at this time of year, and you broke up with your ex, and I get those are horrible associations to have, but you must have had some nice Christmases growing up?'
'My mum did love it, and the ones I can remember with her were … really special.' He drew in a deep breath. 'My grandparents raised me, and loved me, but they weren't very warm people, and were deeply religious, so it was all about the Christian tradition, and symbolism, not the kind of Christmas a kid who'd just lost his mum needed. They passed away a few years ago, six months apart.'
'It must have been hard,' she took a sip from the beer she'd brought out. 'But can't you start creating Christmases that you enjoy?' she suggested in a soft voice. 'After all, it's not about the time of year really is it, why you don't enjoy it? It's about that relationship, those people. The memories. So you should try and separate it out in your head. Spend some time with your family, just for the enjoyment of being with them, and don't worry about the whole exchanging presents thing.'
'I don't have any left.' His arm tightened, and he picked up her hand, tracing a pattern over the knuckles.
'You have your friends,' she replied, breath audibly hitching, squirming on the bench. 'Family is whatever you want it to be, whatever that might look like. Sometimes you choose them, it's not always who you're stuck with through blood.' She laughed. 'And maybe you should be glad, I mean look at my lot! They're pretty overwhelming.'
'Well, your aunt did pin me up against the fridge and tell me the mistletoe was pointing in our direction earlier.'
'Nooo,' she shook her head from side to side, blinking slowly.
'And they are pretty overwhelming. But I like it. And you're part of that. You overwhelm me.' Sod no complications, and not risking his heart. He had to get to know this positive, bright, energetic girl better. It might not be part of the plan, but it was the only thing that made sense.
'Say again?' Holly sat bolt upright, gazing at him. 'In what way?'
'In a good way.' Sliding his hands around her waist, he hauled her in close, watching her watching him.
An endless silence grew, and she leaned in to him. 'What is it?'
'You're worried about what happened with your ex-fiancé, and about needing to focus on your business.' He summarised, despite the fogginess of alcohol in his head. He wanted to get this right.
'I- yes.'
'But I'm not here to hurt you.'
'Okay.' Running a hand up over his broad shoulders, she stroked his stubbly cheek.
'Okay.'
'So?' she nudged.
'So?'
'Are you going to kiss me, or what?' she blurted.
'Oh, that. All right then. But we might have to conduct a risk assessment,' he joked. 'After all, kissing in the snow could be a dangerous activity, or if there's too much heat-'
'Ha ha,' she murmured, and solved everything by kissing him.
He was gratified when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clung on, moaning when he lifted her up and sat her on his lap. He ran a hand up her bare thigh, then broke away from her luscious pink mouth, framing her face with gentle hands.
'Merry Christmas, Holly.'
'I thought you didn't like Christmas,' she said breathlessly, twirling shaky fingers through his dark hair.
'Still don't,' he said bluntly. ‘I still think it's stressful, expensive and driven by retailers.'
'You do?' she looked disappointed.
'I don't think I'll ever like it, but I do like you, so I'll consider not hiding in my man-cave.'
'Yeah?'
'Yes.' Resting his forehead against hers, chest to chest, the button of his coat caught her jumper, starting up an electronic, jangly Silent Night.
They both roared with laughter, their cold breath forming clouds between them.
'There's something I should probably tell you,' Holly admitted.
'What? Another ex? A child? A horrible disease that will cause hideous boils?'
'Nope. Just that I hate summer.'
Noel smirked, 'Wow, what a pair. Well, how do you feel about spring? Is spring all right?'
'Spring is good,' she grinned, 'I guess during certain times of the year we'll just have to distract each other.'
'I can definitely see certain activities being distracting enough to keep me happy.' He kissed her, hard and fast, and when he lifted his head she looked dazed.
'Wow,' she breathed.
'Yes,' he agreed. Squeezing her tight, he nodded. 'You know, you were right.'
'Right about what?'
He grinned. 'The unexpected things can be the best parts.'
'They can,' she nodded, blue eyes sparkling. 'Hey, what are you doing?' She yelped as he dug his phone out of his pocket and she almost slid off his lap into the snow. 'You're not texting or calling someone now?'
'I am,' he arranged her on his lap and looped his arm around her, holding on tight. 'I'm going to text Matt and thank him.'
'What for?' she rested her head against his broad chest, snuggling in.
‘For making me take Jasper Skating at Somerset House.’
'Oh, balls!' Frankie Taylor stared at the mirror in dismay. She touched a hand to the back of her neck, where she used to have hair, and glared at her hairdresser in their shared reflection.
'You don't like it?' Davey asked, freezing with comb and scissors in mid-air against the backdrop of the heavy chrome and red leather salon. 'You said you wanted something different, a fresh start.'
'Yes, I wanted a change, because everyone keeps on at me to move on, and a new haircut is easier than bowing to pressure and getting a boyfriend.' She yanked on the ends of her glossy black hair, which were now only a few inches from her scalp, rather than shoulder length. 'By something different, I didn't mean half-bald!' The amount of hair on the floor was truly disturbing. 'So much for treating myself to a nice post-Christmas present,’ she muttered.
'Oh, love…I really thought you wanted something radical and besides, I've always thought short hair would suit you.' Putting scissors and comb down, he gently extracted her fingers from the newly blunt-cut locks and shaped the side-fringe across her forehead. 'It shows off those gorgeous almond-shaped violet eyes to perfection. And look at those cheekbones! You look a bit like Frankie from The Saturdays.’
'So now I share my name and a haircut with her.’ She stroked her exposed neck, feeling oddly naked with nothing covering her nape or tops of her ears. 'I'm going to be freezing – it's mid-winter!' Shaking her head, she watched the strands fall back into place. 'Okay, I guess it's not that bad,' she conceded. She wouldn't look so pale with make-up on. It'd hardly been worth applying any today, given she lived three doors down from the hairdressers above a kebab shop and was off work until 5 January.
'No?' Davey heaved a relieved sigh.
'No. And you're right, it really shows off that stone I've lost since the break-up,' she said self-mockingly. 'Plus, we can hardly stick it back on, can we?' Wrinkling her nose, 'So what's the point in being upset?' She'd learnt the hard way there were some things you had to let go, some things you couldn't control.
'You said it,' he drawled, picking up the scissors again.
'Hold it! You're not taking any more off are you?'
'Just neatening up, my love,' he assured, sticking his tongue out at