by Mandy Baggot
Smiling, she then sighed. ‘I just need to strengthen my resolve about Dan and remember all the reasons I never had a boyfriend in the first place.’
‘Hey, no,’ Seth said immediately, helping her to keep her balance. ‘I mean, yes, to the resolve strengthening. But, please, don’t think that all men are like Dan.’
What was he saying? This was not his business. He didn’t know Dan. After what she had told him he really didn’t want to know Dan. But it was not his place to comment on anything like that. However, he’d said it and she was looking at him and he wanted the ice rink to melt, turn into water and plunge him into its icy depths never to resurface until he’d learned some better lines.
‘I don’t,’ Lara answered. ‘Not all of them. I have my dad and Aldo, remember?’ She let go of him and started to skate backwards, very pedestrian but somehow staying upright. ‘Come on, less of the chat and more of the moves, Dr Mike.’
He smiled. ‘You got it.’
Thirty-Three
Washington Square Park
‘I like this one,’ Lara said, showing Seth one of the photos Susie had taken on her phone. ‘You look like you’re about to fall over and I look like an ice-skating goddess.’
They were walking up through the park following sketchy directions to Carlson’s Christmas World, which was apparently a block along from Washington Square Park on a piece of scrub land Carlson was renting for the season. Seth was becoming more and more unsure about this being in any way good for his career portfolio.
It was snowing lightly, decorating the ground, the benches and the chess-playing areas with winter white. There were still a few older men, wrapped up warm in coats, scarves and hats, playing chess despite the cold.
‘Maybe I should tweet it and add #LemurGirl. I know I wasn’t exactly trending, but it might be a cool touch,’ Lara continued. ‘I mean, I don’t want anyone else to be able to grab my title now I have one.’
‘No,’ Seth said quickly. ‘Don’t add that.’ The very last thing he wanted was for Trent to be gaining any momentum on his plan to pitch Lara’s heartache to Ellen DeGeneres.
‘Why not?’ Lara asked, eyes off her phone and now looking directly at him.
‘We should … make it more personal.’ What the hell was he saying now? It seemed like today he had total foot-in-mouth disease. ‘I mean … we’re friends, right? We don’t need any more publicity than that.’ He meant it, wholeheartedly, but he wasn’t sure it made any sense in this context. He wasn’t so great at thinking on his feet. His mom always said it was because he was too honest, and she always sounded so proud.
‘I accepted your friend request on Facebook,’ Lara told him. ‘You’re now one of the lucky people able to see all my photos from Truck Fest.’
‘I cannot wait,’ Seth said sincerely.
‘So, shall I share this photo of us?’ Lara asked him, coming to a stop right at the foot of the arch.
Lara’s hand was shaking a little. She was trying to pass this moment off as something of nothing, but it really wasn’t. The minute she uploaded this picture to her social media she was making a statement. She was telling the world, including Dan, that she was in New York with Seth Hunt and she was trying to enjoy every second. And when she wasn’t actively trying to enjoy every second she really was enjoying every second. The city, all the fun, unexpected things she had done already were so new to her, yet she’d found them more exhilarating than terrifying. This wide world was slowly being opened up for her, and she really wanted to just embrace it.
‘Lara,’ Seth said softly.
‘Don’t try and stop me,’ she replied quickly. ‘This was the plan, remember.’ Her thumb was still hovering over the ‘tweet’ button.
‘Plans can change,’ Seth said. ‘They can … metamorphise.’
‘He won’t care anyway,’ Lara stated. ‘Why would he? He has Chloe now.’
‘It doesn’t have to be about anyone else,’ Seth said. ‘It can just be about you.’ He paused. ‘Do you care that he cares?’
As Lara thought about his question people walked past them, laden down with shopping bags, heads bowed against the snow. Did she care that Dan cared now? After the single status and the Christmas market with another woman …
‘No,’ she answered positively. ‘I don’t.’ She pressed the button and put the phone back into the pocket of her coat. ‘Now, take me to this real bad winter wonderland.’
