The Twelve Dates of Christmas (12 page)

Claudia laughed. ‘That you’re a happy little thing at Yuletide and I’m a big old mean Grinch for bringing you down.’

‘You didn’t do anything wrong,’ Nick said quietly. They walked further, past tourists photographing each other and teens bundling snow off the railings and hurling it at each other’s heads. ‘Did she really say “happy little thing”?’

‘Pretty much.’

‘
Mum
. I’m not little, I’m a big strapping lad.’

‘Sure you are, mummy’s boy.’

‘I am. I’m the tallest of everyone at work. And I’m very tough and rugged and I like beer and fighting and I don’t care at all about Yuletide.’

‘You are quite tall …’ Claudia agreed.

‘What am I saying? I love Yuletide,’ said Nick, lunging to the ground and scooping up a fistful of snow. He hurled it into Claudia’s face.

Freezing cold and powder soft, the snow woke her senses and a shocked, reflexive laugh burst from her mouth. She shook the flakes from her hair and blinked at Nick.

‘Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry!’

Claudia edged towards him. She stopped and rubbed her eye.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked, tentatively coming closer.

‘I think you got some grit in my eye.’ She blinked hard and backed away against the railing.

Nick took two giant steps towards her and cupped her face. Her fingers curled behind her and gripped a handful of snow. She kept her eyes tight shut for effect and because if she opened them and saw him this close again she didn’t know how she’d react.

He was leaning right in, his head bent down, his fingers gently pulling on her eyelid. She lifted her arm slowly, quietly, nearly there.

Bam
. She opened her eyes, saw the opening of his collar and threw the snow down the back of his neck. He leapt back from her, whooping and laughing. He danced a jig, hopping and leaping and shaking his jumper to get the snow out. ‘You cheeky monkey!’ he yelped.

They held up truce hands, and Nick flung an arm around Claudia’s shoulder. ‘Come on woman, you promised me a date. I mean, you know, a date with a log fire. Claud – I didn’t mean …’ She’d stopped and was staring up at the British Film Institute, pretending she hadn’t heard. He followed her gaze.

‘
It’s a Wonderful Life
,’ he read off the billboard. ‘It started five minutes ago. Do you want to go?’

‘Do you?’ Claudia longed to – it was her favourite Christmas movie – but she was petrified of it sounding too date-like.

‘Sure.’ Nick took her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world then, remembering the implication, gave it a quick squeeze and dropped it again.

They rushed through the box office and into the theatre and settled into their seats in the dark just as, up on the big screen, the young George Bailey was scolding Mary for not liking coconuts. They peeled off their coats, Claudia being careful not to let her hot skin touch Nick and give her away. Sure, a romantic walk in the snow, an old movie and a meal could be construed as a date – especially when Person A tingled every time Person B put his big warm arm around her shoulders. But Claudia had her sensible head on; no getting distracted by runaway thoughts. She concentrated on the screen, ignoring Nick’s proximity.

Claudia stood at the bar of the King’s Inn a few hours later, ordering a Baileys, a Christmas ale and two turkey roasts (Nick insisted that no other roast was allowed in December). She looked back at Nick, who was nestled in an armchair by the log fire, his bare arms warming while his jumper dried out on the back of the seat. He stared into the flames, throwing little pieces of ripped-up napkin onto the logs and watching them ignite, bobbing his head to the low melodies of Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald. Behind him a huge misted-up window looked out across the Thames.

Being back on good terms with Nick felt right. Things were disjointed without him around and making up was a huge relief. Not that they’d really made up about anything as such. Maybe she should brush the whole Christmas party under the carpet for the sake of harmony. But there were a lot feelings still churning around inside her; could she hold on to them, unanswered, for another twelve years? As she carried the drinks over Nick’s eyes met hers and crinkled at the corners. God, he was attractive.

‘Cheers,’ they murmured, clinking glasses as Claudia sank deep into the opposite armchair.

‘Less than two weeks to Christmas, you know,’ smiled Nick.

‘Have you bought all your pressies?’

‘Some. There’s one person I’m not sure what to buy for yet.’

‘Who’s that?’

‘Just someone I don’t feel I can get the usual tat for. I feel like I want to put a bit more thought in this year.’

