Flora and Jim glanced round at once, their kind faces breaking into warm smiles.
‘And merry Christmas to you too, love,’ Flora returned happily. ‘Come on, come over here and sit next to me,’ she said, patting the spot next to her.
‘Sorry to keep you waiting.’ Sarah angled herself past Flora’s plump knees to take her place in the middle of the sofa directly opposite Nick. ‘I must have slept through my alarm,’ she added, once she was safely leaning back with her knees modestly pressed together and her robe arranged to cover as much of her bare thighs as possible.
‘That’s perfectly all right, love,’ Flora said. ‘You’re here now. Coffee?’ she offered, already leaning forward to pick up the coffee-pot.
‘Yes, please.’ Ignoring Nick—whose eyes had remained on her as she sat down—Sarah picked up a bread plate and helped herself to a croissant. ‘Have you all eaten yet?’
‘Jim and I have,’ Flora said. ‘Nick hasn’t. He said he wasn’t hungry. But I think he’s got a hangover.’
‘I do not have a hangover,’ Nick protested. ‘I feel fine. I’m just saving my appetite for lunch. But I will have a top-up of coffee, Flora,’ he said, putting his mug on the coffee-table and pushing it towards her. ‘With cream and sugar. That should keep me going for the next couple of hours.’
‘Did you enjoy yourself at the party last night?’ Sarah asked before she could snatch the words back. Truly, she was stupid sometimes.
Nick picked up his refilled coffee mug and took an appreciative sip before answering. ‘It was a typical party of that type. To be honest, I think I’m partied out at the moment. That’s one of the reasons I’m going to Happy Island. So that I can relax and do absolutely nothing for a while.’
‘You could do absolutely nothing here,’ Sarah pointed out, still hating the thought of his going away.
His dark eyes connected with hers over the rim of the mug. ‘I can’t, actually.’
‘Why not?’
‘People will bother me here,’ he stated matter-of-factly.
And get in the way of your spending private time with your girlfriend.
Sarah could picture them skinny-dipping in his swimming pool on Happy Island, making leisurely love in the water and everywhere else in the no doubt luxurious holiday house.
It was a depressing train of thought.
‘I think we should get on with present-giving,’ Flora suggested. ‘Jim, why don’t you play Santa this year? Is that OK with you, Sarah?’
‘Sure.’ She was more than happy to sit there and devour her croissant, telling herself all the while that she would stop at just one. Because if she didn’t, she’d be on her way back to Blubbersville.
But she needed the comfort the croissant gave her, needed to combat the dismay which was crushing her at that moment.
It was all so hopeless, Sarah thought wretchedly as she finished the first croissant in no time flat, then picked up another. Nick was never going to be hers. Not in bed, or anywhere else.
But then, you knew that, didn’t you? You were a fool to listen to Derek, even for a moment.
Flora’s gentle hand on her arm stopped her from stuffing the second croissant into her mouth.
‘Perhaps that can wait till after we’ve opened the presents,’ she suggested. ‘Pick one of Nick’s presents first, Jim, so that Sarah can drink her coffee.’
‘Thank you, Flora,’ Sarah whispered under her breath as she put down the croissant and picked up her coffee instead.
Jim rose and began moving the pile of presents around, Sarah’s stomach contracting when he selected a smallish rectangular gift, wrapped in sparkling gold paper that had Christmas trees all over it.
‘That’s from me,’ she said with false brightness when Jim handed it over to Nick.
Instead of Sarah feeling joyful anticipation at Nick’s opening her present, her main emotion now was anxiety over his reaction. Sarah knew he would like it. She just hoped he wouldn’t read anything into it. She would hate him to guess how she secretly felt about him. Hate the humiliation that would go with any such discovery.
Nick put down his coffee and ripped off the wrapping paper, frowning when confronted with the plain white cardboard box.
‘Not cologne this year?’ he said as he struggled to open the tight top, his short nails not helping with the task.
‘No,’ she replied. ‘Do you want me to open it for you?’
‘No. I’ll get it. Eventually. There. Done.’ Nick frowned some more as he upended the box and slid the bubble-wrapped gift into the palm of his hand. ‘I have no idea what this could be,’ he said with genuine puzzlement in his voice as he unwrapped it.
Sarah found herself holding her breath, rewarded when she saw pure, unadulterated delight fill his face.
‘I…I hope you like it,’ Sarah said, her cheeks colouring when his eyes lifted to stare over at her. Oh, goodness, she hoped he wasn’t jumping to any embarrassing conclusions.
‘What is it?’ Flora piped up before Nick could answer her. ‘Show me.’
Nick placed the miniature golf bag on the coffee-table for everyone to see before shaking his head at her.
‘Words fail me, Sarah,’ he said. But with amazement, not speculation.
‘Look at this, Jim,’ Flora said. ‘It’s a tiny little golf bag, full of the most beautiful little golf clubs.’
Jim leant over to take a closer look. ‘It looks expensive.’
‘Yes,’ Nick agreed. ‘It does. You shouldn’t have spent so much money on me, Sarah.’
‘Oh, it wasn’t too dear for a soon-to-be heiress,’ she replied airily. ‘I thought you deserved something special for having put up with me all these years. The clubs are made from real silver, you know. English silver. They have hallmarks on them.’
‘Where on earth did you get it?’ Nick asked.
‘I bought it on eBay. They have things you just don’t see in the shops.’
‘It’s an exquisite and thoughtful present,’ he said as he picked it up again. ‘I’ll treasure it always.’
Sarah’s heart swelled with pleasure. If nothing else, she’d pleased him with her gift today, his genuinely warm reaction lifting her spirits and making her realise that he did care about her. She’d seen the affection in his eyes just now.
If she could not spark his sexual interest, then she would settle for his affection. It was better than nothing. For a while there, over the last few years, she’d begun thinking he didn’t even like her any more.
But it was clear that he did. Maybe, once she grew up and got over this mad sexual obsession that had been tormenting her for far too long, they could even become friends again.
‘Now it’s your turn,’ Nick said. ‘Jim, give me that box with the red bow on it, please. Yes, that’s the one.’
Nick smiled as he handed Sarah the store-wrapped package. ‘Sorry it’s not quite what you asked for.’
‘What are you talking out? Oh, you mean the car. Well, I was only joking, you know. I can’t imagine what you’ve bought me,’ she said a bit breathlessly as she removed the bow then lifted the lid off the box.
Inside was a yellow car. A model of the one she’d mentioned to Nick. Not a miniature, but quite a large one. And not cheap, either.
Sarah laughed as she drew it out. ‘Look what the wicked devil bought.’
Flora