Thirty-Four
Carlson’s Christmas World
‘Oh my God!’ Lara exclaimed, hands over her mouth. Seth could tell she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and he was right there with her. Carlson’s Christmas World looked like the most unappealing festive expo you could imagine. He hated that Lara was seeing this and he was very glad that Susie and David had declined the offer to come and were instead staying at Bryant Park for more shopping.
At the entrance to the patch of wasteland stood two elves in outfits at least three sizes too small for them – one of them eating a burger, the other talking on his cell phone – and there was a food truck with thick, black, acrid smoke pouring from under the barely staying-in-one-piece awning. Just behind the entrance arch – a wonky structure part-covered in red and white balloons and tinsel – there was a tiny merry-go-round with half a dozen miniature vehicles covered in peeling stickers of Disney characters and some sort of tunnel alleging that it led to Santa’s Workshop. Finally, there seemed to be a woman selling glow sticks in front of a line of second-hand cars and a small badly fenced enclosure containing a miserable-looking reindeer.
‘I don’t know why I thought it wouldn’t be this awful,’ Seth remarked. ‘I’m only surprised that there are actually people lined up to go into this … mess.’
‘Is that a real reindeer?’ Lara asked. ‘Or someone dressed up?’
Seth adjusted his glasses and focused. ‘I think it’s real, but it’s not moving much.’
‘I’m not surprised,’ Lara stated. ‘It doesn’t look like it has room to move. Come on.’ She stepped boldly forward.
‘Lara, where are you going?’ Seth asked, wondering if he should follow.
‘To check the reindeer is OK and to get away from all the smoke!’ She marched towards the elves.
‘But,’ Seth started, ‘it isn’t open yet.’ He took a step towards Lara then looked back to see Carlson heading his way. What he really wanted to do was get out of here completely.
‘Seth Hunt!’ Carlson bellowed as only a New York car salesman could, tramping over the snow towards him. He was only around five feet four, but what he lacked in height he made up for in width. There was definitely a look of Danny DeVito about him. ‘Everybody! Just like I promised! The doctor is in the house! Dr Mike from ZKT’s Manhattan Med is right here at Carlson’s Christmas World! And he is gonna be opening the gates in just a few minutes and signing autographs for the whole of the afternoon.’
There was excited murmuring from the gathered crowd and their group seemed to do a subdued surge forward.
‘Wait, what?’ Seth said. ‘Carlson, Trent said I had to cut a ribbon not stick around. I have things to do this afternoon.’
‘Trent told me your schedule was clear for the rest of the day,’ Carlson said through gritted teeth, somehow maintaining a smile for his audience.
‘Yeah, well, Trent doesn’t run my entire life.’ His gaze went to Lara who was conversing with one of the elves.
‘But he’s your agent now, right?’
‘He’s on trial.’ And he would make sure Trent literally was on trial after this episode. He might even involve Judge Judy.
‘I don’t care if I have to duck under the ribbon that isn’t cut yet! I’m going to see that reindeer!’ Lara yelled from her position a few feet away.
‘Hey, who’s the chick?’ Carlson asked, his attention going to Lara.
‘I’m not seeing any Christmas poultry around here, Carlson,’ Seth answered. ‘If you mean who’s the lady over there then that’s my …’ He stopped then
started again. ‘She’s … with me.’
‘She looks like she’s getting a little Alanis Morrissette with my employees,’ Carlson announced. ‘Hey! Lady! We’re not open yet.’ He started to strut towards Lara and the elves.
Seth rushed after him, feeling that this whole interaction was not going to go well.
‘Do you have any idea how to look after a reindeer?’ Lara asked the tallest elf.
‘Do you?’ he retorted.
‘I do as it happens,’ Lara replied with a sniff. ‘And I have a brother who is almost an expert on every animal there is.’
‘Do you?’ the elf said again.
‘I do,’ Lara replied. ‘And that’s why I’m going in there to see if it’s all right. Do you even know what reindeers eat?’
‘Do you?’ the elf asked.
‘Oh my God! Are they the only two words you know?’
‘Lara, we’re not gonna stay,’ Seth said as he arrived.
‘What?!’ Carlson exclaimed. ‘I’ve got people here! Promises have been made!’
