Dating Winter

Grace - Girl Interrupted

Trying to find a nice present for gran was harder than it sounded. She wasn't a traditional gran who liked cheesy ornaments. She had an exquisite taste and high expectations. I spent ages in Partridge's department store browsing the kitchenware and then had a look through the 'home' section too. Taking a few pics to show mum, I gave it up as a bad job and decided to make my way to Cathedral square to see what market stalls had popped up this year.

My phone was ringing loudly and I had to rummage around a bit in my bag to find it. Lorna was on FaceTime so I stopped for a minute at a bench, where I could sit and gossip with her happily. Putting my bag down, and turning on my camera, I couldn't quite make out where she was.

"I'm at the stables. Just had a frosty ride. What ya doing?"
I could make out the horses parading in a field behind her as she sat chatting to me and occasionally taking a bite from a banana.
"That kind of looks wrong from here," I sniggered as she took another massive bite.

Licking it seductively, she made herself laugh and spat a bit out before trying to catch her breath after nearly choking on it.
"Cow!" she sneered, trying to stabilise her camera again after losing her composure. "Shall we hook up later at yours? If you get a chance, grab us some samples so we can try them out in front of a girlie film."
As she was speaking I pulled a few make up samples from my bag and held them in front of the camera.
"One step ahead of you," I announced.
"They do look cool," she said before waving and closing the call on me. We were close enough mates to not need to say long farewells.

The decorations looked more interesting than usual. In the distance I could see the fountain which had some model elves flanking it and at night time was lit up with flashing lights that made the water look iridescent. Every lamppost had mistletoe and tinsel around it. Even the shopkeepers had gone the extra mile, with Mini Christmas trees, fake snow and even some modern takes on the nativity scene.

I sat there admiring the place that I called home for a few more minutes and then decided to join the hustle and bustle of it again. As I passed stools with roasting chestnuts, sizzling hot dogs and the scent of freshly baked gingerbread, I really felt uplifted. I appreciated life much more than this time last year. I'd have been in hospital about now, probably still recovering and trying my hardest to hide the truth from my folks, who, although loving and doting, took a long time to understand the pain in my heart. That pain had gone away now, at least I hoped it had.

Right now, I felt lighter than ever and with a festive atmosphere surrounding me, I was practically floating on a Christmas high. I found myself looking in every window display and singing along to the Carols which were being sung over a tannoy by a local school choir.

"Mummy, can I have a new puppy for Christmas?" said a little boy when he passed me near the pet shop.
'A dog is for life, not just for Christmas,' I thought, remembering how attached I'd been to my beautiful childhood beagle.

Just as I waltzed through the Cathedral square, my jubilant mood was suddenly trampled on. Sharply and brutally. Literally.

"Arghhhh!"
Some idiot had stepped backwards right onto my left toes. My instinct was to defend myself. Slapping the offender in the face, I immediately recoiled.

The perpetrator was hot. He couldn't have looked more awkward.

I blushed.

He blushed.

If we were two clouds in the sky then a lightning bolt definitely would have flashed through us both at that moment, electrifying our bodies.