Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

by Abby Clements

  ‘Well, that’s lucky,’ Siobhan said. ‘Because I hate to break it to you, but Freaky Friday wasn’t a documentary, Laurie. It’s pretty tough to arrange that stuff in real life.’

  Laurie rolled her eyes. ‘Look, I’m telling you because you’re going to have new neighbours for a couple of weeks, including my goddaughter, Milly.’

  ‘You’ve got a goddaughter?’ Siobhan raised an eyebrow. ‘Someone put you in charge of the—’

  ‘Yes I do, OK? Rachel’s daughter,’ Laurie said, shorttemperedly. ‘She’s a lovely girl. I don’t see much of her – actually I’ve never even been up to visit, which is pretty bad really, I suppose. But I have caught up with them halfway, in Oxford, and I send her postcards from time to time – from fashion weeks, trips abroad. She’s really into fashion. Anyway, what I’m saying is that I’m off. Going to Rachel’s little village – Skipley, it’s called – in Yorkshire, for a bit of R&R.’

  Siobhan almost spat out her mouthful of drink. ‘A village in Yorkshire? I mean, the Dales are beautiful, but can I refer you to our earlier conversation about how stir crazy you got at that spa? What are you going to do up there?’

  Laurie hadn’t really thought that part through. ‘Well, the cottage looks lovely. You know, roses around the door, the works.’

  ‘There won’t be any roses, Laurie, it’s nearly December. And good luck finding sushi up there.’

  Laurie realised that even sushi – one of her favourite foods – wouldn’t tempt her right now. She’d hardly eaten a thing since Monday.

  ‘On the plus side, a few Yorkshire puddings should fill you out a bit,’ Siobhan said. ‘But seriously, Laurie, on your own in the Dales? Are you sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for?’

  ‘I’ll be absolutely fine,’ Laurie insisted, with a wave of her hand. ‘You know what, you and Danny are right. I do need to clear my head a bit.’

  On Sunday morning, three days before she was due to leave, Laurie knocked at the blue door on the ground floor of her building. After a moment, her knock was answered by a curvy woman in her seventies with neat afro hair, her yellow and red patterned dress set off by simple gold hoop earrings and a red necklace.

  ‘Hi, Lily,’ Laurie said.

  ‘Well, if it isn’t my favourite neighbour,’ Lily replied, a smile spreading across her face. ‘Come in, dear. I’ve just put the kettle on.’

  ‘So how’ve you been?’ Laurie asked, walking through into the kitchen and pulling out a wooden chair at the kitchen table.

  ‘Not too bad, thanks, sweetheart,’ Lily said, getting a tray and some cups out of the cupboard. ‘Fairly quiet, apart from the choir. November’s never too busy. It’s at Christmas that the fun really gets started.’

  Ska music played out quietly from the radio, and Laurie noticed a pot bubbling away on the stove. As she glanced around the kitchen she saw that a lot of the sunflower-print wallpaper on the wall nearest the door was peeling away, and that a set of wooden shelves and quite a few of the lino tiles were badly damaged. ‘Is all this from the electrics work?’ she said, pointing to the wall and furniture.

  ‘Yes,’ Lily replied, bringing over the tea tray and placing it on the table between them. ‘I’m grateful, of course, that they fixed things, but those men from the council certainly left an awful mess.’

  Laurie ran a hand over the ripped wallpaper. ‘Shame,’ she said. ‘You always keep it so nice in here.’

  ‘Oh this is nothing.’ Lily laughed warmly. ‘You should see the living room, hardly any paper left there. They said they’d be back to decorate, but that was weeks ago.’

  ‘But your electricity’s OK now?’

  ‘Oh, yes, the lights and plugs are all working, so that’s the main thing. Can’t have a party in the dark, can you?’

  Laurie smiled. Each year Lily hosted her Caribbean Christmas dinner for all the residents in the block. She never turned anyone away, and her flat was always overflowing with friends and neighbours, the air heavy with the tempting aromas of jerk chicken and plantain, rum cocktails fuelling the dancing, and the rooms transformed with red and gold Christmas decorations. Siobhan and Laurie were regulars there, as were: Sean, the single dad in the basement flat, Nikki, the teenage daughter who was giving him grey hairs, and – of course – Jay.

