Page 91 of The Christmas Holiday
We’d left behind the idyllic Scottish isle this morning, taking the private jet back to Heathrow and a cab from there into the city, with a quick diversion for a top-up of retail happiness for Liv on the way.
Sandeep and Liv obviously had their own places in London, as did I, andso, apparently, did Hunter, but Liv had been adamant about us all being together for these last few days in the run-up to the wedding. There were still some activities on the list and she wasn’t about to let go of her holiday mood just yet.
‘What’s first?’ I asked, trying to remember the schedule.
‘Ice-skating. Somerset House,’ Hunter supplied, as he took the seat next to me.
‘Whichyou have to take part in.’
‘Uh. Nope,’ he replied, in a tone that I recognised as one that wouldn’t budge.
‘Hunter!’ Liv pouted at him a little.
He laughed and leant forward to lift two of the glass mugs of luxury hot chocolate from the tray now in front of us. Passing one to me, he then sat back with his own.
‘You can pout all you like, Liv. It might work like a dream on thatone.’ He nodded at Sandeep who gave a shrug.
‘Pretty much every time,’ Sandeep agreed, his face showing he loved every minute of it.
‘Not going to work on me, I’m afraid.’
‘You’re such a spoilsport.’
‘No. I’m going to take some great shots of you two instead of breaking my gear, and possibly a few other things, by falling on my face on the ice. That’s not being a spoilsport. It’sbeing sensible.’
‘Says the man who goes into war zones and gets…’
Liv looked up from her drink and stopped.
‘Gets what?’ I prompted.
‘Lost!’ Liv finished quickly.
Hunter and Sandeep were now both concentrating intensely on their drinks and I got the distinct feeling there was a loop here that I was most definitely outside of. I took another sip of deliciousness and, under mylashes, saw Liv shoot Hunter an apologetic look. The faintest of headshakes signified that she was forgiven for whatever indiscretion she had been about to commit. I dropped my eyes to the cup again and reminded myself that, whatever else had happened on this trip, despite the friendship that had grown between Liv and me, I was still an outsider to their group. They had stories and memories – andsecrets – that were theirs alone. And even if Liv did want to share them with me, if they involved Hunter, it was clear they had a caveat attached as to who heard them.
True to his word, that evening in the grounds of Somerset House, Hunter kept his feet firmly off the ice and took some beautiful shots, both candid and posed. A few more of Liv and Sandy’s friends joined them for the evening,and I took a step back from all the activities and concentrated instead on capturing the atmosphere for their journal. Chatter and laughter filled the air as the ice became more crowded, the floodlit building and festive atmosphere making the perfect backdrop for Hunter’s shots. I’d been taking a little stroll around and now returned to the covered shelter that lined the sides of the rink, whitefairy lights stretching the length of its roof, glinting as they caught the ice. Hunter was talking with a guy who, from his size and dress-style, I imagined to be Security. I found a seat close to the edge and continued to watch the skaters as they moved around in a clockwise motion, some with a little less grace than others, but all, for the most part, with enjoyment.
After a few minutes,Hunter dropped his bag onto the table and took the seat next to me.
‘Everything all right?’ I asked.
‘Yeah. The guy wanted to check if I was taking editorial shots, and if I had the right permissions. They’re kind of hot on that here.’
‘But you’re not.’
‘No. Tonight is all just for Liv and Sandy’s journal thing.’
I pushed my hair back from my face where some escapees from myponytail were now tickling my nose. As I did so, I noticed the security man still glancing our way.
‘I think he’s still watching you.’
‘I’m not sure too many people bring a professional photographer to their skating sessions. He found it a little hard to believe all this was just for a memory book.’ He held the camera for a moment. ‘I think he’s probably waiting to see if he can catchme out.’
‘He’s got a long wait then. Can I see what you took?’
‘Sure.’ Hunter grabbed the side of my chair and slid it close to his. ‘What?’ he asked when he looked up and saw my face.
‘I could have just moved the chair myself.’
