The Christmas Project

Michael, having followed me, looked down at it and frowned.

‘Probably. Stop changing the subject.’

I shook my head. Add tenacious to the list.

‘For goodness’ sake, what are you worried about? Janey told me you were planning to host Christmas this year, that you got divorced two years ago and since then the house has got into a bit of a state as you’re a total workaholic and – I quote – “a bit of an untidy bugger”. That’s all, I promise. And as you’ve given me little else, that’s pretty much still all I know. Oh, apart from the fact that your one-night stands don’t get given a house tour. There. That is the total sum of my knowledge about you. Happy?’

‘Ecstatic.’ The flat voice was back. ‘Shall we head to the office then?’

‘Absolutely.’

Seriously. The quicker I got this over with the better.

***

Janey was waiting at a table when I pushed my way through the Friday night crowd at the pub.

‘Sorry I’m late. Have you been here long?’ I asked as I leaned over and gave her a big hug, discarding layers of outerwear as I did so.

‘No, not long. Someone was just leaving their table as I got here so I jumped at it.’

‘Well done. Shall we order? I’m starving. My appointments ended up changing today and the last thing I ate was a fun-size Mars Bar about half past ten this morning.’

‘You must be starving! I’d be chewing on my own arm by now.’

‘Hence the long sleeves.’ I winked.

Janey grinned and waved at a waiter. She had the most beautiful smile and, as usual, it did the trick.

‘What can I get you, ladies?’

We quickly ordered, barely looking at the menu we knew so well. The waiter stepped away and was immediately swallowed up by the crowd.

‘So, how’s your week been?’ I asked Janey as another waiter appeared and placed our drinks on the table.

‘Oh, not bad. The kids were both down with this fever thing that’s going around, so that was fun.’

‘Oh no! Are they better now?’

‘Yeah,’ Janey said, taking a sip of her orange juice. ‘Thank goodness. It only lasted a few days but it was pretty miserable for them.’

‘And how are you?’

Janey smiled. ‘Tired, feeling enormous and gasping for a drink. Aside from that…’

‘You are not enormous! You’re like the poster girl for pregnancy – all glowy and blooming.’

‘Blooming uncomfortable, right now. Honestly, I’m sure he’s just doing the bladder bounce for amusement. The men in our family have a mischievous streak. Excuse me. I need the visit the ladies’. Again.’

‘Do you want me to come with you?’

She smiled and I briefly recognised the family likeness. Unfortunately, I’d only seen a glimpse of that same smile from her brother, unlike Janey who smiled easily and often.

‘No darling, I’m fine. Honestly.’

She patted my shoulder as she headed off. I watched, trying to resist the urge to jump up and scoot round my friend, insisting everyone clear a path. And then I laughed when a group of lads, a little worse the wear, did the job for me. Janey flashed them that winning smile and giggled when one of them blushed.

‘Told you I was fine,’ she laughed as she retook her seat.

‘I forgot about your magical powers. I don’t know why I worry.’

‘Because you’re a sweetheart. And don’t think I don’t appreciate it.’

‘No, I don’t think that.’

‘And talking of being appreciated, where is the man of the moment tonight?’

‘Calum?’

‘Unless there is someone else I should know about?’ She sounded almost hopeful.

‘No, of course not. He’s fine.’

‘Not around again tonight though.’

‘No. He’s working on some big project on at the moment so he’s tied up quite a lot.’

‘Right.’

‘Right, what?’

Janey gave me a blank look. ‘Nothing. Just “right”.’

‘I know you better than that by now. Come on, spit it out.’

‘Sure you want to hear?’

No.

‘Yes.’

‘All right. I think you’re wasting your time on Calum.’

‘Wow.’

‘I asked you if you wanted to hear.’

‘You did. And I did. Do you have a specific reason or did you just not take to him?’

‘I take to most people Katie. You know that. And he’s charming and good-looking and all the rest but…’

‘But what?’

‘Where is he?’

‘I just told you, he’s working.’

‘He’s always working. He’s always busy until he’s not and then he expects you to come running. And you do. And honestly? It’s not on.’

‘Everyone’s busy these days Janey. It’s competitive and people have to fight for their jobs.’

‘Has he ever taken you away for a long weekend? Or even a short weekend, come to think of it?’