  Friends from Lily’s gospel choir usually joined them, dropping in between midday and midnight, and kids from the neighbouring blocks. Last year Siobhan had brought a reindeer-shaped piñata that had been a huge hit – the kids thwacked it with sticks until sweets and chocolates spilled out all over the floor.

  Christmas dinner at Lily’s was one of the highlights of Laurie’s year, but this time felt different. Would Jay’s girlfriend be there? Did she really want to spend Christmas looking across the fruit cake at the two of them whispering sweet nothings? It hurt even to think about it.

  ‘Your party will be great,’ Laurie said. ‘It always is.’

  Lily poured tea out for the two of them. ‘Oh, I know. It’s the people that matter. But you know how I like things to look pretty.’

  Laurie nodded sympathetically, then thought back to the reason she’d come. ‘Anyway, I dropped by because I wanted to let you know that I’m going away for a little while, to stay at a friend’s house. She’s coming here at the same time. Her name’s Rachel, and she’s going to be staying here with her family – two kids, a little boy and a teenage girl. So if you see some strangers in the block that’s who they’ll be.’

  ‘Sure,’ Lily said, taking a sip of her tea. ‘Any friends of yours are friends of mine, sweetheart. Tell them if they need anything, Lily’s here. You know how I like a bit of young company.’

  Laurie took her tea and warmed her hands with it. Lily’s flat wasn’t as well heated as her own, and with the temperature outside near zero, the kitchen was cold.

  ‘And you?’ Lily said, slowly, her eyes drifting over Laurie’s face and body. ‘Are you OK? I mean, you know I’m not one for meddling, but you look a little skinny. And tired.’

  ‘I haven’t been sleeping that well,’ Laurie said distantly.

  ‘Is it our friend upstairs?’

  ‘That’s part of it,’ she said.

  ‘Jay’s not gone and broken your heart?’

  ‘It’s not like that, Lily,’ Laurie sighed.

  ‘So you’ve broken his?’

  ‘Jay and I just didn’t work out, that’s all.’

  She’d rerun that evening a hundred times in her mind since it happened, trying to make sense of it. After the night on her roof terrace she and Jay had gone on a few dates as summer turned to autumn, and there had been more kisses, just as addictive as the ones on that first night. On their third date, they’d gone to Capelli’s, their neighbourhood pizzeria – they’d been there plenty of times before with friends, but this time, just the two of them, had been different. It had felt intimate and romantic.

  ‘Come to mine on Friday,’ Jay said, as they walked home. Laurie was playfully kicking up leaves, her hand in his. ‘Let me cook for you.’

  Laurie only hesitated for a second. ‘Yes, sure,’ she said, sounding her usual confident self. But inside she was less sure, and as they walked back to the flat she fell silent. Just a couple of weeks ago she and Jay had been friends, and now, where were they heading? Why was it all getting so serious? She knew what a cosy night in at Jay’s would mean, and a voice in her head nagged at her. Things were changing too quickly. She wasn’t ready yet.

  Jay kissed her goodbye outside his front door. ‘See you this Friday, then,’ he said, smiling, and letting go of her hands reluctantly. ‘Seven p.m. OK?’

  ‘Great,’ Laurie nodded, pushing her doubts aside. ‘See you then.’

  At 6.30 p.m. that Friday Laurie had put down the phone on her final call of the day. Sales for the Sinaloa boots were pleasingly high. It had been a good day all round, she had finished and sent some proposals for expanding the new Navajo range to the New York office and received instant approval. She glanced at
the clock as she got up to leave – she would be a little late for dinner at Jay’s, but she’d pick up some nice wine to make up for it.

  Danny cornered her at the door, a flustered expression on his face. ‘Laurie, sorry about this, but it’s an emergency. The presentation for our shareholders’ meeting is in terrible shape. You couldn’t help us knock it together, could you?’

  An hour and a half later, Laurie’s eyes were sore. She had put together the presentation easily, but time had flown – when she saved the polished presentation on to the computer she saw it was 8 p.m., and she still had a long tube ride ahead of her.

  ‘Nightmare at work,’ she said, as Jay opened the door to her just before nine. She paused for no more than a second to take in his appearance – indigo jeans and a red and black checked shirt – nice. ‘I’d just finished this phone call and …’

  She stopped talking as she picked up on the delicate smells of herbs and spices and … burned food.

