An Unexpected Christmas

by Lori Jennings

  April looked up and smiled a smile that was genuine and reached her hazel eyes. She shifted in her seat a little. 'Umm.' She twisted so she could read the cover. 'Lost In The Night. It's the romantic period drama one.'

  'Can you give me a brief synopsis?' I sent her a reassuring smile.

  'Sure.' She un-tucked her feet and twisted so she was fully facing me. 'It's set in the nineteenth century and it's about a young woman of inferior birth who falls in love with a Viscount. She had been covering for her employee, pretending to be her and he doesn't know who she really is.'

  I sat up straighter and swung my legs off the sofa and leaned forward. 'Do you think it's one I should consider?' I was coming to realise that I valued her opinion.

  She looked at me and I could see her trying to work out how to answer me. 'I'm not sure. Do you enjoy period roles?'

  I nodded. 'It usually depends on the period and the nature of the story.'

  'Well this one would be cravats, breeches and top hats, and it's a romance so it's all pretty light.' She looked down at the script then back at me.

  'Hmm.' I rubbed my chin and thought about it. I had done a couple of period films before I landed the Danger movie series and had enjoyed them and maybe something a bit more relaxed would be a good move.

  'Not really something you would want to do?' She looked as if she was interested in my answer and it was just something else to add to the list of things I found intriguing.

  'It's something I would consider. You can put it in the maybe pile.' I watched as she pulled the pile of papers closer to her chest and sent me the poutiest look. I wanted to stand and cross the room and kiss her on those pouty pink lips, instead I smiled. 'What?'

  She looked sheepishly at me. 'I might just finish it.' I couldn't help it, I laughed. 'I need to know what happens. I'm sorry'

  'Hey, don't apologise for that. If you need to know then you need to know.' Her smile brightened then she turned her attention back to the script in her hands.

  I picked up another from the table but I couldn't give it the attention it deserved. My eyes kept wandering across the room and I wanted to know which parts made her giggle and which put the huge grin on her face. This, I decided, was an incredible way to spend an afternoon. The silence was comfortable and the company, well, she was perfect.

  It was about fifteen minutes later that April let out a huge sigh and dropped the script back into her lap. She looked up at me and I watched as her smile crossed her face and she was grinning at me again. She picked up a post-it and pulled the pen from her hair she quickly scribbled something on it then threw the script onto the small pile of potential choices. She then ran her hands through her hair and stood. 'I need coffee. Do you want one?'

  'Coffee would be great, thank you.' I watched her pad across the carpet and disappear through the kitchen door. I reached for the script she had dropped to the table and turned it so I could read what she had written on the post-it. In her bubbly handwriting there were three words; breathtaking, epic, and romance. I smiled then leaned back into the sofa and let out a heavy breath. I realised that I was in great danger of falling for this girl. I hadn't had a serious and successful relationship in two years as my schedule had been crazy and trying to find time to see anyone would have been difficult, but April, she would be worth every second of time I could spend with her, I just hoped she would feel the same.

  Chapter Thirteen

  April

  Nate and I had made a decent sized dent in his reading and the afternoon had gone by quicker than I wanted it to. I realised that just sitting in a room with him, not talking or doing anything but read, was such a comfort. It was easy and I had fantasies of it continuing; of us snuggled up on my sofa in my flat, each of us with our own book and just being content. It was a silly, girlish idea and one that would never happen.

  Maggie and Ella had returned around five and Maggie had said a quick hello then after a change of clothes had headed out again. It was nice to see that she had a full life here in the village and I hoped that when I was her age I could be just as active and involved.

  As we had been left to our own devices as to what to have for dinner Nate suggested fish and chips and had popped out to the only fish and chip shop in the village. I was surprised that he took the Jag as I would never dream of stinking it out with the smell of fried food but each to his own. I wanted to ask to go with him but I thought Ella might think it odd and I didn't want to draw attention to the fact that Nate and I had been spending a lot of time together even though my main reason was that I still hadn't got a chance to sit in my dream car.

