Read White Christmas for Free Online Page B

sensational.
    After ordering a strong cup of tea, Lizzie sat down opposite
Hal.
    ‘This place has gone ridiculously over the top with its
Christmas decorations,’ she said, glaring at the mistletoe between them.
    Hal smiled at her indignant look. ‘I thought you must have
chosen it on purpose. But how are you? How’s everything at Ace TV? Ready to
change your mind about the snow? There’s quite a lot of it up north, you know.’
    ‘Of course I’m not,’ retorted Lizzie. ‘It’s only the 17th of
December. There’s ages to go till Christmas Day. And there’s a warm front
coming in overnight tonight. The snow up north will have gone by this time
tomorrow.’
    ‘Hmmm,’ said Hal. We’ll see. And by the way, we need to talk
about our bet.’
    ‘How come?’
    ‘We’ve got to decide where and when, of course. Where does
the snow have to fall – and when?’
    Hal’s enthusiasm was touching, thought Lizzie. He looked
just like his little nephew Joe.
    ‘I’ve got a great idea,’ said Hal. ‘How about we meet at
Trafalgar Square at noon on Christmas Day? Right by Nelson’s Column. After the
early morning weather bulletins and before The Queen’s Speech.’
    ‘Fine by me,’ said Lizzie. ‘Trafalgar Square at noon.’
    Hal took a sip of his latte and scrutinised her face.
Something was bothering her, he could tell.
    ‘Shall we change the subject? You look fed up with all this
snow talk.’
    ‘Just a bit.’
    The radio was playing in the background and at that moment
Bing Crosby’s White Christmas wafted through the tiny café.
    ‘Now that’s what you call great timing,’ joked Hal. ‘Anyone
would think I’d asked them to play it.’
    Lizzie ignored his remark. Anxious about her meeting with Dan
Moody, she hadn’t even noticed the track.
    ‘How’s your work going?’ she asked. ‘Is the weather starting
to make more sense now?’
    Hal grimaced. ‘I wouldn’t go that far, but the bosses seem
happy with what I’m doing. And I’ve had loads of nice emails from viewers.’
    ‘How much longer have you got?’
    ‘Two weeks. So I need to get cracking and find some proper
work…’
    Lizzie shot him a disapproving look.
    Worried that he’d offended her, he added quickly: ‘Not that
weather presenting isn’t proper work. But it’s about time I concentrated on a
job I’m actually good at. I’ve got a couple of auditions coming up later in the
week…’
    “Wow, that’s brilliant, Hal. I’m so pleased for you. What
are the parts you’re going for?’
    The next hour flashed past easily as Hal regaled Lizzie with
tales of disastrous auditions he’d been to over the years. His story of a
director bellowing from the stalls that Hal’s rendition of King Lear was ‘the
most infantile’ he’d ever seen reduced Lizzie to tears of laughter.
    ‘What was I thinking of?’ chuckled Hal. ‘I was twenty-one,
straight out of drama school - and completely wet behind the ears. What the
fuck did I know about Lear?’  
    All of a sudden Lizzie checked the clock on the café wall
and frowned. ‘I’ve got to go, I’m afraid.’
    ‘No worries. Where are you off to?’
    Once again Lizzie seemed uneasy.
    ‘Can I trust you with something top secret?’
    ‘Of course,’ said Hal, his face serious for a second. ‘You
can trust me with your life.’
    ‘It looks as though Ace TV’s been taken over. It’s all
hush-hush. But for some reason, I don’t understand why at all, the new boss has
asked me to have tea with him. At Fortnum & Mason’s. I’m meeting him in
half an hour.’
    Hal was immediately suspicious. The man clearly had an
ulterior motive. Lizzie was a real asset to Ace TV, there was no doubt about
that, but she was also a stunning woman.
    ‘Who is he? The top man, the new one, I mean.’
    Lizzie hesitated.
    ‘You absolutely promise you won’t breathe a word?’
    ‘Of course. What’s that old expression? What happens in
Coco’s, stays in Coco’s. What’s his name?’
    ‘Dan Moody.