The Christmas Party (13 page)

He grinned across at her and she smiled softly back. That look, he knew, was reserved just for him. Next year would be different, he thought. He’d stop all this messing about. He was getting too old for it and he didn’t want to end up like Lance. His new year’s resolution would be to get fitter, healthier. He’d give up drinking, actually go to the gym when he said he was there. He’d ditch the other women, Melissa being at the top of the list. It was time to turn over a new leaf. From now on, it would be just him and Kirsten.

Then, across the room, Louise caught his eye. She was sitting next to Josh Wallace, head thrown back in laughter. Clearly, his right-hand man was being very amusing. They could have done with some of his hilarity at this table. His mouth went dry. God, she looked sexy tonight. In the office she was always wrapped up in jumpers and such. The sort of stuff librarians probably wore. It didn’t stop her from being attractive, but he’d never known that she could look like this. Her neck was long, slender. Her throat was flushed. There was a brightness, a sparkle in her eyes that he also hadn’t noticed in the office. She wasn’t just a looker, she was sharp too. A challenge. He liked that.

What he didn’t like was how cosy she looked with Josh. Tyler stroked his chin as he watched them. They were on a table with the rest of the sales managers. What a motley crew they were. Lazy bastards every one of them. They’d all rather be lounging in the office, hanging round the secretaries, rather than out there in the harsh world, making deals. Except for Mr Super Sell Himself, of course, the inimitable Josh Wallace. That man could sell ice to Eskimos, and he’d saved Tyler’s bacon more than once.

Tyler had seen his potential when he’d first started at Fossil Oil and had taken him under his wing to groom for superstardom. But, recently, there were some days he felt that Josh just wasn’t grateful enough. He was getting far too big for his boots. Too many people were noticing just how good he was. The man seemed to believe that he now ran Fossil single-handedly with nothing more for support than an iPad and a top-of-the-range Audi.

Tyler glowered at him. If he hadn’t been such a good salesman and brought in so much money for the department, Tyler might have been tempted to sack him, just to take him down a peg or two. Then he’d learn that there was no such word as ‘indispensable’ in the oil business.

It was only the fact that his sales figures were so strong that protected him. In times of recession every other sales manager’s figures were down, yet Josh continued to buck the trend. Thank Christ. If Josh Wallace went, and left him exposed, then it would be Tyler’s head above the parapet.

‘Tyler?’ Kirsten was frowning now. ‘You’re staring.’

He snapped his attention back to his wife. ‘Sorry. Just thinking about something the head of the refinery told me. We’ve got a few issues there.’

Despite his attempted deflection, Kirsten scanned the room until she settled on where his gaze had been. Her eyes fixed on Louise, who happened to look up at the same time. His assistant smiled in their direction, but Kirsten’s features were frozen.

‘We may have a few here,’ she said coolly.

It would serve him well to remember that Kirsten was a jealous woman. A jealous woman with a penknife in her handbag. Tyler shuddered.

Kirsten’s expression was grim, but before he could begin an explanation – or even think of one – the main course was served.

So often at these big corporate events, the food was disappointing, yet this looked like the real deal. There was a tranche of succulent white turkey breast, golden roast potatoes and all the trimmings. Now Tyler was ravenous. Apart from a few spoonfuls of the soup, he hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Lunch had involved a meeting with the Business Development team and three cups of strong black coffee.

As he contemplated the deliciousness of the dinner in front of him, Lance stood up and lurched forward. ‘Is it time for my speech yet?’ he said, knocking the table.

Tyler lunged to steady it, but misjudged his movement. His elbow caught the edge of his dinner plate and he catapulted his Christmas dinner, with astonishing precision, right into his own lap.

‘Oh my,’ Melissa said.

He sat there wishing he was anywhere else. There was a mound of creamed potatoes covering his groin, with a bacon-wrapped sausage sticking out of it which looked quite obscene.

‘Oh, Tyler,’ Kirsten said, voice heavy with exasperation.

‘I was only trying to help,’ he protested.

Melissa was the first to galvanise herself into action. She swept up his
Merry Christmas to One and All
napkin and set to mopping his lap, scraping away the potatoes with more enthusiasm than perhaps an uninterested party might have.

‘You can’t let Lance give this speech,’ she whispered to him when she had her back to the table.

‘How am I going to stop him?’ Tyler hissed back as he bent forward to put his ear closer to her mouth.

There was gravy as well as soup on his shirt now. He even found an errant sprout in his suit pocket.

