Page 65 of The Merry Christmas Project

‘You are sweet,’ said Tom, giving me a twinkly smile. ‘As I say, I’m glad we can still be friends.’

The door banged and Astrid and Nell marched in followed by Nigel, Audrey from the china stall and Sadie from the pub.

‘Sorry I am so late !’ said Astrid, unbuttoning a long blue velvet coat with contrasting buttons. ‘I was waiting for the icing to cool on my biscuits.’

‘German biscuits ?’ I asked hopefully, noting the return of her usual style.

‘Of course,’ she said, with a knowing smile. ‘I have been making these biscuits all my life, it wouldn’t be Christmas without them.’

‘I’m late because I couldn’t decide what to wear,’ Nell added, giving us a twirl in her emerald green poncho.

I beamed at them both and sent up a silent prayer hoping that the two of them never changed.

‘And I’ve brought some mulled wine for us to try,’ said Sadie, placing a stainless steel urn down on one of the tables.

‘Fabulous !’ declared Tom, clapping his hands. ‘Shall I be mother ?’

I glanced at the door one more time, willing it to open for one last arrival but it remained resolutely shut. Which left me with a dilemma : did I mention the possibility of Hester’s appearance, or would I have to tell everyone that the search for a celebrity continued ?

Just then my phone buzzed with a text, startling me out of my daydream. My legs went to jelly with relief when I saw Cole’s name appear :

DRUMROLL … ! Hester says yes ! Actually she said she hated me and that she would make me pay for the rest of my life too, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. So you have your celebrity. Cole x

This was fantastic ! A warm fuzzy feeling spread through me ; not only had he come to my rescue but he’d signed off with a kiss. A kiss ! That had to mean he regarded me as more than just a tenant, didn’t it ?

I replied straight away :

Thank you, I owe you one.

And after a moment’s hesitation, I added a kiss of my own. I pressed send and my face softened into a smile as a thought which had been hovering timidly in my head gained sudden clarity.

I’d asked myself earlier today what, or rather who I wanted. And now I thought I might have my answer. The fluttering of anticipation in my chest every time the door had opened to reveal new arrivals, the disappointment which replaced it when I realised that it wasn’t him. It was Cole who was setting my heart racing ; Cole’s face my imagination conjured up whenever I allowed my mind to wander.

Nell was convinced he liked me. I’d denied it at the time but if I was really honest with myself, I thought she might be right ; I had felt a frisson between us.

Excitement fizzed through me. The tingling feeling of new beginnings, of possibilities, of the delicious moments I’d spend thinking about him, wondering whether he was thinking about me, talking about him to Nell, catching a glimpse of him across a crowded room. Yes, I thought with a rush of pleasure ; I did have my answer. I wanted Cole.

With that momentous revelation sorted, I got to my feet clutching the clipboard.

‘Right everyone,’ I said, positioning myself front and centre. ‘Let’s get this party started, because I have had some very good news. Who’s heard of The Retail Therapy Show ?’

An hour and a half later, the meeting had come to a close and people were drifting off and out into the night. The refreshments had gone down well, although Nell and I had both given the mulled wine a wide berth after our last encounter with it. Even though everyone who’d come to the meeting were adults, excitement for Christmas was growing. People speculated about the main Christmas tree, which was due to arrive soon, about when everyone would be putting up their decorations at home, who had done their Christmas shopping already and who hadn’t so much as written a card (unsurprisingly, that was me). We talked about the roast chestnut and hot chocolate vendors we’d be bringing in for the lights switch-on, and everyone started recounting details of their best-ever Christmas. And I had been caught up in the magic of it all. I’d closed my mind to Christmas this year because I wouldn’t be spending it with Daniel. But maybe this year I’d start making my own Christmas traditions to build on so that when I did have a family of my own I could pass them on …

‘Considering that was the first meeting you’ve ever chaired,’ said Nell, sidling up to me, ‘you did very well. I think you’re a born leader.’

‘It did go well, didn’t it,’ I said, yawning. It had been a long day and it wasn’t over yet. ‘I’ve allocated almost all of the jobs. I can do the rest myself.’

‘Most excellently delegated,’ said Astrid with a wink. ‘Almost too good; I seem to also be making Pfefferkuchen on top of the mince pies. And I’d already suggested I’d be in charge of organising a tree for Rosebridge. Have you got us down, Nell ?’

‘I have,’ Nell assured her, liberating the last of Astrid’s delicious ginger biscuits from the tin. I’d designated her to be the keeper of the Christmas tree list after she’d failed to offer to do any of the jobs. ‘Along with the market traders, the Bristly Badger, the hair salon, the Women’s Institute, the men’s choir and Wetherley under-sixteens football team ; ooh and Tom’s children’s tree. The list will be going up first thing tomorrow in the market square and will remain there for two weeks.’

‘It’s going to look amazing,’ said Tom, giving me a hug. ‘Thanks for agreeing to my idea for the Santa trail. I know Tasha wanted to have a Santa’s grotto where all the children get a present, but I think this will be fun and easier to organise.’

Tom’s idea was that there would be a series of hidden letters around the market square which spelled out Merry Christmas. Once the children had found all the letters, they could come and write their Christmas wish on a star and hang it on a tree.

‘Christmas shouldn’t be just about gifts,’ I agreed. ‘This will be much more interactive.’

‘And cheap,’ said Sadie. ‘I’m going to get our regulars to make decorations out of beer mats. Ooh and do you think I’ll be able to get fairy lights that will flash when it’s last orders ?’