Chapter 47
47
I spot Tom in his shiny new BMW, waiting for me outside the airport. I reckon he would have picked me up from France, if it meant he got to drive it, because living in London means that, unsurprisingly, a car might just be the slowest form of transport.
The cold nips at my face, but it’s a different kind of cold from where I’ve just been. Even though I think it’s technically not as cold here, the UK cold is damp and dreary in comparison, but that might be because we’ve got icy rain instead of snow. Maybe the grey of the city and the exhaust fumes I’m breathing in aren’t helping, or maybe it’s just my mood. No prizes for guessing which one.
Tom waves energetically from inside his car, his grin wide and welcoming.
‘Hey, sis! How was France?’ he asks, the second I get in the car.
He is almost unnervingly chipper.
I make myself comfortable, immediately appreciating the warmth of the heated seats.
‘Hey, yeah, it was good,’ I say, not giving anything away, but also not sounding like I’ve had the best time.
‘How’s Caleb?’ he asks. ‘Is he still in France or has he come home? He seems like a top bloke. Honestly, that talk he gave me was so encouraging. And, bloody hell, he really worked his magic on Mum and Dad, they’re over the moon. Actually, they’re annoyingly happy. All over each other – it’s a bit much. You’ll see when you get there.’
I laugh, trying to picture our parents all loved-up, but I’m guessing it has to be seen to be believed.
‘I can’t wait,’ I say with a chuckle.
‘Their happiness is having a knock-on effect on Christmas,’ Tom continues. ‘We’ve got a big party planned for Christmas Eve, so you’ve got that to look forward to in a couple of days. They’ve invited absolutely everyone. They even told me to bring a plus-one – not bloody likely though. Watching our parents French kiss under the mistletoe would scare anyone away.’
I burst out laughing. Now there’s an image.
‘Yeah, I think that would test any potential relationship,’ I tell him. ‘Do you think we ought to try to break them up again?’
Tom almost cackles with laughter because that one caught him off guard.
‘You’ve got a plus-one too, you know,’ Tom adds, glancing at me as he pulls out of the car park. ‘You could invite Caleb.’
I shake my head.
‘I don’t think so, we only really had a working relationship,’ I tell him. ‘Plus, he has a lot going on. His girlfriend wants him back, and he is busy dealing with a PR problem. It turns out the guy who runs the place where we were staying set him up and tipped off the paparazzi about him being there.’
Tom’s eyes widen.
‘Wow. How do you know?’ he asks curiously.
‘The guy told me himself,’ I say, shaking my head. ‘He lived in the chateau where I was staying. He just proudly blurted it out to me.’
‘He sounds like a dick,’ Tom replies.
‘Yeah, I guess he was,’ I agree, feeling absolutely zero regrets that I didn’t spend more time with Henri.
‘Ah well, at least it’s Christmas,’ Tom says, giving me a nudge with his elbow. ‘Let’s go to our no longer broken family home, start drinking, and not stop until the new year.’
‘Sounds like a good plan to me,’ I say, trying to snap myself out of my funk. ‘Did my shopping all arrive?’
‘Yeah, there are loads of packages for you,’ Tom replies. ‘I hope you got me something decent. I think I’ve got something great for you.’
‘I can’t wait to open it,’ I say, finding a bit of genuine enthusiasm.
Despite feeling down in the dumps and a bit sorry for myself, maybe Christmas is exactly what I need. I’ve sent my latest (car crash of a) book to my editor, so I can stop thinking about that disaster. Spending time with my family is the perfect escape. I can take a break from reality, reset, and hopefully, in the new year, I can be a whole new me.
Yep, that old one. I don’t believe it either.