Christmas Wishes at the Chocolate Shop by Jessica Redland

Author:Jessica Redland [Redland, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books

By lunchtime, a pile of Charlee’s Chocolates paperwork had been dealt with and/or filed and my accounts were up to date. I’d ordered Valentine’s Day and Easter moulds and a couple of extra pieces of equipment for the shop. All that remained was tidying.

The bedroom had fitted wardrobes stretching wall to wall across one side of the room with the bed nestled between them. Ricky’s belongings had barely filled half the wardrobe on his side of the bed so I’d filled the rest of the space. With his stuff gone, it was time to spread my clothes out. I could be super organised and have winter clothes in one wardrobe and summer in the other.

I put on some loud non-Christmas music and spent the next hour or so reorganising my clothes, trying not to even think about what day it was. When I’d finished, I looked at the cupboards above the bed. I hadn’t actually opened them since moving in which suggested that, whatever I’d stored in there, I probably didn’t need anymore. Standing in the middle of the bed, I pulled out carrier bags and small boxes, checking their contents. There was a bag of flip flops and sandals and another containing swimwear and suntan lotion, which I pushed to the back. I dropped a carrier bag full of stationery items onto the bed to sort through. Standing on my tiptoes, I reached for another bag and my heart leapt. Crudely wrapped in thin Christmas paper was what felt like a large cardboard box. Could it be the Ugg boots that Ricky had hinted he’d bought me? Ripping off the paper, my heart sank again. Yes, it was a pair of boots. Cheap imitation Ugg-style boots with a large sale sticker across the box. £15 reduced to £7.50. I used to have a pair just like them and they’d been more like expensive fluffy slippers than boots, providing no support to my feet, soaking up even the slightest drop of rain, and ripping at the seams. I’d specifically told Ricky about that pair of boots and why it had to be Uggs instead. I knew Uggs were expensive but with all that overtime … I shook my head. He hadn’t done any overtime, had he? I knew that now.

I pulled out another bag containing more gifts. Sighing, I sat down on the bed and ripped off the paper one by one. It looked like Ricky had gone on a shopping spree in the pound shop: talc (when had I ever used talc?), a memo block, a pack of cheap biros, a chocolate orange, a pair of plain sports socks, and a very basic desk calendar with no pictures on it. I stared at the random selection of gifts spread across the duvet, blinking back the tears. I wasn’t one for extravagance, I really wasn’t, but as Jodie had predicted, what the hell said, ‘I saw this and thought of you,’ about Ricky’s choices? It wasn’t the money as much as the lack of thought.

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