Page 32 of Hotshot
Ella hadn’t been shopping since her first weekend in town, and she hadn’t expected it to be so full-on festive.
“It’s five weeks to Christmas. What did you expect?” Marina gave her a crazed look as she pushed open the door to Selfridges, battling with a man holding five bags, hence he was the width of a small truck. She lost.
“Five weeks until the big day,” she continued as she pushed on the heavy chrome and glass door. Her lipstick was still perfect as she turned to Ella and beckoned her in. Marina was a stickler for freshly applied lipstick at all times. “Five weeks until both you and I spend another Christmas without a significant other, hence another year with no gigantic, statement present. Honestly, our bits might shrivel up and die.”
“Speak for yourself. I keep mine active and up to date with a healthy regimen of self-love.”
Her cousin stuck out a hand. “TMI.”
Ella grinned, but her mind had already skipped to Sloane and what it might feel like to behersignificant other. She could just imagine the lavish gifts Sloane would give to her girlfriend. She was hardly short of cash. Then again, she might not even have tobuythe gifts in the first place. She could just pick them out of all the free stuff she was sent.
Ella followed Marina into the department store, thinking about her fingers on Sloane’s arm at her last game. Her blood warmed in her veins. Sloane was still vexed about being sidelined. Ella hoped she could take her mind off it, because she of all people knew the injury fear of never coming back. She’d go over this weekend to see how she was doing. Maybe even take advantage of the offer of free clothes.
Moments later, her own mind elsewhere, she proceeded to walk straight into a Nordmann Fir, then rebounded off the festive tree. Ella spat some pines from her mouth, then put a hand to her face to wipe any debris.
“Have I got a pine needle stuck in my cheek?” She moved her hand and stuck her face in Marina’s eyeline. She had to keep her mind on the here and now. There were too many obstacles in this department store that could take her down, and she had a hectic festive schedule to fulfil.
Her cousin grabbed a handful of her coat and pulled her towards a spare patch of wall, out of the firing line of the thick and not-so-jolly crowds. “You’re pine-needle free,” she confirmed, her face up in Ella’s grill. “But why did you walk into the tree? It was hardly inconspicuous.”
Ella puffed out her cheeks. She wasn’t going to tell Marina it was because she was worried about Sloane. Her cousin didn’t need any encouragement. “I thought it was a reflection.” Ella pointed around the marbled, glitzy interior of the department store. It was weak, but Marina bought it.
She breathed in the scent of cinnamon and spice. Up above, giant baubles and Christmas puddings spun on enormous metal chains. The type that if they snapped, would kill you in an instant. “You’re going to have to protect me from other trees and those killer baubles.” She pointed upwards. “I’ve got a lot to do over the next few weeks. Big games. I can’t afford to be knocked out by Christmas.”
Marina rolled her wide hazel eyes, so similar to Ella’s own. “I promise I will do my best. For Rovers, and also because you need to be fighting fit to get a date on Honey Pot.”
Marina had messaged her last night to say she’d posted Ella’s profile. Ella’s response had been to log on, wince, and then ignore the app all day. Ella wondered if it was worth the hassle. Especially as there might be a better option closer to home. Albeit, a complicated and injured option. Maybe she needed to go on a Honey Pot date to get her Sloane obsession out of her system.
“But whether you have a wicked Christmas run-in with the team or not, and whether you get a girlfriend or not, you still need gifts.” Marina raised an eyebrow. “We’re going to chat about whether you’re coming home for the big day, but I know your issue with present shopping, so think of me as Santa’s little helper. Got it?”
Her cousin threaded an arm through Ella’s and dragged her towards the escalator. A woman dressed as an elf stood at the bottom, half-heartedly offering a squirt of a new fragrance in a bottle shaped like a Christmas tree. Ella had already been attacked by Christmas, so she put Marina in the woman’s path, and they made it to the escalator unscathed. The pair rode up towards the women’s wear department, where Marina marched to the scarves and pointed at one in the hues of a rich sunset – just like the Californian ones Sloane had described.
“Mum really wants this.” Marina held up the scarf. “But it’s cashmere, so she thinks she can’t have it. You know all about her money issues as your mum had them, too. But I think, with your hotshot new job, you can probably make her dreams come true.”
The word ‘hotshot’ brought an image of Sloane into Ella’s mind, and she smiled. How was she doing? She’d been ordered to literally, ‘put her feet up’. Was she sitting at home discovering the joys ofThis Morningin her first week off? If Ella was any judge of character, that would last possibly for around an hour. Then Sloane would be itching to get back in the gym. Their building had one, as well as a pool. Marina snapping her fingers in front of her eyes shifted her focus.
“Sorry, miles away.” She grabbed the scarf. “Yes, this is perfect, thank you.” She paused. “What are you getting her?”
“A subscription to her favourite food magazine, and I’ve already bought her a necklace. She told me about this last week.”
“I am forever in your debt.”
“Remember that.” Marina bumped her hip as they fell into step. “What you getting me with your big pay packet?”
Ella smiled. Her family appeared to think that now she worked at Salchester Rovers, she was rolling in it. They clearly didn’t know how women’s football worked. She picked up the nearest thing to hand. A pack of two jade-green tights, size medium. “How about these? I think they’d really suit you.”
Marina gave Ella the same look she’d given her when Ella had broken her Polly Pocket, aged six.
“Let’s scour the shop and I’ll buy you whatever you want, within reason. And then a cocktail in the rooftop bar. Deal?”
Her cousin’s face softened. “Deal.” She paused as they made their way through the kitchenware department. “I don’t want a frying pan by the way.” They carried on walking toward an array of shiny coffee machines. “One of these, on the other hand…” Marina fluttered her eyelids as she stopped in front of one Ella recognised.
“This one’s pretty good. Sloane has it in her apartment.”
“You’ve been in her apartment? You haven’t told me this before.” Marina’s eyes widened. “You’ve had a coffee from her machine?” Her voice went up an octave and down in volume.
“We’re friends. We live in the same block. So yes, I have.”
Marina appeared to vibrate a little on the spot as she took in that fact. “And how was the apartment? Being there? The coffee?” She almost bit back her own words. “You know what, fuck the coffee, I don’t care about the coffee.” She paused to get her breath back. “How was being in her apartment?” She punched Ella’s arm.