  While Nate was out fetching us dinner Ella and I were in the kitchen. Ella was sitting on the counter a glass of wine next to her while she watched me look through cupboards.

  'What is it that you're looking for?'

  I pulled a small pan out of the cupboard under the sink and placed it on the hob then continued my search. 'Gravy granules.'

  'Why do you want gravy granules?' Ella swung her legs and I nudged her out of the way to get into the cupboard.

  'To make gravy.' I found what I was looking for and placed the tub on the counter next to the cooker and switched the kettle on for boiling water.

  'Wait, is this a northern thing?' I took a spoon and added a few heaped spoonfuls of the granules into the pan and once the kettle had boiled poured it over them.

  'Yes, it's a northern thing.' I grabbed a whisk from the pot by the cooker and whisked the water and granules together over a low heat. I knew that the local chippy wouldn't offer gravy on their menu so had to settle for the quick version; it wasn't as nice as the gloopy gravy I could get back home but it would have to do.

  Nate walked through the door and the smell of fresh chips and battered fish hit me. He placed the bags on the table and began to unload their contents onto plates. Ella and Nate made their way into the living room; I stayed in the kitchen for a moment and piled my chips onto my plate then poured the dark brown sauce all over them. I smiled down at my loaded plate then grabbed a fork and followed them.

  Ella had snagged my usual chair so I moved around the coffee table and sat on the sofa next to Nate. I wriggled a little to make myself comfortable then stabbed a gravy covered chip and ate it happily. I stabbed another when I realised that Nate had stopped moving. I turned my gaze to him and saw that he was watching me. 'What?'

  He shook his head. 'Chips and gravy? I'm not sure that's right.'

  'Hey, don't knock it 'til you've tried it.' I smiled up at him.

  'Alright.' He pointed his fork at my plate, 'may I?'

  I lifted my plate up a little and turned in his direction. 'Be my guest.'

  He stabbed a gravy covered chip and looked at it, and then he slowly lifted it to his mouth. I watched him chew and then swallow. 'The salt and vinegar should not work with the gravy but it does,' Nate stabbed another of my chips with a cheeky grin and ate it happily.

  Ella looked over at us. 'You two are weird.'

  She shook her head but didn't say anything else. She picked up the remote and switched the channel to a Christmas comedy special that we watched whilst happily eating our fish and chips. Every so often Nate would steal a gravy covered chip and I would let him, glad that he was enjoying them. I wanted him to try real chip shop gravy as it tasted much better than the instant stuff but the chances of getting him anywhere near a northern chippy were slim.

  Ella took control of our viewing schedule and flicked through the channels stopping on more comedy shows. We had finished our food and our plates sat empty on the coffee table. Nate had lifted the tin of chocolates from under the table and placed it on the sofa between us. I had wanted to move it; to snuggle up to his side, to feel his warmth, have his arms around me and tuck my head under his chin but after only one kiss and not really finding out how he felt about it, or if he was sorry that it happened, it wouldn't really be appropriate. He had tried to bring the subject up earlier but I hadn't been able to work out if he was going to sa
y that he regretted the whole thing or if he wanted something more.

  I was distracted again as he reached for another chocolate and wondered where he put it all. He seemed to eat twice as much as everyone else but had the body of an Adonis. I guessed he was blessed with a fast metabolism and he seemed to run quite a bit so that probably helped. It made me feel a little bad and I made a mental note to make a real effort to hit the gym in the New Year.

  I focused my attention back to the TV but my mind was still on the man next to me. I wondered how many of the actors on the screen he had met or worked with? It was easy to see him as a regular person here in his mother's home but it didn't stop the fact that he was very much in the public eye and I would be kidding myself if I thought that something happening between us would be anything but a holiday fling.

