The Twelve Days of Christmas

Chapter 6

I had been right and we had soon got the shop ready for business, but it had been tough. So tough, that I had climbed into bed early that night. The next morning I was full of energy. Unsure whether it was my early night, or the wondering about what the mystery man had instore for me. He had made it clear that I should expect something, I just had to wait and find out what it was. I wasn’t the most patient person in the world and it came out in the form of hyperactivity.

I had been running around all morning. Doing all the jobs I would normally put off, anything to keep myself busy. When TJ came in for lunch, I took the opportunity to take a break and collapsed down on the chair opposite him. Placing his favourite jam sandwiches and angel cake in front of him. We didn’t even serve sandwiches, but the juvenile sod loved them so much. I was just glad it meant we could spend more time together. Since I had opened the shop, things had been difficult, and finding the time to meet up was nearly impossible. Him eating lunch with us each day seemed to be the perfect solution.

Alice was happily behind the counter dealing with the occasional customer that came in for some takeaway treats. It had been so quiet all day and I couldn’t help but think I had brought it on myself. As though the universe had known I was unprepared the day before and zapped all the customers away.

I couldn’t help but smile at TJ as he eagerly scoffed his very childish sandwich. He was lucky that we always had a constant supply of jam in the shop. “That is quite the smile. What have I done to deserve such admiration?”

“I’m not sure that is what I would call it TJ. I was just thinking back to the baking filled holidays with your mum and being filled full of jam sandwiches and little cakes.”

TJ returned my smile at the memory. “Why do you think I still eat them? They remind me of all my favourite times.” He laid his hand over mine on the tabletop and I felt the atmosphere change in an instant. It wasn’t the first time that TJ had given me the feeling that he had ideas above friendship. The problem was that I couldn’t ever think of TJ like that. He was like a brother to me. I just didn’t understand how he didn’t have that too close feeling too.

I pulled my hand back slowly, trying my best not to offend him. It was so stupid, but I couldn’t help but be so careful about politeness. TJ and his family had done so much for me over the last couple of years, the least he deserved was for me not to break his heart. I used my quickly cooling cup of tea as an excuse to remove my hand from the table. Despite my efforts, I still knew that he had realised. The guilt filled me so quickly. Changing the subject as soon as I lowered my cup from my lips, “How’s work going?”

“Er, well, it’s OK.” He was looking over my shoulder out of the window and whatever he had seen was distracting him beyond measure. I turned to look over my shoulder, but before I turned far enough around to see, the bell on the door rang out. I whipped my head the other way towards the door and no doubt looked slightly demented as I did so.

Two tall and much too broad men stepped inside. They seemed so out of place in my little shop. Checking out each millimetre of the room as though the fairy cakes were going to get up and launch a coo. The pair of them looked ridiculous in their crisp black suits, complete with black shirts. It was almost like they thought they would blend into the background, but it had the opposite effect.

Alice was already approaching the emotionless duo with a look which could only be described as hunger. “Sorry TJ, I best… intervene before Alice eats them alive.”

“Yeah. No worries. I know what she’s like.” I wasn’t really sure what the comment was getting at. It seemed much too harsh. Yes, Alice could be a little overkeen, but I didn’t like the judgemental tone with which he said it. She meant no harm. It was almost like TJ had been too distracted and let his mask slip for a moment. I had never known him to sound like that before.

I was more than a little distracted myself when I reached the trio. “Hello, can I help?”

“They are here from the palace.” Alice turned to me and her voice raised to barely audible levels. “You’ve got into the competition. I didn’t even know you had entered.” She was bouncing up and down. My reaction should have been similar, but I just stood there catching flies.

“The lady is correct, miss. You were a late selection resulting from a last-minute change of circumstances for one entrant. If you would like to take the slot, we need to escort you to the palace right away.”

I turned to Alice. “There is no way I can just leave. It’s a residential event. What about the shop?”

“I will deal with the shop. You can’t miss this. It is quite literally the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“And what about poor Garfield?”

“I will look after the little fleabag. I’ll even be nice to him.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. Now, go.” I looked at her one more time and tried to gauge her seriousness. Finally satisfied, I headed up the stairs to the flat two at a time, with a rather too excited bounce in my step.

Bursting through the bedroom door, my mind already racing with everything I needed. Grabbing my suitcase from its place in the corner of my room, and throwing it on my bed and watching as it sprang open.

As I pulled my wardrobe doors open, I sighed in dismay. There was nothing remotely nice in there. Everything remotely suitable was currently in my long neglected washing pile. My life seemed to be a whole series of neglected piles of stuff or job lists. It had been ever since I had opened the bakery. It was just so difficult to tear myself away from the shop when its success was so important to me. Failing wasn’t an option, not when I had put my parents’ money into it. I couldn’t let them down.

Which was why I pushed through the urge to give up before I had even begun. I chucked a load of clothes in the bag. None of them made any rhyme or reason, but I would have an apron on most of the time anyway, so surely it didn’t really matter. I let out a deep sigh as I threw the last of the things I needed into the bag and closed it quickly.

I was just getting to the stairs when I remembered poor Garfield. I grabbed everything he would need and left it out on the side. Hoping that it would help remind Alice, but also to save her from having to hunt for it.

Both she and TJ were standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me, although Alice definitely looked much more happy for me. I felt bad for leaving TJ. Wondering if the reason for his odd behaviour was because he had something on his mind. Something that as his friend I should have been there to offer a listening ear for.

“I don’t know how long I need to stay or even if I can come home at any point.” I looked at the two imposing men, but they clearly didn’t feel the need to offer an answer to my enquiry.

Alice reached for my spare hand with both of hers and patted it slightly more motherly than I expected. “Don’t worry about anything. I won’t let you down. Now, go knock them dead.” She glanced out of the corner of her eye at the darkly clad men, but neither showed any sign of wanting to tackle her to the ground for inciting violence.

I waited patiently for TJ to say something, anything, but he didn’t. I apparently wasn’t worth even the most basic of goodbye.

“Right, I best be going then. Alice, look after yourself and don’t forget to lock up, or put the bins out and most of all, no dates in my flat.” It wasn’t like it was something I thought she would do anyway, leaving the suggestion to linger as we both beamed at one another. I took a step toward the door, looking over my shoulder and contemplating just how much I was going to miss her.