‘We have to stay,’ Lara said, turning to him. ‘We have to make sure the reindeer is OK. I mean, look at this crappy place. It’s not a wonderland. It’s like something out of a dystopian movie.’
‘Hey! I resent that!’ Carlson yelled. ‘And can you keep your voice down? I need people through the gate. I got a family to feed.’
‘What do you want us to do, boss?’ the shorter elf asked, his pointed hat drooping as he spoke.
The reindeer let out a discontented bray and that was enough for Lara. Before anyone could do or say any more she had ducked down underneath the festive ribbon and was striding purposefully towards the pen.
‘Hey! We’re not open yet! And it’s ten bucks!’ Carlson hollered after her.
Ignoring his protests, she kept marching, waving off the interest of the woman with the glow sticks and the man in charge of the awful roundabout. While she was power-walking, as best as she was able in the snow, she pulled out her phone and hit one of her speed-dials. She still had no idea what the time difference was between here and the UK but at this moment she didn’t care.
‘Lara!’ came the excited voice and there was Aldo, messy curly hair bouncing over his face.
‘Hey, Aldo! Just tell me you’re not driving at the moment, are you?’
‘I don’t drive or answer calls without free hands,’ he repeated like a mantra. ‘I’m at the garden centre. Mrs Fitch has made mince-pie cake.’
Lara’s stomach lurched, and she realised then she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. She would kill for cake right now.
‘Do you want to see the cake?’ Aldo asked.
‘I would, Aldo, but I’ve got something I need you to help me with.’
‘In New York?’ he gasped, then gulped. ‘I can fly too?’
‘No, just help me here, on the phone.’ She had finally reached the makeshift enclosure and the reindeer, who wasn’t looking happy at all. There was one vague patch of grass that wasn’t fully covered in snow and nothing else for him to eat. She switched the view on her phone around and showed Aldo the scene.
‘That’s a reindeer!’ came Aldo’s response. ‘It’s a porcupine caribou. Can you get closer, Lara?’
Lara held her phone nearer to the reindeer, moving it up and down its body and finally stopping at its sad-looking face.
‘Are you at a park, Lara?’ Aldo asked her.
‘Not really,’ Lara replied. ‘Actually, not at all, if I’m honest. I don’t think the reindeer looks very well.’
‘He’s sad,’ Aldo answered. ‘His eyes. They are not bright like they should be. Feel his fur, please.’
‘Hang on a second,’ Lara said, turning the phone screen back around and tucking the device under her chin. ‘What am I feeling for?’
‘His skin, it should be thick under his fur. If you don’t feel thick then he is too thin, and you need to feed him, then take him to the vet.’
She knew calling Aldo had been the right thing to do. Her almost-brother, the almost-vet. Lara touched the reindeer, talking soothingly to it as they went. ‘There, boy. There’s a good boy.’
‘Lara, we are not staying here,’ Seth said as he arrived at the pen. ‘I thought, that is, I had an idea it might be bad, but this is something else. I can’t open this place.’
‘Lara, who is the man?’ Aldo asked from the confines of Lara’s phone.
‘The reindeer’s skin isn’t very thick,’ Lara confirmed. ‘And he makes a noise when I touch him some places.’ She swallowed. ‘Not those places … just near the back of his back.’
‘You think the reindeer’s sick?’ Seth asked, sounding concerned.
‘Lara! Who is the man?’ Aldo called again. ‘Is the man dojo or no dojo?’
‘Sorry,’ Lara said, looking into the phone again and giving Aldo her full attention. ‘No dojo, Aldo,’ she said quickly. ‘This is Seth, he’s … a friend.’
‘Your new boyfriend?’ Aldo asked.
‘No no, just a … friend-friend.’ She had no idea why her cheeks were heating up so rapidly in this cold weather. Perhaps she had caught something from the reindeer. She moved the phone in front of Seth’s face to pass a few moments. ‘Aldo, say hello to Seth.’
‘Hey, hello, Aldo,’ Seth said, taking hold of Lara’s phone. ‘It’s good to see you. I’ve heard a lot about you.’
‘You are being nice to Lara?’ Aldo barked.
