Winter Warmers

by Carole Matthews

Genres: Short Stories; Romance; Romantic Comedy; Fall & winter reads

Synopsis

Three short stories from the wonderfully warm Carole Matthews. All I Want for Christmas is You Christmas is around the corner but Maria just can't get into the spirit - will she ever find Mr Right? But when a secret admirer starts leaving her poems and notes, it looks as though her luck is about to change . . . Cold Turkey Tara is in love with a man she can't have. She expected to spend Christmas with him but when the big day arrives, she finds herself alone. Sad and upset, Tara just wants to ignore the festive season - and then a chance encounter changes everything. About Gardening I love my husband Sam but our relationship isn't what it used to be. Can I find a way to bring us back together? Treat yourself to this heart-warming collection today. Added extra alert! Contains the opening chapters from Carole's brand-new novel, A Cottage by the Sea.

Release date: November 26, 2012

Publisher: Sphere

Print pages: 192

Sample

It’s the first day of December. The start of Advent. That delicious period of excitement leading up to the joyous frenzy that is Christmas. Unless, of course, you’re without a man and then it’s a pants time of dodging unwanted and embarrassing invitations simply because when they say ‘Maria Plus One’, you’ve got no lovely ‘Plus One’-stylee boyfriend to go along with.

And I can be sure that from now until New Year, at every seasonal family gathering my crusty old relations, who have been dredged up for their annual airing, will say in very loud voices, ‘Not married yet then, Maria?’ or ‘Still no Mr Right, Love?’ or words to that effect. It’s the same every year and I have to make sure that there are no sharp objects in my handbag to stab them with or stale mince pies to hand to throw at them.

Chrissie and I sigh at each other over our skimmed milk lattes – the ones that Chrissie just nipped out to get from the new coffee bar across the road from the office – Coffee Café.

Our depression has been brought on due to the fact that we’ve both realised that the office Christmas party is looming large once more.

‘This is the third year that we’ll both be without a man,’ I say, sinking lower at my desk.

The comment was rather unnecessary as we are both more than aware of our single status. And the great myth about singledom is that it’s fun. Oh, yeah. Sitting at home alone over Christmas with a box of ‘Eat Me’ dates – the only dates I’m likely to get. A barrel of laughs.

‘Do you think if I write to Santa and ask for a man he’ll oblige?’ I ask my friend.

I let myself daydream. Dear Santa, I’d like a tall, dark handsome stranger please. Doesn’t have to be too rich, too bright or even too handsome. The nearest manly specimen he has lying around unused on his dusty little Santa shelves will do just fine.

‘No,’ Chrissie says firmly. ‘Last year I asked for a pair of Manolo Blahniks and I got a pair of Marks & Spencer’s fluffy slippers instead. Santa is useless, Maria. Live with it.’

At least I did get a new car last year. A gorgeous, festively red little number, complete with all the bells and whistles a girl could ever want. I did have to buy it myself, of course. It wasn’t waiting on my doorstep with a bow tied round it bought by my millionaire toy-boy lover who couldn’t decide between that and a small yacht.

Still, you can’t have everything in life. I let my eyes rove out to the car park where my lovely car is sitting waiting patiently to whisk me away from the drudgery that is my working day. My eyes then go to my watch – my moment of escape is hours away yet. I sigh again.

‘Eyes right,’ Chrissie hisses under her breath and my gaze swivels again.

We have a new hunk in the office. The only hunk in the office. Chrissie and I work as editorial assistants at a very small publishing house. Think the smallest publishing house you can imagine. Our books are earnest self-help tomes bought by the sort of women who think tofu is a marvellous foodstuff. We have a handful of middle-aged editors who all wear kaftans or ethnic knits and have their hair dyed in varying shades of aubergine. There’s a managing director who wears a white linen suit, a tie with dollar signs all over it and red socks. He also carries a raffia shopping bag. Everyone in the marketing department is over fifty and bald.

And now we have Lovely Richard. Well-cut suit, gelled, spiky hair, expensive shoes. He is the future of Earth Publishing. Lovely Richard has been head-hunted from a proper publishing company and brought in by our despairing owner to widen our acquisitions i.e. books that don’t feature vegetables, vegan clothing and reiki quite as heavily.

Chrissie is in love with Richard. She thinks it’s because he’s adorably handsome and charming. I think it’s because we ar. . .