Picnics in Hyde Park

by Nikki Moore

  Yes, Christmas was definitely her favourite time of year. In fact, Holly's preference would be to celebrate it every month, and pretend that summer with its muggy, prickly heat and scorching sun that burnt her fair skin and bleached her blonde hair lighter didn't exist. This December she couldn't think of anything better than ice skating for a living. It was a dream come true to be an Ice Marshall at Somerset House, being paid to loop the rink to make sure members of the public were safe, providing them with help where they needed it, issuing skates on request and helping the Ice Technician clean the ice when it became dented and scarred from use. The skating test before the job offer had been as easy as breathing, she'd completed the training at the beginning of the previous month easily and she was lucky enough to have picked up five shifts a week, working up to eight hours a day. Her mum might be worried about her overdoing it on the ice but the money would all definitely add up towards her start up fund. Come the New Year, she was going into business.

  She glanced around, grinning. The forty foot Christmas tree near the North Wing, sprinkled with twinkling lights, gorgeous silver, gold, white, bronze and teal baubles and miniature Fortnum and Mason hampers, was an exciting reminder that it was Christmas Eve the next day.

  Letting out a small squeak of anticipation, and checking she had enough room, Holly did a quick one foot spin, the first she'd learnt as a child. Starting with arms outstretched and pushing off with her right foot, twirling around she brought her arms in and her foot up against her knee, then span back out, ending with her arms crossed over her chest, both feet planted. Laughing, she did it again, joy and exhilaration zinging through her as the familiar move brought back a thousand happy memories of her professional figure-skating days. Those years had been filled with hard work, endless hours of practice, more bruises, grazes and sprains than she could count, and little time for friends or hobbies, but had also included some of the best moments of her life. When you got it right, it felt like you were flying.

  It was a shame she could no longer do a Lutz or Axel as easily as a one foot spin, but she couldn't take the risk.

  When she came to a stop, a small boy with big green eyes and a mop of brown hair peeking out from under a winter hat was staring at her. Steady on his feet, he looked more comfortable on the ice than the majority of adults. She'd seen him earlier, confidently gliding along. He hadn't needed her help and she'd been busy helping a family with twin girls, blonde hair in matching plaits, so she hadn't had a chance to tell him how well he skated.

  'Wow,' he breathed, showing off a massive gappy grin. 'That was sooo good. You're a really cool ice person.'

  'Thanks. I'm Holly, one of the Ice Marshalls.' Rather than someone who sounded like they were actually made of frozen water. She smiled. He was adorable. All massive eyes and cherry red cheeks. 'What's your name?'

  'Jasper.'

  'Well, I'll let you into a secret Jasper.' She scooted a little closer to him, bending down to his height. 'When I was only a tiny bit older than you, just after I started school, I started skating. I was in competitions, and won things. So I've had a lot of time on the ice.' Before the injury. When her world turned upside down. 'How long have you been skating? A few months?'

  'Nope,' shaking his head, 'this is my second time. Daddy works a lot and Melody has gone home for Christmas. But she'll be back as soon as she can and she promised, promised, promised to bring me lots of presents and hugs. She said I'm a busy boy who keeps her running around but I'm on Santa's good boy list.' From the way he said it, he'd heard it a lot in the past few weeks.

  'I'm sure you are,' Holly agreed, amused at his babble. 'Melody sounds cool.' Who she was, Holly wasn't quite sure of, obviously not the boy's mum, but would his Dad's girlfriend really disappear off for Christmas? 'But is this really only your second time? You're very good you know.' She paused, 'Do you want me to show you a few tricks a bit later on?' Strictly speaking she was here to help the customers who needed it but she could wait until the end of the afternoon, when it got a bit quieter, to spend some time with him.

  'Would you?' he jumped, heels to his bum, and landed perfectly again on both skates, which was harder than it looked. 'That'd be super cool!' he paused, expression dropping. 'I have to ask if it's okay though.'

