Page 21 of Christmas Romance Galore!
Holly fixed me with an intense stare. “Nakedness and champagne? Maybe I should call off my date and stay in,” she said.
“You can’t stand Ivy up. Ivy of all people,” I said, giving her a wink.
Holly shook her head, bent down and kissed me on the cheek. Her head stayed near mine for a couple of seconds longer than I expected, and the look she gave me sent a shiver down my spine.
The kind of shiver normally reserved for Nicola Sheen.
The kind of shiver I didn’t normally associate with Holly.
A question mark hung in my mind and I saw the same one reflected back in Holly’s face. It was all too much to process before I’d even had a coffee.
“Have a good day,” I said, my voice sketchy.
She held my gaze. “You too.”
Her shoes squeaked as she twisted on the kitchen floor, as though about to say something, but then checked herself. Instead, Holly disappeared out the door.
I had no idea what had just happened, but I was slightly breathless.
I didn’t opt for the nakedness in the end — it always sounds more glamorous than the reality. Instead, I watched a soppy Christmas film, heated a pizza and drank the end of a lovely red we had leftover from the weekend, followed by two mince pies with cream. I toasted my dad as I ate them, and hoped that wherever he was, they celebrated Christmas too.
It was good to have some space, good to have some time to myself. And whenever my mind wandered, it always seemed to stray back to the same topic: Nicola Sheen. Who certainly wasn’t the teenage dreamboat I recalled, but she still had something. She had charisma, she had my memories, she had me. And she had Melanie Taylor.
I picked up my phone and scrolled through to Nicola’s number, staring at it, willing her to ring. But why would she? She was engaged, after all. Yet there had definitely been something the other day — something in her eyes. Something that told me she was curious, just like I’d been. Where might things have gone if circumstances had been different? If we’d kissed in my bedroom all those years ago, for instance, and not in the library? She might not have run so quickly, that’s for sure.
I threw my phone down on the sofa and went to make a cup of tea, grabbing a couple of biscuits from the barrel on my way back. It was lovely to just sit and relax and not have to be on a first date. First dates were draining — especially when they involved sex.
When I sat back down, I had a text — was it Holly making sure I was decent? No, it was from Nicola Sheen.
‘Hi, I’m in your area tomorrow pm. Fancy a coffee & a catch-up? Nicola.’
A coffee and a catch-up. What did that mean? Was coffee code for something else? Was it wrong to hope that it was? I scanned my social calendar, but remembered I had a date with Spanish_Vixen89 tomorrow night. Damn. Should I cancel? No, I probably shouldn’t.
Besides, Nicola Sheen was engaged.
I texted back to tell her I had plans tomorrow night, but she told me this was an afternoon coffee date, so I agreed.
Tomorrow, I was having coffee with the woman who altered the course of my life, followed by drinks with a Spanish Vixen.
Tomorrow seemed monumental already.
Thursday December 8th
Nicola turned up puffed and dishevelled from bridal shopping and in need of a pick-me-up. We’d arranged to meet at a coffee shop round the corner from my work and Nicola’s face spelled tiredness: her eyes were shaded grey, her skin dry, her nose runny. She needed an energy boost, along with a plate of superfoods and some quality concealer. However, as I really didn’t know her that well, I decided to keep that to myself.
We sat down with our lattes.
“You okay?” I asked, even though it was plain she wasn’t.
She gave me a pained smile. “It’s just been a weird day, and it’s not something I can really speak to Melanie about. Wedding dress shopping is freaking me out. Reminding me of the first time round.” She took a sip of her coffee and recoiled — it was too hot.
I stared at her. “First time round?” What the hell was she talking about?
She pursed her lips and nodded. “I keep forgetting we haven’t seen each other in a while.”
I shook my head. “Quite a long while.”
“I suppose it is.” She paused. “I was married before. To a man. I was young, I got pregnant, he proposed, it seemed the right thing to do.” She shrugged. “One of those things, but it’s freaked me out a bit today.”
