Page 8 of Tis the Season
‘We should go one evening,’ Erin said. ‘Make a proper night of it.’
‘I must warn you it’s pricey. Hence, our one and only visit. Gideon never suggested it again.’
‘Maybe Alex could get us a discount? You know, organise mate’s rates,’ Joyce said. ‘According to him, he worked there for years.’
‘Must have been his night off when I went,’ I said. Not that I recalled much about that evening anyway.
‘What is he doing?’ Erin asked. ‘He hasn’t put that pencil down since I got here.’
‘Sketching. He’s a budding artist,’ Joyce replied. ‘He showed me a couple of his drawings and I have to say, he’s pretty good.’
I couldn’t believe all the information she’d gleaned. Joyce and I both lived in the same town, knew the same people and frequented the same places, but while I might have a broad understanding of other’s lives, she seemed to hold dossiers on everyone’s past, present and hopes for their future.
‘His family live further up north.’ Joyce nudged my arm and dipped her chin. ‘Near Gideon’s hometown, in fact.’
‘And you know all this how?’
‘How do you think?’ She looked at me like I was stupid. ‘I asked him.’
As if sensing he was being talked about, Alex looked up from his drawing. He smiled, causing the three of us to swoon.
‘He’s staying here in the pub for now, but after Christmas he’s hoping he can find a new place to live,’ Joyce said.
‘I can’t imagine that’ll be easy,’ Erin said, putting her real estate head on. ‘Not around here. Rentals hardly ever become available and when they do, they’re snapped up in hours.’
Joyce’s gaze fast went from Alex to me. ‘You have a spare room, Hattie. Perhaps he could rent that?’
‘Excuse me?’ I couldn’t believe she’d suggest such a thing.
‘Well it’s sitting there empty.’
I laughed. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘Why not?’
I wanted to say because he was a stranger. I knew nothing about him. But thanks to Joyce’s information dump the latter wasn’t strictly true. ‘Because I like my own space.’
‘But the money he’d pay in rent could offset some of the costs from modernising the shop,’ she said. ‘Surely, it’s worth thinking about?’
I rolled my eyes. ‘You’re beginning to sound like Gideon.’
Erin twirled her hair around her index finger. ‘A bit of extra cash. A nice view at the breakfast table…’ She sighed. ‘I’d call that a win-win.’
‘Then you take him in,’ I said. ‘I have enough problems withoneman in my life. Why would I wanttwo?’
CHAPTER4
The last place I’d expected to find myself on the first late-night shopping event of the season, was in an expensive lingerie-come-sex shop. I usually spent it picking up sweets and knick-knacks to fill Christmas stockings, not buying flimsy date night accoutrements.
Upon our arrival, Joyce had chuckled at my reluctance and called me Miss Priss, but I was happy in my prudishness. Stood in the queue to the till, all I wanted to do was get out of there. Trying to swallow my embarrassment, I questioned why I’d let my friends talk me inside, never mind into buying something.
I heard unnecessary tutting and grumbling from behind me. Everyone knew December was retail’s busiest time of the year.
‘What’s the hold-up?’
Everyoneexcept the woman further back in line, it seemed, who unlike me, didn’t care who clocked her presence. Busy with it, staff were obviously doing their best to keep rails and shelves well stocked. I raised an eyebrow. Until that evening, I’d never heard of a boneshaking wand or handheld curvy. Or fully appreciated that ignorance was, indeed, bliss.
My gaze fell on my two friends and observing them manhandle the more specialised wares on offer, I cringed at their lack of shame.
