Page 4 of The Christmas Holiday
Chapter Two
Jeremy opened the door, nodded, and I left his office, heading back to the hot desk I was using today. Abruptly, my path was detoured by Lorelei, our resident crime reporter, grabbing my elbow and steering me off course. Since employing her, Jeremy had confided that the police press liaison was so much chattier. The press liaison was a man, so I totally got this.
Apart fromhaving the best name ever, Lorelei Adams was not short of attributes. Picture Jane Russell in the poster forThe Outlawand you pretty much have Lorelei. She was a fifties pin-up made real with a smile that elbowed A-listers into the shade and a mouth like a sailor. Being American, she tended to say what she thought, an attribute I admired. She also really enjoyed loud sex. Since I shared a flatwith Lorelei, this was far lower down on my favourite-things-about-my-friend list.
Lorelei steered me to the water cooler.
‘I’m not thirsty.’ I looked up at her. Lorelei was in six-inch platform heels that made my feet hurt when I looked at them.
She gave me a quizzical look. ‘What?’
I pointed at the water station. ‘I’m not thirsty. I just had some.’
Her eyes scanned my dressand stopped where condensation from the glass of water I’d had earlier had apparently dripped. ‘So I see. Or is that drool because, Mama, that man was hot!’
Right. Hunter. Of course.
I gave a quick nod. ‘I’m going back to my desk now.’
‘Oh no you’re not. Not until you give me all the details of who that man is and what you were doing all cosied up together.’
‘He’s… a photographer.I’m being sent on an assignment for Jeremy.’
Lorelei raised one perfectly contoured eyebrow.
‘I’m not even sure I should call it that, to be honest. You know his daughter’s getting married?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Well, they’re doing this trip thing beforehand in the run-up to the wedding, and they want it all documented, and photographed, so they can make it into, I don’t know, some sort ofkeepsake book, I think.’
‘Most people do that with their smartphone and an online photobook store.’
I shrugged. ‘Most people don’t have any other option.’
‘And Jeremy’s up for that – I mean sending you on it? It kind of seems a waste of your talents.’
I pulled her to the side a little more and whispered. ‘I’m going to be doing a few travel pieces for him while I’m out there, soI’m hoping it might lead to more.’
She grinned and held up her hand, crossing her fingers. Her perfectly manicured, blood-red nails reminded me I ought to do something about my own far less perfect ones before tonight.
‘Besides, it might be nice. I mean, it’s a love story after all and that’s what I write about for the paper, so in a way it’s just building—’
‘Yeah, yeah, I get it.So romantic,’ Lorelei interrupted me, her impatient tone suggesting romance was the last thing on her mind, ‘So, who’s the hottie?’
I scratched my cheek, poured myself some water I didn’t want and began heading back to my desk.
‘Hey?’
I flicked my gaze around. ‘Later.’
Lorelei pulled her head back, ‘Huh?’
‘I can’t…’ My throat closed and I shook my head.
‘OK.’ She took thewater from my hand, plopped it on my desk and exchanged it for my handbag. ‘We’re going to lunch.’
I looked up to see Jeremy heading our way. ‘I really should…’
