Page 55 of Kiss Me at Christmas
“That’s so cool,” said Isabel.
“I think I know who they are,” said Ricco. “They helped out sometimes at the old-person coffee mornings my granddad used to go to at the community center. They brought in snacks; one of them makes the best baklava I’ve ever tasted.”
“I hope they bring their snack skills with them,” said Carly.
“I’ve got raisins!” said Sid, holding out a small box of them for Carly.
“You keep them, Sid. But thanks.” Carly smiled at him.
Sid had been adopted as everyone’s little brother, andthey looked out for him and kept him in line accordingly. He had dark eyes like Billy and appraised everyone with the same intensity, which could be construed as confrontational if you didn’t know them better. Harriet knew this was simply the brothers’ way of taking the measure of people, seeking out those they could trust.
“Right.” Harriet clapped her hands. “Let’s sit and discuss what our next steps should be.”
“I’ve got some ideas for scenery,” said Isabel. “I reckon I know where we can get our hands on some free stuff.”
This made Harriet a little nervous, but she smiled and said, “Okay, let’s have a chat about that.”
“What shall I do?” asked Sid.
“You will be an important part of the theater team; we need to know what you think of our plans,” Harriet told him.
Sid grinned up at her, one front tooth missing. It was impossible not to adore him, and she felt a bit sad that in a few short years, all that childhood glee would likely be replaced by the same teenage scowls his brother wore.
James arrived as they were setting up chairs on the stage around Leo working on the floor. She’d say this for James, he didn’t shy away from a challenge. Harriet found that she looked forward to seeing him, enjoyed the burst of butterflies in her stomach at the first sight of him and the way those same butterflies settled into an easy peace in his prolonged presence, stretching and sunning their wings. But today those wings were lacking some of their luster. She was still troubled by the notion that he might be ignoring Evaline’s shoddy approach to building management.
“Um, guys, I just need a quick word with James about…acoustics. Talk among yourselves for a minute.” None of them needed to be told twice. She motioned toJames to follow her, which he did with a curious expression on his face.
She led him to the back of the dress circle and turned to face him.
“How much do you know about Evaline’s private lettings?” she asked without preamble.
He frowned. “It’s not my area. I deal mostly with her investment interests.”
“Are you aware that she doesn’t take good care of her properties? This one notwithstanding.”
He rubbed his chin. “What are you getting at?”
“I’ve heard things, from two sources now, which suggest that she isn’t as good a landlady as she could be.”
He looked awkward. She folded her arms. “I mean, sure, I’ve heard mutterings, the odd complaint here and there, but I’m not privy to the ins and outs—like I said, it’s not my area. I can tell you categorically that she isn’t breaking any laws—she’s meticulous on that score—but other than that I don’t get involved with that side of things. I have a full schedule of my own to contend with, and now a theater production to monitor too…”
Harriet pinned him with a hard stare, the one she used to crack her toughest cookies at school. The one that asked,Are you absolutely certain about that?
“What do you want from me?” James asked. “I only work for her. Surely an employee isn’t responsible for all their boss’s business decisions. Do you take issue with the dean of your school about all his adjudications? Why are you looking at me like that? It isn’t my area…”
She raised one eyebrow and continued to stare.
“Okay, fine,” he said, relenting. “I’ll look into it. I’ll do some digging and if I don’t like what I find, I’ll flag it. Are you happy now?”
She rewarded him with a small smile. “I think ‘happy’ is too strong a word, but I am satisfied. Thank you.”
James shook his head and muttered, “You should have been a prosecutor,” under his breath.
“You’re the one who said you wanted to do better.”
“And it seems you’re the one who’s going to make sure I stick to it.”
“Are you annoyed that I brought it up?” she asked.
