Christmas Project, The

by Morrey, Maxine

  I tilted my head, my frown deepening. ‘Are you limping?’

  ‘What? Oh, yes, maybe a bit.’

  I peered around his bulk at the bike behind him. Half the fairing was cracked and the paintwork was all scarred down one side. I looked up at him, my annoyance replaced with concern, a silent question on my face.

  ‘Some idiot opened his car door without looking.’

  My eyes widened.

  ‘Stupid bastard.’ He looked down at me. ‘I tried to call you, but I think I must have landed on my phone at one point, and it kind of ended badly for the phone.’

  ‘At one point?’

  ‘Yeah. There was some acrobatics involved. Quite impressive, if I do say so myself. At least a nine point seven.’

  He grinned but as he began walking up the steps, I could see the pain behind it.

  ‘You need to go to hospital.’

  ‘No, I don’t.’

  ‘Michael something might be broken!’

  ‘They gave me a good check over at the scene. It’s fine.’

  ‘But there might be something internal! Really, you should go. Please!’

  I heard the crack in my voice at the same time as Michael did. He stopped and looked down at me, the intense gaze full of question.

  ‘What’s going on Katie?’

  I took a breath. ‘Nothing. I’m just saying. Some injuries aren’t always obvious. It’s best to be safe.’

  ‘I’m going to have some bruises, that’s for sure but that’s all it is. I promise.’

  I nodded, and broke the gaze.

  ‘Thank you for your concern though. I do appreciate it.’

  ‘Janey would be devastated if something happened to you.’

  Not looking at me, Michael hesitated with the key at the lock for a moment before plunging it in and turning. ‘Of course.’

  ‘You know, you probably ought to rest. It must be a shock, something like that, apart from all your bumps and bruises. I can sort another time for this session, even if it’s the weekend, so that we don’t get behind.’

  ‘No plans for the weekend then?’

  ‘No, not really,’ I said, keeping my voice light. No need to tell Michael that all my recent suggestions for plans with Calum had come to nothing.

  ‘The man’s a fool.’

  ‘So everyone keeps saying.’

  ‘Maybe you should start listening to everyone then?’

  I let out a sigh. ‘Could we get back to you?’

  ‘Sure.’ He smiled.

  I rolled my eyes. ‘I should have known that would be a favourite topic.’

  He really did have a nice laugh, I had to admit that, no matter how infuriating the rest of him could be at times.

  ‘And what would you like to know about me?’

  ‘I’d like to know when best to rearrange this appointment for because you’re not doing anything this afternoon apart from putting that leg up and resting.’

  ‘Is that so?’

  ‘Yes, it is.’

  ‘You’re pretty confident of that considering you’re half my size.’

  ‘I am not half your size and besides, size isn’t everything.’ As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew it was the wrong thing to say.

  ‘How refreshing that you think so.’

  ‘That’s not what I meant and you know it.’

  ‘What exactly is it that you didn’t mean?’

  I glared at him which merely caused him to laugh again, briefly. The squint of pain gave him away.

  ‘Michael you might have cracked a rib. You really ought to go to hospital and get checked out.’

  He’d unzipped his leathers now and was wriggling out of the top half, struggling more than he had the last time I’d seen him do it. Automatically, I reached up and pulled the shoulder of the suit past his own.

  ‘Thanks. They’ve earned their keep today.’ He pulled the sleeve around and inspected it for scuff marks, giving a sigh when he found plenty.

  ‘They can be replaced. You can’t.’

  ‘Ah Katie. Are you saying I’m irreplaceable?’

  I levelled a look at him. ‘I’m saying there is only one of you. Thank goodness.’

  He smiled. ‘Fair enough. Look, I’m going to go and change and then I’ll be back and we can set to doing whatever it is that you had planned for today.’

  I shook my head. ‘Did you not listen to me?’

  ‘I did. I just chose to take another option.’

  ‘There is no other option. You resting is the only option.’

  ‘So you’re not staying.’

  ‘No. I can come back in a couple of days and we can catch up then.’

