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‘Twenty-first December,’ Frank mumbles.
‘In London?’
He peers around his computer to look at me. ‘Why? Do you know someone I could go with?’
‘Well, don’t read anything into this at all, but there is me.’
Leo pops his head out from behind his computer to look at me. I glance at Frank and can’t quite read his expression. It’s a look that reads confusion, a bit of shock.
‘Would I have to pay you?’ he asks me. ‘Do I have to negotiate rates?
‘Frank, please don’t pay me. Maybe pay for my Uber. But I’d get a free meal, yes? Are there favours? It’d be a nice festive night out. I’ve told you my Christmas is going to be a bit quiet.’
He looks over at Leo then back at me. ‘You’d do that for me?’ Frank asks, a bit more emotion in his tones.
‘Hell, what else am I going to do?’ I say, trying to laugh off the gesture.
Everyone sits there quietly, all eyes on me.
‘Actually, we had a brief chat about this last night when you were in the loo,’ Leo intervenes. ‘Were you serious about being on your own all Christmas?’
I notice Jasper, once on the brink of dying, is sitting up and joining in the conversation. All eyes on me and my sad social life, one that has just seen me invite myself to a wedding to give myself something to do. I try to recall what I told them last night. I was only one cocktail in. I hope I didn’t make myself sound too pathetic. I have a life. Yes, it’s centred around work and these three a little too much, but I can celebrate Christmas perfectly well on my own. ‘Well, yeah, but seriously, it’s no big deal. Please, less of the sad-dog eyes.’
‘I read an article that suicide rates go up at Christmas because people are so lonely,’ Frank tells me.
‘Jesus, Frank. It’s not that bad,’ I fret.
‘Well, we didn’t think it was quite right,’ Jasper murmurs, taking a large sip of juice and burping under his breath.
‘So we’ve come up with a plan,’ Leo says.
‘Lads, it’s fine…Really. I’m twenty-eight. I’m a big girl.’ I try to force a smile. Of course I’d love to be around my parents’ house with a massive cheeseboard and some Scrabble, but such is the way when you’re an only child in a small family. I look at my colleagues and there are still the looks of sadness that tell me that deep down, they’ve read my disappointment.
‘Well, I’m at home from the twenty-second to the twenty-third before I go to Chamonix. We have a big family Christmas party, exchange gifts and listen to my grandmother singing around the piano,’ Jasper tells me. ‘You’re coming. No arguments.’ It’s more an order than an invitation, not really giving me an option to refuse.
‘Jasper. Seriously, I don’t want to impose. It’s your family.’
Jasper shakes his head at me. ‘It is fine. There is room and our Christmases are always quite big social gatherings. It’s the way my family like it. Cressida always brings home some randoms too. She likes to rehome the lost ones.’
‘You make me sound like a stray cat, Jasper. Who’s Cressida?’ I ask him.
‘My sister.’
‘You have a sister called Cressida?’ Leo jests. ‘Will the butlers be cooking the pheasants in aspic too?’
Jasper puts his middle finger up at him again.
‘It will actually be good to have you there. Like Frank, my family are quite the experience. It will be a change to have a person there I actually like,’ he tells me, smiling to let me know the compliment in there was sincere. ‘Come for some food and hang out. That’s all.’
‘And when you’re done lording it up in his country manor…’ Leo continues. ‘Come up North? Spend Christmas Eve and Day at mine?’
I stare at Leo for a while trying to figure him out. That’s at least a four-hour drive. And the actual Christmas Day…that feels like more of an event that I’d be gatecrashing. ‘Leo…’
‘I’ve seen you. You’re tiny, you don’t eat a lot, so it’d be no trouble. My family are a tad different though. I hope you like organised board game events and enough cheese to make the French weep?’ he says.
Cheese and Scrabble. I smile to myself. ‘I’ve never been to the Lakes,’ I mumble, trying to work out this option in my head. Ten minutes ago, I was more than happy for Christmas to be a velour jumpsuit, snacks and films situation, but there’s something warming to know the three of them were sat there eating guacamole last night sharing concern for my well-being and came up with a plan to make my Christmas a little less lonely.
‘Make sure you’ve got a big coat,’ Leo says, a smile hitting his eyes as he watches me seriously considering the option.
