Page 50 of A Festive Surprise

‘Don’t change the subject. And I doubt that’s what you saw. No one ever sees that, unless they know where to look. It’s very rare. More likely to have been lights from an offshore windfarm.’

‘No, Dad. I know what I saw. There aren’t any offshore windfarms near here anyway.’

‘Did you get photographic proof?’

‘No, but my neighbour did. He took photos on his phone; I could get him to send you them.’

‘I don’t want some random person sending me pictures. Who is this person? I need to write down their name and number before they send me anything.’

‘His name…’ Holly squirmed in her seat. This would crash through her dad’s bubble like a lead brick. ‘…is Farid Al-Karim.’

‘Pardon? And where does he come from?’

Holly groaned. Could she hang up and blame a reception blip? ‘Daraa.’ Her voice was hushed.

‘The place in Syria?’

‘Yup, the very same.’

‘And this person is living next door to you?’

‘Yes, Dad.’

‘Have you seen his paperwork? Does he have a permit to be here?’

‘Please, Dad. Don’t start that. He’s a refugee and he’s been through hell. Yes, he has all the paperwork. He spent months imprisoned in hostels waiting for it.’

‘Pah,’ said her dad. ‘Make sure you lock your doors at night.’

Holly almost laughed out loud. ‘No one locks their doors around here. And Farid is one of the most trustworthy people I know. I couldn’t ask for a better neighbour.’ Or lover. Best her dad didn’t hear that bit.

‘I don’t like the sound of that. Sounds like he’s trying too hard. Next thing, he’ll want to marry you.’

‘What? Why would he do that?’

‘He’ll see you as a free pass to staying in the country.’

Holly gritted her teeth. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Farid’s great and that’s all you need to know. I’m glad you’re feeling better. Take care. I should go now. I’ve got lots of work to do.’

She ended the call and threw back her head. Dad could be so pig-headed, bigoted and bloody-minded. Sometimes there were flickers of a jolly side but they’d been squashed out of sight for years. If he could have excommunicated her after the Gavin fiasco, he would have. Her behaviour got her what she deserved in his eyes. ‘I didn’t act in a manner befitting a lady,’ she said in a fake plummy voice. Not that he knew the truth of what had happened. Her cheeks heated and her skin crawled with cringy memories. They all thought Gavin had proposed to her and she’d turned him down. How could she tell them she was the one who’d brought it on herself? She’d misjudged Gavin’s feelings completely and acted like a love-struck fool, thinking it would be cool to turn the tables and propose to him.

Honestly, her family were a piece of work. With her mother always resentful Holly hadn’t been born with a penis and her father expecting her to be the pinnacle of ladylike decorum, she’d had a messed-up set of messages from an early age. ‘Ah, to hell with it.’ She was her own person now. What was her parents’ approval worth anyway? Her father spent his life viewing the world through his tinted glasses. How could he ever understand Farid? From the comfort of his upgraded Victorian townhouse in Kelso, he’d have to renovate his Victorian beliefs before he could comprehend Farid’s struggles. And how could Holly explain her feelings for him – when she couldn’t wholly explain it to herself?

Throughout the afternoon, she worked on the Mardicon and Co. project, trying not to let her mind stray to Robyn’s work. If she chased something new and shiny now, it would be harder to get back to this.

Engrossed in it, she only looked up from her screen when Farid’s door banged shut. She set her laptop aside and jumped up. After the unsettling conversation with her dad, she wanted to hug Farid and remind herself everything was ok between them. The Christmas tree twinkled in the corner, and Holly smirked. She prised a long string of tinsel from it before she left. He wanted her to appreciate the magic of Christmas, so how about this?

A few steps down the path, then up Farid’s brought her to his door. She rapped and waited.

He opened it and smiled. ‘You can come in, any time. I don’t mind.’

‘I thought you might be in the shower. I didn’t want to come in and freak you out.’

‘No? Don’t you want to come in and play?’

‘Maybe I do.’ She stepped into the hall, unravelled the tinsel and draped it over his neck, then pulled him close with it. ‘I missed you today.’

‘Same, jamilati.’ He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her hips against his. ‘I miss you every second.’

‘Merry Christmas.’ She rubbed against him, pressing her lips to his.

He kissed her deeply and smoothed his hands over her back, as though caressing a precious jewel. ‘Bahebek,jamilati.’ He ran the tip of his nose down hers before sealing his mouth on hers again.

Holly sighed into the kiss. The tinsel vines bolstered the bond of love spiralling between her and Farid. She wanted more of this. The happiness in her chest, the solace of knowing someone was there for her. She’d had a version of this with Gavin but it had always been more clinical and planned. What she had with Farid was raw and exciting. Before she could stop herself, she was hauling off her shirt and starting on his buttons.

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