Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

by Carla Burgess

  ‘Are you all right, Rachel?’ she said. ‘I saw the tree on your doorstep and the door left open and just thought I’d check you hadn’t keeled over or anything?’

  ‘Ah, bless you. I’ve had a disaster with my water tank, I’m afraid. I’ve just come in to find water pouring through my ceiling.’

  ‘Oh no!’ She peered past me into the hallway, then tugged down her scarf and gasped. ‘Oh my God, I can see it! What are you going to do?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ I admitted. ‘There’s not much I can do right now. I suppose I’ll go to my parents’ and see about getting a plumber in tomorrow.’

  ‘You’re going to need more than a plumber,’ Anthony said, coming downstairs, rubbing a towel over his hair. ‘Hi,’ he said to Jenny, before walking past and into the kitchen. I watched Jenny’s jaw drop as she craned her neck to stare past me.

  ‘I wouldn’t bother going to your parents’,’ she muttered, nudging me. ‘Get yourself to his, love. Trust me, the Lord works in mysterious ways…’ She winked and nodded. ‘…And this is Him pushing you two together.’

  I laughed and said goodbye.

  She disappeared off down the path to her house and I went into the kitchen to see Anthony. Water was still coming through the ceiling, but it had slowed to a trickle now, and hardly anything was coming out of the taps.

  ‘I’m not sure there’s too much more we can do tonight,’ he said. ‘Do you want to grab some clothes and then I’ll turn the electricity off? It’s a miracle it’s even working. Jesus, Rachel. You can’t stay here tonight. You’ll have to come to mine.’

  ‘Are you sure? I can go to my mum’s.’

  He shook his head. ‘It makes sense to stay in the flat. I’ve got two spare bedrooms and you work below it. Plus, your car’s already there.’ It wasn’t exactly the most romantic answer in the world, but at least it was practical. He turned around, surveying the damage to my living room.

  ‘Can I just mop up some of this water?’ I said, running upstairs to get the mop. ‘It won’t take a minute.’

  ‘Here, I’ll do that,’ Anthony said, taking the mop out of my hands as I came downstairs. ‘Go and grab some clothes and we’ll get out of here. We’ve stopped the water for now and it’s freezing in here.’

  I filled a bag and Anthony drove us back to his. We were both so cold that our teeth were chattering. It was so much warmer inside his flat, I sagged with relief as soon as I got into the hallway.

  ‘Go and have a shower. Get yourself warm,’ Anthony peeled off his coat and hanging it on a peg. ‘Take the other room with the en suite and make yourself comfortable.’ He pointed to the door next to his bedroom as he slipped off his shoes.

  ‘Thanks.’

  Picking up the bag I’d brought, I took it into the end room and sat down on the small single bed. There were no sheets or duvet, so it looked like I was in for a chilly night. I hoped Anthony would have a blanket somewhere.

  I’d never enjoyed a hot shower more in my life. I stood beneath the hot jets of water for ages, letting them wash away the grit and getting my circulation moving again. Afterwards, I dressed in my pyjamas and dried my hair before going upstairs to see Anthony. He’d poured me a glass of red wine and was flicking through the TV channels. I sat down next to him, and he looked across at me and smiled.

  ‘Are you going to phone your dad then?’

  I nodded and reached for my phone. Dad said he’d be round in the morning, but that I should phone my insurance company and tell them. I groaned. All my insurance details were back at the house. I couldn’t face driving back there in the dark and seeing how awful it was again.

  ‘It can wait until tomorrow morning,’ Anthony said, seeing my distress. Reaching out, he put and arm around my shoulder and pulled me to him. I settled my cheek against his chest, listening to the slow thump of his heart through his T-shirt.

  ‘Are you sure you’re okay with me staying?’ I asked, looking up at him. ‘I could always go to a bed and breakfast.’

  ‘Don’t be daft.’ He kissed the top of my head.

  ‘It’s going to be strange, though, isn’t it? We barely know each other and it’s not like you’re Mr Relationship Man, is it? I mean, we’ve only had one date and suddenly I’ve brought a bag and I’m staying in your flat.’