  ‘Ah, I’m too late for dinner, aren’t I?’ she said, biting her lip.

  ‘Kind of,’ Jay said, stepping back and motioning for her to step into the hall. ‘But come in.’

  ‘We can still order take-away, right?’

  ‘We could,’ he said. Laurie detected a note of reluctance in his voice, but chose to ignore it.

  ‘Good. I’m in the mood to celebrate,’ she babbled. ‘My Sinaloa boots have been selling really well and—’

  ‘Laurie,’ Jay said, putting a hand to his head, a confused expression on his face. ‘Did I get the time wrong? I thought we said seven o’clock?’

  ‘We did,’ Laurie said, making light of it. ‘But there was an emergency – a presentation that needed doing, Danny needed me to stay. I should have called, right? But I thought if I just got on the tube right away, I’d only be—’

  ‘Two hours late?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said. Balls. It didn’t sound great, when you put it like that. ‘Danny needed me.’

  ‘OK,’ Jay said slowly.

  ‘What?’ Laurie said, feeling defensive. It sunk in that she’d let him down – he’d made an effort for her, and she hadn’t even bothered to turn up on time. She strengthened her resolve. She wouldn’t be weak, wouldn’t admit she was in the wrong. ‘I’m sorry, Jay. Is that what you want me to say? I’m sorry. But work’s work.’

  Jay shrugged. ‘Look, Laurie – let’s forget it, it’s not that big a deal, come through and I’ll whip something else up. It’s just, like you say, a phone call would have been good.’

  ‘I know,’ Laurie said. ‘But Jay, it’s just – your work is different, isn’t it? I mean it’s not like a proper career. With your band – and with the furniture stuff – you can stop and make personal phone calls and it’s no biggie … but I …’

  Jay’s eyes were wide in surprise as Laurie continued.

  ‘… I mean, I’m not saying it’s not important, but I mean it’s not …’

  ‘It’s not as important as what you do?’ he said. ‘Laurie, God, can you hear yourself?’

  ‘There’s not the same responsibility, is there? A boss, a salary or—’

  ‘Right,’ Jay said. ‘I think I get the message here. Your work comes first, and it always will. I guess it’s better that I find that out now, rather than later.’

  ‘That’s …’ Laurie started. But she couldn’t deny it. As much as she wanted to make things OK between them again, she couldn’t tell him he was wrong. Her work did come first.

  ‘I’ve worked hard to get where I am,’ Laurie said, trying to justify herself. ‘I can’t let it slip. We can’t all be dreamers like you, letting your creative bird take flight and …’

  Jay raised his eyebrows. ‘Wow.’

  Laurie floundered, searching for something to say to put things right. But nothing came out. Eventually she gave up. She turned around and left his flat, her cheeks burning hot, slamming the door shut hard behind her.

  Weeks had passed, then months, with them hardly speaking to one another, and that’s how it still was. Jay had only been hers for a fleeting moment – but after that one of her best friends was gone from her life and it hurt. Really hurt. Now, on Sunday mornings she’d listen to Jay’s music coming through her bedroom floor because it made her feel like she was down there with him. She should try dating other people, Siobhan said. But Laurie didn’t know what she wanted any more – maybe relationships weren’t for her. Maybe, after all of this, she didn’t want anyone at all.

  ‘Well, it’s a shame, if you ask me,’ Lily said with a shrug. ‘You seemed a good pair, you two. But you’re a hard-headed woman, I know,’ she said. ‘But anyway, it’s friends you need,’ she smiled warmly, ‘and you’ve got plenty of those.’

  Laurie glanced over at the pictures of Lily’s grandchildren hung in gold frames on an untouched part of her wall. The question slipped out before she could stop it. ‘Were you ever in love?’

  ‘Oh yes,’ she laughed. ‘Or at least I thought I was. With my babies’ dad, Jimmy. I had my children, now I’ve got my grandbabies – and they’re my sunshine, even if they’re far away right now. Wouldn’t take back a step. But the arguing? That wasn’t for me. Me and Jimmy were too young then, or maybe –’ she shrugged – ‘well, maybe I’m just not the settling kind.’

