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They watched as Tom strode down the hill leading the reindeer who, thankfully, seemed unfazed by the jostling crowds and the racket from the sound system. Santa was joined on the sleigh by elves in jaunty green hats and stripey tights, throwing sweets to the children. As the sleigh neared the Christmas tree, Santa looked up and waved, and Jago, Tamara and Honor, feeling like idiots but carried along by the atmosphere, waved back. One elf stood tall and threw a bag of sweets at Jago which he caught skilfully.
‘Is that elf wearing stilettoes?’ Honor observed.
‘One sexy-looking elf,’ Jago grinned.
‘Got to be Ellie then,’ Tamara replied, referring to Tom’s sister, known for her short skirts and sky-high heels which were almost as sharp as her business sense. ‘Only Ellie would have the nerve to team a naff Christmas elf cozzie with five-inch heels.’
Jago shared out the sweets and they stood, chewing, admiring the just switched-on lights.
‘Is it me,’ Tamara said slowly, looking up at the lights strung high across the street, ‘or do those gold lights look just a bit like y-fronts?’
Honor peered closer. In between each silver star a pattern was made from the gold lights filling in the space. ‘They do,’ she gasped, beginning to giggle. ‘Or maybe hot pants Kylie-style?’ A distinct underwear-shaped image had been created, three of each, in intervals along the high street. Gold pants with an edging of twinkly white flashing lights. She began to laugh harder. ‘What were they thinking?’
‘What’s so funny?’ Jago asked.
Honor couldn’t speak for laughing so pointed.
‘What’s going on, Miss Martin?’
‘I’m sorry, Merryn, Tamara and I are being very silly. It’s just that the gold lights look like–’
Jago saw the joke and joined in. ‘Like knickers.’
‘Knickers!’ Merryn exclaimed. ‘You’ve said a rude word, Jago!’
‘Won’t be anything like the rude word the mayor says when he realises,’ Tamara said which started them all off laughing even harder.
CHAPTER13
‘FROSTY THE SNOWMAN’ – COCTEAU TWINS
Thursday 16th December
The following night, Tamara persuaded Honor to go out for Christmas drinks.
‘Come on, it’ll be fun,’ she said. ‘Get you in the Christmas spirit. Lucie and Jamie are coming too and they’re always up for a laugh.’
They all sat in The Old Anchor, the pub on the harbour, sipping cheap cider and eating crisps. What Tamara hadn’t mentioned was her boyfriend Chris was coming along too. Even though she was fond of Tamara, the girl irritated her sometimes. In her opinion Tam sometimes wasn’t nice enough to Chris. With Tamara being away so often their relationship was casual and Honor thought Chris was being strung along. She strongly suspected Tamara had a man in every port, as the saying went, and Chris was a straightforward sort of a guy who deserved better. A part-time relationship such as theirs wouldn’t suit her, but she supposed it was none of her business and Chris seemed happy enough with the arrangement. Lucie and Jamie, on the other hand, beneath all the banter, had a rock-solid relationship. Studying the two couples Honor tried, and failed, not to feel like too much of a gooseberry. She’d promised herself the next man in her life would be The One. And, if he wasn’t, then she wouldn’t bother. She sighed a little.If only she could meet him.
The pub was crowded but they’d managed to squeeze around a table at the far side of the pool table, a soundtrack of Christmas classic pop blaring out as a background.
‘These are disgusting,’ Jamie said, throwing down his bag of turkey-flavoured crisps as ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ blasted out.
‘I’ll have them then.’ Lucie snatched them up.
‘Your appetite for junk food never fails to impress me.’
‘I know, babe. That’s why you love me.’
‘We need to getyoua man, Honor,’ Tamara said, apropos to nothing but uncannily reading her thoughts. The cider was obviously hitting her. ‘What about him at the bar?’
They all turned to look at a man waiting to be served.
Honor pulled a face. ‘Looks nice but too much like my ex.’
‘Is he still working in Italy?’ Tamara asked.
‘Yup.’
