The Mince Pie Mix-Up

‘Gone back to bed, I think.’ What should Judy have for breakfast? Cereal? Toast? Whatever it was, she wouldn’t have to cram it into her mouth between batches of cakes or biscuits or on the way to the car. She would have the luxury of sitting down to eat and actually chewing her food.

‘He’s in bed?’ Calvin checked his watch. Football practice started in half an hour and it meant driving into town. ‘Why didn’t you get him up?’

Judy closed the cupboard containing the breakfast cereals. She would push the boat out and have breakfast in the village. ‘When was the last time you got our son out of bed? I’ll give you a clue: he was still in nappies.’

‘That isn’t true at all.’ Was it?

‘I think you’ll find Mum is responsible for all duties involving the children. Which reminds me, you need to go into town this afternoon to do a bit of Christmas shopping.’ Judy had been planning on nipping into town to pick up some bits and pieces while Calvin ferried the children around for their activities, but no! Calvin would never waste his Saturday morning shopping. He hadn’t bought a Christmas present since 2001. Christmas presents – the shopping for and wrapping of (including her own) – had always been Judy’s domain, although not by choice. No, if Calvin thought her life was a breeze, he could have the full-on experience.

‘I’ve made you a list.’ Judy passed him the slip of paper. He was lucky; Judy had already bought the majority of the gifts weeks ago. There were only a few more bits and pieces left to buy.

‘You think this is funny, don’t you?’ Calvin snatched the list and shoved it into the pocket of his jeans.

‘Hysterically.’ It was just a pity Judy would wake up in her own body soon.

With Calvin and the children on their way to football and ballet, Judy took herself to The Green Teapot for a croissant and a pot of tea. It made a nice change to have somebody bringing her tea instead of having to serve it.

‘We don’t usually see you so bright and early on a Saturday,’ Enid said as she placed Judy’s order on the table.

‘That’s because I’m usually languishing in bed until lunchtime.’ Judy smiled at her boss and picked up her warm croissant. She took her time with her breakfast, savouring every moment while it lasted. She wouldn’t get this chance again.

‘Can I get a croissant and a coffee to go?’ Abby Frost barged her way into the tea room in a pair of skin-tight jeans and heeled knee-length boots. ‘Quick as you can. I’m in a rush.’ Marching to the window, she wriggled her fingers at the car waiting outside. Her daughter waved back from the passenger seat. ‘Oh hello, Calvin!’ Abby tottered to Judy’s table and dropped into the seat opposite. ‘We’re just on our way to ballet. Why don’t you ever come along? You’d cheer the place right up!’ Abby pouted at Judy, her lips a glossy red. She’d definitely had them done. Either that or she’d been stung in the chops by a hundred bees all at once.

‘Ballet’s not really my thing,’ Judy said. The thought of Calvin being stuck in a room full of Abby-alikes was quite amusing. That was one activity she really wasn’t going to miss.

‘That’s a shame,’ Abby purred, blinking coquettishly at Judy. Was she trying to flirt with Judy’s husband? ‘We could use a bit of testosterone around the place. Especially from someone as handsome as you.’ She squeezed Calvin’s arm and batted her eyelashes.

She bloody well was!

Judy wondered whether you could injure somebody with half a lukewarm croissant.

‘Croissant and coffee to take away,’ Enid called out, holding the order aloft. Judy was glad to see the glint of disapproval in her boss’s eyes as she watched Abby.

‘I guess I’ll see you around.’ Abby pouted at Judy once more before she grabbed her order and tottered out to the car.

What a cow! Judy had never liked Abby in the playground or at the PTA meetings and she liked her even less now. She wasn’t really hungry after her encounter with Abby so, once the car had turned out of the green, she had a stroll through the village, stopping to pick up the papers and admire the festive window display of the children’s bookshop. She noticed that there was going to be a Christmas story time that afternoon. She could take Charlie while Calvin was out shopping. It had been ages since she’d had the time to take her daughter to story time. Being Calvin was bliss.

Calvin was feeling anything but blissful as he sat in the small, too-hot room in the community centre, surrounded by a gaggle of gossipy mothers as their children pointed their toes and twirled around in the next room. Calvin was bored stupid. He couldn’t wait to get home and put his feet up with the papers. How long did he have left?

Forty minutes.

Great.

‘It’s an absolute nightmare,’ one of the mothers said with such drama she should have been performing at the Globe Theatre. She looked vaguely familiar. Calvin had never been to Charlie’s ballet classes or any of her performances as he’d always happened to have meetings scheduled that he couldn’t get out of. And if he didn’t, he’d made one up. He couldn’t help it. Ballet wasn’t his thing at all.

