Page 126 of The Wake-Up Call

Mandy draws herself up. “But I am very happy to train whoever you recruit to work on our social media,” she says, voice wobbling slightly. “And I look forward to the pay rise that will be forthcoming once the hotel is back on its feet in the new year.”

There is a shocked, admiring silence, and then, behind us, the lobby fills with cheers as Harper hits the opening notes of an acoustic “December Kisses.” It feels like an appropriate response.

I don’t think Mandy will be calledPoor Mandyany longer. That name doesn’t suit her at all.

•••••

Izzy snuggles into me, shifting up the bench. It’s four in the morning, and we’re in the pergola, lit by the fairy lights. The trees reach above us, their branches criss-crossing the star-sprayed sky. My muscles ache from hours of dancing on the lobby rug with Izzy in my arms.

“So, I guess... Mandy won the bet,” Izzy says, resting her head against my shoulder. “She found Harper.”

“Does that mean we both have to dress up as elves tomorrow?” I ask, kissing the top of Izzy’s head.

“Yep,” Izzy says. “Looks like it. Good old Mandy. I’m so proud of her.”

“We have not made Mandy’s year easy,” I say.

“God, we were a nightmare, weren’t we? Do you remember that week back in January when we refused to communicate directly, and she ended up as the go-between?”

I snort. “Do you remember the time you moved the location of every single icon on my computer home screen and pretended the temp did it?”

“Itcouldhave been the temp.”

“Was it the temp?”

Izzy waves a hand, as if this is beside the point. “Do you remember the time you told Arjun that I thought his mousse was too floofy?”

“You did say that,” I point out.

“Notto Arjun.”

“Do you remember the time you glued my mouse to the desk?”

“That was actually an accident,” Izzy says, grinning.

“Do you remember the time we almost kissed in the pool?” I say, my voice quieter now.

“Do you remember the time I chased you down at the airport?”she says, her voice dropping, too, her fingers winding between mine.

“Do you remember the time I let you win at poker?” I whisper.

She gasps, spinning in my arms to look at me. “You didnot.”

I’m laughing now.

“Lucas! That is honestly the worst thing you’ve ever done to me. Worse than pushing me into the swimming pool.”

“I did not push you into the swimming pool,” I say.

Then she gasps suddenly, raising a hand to her mouth. “Oh my God. I’ve just remembered.” She grips my arm. “I put Christmas cracker jokes in all the guests’ cards last year, didn’t I?”

I smile. “You did.”

“So the Christmas card you got from me... the one I wrote for Louis, the one you laughed at...” She covers her face with her hands.

“It said,Why does Santa have three gardens? So he can ‘hoe hoe hoe’!”

“Fucking hell,” she says between her fingers. “I can’t believe you even laughed at that, to be honest.”

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