  With my attention still on the screen I reached in to the tin next to me and as my hand connected with something warm I felt a tingling sensation travel up my fingers and settle in my stomach. I looked down at my hand and saw it next to Nate's. I looked up to his eyes which darkened slightly and I was lost for a moment. I couldn't quite read the look on his face and I wondered if I would ever get the chance to know him well enough to be able to; he seemed almost expressionless but I knew he must be thinking something.

  I moved my hand away, picked a chocolate and messed with the wrapper. Out of the corner of my eye I watched Nate stretch his fingers out then ball them into a fist. He let out a little cough then shifted in his seat, moving both of his hands absently. He pushed them up his thighs and back down again before coughing once more. 'Can I get anyone a drink?'

  'Gin and tonic for me, thank you.' Ella didn't even take her eyes off the TV.

  'Umm, same for me thanks,’ I said as he stood. He nodded then headed into the kitchen and I tried to focus my attention on the television but my mind had other ideas. I wanted to follow him into the kitchen and ask him what he was going to say about the kiss.

  A couple of minutes later he came back in, two tall glasses balanced in one hand and he passed one to Ella, the other to me, and then moved over to the drinks cabinet to pour himself a generous measure of scotch before coming back to sit down beside me. I could watch him perform menial tasks all day, the way he moved through the room had me captivated. It was half an hour later that Ella stretched her arms up, let out a yawn and announced that she was tired and headed up to bed leaving me alone with Nate. Once she had left the room I looked over at him and found him smiling back at me, it helped me to relax a little. It was odd that I felt so comfortable around him after only a couple of days but I suppose a lot had happened between us in a short time.

  'Do you fancy watching a film?' Nate lifted the remote off the table where Ella had discarded it and switched the TV off.

  'I don't mind.' I really just wanted to stay in his company and not head up to my empty bed.

  'How about a game of cards instead?' He was still wearing that easy relaxed smile.

  'Okay, that sounds good.' He stood and moved across the room to a bookcase that stood next to the window. He took a packet of cards off one of the shelves and then moved back to the sofa. I moved myself so that I was sitting sideways on the cushion and facing Nate. He sat back down then lifted the tin of chocolates off the seat between us and placed it back under the table. I watched his hands empty the cards out of the box and then shuffle them his strong fingers working diligently to mix them up.

  I heard the front door open and then close, a moment later Maggie popped her head around the door. 'Did you have a nice evening darlings?'

  'We did. How was your evening?' Nate smiled up at his mother.

  'Oh it was lovely. Clare Weston's son is getting married, and Kathy's daughter is expecting her second baby.'

  Nate flashed a fleeting look at me then turned his attention back to his mother. 'Well that's nice. Any other weddings or babies I should know about?' He asked it jokingly but I could tell that his mother mentioned people getting married and starting families quite often to him, just as my mother had been doing to me for the past five years.

  'I was just letting you know,' Maggie replied with a smile. She walked fully into the room and over to Nate. She leaned over the back of the sofa and dropped a kiss to Nate's head. 'Good night darling.' She stroked a hand over his cheek.

  'Night mum.' He smiled lovingly up at her and I caught a glimpse of the child he would have been.

  Then Maggie turned to me and said, 'it's lovely having you here. Good night.' Then leaning down she placed a kiss on my forehead. I felt a swell of affection in my chest for the older woman, she was so kind and caring and I could see why Ella and Nate had grown into such wonderful adults. 'Good night, sleep well.' She smiled at me and I watched as she retreated out of the room.

  When I turned back Nate was watching me. After a moment he spoke, 'It is, you know.'

  'What?'

  'Lovely having you here.' He grinned at me then, one of his famous grins that stretched across his face and wrinkled above his nose. It was an infectious smile and so I found myself returning it. He placed the deck of cards in front of him. 'Fancy another drink before we start?'

  I nodded and he stood to fetch me a refill. I leaned back against the arm of the sofa and thought how wonderful it would be to be a real part of this family. The only way for that to happen would be to tie myself to Nate and make his mother's wishes come true but it was a silly dream; one I knew I would visit from time to time once I got back to my mundane life after Christmas.

