Runaway Christmas

by Swati Sharma

  Gingerly, I moved closer to the bed and wondered how would it be like snuggling right next to him under the blanket but I stopped my wandering mind right there. He stirred slightly in the bed and my heart almost stopped beating for a moment but thankfully he didn’t wake up. I didn’t want to come across as the creep, but it was calming to stare at his handsome face without making him uncomfortable or making me feel like a pervert. Seconds later when I regained my senses, I had decided that I probably shouldn’t wake him up as he looked so peaceful in his sleep and probably should crash on the couch but as I moved away from the bed, I bumped into the nightstand. The vintage alarm clock on it fell down by the impact, rolled across the room, smashed against the wall and scattered on the floor. As the tiny needles and the parts of it rolled across the room, I looked at it with the horror. All the commotion made Connor snapped out of his sleep.

  “What the hell just happened?” his voice was raspy. Raspy in a good, sexy way.

  “Oh, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up” I Said as I knelt on the floor and gathered the parts of the alarm clock. From the corner of my eyes, I stole a glimpse of him. He was staring at me. Suddenly he jumped out of the bed. My heart winched at the thought that he might be leaving.

  “I am sorry, I shouldn’t be here. But I was actually very tired and just wanted to sleep a little. I asked Martha if she has a spare room where I may doze off for a while but unfortunately the entire place is full and she suggested that I could use this room for some time as you were busy in the kitchen and this is the only free space she had for me. My bad! I should have asked you before crashing into your bed” he looked slightly embarrassed as he fumbled with the chain on his boots. He grabbed his jacket from the couch and hung it over his broad shoulders.

  “It’s alright. You don’t have to apologise” I said as I got up from the floor and carefully placed all the pieces of the clock in a gold decorative bowl on the mantel and suddenly I was distracted by the fact that there was no fire in the fireplace and the room was quite cold. “It’s any way past midnight and winds are very strong outside. It’s snowing on and off. I insist that you stay here for the night. We have a spare couch in the room” I felt my ears going red as I mustered a bright smile. Without uttering a word Connor walked to the window and looked outside. The white dusting was everywhere as long as one could see, though it looked magnificent under the yellow street lights, it was harsh and bitterly cold outside. An hour back, when it stopped snowing, it felt like the storm had passed but when it started snowing again, the shit got out of hands. Thank god that people in the cafe left for their homes at the right time.

  “Are you sure it’s ok if I stay back for a night?” Connor asked as he turned towards me and looked straight into my eyes.

  “Ye...ye...yes. Absolutely!” I struggled to find the words. His eyes were intense. He took off his jacket and hesitantly placed it back where it was. His abs were clearly visible under his t-shirt and suddenly I realised that I was staring at them unashamedly as Connor stood there watching me quietly. Quickly I turned on my heels and walked towards the fireplace in order to dissipate the air of awkwardness lurking in the room. “It’s too cold over here” I mumbled casually “we should put on the fire,” I said as I cluelessly stood in front of it. Back in London, I had the wall mounted electric fireplace which I could operate right from my bed through the control which came with it. See how easy? “Can you help?” I pointed at the fireplace.

  “Sure” Connor walked across the room and get on with the task as I stood there, my eyes on every moment of his. Not that I was trying to learn how to put on the real-time fire in the real fireplace but I was simply enjoying what I was seeing. “Here we go,” he said as the wood started to burn and fill the room with the soft glow and warmed up the freezing air in minutes.

  He took his place on the couch and I gingerly perched on the edge of the bed, not sure what to do next. I didn’t know for how long we sat in silence before Connor asked “Why are you even here?”

  “Well, I was here for a project which my client scrapped off before I could even start” I retorted and Connor’s lips curved into a charming smile. His smile made my heart flutter. No man ever had this kind of effect on me. I knew him for less than forty-eight hours but there was something about him which was making it impossible for me to take my mind off him. In a short span of time, I had grown fond of having him around and this was the reason why I didn’t want to let him go home tonight. I wondered how was it humanly possible to fall so quickly for someone you barely knew. Maybe it was because, in a long time, I had found someone who was actually talking to me without cutting me off or completely ignoring me as if I was not in the room, like my ex-fiancé. I hadn’t remembered talking to him in last six months when he didn’t ignore me whenever I attempted to talk to him. To make it even worse, he always pretended to be engrossed on his phone. Honestly, I was surprised to the core when Connor let me vent out and cry without judging me or asking me to shut up. I had to admit that I was completely bowled by his chivalry and gesture.

  “Honestly, why are you here? I know the bit where you said that your boyfriend had dumped you but I am sure you must have a family and friends back at home to support you through the tough times” He locked his eyes into mine and as if his gaze hypnotised me, I ended up telling him how I encouraged my parents to go to India for New Year and how I was done with the prying eyes and sympathetic attitude of my friends. “Also, he was my not just a boyfriend but was my fiancé” I added.

