She fixes her clothes and tries to look relaxed, “How are you this morning, Olivia?”
Olivia quirks her eyebrow and looks Ann up and down, “You look remarkably different even though you are in the same clothes you wore yesterday.”
Ann blushes and runs her fingers through her hair. “I didn’t get to go to the laundrette, to pick up my other suit.”
The excuse is the weakest that Olivia has ever heard, “Sure, that’s what has happened here.” She puts her arm around Ann’s shoulders, “If I was to hazard a guess, you got laid and stayed over at your new girlfriend’s place. You should also know that you have buttoned that blouse wrong and you have literally ten seconds to fix it before Mr Willems arrives.”
Ann is blushing and moves behind Olivia quickly to rearrange her buttons. “Incoming in five, four, three, two, hi, Mr Willems, how can I help you?”
Mr Willems grins at her, “Have you seen, oh there you are Miss Peeters, I was hoping to have a quick chat with you about the Christmas magazine and the journalist coming over.”
“Of course, when is the journalist coming? I think Lina, is coming in shortly to start our mural background painting and I think she will be marking out where she will want her pieces to go.”
“Excellent, the journalist is due in a couple of days to see how we are doing and get a feel of our display and will ask some questions. Is everything going okay between you both?”
Olivia snickers, “Better than okay.” Ann stands on Olivia’s toe making her yelp, “It’s going really well, she has some incredible ideas and I’m really excited to see it all come together.”
Mr Willem's is delighted and walks back to his office, Ann spins around, “You, are unreal, snickering and your little remarks.”
“Hello ladies, it’s a beautiful morning.”
Ann starts smiling recognising the voice, Olivia quirks her eyebrow, “Hi, Lina, thanks for the save, I’m going to go and do Ann’s job while she does whatever she is doing up here.”
She scurries off before Ann can reply. Lina looks after her confused, “What was that about?”
“Olivia is a smartass, the usual really. You let me leave with my blouse buttoned up all wrong;”
Lina grins, “I didn’t notice that they were, I was looking at your ass as you walked out of the door.”
Ann blushes biting her bottom lip wondering if she should kiss her or not. Lina senses what she wants and looks around and pulls her close kissing her sweetly. “I missed you.”
Ann is surprised by the admission, “I missed you too. What do you need to get started?”
Lina quirks her eyebrow, “I know what I would like to do before I start, but I don’t think that is on the agenda. All I need is the canvas my paints and my inspiration.”
Ann sways, “What is your inspiration for this piece?”
Lina grins, “That’s easy, it’s a fat white man with a beard and a sack full of toys.”
Ann tries to hide her disappointment, “Oh yeah, of course, it is.”
Lina laughs, “I have a special piece that I have in my mind that has been inspired by someone very special to me.”
Ann smiles brightly, “Is that so? Well, I look forward to seeing that.”
“Oh, and I need to meet your mother.”
Ann’s mouth drops open, “You want to meet my mother? After one date?”
Lina quirks an eyebrow and starts to laugh, “Sweetie, I want to meet your mother so we can go through some ideas for the toys I want to create with her.”
Ann blushes, “Oh, yes, I remember now, I can take you over after work.”
“Sounds good, let’s get started and no distracting me, I need complete concentration in order to do this to the best of my ability.”
Ann bumps her shoulder, “I wouldn’t dream of distracting you and I have work to do too, I won’t have time to keep you in line so make sure you are doing what you are meant to be.”
Lina laughs sets out her paints and begins drawing the outline. She has her headphones on and is in the zone of creating her painting. Every so often she spies Ann wandering nearby to get a glimpse of what she is doing. She receives a smile every time their eyes meet, and she feels a warmth bubbling inside, she closes her eyes wanting to keep that feeling for a few seconds longer before she concentrates on what she is doing again. Olivia hovers around her making Lina wonder what she is looking for.
“Olivia, what can I do for you?”