  'Ask who?'

  Spinning around in a perfect one eighty, he glanced around the rink. After a moment he extended a podgy finger, glancing at her sheepishly. 'Him…he's not very good.'

  'I'm sure he's not that bad- Oh.'

  They watched in silence as a man wrapped up to the max with a face like a British thundercloud under a beanie hat slipped and lurched around the rink, arms flailing, even though every few feet he was using the wall to steady himself.

  From the look on his face, Jasper was embarrassed. Heck, Holly felt embarrassed, but it was for Jasper's dad on his behalf, rather than not wanting to be seen with him. 'Well, at least he's trying,' she said from corner of her mouth, 'he might get better.'

  'Ummm…' the boy gave her a doubtful look.

  But bless, you had to give the guy points for being here for his son, and making a bit of an idiot of himself in the process. Maybe he just wasn't very fit. He looked a bit bulky and soft around the middle. Or perhaps he didn't have good balance. Shame he wasn't a child; otherwise he could use one of the penguin skating aids available for the younger skaters in the separate area down the South Wing end.

  Right. Two birds with one diplomatic, tactful stone then. 'Come on,' she gestured the boy to follow her, 'let's go ask him about you trying something a bit more adventurous.'

  'Hi, there!' Her tone was friendly as she skated up behind the man, but unfortunately it unnerved him. Whipping his head round, his feet scissored, arms wind-milling. Trying to find his centre of gravity but failing, his legs started to slide in opposite directions. 'Oops!' Acting on instinct, Holly moved in, threading her arms under his to hoist him up, leaning forward for balance. 'Woah, there you go. I've got you.'

  Practically spooning the guy upright wasn't the most professional way to help and she might get a telling off by the Front of House Manager, but it was the best she could do at short notice.

  He didn't reply, just made a grunting sound and shook his head.

  With his back plastered to her front and bum tucked into the curve of her hips, she realised he wasn't as bulky as he first seemed; it was the never ending amount of layers he was wrapped in. No wonder he was having issues, his upper body was totally constricted. No, he wasn't soft around the middle; he was actually quite nicely built.

  'Okay?' she asked a little breathlessly. Untangling their arms, she steadied him with a firm hand and glided them over to the side, checking to make sure Jasper was still with them. The little boy gave her a reassuring nod, keeping pace.

  ‘No, I’m not okay,’ the guy spat as soon as he was hanging on to the wall, ‘you scared the crap out of me!’

  Author Note

  Authors need Readers and Reviewers!

  I am so grateful that readers and reviewers like you have taken the #LoveLondon series to heart and made it so successful.

  I would really appreciate it if you could spend a few minutes leaving a review on Amazon (UK/US) and/or Goodreads.

  As an avid reader, I always try to leave reviews and also love connecting with writers whose books I have enjoyed or whose stories have resonated with me. It would be great if you felt able to do the same, so please do write a review and/or drop me a line on Twitter @NikkiMoore_Auth or via FaceBook at https://facebook.com/NikkiMooreWrites.

  Remember, authors need reviews!

  Thanks so much, Nikki x

  Author Q&A with Nikki Moore

  1. The #LoveLondon series is an interesting concept. Can you tell us what led you to write it?

  The series was born out of me pitching my second full length novel Picnics in Hyde Park (a romance set in London) to my lovely editor Charlotte and her commissioning me to write a number of London based short romances linked to the novel and each
other. I thought it was a brilliant and very exciting idea and couldn’t wait to get started.

  My debut Crazy, Undercover, Love was partly set in London and I’ve always loved the city and get a real buzz every time I visit, so I knew I wanted my second novel to be wholly set there. I find our capital endlessly fascinating because there’s so much to see and do, and it’s very diverse. I love the pace, architecture, nightlife, landmarks…I think I could live in London and still never come closing to experiencing all of it. So when I had to fit in a few research trips for this series, I was very happy! It is totally true that I #LoveLondon.