Calvin figured this woman must be a parent from Charlie’s school. She’d been bleating on about the extension her husband had bought her as an early Christmas present for the past fifteen minutes.

‘There’s nothing but dust and noise! It wouldn’t be so bad if there were any hunky builders but they’re all fat and hairy.’ The mother shuddered. ‘I can’t wait to escape over Christmas. Did I tell you he’s booked a Caribbean cruise for us? It’s going to be gorgeous. No stress over cooking or putting up with family squabbles. I can’t wait!’

Calvin should have bought a newspaper en route. He didn’t think he could put up with much more of this garbage.

‘I’ve bought him a car. He’s had the Merc for three years now so I thought he deserved an upgrade. He’s had his eye on this Ferrari for a while now so I’ve treated him.’

Calvin leapt out of his seat and wandered to the window but he could still hear the woman going on and on about money as though it grew on a tree at the bottom of her garden.

‘I’m going to take Tabitha on a surprise shopping spree at the end of term. She’s been desperate for this Dolce & Gabbana dress and she’s going to need a whole new wardrobe for the cruise.’

‘You’re taking Tabitha on the cruise with you?’

‘Oh, yes. I wouldn’t want to go without my baby! My mother’s coming with us though, so she can babysit and give us a bit of time together, you know.’

Calvin thought seriously about jumping through the window. Hopefully the glass would slice into something vital and end this torture.

On and on she went, the other mothers oohing and aahing and nodding in agreement when all Calvin wanted to do was scream at her to shut up. He didn’t care about her extension or the new kitchen or the cruise. He certainly didn’t want to hear about the bloody Ferrari. He bet this woman and her super-rich hubby wiped their arses on bank notes.

‘Mummy! Mummy!’ Finally the ballet class ended and Charlie came tearing towards Calvin. ‘Come and meet Miss Pasquin!’ Calvin had been hoping to head straight home once Charlie’s ballet class finally came to an end, but his daughter had other ideas and dragged him to meet her new ballet teacher. Miss Pasquin was tall and implausibly thin and she couldn’t have been more than sixteen years old.

‘Mrs Neil.’ Miss Pasquin shook Calvin’s hand daintily. ‘It’s so lovely to meet you. I’m going to be helping out my mum here to make sure the girls are ready for the Christmas show.’

‘Mrs Pasquin is Miss Pasquin’s mummy.’ Charlie covered her mouth and giggled, finding the whole concept hilarious. What would she think if she knew her mummy was really her daddy?

‘Are you looking forward to our Christmas show?’ Miss Pasquin brushed Charlie’s curls with her dainty hand. ‘Charlie here has been working so hard. She’s going to be a superstar reindeer!’

‘Tabitha wanted to be a reindeer but she has to be an elf.’ Charlie beamed up at Calvin, proud of her achievement.

‘Elves are just as important in the show too,’ Miss Pasquin pointed out.

‘But I bet they’re not as important as reindeer, are they?’ Calvin nudged Charlie and she giggled.

‘All parts are important to the show, Mrs Neil.’ Miss Pasquin’s features had become pinched so Calvin decided it was time to get out of there before she gave him a ticking off. Miss Pasquin may have been young, but she looked fierce.

‘Come on, Charlie-Chalk. It’s time to go home.’ Calvin held out a hand for his daughter, but Charlie hesitated.

‘You don’t call me Charlie-Chalk.’ Her little brow was furrowed as she looked up at Calvin. ‘Daddy calls me Charlie-Chalk.’

Good point. ‘What do I call you then?’

Charlie giggled, assuming her mum was playing a game. ‘You call me sweetie. Because I’m sweet.’

‘Then come on, sweetie.’ This time Charlie took Calvin’s hand. ‘Let’s go home.’ The sooner the better. But it took a good while to actually get Charlie into the car as she insisted on showing off her ballet moves after every other step, proving her worth as a reindeer. But eventually she was in the car and buckled into her seat. Calvin couldn’t wait to sink into his chair at home and have a well-deserved rest.

‘Reindeer are better than elves, aren’t they, Mummy?’ Charlie asked as they made their way back towards the village.

‘A million times better,’ Calvin replied. ‘Elves smell like wee.’

Charlie covered her mouth and giggled. ‘Tabitha isn’t going to be home at Christmas. She’s going on a big boat. That means she won’t get any presents, doesn’t it? There won’t be a chimney for Santa.’

Calvin guessed that Tabitha was the offspring of Mrs Super-Rich and suspected she’d be getting a lot of presents. Expensive ones her mother could brag about. But he didn’t tell Charlie this.