Olivia blushes, “I’m sorry, I know I’m disturbing you, but I just want to tell you that I have never see Ann like this. She’s smiling more, there is a spring in her step and I really don’t want you to feel pressure, but you have changed her. I started working here after her break up and damn, she was lost and so hard to work with. She was always professional but there was no fun or humour with her. Of course, time heals, and we became friends, but I have been waiting for so long to see the real Ann.”
Lina cocks her head to the side listening intently, “I know she has had a rough time in the past and this is really early for us, but I like her. I don’t want to hurt her, and I really want to make her happy.”
Olivia is pleased with what she hears, “Thank you, Lina, and please don’t tell Ann I said anything. She would kill me and tell me to mind my own business. I know, I should, but she’s my friend and I like the way you look at her. I didn’t think it was possible, that she would come to work wearing the same outfit as the day before and with the buttons messed up. She was a sight for sore eyes. I wanted to high five her and get all the details, but Mr Willems turned up and ruined my opportunity.”
Lina laughs, “We had fun, and I am really happy that she is feeling the same joy that I am. This is new for me too and it scares the hell out of me. I will take it slow.”
Olivia bumps her shoulder, “Oh yeah, that was incredibly slow.”
Lina hears the teasing tone, shakes her head, “If you don’t mind, I would like to go back to my work and you should do the same, Ann is on the way.”
Olivia looks over her shoulder, her eyes widen, “Remember, I said nothing.”
She rushes off before Ann gets to them, she looks at the canvas and can see the beginnings of a beautiful background. “Wow, it looks incredible.”
Lina looks at the drawn outline with the smallest amount of paint on it. “It’s barely started, and I have never worked in an environment with so many onlookers.”
Ann looks at her confused, “What do you mean?”
Lina grins, “Normally, I’m locked away in my workspace with just my music and the canvas. Here there are people walking around, other noises and just a different atmosphere. I like it, but it’s different.”
“You sure you can do this? I know it’s a larger scale than what you are used to and how you work.”
Lina smiles, hugs Ann close, “It does have an incredible bonus to working here too.”
Ann grins, “Oh yeah? What would that be?”
Lina leans in and kisses her lovingly, “Oh yes, I don’t just kiss random people.”
They kiss again unaware of someone coming closer to them. They clear their throat making them both jump apart. Ann spins around blushes hard, “Mom, what are you doing here?”
Inge Peeters grins looking between her daughter and the woman that is still holding her. “I came by hoping to get some lunch with my daughter. I saw Olivia downstairs and she sent me up here. I didn’t realise I would be interrupting such an intimate moment.”
Ann tries to compose herself much to the amusement of both Inge and Lina. Lina takes the lead and steps out from behind Ann, with her hand out. “My name is Lina Wouters, I’m working with Ann on the Christmas project. It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry you had to meet me while I had my tongue in your daughter's mouth, but I really like her.”
Ann spins around to face Lina, the blush deepening on her cheeks, “Lina! You can’t say things like that to my mother.”
“Ann, darling, she can say anything she likes to me. I appreciate
her humour and it’s nice to meet someone so honest. Would you like to join us for lunch, Lina?”
Ann is flustered not knowing where to look and how to get out of the current situation.
“I would love to join you both, I actually wanted to meet you to discuss a proposition for you.”
Inge is intrigued and looks at Ann, who is still looking at the floor. “As long as it doesn’t involve me having to pay for lunch, I’m in. Ann, sweetheart, you’re slouching.”
Lina bites her lip to stop the laugh that is trying to escape. Ann gives her a look that would stop a train on the tracks. “Not a word, Wouters, not a word.”
Lina pretends to lock her lips with a key and throws it away much to the delight of Inge. “Shall we go now, Ann?”
Ann groans, bows her head, “Sure, mom, let me get my jacket.”
She realises that in order to get her jacket she has to leave Lina alone with her mother. Inge quirks her eyebrow, “Are you afraid to leave me with Lina?”
“No, not at all, it’s just…maybe Lina doesn’t want to go, she has a lot of work to do.”
