All I Want for Christmas: a hilarious and heart-warming romance by Joanna Bolouri

Author:Joanna Bolouri [Bolouri, Joanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quercus
Published: 2020-09-30T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

By the time Sarah and Alfie return from her parents’ house, Angela has called me forty-seven times and left me over twenty voicemails. The picture of us has been feverishly retweeted by people who give a shit about that kind of thing and I’m mortified. I didn’t like being pictured with her when we were dating, and I hate it even more now.

‘She’s attractive,’ Sarah remarks, looking at her photos. She’s brought Alfie over so she and Matt can have their first cinema date of the new year. ‘Good hair . . . strong eyebrow game.’

Matt laughs as she hands him back his phone. ‘She’s desperate to get Nick to publicly announce that they’re not back together and that it was just a friendly, platonic kiss.’

‘I’m not getting involved,’ I interject. ‘She can sort out her own mess.’

‘Dale’s already been seen hanging out with some woman who was on The Voice,’ Matt continues. ‘I think she’s flogging a dead horse now.’

Sarah and I glance at each other before laughing. ‘Is celebrity gossip just a hobby or a real passion, Matt?’ she asks. ‘What’s Harry Styles up to these days? Or Adele?’

‘No idea,’ he replies, grinning. ‘I’m only interested in Z-listers who bother my friends. Speaking of Nick’s exes, before I forget, I can’t go to Greta’s wedding anymore. Work are sending me to Washington for four days. Some acquisition bullshit. In fact, I’ll be on the flight home while you’re all getting drunk.’

‘Oh bugger,’ Sarah says, not quite managing to hide her disappointment. ‘That’s a pity.’

‘You’re joking? Wait . . . Washington DC or Washington Newcastle?’ I ask.

‘There’s a Washington in Newcastle?’

‘So, DC then,’ I reply. ‘That sucks. You know that Harriet isn’t going either, but she has her pregnancy as an excuse. Greta will murder you, you realise that.’

‘Yeah. I feel bad. I’m actually pretty gutted to be missing it, but there’s nothing I can do.’

‘You should feel bad,’ I insist. ‘Now I’m going to have to hang out with people I hardly know, and Sarah here won’t get to steal something from Claridge’s.’

Sarah laughs, but I can tell she’s disappointed.

‘So, take Sarah as your plus-one,’ Matt suggests. ‘Everyone’s a winner.’

Sarah and I look at each other and then back at Matt.

‘Won’t that be a bit . . . weird?’ she asks. I nod in agreement. Taking your friend’s girlfriend as your date isn’t exactly normal wedding etiquette.

‘Why? I don’t want to be the reason my two best people miss out on free food and wine. Go and have fun.’

‘But—’

Adamant that he won’t take no for an answer, Sarah and I both finally say yes to Matt’s plan. I can tell that Sarah feels awkward, but probably not for the same reason I do.

‘Shall we go?’ Matt asks. ‘Film starts in forty.’

‘What are you seeing?’

‘There’s a special screening of The Babadook showing,’ Sarah informs me. ‘Who doesn’t love some horror in the afternoon, right?’

The look on Matt’s face tells me that the answer is him.

Sarah hands Alfie his snack and settles him down on the couch.

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