Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

***

I felt great the next morning and got up early enough to walk to work and go to the flower market before opening the shop. The world felt fresh and new and full of hope. It was still dark when I left the house and the pavement was white with frost. It made me feel Christmassy and I got a surge of excitement thinking about decorating the shop this weekend. I wondered if I’d see Anthony that day and if we could go out again this evening. The scent of his aftershave was still on my coat, and I breathed it in as I walked through the frosty morning. It made me smile and filled me with anticipation and longing.

‘You’re looking very happy today!’ Bobbi said when she came into work later that morning. She’d plaited her silvery lilac hair so she looked about ten years old. She leaned on the counter next to me, her tiny crystal nose stud glinting in the shop lights. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Nothing! Just excited about Christmas, that’s all!’

‘Really? Already?’ Her brow creased.

‘Well, we’re decorating the shop this weekend, aren’t we? In fact, I might do the window display today if we’re not too busy.’

‘Yeah, but…’ Bobbi shrugged and gave me an appraising look. ‘You look happier than that. You’ve got a proper glint in your eye. Have you met someone?’

‘Me? Who would I meet?’

‘You have, haven’t you!’ Bobbi pointed her finger in my face and bounced up and down on her cherry-red Doc Marten’s. ‘Who is he? Tell me!’

‘Shh, no one.’ I looked around furtively to check no one was about. ‘I met the new tenant from upstairs yesterday. We went out for dinner. His name’s Anthony Bascombe and he’s gorgeous!’

‘Really? Oooh! And you went out for dinner with him? Tell me more.’ Bobbi rested her chin in her hands and looked up at me with huge brown eyes, like a child waiting for her bedtime story.

I shook my head. ‘There’s not much to tell really. We ate dinner, he walked me home, end of story.’

‘Was there a kiss? There was a kiss, wasn’t there? Tell me there was a kiss!’

‘Yes, there was a kiss.’

Bobbi squealed and clapped. ‘Hurray! A man at last.’

‘Oh, thanks, Bobbi. Nice to know you have such faith in my love life.’

‘Well, you know, after Patrick and everything we were all a bit worried.’

I rolled my eyes and walked through into the back room. I’d bought some mistletoe from the market this morning and had planned to make kissing balls to display in the window. We’d been quiet so far today and it would be good to make a start. It would give us something to do between customers anyway and free up some time at the weekend. Plus, it might stop me obsessively looking out of the window, waiting for Anthony to stop by. I kept telling myself he was work, but my stupid head wouldn’t listen. I kept staring at the door hopefully. Bobbi and I chatted as we worked and it didn’t take us long to make the kissing balls and fill crystallised vintage jars with white flowers and red berries. We suspended them from a large rustic branch that was fixed in the window display. It usually had floral birdcages hanging from it, but I’d decided to just have one large birdcage in the base of the window filled with a sprawling display of red and white roses, green foliage and large red sparkly balls. When we’d finished, Bobbi went outside to check what it looked like. I waited for her response, only to find she wasn’t looking at the window display at all; she was staring off up the street instead. Feeling impatient, I rapped on the glass to get her attention.

Bobbi jumped at my sharp knock and looked back at me as if she’d been somewhere far, far away. I pointed at the display and rolled my eyes when she turned back to look in the direction she’d been gazing in before, as if in some kind of trance, and offered a half-hearted thumbs-up to placate me. Annoyed, I opened the door and stepped out into the street to have a look myself.

‘Oh, that looks quite good, doesn’t it?’ I said, pleasantly surprised. ‘Maybe we should add a string of fairy lights around the branch. What do you reckon?’

‘Really good,’ Bobbi said, not looking at me or the display at all.

‘You don’t think it’s too plain, though? I think Mum might think it’s too bare.’ Bobbi didn’t respond. Frowning, I followed her line of sight, only to find Anthony Bascombe standing a few feet away, deep in conversation with a tall, black-haired man. Heat surged through me and my legs turned to jelly.

‘Do you think he’s famous?’ Bobbi whispered. ‘He’s gorgeous.’

I sighed deeply, annoyed that my stomach had gone all fluttery at the sight of him. ‘No, that’s Anthony!’

‘Really?’ Bobbi’s jaw dropped just as Anthony looked up and saw us watching him. He smiled and raised a hand before returning to his conversation. Realising I was staring in much the same way as Bobbi, I took hold of her sleeve and dragged her back into the shop. ‘Oh my God! You didn’t tell me he looked like that, did you?’

‘I said he was handsome.’

‘Not that handsome. Not James Bond handsome!’

‘James Bond handsome?’ I gave Bobbi a look, starting to laugh. ‘You’re crazy, you know that?’

Bobbi laughed and pushed her fringe from her eyes. ‘What? He looks all smooth and sophisticated and handsome, but also like he could abseil down buildings and fight off baddies.’

‘And you can tell all that just by looking at him from a distance, can you?’

‘Well, you said he’s a detective, didn’t you? That’s a sexy job.’ She wiggled her eyebrows at me suggestively.

‘Is it?’ I raised an eyebrow. ‘Not if he works all the time, it isn’t.’

‘Hey, why are you so negative all of a sudden?’

‘I’m not negative. I’m just trying to be sensible, that’s all.’ I took a deep breath and hid my shaking hands behind my back. I was quite alarmed by my physical reaction to him.

Bobbi rolled her eyes. ‘Do you want a cup of tea? I’m a bit chilly from standing out there.’

‘Go on then. Thanks.’

She disappeared into the back of the shop just as the front door opened and Anthony walked in.

‘Good morning,’ he said, cheerfully.

‘Hi,’ I beamed at him, feeling my cheeks turn pink. ‘How are you today?’

‘I’m well, thank you.’ He walked towards the counter, his eyes on mine. He certainly looked very well in his silver-grey suit. Little sparks of electricity were flying around my body. ‘You were up early this morning. I noticed your car had gone when I went to work.’

‘Yes. I managed to wake up early despite your being such a bad influence on me.’

‘Ah, ha ha, yes,’ he said, without much humour. He cleared his throat, uncomfortably, and my stomach dropped. Was this where he said it was all a mistake?

Just then, Bobbi came out of the back carrying a cup of tea. ‘Hello!’ she said, beaming happily at Anthony. ‘I’m Anthony.’

‘No, you’re not, you’re Bobbi!’ I hissed.

‘Oh, yes!’ Bobbi jumped at her mistake and slopped tea onto the floor. ‘Sorry! Yes, I’m Bobbi and you’re Anthony. Der. I’ve heard lots about you already from Rachel.’

‘You have?’ Anthony’s eyebrows shot up. ‘All good, I hope?’

‘Of course.’ Bobbi beamed at him, skilfully ignoring the pointed look I was giving her. ‘Did you have a nice evening last night?’

‘Yes, thank you.’ He looked slightly uncomfortable but smiled kindly at her. ‘Listen, Bobbi, it’s lovely to meet you, but would you mind if I was terribly rude and borrowed Rachel for a minute. I just need a quiet word.’

‘Oh! Okay. Go in the back, I’ll do the shop.’ Bobbi winked at me and I rolled my eyes at her, bracing myself for bad news. He’d warned me he was no good at relationships, but I didn’t expect him to be this bad this soon. I led him through into the back room.

‘Have a seat,’ I said, pulling out a wooden chair from under the table.