  ‘Okay, when you put it like that it sounds a little bit freaky.’ Anthony laughed. ‘But it’s not like that, is it? You’ve had a disaster and I’d have to be a right bastard not to let you stay.’

  ‘You’re not going to get scared and do a runner in the middle of the night or anything?’

  ‘Not unless you’re really difficult to live with. Or start talking about getting engaged or something. I know we’ve been out tonight and kissed and stuff, and I like you, Rachel, but you know I don’t do relationships, don’t you? I’m not going to propose a couple of months down the line and we’re not going to live happily ever after. You understand that about me? We discussed this.’

  ‘Yes,’ I said, feeling frozen inside.

  ‘I’m probably terrible to live with,’ he continued. ‘I haven’t lived with anyone in years.’

  ‘Nor have I.’ I took a deep breath in, not liking what I was about to say, but knowing that it was necessary to protect my heart. As much as I wasn’t expecting to live happily ever after with Anthony, it hurt that he was already warning me off. ‘Listen, let’s be kind to each other here. I promise to move out as soon as my house is ready and, in the meantime, we should postpone this whole dating thing.’

  Anthony blinked at me. ‘What about sex?’

  I gaped in surprise. ‘Definitely no sex! Sex just complicates things and this is complicated enough.’ I shook my head in disbelief. ‘I can’t believe you even said that!’

  ‘What? I was only joking.’ He laughed to cover up but I knew he’d meant it. I gave him a stern look and moved away from him slightly.

  ‘If I move in here and we start messing around, you’ll be gone before Christmas.’

  Anthony frowned. ‘But we could have sex. No-strings sex. I can cope with that.’

  ‘I’m sure you could, but I couldn’t.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘I just couldn’t.’ Getting up, I went to the kitchen to run myself a glass of water.

  ‘Okay. No sex,’ Anthony said, in a resigned voice. ‘That would have been the good bit of having you here, though.’

  I gave him a look. ‘The good bit of having me here is obviously my lovely personality. And the fact you get to feel good about yourself for helping a friend.’

  He grunted and turned back to the TV.

  ‘And here was me thinking you were a gentleman,’ I said, drily.

  ‘I am a gentleman,’ he said, sulkily. ‘I’m just a disappointed gentleman. Do you know how long I’ve been celibate for? I’ve just got rid of bloody Patrick and now this.’

  I sat down next to him and put my hand on his thigh, noting how firm and muscular it felt. Damn it! ‘I’m sorry,’ I said, meaning it. I felt sorry for myself too.

  He shot me a begrudging look looked at me and then laughed. Taking my hand, he said: ‘It’s fine. I know you’re right. This is a weird situation and we shouldn’t make it any weirder.’ He sighed and ran a hand through his damp hair, which was surprisingly curly after his shower. ‘Only, it’s all bollocks, isn’t it? Because I fancy you, and I know you really fancy me… Hey!’ he said, laughing as I punched his arm.

  ‘Cheeky git!’

  ‘It’s ridiculous, though, isn’t it? We’re adults, aren’t we?’

  ‘Exactly. Let’s act like civilised adults and be friends.’

  He rolled his eyes.

  ‘I really like you,’ I said. ‘But you shouldn’t have told me you were so bad at relationships. I don’t want to get in too deep and wake up one morning and find you gone.’

  Anthony shrugged. ‘I won’t leave as suddenly as that. It’s not like I’ll go out for milk and never come back.
I’m only here until the end of January, anyway. You know that I only took a three-month lease.’

  I blinked at him. ‘So, what’s the point in asking me to date you when you know you’re going to leave?’

  He raised his hand in a despairing gesture before letting it fall back onto his leg with a slap. ‘What do you mean? What’s the point in anything? People meet, have sex, move on. You’ve been out with men before Patrick, haven’t you? I bet you didn’t go into those relationships questioning how long it would last. Did you think about it when you first went out with Patrick? I bet you didn’t. The only reason you’re even thinking about this is because I’ve been honest about who I am and what I want. Would it be better if I lied and fed you a load of bullshit about wanting to spend the rest of my life with you?’

  I pulled away from him, unimpressed by his moodiness. ‘Right, well, I’m going to bed then.’