Claudia’s brow sweated. She fanned herself. ‘Hot next to this fire, isn’t it?’ Did he mean her?
No
. She had to stop reading something into everything he said. That’s exactly what caused the avalanche of snowball cocktails, the unwelcome mistletoe kiss and the puke on the tamest fairground ride of all.

‘So, um,’ Nick started, ‘I’m having a cracking day. Thanks for bringing me here. I feel like it makes my Starbucks date look a bit crap.’

‘That was a brilliant date. It was probably my favourite date I’ve had this Christmas, from start to finish.’ She watched Nick closely. This was the perfect time to get things out in the open. For the sake of her battered heart they had to move past this.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak Nick stood up and started swaying. Claudia cocked her ear to hear the music, just as the pub owners, evidently huge East 17 fans, cranked up the volume to the 1994 Christmas number one, ‘Stay Another Day’.

Nick sang along, lifting his T-shirt to show his stomach and looking every bit the nineties boyband member.

‘What are you doing?’ she giggled. ‘Sit down, you maniac!’

This only made Nick shut his eyes, clench his fists and sing louder. She watched him in awe. Was this Nick telling her his true feelings?

‘Fine.
Fine
.’ If that’s how he wanted to communicate, she’d do it his way. She stood and joined in, swaying and warbling, ignoring the bemused looks of the other patrons.

The song ended and they fell back into their seats, flushed and topped up with Christmas spirit. But as wise as East 17’s words were, Nick wasn’t getting out of it that easily. She had to know where she stood. She didn’t want to get the wrong end of the stick again.

‘Thanks for taking me home yesterday,’ she ventured.

‘Of course. I’ll take you home any time.’ He grinned like a naughty schoolboy.

‘You didn’t seem to think like that at the party,’ Claudia said quietly.

Nick shuffled forward in his seat and Claudia mirrored him, while intently watching the ice swirling in her glass. They leant toward each other and she glanced up and gave him a smile and a shrug. She had to know why he’d turned her down. His face showed regret, but she couldn’t tell if he was looking at her as more than a friend, or the same as he always had.
What are you thinking in there?

‘Claud, it just wasn’t right.’

She nodded. That hurt her heart. But it was only Nick; her
friend
Nick. She had to stop thinking it was more.

‘You were raging, table-dancing, uni-student drunk.’

‘Tell me about it. Tell everyone on the Ferris wheel the morning after about it.’

‘I was really hoping to show you a good night, to cheer you up, but I think I went a bit overboard and got you completely sloshed.’

‘You didn’t do that, I did it to myself.’ Claudia took a deep breath and made herself look him straight in the face. ‘I thought you were flirting with me,’ she said before she could chicken out. She braced herself.

‘I was.’

‘You were?’

‘You looked so … beautiful. I couldn’t take my eyes off you. And for the first time in a long time I didn’t have the boyfriend card keeping me in check.’ Nick gave her a guilty smile. ‘I know that makes me sound like a massive creep, slinking in as soon as you’ve broken up with the love of your life.’

‘I hope Seth wasn’t the love of my life.’ Claudia smiled.

‘I just took it too far and then I didn’t want to take advantage of you. I’m really sorry.’

‘For not taking advantage of me?’

‘A little bit. But mainly for messing around with your emotions. I always want you to feel you can trust me. I’m not a total arse.’

‘I know you’re not. I’m sorry for flipping out at you. I
had
had a bit too much …’

They grinned at each other, as warm as the fireplace next to them.

Nick held her gaze. ‘I just didn’t want it to be like that.’

‘“It”?’

‘The first time we kiss.’ He just threw it out there. And then he looked up, smiling at the waiter who had brought their plates. He wouldn’t meet her eyes again as he marveled at the food on his plate. ‘Look, chestnut stuffing.’

‘Wait,’ Claudia said, her heart racing. ‘What does that mean, go back to that.’

‘I love pigs in blankets, too. Look – we have three each!’

She knew he wasn’t going to give away any more today, and she smiled down at her meal; the rich smells of tradition wafted up into her face. So they were to have a first kiss. Not ‘if’, though ‘when’ and ‘how’ were still a mystery. An exciting, unexpected, thrilling mystery, and she could hardly wait.

She settled in for the perfect afternoon of food, drinks and flirting that glittered with the magic of knowing it actually meant something, with a man straight off a Christmas list. Date Five may not have the grand gestures and the fancy parties, nor did it have the drama, but to Claudia it was the most exciting date yet.

