The Christmas Party Read Online Free PDF

Oil’s latest venture had been to build a shiny new head office in Milton Keynes and the company had now moved, lock, stock and barrel, out of its base in central London, which was deemed too expensive.
    Another reason she’d taken to travelling with Tyler was that she hadn’t been able to trust him unless he was right under her nose. In her holidays from university she’d worked as an office temp and had endured a number of bosses who were just like Tyler, as libidinous as they were ambitious. Not that her being hot on his heels had ever actually stopped him from playing away. It was just that she had endless hours in which to be suspicious of him. She really should have kept up a job. Or had children. Or both. Perhaps she
should
have worked hard and climbed the greasy pole to the top of her own profession. Or maybe she would have been more content to spend her time at home if it had been somewhere filled with kids of their own. Then again, no doubt Tyler had the dominant genes and all their offspring would have ended up just like him. She’d have had no chance then. One Tyler Benson was more than enough.
    ‘I’ve promised you I’ll take a few days off over the holidays,’ Tyler soothed.
    After she’d nagged him incessantly. He never usually took time off and always dashed back to the comfort of Fossil Oil as soon as Boxing Day was over. He’d probably go in even earlier if the offices actually opened. But, with the few days at home that he’d promised her, perhaps he was going to try his best this year too.
    ‘We’ll talk about these things then.’
    ‘Promise?’
    ‘Cross my heart and hope to die.’
    He crossed his bare chest and she lifted her hand to caress the spot.
    ‘I’m going to do my very best, using fair means or foul, to make sure you don’t sneak off to the study for a few hours.’
    ‘I’d rather you use fair means.’ Her husband traced his thumb over her cheek. ‘This Christmas can be fun, Kirsten. If you want it to be.’
    The Christmas tree was up, and that wasn’t always a given. It depended on her mood or whether their belongings were still in transit from somewhere or another. For a change, she’d bitten the bullet and brought in Christmas planners to do it for her. It was a small and viciously expensive company who had been recommended by the chairman’s wife, Melissa Harvey. They’d gone to town on the place and, she had to say, it looked marvellous. Far better than when Kirsten ever did it herself. Even Tyler had commented on the decorations, and Tyler very rarely noticed anything. Though he’d certainly notice the cost when the bill came in.
    After much consultation and the presentation of mood boards, the planners had decorated the house in a rather traditional theme in gold and silver. The real tree that they’d put in the living room was absolutely breathtaking when the lights were on. It could be a cold room and this brought a much-needed degree of warmth to it. The scent from the pine needles was heavenly. On a few evenings she’d even come to sit in here, rather than watch the television over the breakfast bar in the kitchen where she often spent her time. Kirsten decided that she’d definitely use them again next year. If, of course, they
were
still in England. And there was the rub. She simply never knew.
    ‘I want to make Christmas a happy time for us.’ She wanted to be a person who looked forward to it, embraced it, as she once had many years ago. There’d been too many filled with sadness, emptiness, dwelling on things that might have been rather than appreciating what she had. This year, she’d thrown herself into Christmas shopping and, whereas she normally hated the crowds, she’d quite enjoyed the whirlwind. Both Kensingston High Street and Regent Street looked fabulous in their festive garb, and that had helped. As a result, there was a selection of carefully chosen and beautifully gift-wrapped presents for Tyler under the tree.
    ‘Then let’s