Page 124 of Christmas off Script
‘Leo! What should I write?’ Ella asked. ‘Australia or America?’
‘America,’ he replied.
Kurt sat back in his chair, shaking his head.
‘What year was the first Christmas card sent?’ Derek asked.
Ella immediately scribbled the answer.
The tension in Leo’s stomach eased as they correctly answered the remaining questions, and ten minutes later they were done.
Derek collected their answer sheets and sat at his table to mark them. ‘Five-minute break, then I’ll announce the winners,’ he called out.
Zach wheeled over to their table. ‘That was fun. Who knew there’d be so many questions about Australia?’
Leo ground his teeth.
‘Ella, fancy that drink now?’ he continued.
‘Um…’ She glanced at Leo. ‘Do you want anything?’
Zach and Kurt to fuck off to Australia?He shook his head. ‘I’m good. Do you think there’s enough room at the bar for the two of you?’
Ella patted the enormous box around her. ‘People will get out of the way. Zach’s famous and I’ve got presence.’
Despite how annoyed he was, Leo snorted with laughter.
Zach and Kurt gave him an odd look.
‘You know, presence as in, “I have a great presence”,’ Ella explained to them, ‘and present with a t because I’m a walking gift.’
‘Oh,’ Zach said. ‘I get it now. And youarea gift, Ella. Who wouldn’t want to findyouunder their tree?’
Oh shut up, you arse!
Ella laughed nervously.
‘I’ll come with you to the bar as well,’ Kurt said, seemingly keen to get back into the Ella-sphere. ‘I can carry the drinks.’
‘Okay,’ she said in a determined way, as if about to tackle an unpleasant task. ‘Let’s go and prematurely celebrate our inevitable win.’ She glanced through the crowds towards the bar, then froze, her face draining of all colour.
Leo followed her gaze, his heart juddering to a halt.
Ronnie Chamberlain had entered the pub.
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Leo reached for Ella, his hand clasping tightly around hers as she moved closer to him.
Ronnie looked older, smaller, greyer. His face was lined and his expression grim as he surveyed the pub.
Moving in front of Ella, Leo blocked her from his view.
‘What’s going on?’ Zach asked from his wheelchair.
‘Ronnie,’ Kurt replied, then stalked to where Derek was hunched over the quiz answer sheets and leaned down to talk to him.
Derek was on his feet in an instant, striding through the crowds to Ronnie’s side.
