The Holiday Swap: The perfect feel good romance for fans of the Christmas movie The Holiday

‘Oh whatever, while you do the whole going-round-the-lights thing here.’

‘What?’

‘You can both swap.’ Anna crossed her hands over and grinned. ‘I’m amazing, go on, say it. It’s the perfect solution, and it only took three bottles of cava.’

‘Four. But I don’t speak Spanish. How can I stay here on my own? It’s different being here with Flo.’

‘Most people don’t speak Spanish here.’ Flo grinned. ‘They speak Catalan. They throw in some French words, like merci, but without the French accent.’

‘Really?’ That made no sense at all.

‘Really.’ Flo looked at her best friends. ‘I like that idea, Anna, you’re amazing, I’d even go as far as to say a genius.’ This could work. This could really work. She could escape for a couple of weeks. By the time she came back everybody would know and there wouldn’t be all that embarrassing explanation stuff that made her cry, and she’d be over him. Completely. ‘Oh wow, yes,’ she laughed, wondering if she was drunk or delirious, ‘Anna, that does sound an amazing idea. Tell me we can do it, please Daisy? I’ve always wanted to go back and do the works. You know, a cosy cottage and build a snowman, toast marshmallows. Do all the stuff we used to do.’

‘Er, well, I’ll have to check with Jimmy.’

Anna rolled her eyes. ‘Jimmy’s given you until Christmas, you nitwit. Just do it.’

‘But he needs me there, and somebody needs to look after everything.’

‘Don’t you get it? Flo looks after your place, everything, and you look after hers. And stuff Jimmy, he’s perfectly capable of looking after himself. Right, while we’re on the subject of stuffing, can we have some of those stuffed pepper things?’

Chapter 7 – Daisy. The morning after

‘Go away.’ Daisy rolled over and buried her head under the pillow, trying to escape Mabel’s prodding.

‘That’s not very nice when I’ve been out for croissants. Come on, get out of bed, you lazy bug.’ Anna grabbed the pillow and Daisy scrunched her eyes up against the sunlight that flooded the room.

Something was wrong. It shouldn’t be this light; Anna shouldn’t be there.

Then she remembered. She was in Barcelona. She had shared a bed with Anna (who didn’t snore and snuffle and make little growly noises in her sleep), not Mabel (who did). She had drunk a gallon of cava last night, and it was trying to explode out of her head.

‘Hurry up.’ Anna, sounding disgustingly bouncy, had retreated and was standing in the doorway. ‘Croissants, coffee, come on. We’ve got to plan what we’re doing today.’

‘I was planning on sleeping.’

‘We’ve only got two days, come on.’ Anna nudged her foot.

Daisy suddenly felt wide awake (but with a thumping head) as last night flooded back (along with a hint of anchovy, which wasn’t quite as welcome). ‘You might have but,’ she smiled, it hurt her head but still felt good, ‘I’m staying.’

‘Sorry?’

‘Swap, house swap, holiday swap. You know, Flo goes to my place and I stay here.’

‘But that was a joke, we were drunk.’ Anna frowned and looked like she was waiting for Daisy to laugh. She didn’t.

‘Well I’ve been thinking about it, and it sounds brilliant.’

‘But you can’t…’

‘That’s what I thought at first.’ Daisy sat up and pulled the sheet up to her chin. ‘I’ve got things to do back home. It’s not that easy to sort, but if I can do it I’m going to.’

‘But you’ll be on your own. It won’t be like all of us being here.’

‘I know. But I’m a big girl now, Anna,’ she smiled, trying to soften the blow, ‘I can make my own decisions.’ She giggled like a naughty schoolgirl – not such a big girl then.

‘But you can’t afford it, and what about the animals? And work? December is a really busy time for you, everybody wants their dog looking pretty for Christmas, that’s what you said before we came here.’

‘God knows why, they’re only going to get muddy. But, that’s the beauty of this, isn’t it? Flo looks after the animals, and the house. Though I don’t think I’ll mention that randy Dalmatian to her.’

‘Exactly. She can’t do your job.’