  ‘Right. But it was the living room you were planning on tackling today?’

  ‘It was. But another couple of days won’t hurt.’

  ‘OK. I’ll just go and change and then I can make a start without you.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘What?’ he replied, his face the picture of altar boy innocence.

  ‘You’re not starting anything without me.’

  ‘Why not? Afraid I’ll muck it up.’

  ‘I just told you why not!’

  ‘And I told you I’m fine.’

  ‘And clearly you’re not. You’re black and blue, you’re limping heavily and it’s obvious your ribs hurt.’

  ‘Only when you make me laugh.’

  I tipped my head back and closed my eyes. ‘I knew it would be my fault.’

  He laughed again. ‘Ow.’

  I gave a sigh of exasperation. ‘How on earth do your family put up with you?’

  ‘Practice.’

  ‘Go and get changed. I’ll make you a cup of tea.’

  ‘You don’t need to – ’

  ‘Go!’ I said, pointing straight armed at the stairs.

  ‘I’m going, I’m going.’ And he began climbing the stairs, unaware that the fact he was doing so slowly, one by one, unlike his normal jog of two at a time, told me everything I needed to know.

  ***

  ‘Kate?’ Michael called.

  ‘In here,’ I called back from the living room.

  He appeared at the door wearing tracksuit bottoms that had seen better days, a T-shirt that didn’t look too bad from what I could see and the zip-up hoody he’d thrown over the top and left unzipped also had some hope for it. We’d had a brief discussion about sorting his clothes at some point, but as these lived in the master bedroom and he’d already declared that as not needing attention, I was still unsure as whether I was ever going to get my hands on his wardrobe. Michael glanced down at his clothing.

  ‘I’m getting the impression my outfit doesn’t meet with your approval.’ His expression was hard to read.

  ‘You look fine. Why would I mind what you wear? And they look…comfortable, which is the important thing.’

  He gave me a look.

  ‘What?’

  ‘There’s a “but” there.’

  ‘There isn’t a “but”.’ How did he do that? I had to admit it was getting more than a little disconcerting.

  ‘Oh, there is definitely a “but”.’

  ‘Are you going to get your weight off that leg and sit down or not?’

  ‘When you tell me the truth.’

  ‘Fine,’ I shrugged. ‘It’s your discomfort. Doesn’t bother me.’

  Michael tilted his head in acknowledgement. ‘What are we doing?’

  ‘Basically pulling out everything that’s in this room and putting it into categories. I think half your jackets are down here so, for example, they can be taken and hung up in your wardrobe. Assuming you want to keep them.’

  ‘Perhaps I’d better ask you if I should keep them as you seem to have an opinion on my clothing already.’

  I rolled my eyes and said nothing. He chuckled and then sucked in his breath as his ribs protested. I glanced round but he was carrying on with the task I’d detailed. Bending down, he scooped an armful of jackets up and straightened. He said nothing but the pain
was so clear on his face it made me wince.

  ‘Right. That’s it. Put those down.’

  ‘What? Why? I thought this was the plan.’

  ‘It was the plan before you started auditioning for Cirque Du Soleil this afternoon.’

  ‘I told you, I’m fine.’

  ‘And I didn’t tell you, but you should already know, that I’m not an idiot.’

  ‘I never thought for one moment that you were.’

  ‘Then stop trying to pretend you’re not in pain. If you’re not going to go to hospital, the least you should do is sit down and rest. Look, sit there.’

  I steered him towards a space I’d already made on the sofa whilst he’d been upstairs changing.

  ‘Sit.’

  Mikey looked down at me and I held his gaze firmly.

  ‘I said, sit. Please.’

  A flicker of a smile played on his lips and he obeyed.

  ‘Tea.’ I handed him the mug I’d made.

  ‘You’re kind of bossy sometimes. You know that, don’t you?’

  ‘It’s not bossiness. It’s called being sensible and organised.’

  ‘Are you always sensible and organised.’

  ‘Pretty much.’

