New Year's Breaks and Binds

“Damnit! Where are those bloody notes? I put them right here!” Julia slammed a palm on her desk. “Damn it all! Connor! I swear, if you moved my notes, I’m gonna have it out with you!”

“I didn’t touch anything you’re working on, love!” The Irish writer shouted from the kitchen. “And just because you put this off ‘til the end of the year is no reason to yell at me!”

“Why not? If anything, it’s payback for all the whining you’ve done when Writer’s Block has you in its grip!” She retorted while rifling through her desk. No response. ‘That shut him up.’ She grinned, until she heard work boots coming her way. It only took a few seconds for her boyfriend to pull her upwards.

“Now, who’s in whose grip?” He growled.

Julia stared into Connor’s emerald eyes. ‘What the bloody hell made him so pissy?’

“You need to mellow out, lass! Ever since you started this ‘project’ of yours, you’ve been wound up tighter than a fiddle, and it’s time for you to loosen up!” She didn’t respond; just continued to stare at him. “It’s New Year’s Eve and we’re supposed to be having fun, together!” He let her go and stepped back. “I’m gonna have a few drinks with Murph and when I get back, you’d better be back to yerself. This new you ain’t any fun.” Without waiting for a reply, Connor grabbed his coat and stomped out the door.

“What in the world…?” Julia said after a few moments. “That was unexpected and uncalled for. Whatever. At least now, I can work in peace and quiet before the year’s out.” She attempted to get her focus back but still had to locate her misplaced notes. “If he comes back hammered, he can sleep at Murphy’s tonight for all I care. He’s been such a pain in the arse lately. Can’t figure out why either.” Her ranting was interrupted when she stepped on something in the kitchen.

“A-ha!” She scooped up a bright blue notebook, causing a few pieces to fall out. “He did move this on me! He’s gonna get it when he gets back!” Trotting back to her room, she quickly got back to work, glancing at the clock near the bed. “Damn! I’ve only got six hours to finish this and I’m not even halfway done yet! Connor can be so frustrating. Why I’m still with him is something I have yet to comprehend.” She paused and thought about that for a second. “The sex may have something to do with it, and the fact he’s put up with my stubbornness when no one else would.”

She shook her head. “Focus, girl! You can introspect later.” Opening the notebook, she flipped through the filled pages until she found what she needed. “Okay. Next step, right there! How to make leather look worn.” She picked up a spray bottle labeled ‘Rubbing Alcohol’ and carefully applied it to the book jacket. She focused on the corners, lower edges and anywhere else that would have natural wear-and-tear. She did the same to the tie and binding pieces then set it all aside to dry, hopefully quickly.

“Took less time than I thought. Okay. Next bit.” Julia pulled open a drawer and took out a stack of previously aged paper. “Good thing I did this already or I’d never get this done in time.” Checking to make sure she had five stacks and that the leather pieces were dry, she set to work binding the pages into the jacket. Weaving the thin strips through the jacket was the easy part; making certain everything didn’t move was the difficult bit and she had to restart several times before the pages set correctly. “I don’t know why I torture myself for that man.” She wiped her eyes. “Seems as if whenever I try to do something for him, it backfires more often than not.”

Glancing at the clock, she groaned as what she’d done so far had eaten up four hours and Connor never stayed out with Murphy for more than five. On cold nights like this one, however, he could be back any minute. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and he’ll bump into a group of fans who want a signature or photograph. Never thought I’d wish that on him but I need all the extra time I can get.”

At that moment, she thought she heard a key turning in the lock and quickly shut her door to gain a few seconds. Even though they’d had a one-sided fight, Connor would still want to come in to see what she was doing and most likely apologise. “Can’t let the surprise give itself away.” However, the footsteps coming into the flat didn’t sound like her Irish boyfriend’s. They sounded deliberate, cautious even. ‘You’ve got to be kidding!’ The barista thought as she grabbed her mobile then silently threw the lock on her door. Before dialing the authorities, she pressed an ear to the wooden surface and strained to hear anything.

“You sure this is the right place? Looks like a dump.”

“I know Connor MacManus when I see him, and yes, this is his place. I’ve been tailing him for a week now and it was luck that he went to the pub tonight. Managed to lift his key.” Julia’s breath caught. “Now, hurry up. He’ll be stumbling back any minute, and possibly with his brother.”

She’d heard enough and dialed 999. “999. What’s your emergency?”

She quickly hid in the closet so she wouldn’t be heard. “I’ve got two robbers in my flat. I overheard one of them say they lifted my boyfriend’s key at McGinty’s.”

“What’s your address, ma’am?”

She could hear the dispatcher typing as she gave her address. “We have patrolmen nearby and they’ll be there in two minutes. Stay on the phone with me until they get there. Are you safe?”

“I’m hiding in my closet with my bedroom door locked. I don’t think they knew anyone else was here.” That was when she heard the knob rattle.

“Hey! This one’s locked but there’s a light on. Someone’s in there!”

“Probably his newest squeeze. She works at the local coffeeshop. Damn cute too.”

‘Oh no.’

“Try busting it down.”

Julia heard one of the men putting their weight into the door. “They’re trying to get into my room! How much longer?”

“They should be there now.” The dispatcher reassured her, and thankfully, the frightened woman heard heavy boots coming into the flat and several people shouting. The pounding on the door stopped and she felt safe enough to leave the closet.

“Cheers.” She told the dispatcher and hung up. As she reached the bedroom door, there came a light knock.

“Anyone in there? It’s London Metropolitan. We’ve apprehended two suspects.”