‘I need to be alone with you before then.’

‘I have no idea how we’re going to get away.’ He had to be careful. Kirsten seemed to have eyes in the back of her head tonight.

‘We have to try. I have something that I need to tell you urgently.’

On a night that was already proving to be testing, that was music to Tyler’s ears.

Chapter Fourteen

The very second my soup is put in front of me, my phone rings. I rummage under the table and find it in my handbag. It’s Dad.

‘Excuse me,’ I say to Josh. ‘I need to take this. Urgent call.’

‘Is there a problem?’

‘I hope not.’ I rush back out to the anteroom where the drinks reception was held, heart in my mouth. Like every mother who is away from her child, I instantly start to fear the worst. I can feel Tyler Benson watching me as I leave.

As I hit the now-empty room, I head for the winter wonderland display. ‘Hi, Dad. What’s wrong?’ My voice sounds too loud and echoey in the vast space.

‘Oh, nothing, love,’ he says. ‘Just wanted to tell you that we got home safely and to see if you were all right.’

‘I’m fine.’ I start breathing again. ‘Is Mia OK?’

‘Fine, love. She’s tired. It’s way past her bedtime.’ Said for Mia’s benefit, not mine. ‘And Gramps has been teaching you a Christmas carol, hasn’t he?’

I take a longing glance at the marquee where my lovely dinner is going cold. The polystyrene snow comes over the top of my shoes and I tuck myself in next to one of the Christmas trees.

‘She wants to say goodnight, love.’

‘Thanks, Dad. Put her on.’

‘Mummy!’ she cries as if she hasn’t seen me for weeks rather than just an hour or two.

‘Hello, sweet pea. Are you being good for Granny and Gramps while Mummy’s at her party?’

‘No,’ she says.

‘Then you need to be a good girl.’

Theatrical sigh down the phone. ‘Ohhhh Kaaaay.’

‘I’ll say goodnight and then you go up to bed.’

‘I want to sing my song.’

‘Now? Can’t it wait until Mummy comes home?’

‘Shall I stay up specially?’

So cute. So very cute. ‘No, sing it now for me. That would be lovely.’ I have mentally written off my soup. Hopefully this will be a short song and I can get back in time for the turkey. The waiters are tidying up around me and giving me sideways glances. I go deeper into the Christmas trees.

‘OK,’ my daughter says. ‘Are you listening properly, Mummy?’

‘Yes.’

Deep breath. ‘Good King Wenser last looked out on the Easter Stephen. When the snow layabout, deep pan crisp pan even.’

I can’t help but smile, not just at the twisted lyrics but at the fact that it’s sung at full volume and, essentially, all on one note. I hold the phone away from my ear.

Key change. ‘Brightly shone the moo that night. Though the frogs were cool. Anna porman came inside, gathering …’ A lengthy pause. ‘What was it, Gramps?’

Stage whisper: ‘Winter fuel.’

Big finale. ‘Winter fuuuuu-uuu-eeel.’

‘That was brilliant,’ I tell her, and, ridiculously, there’s a tear in my eye. Despite the fact that I don’t have much hope of my daughter becoming a pop star and keeping me in the style I’d like to be accustomed to. We’re such a tight unit that I hate being away from her. ‘Did you learn all that tonight?’

‘Yes. On the way home.’

‘You’re so clever.’

‘Shall I sing it again?’

‘No, no, no,’ I say. I’m hoping that at some point I’m going to get back to the strangely welcome attentions of Josh Wallace. I also hope that, in the meantime, Karen hasn’t decided to slip into my place. ‘You can sing it again tomorrow.’

‘Say night-night,’ Gramps urges.

‘Night-night, Mummy.’

‘Night-night, sweet pea. Love you to the moon and back.’

Then Dad comes back on. ‘Isn’t that grand?’

‘Fab.’

‘She’s such a quick learner. Just like you at that age. How’s the party, love?’

‘It’s fine, Dad. Nice.’

‘I can come for you,’ he says. ‘No trouble. I left the car out.’

‘Dad …’

‘I’ll be there in a flash. I can come straight after part one of the
Strictly
Christmas special finishes.’

‘I think I’m probably going to stay later than that, Dad. Make a night of it.’

‘Oh.’

‘I’ll get the coach home. Don’t. Wait. Up.’

‘You know your mother worries when you’re not in.’

‘I’m fine. Really fine. I’m having a great time.’

‘Oh. That’s good. Watch what you drink. It can creep up on you.’

