“THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!” Grace stretched out on her sofa. I wondered if the old Grace being back was all me and Ru related, or if there was something – or someone – more.
“So, does the return of loved-up Grace mean we can stop pretending you don’t like Harry? Cos he’ll be there later…”
Grace’s smile dropped. “Let me stop you there, Molinder. Romance for you, I’m HERE for. But once you’ve been Simoned, well…” She shrugged. “Harry and I are friends only.” It sucked that Simon was stopping her from having some Christmas fun of her own, but I wasn’t going to push her. “Oh!” She clicked her fingers. “I forgot to say. When I was chatting to him yesterday, he said he loved our photos from the maze. In Edinburgh. Which was suss. Did you send them to him?”
“Nah.” I shook my head. “We didn’t even use my phone.” It had been the production one.
“Weird.” Maybe we’d shown him and just forgotten? “But today isn’t for investigations. Today is Mol’s First Snog Day. And tonight, I’ll be there to hear all about it in person.”
We ran through what was happening before then. In just over an hour, I was meeting Elijah to board the Sleigh Another Day boat. To make up for cancelling the date, Elijah had asked me to do an interview with one of the influencers as it would be good to get a “normal face out there”. I’d agreed and kept very quiet about who I’d been with last night. Then I was meeting Grace off her train and at 6:34 p.m there was a huge fireworks display to match the time Maeve and Joseph kiss in the film.
So I needed to get ready. I’d packed something I thought was kind of cool that I’d borrowed (taken) from Tess. But… I looked out at the twinkling lights and giant tree covered in strands of silver and white baubles. And then looked back at the snowwoman jumper from Edinburgh I’d bought to lounge about in. And … if I couldn’t wear a Christmas jumper today, then when could I? I pulled it on, with my favourite black jeans and DMs, and practically skipped down the road, wishing anyone within shouting distance “Merry Christmas”.
Grampy G would be proud. When I knocked on the door of the shipping container that was the press office, Elijah looked me up and down like I’d come dressed as a sausage.
“I did say this was THE most exclusive Christmas event of the year.”
But I was too happy to care what he thought. “Sure did. Looks awesome, by the way.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What’s got you in this mood.”
There was no way I was telling him. I didn’t have a spare four hours for all his opinions. And I didn’t want to land Jay in trouble. “Nothing.” And somehow I managed to not react as a bunch of big guys in black puffer jackets bundled Maeve and Jay past us to take them to Radio One. Jay and I locked eyes, both trying to not grin and give the game away. It felt amazing. And private. And perfect. Until Stormy ran after them yelling, “It must have been an admin error, my name must have been on the invitation.”
“Fine. I don’t want to know anyway. I’ve got headlines around the world to make. Don’t exactly have a spare minute to hear about whatever ridiculous thing made you cancel the incredibly intimate meal with Joseph for. And before you ask. No. I haven’t found a new time yet.” Little did he know. “And yes, I’m still FURIOUS. So how about you go into great detail about this being THE most magical Christmas forest meets boat meets wonderland you’ve ever seen?”
“It does look epic.” Epic. Like Ru said I was. Uh-oh! Stupid grin was trying to come back. “And with all these people coming,” I looked at the long list of influencers and celebs, “I reckon you’ll be ALL over the papers tomorrow. Number one in the box office next week. Tim will love you. And you’ll get that job.” OK, I may have added in a little extra compliment-sauce to make up for the conversation we had yesterday.
“Well, that’s the plan.” He tutted. “I will NEVER be over All I Want for Christmas Is Drew re-releasing today. Did someone say sabotage? Much?!” Maybe that’s why he was so stressed. “Still, if they want something to talk about, it’s my job to give them exactly that. This Christmas, it’s … war.”
“Not sure that’s going to catch on as a Christmas slogan, tbh.”
Elijah raised an eyebrow. For twenty-three seconds.
“And you’re still saying no to the music video? We’re in the final week we could make it happen – ‘last chance’ territory for a little lo-fi job? Cos everyone’s off for the Lapland trip in a few days, then no more cast and crew.”
