Anja turned the annoying jingle off with a flick of her finger and blew a strand of hair off her face. She'd tied it up and out of the way, but as usual it had a mind of its own and had escaped her attempt at an elegant chignon. Holidays indeed! It was Christmas, for flip's sake—time for carols and the season of goodwill—not political correctness gone mad. What did her dad always say? Without Christ in Christmas it would be just M&S. The store made great knickers and excellent food, but had little to do with the season of goodwill. She licked the icing off her fingers and perused the small army of homemade cupcakes with a satisfied smile. Decked out in festive colors of red and green, they would bring much-needed cheer to the homeless shelter, and, she hoped, an influx of cash, too. The cake sale was always popular. Declan wouldn't be pleased at the detour, but they had to more or less drive past it on the way to his parents', so he couldn't object too much. It was Christmas in a week's time, and Anja was determined to make a difference this year.
