchen floor, it has been scrubbed so many times lately.

‘I’m going to the cinema with someone from my yoga class to watchBarbie.’

‘How old are you exactly?’ I laugh.

‘I know, but apparently there is a lot of stuff for adults in it too, and you know I have always had a soft spot for Ryan Gosling.’

‘Now we’re getting to the real reason.’

I think of the guy in the pub the other evening, who had a look of him. But then Gemma never mentioned it, so maybe it really was the gin.

‘It makes a change, doesn’t it? We don’t exactly have a lot of choices of things to do in Fellview.’

‘That’s true enough. Have you ever thought about moving somewhere a bit livelier?’

‘I did consider to moving to Carlisle once, but, well, I kind of love it here. In the summer months I can’t think of anywhere more beautiful,’ she says, taking a sip of her latte. ‘And my best friend lives here, so I think I would miss her a little too much.’ She winks.

Gemma, being a bit of a social butterfly, has many people she can do things with, but is a bit like me in that she only has one or two that you might call real friends. The type you could land on their doorstep any time of the day or night if you needed to.

‘Right, that’s lunch over.’ I glance at my watch. ‘Back to work then, let’s see what the afternoon brings.’

I still feel a little guilty about turning Eileen’s dinner invitation down, so fill a little velvet pouch with some samples from work that include a mini lavender pillow spray and some bath foam. I knock on her door when I arrive home.

‘Lauren, good timing. I’ve popped the kettle on.’ She smiles broadly as she opens the front door.

‘Much as I would like to, I can’t really stop as I have an evening out planned,’ I remind her. ‘I just came to give you these.’

‘Oh gosh, of course, you did tell me you were busy this evening, what am I like?’ She rolls her eyes and laughs.

She invites me inside for a minute as she opens the purple velour pouch.

‘Oh, how lovely, Lauren, you shouldn’t have!’ she says as she examines the contents. ‘Sleep spray, hey? That might be a good thing as I haven’t slept properly since Geoff died,’ she tells me, her eyes filling with tears.

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ I say gently. ‘Actually, do you have a mobile phone?’ I ask.

‘I do, although I don’t get many calls. Why do you ask?’

‘There’s a sleep app I can download for you, if you like. It always helps me to drift off if I’m overtired or if my mind won’t switch off.’

‘Along with the pillow spray? You might have to knock and wake me up in the morning,’ she jokes.

Sod it. Maybe I don’t have to change my bedding before I head out for the evening.

‘Go on, I’ll have that cuppa.’ I smile as Eileen invites me to the lounge.

The room is neat as a pin with a pink sofa and matching curtains. The main wall is covered with photos of her family, who she doesn’t see too often as they live down south.

An artificial tree stands in the corner decorated with multicoloured fairy lights and reminds me so much of the one in the house when Gran was alive, it brings a lump to my throat.

She soon returns from the kitchen and sets down a tray with a pot of tea, two cups, and a plate of shortbread. I sip the tea, but politely decline the shortbread, as I have baked a cake to enjoy later with the walking group. With a naturally sweet tooth I do have to watch my sugar intake, which is why I tend to bake cakes for other people to enjoy.

We chat for fifteen minutes, as she asks me about my day, and I ask her about what she has been up to.

‘Not much. I had a stroll to the shops this morning, then I had a video chat with my grandchildren. They are teenagers now, so they will no doubt be wanting money or some electronic gadget or other for Christmas,’ she tells me. ‘I imagine you’re mad busy at this time of year in the shop.’

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