“It’s a forever no, I’m afraid.” Telling Ru I was Elf Girl had been a big step. Telling the whole world was not an option.
“Fine! So today. You know the plan. One interview. Tell them how you’re a mega-fan … blah blah blah.” But he saw Harry run past and rushed off to speak to him, just as Big Ben chimed midday. The boat was leaving any second. I yelled at Harry that I’d come and find him later (he beamed when I added “with Grace”) and hurried down through an archway of holly and berries, past the huge screen playing clips of the film and on to the deck. As soon as I’d boarded we started chugging down the Thames, the whole boat flashing away like one big floating Christmas decoration. Speakers were blaring out Christmas songs and back on dry land even the most serious suit-y people were having boogies. And on deck influencers and press were busy getting content about the film, and for the first time I wasn’t doing everything I could to hide. I was just enjoying being here. I even waved at all the tourists taking photos.
Three hours. Threeee hours till Jay was finishing his interviews. And he’d asked if I fancied going to watch the candlelight carols with Harry and Grace, seeing as we’d missed it last night. Which sounded like actual heaven. Grace was on the train so my message about it didn’t arrive straight away, but an hour later, when it did, she replied “SNOGGING HEAVEN!”, which made my legs buckle so much I fell into one of the displays.
“Getting up close and personal with a snowman? In that sweater??! And you said you weren’t doing Christmas this year?” Jack appeared, laughing. I brushed myself off.
“Just a trip. No biggie.”
“No biggie, sure. I see your face.” He pulled a blusher brush out of his belt and circled it around my cheek. “The big grin. The way I just caught you staring at the cut-out of Maeve and Joseph.” Had I? “For a full five minutes.” Maybe I had. “The way you do THAT face whenever anyone says ‘Joseph’…” Jack put his hand on his hip. “Got anything you want to tell me?” He looked up at the huge screen above us. The screen playing the live interview with Maeve and Jay.
The presenter was making them play a game of Christmas charades. Jay looked so awkward. Awkward, but hot. Awkwardly hot.
And Jack was still staring at me.
“Erm, no. Nothing.” I’d knew how much privacy mattered to Jay. But Jack was still staring. And my “nothing to see here face” was disappearing. And my “oh my gosh, I haven’t stopped smiling in thirteen hours face” was coming back. “Fine. FINE!” I was hopeless. “Maybe something.”
Jack grinned. “OK. Well, you didn’t hear it from me. But if someone asked me ‘has Joseph not been able to stop talking about a girl he met? And I mean. Not. Stop. As in, even when I tried to talk about literally anything else.’ Then the answer would be yes.” Jack bopped me on the nose with his brush. “It’s about time I saw him happy.”
But he was getting a call over his headset, so had to run. They’d turned the volume up on the screen and a crowd had gathered to watch. There were only ten minutes before we docked, so I thought I’d make the most of it. By staring at Jay on the big screen.
“He’s so cute…” A guy next to me leant over. I nodded, hoping he couldn’t sense the deeply inappropriate thoughts I was currently having. “Reckon it’s true about him and Maeve?”
Molly. Do not grin! Play it cool. “Jury’s out.” I tried to look mysterious, as Maeve and Jay messed about on screen, cracking up in fits of laughter. “I don’t really believe everything I read.”
“Totally.” He nodded. “But when there’s receipts…”
“Receipts?” I snapped.
“Yeah. The pictures SleighAllTheDaysFans posted that have been trending for…” He opened his phone… “At least an hour. Number one worldwide.”
As he scrolled to show me on his phone, the exact same image came up on the big screen.
And all the noise around me blurred into one big wall of sound.
Which meant no one heard my heart shatter like a cheap bauble.
Jay. By the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square. Where we’d stopped on our date.
One arm holding out his phone to take the photo. His other arm around a girl. A girl that very much wasn’t me.
And was very, very much the most drop-dead gorgeous, super talented, adored by everyone, Maeve.
