On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me... Four used Advent calendars
'Taisie have you finished with this thing?'
'What?' Taisie lifted her head from the arm of the sofa and twisted it awkwardly.
'I think it may have once been an Advent calendar.' Janet dangled a battered construction of card and plastic over her daughter's face. Taisie eyed it, evaluatingly.
'Has it got any chocolate left?'
'I don't know.' Janet shook it, her eyes widening as she heard a tell-tale rattle. 'Ooh it does.' She snatched it upwards as Taisie made a swipe at it.
'Finders keepers!' And she made off down the hall as Taisie leapt up and after her.
...
Three bald coppers
As Gill checked her watch for the eighteenth time, the door of the pub swung open. All their heads turned as one, but it was only a gaggle of young girls, giggling with Christmas spirit.
'What is taking them so long?' Gill recrossed her legs and tapped the other foot with renewed vigour.
'They were only supposed to be dropping off those to the CPS.' Andy spread his hands. 'It shouldn't have taken more than twenty minutes, half an hour.'
'And this took three of them because...?'
'I'm starting to think they had something else in mind.' Gill's eyes narrowed.
...
Two Christmas dinners
You mean you haven't got it in yet?' Gill's voice was ominous. Julie gave her phone an incredulous look before she remembered that Gill couldn't get the benefit of it.
'It's not even eight o'clock in the bleeding morning yet! How long will this thing take?'
Gill sighed, loudly. 'Well how big is it?'
'I don't know.' She tried to weigh up the wretched thing in her head. 'Big.' This time Gill tutted. Julie rolled her eyes and tried again.
'About as big as two adult heads... or a child's torso.' There was silence. 'Gill?... Hello?'
'For God's sake woman!'
...
And a whole Scott & Bailey family
Janet button-holed Gill in the inner sanctum to swap stories of Christmas days, mothers and kids, dinner disasters and so on and so on. Rachel slumped in her chair, pretending to type up a statement from last week but really earwigging the other women's conversation. It wasn't fair. Anyone would think she was still on probation or something, or just a glorified tea girl. She strained forward. There was a burst of laughter. Rachel flopped back. Cows.
Then Janet tripped towards her, plumped down at her desk and leaned in, eyes huge and dancing.
'Rach, wait till you hear this.'
Thank you for reviews! I'm still mostly crossing my fingers and hoping this is making sense so it gives me huge relief to know what people are thinking. And yes Gill is being a bit of a moody chef! ;)