‘Well, no, but – ’

‘He couldn’t find one weekend in – how long is it now? Six months to take you away for a couple of days.’

‘We’ve had the odd night away.’

‘As part of one of his many business trips! That’s hardly the same thing.’

‘I don’t mind. I’m busy with work a lot of the time too. It’s good to have someone who understands that.’

‘I’m just saying you deserve better. You deserve to be treated better.’

‘He treats me fine Janey. Really.’

‘Oh Katie. You’ve too much to offer to accept “fine”.’

I ran a hand back over my hair, smoothing in some escapees from my French plait, before taking a sip of my drink. Janey laid her hand on mine as it rested on the table.

‘It’s only because I love you. I want you to be happy.’

‘I am happy, I promise.’

Janey gave me one of those looks that her brother was so good at. I tried to hold it.

‘OK. If he’s making you happy, then that’s all I can ask.’

‘He is.’

‘Good. So, change of subject?’

‘Please,’ I grinned and squeezed her hand.

‘How’re things going with our Mikey?’

‘Oh! Yes. Fine, I think. Well, we’ve really only had one session…half a session really. There was a bit of a misunderstanding.’

‘Misunderstanding?’

‘Yes. He assumed that I would be the one coming back after the assessment meeting to do the job.’

‘Oh. So did I.’

‘And I had every intention of doing so. But I know he’s on a deadline and the first space he had worked better for Bernice than me, and she said she was happy to do it, if I didn’t think he’d mind. Which I genuinely didn’t.’

‘But he did?’

‘Yes. Apparently he understood that when he said he wanted my company to do the job, that also meant me doing the job. It didn’t really come up that I had someone else working for me. We didn’t exactly get chatty.’

‘No. He said it was a little tense.’

Tense was an understatement. At least he’d had the grace not to tell my friend that I’d called her brother an arsehole.

‘Does you sending Bernice along instead have anything to do with the fact you called my brother an arsehole within five minutes of meeting him?’

Oh crap. Yet another reason why I don’t like doing favours for friends.

‘He told you that then.’

‘He did.’

I covered my face with my hands. ‘Janey I’m so sorry. If I could take it back, I would. I don’t know what came over me. I’m not like that normally, you know that! It had been a really long day and I was soaked and freezing. I know that’s no excuse and I’m so sorry. Really.’

Janey wrapped her hands gently around my wrists and moved my hands away from my face.

‘I’ll tell you what came over you- Mikey O’Farrell. He has a knack for getting under people’s skin. Normally it’s in a good way. Or at least it always used to be. But since the divorce, he’s been known to…let’s say, ruffle a few feathers.’

I’d felt less like I’d had my feathers ruffled and more like I’d been entirely plucked.

‘Are you upset with me?’ I asked.

‘Me?’ Janey replied, laughing. ‘God, no. I grew up with him! I know exactly how bloody annoying my big brother can be, believe me. He’s had plenty of kicks in the shin, and anywhere else I could reach, over the years.’

‘Yes, but you’re family. I’m supposed to be a professional.’

‘Ah, don’t worry. It’s a good thing. You showed him you’re not a pushover. It’s set some boundaries.’

‘I couldn’t believe I’d said it.’

‘Well, between you and me, he found it funny so don’t go worrying yourself over it any more.’

‘He did?’

‘Incredibly. It tickled him that this super professional, conservative-looking woman suddenly just lost it at him.’

‘Well, I’m glad it amused him, at least.’ I rolled my eyes and sat back as the waiter brought our food and placed it front of us, his appearance thankfully distracting us both from the subject of Michael.

After we’d finished dinner, Janey sat back, her hands resting on her bump.

‘I feel as stuffed as a Christmas turkey.’

‘Full to the brim,’ I agreed.

‘I’m sorry I questioned you about Calum earlier. I didn’t mean to upset you.’

‘You didn’t upset me. I know you’re just looking out for me. And I really appreciate that. It’s…nice.’ And I meant it. Having someone looking out for me was a relatively new experience in my life and it had taken a little getting used to initially, but Janey’s care meant so much to me. More than I could ever put into words.

‘OK good. Then it’s probably all right for me to tell you I’m not really sorry. And I still don’t think he’s good enough for you.’

I shook my head, laughing. ‘You are just as impossible as your brother sometimes.’