  ‘What? Why?’ Anthony looked incredulous. ‘Come on, let’s talk about this.’

  ‘What’s to talk about? I’ve had enough of men messing me about. I know I should probably be all, like, “yes, let’s make the most of our time together and shag constantly for the next two and half months”, but actually, I don’t feel like putting my heart on the line. And I know I agreed to go out with you, but this feels too much now. I’m sorry. I like you too much.’

  He looked up at me and raised an eyebrow. ‘So, we can’t be together because you like me too much?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘So, you’re saying we can’t just have a bit of fun for a couple of months?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Anthony frowned at the television. ‘Fine. Well, I hate to break it to you, but there’s no bedding in the spare room. You’ll have to get in with me if you want to stay warm.’

  ‘I’ll make do, don’t worry.’

  I walked out and went downstairs to my bedroom, where I tossed and turned on the bare mattress all night, thinking about Anthony in the next room. I made do with a thick cardigan and bath towel. Usually, I slept cocooned within my duvet, with only the top of my head sticking out, so I didn’t fall asleep until way into the early hours and, as a result, slept through my alarm and had to be woken up by Anthony.

  ‘Hey, are you getting up?’

  ‘What?’ I raised myself up on my elbow and blinked at him, bleary eyed with sleep.

  ‘It’s time to wake up.’ He was leaning against the doorframe in his running gear, glistening with rain, his T-shirt plastered to his chest. ‘Did you sleep well?’

  ‘Not really,’ I said, stiffly. ‘I’ll get some bedding today.’

  Anthony laughed and disappeared back into the hallway, letting the door swing shut behind him. Feeling awful, I rolled out of bed and showered, all the while thinking about Anthony’s biceps and wet T-shirt and wondering why I’d set this stupid no-sex rule when all I wanted to do was rip his clothes off. Maybe Elena was right. Maybe I would go off him after a couple of weeks. Perhaps I just needed to get him out of my system. Ha! Some hope. I’d meant it when I said I liked him too much.

  I dried my hair and dressed in a blue tea dress before going upstairs to have breakfast. Anthony was sitting at the breakfast bar in a white shirt and blue tie. His hair was neatly gelled into place and he smelt gorgeous. My stomach contracted as I switched on the kettle to make myself a cup of tea.

  ‘Would you like one?’

  ‘I’ve got coffee, thank you.’

  ‘Do you mind if I make some toast?’

  ‘Make whatever you like.’ He gave me a brooding look, his eyes sweeping up and down my body.

  ‘Thank you.’ Ignoring the look, I turned my back on him and placed two slices of bread in the toaster. I could still feel his eyes on me as I made my tea and toast, but I was determined not to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging him. Without looking at him at all, I went to the table and sat down.

  ‘Are you all right? You don’t look very happy.’ He got up from his stool and slipped his arms into his suit jacket.

  I raised an eyebrow. I was about to retort that he didn’t either, but I stopped myself just in time. It would be my fault if he wasn’t happy and I didn’t want an argument. ‘I’m just tired. Hopefully, Dad will be able to tell me what’s what with my house and I’ll speak to the insurance company.’

  He nodded and picked his coat up from the back of the chair. ‘Okay, well, good luck. Bye.’

  ‘Bye, have a good day,’ I said as cheerfully as possible. I waited until I heard the door slam shut before I phoned Elena.

  ‘What time do you call this?’ she complained. ‘I’ve only just got out of the shower.’

  ‘Have you? Lazybones. Anthony’s already done a five-mile run, showered and left for work.’

  ‘How do you know that? Wait… you haven’t…?’

  I laughed. ‘Actually, he took me to get a Christmas tree and when I got home I found my water tank had burst and flooded my house. So I stayed at his.’

  ‘Oh no! Is everything wrecked?’

  ‘I don’t know really. My dad’s going to have a look this morning. It’s bad, though. The bathroom ceiling’s caved in. Hopefully, the kitchen will be okay but…’ I sighed. ‘I suppose I wanted to redecorate anyway.’

  ‘That’s awful! I’m sorry about that. But when you say you’re staying with Anthony, are you staying in Anthony’s bed or just his flat?’

  ‘Just his flat. I have my own room.’