  ‘Let me guess. You were a wild child growing up but you’ve got all that out of your system now.’

  Boy, he couldn’t be any farther from the truth if he’d tried.

  ‘Not at all. Now. If I pull stuff out, then you can tell me whether it’s still wanted and we can start finding homes for it.’

  Something caught my eye and I crossed the room to get it. Upending the pile of goodness knows what that had almost covered it, I found a beautiful footstool upholstered in pale blue and white Toile de Jouy. Bending to lift it, I was halted in my tracks.

  ‘Don’t you dare.’

  ‘Excuse me?’ I said turning to find Michael approaching me. ‘And I told you to sit down.’

  ‘I’m not going to sit there and watch you heave furniture about. I know you consider me some misogynistic Neanderthal – ’

  ‘I never said that.’

  ‘You never say a lot of things.’

  I stuck my tongue out and he laughed, wincing again as he did so.

  ‘It’s a footstool. I’m not proposing I move a sofa on my own. Although, for your information, I’m quite capable of doing so and have done in the past, more than once.’

  ‘Then your clients should be ashamed of themselves for letting you do so.’

  ‘It wasn’t a client and that’s a very old-fashioned view.’

  ‘One I make no apologies for. So who was it? Not the boyfriend.’

  ‘No. And I’m surprised you’re not more modern than that. I can’t imagine Janey lets you get away with your dinosaur values.’

  ‘Janey is a very intelligent woman. She has no qualms about getting any and all heavy lifting done by someone else if it’s at all possible. You could learn a few things from her.’

  ‘I’ve already learned a few things from her,’ I said, raising an eyebrow.

  Michael looked at me and tilted his head back a little more, bravado kicking in. ‘Oh? And what things would those be?’

  The truth was I hadn’t learned anything about Michael from Janey that he hadn’t confirmed himself but the tease seemed too good an opportunity to miss.

  ‘Nothing you would be interested in. Just girl talk, you know,’ I said, airily.

  He narrowed his eyes at me.

  ‘Now. Can you please go back and sit down so I can get on with things?’

  ‘If by getting on with things you mean moving furniture, then no.’

  I threw my hands up. ‘You are entirely impossible.’

  ‘I am. At last, we actually agree on something.’

  ‘Fine,’ I conceded, ‘we’ll do it together then.’

  He smirked.

  ‘Oh, grow up.’ I said, which only proceeded to make him laugh and wince again.

  ‘Right. Ready? Go.’

  We moved the footstool, with me directing, to the sofa where he’d been sitting.

  ‘Down.’

  Michael glanced at me, but obeyed.

  ‘I thought this was going to be for you to sit on.’

  ‘It’s for your foot. I think it’s best elevated.’

  ‘Kate. You’re fussing way too much. It was just a bump.’

  ‘So you didn’t hit an open car door, get catapulted across a busy London street and narrowly avoid being squashed into the ground by passing traffic?’

  The thought, now voiced, made my blood cold and I felt the colour drain from my face. I sat down quickly on the footstool, my head feeling suddenly light. I knew it was just because the thought of Janey losing someone she loved would be so awful. Obviously I wouldn’t want anything to happen to Michael either, but I hardly knew him well enough for me to be as upset as I felt at this moment. I guessed it had to be some sort of ‘referred’ upset.

  Large, warm hands on my shoulders brought me back into the moment.

  ‘I’m fine Kate. Honestly.’

  I took a breath. ‘Yes, all right. But you should still rest. It’s common sense – something that was clearly knocked out of you during your exploits. Now please sit, before I have to ring your sister.’

  Mikey sat.

  ‘Foot up,’ I said, pointing at the footstool I’d now vacated.

  He looked at me.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  ‘I’m fine.’

  ‘You won’t be if you don’t do as you’re told. You’ll be nursing another broken rib. Now just put your damn foot up and stop being such a pain in the arse.’

  Michael burst out laughing and immediately regretted it. Unable to stop he countered the action by holding his chest tightly until he calmed.

  ‘You really are something,’ he wheezed.