‘You wouldn’t be taking my name in vain there, would you Katie?’

I jumped as Michael appeared beside me, his voice close to my ear in order to be heard over the din of the crowd.

‘Mikey! I didn’t know you were coming out tonight.’ His sister smiled up at him.

‘Neither did I. I was just on my way home from a meeting down on the coast. Thought I’d stop in.’

That explained the slightly more formal appearance. Although he still looked to be favouring the rumpled look.

‘Didn’t fancy ironing those clothes then?’ Janey said, running her eyes over him.

‘Lovely to see you too, sis,’ he said, ignoring the jibe. ‘How are you both?’ he asked, his eyes taking in the bump as he bent and kissed her on the cheek before balancing himself on the edge of the bench seat I was on. I shuffled along a little so that he had more room and he did the same. As he did so, the fresh citrusy smell of his aftershave tingled my senses.

‘We’re fine, thanks.’

‘Good. And you?’ he asked, turning to me as he took a swig from his beer bottle. ‘Had a good week?’

‘Yes, thanks. Busy.’

‘No difficult clients, I hope?’ His eyes danced with laughter as his smile disguised itself around the top of the bottle.

‘Only one. Thankfully. Huge pain in the backside.’

Janey laughed. ‘I knew you wouldn’t be able to get one over on this one Mikey. She’s got your number.’

‘Oh, I’m always happy for a pretty girl to have my number,’ he countered, grinning.

I made an ‘ugh’ noise which caused Janey to laugh even more.

‘Oh God. Stop it. I need the bloody loo again now.’ And with that she stood and made her way through the crowd once more.

Mikey stretched out his long legs in front of him, giving a glance around as he did so.

‘No boyfriend tonight?’

‘No, not tonight. He’s working.’

‘Tomorrow?’

I turned towards him. ‘I don’t know. Probably not. He’s very busy at the moment.’

‘Too busy to take his girl out on a Friday night?’

I squared myself against him. ‘I’m not “his girl” and yes, he’s busy on a Friday night. It’s not the end of the world. And, as it is, I’ve had a very nice evening. So, it’s absolutely fine.’

Mikey tilted his head. ‘Have you been drinking?’

‘No.’

Yes.

‘I’ve had one glass of wine.’

One very large glass of wine.

‘Glad to hear it. It clearly loosens you up.’

I made the ‘ugh’ noise again, mostly because I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Annoyingly, I knew I’d have a humdinger of a witty retort ready in about an hour’s time. He gave a chuckle and leaned in.

‘I meant it as a compliment.’

‘Then you need to work on your compliments.’

He nodded. ‘You’re probably right.’

I looked up at him. There was something in the tone of his voice when he said it, and his eyes had taken on a faraway look.

‘Are you all right?’ I asked, unsure why I was bothered as to whether he was all right or not. But I was.

He pulled his gaze from the middle distance and focused the full force of it on me. I really wanted to look away but right now that was proving harder than it should be.

‘Of course. I’m sat next to a pretty girl who’s nicer to me the more alcohol she has inside her. So how about I buy you another drink?’

I sat up straighter. ‘Really? You really think that’s going to happen?’

He shrugged and took another swig from his bottle, clearly not bothered as to whether it happened or not.

‘Well, it’s not.’

He turned his gaze back on me. ‘I didn’t think for one minute that it would.’

My mouth dropped open.

‘So why even say it?’

‘Because you’re incredibly sexy when you’re all worked up.’

‘And you’re…’

He quirked an eyebrow, waiting to hear exactly what I thought he was. The problem was I wasn’t exactly sure what I’d been going to say.

‘I’m what?’ he prompted me.

‘I don’t know,’ I said, admitting defeat. ‘But it definitely wasn’t anything good!’

He grinned and I took a vicious swig of my drink, just as Janey returned to the table. She looked from one of us to the other.

‘Oh, for the love of God Mikey! What did you do now?’

Chapter Five

I waited at the door, huddled against the biting wind that was barrelling along the avenue and insinuating itself into every fibre of my body, despite all the layers I’d equipped myself with. A few moments later, Michael opened the door, dressed as usual in his beaten-up jeans and a T-shirt that looked like it had never been introduced to an iron in its entire lifetime.