‘Dad, I’m a big girl now. I know all that.’

‘People do silly things when they’ve had a drink.’

‘Not me. There’s no need to worry. Look, I’ve got to go, Dad. They’re about to serve dinner.’

‘Lovely. What are you having?’

‘Turkey, Dad. I’m having turkey. Got to go.’

‘My favourite,’ he says. ‘I do like a bit of turkey.’

‘Love you,’ I say. ‘Hanging up now.’

And before my dad can say anything else, I cut off the call. I must get out more often if this is the effect my only night out in living memory has on them. What will they do when Mia and I are set to move out? They might chain us in the basement.

With that thought in mind, and feeling quite glad that my parents’ house doesn’t actually have a basement, I hurry back to the marquee. Tyler’s eyes follow me across the floor again. I feel like sticking my tongue out at him. Instead I mutter, ‘Fuckofffuckofffuckoff,’ under my breath.

As I feared, when I get back to my table Karen has slid into my seat. She’s looking rather settled. She has a proprietorial hand on Josh’s arm and is fashioning a tinkling laugh.

Josh looks up as I approach. ‘Everything all right?’

‘Yes. Fine. My daughter wanted to sing “Good King Wenceslas” to me.’

‘That would be urgent.’

‘I don’t think she understands the concept of me-time. And, like all mothers, I assumed it was a call about an impromptu trip to A&E.’

‘But she’s OK?’

‘Yes, totally.’

‘Good.’

He seems genuinely concerned, and that’s nice.

‘Oh to be bogged down by commitments,’ Karen says with added drama. ‘Glad I’m free and single.’

‘And available,’ she forgets to add, but I think both Josh and I get the picture.

Then I stand there a bit like a lemon until the waiters sweep in with the main course. With a barely disguised huff Karen somewhat reluctantly extricates herself from my seat.

‘Just keeping it warm for you.’

I bet.

‘Catch you later.’ She gives a little wave to Josh and what I interpret as a warning glance to me.

I’m putting this down to the fact that she’s been drinking to excess and hoping she’ll be all sweetness and light in the office tomorrow. Albeit with a monster hangover. Slightly harried, I sit down and let out a sigh.

‘I’m afraid your soup’s gone cold,’ Josh says.

‘That’s the least of my worries. I’m just glad I’m back in time for the turkey.’

Josh smiles at me. ‘Me too.’

Chapter Fifteen

I think I’m becoming paranoid. Every time I look up, Tyler Benson’s gaze is fixed on me. Now his wife is doing the same thing. I pretend not to notice and return my attention to Josh, who is proving to be a very attentive dinner companion. Twisting in my chair, I keep my glass in my hand, so that it’s blocking their view of my face. What else can I do?

Josh tucks into the lovely Christmas dinner that’s been served. ‘Don’t let it bother you.’

So he’s noticed too.

‘It’s very difficult,’ I tell him. ‘I don’t want to upset Tyler – he’s my boss. But I’m not the slightest bit interested in being yet another conquest for him.’

‘That’s probably what he finds most attractive about you.’ Josh spears a sprout and studies it, contemplating whether to eat it or not, before popping it into his mouth with a slight grimace.

‘They’re good for you.’

He points at my plate, which is barely touched. ‘Then you’d better eat yours.’

To be honest, I can hardly eat my dinner, I’m so anxious. I don’t want to put a foot wrong this evening. The marquee is filled with Christmas songs while we eat and the mood of the staff is very jovial. Above the chatter, there’s a layer of laughter and a contentment that’s palpable. This feels like a very aspirational company to work for. People are upbeat, keen to get on, and I so desperately want to be a part of that for many years to come. I can do things with my life in a company like this. If only it wasn’t for Tyler Benson.

‘Our Tyler loves the thrill of the chase,’ Josh says, getting back to our conversation. ‘Whether it’s a sales contract or a woman, he likes to be the hunter.’

I sigh. ‘How very Neanderthal.’

Josh laughs. ‘Don’t worry about it too much. He’s kicking around at the moment because we’re at year-end.’

‘The devil always finds work for idle hands.’

‘He does indeed. Come January, we’ll all be flat out and he’ll be far too busy to bother you.’

‘I hope you’re right.’

‘I’ll look out for you,’ he promises.

‘Thanks, that’s very kind.’ It would be nice to know that someone at the office has my back, although I feel as if I’m going to have to learn to fight my own battles with Tyler otherwise he’ll keep treating me as a pushover.