Page 12 of Christmas Romance Galore!
Holly put an arm around me and squeezed. “You’re being impatient, you just need to relax and give it time. Romance doesn’t just knock on your door — that only happens in those films you love. Romance, like anything worthwhile, takes time and you need to give it space to breathe. You might bump into Sienna again and you’ll live happily ever after. You just never know.”
I raised an eyebrow in Holly’s direction.
She smiled. “Long shot, but it might happen.” She paused, looking away. “Or you might get together with someone you never even thought of. Someone on your doorstep, or someone who’s just about to walk into your life.”
I sat down on a park bench dedicated to a man called Fred — his plaque said he’d loved sitting there, and I could see the appeal. From this bench, the views of the surrounding area were laid out as far as the eye could see.
“Funny you should say that — there’s more,” I told Holly as she sat down next to me.
“What?”
“Last night,” I began. “After Sienna left, I was still hungry. So I ordered some food.” I paused. “And bear in mind, this is just after I’ve woken up with my trousers down and just after I’ve smeared mascara across my face to look like a crazy raccoon lady.”
“Good image,” Holly replied, snorting.
I put my head in my hands just thinking about it, then started to laugh. “Yeah so, I’m sitting there looking gorgeous. Then just before my food arrives, guess who walks up to my table when I’m sitting there like a loser, dining alone?”
“Who?”
“Melanie Taylor.”
I had Holly’s interest now. She spread her hands on her jeans before twisting her body to me. “Was she with her new woman?”
“She was,” I said. “And we know her.”
Now it was Holly’s turn to look surprised. “We do? Who is it?”
“Someone you’ll never guess in a million years.”
A few seconds went by.
“Why aren’t you guessing?”
“You just told me it was pointless, so why would I try?” she said.
Fair point. I took a deep breath. “Melanie Taylor is engaged to Nicola Sheen.”
Holly’s brow furrowed as she took in the news and began to process it. Her face went from disbelief to horror to comedy in a matter of seconds, but then she saw I wasn’t laughing and tempered her reaction. Holly, of all people, knew my feelings on Nicola Sheen.
“Hang on,” she said, circling her finger as if she was dialling back time. “Nicola Sheen is a lesbian?” Her voice rose at the end of her sentence.
“Apparently, yes.”
Holly let out a low whistle. “Holy shit. And I bet Melanie Taylor has no idea that you were the woman who started her on the road to the promised land of lesbianville. You were the magnet who drew her in—”
“—and I was the one she fucked over for Craig Dale. She might not know, but I do.” I shook my head, still swallowing down disbelief. “Can you believe it? Of all the women in the whole world, Melanie Taylor has to go and meet her. Online. This has been my dream for over ten years. How come it didn’t happen to me?”
“Because you weren’t registered on the app?”
I shot Holly a look. “It’s ridiculous. She’s known her for two months and they’re getting married.” My cheeks had flushed crimson and I could tell my ear lobes were following suit. “How can it be that Melanie Taylor has stolen my first love and is now going to be living the life I was meant to be living?”
A shard of Holly’s laughter pierced the air. “Your life? Slight over-reaction perhaps?” Holly peered down at me. “And what happened to being happy for Melanie, seeing her turn over a new leaf and find happiness?”
“That was before that happiness was attached to Nicola Sheen,” I replied.
We both stared out into the milky December sunshine. Nearby, a small child tottered, then fell over, but no crying ensued — he just got up and carried on with the aid of his mum.
“What did she say when she saw you?” Holly crossed her right leg over her left and concentrated on my answer.
