Christmas at the Lang's: Book Four

1

"Cassie, have you got the red carpet?" Scott shouted down the festively-decorated hallway to his daughter.

Somewhere down the hallway, Cassie popped her head through the doorframe of her bedroom, where she was doing a last-minute tidy, and rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, Dad, I have your beloved red carpet, exactly where it was when you watched me put it there."

"Well why is it still there?" Scott asked, throwing his hands up. "Why not outside where it should be?"

"Because if I leave it out there it will get dirty," Cassie said, and Scott had to be proud of her sarcasm. "I am trying to get ready you know, like you also told me to do."

That was right, Scott had told her to get ready. So he gave up. "OK, looks like I'll just get Paxton to help me," he shrugged.

Cassie stepped out into the hallway and leant against her doorframe, arms crossed. "I still don't get why you've got a red carpet for your friends, Dad. Why not for, I don't know, Mom? Hank? Or at least your own girlfriend?"

Scott crossed his own arms, mimicking his daughter. Cassie wasn't being unreasonable. "Because they wouldn't want that kind of thing. I know them well enough to remember their Christmas traditions. But Stephen is a wizard and Loki isn't from this planet. Who knows what they do for Christmas?"

Cassie shook her head and gave him a look of pity. "Dad, I've only met Mr Stephen or Mr Loki once, but they seem cool. I don't think they'd be bothered if you didn't give them a red carpet. In fact, they probably wouldn't want you to go crazy because of them. So stop worrying."

She had a point. Scott looked around, thinking he may have gone a tad overboard with the fairy lights. You couldn't see the wallpaper through them. "Well... it doesn't hurt to be prepared, does it?"

Cassie exhaled and shook her head in defeat. "Red carpet's in the living room, Dad."

"Thanks, Cassie," Scott said, smiling at her, then heading off to the living room, almost unable to see where he was going because the Christmas lights were so bright. Maybe Cassie had a point with the over-decoration, but he couldn't possibly not impress Stephen or Loki. That would just be embarrassing!

He turned into his living room (which looked like a tinsel factory had exploded) and saw Maggie and Janet in there, sitting on one of the sofas and chatting. They looked up when Scott came in.

"Where's my carpet?" asked Scott without thinking. Janet and Maggie blinked.

There was a pause, so Scott tried again.

"The red one?"

Maggie said, "Oh," and pointed to the corner of the room. Seriously, though, what did they think he meant?

"Thanks," he said, then hoisted the roll of carpet onto his shoulder. It was damn heavy! "Ow," Scott said, then he overbalanced and staggered around a bit to try and readjust it.

Maggie and Janet exchanged a glance.

"Uh, I'm missing something here. Why has Scott got a red carpet?" Janet asked. Did she think because he was stumbling around it meant Scott couldn't answer? She was smart.

"Because he's being prepared for when his wizard friend and god friend visit," Maggie answered. She crossed her arms and looked at Scott in that I am so unimpressed with you right now way. Why did she look at him like that? This was completely normal Scott-like behaviour! "Scott, you want me to get help?"

Like before, Scott couldn't answer, because he was still trying not to knock himself out with a carpet. Thinking this probably wasn't the best way to carry it, he put it down and exhaled. But before he could say anything, Cassie arrived in the room and said, "I'll help you out before you kill yourself Dad."