‘Jesus, you look frozen to the bone. Get in here.’ He reached an arm out and took the bag I was carrying, hurrying me through the door at the same time.

‘It’s so cold out there today!’ I said conversationally as I shed my coat and almost immediately started shivering. I put my coat back on. ‘Actually I think I might keep this on for a bit longer.’

‘I’ll get us some hot drinks. Don’t worry the bedroom is nice and warm.’

I looked up in surprise. And for once, Michael O’Farrell wasn’t wearing that self-assured, confident look. His face showed almost as much surprise as mine.

‘That sounded a lot different from how it was supposed to.’

‘Right.’

‘I just meant that the bedroom – the guest room – you wanted to make a start on today is warm. For us to work in. Work on. Oh, for Christ’s sake. Put me out of my misery, will you?’ His face was equal parts pain and amusement.

I laughed and saw his face relax entirely. It was something that had been happening from a little more the last couple of visits and I was glad of it. I’d hated the tense atmosphere of the first session. It wasn’t only uncomfortable, but it stirred up memories I wanted to keep buried. This slight relaxation in the mood worked much better for me. And I couldn’t help but think it better for Michael too. Don’t get me wrong, we were hardly friends, but for the most part he wasn’t glaring at me and I wasn’t calling him names, so we had definitely moved on a little.

I pulled a couple of items out from under the spare bed. In one hand I held a copy of The Hungry Caterpillar, in the other the tiniest thong I had ever seen.

‘Interesting combination.’ I held them up to Michael.

‘Oh! That’s where it went. My nephew was looking for that.’

‘Not to be judgemental, but I really hope you’re talking about the book.’

He smiled at me. ‘I am.’

I looked at the pants dangling in my other hand, barely held by the minimum portion of fingertip and thumb required.

‘I think the hungry caterpillar may have been at these. They can’t possibly have been that tiny to start with.’ I shifted my eyes to him. ‘I take it these aren’t yours?’

‘No. Not really my colour.’

‘Any idea whose they are? Is she likely to want them back?’

He wrinkled his brow, then tilted his head at them, thinking. I gave an eye roll and shook my head.

‘What?’

‘The fact that you have to think that hard about it!’

‘Oh, don’t be such a prude.’

‘I am not a prude! But neither have I ever left anywhere “sans knickers”. Although frankly they’re so small as to be practically pointless anyway.’

‘I think they were more for effect.’

‘Clearly they had the desired one.’

He tilted his head at me and grinned. ‘Are you jealous?’

‘What? Of course I’m not jealous. Don’t be ridiculous.’

He gave me a look. ‘If you say so.’

‘I most certainly do say so. Now, what do you want to do with these? Will you be seeing her again and able to return them?’

He scrunched his face. ‘Doubt it.’

‘Oh. So you do at least remember who they belong to now? That’s something I suppose.’

‘I thought you said you weren’t going to be judgemental.’

‘I said that about your nephew. Not you.’

‘OK. Then for your records – as you seem to make them for everything – her name was Eva. She’s a Russian model, incredibly beautiful. I had an early morning appointment and she was very snappy that she had to leave early, from what I remember. Apparently not a morning person.’

‘Whereas I’m sure you’re absolutely delightful.’ My tone implied I believed he was probably anything but.

‘I am the epitome of cheer.’

I threw a disbelieving glance.

‘Just bin them. She won’t be calling.’

‘Sure?’

‘Positive. I got the impression she didn’t get turfed out of a man’s bed at 6 a.m. very often.’

‘I imagine not.’

‘In my defence, I had told her about the appointment and that I needed to leave early the following morning.’

‘I guess she didn’t think that applied to her too.’

‘I was hardly going to leave her alone in my house all day. I’d only met her that evening.’

‘And yet deemed that long enough to take her to bed.’

‘It wasn’t like I dragged her here. She came of her own free will.’ His eyes danced with mirth at the double entendre. I flung the pants at him and walked out of the room.

‘Can I ask you something?’ I said, as I hauled some more ‘accumulated items’ out from the wardrobe.

‘I should think so. Can’t guarantee I’ll answer it but you can give it a go.’

I shot him a look that told him what I thought of that reply.

He shrugged. ‘Honest answer,’ he said, disappearing under the bed to unearth whatever treasures lay under there. After the pants incident, we’d decided to swap places.

