Page 64 of A Festive Surprise

‘Santa!’

Georgia and Farid laughed. ‘Iain Beaton is his name,’ said Georgia. ‘Beatie, as everyone calls him… When they’re not calling him Santa.’

This was more like the Halloween house of horrors than Santa’s grotto. Why the hell were they all so jolly? Holly whipped off her coat and Georgia hung it on the coat stand in the corner. Farid wolf whistled.

Holly threw him the daggers as Georgia grinned.

‘So, there are different bags,’ said Georgia, ‘with presents for different age groups. Your job is to find out what age the kids are when they come in, then hand Beatie the right one to give each child. That would be awesome.’ She bustled over and adjusted a string of lights on the wall.

Farid put one arm around Holly’s shoulder and whispered in her ear. ‘You’re the brightest star in the room. Smile and we smile too. Shine and we glow in your light.’

She made to pull a face at him but his expression was so sincere and intense. Did she really mean so much to him? This was getting way too deep.

‘Is everyone ok then?’ Georgia backed towards the door. Beatie and Farid nodded.

Holly followed Georgia to the door and stepped outside the shop with her. She shivered. It was arctic now she’d removed her coat. ‘As I’m doing this as a favour, will you do something for me?’

‘Sure, name it.’

‘Give some of the proceeds of this to the refugees from Syria. They’re not all as fortunate as Farid.’

Georgia patted Holly’s upper arm. ‘Absolutely. I couldn’t agree more.’ A queue had formed. Georgia waved to the first family and called, ‘Come and see me in the shop after. Show me what you get from Santa, assuming you’ve behaved yourself this year, Beth.’

‘Don’t I always?’ replied a tall, dark-haired woman. She’d been a bridesmaid for Georgia too. If Holly hadn’t downed so much wine that day, she might remember more.

A smartly dressed man with his hair pulled back into a neat man-bun held his fist to his mouth and coughed. ‘Ahem, right.’

He was her husband. Memories were returning. Not a bad looking guy.

The tall woman eyeballed him, a tiny smirk playing at the corner of her lips.

Holly welcomed them inside. ‘And who do we have here?’

‘This is Jack and Lucy,’ the man said. ‘They’re our nephew and niece.’

‘Ho, ho, ho, hello,’ said Beatie.

‘Uncle Murray, is that really Santa?’ said Lucy.

‘It looks like him,’ Murray replied.

‘And what age are Jack and Lucy?’ said Holly.

‘Jack’s eight and Lucy’s six.’

‘Great. Well, if the two of you would like to go talk to Santa, we’ll sort your presents. She plastered on her smile as she approached Farid. He’d already pulled out two presents from the sacks. She took them and stood by Beatie as he chatted to the kids.

Murray and Beth hovered by the door. He put his arm around her shoulder and whispered something. Holly looked away. Why did people have to be so happy? And show off about it? She hitched up her smile again. Jeez, she was a right Mrs Scrooge after all.

Jack and Lucy skipped out with presents, chatting and giggling with their uncle and aunt. Holly was in danger of contracting lockjaw as the next family appeared. This had to be overkill, right? Two couples came in with a bouncy round baby in a blue all-in-one suit. The man carrying him had to be his dad – same rosy cheeks.

‘And who do we have here?’

‘This is Angus,’ said the dad.

‘And what age is he?’

‘Six months,’ said the mum.

---