  “You are such a strong woman” he refused to take his eyes off mine. “Instead of crying over the whole situation or feeling sorry for yourself, you moved on to your work. Incredible”. I found myself lost for words. Only if he knew that I had locked myself in my apartment and cried my heart out for days at the end and when I couldn’t take it anymore, I gathered my stuff in the suitcase and left at the first opportunity that came to my way. Suddenly I realised, that I had spoken my thoughts out loud. “I am sorry! Did I just say that?” Connor tilted his head slightly to the side as if he was trying to read me and absorb it all at the same time. “I’ll say it again. You are a strong woman” As soon as he said those words, the tears rolled down my cheeks and I had no idea why. Never in my life before anything or anyone had made me feel so vulnerable yet so strong but Connor had just managed to do that. I straightened my back and took a deep breath. When I came to Sprinklefiled, I hadn’t planned to cry in front of a handsome stranger whom I had just met, in a row for two days.

  “Thank you” I mouthed as I got up and walked to the window, Connor’s eyes were unnerving me. “It’s so beautiful outside” I spun to look at him. “It’s the prettiest village in the whole county” he smiled as took off his boots. Lying down on the couch, he used the thickly knitted throw as a blanket which was barely covering his tall frame. It was past midnight and I had no strength for changing the clothes, forget about a long bubble bath. I eased myself in the bed which was creased at the places where Connor had been sleeping. I could smell his sent in the sheets and suddenly it felt like being in his arms. One thing I was sure of, I was going to have the best sleep in a long time.

  “If you don’t mind can I ask you one thing?” I said as I pulled the blanket to my chin and rolled to my side.

  “Sure!” He looked at me from over the blanket.

  “Why did you call off the wedding?” I asked gingerly.

  “Tania, my fiancée, went cold feet. She is a lawyer in London and suddenly she realised that it’s not a right time for her to get married especially when she has been offered a promotion in Australia. She chose her career over me” as he said it I noticed his jaw had tightened. Despite his best efforts, he failed to hide his anger. What kind of girl would choose something else over a guy like him?

  “Good night Mia”

  “Good night Connor”

  Chapter Eight

  1 week later

  It was Christmas Eve and I was making the fifth batch of Snow-cappe
d fairy cupcakes while Pete was busy in making gingerbread stars. From the window I could see people gathering at the village square which had a huge Christmas tree in the middle of it; beneath it was a choir singing the Christmas carols. People at the square were enjoying the carols, moving around the market stalls, tasting the food, buying candy canes, sipping mulled wine and enjoying the treat of the giant chocolate fountain and marshmallow sticks. The café was also buzzing with visitors who were having a jolly good time in chatting, laughing and feasting over freshly baked mushroom quiches, walnut brownies, carrot cakes, cupcakes, gingerbread stars, mince pie and hot chocolate. The entire place was filled with the aromas of cinnamon, roasted chestnut, butter, and chocolate.

  Four trays of the cupcakes were in the oven as I whizzed up the orange flavor icing. First I whisked the mixture of eggs, orange juice into a heatproof bowl, sift in the icing sugar while holding the bowl tightly over the pan of simmering water, then I whisked it further after removing it from the heat and there I got the perfect glossy soft peaks. I was marveling at my achievement in the bowl when I felt a hand around my waist and as I swirled on my heels, Connor lightly brushed his lips on mine.

  “Merry Christmas Mia” Connor murmured as he nuzzled my neck.

  “Merry Christmas to you too” I gave a light peck on his cheek.

  “Er...err.... we need more quiches outside,” Pete said as he walked into the kitchen and made me jumped two inches in the air. Connor avoided looking at Pete as he was as embarrassed as I was.

  “It’s in that oven” I pointed at one of the three ovens and remained as poised as I could. Pete loaded the tray with beautiful brown and warm mini quiches and walked out the kitchen as fast as humanly possible. Connor let out a deep breath that he had been holding. It’s not that we were doing something illegal; it’s just that Connor was not so comfortable with the PDA. It had been three weeks since I had arrived in Sprinklefield but things had turned faster than I could ever imagine. Lately, I and Connor had been spending some quality time together. Honestly, there were no promises and no rebound romance between us and we were just going by our hearts and our instincts. We were in no hurry to label what we had between us, though sometimes I jokingly call it Christmas romance. We were totally enjoying being with each other. I was still working for Martha and loving every single moment that I have been spending in her tiny café, though she was not paying me but was letting me stay here without paying a dime. Jack was still recovering from his fall. My assistant Sara was efficiently taking care of everything in my office back in London and I was coordinating with her over the phone and through emails. I had finally managed to get the charger for my phone but was only using my phone when it was absolutely required. As far as Connor’s cottage was concerned, which was the main reason why I came here, he had decided to get it refurbished because the dreadful condition that it was in, it’s not attracting the right buyers which means that I would be here for little longer than I had anticipated and frankly I had no hurry or reason to go back home just now.

  “I will be in the café. Finish off your work fast and I might whisk you away for the Christmas dinner at my place tonight” Connor winked as he grabbed one of the cupcakes that I was icing and decorating with the silver and red sprinkles and edible glitter. As he took a bit of it, he closed his eyes and relished the gooey deliciousness. “Mia, you are seriously an amazing baker,” he said as he licked the crumbs from his fingers. Wasn’t it amazing that I had still got the heck of it despite not baking a thing in last two years but since I had arrived in Sprinklefield, I had baked every single day in last three weeks and I had enjoyed every moment of it. As Connor walked out of the kitchen, I finished icing the cupcakes and couldn’t help but think that this was not how I had expected to spend my Christmas but this was definitely the best Christmas that I could ever ask for.