Jingle Balls (Ball Games #5)

by Andie M. Long

With Trey in pre-school and Leo giving golf lessons, I descend on my best mate Cam at Kid Zone, The play centre she owns.

  “What’s up with you?” she says as she passes me a coffee from behind the counter.

  “Leo,” I huff.

  “Hang on. Gemma,” she yells. Her super tall assistant comes out from the staff room. “Yup?”

  “Can you take over? Emergency.”

  “Sure.”

  We take a seat and I remove my coat, hanging it on the back of the chair. I lean back and sigh. “Fucking hell, Cam, I hate being a grown up.”

  She grimaces. “Have things not settled?”

  “No. We’re under each other’s feet. I’m trying to bake and if Leo’s not out coaching he’s coming into the kitchen and helping himself to chocolate. It’s driving me mad. I’ve no idea where Trey’s Christmas presents are going to go because the house is full of all the toys Leo insists on buying. It’s as if he’s trying to catch up on the last three years all at once. What’s going to happen at Christmas?”

  “Why don’t you move into his now?”

  “Because I want us to be there for the New Year. I don’t know, it’s like I’ve gone superstitious. I want our fresh start to be in 2017.”

  “Beth. I know how super-organised you like to be, but look at you. You’re frazzled. You and Leo are arguing all the time. There’s no space in your house. Why don’t you move in for Bonfire Night instead?”

  I flap my hands. “But that’s only a week away.”

  “Yup. One week, and then you could be in a massive new house.”

  I think about what Cam’s suggesting. It would be a nightmare trying to sort out removals in such a short amount of time. On the other hand, plenty of space and we can still celebrate our housewarming. Plus, if we unearth any rubbish while packing our belongings it can go on the fire.

  “Do you know, this could work,” I tell her.

  “When does Leo do his coaching?”

  “Every morning and the odd evening.”

  “Hmm.” Cam chews the side of her lip.

  “Out with it. What are you plotting now?”

  “I was thinking. There’s loads of room in the kitchen here, so if you wanted, you could work in there. Trey’s in nursery every morning. Leo can collect him and have him in the afternoon. We don’t close until eight if you need to work late. It would give your business an official premise and mean you’re not at home feeling like Leo’s getting under your feet. Also, he gets each afternoon with Trey on his own.”

  I smile. “This sounds fantastic, but what’s in it for you?”

  “Fresh out of the oven bakes and someone to oversee the running of the kitchen. If you’re up for it that is?”

  “What would I have to do?”

  “Just make sure the right procedures are being adhered too. I’m run off my feet and I’ve a wedding to plan sometime soon. The only thing that makes me hesitant and might make you reconsider is that my mother might want to use the kitchen here too.”

  “Oh, in that case definitely not.”

  Cam’s face falls.

  “Joking. You loon. When shall I start? I can’t wait to get out of the house.”

  “Which one?” Cam laughs.

  After Trey is put to bed, I ask Leo to take a seat on the sofa.

  He looks glum.

  “So, I’ve been thinking.”

  “Beth-”

  “We should move into yours as soon as possible. Like Bonfire Day, and have a party.”

  He whoops and jumps up and down. “Seriously? You’ll move into mine?”

  “No, we’ll move into ours.”

  “Yes, of course. God, I thought you were going to ditch me. Why the sudden change?”

  “I was planning a massive surprise for New Year’s Eve but I wasn’t sure we were going to reach it at the rate we were going.”

  “I’m going nowhere, Beth.”

  I sigh. “But we’re forever arguing.”

  “Yeah, but then we get to make up after.” Leo leans over and kisses my neck. “See.”

  “Call that an apology?”

  He places a series of kisses down the side of my neck that bring a shiver to my spine. Goosebumps rise on my arms.

  “Is that better?”

  “Getting there I’d say. By the way I’m not going anywhere either. Even if you do leave the toilet seat up and never empty the bin.”

  “Oh baby, full dustbins, I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

  With that, Leo takes me to bed to seal the deal.

