Page 22 of Break the Ice

‘Well, control him better,’ the man says, bending down to pet him. ‘Is his name really Steve?’

I nod. ‘It’s a good name,’ I say, forgetting I’m not meant to have heard that. ‘Better than Adolf. Or Colin.’

I look at the name badge on his uniform. Colin. Oh. It might be time for us to leave.

TEN

JOSHUA

There is something about Phoebe that makes me think that, by the end of the evening, it is likely I will have my student visa revoked and I’ll have to get our family lawyer on the line and tell her I’m being sent home, because she likes to break rules but also insult large men called Colin who wears fleece gilets and sensible shoes. After that we fled, literally with our tails between our legs, yet Phoebe had the courage to go back into the supermarket, find our trolley and ensure we paid for all our goods. Given the time I’d spent lecturing her over meal deals, it felt like the right thing to do, despite the Disney World-style queues at the checkouts.

Steve now sits with me in the driver’s seat, his paws on the wheel. You look very happy, kiddo. I think that might be the eight-pack of sausages you just ate, but I hope raw meat agrees with your system. I don’t want to know what that might look like when you take a crap or toss your cookies in my back seat. I take out my phone and look at the weather app. Everything is discouraging travel and telling me more snow is on the way and I’m wondering whether we should go back. We’re only an hour in and my map is telling me we’ve not made much ground. I also don’t think I’ve packed enough sweaters for super super cold. Maybe I should go back into the store and see what they have to offer. Do I dare? I saw people fighting over custard, it was like a wasteland of Christmas desperation. British Christmas music is also loud and shouty. Just put on Bublé and Dean Martin and keep things jazzy and cheerful for all the shoppers.

My phone starts to ring and I check the identity of the caller before answering it.

‘You were supposed to call me back and you never did,’ Maddie tells me. Her picture comes into view and she suddenly squeals, ‘IS THAT A DOG?’ My phone vibrates from the noise.

‘Yes, please calm down. This is Steve,’ I tell her. Steve, being the very good boy that he occasionally is, turns and shows Maddie his face.

‘Oh my gosh, you got a dog?’ she says, shocked.

‘I did not. I am helping a friend deliver the dog to her family.’

‘Good Samaritan, Josh,’ she says, beaming. ‘He’s a cutie. Steve? Like Carell?’

‘Something like that. I don’t know if this is a good idea though, it’s snowed like crazy here.’

‘You got snow at Christmas!’ Maddie, ever the optimist, continues to bond with Steve over the screen and he licks my phone. I’ll have to sanitise that now. ‘I was just worried that the last thing I said to you was about the party and you went quiet so I thought you might be mad at me?’

To be honest, so much has happened since then, I haven’t had the time to process it. ‘I guess I don’t⁠—’

But before I have time to answer properly, the car door opens and Phoebe pops her head in. ‘I’m baa-aack. I wasn’t recognised, they let me pay for the goods and look at these! I found them at the till.’ She gets some Christmas antlers out of her shopping bag and puts some on her head. It would seem there are some for the dog too. She opens the back door to put things inside as I see Maddie mouth her excitement to me.

‘Who is that?’ she whispers.

‘I’m going now,’ I tell her.

‘No, you’re not… HI! I’M MADDIE.’

I should just hang up, shouldn’t I? But I see Phoebe’s curious face in the rear-view mirror and she pops her head in the car door again.

‘Am I hearing voices?’ she says, her body shivering from the cold.

‘No,’ I say, resigned. ‘This is my sister who called me from New York.’

‘Your sister?’ she says brightly. ‘This is nice.’ She leans over to get on the screen. ‘Hey. I’m Phoebe.’

‘You are. Joshy, you didn’t tell me about Phoebe. You guys are spending Christmas Eve together, that’s so cute,’ she says.

I shake my head at her so she doesn’t poke. This is not a thing. This is just a person I’m doing a thing with. She’s annoying, and she talks a lot, and she’s not good at math or working out the value of things. Plus, she’s wearing antlers.

‘Oh, Joshua is just helping me out. The Christmas Eve timing is coincidental. You’re so pretty. Great skin,’ Phoebe says, leaning into the screen.

‘Aren’t you a doll, thank you. Do you live in London? Do you work with my brother?’ Maddie asks and I roll my eyes.

‘Maddie, no. This is just a doggy thing.’ As soon as I say it out loud, it sounds sexual, and I close my eyes. ‘I mean I’m like a dog cab.’

‘But… this is a fun taxi with doughnuts and snacks. So more of a road trip with extras,’ Phoebe says, biting into one. I see Maddie smiling at the word extras. ‘I don’t work with your brother, no. We’ve just met.’