The Office Christmas Party: A fun, feel good Christmas cracker of a romance!

Great, now he was an ancient computer nerd. But he wasn’t going to argue, he just nodded. Thankfully the conversation turned from his unacceptable (to his parents, anyway) love life to the wedding, and while dates in July and centrepiece ideas were bounced around, he zoned out and unlocked his mobile.

First he hooked up to the booking system to find the next party Nicole Porter was listed to attend, and found it easily enough – a hotel just off Trafalgar Square the following night – then added himself to the guest list.

After all, he wasn’t going to let her just get away with ruining his shirt – not that he cared about the clothes. This was a battle of wit and about the only thing keeping him occupied enough so all this wedding stuff wouldn’t drag him back to a place in his head he didn’t want to be.

And she wasn’t just a worthy rival, she was sexy too. With a smart mouth, sexy body and quick wit, she was his ideal fling – exciting, sassy and definitely nothing that would feel repetitive. What made it all the sweeter was that she didn’t seem to feel anything for him other than disdain, though he was sure he’d caught an occasional spark of lust in her eyes. There would be no risk of feelings getting involved, and more importantly, hearts being broken.

No matter what she said, they were playing a game. A sparring, lust-fuelled one. And when the time came, they were both coming out of it winners.

***

‘I really wish I didn’t have that second margarita,’ Natalie said, as she bounced up and down on the seat of the taxi. ‘I’m bursting for the loo.’

Rose smiled for what seemed like the first time that week. ‘You should have gone before we left.’

Hindsight was a funny thing, though not at this moment when she had a bladder full to bursting.

‘Finally!’ As soon as the taxi stopped, she flung a twenty at the driver and scrambled out. The restaurant was the kind of place where they seated you, but Natalie couldn’t wait for that. She was heading straight for the bathroom.

They passed the window and headed for the door, but Rose pulled her back. Natalie crossed her legs, but it didn’t help. ‘Come on, Rose. I’m going to wet the pavement.’

Rose’s expression was blank. ‘I think we should go to that sushi bar around the corner.’

‘The one three streets away? Are you kidding? I’m on the verge of peeing myself.’

Calmly, Rose said, ‘You told me it was my choice tonight.’

Natalie switched to hopping from one foot and the other. ‘You chose here, remember?’

Her friend shot a nervous glance at the door, then refocused on Natalie. ‘I changed my mind.’

She was so desperate, she could cry. ‘Please, Rose. Don’t do this to me.’

‘Look, just go to the loo in there. They’re busy tonight.’ Her friend glanced through the window, then quickly stepped away from it. ‘They won’t even notice you.’

Usually, Natalie wouldn’t dare in case the pee police were watching, but she was too far gone to argue.

‘Fine,’ she mumbled and snuck in.

Thankfully nobody was paying attention to her, but the problem was, she didn’t know the restaurant at all and finding the bathroom was not as easy a task as she thought. She tried to look like she knew what she was doing, like she was supposed to be there, but desperation got the best of her and she grabbed a waiter’s arm, almost knocking over the three steaks he was expertly holding.

‘Bathroom?’ she pleaded.

And the second he nodded to the far corner she was off, trying not to knock over tables as she went. But as she neared, a familiar face exited the men’s room, blocking her way to the ladies’ one. ‘No, please no.’

Dean chuckled, and she had to resist the urge to hop from leg to leg.

‘That’s some way to speak to a guy you told everyone was riddled with crabs and then poured a gallon of wine over,’ he said with a smirk. ‘Are you legitimately here tonight or just in for a freebie?’

Natalie gritted her teeth. She’d have argued with him all night, but … ‘I don’t have time for this. I’m about three seconds from ruining your shoes too, so if you don’t mind, step out of the effing way.’

With a laugh he shifted to let her pass, even though she was fully prepared to shove him out of the way. When she’d regained her composure, she hoped desperately that he’d left, or was on a date. Then he couldn’t pester her anymore and she’d be able to sneak out without the lecture that accompanied peeing in a restaurant you’ve not ordered in.

No such luck.

He was leaning against a wooden archway when she emerged. ‘I think the whole restaurant heard you, there. Everyone thought a race horse had snuck into the bathroom.’

‘Har, har.’ But her cheeks burned as she stalked by him.

‘Lighten up, Nicole. This isn’t the battlefield. I was teasing.’

‘My name is not Nicole,’ she said, whirling on him. ‘And I doubt yours is Dean, either.’

He smiled. ‘It is. I don’t suppose you’d tell me yours?’

Who knew with his always slightly smug, amused expression? She couldn’t tell if he was sincere or if this was another one of those games he kept banging on about. She shook her head. ‘I need to go.’

