‘Good,’ said Jeanette. ‘Xanthe says you have to come down for Champagne cocktails at six. You can’t possibly stay up here on your own on Christmas Eve. She made Jim promise to carry you down the stairs if need be.’
‘Poor Jim.’
‘He’s terrified of your mother. I don’t know why, she’s so sweet. Anyway, do you think you might come down? I’ll help you get dressed and everything.’
Izzy snorted. ‘I’m quite capable of getting dressed. I’m absolutely fine. I only agreed to stay in bed for today because Xanthe said if I didn’t, she’d call the doctor out.’
Much as Izzy hated being stuck upstairs away from her kitchen on such a busy day, she had dozed for quite a lot of the time, probably in response to the shock of yesterday’s adventure, but now she had no more excuses to hide away and after all this preparation and angst, she wasnotgoing to miss Christmas. And she was not going to miss out on Champagne cocktails.
She swung her legs over the bed. ‘I’ll get up and have a shower.’ She was going to have to face Ross at some point and she was going to make sure she looked her best. Show him what he was missing. Warrior princess mode was required.
Half an hour later, she was up and dressed with freshly washed hair and looked and felt human again. Energised by her shower, she made an effort with her hair and left the red curls to tumble down her back for a change instead of being bundled up in her usual messy bun. Okay, she was making quite a bit of effort. She even put on some lip gloss and then wiped it off because that was trying too hard. Then she put it back on because it was Christmas Eve and she and Xanthe had always dressed up for Champagne cocktails on Christmas Eve. She tilted her chin in the mirror. Dressing up was tradition. Nothing whatsoever to do with showing anyone what they’d thrown away.
‘Izzy, you’re just in time,’ said Fliss, who was lifting a bowl out of the fridge when she arrived in the kitchen. ‘I’ve made some sugar syrup for the sugar rims on the glasses. Xanthe has found the most amazing Champagne flutes. Very plain but very elegant. Aren’t they beautiful?’ She nodded towards the cluster of long-stemmed glasses that were waiting on the side. ‘Xanthe wants to ’gram them before we serve them. She’s set up a shot on the table with pine cones and candles. You didn’t inherit her artistic talents, then.’
Izzy shook her head. It was a standing joke that her presentation skills were terrible.
‘Did you get the edible glitter? I can’t find it.’
‘I hid it from Xanthe after I used it last time.’
‘Good shout, she’d have found a way to use it.’
Izzy retrieved the golden glitter and sprinkled a good amount in a flat saucer of sugar.
‘Here we go,’ said Fliss, picking up the first glass and dipping it into the sugar syrup before dipping it into the sugar and glitter.
Izzy beamed. ‘It looks amazing. Everyone was very impressed when I did it on the whisky sours when we decorated the tree. I’d never have thought of doing that before you suggested it.’
‘I’m a genius,’ said Fliss with a smug smile.
‘In your own head,’ grumbled Jason, pulling a tray of sausage pinwheels from the oven and sliding them onto a flat plate. They were the neatest little pinwheels Izzy had ever seen. She was so glad the other two had come.
‘You’re not going to serve those like that, are you?’ she scolded.
‘They’re frigging sausage pinwheels. It’s Christmas Eve. We’ll do the fancy stuff tomorrow.’
‘No,’ said Fliss, smacking him on the hand. ‘We do it properly. You serve food with love, remember.’
‘It is served with love. I bloody love a sausage pinwheel.’
Fliss put her hand on her hip and tutted.
‘You two don’t get any better,’ said Izzy with a laugh.
Jason immediately put an arm around Fliss. ‘We love each other really.’
‘Ew, get off me,’ said Fliss. ‘You big oaf.’
‘See. I’m the brother she always wanted.’
‘I’ve got four brothers already. I do not need another one.’
‘Okay, besties.’
Fliss shuddered. ‘I’ve never used that word in my life. You’re just Jason.’
He pulled a mournful face. ‘No one appreciates me.’
