Always, in December(29)

    “I’m really sorry, guys, but I’ve got this party and I—”

“But the quote!” Memo said. “Helen’s got one this time, haven’t you, Helen?”

Josie raised her eyebrows. “I thought it was my turn?”

“Yes, well, you wouldn’t have done a Christmassy one, would you? And Helen wanted to get involved.” She turned the screen toward Helen, leaving no room for argument.

Helen cleared her throat dramatically. “To me, you are perfect.”

Josie smirked. “Why thank you.”

She heard her grandad laugh in the background, but Helen tsked impatiently. “Well?”

Josie hesitated. Christmassy, they’d said. “Ummm…”

“Oh come on,” Memo said, and Helen turned the laptop back to her. She’d gotten herself a glass of red wine since Helen had taken over the screen. “You must know this one, love?”

Josie saw her phone vibrate next to her laptop and started, then remembered that obviously it wouldn’t be Max, being as how he didn’t have her number. Laura, she saw. God, she needed to get going, she wanted to make sure she found Laura in time so she didn’t have to walk in alone.

“Well?” Helen was demanding.

“I don’t know,” Josie said, and it came out more impatiently than she meant it to. “Sorry, I mean, just let me think on it, OK? I’ll text you.”

Memo frowned. “Why are you so flustered?”

“I’m not,” Josie insisted. “I’m just worried about making the party on time. On which note…”

“Actually, I wanted a word with you quickly,” Helen said. Josie watched as Helen stood up and moved across the living room and into the kitchen. Something she couldn’t say in front of Memo then—that did not bode well. “Darling, I just thought you ought to know…”

    Josie’s stomach jolted. “Ought to know what? Has something happened?” She dropped her voice, glancing behind Helen on the screen to check her grandparents hadn’t followed her into the kitchen. “Is Memo OK?”

“Oh no, no, it’s nothing like that, don’t you worry. Your grandparents are fine.” Funny how she never seemed to refer to them as “Mum and Dad” in front of Josie. “It’s just, well, I did a little digging online into that new man that you’re seeing.”

Of course she did. “I’m not really ‘seeing’ him, Helen. And—”

“Anyway,” Helen continued, breezing over Josie. “I found his architect firm, the one he said he worked for, ALA, and I hate to tell you this, darling, but he is not listed on their website anywhere.”

“OK,” Josie said slowly. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Maybe they don’t list all their employees on the website, or they haven’t updated it or something.” It had taken a good year, after all, for the internal system at her company to update her title after she’d been promoted.

“Well, yes, I considered that, but I called them to ask and they said he hasn’t worked there in two months.” She let that hang for a moment.

“Two months?” Josie repeated, frowning. So he’d lied to Helen about where he worked? That was strange. Or was it? Maybe she was just letting Helen get to her.

“Yes,” Helen said, leaning toward the screen and dropping her voice like she was in on a conspiracy. “And they wouldn’t tell me why he left. I did ask.”

    “It might not mean anything drastic, Helen.”

“Hmm. Well yes, maybe.”

“Why did you even go looking?”

“Because I’m worried about you, darling! You show up with a new man right after you break up with that lovely Oliver”—Josie gritted her teeth at that—“and you look all flustered. I don’t want someone to swoop in and take advantage, that’s all. I saw a dreadful article online the other day about a man who took everything from a young woman right in the dead of night—he’d created a false identity and everything.” Josie allowed herself a small, wry smile. She knew why her aunt kept it vague with the “online”—she was the type of person who pretended to read the Guardian, but in reality got everything from the Mail.

“Look, I appreciate you worrying about me, honestly I do.” The doorbell rang, and Josie’s heart did a semi-painful jump. She stood up, taking the laptop with her, and started walking toward the door, dropping her voice slightly. “But I don’t think it’s anything like that. I’m being careful, I promise.”

“Well, just have it in mind, won’t you?”

“Fine, sure,” Josie said, knowing that agreement was the only way to stop her going on about it. “But right now, there’s someone at the door and I’m already running late, so I’ve got to go, sorry. Say goodbye to Memo and Grandad, won’t you?”

“Bye, my love!” Memo called from the living room. “And your grandad says bye too.”

“I can speak for myself, Cecelia,” she heard her granddad grumble distantly. Josie shook her head. She’d bet anything they’d both been listening to every word Helen said, and no doubt the three of them would be gossiping about it for the rest of the evening.