  2. How did you create each story to make it unique while linked and thematic?

  The idea for the series evolved a number of times. Charlotte and I eventually settled on a series that would lead up to Picnics at Hyde Park, starting at Christmas with Skating at Somerset House with a story to follow roughly once a month to capture key dates or events in specific places in London, with one character in each novella either related to or friends with one of the main characters from Picnics. And so New Year at The Ritz, Valentine’s on Primrose Hill, Cocktails in Chelsea and Strawberries at Wimbledon were created to follow my Christmas baby. :-)

  In terms of the plots, these initially grew from the titles, covers, events and places and had to be about two people falling in love, or at least embarking on the possibility of it. What I found when I wrote the series was that each story was about a slightly different kind of, or source for, romantic love. One is about love unfolding from the differences between people and how those can strengthen the individuals; one is about choosing between old love versus new love; one is about love growing out of friendship; one is about love happening despite conflict and misunderstandings (a kind of modern comedy of errors); one is about revisiting first love, and one is about finding love when you least expect it. However, what really gave me the nitty gritty of ideas for the stories were the characters that came to me for each book and what they wanted or needed, what their hopes, dreams, challenges and fears were.

  What I also found was that the setting and timing of each story naturally gave it a particular theme or ‘feel.’ For instance, Skating at Somerset House was set at Christmas and was more of a ‘sweet’ romance, whereas Valentine’s on Primrose Hill asked questions about what love and romance really is, and was therefore deeper and strangely, darker. Cocktails in Chelsea had more of a sexy ‘springtime fling’ feel to it so was trendier and hotter. I’ll leave you to make your mind up about the rest.

  I have to admit that I really enjoyed catching up with the five couples from the novellas again in Picnics and seeing what they were up to. It was like visiting old friends, and I hope people who have read the rest of the series, or some of them, also enjoyed the chance to revisit some of those characters.

  3. What's your writing schedule like? Where and when do you write?

  I work full days in Human Resources over a nine day fortnight, meaning I get two Fridays off a month as dedicated writing time. I’m a single mum with two kids, one of them a teenager. They see their dad regularly but are with me day to day. Sometimes I write between 6.00 – 7.00 a.m. before the school run, but usually it’s after my youngest has gone to bed from 9.00 p.m. until I fall asleep over the laptop. I do this at least three times a week but it can be closer to five or six evenings and weekends too if I’m up against a deadline.

  Sometimes I fling food at the kids and tell them I’m neglecting them for a few hours, before closeting myself away. Mostly they accept this with good grace, as does my lovely boyfriend, who is more patient than I deserve. :-) My friends and family also accept falling by the wayside if I have a deadline. Equally, housework drops from my usual gold standard to bronze level. It’s a delicate act to keep all the plates spinning but if I keep moving, I’m usually okay!

  I do most of my writing either in my writing room (dining room at the front of the house) which contains my bookcase, laptops and a filing cabinet and has my book covers stuck up on the wall. I like writing in there because it’s very light and airy. However, sometimes I write on the sofa or in bed when I want to be comfy and warm (really bad for the neck, back and shoulders though), in the staff room at work, on trains or even in cars. To be honest I can write pretty much anywhere as long as I have my laptop and there’s a plug handy, or if I have paper and a pen. Over the years I’ve learnt not to be precious about my writing time, or where I might do it, but to just do it whenever I get the chance.

  4. Tell us a bit about your writing journey.

  I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first learnt to read, at about five years old. I got addicted to getting lost in stories, being transported to different times and places, making new friends along the way in the characters. I thought it’d be amazing to be able to make up stories of my own for a living. I read a lot of romance novels in my teens and simply put, love writing about love. I was on the school newspaper at secondary school and my favourite subject was English, because I could write essays and short stories.

