Playboy On Her Christmas List

The pleasant interlude was over but it had been nice, Holly thought as she drained her drink and then stood. It had been a tiny but very welcome pause before she pushed out a smile and faced the masses.

He knew it was pointless suggesting that they didn’t go through.

Holly took her Christmas party as seriously as her decorations.

‘Time to be positive...’ Holly said, though she didn’t really feel it. ‘It is Christmas and if ever there was a time for miracles...’

‘Please,’ Daniel scorned, pouring a bucket of iced water on that. ‘There’s no such thing as Christmas miracles.’

‘Are you always so negative?’ Holly asked as they headed towards the function room.

‘Always.’

The doors swung open and there were a few shouts of ‘Holly!’ but there were a lot more shouts of Daniel’s name! Clearly a lot of women were very glad to see him.

Anna, of course, leapt to his side and handed him an elaborate-looking cocktail.

‘I’m driving,’ he pointed out again.

‘It a virgin.’ Anna smiled. ‘I had it prepared just for you.’

Oh, please. Holly thought she might spit at the suggestive tone, but she refused to be rattled by Anna. Instead, she put on her smile and chatted with friends.

It was a difficult night. Everyone wanted first-hand information and Holly knew that wasn’t her place to give it. It was up to Nora what she wanted to share and for now Nora wanted upbeat and so that’s what Holly did her best to be, but by ten she was done.

She looked over and Anna and Daniel were locked in conversation.

Or rather Anna was conversing and Daniel was locked, given the slight eye roll that he gave her.

Holly smiled but it was a regretful one because she simply didn’t know how to run wild. How to go over there and be all sparkling and witty and flirt...

Except, as it turned out, she didn’t have to go over there to flirt. Holly quickly realised that standing in the middle of the room and blatantly staring at the object of your desire seemed to work rather well too!

Yikes.

She hadn’t meant that!

Holly watched as he said something to Anna and Holly realised he was excusing himself and about to make his way over.

It was time for a quick getaway.

‘You’re not going already?’ Trevor, one of the male nurses, asked.

‘I am.’ Holly kept up that smile. ‘I’m hitting the shops tomorrow and then...’ She didn’t finish. An absolute novice in the field of sexual adventure, she found her coat and headed outside.

‘Leaving?’

She turned and there was Daniel.

‘Yes.’

‘Do you want a lift?’

‘I’ve just called for a taxi,’ Holly lied.

‘It’s no problem.’

‘I live miles away.’

‘I’ll save you the fare, then.’

‘No, thanks.’

Why? Holly asked herself. Why was she saying no? Because she couldn’t say no to him.

‘Come on.’

He jangled his keys and Holly nodded. Really, it was just a colleague giving her a lift home and it would be bliss not to have to make small talk with a taxi driver or sit in the back as he chatted on his phone.

Liar, liar.

They got in his car, and this time she was in the front.

That’s better, both thought but didn’t say.

‘Address?’ he asked, and she gave it to him.

Daniel typed it into his phone and that took care of that, and then he started the engine.

‘Head north,’ his phone said.

‘I hate that,’ Daniel admitted. ‘I have no idea which way north is. I need a compass in the middle of my steering wheel.’

‘She means turn left,’ Holly said.

‘Thank you.’

‘Are you all packed?’ Holly made a feeble attempt at small talk and he nodded.

‘Sort of. I’m trying to rent out my flat. Apparently December isn’t an ideal time to find tenants.’

‘So it that why your plans keep changing?’

‘In part.’

‘Well, you might just as well stick around for Christmas...’

‘I doubt it. I might even fly out then, it’s just another day.’