Claudia walked home feeling like a teenager in a Katy Perry song. What a crazy, sometimes horrid, often exciting, weird month this was turning out to be.

Nick wanted to kiss her! She jumped up in the air and landed softly in the snow. Her cheeks were flushed pink and the smile on her face probably made anyone walking by think she was a loon. Maybe she
was
a loon, swooning over her best friend.

‘You silly mistletoe-and booze-filled season,’ she whispered. ‘What have you done to me?’

Her phone rang.

‘Penny, merry Christmas!’ she chirped down the line.

‘Merry Christmas! You sound healthier than yesterday. Fancy coming over for some burnt Christmas cookies?’

‘Yum, how can I resist?’ Claudia took a sharp right and head in the direction of Penny’s flat.

‘Brill, I really need to talk to you about something. Come quick.’

Claudia danced into Penny’s flat humming Christmas carols. Penny stood in the kitchen badly spreading lime green icing over the most burnt bits of the burnt cookies. ‘Look, Christmas trees,’ she said.

‘They look crap. I’ll take them all!’

Penny, Claudia and Nick were all fairly shocking cooks, but Penny was the worst. She always overestimated oven time and therefore everything she served was chargrilled. Unless she was trying to do chargrilled, in which case the dish would undoubtedly appear anaemic and soulless.

Claudia reached for a cookie and started sucking on it. ‘What do you want to talk about? Oh my God, are you pregnant?’

‘No, please, there has been a grand total of nil willies – or test tubes – near me.’

‘Okay. Crikey, I nearly started packing a labour bag for you then.’

‘You’d really pack my bag for me?’

‘Of course. I’ve already planned it: your big NY Knicks T-shirt, a packet of Tangfastics, the
Twilight
books and your coral nail polish.’

‘My favourite things …’ Penny put her hand on her heart.

‘So what do you want to talk about?’

Penny took a deep breath, then turned away. ‘I can’t.’

‘What?’

‘A drink first. Join me?’ She poured a very large glass of red.

‘No thanks, I’ve already had a Baileys today, I can’t face any more alcohol than that yet.’

‘Where’d you go for that?’

‘I just met Nick for a roast.’ Claudia immediately clocked Penny’s ‘left-out’ face. ‘It was a last-minute thing, and I needed to apologise for him having to drag a suitcase and a puke-covered girl home on his Saturday.’

Penny laughed. ‘Fair enough. So how is he?’

‘Well, loving the snow of course.’

‘I bet he is. He’s really cute at Christmas.’

‘Mmm.’ Maybe it was time to tell Penny what was going on. It would be mega-embarrassing, but it had to be done.

‘Did he mention if he was bringing anyone to the wedding, by the way?’ ‘No, but I’ve never actually asked him.’

‘I just wondered if he liked anyone at the moment.’

Claudia shrugged and reached for another cookie, avoiding Penny’s eyes.
I’ll tell her after she’s told me her news. Because I’m a humongous wimp.

‘Okay,’ said Penny, taking a big gulp of wine.

‘Spill,’ Claudia coaxed. What was all this about?

‘Guess what?’

‘What?’

Penny took a deep breath and covered her face in her hands. She squealed. ‘I have … Oh God, I’m too embarrassed to admit it.’

‘Just say it, unleash it, you’ll feel
amazing
.’ Claudia should take her own advice, she thought.

Penny giggled and fanned herself with her hands. ‘Okay. Phew. I’m just going to say it.’

Claudia waited.

‘I have developed the most
major
crush. On Nick!’

‘You fancy
Nick
?’ Claudia struggled to digest a charcoaled Christmas tree cookie and the news that both she and her best friend had a thing for the same man, who happened to be their other best friend.

Penny nodded, her eyes sparkling.

‘That’s
brilliant
.’
Nooooooo, what do I say, what do I say?
‘That is just … such BRILLIANT news.’
Stop saying it’s brilliant!

‘You don’t mind?’ Penny squealed.

YES
. ‘Why would I mind?’

‘Because, you know, if anything happens between us it might change the dynamics a little bit.’

‘If anything happens between us? You mean you and me?’

‘No, me and Nick.’

Of course. Penny and Nick. Nick and Penny. Bleurgh. She’d been spectacularly pipped to the post. Claudia violently sawed a cookie in half with a carving knife. ‘So, um, when the bloody hell did this start?’