Page 73 of Just Do It
Finn turned to face me, his free hand cupping my cheek. ‘Elizabeth, that’s kind of you but it’s pretty obvious from the expression of pure horror on your face that this is not your idea of the perfect seasonal decoration. Like I said, I got a bit carried away.’
‘And maybe I should let myself do that a bit more often too.’
Finn waited.
‘You’re right. This isn’t how I’d do things but that’s because I don’t do things. If I’m honest, the season mostly passes me by. I’m not a complete Scrooge in that I do go to the Christmas do and stuff but at home, the break was mostly considered free time to spend even more time reading, writing and researching academic papers.’
‘Did you miss it?’ Finn had seen straight through my smile. He rested his bum on the edge of his desk, tugging me gently to follow.
‘You don’t miss what you don’t know you’re missing.’
‘But you must have had some idea.’
I gave a shrug.
‘Not especially. We just didn’t do it so it was the norm. To be honest, there were always so many books and research material in our house that there wasn’t a lot of room left for an elf let alone a Christmas tree!’ I laughed but now I looked at it from a different perspective; it might have been nice to have had a Christmas like the other kids at school had.
‘Does that mean you’re not going to your parents’ for Christmas?’
‘No, probably not.’
‘Then I’d love you to spend Christmas with me and my family. Although I will warn you, it’s like this,’ he indicated Santa’s grotto around him, ‘and more.’
‘I’m not sure it’s possible for it to be any more “more” than this.’
Finn gave a deep, rich laugh and gathered me in close. ‘Oh, you have no idea.’
‘Wow.’
‘Yep. But if it’s too much, I get it.’
‘No…’ I cast my mind back to the quiet Christmas holidays I’d had over the years. They’d seemed typical at the time – for us at least. But now there was that feeling inside me again. That tug to do something out of the norm, the same feeling that had led me into the very situation I was in now. That’s when I decided.
‘I’d love to.’ Following my heart once had definitely paid off and looking around my unrecognisable office right now, I felt the joy emanating from the décor’s creator. Yes, it was garish and overwhelmingly ‘extra’ but wasn’t that what Christmas was about – unless you were religious of course.
‘You would?’ Finn repeated.
‘I would. If it’s not too much trouble? I don’t want to get in the way.’
The laugh rumbled again. ‘You definitely won’t. I can’t wait to tell Alice. She’s going to be so excited!’
‘I’m excited too. I think!’ Maybe it was time for me to add a bit of ‘extra’ to my life.
Finn pulled me back against him as his eyes darkened with heat. His head bent and I lost all thought of professionalism as warm lips brushed my neck and that now familiar but ever exciting thrill rushed through my body at his touch.
‘Elizabeth,’ he whispered.
‘Yes?’ I replied, tilting my neck for easier access.
‘I—’
The remainder of the sentence was lost as the phone on my desk rang loudly, rudely interrupting something which right then was far more important than anything anyone else could possibly have to say. I pulled myself away, reluctance equal on both sides and reached over to answer it. Finn’s eyes remained upon me for a moment until his own phone stole his attention.
‘Wow! This is quite something!’ Inis said, looking around as she entered the grotto later that afternoon.
Laughing, I looked up from my desk to greet her, taking in the décor anew as I did so. ‘That’s one way to put it. I thought you had seen it. Finn mentioned that he’d asked you about it before he set to work.’
‘No,’ she said, picking up a snow globe and tipping it up to set the flakes in motion before replacing it on Finn’s desk. ‘He asked if you’d mind and I didn’t think you would but I was more imagining a Christmas tree and a few bits of tinsel, not Santa’s workshop on steroids.’
