Page 26 of It Always Snows on Mistletoe Square
‘Is this your romantic side coming out again?’ Ben asks, smiling at me.
‘Possibly. I’ve always been interested in history, though – modern history – I like stories of how people used to live. Their daily lives, not battles and wars and stuff. However important they were. It’s real people’s stories I’m interested in, not who led their troops to victory.’
Ben watches me for a few seconds.
‘What?’ I ask, feeling a little uncomfortable under his gaze.
‘You’re really quite interesting, aren’t you?’
‘Am I?’ I ask, not really knowing how to respond.
‘Yes. You are.’
‘So why are you spending Christmas alone?’ I ask suddenly, keen to steer this conversation away from me. ‘I mean, I know why, you said. But don’t you have family or friends you could go to?’
‘I see what you did there.’ Ben grins. ‘I asked you the same thing earlier, and you managed to neatly sidestep my question.’ He raises his eyebrows. ‘I however will not do the same to you. Like I said before, I’ve just got out of a long and difficult relationship, and many of my friends were my ex’s friends too, so it makes things a littlecomplicated.’
‘I see.’More similarities …
‘I’ve had a couple of invitations from colleagues asking me to spend Christmas with them. But who really wants a stranger turning up on their doorstep on Christmas Day? It’s a time for families. I’d feel like a spare wheel, and I’d much rather ride a unicycle than be an extra on someone else’s car. Does that make sense? I literally made it up just now after I said spare wheel!’
‘It makes perfect sense. I know just what you mean; it’s only because I’ve come here to live with Estelle and Angela that I’ll be spending Christmas with anyone this year.’ I hesitate. Am I ready to discuss this? ‘I half-mentioned it before,’ I continue before I change my mind. ‘But I’ve recently come from a very similar situation myself. Mine was a nasty break-up too.’
‘You have my utmost sympathy – miserable, isn’t it?’
I nod.
‘So, no family to go to then?’ he asks. ‘For the festive season I mean. Not permanently.’
‘Er … not really. You?’
Ben shrugs. ‘Yes, but I really don’t feel like going this year.’
‘I totally understand,’ I reply with feeling.
‘The thing is I’m not really that big on Christmas.’ He holds his hands up as if to protect himself.
I stare at him. How do we have so many things in common? It’s quite incredible.
‘I know. I know. Don’t hate me!’ Ben says, wincing.
‘No, it’s not that.’ I smile at him. ‘I’m completely in the same camp as you. Never been a big fan of Christmas either.’
Ben lowers his hands and looks at me in genuine surprise. ‘Wow. It seems like we might have more in common than simply being neighbours?’
‘Yes. It’s certainly beginning to look that way.’ Again, Ben and I gaze silently at each other for a few seconds. ‘There’s one thing we do differ on, though,’ I say, hurriedly breaking the moment. This is happening way too fast for my liking.
‘What’s that?’
‘I’d never let a cup of perfectly good coffee to go waste, like you have.’
Ben looks down into his paper cup. ‘And neither would I.’
He swills the coffee around in the cup a couple of times and then downs, what by now on this chilly day must be a lukewarm coffee, in a few big gulps. He gasps. ‘There. That hurdle is removed. I will not have coffee be the thing to come between us. So now, Elle, in the absence of other loved ones. What do you say to us being each other’s friend this Christmastime?’
Eight
We don’t spend too much longer sitting outside on the bench because Ben has a couple of meetings he has to get back for, and he needs to get showered and changed first.