He frowned. ‘You’re not staying?’

‘Why, so you can tell some other sleazy bastards to feel me up because I’m easy? I don’t think so.’

Just then, another man approached them and he looked remarkably like Dean. His features were similar, but the other one was younger, and looked worried, not like a smug bastard.

When he spoke, it was sincere. ‘I’m really sorry, Miss. Whatever my brother did to you, I can honestly say you can do better. But listen, it’s my engagement dinner tonight, and I don’t want him to cause a scene in front of the future in-laws.’

His smile was sincere too, especially when he glanced towards a table with a beautiful brunette and two older couples.

Then he elbowed his brother in the ribs. ‘For fuck’s sake, Dean. Tell her you’re sorry.’

Dean just smirked at her in an I-told-you-so way. She turned to the younger, nicer version and said, ‘Congratulations to the both of you. And don’t worry, there won’t be any trouble. I’ve never slept with your brother, he only wishes. Enjoy your meal!’

She didn’t look at Dean, just accepted his brother’s gratitude and strolled out of the restaurant with her head held high. She had no idea who won that round, but like Dean said, this was not the battlefield – just an unwelcome coincidence. There would be plenty time to get her own back.

‘What took you so long?’ Rose asked. She was fully submerged in the shadows.

‘Who or what are you hiding from?’ Natalie asked. She didn’t really want to go into all that stuff with Dean. ‘And what’s wrong with eating here?’

Not that she wanted to when he was there, never mind with his family, but it was weird for Rose to change her mind at the last minute.

‘I was hoping for somewhere quieter so we can talk.’

Natalie wasn’t going to argue with that even if she didn’t believe it. She wanted to get away from here as fast as Rose seemed to.

***

‘There really is a first time for everything,’ his brother said as Dean watched his little thief storm out of the restaurant.

Dean was too distracted to ask what his brother was on about – distracted by the way her black, skinny jeans moulded her arse and clung to her surprisingly long legs. But Jeffrey was never deterred by silence.

‘The one woman in London who would probably rather poke her left eye out than sleep with you and I got to shake her hand.’ His brother laughed.

‘It’s early days, and I’m fairly sure she’d rather sleep with me than dismember herself.’ Though in the mood she was in, he could see why Jeffrey might think otherwise.

Jeffrey shook his head. ‘You never knew when to call it quits.’

‘I prefer to think of it as rising to face the challenge,’ he disagreed, following his brother back to the table. And Nicole, or whoever she was, definitely presented a challenge. But it was much more than that.

‘She might beat you down a notch or ten. So I say, go for it.’

‘Knob,’ Dean said, smiling. As they got closer to the table, he whispered, ‘You’re just jealous because you can’t chase sexy blondes anymore.’

His fiancée was in earshot before his brother could reply and Dean wanted to rub in the fact that he’d gotten the last word for once, but decided to enjoy the win silently. Everyone had already dug into the main course that had just been served and didn’t notice the acidic look his mother threw them as they slipped back into their seats.

She struck up a conversation about polo next, and he started on his steak, making sure to stuff his mouth before she asked how he had managed to be such a disappointment at that too. Anyway, he knew his father would answer for him.

It’s all that meddling around with the computer, softened the boy up. We should never have bought it for him.

Thankfully not even his mother seemed interested in what he was up to anymore so he concentrated on his dinner instead. Or at least tried to. Jeffrey didn’t have the best table manners when it came to spaghetti – why he picked that dish on the night the parents met was beyond Dean – but he was more distracted by Alana, occasionally wiping the sauce from his brother’s chin with a napkin, eyes shining and lips curving in a way that said like nothing but how completely and utterly in love she was with him.

Putting the twinge in his chest down to indigestion, he refocused on his steak.

Dean’s mobile vibrated, distracting him from things he’d rather not think about. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the screen.

Fancy coming over?

xxxxxxx

Mandy. Until a week ago, he’d have taken her up on the offer but his head wasn’t in it tonight. Maybe not ever again. She’d started to sign off with more kisses than was necessary and he suspected these infrequent hook ups were starting to mean more for her.

And if he was honest, he’d had more fun sparring with his ‘Nicole’ for ten minutes than he’d ever had in the hours he’d spent at Mandy’s.

He replied, deciding it was time to finish things with her. He never wanted to lead someone on, knowing exactly how crap it felt.

Sorry, Mandy. I think it’s time we call it quits.

Her reply took all of three seconds.

Okay, baby. You know where I am if you change your mind.

xoxoxoxoxo

He doubted he would. There was just no thrill anymore when it came to dating the way he had been. Dean blamed Jeffrey and this whole idiotic marriage thing. It was stirring up a lot of shit inside and making him come to realizations he’d been happy enough to ignore before now.