  ‘That’s disappointing. Can’t you accidentally forget where you sleep and fall into his bed by mistake?’

  ‘No, we have a no-sex rule.’

  ‘How boring! Why?’

  ‘Because he’s leaving at the end of January and I don’t want to get hurt.’

  ‘Aren’t you going to get hurt anyway? You fancy him, don’t you?’

  ‘Yes, but I don’t need to get in too deep, do I?’

  ‘You might go off him by then.’

  ‘I doubt it. Last night was lovely. We went to the forest to buy a Christmas tree and we kissed under the mistletoe. Christmas music was playing and snow was falling. It was really romantic.’

  ‘So, why no sex? That’s very boring, Rachel.’

  ‘Well, that’s the way it’s got to be. It’s too much to live in his flat and have a relationship with him. We barely know each other. I think we need to keep our distance, else it could get too intense.’

  ‘But you like him?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And he likes you?’

  ‘Yes, but I don’t know how long that will last.’

  Elena was quiet on the other end of the phone and I glanced at the time. ‘I’d better go, anyway,’ I said. ‘I need to open up the shop.’

  ‘Okay, but phone me later.’

  ***

  Dad dropped Mum off at the shop at nine and picked me up to take me to my house. He sucked air in through his teeth as he surveyed the damage. ‘Well, at least it didn’t freeze last night,’ he said as he squelched upstairs to the bathroom and looked at the hole in the ceiling.

  The temperature might not have dropped below freezing last night, but the house was still horribly cold this morning. It was the kind of damp cold that seeped into your bones and made you ache. I certainly ached, anyway. Mostly from tiredness and disappointment.

  ‘When do you think I’ll be able to move back in?’

  Dad shook his head. ‘You’re looking at months.’

  ‘What?’ I gaped at him. This could not be happening. ‘A week, I thought.’

  ‘A week? Are you mad?’ Dad rolled his eyes at me. ‘Look at the state of this place. It’s only a couple of weeks until Christmas so you’ll never get people out to do the work before then. Plus, your whole house needs drying out. All your carpets ripped up. Your electrics replaced. The ceilings repaired and redecorated. You might even need to replace some kitchen units and your bathroom suite.’

  ‘No!’

  ‘You’d better phone the ins
urance company and get someone out to check it all. They’ll tell you what’s what. In the meantime, you may as well pack your stuff up out of the way.’

  I couldn’t believe it. This was a nightmare! Stomping upstairs, I found my insurance documents and made the phone call. Then I packed a suitcase and several bin bags to take to Anthony’s apartment. I didn’t know what I was going to say to him. In fact, I knew I’d have to find somewhere else. I couldn’t impose on him for that long. I felt like crying. It was even more of a disaster than I’d realised. How could I have been so naïve as to assume it would be fixed up in a couple of weeks?

  ‘But I can’t stay at Anthony’s for that long,’ I said to Dad as I packed up his car. ‘Where am I going to go?’

  ‘You’ll have to talk to Anthony about it. I could see about reducing his rent if he lets you stay, but I don’t know. It’s a tall order to ask him to let you come and live with him. He’s only staying for three months and I’m pretty sure it will take longer than that to sort this mess out. He might not want to live with anyone else, for a start.’

  ‘I’m pretty sure he doesn’t, but even if he does, how could I afford to stay there and pay for all this as well?’

  ‘That’s what your insurance is for, love,’ Dad said, kindly. ‘And if you can’t stay with Anthony, you’ll have to find somewhere else to rent. It will be all right. It’s a shame your mother and I downsized to a bungalow, else you could have moved in with us.’ I rolled my eyes. A fat lot of good that was. ‘When’s Elena’s house likely to be finished?’

  ‘Not until next year.’

  ‘Oh well, you’ve got something else in common now, haven’t you?’ Dad elbowed me and laughed and I rolled my eyes at him, failing to see the funny side. ‘Let’s see what the insurance bloke says when he comes out. Tomorrow, did you say?’

  I nodded, glumly. Dad drove me and all my stuff back to the shop and helped me carry it into Anthony’s flat. I hoped he wouldn’t have a heart attack when he saw all the bags. It looked like I was moving in for good.