Lina folds her arms, “Oh, no, I’m good, I deserve a break and what better way to spend it with the lady I was kissing and her mother.”
Inge laughs while Ann huffs and leaves them to get her jacket. “Please, please, don’t embarrass me, mom.”
Inge places her hand on her chest, “I wouldn’t dream of it, now, please, stop slouching and go and get your jacket. I’m looking forward to lunch now.”
Ann grumbles and finally leaves them to retrieve her jacket. She looks over her shoulder and spots Lina and Inge in a huddle laughing and smiling. “This is not going to end well for me.”
Chapter 14
“This is a nice restaurant you have brought me to Ann. So, Lina, have you been sticking your tongue down my daughter’s throat for long?”
Lina chokes on the sip of water she was drinking, looks at Ann, who’s face is now turning from red to purple in seconds. “Mom, what has gotten into you? You can’t ask that!”
Lina watches Inge sit back in her chair and guffaws in laughter. “I do love teasing you, but as your mother, I do get to ask potential bed mates certain questions to ensure they are good enough for said daughter. Plus, I don’t think Lina minds, she did start us all on this line of conversation back in the store.”
Lina laughs and clinks her glass to Inge’s, “I would answer honestly and say only a couple of days, we are very much in the early stages. She has worn me down and I finally gave in to saying yes for a date.”
Ann baulks again, “That’s a lie, I did not chase you and you wanted me just as bad as I wanted you. I can’t believe we are having this conversation in front of my mother.”
Lina laughs, pulling Ann into her side, “We are just teasing you.”
Inge sits back and sips her water watching the two of them interact. She smiles softly at Ann, “I have to say, Ann, I like her, you have met a match. This is good for you and I very much approve. Lina, maybe from now on you can leave out the details of your tongue and my daughter, or the next time we meet, I may have to tell you stories about me and my husband.”
Ann spits out her drink, “Mom! Oh my God, no! You are never coming to lunch with us again.”
Lina grins, “Deal, but if you continue that boldness, Ann is going to have a stroke. I don’t think skin is meant to get that red.”
Ann thumps Lina on the shoulder, “Ow, that hurt.” Ann smirks, “Good, it was meant to.”
The waitress comes over smiling sweetly at them, “Are you ready to order?”
All three answer in unison, “Yes.” She laughs and writes down their orders and leaves them to their conversation again.
“Inge, you must have a lot of stories about Ann as a kid, I would love to hear them.”
Ann spins around to face Lina, “Are you crazy, we are not having that conversation.” She turns to her mother and holds up her finger, “Do not say a word, mother.”
Inge smiles quirking her eyebrow, “Is that how I raised you? You know better than that to speak to your mother in that tone.”
Ann grumbles and leans her head on the table, “Kill me now.”
The waitress comes back with their food and is concerned about Ann. “Excuse me, ma’am, are you okay?”
Ann lifts her head a little and shakes it, “No, I’m really not, my mother is meeting my girlfriend for the first time and it’s not going the way I wanted.”
The waitress laughs, “I think, it might be going better than you think. They haven’t thrown any glasses at each other or raised their voices in an argument. I think you’re winning.”
Ann looks between Lina and her mother and shrugs, “You could be right.”
She leaves them their food and walks away grinning. Inge looks at Lina’s shocked face, “Is that the first time she called you, her girlfriend?”
Ann’s face turns bright red again, eyes widen, “Oh my God, I didn't realise I had, it just slipped out.”
Lina turns to face Ann, “Am I your girlfriend, is that what you would like?”
Ann cocks her head to the side, hearing the nerves in Lina’s voice, “Yes, I would really like that, but if it’s too soon to say that then…” Lina interrupts her smiling bigger than she has ever smiled before, “I would like that very much, I just don’t know how good I am at being a girlfriend.”
