*Says if they're good you can do up the mobile home anytime. And if you do well at window dressing that maybe you can buy her a proper present next year.'

I grinned at that. Taking his hand, I told him that at least now we could afford something semi-decent for Cecily next Christmas.

*Only semi-decent?'

*Your mother would expect nothing more.'

Laura, uncomfortable with the cozy banter, told Carson she'd see him at work in a week or so, and told me that it had been nice to meet me.

*Nice, or horrifying?' I smiled.

*A bit of both,' she replied honestly. *But we can work on that.'

Carson led me indoors.

*How much do they pay a junior a.s.sociate, anyway?' I asked, as we trudged upstairs.

*About three times what I'm earning now.'

I thought about my own short-lived career and losing my job at Flindes. Now was as good a time as any to tell Carson I'd been fired.

*I'd take you out for a celebratory dinner if Dan Phillit hadn't fired me.'

*What? No?' Luckily, the s.h.i.+ne from his new job made it difficult for Carson to be more than a little concerned.

*I thought the window money might make up the balance until I found another job, but then Robert b.l.o.o.d.y Simpson refused to pay me.'

*Why?' His eyes searched mine.

*He wanted me to make up a threesome. I refused.'

*Ahhh.' Carson wrapped me in his strong arms. *Then let's make that one of my first a.s.signments as a practicing lawyer, shall we?'

I didn't understand what he was saying.

*I'll pay Robert Simpson a little visit. Tell him my firm will sue him if he doesn't pay up.'

*Can you do that?'

*Basic breach of contract case, baby. And I should know. That's what I've been doing after work all these months. Studying like a lunatic.'

If I thought too long about how I'd treated him, when he was trying to work full time and study, I would burst into tears. Again.

Instead, I said, *Oh, stop boasting, you Harvard-graduate lawyer, you.'

And then I kissed him.

Like I hadn't kissed him for years.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

Boxing Day, December 26 *Do what you can to make things better. Think of yourself second.'

Jocelyn Priestly I GOT UP EARLY, AFTER having the best s.e.x (and only s.e.x) I'd had in months, and flipped over the calendar. For once, Ms Priestly didn't have me reaching for a sharp object. There was something that still needed to be done a although I was in two minds about whether to risk it.

Stuff it! Thanks to Lolly, I had some great shop windows in my portfolio, and the opportunity to expand my business, given Carson's new job.

I owed her.

Telling Carson I would be back in time to make the journey to the depths of h.e.l.l a otherwise known as his mother's trailer park a I slid on some jeans and a jacket, grabbed my coat, and raced downstairs.

Hammertro was there, dragging a Christmas tree through the foyer.

*What are you doing?'

*My life is over, I ain't doin' no celebrating.'

*Cecily 2 said no?'

*She isn't answering my calls.'

Shame.

*You did give Uncle Rabbit the money for the boxes, didn't you?' Hammertro's uncle had turned out to be unbelievably handy when it came to window dressing. He had a knack for finding solutions to difficult problems and I now had his direct number, and promised to put more work his way.

If I ever got another job, that was.

*Yeah. He was grateful.'

I had never seen the rapper so down.

*Forget about Cecily 2,' I told him. *She isn't worth a moment's second thought, you know. I'm related to her, and I can't think of one good thing to say about her.'

*But she and me, we're like soul mates. Like Bony and Clyde.'

*Don't you mean Bonnie and Clyde?'

In spite of himself, Hammertro grinned. *No, seexy momma, I don't.

The Boxing Day Sales meant that the public transport system was stuffed with women intent on returning the awful gifts well-meaning men had bought them, and swapping them for something they actually wanted.

Two hours later, I walked through the door of LollyBliss, only to find Lolly wasn't there.

Now's your chance.

*Where is she?' I asked Lucinda, who was so frazzled that her usually perfect hair was slightly rumpled at the back.

*Who knows? But it's nearly eleven and I have the worst hangover. I can't even add up straight.'

Should I? Dare I?

Then Lolly burst in with a bunch of Chocolato boxes.

*Scar, hi! What are you doing here?'

