Page 21 of Five Gold Rings

‘You have a twin brother, that much I know… Noel?’ I reply. Eve nods in surprise. She told me, once, a while ago. I hope she doesn’t think I’m weird for remembering. ‘I have an excellent memory for these things. So can I ask, does Noel know about Chris?’ I ask tentatively.

Her face drops before she answers. ‘No. Because Noel would not react well and I’m not sure I can deal with that drama on top of everything. I’ll let him know after Christmas.’

I see the sorrow in her eyes, and it makes me want to give her a hug, to reassure her.

‘I get it but surely he would want to know, to make sure you’re OK?’

Her expression sours as she shakes her head. ‘I don’t want to spoil his Christmas, too. He’ll find out soon enough. I just don’t want to share that sadness or wear that shame tonight.’

‘Chris’s shame, not yours.’ I frown, realising that what she’s said suggests she’s planning to spend Christmas alone. That’s not right, and I want to say something but she’s already giving me a long, hard look. I don’t know if she thinks I’m telling her off.

‘So, I also need clothes…’ she tells me, heading into the clothes concession, trying to change the subject. ‘I’m thinking if we’re going to attend these grand proposals and weddings then we need to look the part and I may need to be without my Air Max.’

I nod as she throws a multipack of tiny knickers into the trolley. Don’t look at the knickers.

‘Do you have a suit?’ she asks me.

‘I have a dinner jacket. Is that too much? Will I look like staff?’ I ask her.

‘We may as well go all out. Is it a proper dinner jacket? Or do the trousers have Velcro on the sides so you can rip them off?’ she asks, sifting through a rack of black strappy heels, chuckling.

Is it terrible that I love that she’s mocking me? ‘Excuse me. I also have normal everyday clothes,’ I say unconvincingly in my elf garb.

‘Red or green?’ she asks me, picking out two dresses from a rail and holding them next to her. She could wear either and carry them off, but I need to look cool and constructive and appreciative of the female form without sounding like I fancy her.

‘I think the neckline on the red is a little low for a wedding. And the green’ – will go with her eyes – ‘has a more suitable hemline…’

‘Spoken like someone who has sisters,’ she says, throwing it in the trolley. ‘Now do I go with the big tinselly Christmas tree earrings or something a little more demure?’ she asks, picking out some earrings from a stand.

‘The Christmas tree earrings are a statement but let’s go demure, because if memory recalls, you don’t do bling,’ I tease her, raising an eyebrow.

She looks at me and smiles. It was something she once told me. I always thought it was funny that she worked in a high-end jewellery shop but never coveted anything in there. She was almost the very opposite.

She puts a gold stud pack in the trolley. ‘Ooooohhh…’ she says, her attention is suddenly caught by the rail of clothes next to her, and she starts to sift through the labels on the items. ‘Joe. Christmas pyjamas. They’re only four pounds a pair.’

I stand back for a moment, watching her so excited by this Christmas bargain.

‘Let’s get you some!’ she squeals. ‘They have your size. It’ll be fun?’

‘Are you still drunk?’ I look over at the pyjamas. They’re very red and the Ho-Ho-Ho motif is strong. This is maybe not the time to tell her I sleep in just my pants. Perhaps I should cover up if we have company.

‘I mean, I haven’t got you a gift. This could be my very bad novelty gift to you? We’re here for me but, I mean, we can pick up some food, too, some wine for tonight, stuff for the car whilst we whizz around London… On me?’

Her face beams with excitement and I’m not quite sure what to say. This is already a gift, Eve. Spending a bit of time with you. But I can’t say that now, can I? I also have got her a gift. It’s in my glove compartment. But I can’t give it to her. Not yet.

‘Well, I will not go through this alone. Only if you buy some for yourself, too,’ I say as she grins at me, shaking my hand. As she looks for her size, I notice two young boys standing there, looking through the rails.

Eve looks up and spots them, too. ‘Are you boys OK?’ One of them is clutching onto a basket filled with assorted gifts and cards. The smaller child nods but the older looks warier of us strangers – especially the one dressed up as the elf.

‘Are these really four pounds?’ the older kid asks.

‘I think so,’ replies Eve. ‘Are you Christmas shopping?’

‘For our mum,’ the little one replies, and I notice him tightly clutching some notes in his hand.

‘Are you alone? Is your dad not around?’ Eve asks, glancing about the place.

‘Nah. We don’t have a dad,’ the kid says, his older brother glaring at him for disclosing such information. Eve and I exchange a glance and I know she’s thinking what I am about these two boys who’ve come in here, on their own, to a large supermarket this Christmas to buy gifts and show someone they love them. It’s an act that would melt the coolest of hearts. I restrain myself from asking them how they crossed all those busy London roads on their own.

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