  Nate came back into the room and handed me my now full glass. I took a sip then placed it on the table and waited for Nate to re-fill his own glass and sit back on the sofa mirroring my position. 'So, what shall we play?'

  'I don't really know many card games if I'm being honest.'

  Nate had picked up the deck of cards again and began to shuffle them for the second time. 'What do you know?'

  'Well, I do know how to play poker.' I let out a laugh and Nate looked at me curiously. 'Sorry, I was just remembering the last time I played.'

  'And what happened the last time you played?' He gave the cards one last shuffle then began to deal them using the middle cushion as a table.

  'I managed to get a guy out of his clothes.' Nate stopped then looked at me with a very serious expression on his face. 'We were playing strip poker and he wasn't very good.'

  'Or just pretending to not be very good.'

  'Perhaps.'

  He dropped his gaze and continued to deal. 'How did the game end?' I knew he wasn't asking about the game.

  'Well.' I lifted my drink and took a sip, feeling a little mean that I was making him wait for my answer. I placed my glass back on the table, 'I went to bed and he slept in the room next door…' I saw a hint of a smile cross his face ‘…with my roommate.'

  His smile was bigger now. 'So regular poker or something a little different?'

  'What did you have in mind?'

  Nate picked up his cards and studied them. 'I was thinking truth or dare poker, what do you say?'

  I picked up my cards and smiled; I had a pretty decent starting hand. 'I say, let's play.'

  Chapter Fourteen

  April

  I did not win the first hand.

  I wasn't going to let one defeat shake me, I would get him on the next round.

  'Truth or dare?' Nate leaned back against the arm of the sofa and reshuffled the cards but kept his gaze on me.

  I thought for a moment; I had never really been one for dares. I had always been a little shy but with nothing to hide truth was always the easier choice. 'Truth.'

  'How long have you been single?' His expression didn't change.

  'So, straight to the good stuff then?' I joked. I didn't really want to discuss my relationship history, or lack thereof, with him but he had asked and I felt like I couldn't deny him anything. I took a breath, 'two years.'

  'What?' I could hear the shock in his voice. It was the same sort of tone that others had used when I ha
d mentioned it. I wondered if he would press for information and if I would be willing to tell him; I wasn't ashamed of my last relationship it was just it ended so abruptly that my head was spinning for quite a while afterwards.

  I lifted and dropped my shoulders in a shrug and waited for his response. Surely he would be curious, most people were, but then he wasn't most people, he was different. He looked at me for a beat but said nothing and passed me the deck of cards. I took them then gave them a quick shuffle and dealt.

  I lost again.

  'You could have warned me that you were good at this,' I scolded.

  He laughed and lifted his glass from the table and took a sip then placed it back. 'You didn't ask.' He sent me a cheeky grin and I felt myself roll my eyes at him. 'So, what's it going to be? Truth or dare?'

  I tapped my finger on my chin pretending to think about it. 'Truth, again, I suppose.'

  His expression went quite serious and I held my breath waiting for his question. 'How have you never been in love?'

  The breath I had been holding rushed out of me. I had wondered if he had remembered my confession about love and I hoped he had forgotten. I took my time in answering by taking a drink of my gin. 'It just never seemed to happen.' I couldn't think of how else to answer him.

  He watched me for a moment. 'I'm not sure what to say in response to that. I mean, not even a relationship in high school when you thought it was love?'

  I smiled at him and let out a little laugh. 'No, not even that. I was shy in school so never dated then I just never met anyone that sparked that feeling in me.' Perhaps that was changing though.

  Nate nodded then lifted the cards from the sofa cushion then shuffled them again. He dealt and I lost... again.

  'You really are bad at this.' He was laughing and I couldn't stop myself from laughing with him.

  'I know. I was hoping it was just a fluke but apparently I am rubbish at card games. So go on then, ask.'

  'Truth or dare.'

  I smiled and decided that I was happy sticking with my answer. 'Truth.'