Always, in December(20)

    “Yes,” Josie said decisively after she’d paid. “I think she’ll like it.” She took the bag the shop assistant handed her. “Though I’ll be able to tell either way—she’s got a terrible poker face.”

Max laughed. “Are you spending Christmas with her then?”

“No,” Josie admitted after a beat, “but we open our presents from each other over FaceTime every Christmas Eve. It’s like a ritual.” One that Memo had started when Josie had stopped coming home for Christmas, so that they still had some “family time.”

“A very modern-day ritual,” Max commented, and Josie grinned.

“Quite.”

They passed the jewelry section on the way out and, even though it was such a girly cliché, Josie couldn’t help being drawn over to have a look. She noticed a pair of big star earrings, dangly ones that sparkled in the Christmas lights around the casing, and laughed a little.

“Yeah, I’ve always found jewelry quite funny,” Max said, deadpan.

She pointed the earrings out. “These are exactly like a pair I got given for Christmas when I was nine.” The last Christmas she’d shared with her parents, she thought before she could stop herself. “They were in my stocking,” she explained, smiling at the memory. “Clip-on, obviously.”

    “Obviously.”

“And plastic.”

Max raised his eyebrows. “But apart from that, they were exactly the same? I’m not sure you should let Fortnum’s hear you say that.” He glanced up to the nearest shop assistant and flashed her a grin, which made her beam and go a little pink. Clearly, he’d learned how to use his looks over the years.

Josie rolled her eyes at him as they walked away from the jewelry. “Well, they were gold and stars and dangly. And they were my favorite thing for a while.” She remembered how she’d asked her mum to put her hair in a bun every time she’d worn them, so that they were even more obvious.

“Do you still have them?”

“No. I lost them a few months later.”

“Shame. I’m sure you’d look great with plastic golden stars in your ears.” He glanced at her earlobes and she touched one absentmindedly.

“Not really my style anymore.” She was wearing studs, as usual, little daisies. She couldn’t imagine wearing something so bright and out there now, even if it was just a pair of earrings.

They made their way back outside, and the cold wind actually felt like relief as it brushed the back of her neck, after the toasty warmth of inside. She grimaced at the sound of her phone vibrating. Surely Oliver wasn’t ringing her now too? But it wasn’t Oliver.

    She bit her lip and glanced at Max, who gestured for her to answer. She turned away a little bit, trying to keep her voice down. “Aunty Helen?”

“Josie!” Her aunt’s husky voice boomed down the line. “Darling! How are you?”

“I’m—”

“Now, look,” Helen continued, talking over Josie. “I know we said tomorrow for supper, but I got my dates mixed up and I’m actually here in London today. I don’t suppose you can meet me today instead, could you, darling?”

Josie looked over at Max, who was politely studying the street, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Well, I’m—”

“I know it’d be an inconvenience, darling, but I’ve double-booked myself tomorrow and I’d hate to miss our annual supper, I’ve been dying to hear all about your year.”

Josie grimaced at the thought of having to tell Helen just how wrong her year had turned out. “Well, the thing is—”

“I’ve got us a table at the Ivy Market Grill,” Helen continued. “You know it, don’t you? In Covent Garden.”

“I know it, yes, but the thing is,” Josie said, talking as quickly as she could to avoid being interrupted again, “I’m actually out with a…a friend at the moment, so I’m not sure I could—”

“Oh, bring her along!” Helen exclaimed, sounding delighted. “I’d love to meet one of your friends, darling, I do worry about you here all alone sometimes.”

“Well, I…” Josie trailed off weakly. She couldn’t really say no, even if she did want to prolong the day with Max. But this was the one time of year she and Helen saw each other without fail, and it would surely make her a terrible person to refuse to go for the sake of a few more hours with a man she’d only just met. She sighed, and Helen sensed victory.

    “Wonderful! I’ll meet you there in an hour.”

“An hour?” Talk about last minute. Josie wrinkled her nose. She bet Helen was lying—she must have had other plans that had fallen through today and was trying to rearrange things so as not to have an evening in a hotel alone.

“Yes, we’ll have an early supper, shall we? Can’t wait to see you, darling!” And with that, she hung up, leaving Josie staring mutely at her phone.

“Everything OK?” asked Max, coming up to her.

Josie tugged a hand through her hair. “Yes, I…” She blew out a breath. “That was my aunt. She’s in London and wants to meet me for dinner in an hour—she booked a table but forgot to tell me, apparently.”