Page 28 of Not My Little Drummer Boy
When he leans over to pour, his hand settles on my shoulder. It’s so casual, natural, like he’s done it a hundred times. The warmth of his palm seeps through my shirt. I’d love nothing more than for him to let it rove beneath the collar. Damn if he doesn’t smell so good, too. Vanilla and spice that makes me want to lean closer instead of away.
I almost sigh with pleasure, and my nipples pebble. If I don’t get some space between us, my friends are going to notice exactly how much I’m enjoying this.
“Sam and Haley probably want some, too.” The words come out a little too quickly.
He glances at their glasses and nods. “Right, I’ll grab another bottle.”
As he heads for the kitchen, the penny drops. I’ve just proved how fast he jumps when I ask—and sent away the only buffer to their interrogation. Haley and Sam pin me with identical looks.
“See? Told you he does whatever I ask.” I aim for smug, but Sam’s raised eyebrow says I’m not fooling anyone.
Before I have to field their questions, I’m saved by an interruption. Tommy Bunt is on his feet, banging a knife on a glass for quiet.
“Right, ladies and gents,” he says, beaming ear to ear. “Time to throw on yer coats and hats and follow me and Loreena outside, yeah? We’re going to make the big announcement. The lighting challenge winner. See yer in five.”
Christian sculls his half-glass of beer. Ollie stuffs almost a whole piece of pizza into his mouth. The rest of us abandon our food, and with a scrape of chairs on the wooden floor, pour out of the dining room, and head to our rooms to grab outdoor clothing. Ahead of me, Garrett and Liv stroll hand in hand along the hallway witha relaxed confidence. I bustle past them, not caring I look like an overexcited child as I run upstairs to my room. From the thunder of footsteps echoing from other passageways, I’m sure I’m not the only one keen to hear the results.
I arrive back in the main foyer just in time to meet Teddy, bundled up in an oversized coat and only a few wisps of red curls visible underneath a black beanie.
“We’ve got this,” he says, pulling me into a side hug. “We’re going to win.”
“Sounds like my competitiveness is catching.” I yank the beanie down, and he swipes it back up to reveal brown eyes lit with amusement.
We gather under the wide portico. The other couples mutter, voices low. The lively banter ricocheting around the dining room only minutes ago is now subdued.
The cascading fountain behind us drowns out the few murmurs of conversation. The waves of rushing cold water send a shiver rippling through me.
“Cold?” Teddy asks, automatically drawing me into him. I nestle against his comfortable chest, his arm wrapping around my collarbone.
“A little,” I lie, snuggling into him. No one will notice. All eyes are on Loreena and Tommy, who stand at the top of the steps once again.
“We thought the gingerbread challenge was a tough one to judge.” Loreena gives a raspy chuckle.
You’d swear the woman has a packet a day habit, but the smokiness in her voice is all natural. She’s a beautiful woman, and also softer and kinder than her reality-telly-queen reputation suggests. Iknow she’s giving us all a fair go in this competition, but god I hope she liked ours best.
“But you’ve really pushed us today. These are incredible.” She spreads her arms wide.
The arch of the lighted door behind her and the lit-up windows on either side frame Loreena like an angel in a Christmas tableau. Rainbows of light ripple across her blonde hair, which hangs long and loose. No hat-hair here, simply gleaming golden strands illuminated by our competitors’ work. My stomach plummets. We’ve lost. I see it in Loreena’s beaming smile and in the radiant faces of the others, washed with colour.
“But then there’s that.” She points to her left, and we all turn our gazes in that direction.
I thought our star creation looked amazing before, but now, with the sky dark and moonless, it really is spectacular. The peaked gable of the stable block glows with an unearthly light.
We constructed the central star from a tightly woven web of lights. It’s far from our first sorry attempt, thanks to Geordie’s guidance. After talking to him, Teddy and I sat on the cobbles for half an hour, ignoring the cold seeping up even through a couple of old horse blankets we borrowed from the stable, just to make the lattice structure to support my grand design.
The strength of the wood lashed together with a zillion cable ties meant we could load it up with lights. Now, the star blazes so bright you’d swear it had fallen from the sky. It really could be the work of some divine hand, a beacon placed to beckon shepherds and kings to worship the birth of a saviour.
However, the pièce de résistance has to be the star’s sweeping tail. The pulsing lights trailing behind it create the illusion of movement. It’s so beautiful, it even takes my breath away.
“You did good.” Teddy hugs me closer and whispers against my ear.
“No,wedid good,” I whisper back, tightening my arm around his waist.
Murmurs of appreciation surround us. I tell myself, win or lose, right now I don’t care. Even though in my heart I do, and I automatically close my eyes as Loreena speaks. If I don’t see her lips move, maybe it won’t hit so hard.
“So, making them two up in the competition…”
I hold my breath. Two up means it has to be us, right?