  “I’ll get some boxes from the golf club tomorrow, they’re always having deliveries to the bar.”

  “I’ve a few in the shed too.”

  “So we can make a start on getting you packed up.”

  “We can. Oh, Cam offered her kitchen for me as a place to work. I’m going to be the operational manager and keep an eye on the regulations and stuff.”

  Leo stands still. “Does that mean you’re not your own boss anymore?”

  “No, I’m still working for myself, but with an additional monetary supplement to cover the extra duties. Plus, I’m using her electricity, not my own. She said if I find it doesn’t work for me, there’ll be no hard feelings. It’s a trial.”

  “Well it’ll take you a few months to get the kitchen in the new house up to speed and checked so yeah, you can see how it goes in the meantime. Sounds like the opportunity arose at the right time. You’re going to be busy, Ms Woods.”

  “I am. I’m looking forward to it though. Being something other than Trey’s mother.”

  “Write me a list of things you need for the bonfire party, I’ll help get that organised. I don’t want my busy career woman getting too tired for other things.” He winks.

  “If you keep an eye on Trey the next couple of afternoons I’ll get the house packed up. You can buy some fireworks and keep them at your house...”

  “Not a problem.”

  “Keep them in the garage or something. I don’t want our new house exploding before me and Trey have had chance to move in.”

  “No explosions at our place, I promise.” Then he drags me back to bed. His promise a lie, although there was no need to call the fire brigade.

  Saturday 5 November 2016

  Although there’s still a ton of stuff to do, we manage to move into Leo’s home on Friday 4th. We decide not to worry about unpacking boxes and focus on the celebrations. Leo refused to let me cook or bake anything, saying that was my employment, and I was busy enough right now, so he had the event catered. Living with a man with money was going to take some adjusting to. We’d need to sit down and talk about how the finances would be worked out now we were in his house. My house had been a rental property and I was happy to pay towards Leo’s mortgage. He’d shrugged me off when I’d mentioned it and said we’d talk about it when the stresses of moving and having a firework bash were over.

  Our guest list was simple. My parents, Camille and Dylan, Tyler and Lindsay, Dora and Tim, a few of Leo’s colleagues and some clients from the golf club. I’d invited Gemma, who I’d become quite friendly with since my many afternoons at Kid Zone over the past sixteen months. She said she couldn’t stop long and I watch as she stands in the garden fidgeting with her long fringe. She strikes me as anxious, something I’ve never noticed with her at Kid Zone. I walk over to her.

  “Hey, Gemma.”

  “Hey.” She drops her fringe from her mouth where she’d been biting on it. “Fantastic house, Beth.”

  “It’ll take some getting used to, after my small terrace.”

  “It’ll certainly take some cleaning,” she says.

  “Oh crap. I never thought of that.” I look around at the many-roomed property. “I’m never going to be able to keep this tidy, alongside Trey and my job.”

  She smiles. “Well I’m trying to find sympathy for you, but seeing as I live in a terrace with my mother, it’s kind of hard.”

  “Oh, Gemma. Don’t you fancy living on your own? My old hou
se will be coming up for rent in the next couple of months.”

  She shrugs. “I can’t. My mum has a brain injury. I’m her carer.”

  I clasp my hand to my mouth. “Gosh, I’m so sorry. That’s terrible.”

  Gemma shrugs. “There’s just me and Mum so I’m stuck with it for now. That sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Saying I’m stuck with her, but all I seem to do is cook and clean and half the time she doesn’t want the food and throws it so then I’m cleaning again.”

  “No, not at all. It sounds like life with a toddler. I love Trey to bits but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve moaned about being stuck at home or bored.”

  “Well there’s a lot of dribbling and I have to feed her, so I reckon you’re pretty accurate there.”

  “So who’s with her tonight?”

  “Her best friend Di. She comes over one night a week, thank goodness, so I get a break. I can’t be long though, it’s not fair to leave her for more than a couple of hours. Mum can be quite tricky.”

  I pause to examine her face. “How do you manage work?”