‘Yes I think … I—’
‘Aldo, I’m fine,’ Lara said, taking the phone back again.
‘Dan is not fine. Dan is dojo, no matter what you say.’
‘Aldo, I don’t want to talk about Dan. We need to talk about this reindeer. What’s the best thing I can do for it.’
‘It needs room to walk around,’ Aldo stated. ‘Fresh water and hay.’
Lara nodded, her mind already half-decided before asking the question. She looked to Seth. ‘Seth, we need to take him to the zoo.’
Thirty-Five
‘There’s no answer,’ Lara said with a sigh. ‘It keeps going through to the information hotline and telling me about the size of elephants.’
‘Carlson’s heading this way with the elves.’ Seth swallowed. How had he managed to get himself into this situation? The opening of a tin-pot Christmas whatever-it-was where an animal wasn’t being cared for properly. They had made a decision. If the reindeer was sick, then he needed proper attention. Lara was trying to call the Central Park Zoo.
‘Come on,’ Lara said, opening the gate of the reindeer’s enclosure.
‘What are you doing?’
‘Well, we can’t get hold of the zoo so …’ She stepped inside, the reindeer making no attempt to stop her entrance.
‘So …’ He wasn’t completely following events but Lara’s move into the fenced area was worrying. Did reindeers bite? Or stampede? However, from the look of him, any nature-given default to trample seemed to be overridden by general misery.
‘We’re going to take him there,’ she announced, picking up the end of a fraying lead that was getting damp on the cold ground.
‘What?!’
‘Hey!’ Carlson called, stomping towards them, a mad expression on his face. ‘What’s going on here? Some sort of animal welfare inspection?’
‘Something like that,’ Lara reacted. ‘Because you really need one.’
‘Listen, lady, this animal belongs to a friend of a friend and he’s in good shape.’
‘Who’s your friend of a friend?’ Lara asked, stepping up to Carlson, the lead still in her grip. ‘Bad Santa?’
‘Seth, what is this, buddy? All I was asking was for you to cut the ribbon, say a few words and sign your name a couple of hundred times. You don’t have to fall in love with the place.’
‘Well,’ Seth began. ‘That’s kind of where you’re wrong, Carlson.’ He adjusted his glasses. ‘You see, I’m now an ambassador for Stand for Wildlife at Central Park Zoo, so I can’t just come here, where there’s an animal, and ig
nore things if they’re not quite right.’
‘Quite right is pushing it, I’d say,’ Lara remarked.
‘Come on, man, I need this break,’ Carlson said with a shake of his head.
‘I can’t do it, Carlson. I’m sorry,’ Seth told him.
‘And we’re taking the reindeer,’ Lara said, stepping forward, out of the enclosure, widening the gate first with her hip and then using her free hand to open it further.
‘I’m not quite sure that’s an option, Lara,’ Seth said. ‘Do you know how far Central Park is from here?’
‘No,’ she answered. ‘But what other answer is there?’
‘You can’t take him anywhere,’ Carlson exclaimed. ‘Mickey! Kirk! Stop her!’
The elves moved forward, looking like they were trying to make themselves wider, arms hanging like menacing apes.
‘Stop me?’ Lara questioned, eyeing up Carlson’s little helpers.
‘Carlson, look,’ Seth said, recognising the fire in Lara’s eyes. ‘Let us take the reindeer.’ He didn’t believe he had just said that. ‘You avoid an animal health inspection. No one has to know the reindeer came from here. You can carry on with your …’ Seth looked around at what was left to entertain in the ‘park’. ‘Car sales and glow sticks and … Finding Dory carousel.’
‘But the reindeer is my USP. Everywhere in the city has everything else … and bigger and better.’
‘Are you going to get out of my way?’ Lara asked the elves. ‘Or are me and Rudolph here going to mow you down?’
‘Is this some sort of Christmas ruse?’ Carlson asked, folding his arms across his chest and seeming to look at the situation anew. ‘Are people gonna spring out and start a flash mob?’
‘No,’ Lara answered. ‘We’re just taking the reindeer. Merry Christmas.’ She strode forward, the dejected-looking creature putting one hoof in front of the other and plodding after her.