Sally locked the car and they made their way inside the shed to pick out a tree. They were buying one each today and they’d easily fit into the pickup truck Sally had borrowed from a mate of Gerry’s. ‘How’d you manage that?’
Lydia explained all about the slightly different angle her boss wanted to take with this piece.
‘Your boss is amazing. Hands down, the best boss ever.’
‘He’s not bad.’
‘And how’s Connor?’
‘He’s good, we had lunch today. He went on a blind date last night but apparently it was a disaster.’
‘He’s gorgeous, I don’t know why you don’t just go there already.’
‘Sally!’ Lydia giggled. She didn’t know either but somehow along the way they’d fallen into a friendship that was welcome and comfortable. ‘How about this one?’ She leaned in to smell the pine needles and ignored the pang of nostalgia of Christmases past.
‘How tall is it?’
Lydia stood next to the tree and going by her height they deduced it must be a touch under six foot. Sally asked the man nearby if they had another around the same height, as it seemed to be surrounded by much taller trees, and when he’d found one the girls were happy with, they paid, Sally bought a new set of white twinkly lights and they loaded up the pickup.
They stopped at Lydia’s house first and both girls managed to finally get the tree into its stand and relatively straight.
‘Gerry can do mine,’ Sally giggled. ‘I’m not doing another tree this year!’
‘Thanks, I couldn’t have done it on my own.’ Lydia filled up the tree stand with water.
‘Are you going to decorate it tonight?’
‘Maybe tomorrow. I’m dancing tonight so I’ll be knackered after that.’
‘You’ve been dancing a lot lately. Don’t get me wrong,’ she added when she saw Lydia’s face, ‘it’s great, but I just wish I could see a bit more of you.’
‘I promise you will.’ She felt guilty she hadn’t confided in her best friend but saying it all out loud would make it so real.
‘And you’re still coming to us on Christmas day?’
‘If you’ll have me,’ Lydia replied. ‘My sister’s all loved-up with a new man and invited me but at least you and Gerry have got through the honeymoon period and I won’t have to put up with you kissing the faces off one another.’
‘That’s true. We’re in boring domestic bliss now. Very dull.’ A look passed between them and when Sally said goodbye, Lydia left the tree and changed into her dance gear.
*
‘Hey you, how’s it going?’ She answered Connor’s call as she left the dance studio and attempted to shrug on her coat while she walked.
‘Either you’re walking,’ he said, ‘or I’ve disturbed something a lot more untoward.’
‘Very funny. Yes, I’m walking. I’ve just been dancing and I was hot when I left but it’s actually freezing out here.’
‘I know, I’m not far away as it happens. Just had a couple of beers with a mate and was wondering if you felt like some company.’
Lydia cut up the back street and followed the curve of the Royal Crescent with Georgian houses arranged in the same shape, opposite a lawn that afforded views of the park when it was daylight, and now views of the lit up outskirts beyond. ‘Where are you?’
He laughed and then Lydia realised she could hear it on her handset but also behind her. ‘You’re stalking me!’
‘Don’t flatter yourself.’ He kissed her cheek and they stopped for a while, marvelling at the Christmas tree standing tall and proud on the lawn and bedecked with what must be hundreds of white lights.
‘My tree isn’t quite as big as that.’ Her breath came out in white puffs against the cold air.
‘You’ve got your tree?’