***

The little Japanese sushi bar never failed to disappoint, and when they’d had their fill the place had quietened to the point they almost had privacy as they sipped their complementary sakes.

‘So, now we’re pretty much alone, spill,’ Natalie said.

Rose got so pale even her lips turned white.

‘Rose, come on. Whatever you did isn’t half as bad as you think it is. You’re so kind-hearted. You’d feel awful about the tiniest thing. I mean, it’s not like you did something stupid, like went back to a guy’s house because you were drunk and—’

‘You did what?’ Rose asked, the colour burning back into her cheeks.

Oops, she forgot she hadn’t told Rose about Steven yet. ‘I had a one-night stand last week. It’s nothing to worry about. He was cool.’

Rose narrowed her eyes. ‘Nat, he could have hurt you. In fact, wait. You said last week? Was that the night you didn’t come home by any chance?’

Busted.

‘Yeah, that’s the one. But I really was in the storage unit, you know, after I snuck out.’ And after giving another guy a floor show. She still couldn’t get the hot sauce smell off her lovely clutch.

‘Nat, you’re spiralling.’ Rose took her hands. ‘Why?’

Natalie shook her head. ‘Nope, you can take that worried look and flip it on yourself. Tonight’s about you, and I want to know what’s going on. Is it …’

She took a deep breath, then chickened out of what she wanted to ask, and went with something else. ‘Is it Tom? Are you having second thoughts?’

Rose studied her face for a minute. ‘If I tell you the truth, will you tell me what you were going to ask me?’

Frick, there really was no way to get anything past Rose. ‘Deal.’

‘Okay.’ Rose necked her saki then gestured to the waiter for another. ‘I’m not worried about Tom. I think he’ll be an amazing husband, a brilliant dad. The thing is, I’ve been engaged before.’

Natalie blinked, it was all she could do.

‘Don’t hate me for not telling you. It was ten years ago. And I didn’t want you to think I was a heartless cow,’ Rose said, looking down at her hands.

‘Enough of that, I don’t think anything of the sort.’ She slid the rest of her sake over the table. It looked like Rose needed it more.

‘I don’t want to go into the details, but it ended because of me. I left him without an explanation or anything.’ A tear broke free from her eye and slid down her cheek. Rose didn’t even seem to notice as she picked up the drink and downed it.

And the reason her friend had been so down became clear. ‘You don’t want to do the same thing to Tom.’ When Rose nodded, she went on, ‘Then tell me why you left the other guy. I mean, you had to have a good reason.’

Rose’s eyes welled to the point Natalie thought she’d break down in the middle of the restaurant. ‘I just couldn’t see a future with him, not when I looked past the puppy love and took off the rose-tinted glasses. We were opposites in every way. I was ready, even at eighteen, to settle down, start a business and one day have a ton of kids.’

‘He didn’t want that?’ Natalie prompted.

Rose shrugged. ‘We never really spoke about it. I was leaving after the summer to go to college here in the city, and he just spent all his time fiddling with his computer. He had all these ideas about designing games and don’t get me wrong, he was brilliant at it. In fact, I used to go over to his when I was a kid and play them too. He just lacked the ambition to do anything with it and at the end of the day, I couldn’t face supporting him when I wanted to start up a business of my own. So I left.’

Natalie could see it, her friend at eighteen with her future already mapped out. She was so level-headed. Someone who didn’t know what to do with their life would have been a poor match.

‘But why do you feel you might end up doing that to Tom? He’s a banker and does pretty well for himself. In fact, he has a great income, a fancy rental in Chelsea and a 2016 Bentley. I’d say he’s pretty ambitious, and it’s obvious you really love him, so what’s worrying you?’

The waiter approached with another round of drinks, but Rose didn’t down this one. ‘Even without the money, even without the ambition, I’d still love him more than anything. We just click, you know? And I wonder, did I feel that way back then, or was it just puppy love? If I could walk away from one fiancé, will I walk away from this one?’

Natalie wasn’t exactly qualified in relationships, and her experience added up to a handful of one-nighters, two six-month relationships in high school and the occasional fling since she came to London, so she wasn’t the person to go to for advice. But Rose’s predicament seemed so obvious.

‘I think you need to let go of the past and all your guilt so you can move forward with Tom. If you truly believe it is meant to be, then it will work out. You can’t hurt him, hon. You care too much.’

Rose sniffled. ‘What would I do without you?’

Natalie grinned. ‘You’d be lost. So, a Christmas wedding, eh? Do you think Tom would consider moving it to Boxing Day?’

‘For my maid of honour? He’d better. Or there won’t be a wedding at all.’ She chuckled.

