Surprise Baby for Christmas by Harmony Knight

Author:Harmony Knight [Knight, Harmony]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-03T16:00:00+00:00

Pippa

December 17, 2018

By the time Monday rolls around, I’m really starting to miss Aiden. Saturday in the city was magical, even if we didn’t end up ice-skating. Or buying any gifts. Or doing anything we’d planned to, really. The tour of Central Park really reminded me how great this city is and how many gems it hides in its busy streets. Which would all be fine, if it didn’t make me even more fretful about losing the studio and having to look for something further out. Fortunately, I’ve been able to throw myself into work and mostly forget about it.

The mermaid is looking much more mermaidy by the time my tummy gives a loud rumble and I look up at the clock. It’s 3 pm and I haven’t eaten since breakfast, so I wipe the excess clay off my hands and sit down on the battered old couch to eat my turkey sandwich. I’ve just taken the very first bite, when there’s a loud banging at the studio door. Sighing around a cheekful of half-masticated crust, I put my sandwich down on the arm of the couch and get up to answer the door.

“Heeey, Pippa!”

It’s Lexi, standing in the snow, smiling and waving at me, looking as perfectly put-together as ever.

“Sorry to drop by like this, but I had a meeting canceled, so I thought I’d slot you in now, if that’s alright?”

I can feel myself staring at her, and I know that my face looks strange. One of my cheeks is bulging out with the turkey sandwich inside it, and my eyes are wide like saucers. She was the last person I expected to see. Realising I’m being rude, I swallow in one big gulp and smile at her. Purely out of habit, I wipe my hands down the front of my clay-smeared coveralls and hold one out to help her in from the snow.

“Sorry,” I say, once we’re safely inside and the door is closed. I lead her through to the main studio where the quiet hum of an electric heater is the only sound. “I wasn’t expecting anyone. Did we have an appointment? Aiden didn’t mention anything…” I trail off, and watch her as her eyes start to flit here and there in the studio, first to the almost-mermaid in the middle of the room, and then around at the other completed pieces I have displayed around the perimeter.

“Hm?” she says, looking back to me. “Oh, no, darling. Sorry, I should have explained myself properly. Shall we sit?” she asks, looking over at the threadbare couch.

“Oh lord, did I interrupt your lunch?” she asks, noticing the sandwich sitting on the arm of the couch. “Please, don’t put it off on my account. Eat up.”

She’s not rude or domineering, but she’s definitely type A. Within seconds, I’m being led to the couch in my own studio, and sitting down while someone I wasn’t expecting starts conducting a meeting.

“The thing is,” she begins, placing her purse on her lap. She picks up my sandwich and hands it to me, and I take it without thinking.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.