She let out a relieved breath and slowly opened the door. “You guys got here quick.” She looked between two officers to see the men in cuffs and them being read their rights. Her face turned to shock when she recognised one of them. “Mark?! What the bloody hell are you doing?”

“You know one of them?” An officer asked.

“Yeah. That one.” She pointed to the man with short black hair. “Mark Bruner. Usually, he’s a freelance writer but looks like he took to breaking-and-entering. My ex-boyfriend too.”

“Starting to see a possible motive here. Care to elaborate?” Mark shook his head while glaring at his ex. “You will, once you’re down at Copperfield. Hoist ‘em up and get ‘em outta here.” Four more officers carted Mark and his accomplice out of the flat but not before Julia said something.

“Never thought you’d be that jealous of who I was going with!”

“Shut it, tosser!” He shouted before being marched out of earshot.

“Jerk. You guys didn’t happen to find my boyfriend’s key on him by chance?”

One of the men produced said key. “Might wanna tell ‘em to keep it on a ring next time he goes out.”

“What the bloody hell’s going on in here?”

“Take it that’s him?”

“Yep.” ‘Great. Now, I can only hope he doesn’t get nosy.’

“Let ‘em in, Sanders.” The human barricade moved aside and Connor lumbered in.

“What in the…” He looked at his girlfriend. “What’s going on, love?”

“Apparently,” she held up his key. “your key got lifted at the pub and someone decided to come in.”

“What?!”

She nodded. “One of ‘em was my ex.”

“He didn’t try anything, did he?”

“No. I called 999 before they figured I was here. The Met got here quick too.”

“Good thing.” The writer hugged her. “Couldn’t stand it if something happened to you.”

“I believe we have everything we need but we’ll phone you if we have follow-up.”

“Cheers, officers. And my appreciation for you getting here quickly.”

“All part of the job, ma’am. Evening.”

“You sure you’re okay, Jewel?” Connor asked after the London Met left.

“Scared me, that’s for certain but seeing my ex as one of the perps was the shocker. I never thought he was that obsessed with me.”

“Shouldn’t have to worry ‘bout ‘em now.” He hugged and kissed her. “Still like to know how he picked my pocket.”

“Think the constables will get that outta ‘em.” She glanced at the clock in the kitchen. “Damn! Only an hour left!”

“You still haven’t finished this ‘project’ of yours?”

“I was almost done until I was interrupted but I’m sure as hell gonna finish it.” She started to go to her room but he stopped her.

“What is it you’ve been so absorbed in anyway?”

“Can’t tell you. You’ll have to see it.”

He scanned her features then relented. “Fine but it better be worth this recent personality turn.”

She smiled. “When have I ever let you down?” Then dashed to her room and locked the door. “Whew!” She looked at the book on her desk. “A few more things then it’s finished.” She sat down, picked up the piece that would be the tie and threaded it through the slit in the jacket. She tied a knot at the end then gave it a few tugs to secure it. Satisfied, she double-checked the bindings on the spine and pages, and the last group of pages almost fell out.

“Damn. This will not do.” She retied the knots to keep the pages in place then turned the book upside down and shook it. Nothing fell out. “Finally. Last thing I need is for this to fall apart at the last minute.” Looking at her mobile, she had less than thirty minutes. Inspecting her work and happy with it, Julia felt ready to give it to Connor.

“Hey, Jewel. You coming out here for the countdown or do I have to come get you?”

“Be out in a minute!”

“You’ve got twenty left in the year! You’d better be done with whatever it is you’re doing!”

“Don’t worry. I am.” She said to herself then exited her room with the book behind her back. Her boyfriend had the telly tuned to a view of the Thames and the London Eye, where an enourmous crowd was gathered for the fireworks display. “Pity we couldn’t land tickets to that this year.”

“Aye. Would’ve been fun.” The countdown was at fifteen minutes as BBC cameras panned over the festivities’ hosts and spectators, collecting various drunken comments and resolutions. “Almost no one carries their resolutions through to conclusion.” Connor sipped his beer. “Commitment’s a difficult thing for the human race.”

“We don’t seem to have an issue with it.” Julia stepped closer to him. “I know we fight sometimes but I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else, especially with what occurred earlier.”

He shook his head. “Astonishing that your ex was one of the crooks. Heard of people doing some wacked-out things but think that tops the list of what I’ve heard.” Ten minutes. “So, you finally gonna tell me what you’ve been so wrapped up in lately?”

Smiling wide, she presented her hard work, and watched as his face morphed into surprise. “Happy New Year, Connor.”

“You… you made that?” She nodded. “For me?” He carefully took it and turned it over. “I… I can’t believe you made me this.”

“I wanted it to be perfect, and that’s why I’ve been a pain in the arse lately. I also didn’t want you to see it before it was finished.” Five minutes. “I guess when we got into that fight, I was kinda glad when you stormed out because it gave me the time I needed. Of course, that didn’t last.”

“Touché.” He opened the jacket and thumbed a few pages. “This is amazing. It even looks like its been around for a century or more.” Two minutes. “Thank you, love, and I mean that with everything in me.”

“I wouldn’t have done it for anyone else.” One minute. “Almost time.” They both turned to watch the final sixty seconds on the year, and when the fireworks started, they shared a long kiss.

“Happy New Year, Julia.”

“Happy New Year, Connor.” They kissed again. “What’d ya say we go celebrate some more?”

He put his gift on the coffee table then went to the kitchen. “No celebration’s complete without champagne and chocolates.”

“Like you need those to entice me.”

He shrugged. “No but they do make it more fun.”