*I was worried about you, I thought I'd come and take you out for a coffee.' I pointed at the boxes. *Fraternizing with the enemy? He hasn't paid me, you know?'

*They're for me,' Lucinda said, pulling open one of the gold-wrapped boxes and stuffing a couple of white chocolate bears into her mouth. *Lolly asked what I wanted for Christmas, and this is what I wanted.'

Before I could reply, Lucinda leaned over and kissed Lolly full on the lips.

*No,' I said, unable to stop myself.

Lolly grinned. *Who knew it?'

*I only came to work here because I fancied her,' Lucinda said, between mouthfuls of chocolate.

*Amazing, congratulations you two!'

*What's with the chocolate?' I whispered to Lolly, as we set off to have a good gossip.

*Domestic bliss,' she said, hugging me tightly. *And Carson told me all about his news too. Next year is going to be wonderful, Scar. I can feel it.'

And for once, I didn't disagree.

It didn't take long for the gloss to wear off my new found appreciation of Cecily. My gift from the Teesons (*we all chipped in, it was very expensive') was an entire year's members.h.i.+p to Weight Down.

When the gift brought a tear to my eye, literally, no one spoke for a good five minutes. Then Cecily 2's husband smacked his hand down on the coffee table.

The gla.s.ses of beer jiggled festively.

*This is so pathetic,' Rufus exclaimed, the bald patch s.h.i.+ning under the plastic, illuminated mistletoe. *When are you people going to learn how to be polite to poor Scarlet?'

Utter and complete amazement oozed through the collective consciousness of the Teeson family.

*Um, it's okay,' I said, because Carson was looking at me, imploringly, willing me to resolve the situation.

*No, it isn't!' Rufus stood up. *I am sick of you,' he waved an arm at his mother-in-law and wife, *being unjustifiably rude to poor Scarlet. She's done nothing to deserve your contempt.'

*What does contempt mean?' asked Howie.

*Dislike,' J told him.

*Does not,' said Howie.

*Does,' said Jessie.

*Shut up Rufus, no one cares what you think,' Cecily 2 cackled, loudly of course.

Rufus slowly and determinedly gathered his coat and keys.

*Where in the f.u.c.k are you going?' Cecily cried. *We haven't had the microwave Christmas pudding yet!'

*Back to Canada,' Rufus told her. He glanced at Howie. *The boy can visit me in the holidays. I'll send him a ticket.'

*Don't you dare leave this trailer park, Rufus Teeson,' Cecily screamed, unable to comprehend her Christmas was being ruined.

And all because of the evil gift she'd bought me.

But Rufus simply shot her Cecily 2's favorite hand gesture and without another word, was gone.

*Well!' exclaimed Cecily.

*f.u.c.ker,' yelled Cecily 2.

After exactly one minute (I was clock watching, praying for some change in the time/s.p.a.ce continuum), Cecily slapped her hands together, as if wiping off something sticky, and said, *Never mind, more turkey for us.'

It was at that point that I decided to make Hammertro's Christmas wish come true. The calendar had said to do something for someone else. Well, this was my good deed. Whether it would ultimately be good for my neighbor or sister-in-law (or me, for that matter), was a question I didn't want to ask.

I texted Hammertro.

Cecily 2's husband left her. Make your move!

Look on the bright side, I told myself. If he moved in with Cecily 2 and Howie, I might have neighbors who didn't composed 115 decibel rap tunes peppered with expletives. He couldn't do that and Cecily 2 at the same time, could he?

*Scarlet's mother is coming to stay again in the new year,' Carson said, changing the subject.

*Really?' Cecily said, jealously. *Does she have nice pins, then?'

Trust Cecily to ask such an obtuse question. I hadn't seen Mum's legs since a holiday in Cornwall about twenty years ago.

*Not sure.'

*Is she fat like you?' Cecily 2 asked, seemingly over the abandonment by her husband already.

*She's very thin,' Carson told them.

I grinned at him. Feeling guilty after inflicting so much trauma on Mum, the first thing we'd agreed to do when Carson got paid at the end of January was s.h.i.+p her back to NYC, to spend a lot longer with her grandchildren a and this time without the trauma of my financial and relations.h.i.+p woes to deal with.