  I first started writing seriously in my early twenties, when I wrote my first two novels which were romances targeted at Harlequin Mills and Boon. Shockingly (as when I look back at them now I cringe), the first one got as far as an acquisitions meeting with HM&B and the second had interest shown in it by another romance publisher but I didn’t pursue that because I was uncomfortable with what they were asking me to do with the story (probably the right decision because they went out of business shortly afterwards). Writing took a back seat for eight or so years in the middle while I pursued a HR qualification and had my son, and I came back to writing in 2010.

  I was a member of the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers Scheme for four years. I submitted two books for critiques (completed by an anonymous author/editor/agent), each of them twice. I can still remember the thrill of getting NWS reports that said my work was publishable, and giving me tips on how to improve it. The book I graduated to full RNA membership with in 2014 was my debut Crazy, Undercover, Love although it had a different title originally. I rewrote it several times, partially based on the reader’s critiques that I received, and this definitely made it a much better book. When I was published I sent my readers’ thank you cards.

  Other highlights on my writing journey have been:

  Getting an Honorable Mention for the RNA Elizabeth Goudge Trophy in 2010 and the phone call from Katie Fforde (one of my favourite authors, and the judge that year) that followed, congratulating me and telling me to keep writing.

  Being offered my first publishing contract for my short story A Night to Remember published in the bestselling RNA/ Mills and Boon anthology in February 2014 alongside massive women’s fiction authors such as Katie Fforde, Carole Matthews and Adele Parks.

  Being offered a four book contract with HarperImpulse in October 2013 after meeting my editor Charlotte Ledger at the RNA Conference in July 2013. Thrilled doesn’t even begin to cover it!

  The day my debut novel Crazy, Undercover, Love was published in April 2014.

  Being contacted by readers, bloggers and reviewers to say nice things about my stories or ask if I can write an article for them/what I’m writing next/if I’m going to write a sequel.

  Crazy, Undercover, Love being shortlisted for the RNA Joan Hessayon Award 2014 (for new writers) and attending the award ceremony in May 2015, where I was presented with a certificate and cheque alongside the other lovely finalists.

  The success of the #LoveLondon series. :-)

  There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t feel incredibly lucky and grateful to be doing something I love so much. Consequently, I always try and do what I can to encourage aspiring authors by offering them advice or sharing my experiences.

  5. What's next for you?

  Having written around 180,000 words over the past year and a half or so, alongside promoting the #LoveLondon series, the day job and the kids, I’m going to have a very short break from writing to spend some time exploring different ma
rketing options for the #LoveLondon series. For instance, I’d love to try and do some magazine and radio interviews.

  However, I also have a women’s commercial fiction novel up my sleeve that I’ve been working on for some time, and I’m planning to get back to working on that in the autumn. And who knows what else I might do for HarperImpulse - I’ve always fancied writing a New Adult romance…!

  Reader Q&A

  1. Some people might find the idea of Zoe's plan for revenge uncomfortable. Do you think she was justified in what she originally intended to do? Why / why not?

  2. What did you think of Melody, and the relationship between the two sisters?

  3. Matt says that it's been 'complicated' since his wife died. What do you think he meant, and did you agree with Zoe that the reasons he gave were just excuses?

  4. What impact do you think your childhood has on your adult life? How was this communicated through this story?

  5. Before it was revealed, did you guess the reason Matt had for throwing Melody out? Were you surprised by the lie Stephen told and the reasons he did this?

  6. What did you think of the end of the story? Did you find it was satisfying? What, if anything, would you change about the ending?

  Also by Nikki Moore …

  Skating at Somerset House (#LoveLondon Book 1)

  New Year at the Ritz (#LoveLondon Book 2)

  Valentine's on Primrose Hill (#LoveLondon Book 3)

  Cocktails in Chelsea (#LoveLondon Book 4)

  Strawberries at Wimbledon (#LoveLondon Book 5)

  Crazy, Undercover, Love

  Be My Valentine

  Nikki Moore