  “She goes to a centre every day, and I get homecare during the evening to help me get her into bed. She’s become quite a large lady since the accident. I wonder how aware she is of it. She used to be really fit.”

  “What happened to her?”

  “Cycling accident. The one night she couldn’t find her helmet she got knocked off her bike by a hit-and-run. She hit her head on the pavement edge.”

  “Oh, Gemma.”

  “God, this is supposed to be a celebration. Less of my miserable existence. I’m here to celebrate your new beginnings.”

  “Come on, let’s get you a glass of wine instead of that coke.”

  “Hey, my life’s not all bad you know?”

  “No?”

  “No, this brilliant chocolate maker is starting at our place next week. She’s promised to keep me well stocked up so when I’m at home and feeling miserable I can stuff my face with her delightful products.”

  “I’d heard that too.” I wink.

  Leo is in the garden with his golf buddies who are helping to keep the fire burning. My mum and dad have Trey and are keeping him entertained by swinging him around and chasing him around the bottom of the garden well away from the fire.

  I walk towards Cam and her family who are standing near the bonfire. Everyone has a drink in their hand, apart from Dora who is writing her name in the air with a sparkler.

  “Hi guys. Everyone okay for drinks?”

  “We’re great, thank you, love,” says Dora. “This is such a beautiful house, Beth. All those bedrooms. Do you hire them out, only my sister is coming to ours for Christmas and I’m not sure my nerves will stand it?”

  “Unfortunately not,” I say.

  “Damn.”

  “I turn to Cam. “Talking of Christmas, what do you think about inviting Gemma to yours? She’s been telling me about her mum. It would be good if she could get out for an hour or two.”

  “Already asked. Her mother’s going into respite over Christmas. Gemma would have been on her own.”

  “Fantastic.”

  “So how many is that then, Cam?” asks Dora.

  “Me and Dylan; Beth, Leo and Trey; Ty and Lindsay; You, Dad and Miranda and Gemma.”

  “And the cats,” Dora interrupts.

  “What?”

  “Miranda has three cats. She said she can’t leave them in a cattery and how dare I suggest it. They’re her babies and I wouldn’t have put you in a nursery for Christmas when you were little,” Dora mimics. “I told her if they’d been open over Christmas I’d have been highly tempted. Anyway, she’s bringing them and she’s not leaving them unattended in my house. They’ll wreck the place. So, that’s us and three cats.”

  “I don’t think Bob will be very pleased,” Cam says, thinking of her own cat.

  “He should be ecstatic. Two neutered females and a gay male so he can have some Christmas fun without any extra presents.”

  Cam shakes her head. Clearly her vision of a perfect first Christmas in her new home is being challenged.

  “It’s a shame Miranda and Gemma aren’t lesbians,” adds Dora.

  “Erm, why?” asks a confused Tyler.

  “Because your auntie would be into a different kind of pussy and we wouldn’t have to suffer,” she says.

  Everyone laughs apart from Lindsay who seems to be lost in her own thoughts, her jaw tight. “You’re quiet tonight, Lindsay,” I say.

  “Someone’s finally noticed,” she mutters.

  Oh?

  “I noticed,” exclaims Tyler. “I thought I’d give you some space. Is there anything you need?” He reaches into his huge bag. “Paracetamol? Or I could fill up this hot water bot--”

  “What I need,” says a turning, volcanic Lindsay with an ever-increasing decibel level. “Is for my boyfriend to stick his manbag up his arse and tell me about the million odd subscribers on his YouTube channel where he tells men how to handle women.”

  Tyler goes puce. His girlfriend’s face is a matching shade but not with embarrassment. I’m too gobsmacked to say anything.

  Cam chuckles. “Oh, Tyler, what does your guide say about getting away with this one?”

  At this point, the first of the fireworks goes off so we don’t hear the expletives erupting from Mount Lindsay.

  Chapter Four

  Tyler

  Everyone is staring at us so I gingerly take hold of Lindsay’s hand and pull her away from the others. “I can explain,” I tell her. Inside I’m thinking how the fuck do I get myself out of this one? I see my regular shags disappearing and losing my YouTube channel.