Natalie’s throat got all thick, and she grabbed at it, like she could stop the emotion from bubbling up and spilling over. She felt like she was somehow closer to Rose knowing her friend wasn’t perfect, and also relieved at not having to worry about being a misery at the wedding.

‘Are you sure you don’t want me to help? I mean, it can’t be easy finding somewhere, even for a small party, this close to the day. And I’ve done loads of last-minute weddings. I could call in a favour somewhere, maybe at the Savoy? I’m friendly with their events manager.’ At first she’d dreaded having to help, but now things had cleared up with Tom, she wanted to do whatever she could.

‘Nope,’ Rose said, shaking her head at the same time. ‘All you have to do is go to the dress fitting when it’s ready. Tom and I will do the rest. We were just going to have the ceremony at the registry office then have a meal with Tom’s friends and family after. I’ve even invited the girls from the shop and their families, but all in all there won’t even be thirty people. Even if you bring a date.’

There was no way she’d take a date. Even spending Christmas day watching the scariest horror films, she could never hide the puffy eyes from all the crying. She’d look a mess on Boxing day. She always did. ‘There’s more chance of me swimming the channel than that.’

Rose frowned. ‘Would you prefer if we moved the wedding to spring, maybe? I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this if you don’t feel up for it.’

Natalie shook her head. ‘I’m not going to be the reason you delay your wedding. Anyway, it’s meant to snow this year – how romantic will that be for the photos? I usually put it all away by the 26th anyway.’

If you could call wrestling with her guilt and grief until she felt halfway normal, putting it all away.

‘I wish you didn’t have to.’

‘Me too,’ Natalie said, then sighed. ‘Anyway, let’s talk about less morbid things, okay?’

‘Okay then. What were you going to say before?’ Rose asked, startling her.

Great. They’d gone from discussing Natalie’s unresolved issues with her mother’s death and Christmas, to talking about her insecurities. Well, she supposed it was now or never. The sooner she knew the answer, she supposed the sooner she could be proactive about the situation. ‘I was worried that the reason you were so down was because you were engaged, wanting to live with your fiancé and were too nice to ask me to move out, even though you wanted me to.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, Nat. Of course, I want you to stay!’

Rose looked horrified she’d even suggested otherwise.

‘It’s going to be different when you’re married though. I don’t want to be a third wheel and you and Tom have a life to start living. I’m going to have to go at some point.’ She just wished she’d had a chance to start up her own business first. Now it looked like her savings were going to go on security deposits and be frittered away paying the surplus in rent. God, and furniture. She’d have to start from scratch since everything in the flat belonged to Rose. Unless she could work up the courage to use her mum’s things. But that was too depressing a thought.

As if reading her mind, Rose said, ‘You can stay in the flat as long as you like and keep our stuff. I think when we do move in on our own, it’ll be to Toms place anyway. And Tom has plenty at his house. I’d just take some of my utensils. I could even find you a roommate if you’re worried about paying my parents the rent on your own.’

‘Thanks. The idea of moving so soon is scary. And don’t worry, I’ll deal with the rent.’ She was determined to stand on her own two feet, and that meant demanding a wage rise from Mick the Dick. If she could work up the courage for that, then maybe, just maybe, she’d be brave enough to face sorting out her mother’s things.

***

Dean slipped away to pay the bill after his mother threw him a pointed look. Tapping the company credit card against the bar, he waited for the bill to be tallied and thought again about the interlude with his little thief.

The way she’d said his name, layered with feigned disgust made him smile. He was going to make it his mission to find out hers.

Jeffrey appeared next to him. ‘Listen, I’m sorry about last week. That was a shitty thing for me to say.’

Dean shrugged. ‘I wasn’t exactly acting like the best brother either.’

His brother laughed. ‘Nah, you were acting like an arse.’

With a grin, he replied. ‘Always.’ He knew by the way his brother clapped him on the back that the fight was over.

‘So who was the cute little blonde that wouldn’t go near you with a ten -oot barge pole?’ Jeffrey asked.

Where to start with that one? ‘Not sure what her name is. We’ve crashed a few of the same parties and as far as I can tell, she goes by the name Nicole.’

Jeffrey raised an eyebrow. ‘It looked like she wanted to rip your throat out with her nails, after she kicked you in the balls.’

He chuckled. ‘Yeah, she probably did.’

Then his brother got serious, studying him with a look Dean had never seen before. ‘You like her.’

‘She’s sexy and I want her, but that’s all there is to it.’ Christ, where did all this attentiveness come from? His brother looked like he was examining a specimen in a petri dish – Dean being the object of his scrutiny.

Jeffrey grinned. ‘You’re a shitty liar, my brother. But I’m not going to say any more about it. Well, maybe one thing.’

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