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Chapter One
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It wasn’t even three o’clock and it was already starting to get dark “Thanks everyone!” All the staff was full of the joys of Christmas thanks to the traditional pub lunch that they always held on the 23rd December – their last day before the holidays
The tiny pub was packed The aro around Juliette looked around for her jacket Last ti on a chair that was looped with tinsel She gave a wave to two of the secretaries who left clutching the obligatory office Christmas dip present of wine It was like an unwritten rule in the office Secret Santa = wine All you had to do was pick a colour
People were already piling out the door It was one of the few perks of working for the TV company – Christmas lunch and an early finish Usually she’d be excited as everyone else But rushing home to an empty flat with a lop-sided Christ Maybe she’d take a walk down Oxford Street and adht her way into the foodhalls in an attees to pad out her Christmas Meal-for-One in a silver tray, oven cooked in twenty ht had been a er and had patted her hand in sympathy when he saw her purchases had matched his own
The Christrate, so she pushed her way through the crowd into the ladies rooeous chocolatier just off Oxford Street She could go there and buy soht Maybe she could even buy a box to wrap up and put under the tree? Then it ht actually feel a bit more like Christmas
There A positive idea She turned her head upside down and gave her curls a shake, pinching her cheeks in the ht not be the saet the holidays to go to Barbados with the rest of the family this would have to do
She walked back out into the still-packed pub A group of guys at the bar had started singing Christmas carols – badly We wish you a ave them a polite snised Good Time to escape into the just as busy Oxford Street She picked up her Christmas present to herself A thick red parka with a fur-trimmed hood See? She could be festive if she tried
Her boss, Kenny, was in the corner on the phone talking frantically Andrew, one of the caoing for Christmas?
She hardly knew a thing about the tall Scotsman – apart from the fact he used words she’d never even heard of Last ument with a particularly nasty director who he’d declared was an ‘eejit’ She’d had to go hoht The director was a coot thicker and thicker as the argument had continued He kept to himself, but under those hidden depths he see home to? She couldn’t help but feel the tiniest bit jealous
She sighed and wound her scarf around her neck Time to hit the busy streets “Merry Christmas, Andrew,” she said as she ave her a smile It wasn’t an in-your-face toothpaste kind of smile It was a deep, reserved what-lies-beneath, sexy-and-you-know it kind of sht tier in a bar it would have made her heart rate pick up the pace
“Stop!” Kenny’s voice sounded over the drunken singing as he elbowed his way through the crowd His happy-go-lucky s between panic stricken and heart attack material
Andrew looked up, “What is it?”
Kenny’s head flicked from side to side “Where is everyone? Is it just you two left?”
“Looks like it” Han Solo’s voice echoed in her head I’ve got a bad feeling about this
“There’s been a hitch You’ll need to stay”
“What do youhis heavy rucksack over his shoulder It was clear he had no intention of staying
“There’s been a problem with the schedule We need to film another episode in the next week”
“What?”
“What?”
Their voices joined in unison in the noisy, festive-filled pub
Juliette flung up her hands “That’s impossible It takes ot nowhere to film and no crew to film it”
“This is crazy, and i” Andrew took a few steps towards the door but Kenny stood in front of his large frame
“You can’t”
“What do you lancing at his watch
Kenny folded his arms across his chest “I mean you can’t It’s in your contracts – a clause If there’s an eency situation, and we need to reshoot – you have to be available”
Juliette felt her anger start to build in her chest “This isn’t a reshoot, Kenny It’s a whole new episode” She waved her arms around the pub The rest of their staff were on their way ho of a merry Christmas “And there’s no one here to do it”
“There’s you two And that’s all we’ll need”
She wasn’t buying it Those chocolates just off Oxford Street were currently calling her na to work in so home There’s no crew No script, and nowhere to filency means that our network needs a brand new episode out of nowhere?”
“The kind where a kid in one of the other episodes was just hit by a car His parents have requested the episode not be shown – they don’t knohat’s going to happen with their kid right now”
It was as if the wind had just been knocked out of her sails “Oh”
There was a thud behind her as Andrew’s rucksack hit the table behind her
“Which kid?” Her voice was hoarse and every hair on her arms stood on end They rarely had kids on t
he show and she knew the answer before he even said it
“Bailey Clark”
“How is he?” Andrew echoed the words in her head
“I have no idea It was one of the other family members who phoned”
Bailey Gorgeous, cheeky nine-year-old who claiht It had all been nonsense but fil had been fun, and it was set to be one of theepisodes of Haunted Ever After
Kenny was still talking He obviously didn’t realise the effect his words had already had “Your contract says you have to help I’ll find you a venue where you can film We’ll have another haunted house on the files somewhere Andrew can take a camera and sound equipment and filo You’ll be fine You always are” He was babbling, obviously starting to get a little desperate “In a way, it’s good that it’s you two left You’re the only two in the production crew that are single and don’t have fae, I’m sure I’d hate to have to ask other members of staff to be away from their families at this time of year”
It was alht into her stole with no family
His face paled as he realised his ot in there first “Actually, Kenny, you’re wrong I do have family coo back to Scotland My train leaves in the next hour”
Kenny opened his ain but Andrew held up his hand, his eyes flitting over to Juliette “Of course we’ll do it And don’t worry about finding a venue I know of a place that’s supposed to be haunted that we can have access to” He turned to face Juliette “I’ll pick up a camera and sound equipave her a quick look up and down “Will you have tiear?” He pulled out his phone “I’ll book you on the same train as me”
She hesitated How could she say no now? She couldn’t It would make her look heartless and she certainly wasn’t that Trouble was, she’d changed into jeans and a thin top for the Christmas lunch It wasn’t what she normally wore in front of the ca her in smart suits and shoes