‘Evasive answer,’ I said, stretching on my tiptoes to reach the higher items. My fingertips brushed them and I took a step back, looking to see if there was a chair I could use. I giggled as my gaze fell on Michael. He was wriggling about under the bed, pulling things out, interspersed with the occasional sneeze. What particularly caught my eye was how nice his bum looked in those jeans. I hadn’t actually noticed before, but it really was –

‘You’ve gone quiet. That makes me suspicious.’ His statement interrupted my thoughts.

‘What?’ I said, blushing and supremely glad he was still wedged under the bed so he couldn’t see.

‘You said you were going to ask a question and then just went silent. Should I be worried?’

‘No. I was just concentrating on…something.’

Which most definitely wasn’t how nice your bum is.

‘Right.’

I removed a pile of jackets from a chair tucked in the corner of the room and placed it in front of the wardrobe. Stepping up, I pulled out the pile of boxes from the top shelf. Turning, I jumped and wobbled as I found Michael stood in front of me.

Automatically, his hands shot out and rested on my waist. ‘Steady on.’

‘Do you have a stealth mode or something? Two seconds ago you were under that bed.’

‘You learn to be quiet in a big family if you want to sneak out when you’re supposed to be grounded.’

‘And I imagine that was probably quite often.’

‘I’m sure I don’t know what you’re implying.’

‘I’m sure you do. Now take these for me, would you?’

He took the pile of items off me and put them down on the floor, along with all the other items we’d so far emptied from storage. I turned back to grab a few more items. Balancing on one leg, I reached up and stretched my fingers to pull the last items towards me. The chair gave a little wobble and I gripped the shelf to steady myself. I heard Michael mutter something under his breath and a moment later, two large hands were on my waist lifting me off the chair. He plonked me down on the floor and waited until I was entirely stable before removing them.

‘Excuse me! I haven’t quite finished!’

‘You’ve definitely finished balancing precariously on chairs in my home. And anywhere else, I hope. You’re going to damn well break something if you keep that up!’

I stood straighter, going into defence mode.

‘In the nearly seven years I’ve been doing this, I have never once broken any possession of any client. So your items are entirely safe, I assure you.’

He screwed up his face for a moment. ‘I’m not talking about possessions. I’m talking about you! I’d really prefer it if you didn’t fall off and break your neck, if it’s all the same to you.’

‘That wasn’t my plan. Besides, I’ve done it hundreds of times. I was perfectly all right.’

He looked down at me, still close from when he’d lifted me off the chair.

‘I don’t care if you’ve done it millions of times. I’d rather you didn’t do it any more.’

‘Some of us aren’t blessed with your height. I need to be able to get to places.’

‘Then use a stepladder! Something made for the purpose that you can hold on to. And don’t overstretch yourself like you were just doing. It’s going to end badly one day if you keep on like that. I’m amazed it hasn’t already.’

I gave a huff. ‘I still need those last few bits out of that wardrobe.’ I pointed to where I’d been a few minutes before. Michael reached up to get the bits I couldn’t, his T-shirt rising up as he did so, exposing the muscles of his lower back, twisting and taut as he felt around for anything left. I really ought to be looking away. Ideally.

Shortly after Janey had sat back down the other night, Michael had wandered off and, moments later, was leaning against a wall, chatting to a blonde that had been eyeing him up since the moment he’d walked in. From the way she’d been leaning into him and touching his arm every few seconds, it was apparent that his pastime of trying to get a reaction out of me had been transferred to his current company – although, admittedly, the reaction he was aiming for, and clearly getting, in that situation was entirely different to the one he aimed for, and annoyingly, usually got, from me. Absentmindedly, I wondered if his current practice of ‘not giving anyone a tour of the house’ might change once it was in a better state. Somehow, I doubted it. The fact that he kept his bedroom so impersonal hinted to me that he had no inclination to show who he really was. And it didn’t look like he was going to give me the chance to suggest how he could make his bedroom more welcoming either, judging by the fact he’d bitten my head off the last time I mentioned it. From what Janey had said, Michael hadn’t always been like this. I guessed that the split with his ex-wife had really made an impact on him – and not for the better.

‘Where are you?’

‘Huh?’ I jumped as Michael’s deep voice drifted into my thoughts.