  ‘I dread to think what you believe that “something” to be so I’m going to suggest we move right along now. OK. Let’s start with this pile.’

  Chapter Eight

  Four hours later and we’d made quite an impact. There were four boxes full of items for the charity shop and another full of recycling. I’d chucked the rubbish straight out. In between the organising, I’d made more tea and persuaded Michael to take some painkillers as it was obvious he was in more discomfort than he was letting on. As they began to kick in, his face relaxed and I felt a little more at ease with his decision not to be taken by the paramedics for a check-up.

  ‘It really is a beautiful house,’ I said, stretching my back and catching sight of the ornate plaster ceiling rose above me.

  ‘Thanks. I know I’m lucky to be able to live here. I’m sure you think I don’t appreciate it because of the state I’ve let it get into.’

  ‘No, not at all.’ And it was true. I knew it was all too easy to make sweeping judgements about a situation from the outside. And just how hurtful those judgements could be.

  Michael studied me for a moment, assessing me with those incredible eyes and that look that felt like he could see further than I might want him to.

  ‘My grandfather’s a canny man when it comes to property. He started out with nothing and built up his business gradually, taking on places that needed work and selling them on for a profit. All this area used to be cheap flats run by shady landlords. Maintenance was practically unheard of. Grandad got a couple of places at auction. They were in such a state and in a bad bit of town so there wasn’t a great deal of demand. But he felt that things were going to improve. Of course, everyone thought he was barmy when he said that, but he made similar investments in various parts of London and he got it right every time. There’s no way I’d be able to live here if he hadn’t had that insight all those years ago.’

  ‘So you bought it off him? He must have still done you a heck of a deal!’ I said, caught up in the story before realising that my comment was probably incredibly inappropriate. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to – ’

  ‘No, it’s fine. I actually rent it. We talked about me b
uying it off him a few years ago but he wasn’t ready to let it go. All the time that property values here are going up, it’s the right thing for him to do.’

  ‘You didn’t mind that he wouldn’t sell?’

  He gave me a quick smile. ‘Not at all. In fact, I was pretty damn grateful he didn’t.’

  I shook my head. ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘When I split up with my wife, she seemed to be under the impression that I owned this and wanted it sold and half the profits.’

  ‘Oh. You never told her you rented?’

  ‘I never told her I owned it. She assumed. And I assumed she knew it wasn’t mine. It was all kind of a whirlwind thing, her and I getting together. And then I guess because I did all the maintenance and so on, she just thought I owned it.’

  ‘She didn’t get a clue from bills and stuff?’

  ‘Angeline never bothered herself with little things like that. I paid all the bills, handled all the paperwork. Which I was happy to. It wasn’t really her thing.’

  ‘I’m not sure it’s anyone’s “thing”. You just have to get on and do it.’

  ‘Unless you have some mug to do it for you.’

  I pulled a face, unsure what to say.

  ‘If I’d have realised what she thought I would have told her, of course! It just never occurred to me that she thought I was wealthy enough to own a place like this.’

  ‘She never asked to contribute to the mortgage when she moved in?’

  Michael pulled a face. ‘No. That’s not really her style.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘Anyway, the look on her face was pretty priceless when we split up and she realised that nothing to do with the property is in my name. It’s all in Grandad’s. So she couldn’t touch it.’

  ‘I imagine she was a little put out.’

  The lips quirked again. ‘You could say that.’

  ‘Grandad just smiled when I told him. He told me I’d worked hard in helping him on this house in holidays and stuff, so it would have been wrong to have to split it with someone who didn’t love it like I did.’

  ‘He didn’t trust her.’

  ‘No. I don’t think he did. She wasn’t exactly into family the same way I am. It was always a bone of contention between us.’

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  Michael flashed me a look. ‘Thanks. All in the past now though.’

  ‘So you helped work on this place?’ I said, glancing around and sensing that moving the subject on might be for the best. ‘That’s great! I love Georgian architecture. They really had some wonderful ideas about light and space.’