Second Chances Read Online Free Page A

Maybe she would put some up tonight. Christmas was her favorite time of the year, with all the joy and goodwill sparkling in even the most sombre places. Even Moira’s very special and horribly out-of-tune interpretation (execution was Tristan’s definition) of Christmas carols couldn’t spoil her fun. She just loved Christmas.
    She had yet to buy a Christmas tree. Her friends and family always tried to convince her to buy an artificial one, but she preferred the real thing. Maya didn’t care about the inconvenience of buying a new one every year, or the trouble of bringing it to her place. She didn’t even mind the constant need to vacuum fallen needles. A real tree was better. It smelled different, it had charm, and especially it was not perfectly formed.
    In fact, she made a point every year of finding the ugliest tree she could find and she covered it with all the decorations she had. The poor thing usually turned out to be even more pitiful afterwards, and she totally adored it.
    Smiling at the thought, Maya sat to look into the box that contained her Christmas decorations. Most came from her parents. Moira had handed them over gladly, saying that they brought back too many memories which Maya didn’t have because she had been very young when their parents had died. Maya suspected her sister just wanted some excuse to buy new ones, instead of using the kaleidoscopic balls and old tinsel.
    The young woman took one tinsel garland out of the box and sighed. The first duty for Christmas decorating was untangling the garlands…

Chapter 5
     
    “Hold on a sec!”
    The bell rang again and Maya hurried to the door; the Christmas lights she was trying to untangle clung to her jersey.
    Her smile faded under Arthur’s stare and crooked eyebrow.
    “Do I want to know why you’ve got glitter all over you?”
    “Good evening to you, too. Please close the door; it’s cold outside.”
    Without acknowledging him any further, Maya returned to her previous position in front of the sofa, twisting the free ends of her ornament to untie it. Arthur took off his coat and glanced around with undisguised curiosity.
    So this was where she lived. He had expected her to share a flat with Moira, but apparently that was not the case. Save for the Christmas decorations, which had invaded the room, the place was relatively tidy and neat; and small. He would never be able to live with so little space around, especially after growing up at the Manor. Maya’s flat was located in a peaceful neighborhood and looked snug, but being inside he felt trapped. Who could bear to stay in an apartment where only ten steps or so were required to reach the next room?
    Arthur looked for a seat. Every flat surface seemed occupied by garlands, some gleaming ornament, or aggressively colored stockings. He picked up one figurine and Maya squealed.
    “Be careful!”
    Putting down the collectible, he shrugged his shoulders and resigned to stay on his feet.
    “You left a message?”
    Maya temporarily glanced up.
    “Yes; yes I did.”
    She returned her attention to her work. Arthur repressed a grunt. She was going to make this difficult. He glared at the loose bun on her neck and her thick-framed glasses. Her jeans let guessed long toned legs but her baggy pullover ran well past her hips and hid her body unattractively. This was a bad idea. It was not going to work. He liked his women stylish and ladylike, not covered in torn old clothes and crouched on the floor.
    He internally cursed Colin. His friend should have talked him out of it, instead of approving of the ridiculous plan. “She’s not one of your usual bimbos, so people will wonder if it’s serious this time. And with Maya, you don’t risk her confusing fake feelings with real interest. She knows you.” Of course, Colin didn’t know all of it.
    As for knowing him, yes, she knew him well. They had grown up together, after all. As children they had bantered all the time before they definitely fell