A very Mary Sheikhy Christmas - novella - completed

Chapter Three

Five days before Christmas

"Let it snow, let it snow," she sung away happily.

"Let it not, let it not," Zafeer followed munching on a Christmas cookie to be given a one-eyed look, seated on a stool at the end of the table.

"Scourge," she mumbled.

"No, just a sheikh," he threw back without thought, wincing inside.

"Oh," her eyes widened to pick up a camel shaped cookie and walked it over to him. "Have to make more of these," she chuckled. "Have yourself a very sheikhy Christmas," she sung as she added more icing to the cooling cookies. "Dashing through the sand on a one camel open sleigh, coughing all the way."

"Stop, enough," he tossed the end of his biscuit at her.

Laughing, she ducked. "Where is your Christmas cheer?"

"We don't have Christmas cheer. Mind you, these aren't bad." He removed a melting snowman biscuit with white icing, marshmallow head over the melted looking body with face, limbs and buttons. Zafeer looked at his more closely. "It must have taken ages to do the tiny little face and mine is frowning."

"Wouldn't you, if you were melting under the sun?"

"No, I would be rejoicing with delight at that thought," he corrected, she glanced across.

"You really are desperate to leave," she noted with a touch of sadness in her voice and went back to what she was doing.

"It is not your company Mary, and this has been fun, but I need to go home."

She gave a forced smile. "Of course, don't we all." She wiped her hands on her apron. "I think it's about time I cooked some real food."

His eyes widened shocked. "You have real food? I didn't see any," he waved his hands over the cupboards, which was full of her cooking ingredients, and finished baking.

"Sorry I was only expecting me."

"What about your family?" She blinked at him blankly, her eyes growing hallow. "The family you're expecting," he added, confused.

"Oh, of course," she seemed to snap out of a distant place. "My family. They see to everything else," she said softly, turned and went about seeing to their dinner. She had finished cooking for today. The biscuits, she even managed to make white Christmas as well. The fruit mince pies packed away in containers, stacked away in the cupboard. She would pack away the biscuits later, and went to her supplies "What do you feel like?"

She would need to cut back, not expecting to be feeding anyone else. Mary would've been happy with toast and tea. He needed something more substantial. "Steak?" She waved a package above her head. The ice box had come in handy, not just a storage box. She needed the fridge for storing her other treats. Beside that also was a shopping tote bag filled with vegetables like potatoes and so forth. The oven free also was her night. These nights she chilled with a glass of wine, relaxing around the tree, taking it all in, until she fell asleep on the sofa.

Bringing out a baking dish she used the small kitchen bench to peel and chop up potatoes, pumpkin and other vegetables, placing into the dish, added oil and popped into the oven, switching on the oven. She removed two wine glasses and placed on the table, removing a bottle of white wine from the fridge and poured out a glass for herself. She raised it towards Zafeer, who shook his head, going over to pour out another coffee from the peculated coffee machine.

Replacing the bottle, she took a sip and opened the small deep freezer in the fridge and removed, frozen peas, corn and broccoli, placed in the part of the steamer, adding water to the bottom and placed on top of the stove ready for steaming. She brought out another pan for frying the steak.