  “Have you earned money from this?” Lindsay shouts.

  “Erm, yeah. A bit from affiliate marketing and then there’s the book they’ve asked me to write for quite a decent sum.”

  “How much?”

  I take a deep breath. “All in all I could earn about a hundred grand. I’ve been asked to go on chat shows, the lot, but I’ve been saying no so you wouldn’t find out.”

  “Are you stupid?” asks Lindsay, in what I think is an unfair question. I’m going to have to say yes if I want to survive though, aren’t I?

  The fireworks whizz and bang giving me time to decide on my answer. Sighing, I raise my hands in surrender. “I am, and I’m very sorry that I posted the videos about our relationship. I’ll take them down and I’ll erm, do that thing you like more often.”

  She smacks herself in the forehead. “I mean, are you stupid not making the most of this while it’s such a hot topic? Things like this can be over in no time. You need to capitalise. She grins and punches me in the arm. Christ I’m going to have to tell her it hurts one day.“I can do a female version. Get that book deal signed. I’ll take some holiday leave from work. We can be the next top Vloggers. I’ve been watching others. You need to leave Smiths and get an agent, someone who can help make the most money out of this.”

  “Seriously? You’re not mad that I’ve been telling our secrets?”

  “Oh, honey, you don’t imagine you really know your way around a woman, do you? It’s cute that you consider you do. You’ve as many female watchers as male, and it’s not only because you’re cute.” She tips my chin. “It’s because you’re naive.”

  I scratch my chin. “So let me get this straight. You’re mad that I’m not making as much money as I can from it? You have no objections to my channel? In fact, you want me to expand it and bring you on board?”

  “Pretty much.”

  The fireworks reach a crescendo, exploding in colourful bursts above our heads.

  “Lindsay Cross, I fucking love you,” I say, and then I go bright red because the L word just slipped out for the first time. Right as the fucking fireworks stopped. Everyone stares.

  Lindsay steps back startled. “W-what?”

  “It slipped out. I’m not saying it again.”

  “That’s not the first time you’ve made that excuse.” Lindsay
laughs. “I didn’t fall for it before either.”

  With a deep breath, I take a huge swig of beer. “I said I love you, alright? Now leave me alone.”

  “I love you too.”

  I feel a strange tightness in my chest and a rosy glow. It must be the beer.

  “Now, let’s go home and create our own fireworks.” She slips her arm through mine. I don’t need asking twice.

  I notice the smirk on Mum’s face. She gives me a thumbs up.

  Great, my mother heard my declaration of love. This is an hour’s Vlog in itself.

  Part Two

  DECEMBER

  2016

  (Countdown to Chaos)

  Chapter Five

  Dora

  Thursday 1 December 2016

  I finish frosting a tray of gingerbread Santas and then closing the kitchen door behind me, make my way into the living room. I plonk myself down on the sofa and pick up the Boots Christmas Gift Guide. I’ve been leaving it open at various pages so Tim can tell the kids what I want. He won’t let me choose my gift from him, says it’s already sorted. Better not be an iron. I fold the catalogue to show Thierry Mugler’s Angel and place it on the coffee table.

  I glance at the clock on the shelf. It’s 3 pm. The baking is all done and will be packed away later. Tim gets home about six. I have three hours. On the 1 December, I would usually trim up the house, but with no one coming here I can’t be arsed. I’ve always loved Christmas, but that’s because our house has been the focal point for everyone’s celebrations. Tim’s never been that bothered about Christmas, calling it a commercial enterprise to exploit and encourage us to spend money we don’t have. When I said I was giving my Home-made Christmas stuff to Tyler, he told me I should have been more responsible and returned them. So I decided I wouldn’t spend another penny on Christmas like he ordered. I’m going Bah Humbug instead. Not a sign of Christmas in this house apart from the baking. I’m not buying any presents either. I’m going to inform Tim that he can write the family cards this year, and sort out the gifts.