  CHAPTER 6

  Monday 27th November

  From: Millypede@gmail.com

  To: Carter@yahoo.com

  Hi Carter,

  How are things? So it looks like I’m not going to be able to meet up with you after all. Long story, but I’m going to London for a couple of weeks with my family. Bad, because I’m missing out on stuff here – but good, because I’ve always wanted to see London, and I get a bit of time off school.

  We can stay in touch though – if you want?

  Mx

  ‘So it’s two weeks you’ll be gone?’ Diana asked.

  Rachel was sitting in her neighbour Diana’s living room, on the sofa. Diana’s small dog Alfie was dozing on the window seat in a patch of winter sun. The cushions were perfectly plumped, the coffee table was polished to a shine and the air carried a whiff of vanilla air freshener. Diana herself was as neatly presented as her cottage, her blonde hair wound back into a French pleat, her slightly creased eyelids dusted with pale blue shadow, and her nails painted dusky pink. Rachel, in her jeans and woolly jumper, felt like a blot on her neighbour’s pristine landscape.

  ‘It all depends how quickly they find out what’s wrong with Bea. That’s how long Laurie will be up here, though.’

  Diana looked unsettled by the news. ‘And are the kids OK?’

  ‘Yes. Zak’s absolutely fine – disappointed about missing his nativity play, but excited about our big adventure. It’s absolute packing chaos at home, though, he’s campaigning to take his bike.’ Rachel smiled. ‘And Milly – she’s come round. She was reluctant at first, said something about missing out on a party or something – but she’s always wanted to go to London.’

  ‘I’m sure she’ll enjoy it.’ Diana said.

  ‘It’s hard to tell sometimes,’ Rachel said, contemplatively. ‘I used to know exactly what Milly liked, but it seems to be changing so quickly. She’s at a mixed school now, of course, and I get this feeling that boys are rapidly taking over from horses.’

  ‘Anyone in particular?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Rachel said. ‘Maybe. I’ve spoken to her about relationships and she’s told me in no uncertain terms that she won’t get “knocked up at nineteen” like I did.’ Rachel laughed. ‘Perhaps I should be grateful for that. She’s more ambitious than I ever was, that’s for sure.’

  ‘She’s a sensible girl,’ Diana said. ‘Well, anyway, I’ll miss you all. And of course I’ll be thinking of Bea.’

  ‘Hopefully they’ll get to the bottom of it soon. I’ve never seen her like this before, Diana. Aiden is stressed about it – and then he’s got a lot on at work at the moment too. He’ll be around for a couple of days still. But could you check in on Laurie? She’s
not really … how can I put this … she’s not exactly much of a country girl.’

  ‘Of course. I’ll pop in. Let her know I’m only next door, if she needs anything. So you say the two of you went to school together?’

  ‘Yes. We’ve known each other for years. Met at secondary school back in Kent. But then, I don’t know. We drifted apart somehow – you know how it is. I moved here, had the kids, her career took off in London.’ Months seemed to speed past in a blur these days. ‘We’ve stayed in touch, the odd email here and there, though. Laurie’s Milly’s godmother actually.’

  ‘I’m surprised I haven’t met her before, then.’

  ‘It’s a long way to travel.’ Rachel defended her old friend. ‘I understand that it’s hard to get here. She’s really busy, works in fashion and always has these glamorous events to attend. But it sounds like she’s ready for a break now.’

  ‘Well, I look forward to meeting her,’ Diana said, cutting two slices of cake and passing one to Rachel.

  ‘You OK?’ Rachel ventured.

  ‘Oh, me and Alfie,’ Diana said, reaching over to stroke the dog’s tummy and switching to a baby voice. ‘We’re getting along just fine, aren’t we, darling?’

  ‘Good. Well, I’m glad to hear that. You know that if there’s ever—’

  ‘I’m fine, Rachel,’ Diana said, her mouth tight. ‘I’m really enjoying being on my own, as it happens. But thanks for asking.’

  ‘OK,’ Rachel said, wishing she’d kept quiet.

  ‘Actually I’m still hoping you might reconsider my offer,’ Diana said, her tone softening, ‘to help me out with some interior design for the company.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know, Diana. I loved doing up the kids’ rooms, but I’m not sure I’ve got what it takes to be a professional.’