Home for Christmas

Things were going terribly well with my personal 24/7 psychotherapist. To ease into our relationship gently I had cooked eggs and bacon on the Aga first. The sun was streaming through the kitchen window and whilst we were sipping our coffee I made my first bid for my 'freebie'. Nikki commenced with some gentle probing questions. "Think of something that you really want" she suggested. I decided to start small, no point being greedy and wanting it all at once. I scrunched up my eyes deep in concentration. Suddenly it came to me as my gaze alighted on a pair of Levi 501's I had purchased earlier in the year at a local brocante for the absolute bargain price of 6 euro's. "I don't suppose" I ventured cautiously "that you would be able to sew the hem for me on these jeans"? (I'm not known for my skills as a seamstress) "No problem" she replied. I was amazed, so far so good and I feel at this early stage of the week that our one to one relationship is going to bloom.

To kick start the holiday in the style our guests expect we took our bottle of wine and sat around the pool, and most pleasant it was too for this time of the year. Our reverie was broken by the sound of the phone ringing in the background. The most amazing news ! Tilly the missing kitten had turned up safe and sound after going on walkabout for 4 days and Mon Frere Jumeau and Nikki were ecstatic with relief. "It's what I most hoped for" she said between tears of joy. "Incroyable" I said, "it obviously works for you too ".

"Time for another bottle" announced His Lordship.