‘True.’ Daisy shuffled about, wondering where Anna’s positivity had gone. When they’d fallen into bed and the room had started to spin, thinking about this had been a good distraction. ‘But Tiggy can, I’ve asked her before and she’s said no problem. She can use my grooming table and scissors, or whatever stuff she wants, and it did used to be her job before she decided to paint again.’

‘Oh. But it isn’t exactly fair on Flo, lumbering her with Barney and Mabel, is it? And you just get this beautiful place.’

Daisy frowned. ‘This was your idea.’

‘We were drunk, and I just got carried away. Thinking about it now though, it isn’t ideal, and you don’t actually have to stay here, do you? I thought you wanted to do other stuff like ride in the Canadian Rockies.’

‘You know I can’t afford that. Oh Anna, you might have thought of it after a few drinks, but it’s a fantastic idea, it makes sense. And she does know about the animals.’

‘Yes, but you didn’t exactly describe Mabel.’

‘I said I had a big dog. Look, stop worrying, I’m sure Jimmy and,’ she paused, ‘Hugo will help her out if she needs it. What’s the matter? I thought this was what you wanted me to do?’ Daisy stared at Anna in frustration. She’d expected her to be excited about the whole thing. Supportive.

‘I just didn’t expect…’

‘Exactly. And I didn’t expect Jimmy to propose, did I? If I go home now I’ll just get stuck back in and forget all about my dreams. And I love it here.’ She hugged her knees to her chest. ‘I’ve got to do this, Anna, for Jimmy’s sake as well as my own. And like you said, I’m helping Flo out, she needs to put as many miles between her and that dickhead as she can this Christmas. I mean, can you imagine if that happened to you and you had to spend the whole holiday hoping you didn’t bump into him and his new shag?’

Anna frowned. ‘You’re using emotional blackmail now.’

‘All’s fair. But it’s true, consider it a favour to Flo if you really won’t admit you want me to do it. Oh, come on, am I wrong?’

Anna sighed. ‘No, you aren’t wrong. You’re right.’

‘I’m right!’ Daisy squealed and, jumping up, did a jig on the bed, which creaked alarmingly, so she sat down quick. ‘I don’t think I want to end up like Mum, giving up her dreams and looking after old ladies and cows, but I won’t know if I don’t try, will I?’

‘You won’t.’ With a grin that was only a tiny bit strained, Anna wrapped her arms round Daisy and squeezed her so hard she squeaked. ‘I knew you’d do it and prove Jimmy wrong.’

‘Prove Jimmy wrong?’ Daisy wriggled.

Anna released her stranglehold and looked sheepish. ‘He said a weekend was more than enough for you, and could I bugger off out of your life and lead somebody else astray.’ She lifted her chin. ‘That’s partly what made me suggest it last night, but I honestly thought it was a mad idea. I never thought you’d actually want to do it. Don’t look at me like that! Oh, okay, I’m jealous. I admit it, it will be weird, you doing this on your own.’

‘I know, and I don’t want to sound selfish, but this is about me, Anna. For the first time in as long as I can remember I’m doing something I really, really want to do.’

***

A shower, one glass of orange juice, two croissants and three cups of coffee (they were only tiny) later, Daisy felt slightly less as though an alien had infested her head, and more than a little bit giddy. What had seemed a slightly dubious idea last night in the bar, sounded absolutely brilliant in the sober light of day. Which seemed the wrong way round. It was like a crazy wonderful dream had come true, but she wasn’t quite sure how. And even when she said it out loud, in real words, to a person, it still sounded like a good idea.

She glanced at Flo, who was grinning like she agreed, and it was just Anna who didn’t look quite so enthusiastic. Which could have been because she wasn’t one of the people doing it.

‘What do you think, Flo? I mean, I know we were all drunk last night…’

‘Honestly? We have to do this swap thing. It’ll be amazing. Stop looking at us like that, Anna! What have we got to lose? We can both be home for Christmas Day, but have a fab time before. I won’t have to risk bumping into Oli-the-arsehole,’ she looked at Daisy, ‘and you won’t have Jimmy waving a ring in your face.’

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