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"That's wonderful!"
"Yes." I couldn't help my silly grin. "I knew I was in love with him last week, and we told each
other this morning as we unwrapped our presents."
"Wonderful. What's his name? I want to talk to him."
"Mark. He's called Mark. Just a second." I covered the mouthpiece. "Mark, Gran would like a
word with you. I deliberately took my hand away from the mouthpiece. "Don't be embarrassed
by what she tells you. The old girl's got a mind like a sewer!"
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I could hear her protests, even though the receiver wasn't next to my ear. When she quieted, I
held the phone against Mark's ear.
"Hello Mrs. err, sorry, Gran...Yes...Yes...Really?...He didn't!...No." He laughed, then became
serious. "Yes, Gran, I love him. With all my heart. I know, he's very precious to me, too."
There was a long pause as Gran told him something.
"Yes, he told me about him coming out to you...I laughed when he told me."
Gran talked for about a minute.
"No, I'm the lucky one...I hurt my hands, and they're in bandages. Simon has done everything for
me, and he hasn't complained once...Yes, everything." Mark reddened at this point.
I knew what she'd just asked.
"It's been nice talking to you, too, Gran. I'm looking forward to meeting you, too. Yes. I'll put
him on."
I moved the phone back to my ear. "Have you been embarrassing my boyfriend?" I couldn't
believe how wonderful it was to say the words 'my boyfriend' to another person.
"Would I?" Gran asked.
"Do you really want me to answer that?"
Gran laughed. "He sounds like a very nice young man. You'll have to bring him down to see me
in the New Year."
"Yes, Gran, I will. Believe me, I want to show him off." I looked at Mark, and he went red again.
"I'll let you go. No doubt you're planning to bully some more defenceless old ladies into another
knee's up."
"How did you guess?"
We laughed, then said our goodbyes and hung up.
"She's wonderful," Mark said.
"Yeah, she's pretty special," I admitted.
"I've never met anyone so full of beans," Mary smiled.
We chatted for a while longer, then Mary asked Mark, "So, what did Simon get you for
Christmas?"
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81
"A book."
Mary laughed. "Bloody typical. I swear, he eats, drinks, and breathes books."
"No, honestly, it's perfect. Would you show it to Mary?" Mark asked me.
I passed the book to her.
She read the inscription. "Aw, nice. Simon, why don't you read something from it?"
I took the book and leafed through it for a while, then began to read aloud:
"You'll want all day to-morrow, I suppose?" said Scrooge.
"If quite convenient, sir."
"It's not convenient," said Scrooge, "and it's not fair. If I was to stop half-a-crown for it, you'd
think yourself ill-used, I'll be bound?"
The clerk smiled faintly.
"And yet," said Scrooge, "you don't think me ill-used, when I pay a day's wages for no work."
The clerk observed that it was only once a year.
Mary laughed. "Sounds just like our bosses at the Town Hall."
All three of us looked through the book and read out passages. Mary turned the pages for Mark.
After about an hour, she asked, "Am I going to get fed here or what?"
"Are you actually hungry? I'd have thought you'd have stuffed yourself at dinner?"
"I did, but I've got a couple of empty corners now."
"Would you like something, angel?" I knew my gaze was besotted, but I didn't care.
"Just a little, please."
"Turkey sandwiches?" I asked the pair.
Both agreed.
* * * *
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"Well, I hope you like turkey, Mark, because you'll be having it for days yet," I said as I emerged
from the kitchen, a tray of sandwiches in hand.
Mary laughed. "It'll be just the same at our place."
"I'll freeze some tonight, so we won't have as much to face in one go."
"Good idea," Mark said.
A short while later Mary announced she had to go. "Mum and I are going into Leeds tomorrow
for the Boxing Day sales. Want to come?"
"Hell, no!" Mark and I exclaimed.
"I've seen enough shops for at least a month," I said.
"Me, too," Mark added.
"You two! You don't know what you're missing."
"We do: endless queuing, pushing and shoving, not to mention the bruises when you get between
someone and the bargain of the century," Mark said.
"You're both wimps."
"I don't care. Mark and I are going to spend the day together quietly. We might go for a walk if
the weather's decent."
"Just like an old married couple," Mary sighed.
"What's wrong with that?" Mark asked.
"Absolutely nothing."
"Anyway, be gone woman. I want to make love with my man here." I put my arm around a
reddening Mark.
A surprised Mary said, "I'm definitely going now." She headed for the door.
"See you soon," I called out after her.
Once she'd gone, and I'd locked the door, Mark said, "Do you really want to make love with
me?"
"Yes, but..." I couldn't meet his gaze. The happiness of a few moments earlier had been replaced
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