Ann grins but before they can kiss, Inge pipes up, “Oh my God, you both are crazy, all this palaver about calling each other girlfriends. You like each other, you kiss each other, and you have no doubt had bedroom fun together, forget the labels and just be together.” She starts tucking into her lunch leaving Ann and Lina looking at her and then each other before shrugging and tucking into their food. Lina does whisper, “I like being your girlfriend.” Ann smiles brightly and whispers back, “Me too.”
Inge chuckles but is happy for her daughter to have finally opened up again to the idea of having a relationship with someone. “I like this side of you, Ann, you are glowing again, I have missed that, I approve.”
Ann looks at her mother and blushes, “Thanks mom, but that doesn’t mean you can tell embarrassing stories about me.”
“You can’t stop me, if something comes to mind, it might just slip out. Like the time when you were four years old, you stripped out of your clothes and took off running around the neighbourhood.”
Ann’s eyes widen again blushing profusely while Lina laughs out loud, “Oh my, that is something you should have recorded.”
“We didn’t have a video recorder and there is no proof that ever happened thank god.”
Inge grins mischievously, “I beg to differ sweetheart.” Ann looks at her mother confused and then looks in horror as she watches as her mother takes out her purse and pulls out a few photos that she never knew were there. “What are they?”
“These, my darling are my memories of the cutest little girl. Now, where is the one I’m looking for…ah, here it is…look at this, Lina.”
Ann tries to get the photo out of her mother’s grasp but is met with a look of steel that makes her sit back in her chair instantly. Inge smiles sweetly at her, handing the photo to Lina. Lina takes a look and laughs heartily, “Oh wow, you were a cutie, I didn’t know you had streaker in your resume.”
Ann grimaces and looks at the photo, smiling at the memory, “The reason I took off my clothes was that they were so itchy and uncomfortable.”
“I had you dressed in a sailor suit, that was not itchy or uncomfortable, you were so cute in it. Look, here is the before photo.”
Ann groans, “Mom, this is not nice.” Lina responds before Inge can, “I think it’s a beautiful thing, your mom keeps these photos close to her all the time. You were a cutie, but I would have teased you for that outfit if I knew you, then probably would have chased you when you ran naked down the street.”
Inge laughs, “She’s funny, I like her.”
They finish their lunch, with an easy-going banter, Ann
is enjoying the conversation and realises how much that Lina and her mom have in common when deciding on what to create and how to design it. She sits back and listens smiling to herself.
“Inge as you know, I have a massive project to work on for your daughter, my girlfriend. I have had an idea that came to me when Ann spoke about you. As you know, I use a lot of different materials to create different sculptures. With this project, I am doing murals and a lot of woodwork. I was hoping that with some of the toys you could work your magic and make them soft and cuddly. Would you work with me on this project?”
Inge is shocked by the offer and looks to Ann before she speaks. Ann smiles, “I think it would be a great idea.”
Inge looks at Lina and holds out her hand, “I would love to work with you. When do I start?”
Lina claps her hands excitedly, “This is awesome, you can start today, let’s go back to the store after this and we can come up with what we want to make.”
“I would love that; do I get to see your complete outline of the set?”
Ann sits forward for the answer, Lina looks at her and smirks, “You get to see all of the outlines of everything, you have to keep it secret, only you and I will know what we are creating.”
Ann frowns, “You’re going to tell me too, right?”
“No, you only get to see the mural but after that, you see nothing until the reveal.”
Ann pouts, “You can’t be serious, I have to know what’s going on so I can have everything you need.”
“I can tell you what I need, that doesn’t mean you have to see it all come together before it is finished.”
“Fine, I will just get mom to tell me.”
Inge quirks her eyebrow, “Oh you won’t get a word out of me, I respect the artist's way of working. You will have more time to make sure the window displays are up to the same standard as the floor.”
Ann slouches in her seat, “I don’t like this anymore.”
“Sweetheart, don’t slouch, that’s not attractive.”
Ann mumbles under her breath before sitting up straighter in her seat. Lina kisses her cheek, “I will show you a sketch to give you an idea with the window display.”
Calling Mrs Claus Page 9
