Page 73 of Christmas in Mistletoe
Fran burrowed her cheek into Ruby’s neck and laughed. She had the biggest smile on her face.
Chapter 29
Ruby creptout of bed the following morning, threw on her jeans and a T-shirt and slunk downstairs to get coffee and toast. She needed sustenance this morning, having been up all night with Fran.
She boiled the kettle, then cut thick slices of tiger bread and put them in the toaster. Ruby buried her head in the fridge for milk and butter. When she popped out, her mum was behind the fridge, her hair sticking up, her dressing gown pulled tight.
Ruby jumped out of her skin. “Don’t do that!”
Her mum hugged her, Ruby having to bend down as she was so much taller. She didn’t mind. She breathed in her mum’s smell, still the smell of home.
When they pulled back, her mum got another mug and added a teabag to it.
“Sorry I bailed on helping out last night.”
Her mum raised an eyebrow, then indicated Ruby’s two mugs. “You had other things to attend to.” She paused. “Is Fran still asleep?”
Ruby nodded, embarrassment seeping up her body. Having a woman in her Mistletoe bedroom was a first for both of them. Ruby buttered the toast while Mum cleared some plates from the side into the dishwasher. She hadn’t tidied up last night. She must have been tired.
Ruby put their breakfasts on a tray and picked it up. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
Her mum laid a hand on her arm.
Ruby stopped.
“Just so you know, you did so well last night. You were incredible. We’re very proud of you.”
Ruby flushed. It was always nice to hear. “Thanks, Mum.”
Back in the bedroom, Fran was awake, checking her phone. When Ruby walked in, she looked up and gave her a wide grin, before pulling the duvet up to cover her breasts.
“Don’t do that on my account.” She gave Fran coffee and toast.
Fran made a famished sound. “You’ve no idea how hungry I am.”
Ruby sat on the bed. “I do, because I’m the same.”
“You okay with crumbs in the bed?”
“So long as you’re served with them, I’m good.” Ruby ate her first piece, savouring the flavour. “By the way, I forgot to ask. Did Fast Forward make number one?”
Fran shook her head. “Beaten by Skinny YouTube Boy. But we made number two, and there’s still one more chart before Christmas, so who knows. I checked my messages, too, and yesterday went well for them.” She ate some more toast. “It’s interesting working with Fast Forward. They could be really big. Girls and boys like them, so the sky’s the limit. Plus, the lead singer’s getting over her fears. A little like someone else I could mention.”
“It was only a first step, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Ruby said. “Remember, I’m still me. I don’t do massive shifts in momentum. I’m a tortoise, not a hare. Slow and steady wins the race.” She paused. “Although, I better make sure I service my music mogul before she hits the big time and leaves me for the lead singer of Fast Forward, hadn’t I?”
Fran chuckled. “Have you seen her? Tenny’s 19. I’m 36. I could be her mother.”
“Stop it,” Ruby replied.
“Have you seen your streaming numbers this morning? I bet they’ve gone up overnight. I posted a video of you singing ‘Pieces Of You’ and it’s got a couple of hundred likes already.”
Ruby turned her head. “You did? I must watch it back.”
“You should. You’re incredibleandsexy. Buy one get one free. You’re my favourite BOGOF.” Fran smirked at her own joke, then kissed Ruby’s lips. “Good morning, by the way.”
Ruby kissed Fran’s shoulder. “It certainly is with you in my bed.”
Fran gave Ruby her phone and clicked play on the video.
