Buzzing awoke Kyoko from her sleep. She reluctantly turned over and grabbed her phone with one eye still shut. Harriets name flashed across the screen as the phone continued to vibrate in her hand. 

"Hello" Kyoko's deep morning voice echoed in her small north London flat. 

"Hi babe, just wanted to call and let you know that I'm going to have to cancel today's brunch" Harriet's voice seemed far too chirpy for 8am on a Sunday morning. 

"Urm, ok, but why?, we've had today's bottomless brunch sorted for weeks" Kyoko tapped speaker, threw her phone down on the duvet and rolled back over. 

"Well you remember Phillip, from the works Christmas party" Kyoko rolled her eyes and sighed as she realised she was being cancelled for Harriets new love interest. "you know the tall one with the arms" Harriet continued to talk. 

"Yup, I remember" I mean how could I forget she thought to herself, closing her eyes and remembering talking to Stephen from the mail room whilst Harriet swanned off to the outside balcony with Phillip from accounts last month. 

"He called me late last night and said he's taking me to Winter Wonderland today, so yeah, I can't make brunch" Harriet didn't even let Kyoko reply. "I knew you'd understand doll, see you Monday" the phone went dead, Kyoko pulled the duvet up over her face and let out a muffled scream.

The phone vibrated on the bed, "urgh what now" she patted her hand around on the duvet feeling for her phone muttering to herself "sorry babe, knew you'd understand babe, see you Monday babe". The phone was alight with a message box from Georgia. 

I'll be around your way later, doing a spot of Christmas shopping if you fancy lunch?

Lunch ... I can do lunch Kyoko thought and sent a message back. 

Making her way downstairs from her mezzanine floor she called Sketch to cancel the bottomless brunch. 

"Hi, I need to cancel a reservation for today ..... yeah sorry, I know it's a last minute cancellation ...... reservation was under Kyoko Heart ...... sorry again .... thanks bye" 

Kyoko threw her phone down on the counter and flipped the switch on the kettle. 

Sipping on a hot cup of tea she watched two squirrels outside her kitchen window chasing each other up a tree. The phone buzzed and startled Kyoko out of her gaze. 

Great, I'll meet you at that cute Greek by yours at 12

Kyoko glanced at the clock, downed her tea and headed for the shower. 

The London air was bitterly cold as Kyoko pushed open the door, having decided to wait inside the restaurant. 

"Table for 2" Kyoko put up two fingers and the young waitress showed her over to a table. "Thanks, she'll be along soon".

The menu looked delicious as always, already knowing what she was ordering Kyoko heard fumbling paper bags. Kyoko turned to smile at Georgia but quickly noticed she wasn't alone. 

"Can we get another chair?" Georgia smiled at the waitress as she placed the bags down and started to unbutton her coat. 

"Kyoko, Dan, Dan, Kyoko" Georgia waved her hand between them both and Kyoko nodded in Dan's direction 

"I assumed it would be just the two of us otherwise I would have asked for a bigger table"

"Dan wanted to join me on my shopping trip, it's been a cute winters morning actually" Georgia filled her glass from the water karaf, filled Dan's and placed it back on the table. This is not the lunch Kyoko had in mind.

Kyoko sat through Georgia and Dan talking and holding hands the entire lunch. The scratch of chair legs interrupted their eye gazing 

"I'm just going to the toilet" Kyoko smiled at them both as she left the table. 

She slammed the cubical door closed and leaned up against it. "I fucking hate Christmas" she muttered. 

"Can I get a venti, eggnog latte please" the one part of Christmas Kyoko enjoyed was the festive menu at Starbucks. The barrister didn't even look up 

"name"

 "Kyoko" she replied as she tapped her Starbucks card. 

"Coco, skinny eggnog for Coco" Kyoko forces a sarcastic smile, grabs her latte, nods towards the barrister and silently wished her parents had come up with a simpler name. 

She places the half empty Starbucks cup down on her desk, switches the computer on and starts to take off her coat. 

"Hey Keeks, sorry about yesterday" Harriet stands leaning on the doorframe of her office. "I have to tell you all about Phillip" Kyoko's phone starts to ring and she gestures Harriet to close the door. 

The last few days before the Christmas holidays are always really busy in the office, parks trying to get their new attractions finalised and dates sorted for construction ready for the new year before the break.

"I've confirmed with our engineers and the they are coming to over look the first week of January" Kyoko swivels on her office chair, she turns back round to her desk and starts to type one handed on the keyboard "I'll email you over all the final dates before the end of the day" the phone receiver hadn't even touched the docking station when Harriet knocks on the door, 

"let's grab lunch"

"So then Phillip took me ice skating and he's so good at it...." Harriet looks up from her lunch "Keeks, are you listening?"

Kyoko looks up from her salad and nods, "yup, winter wonderland, hot chocolate, warm hugs, ice skating, I'm listening" Harriet grins and continues to swoon over her day out with Phillip until the table starts to vibrate. "Sorry I've got to take this" as Kyoko grabs her phone and excuses herself from the table. Accepting the call couldn't have come at a better time, listening to Harriet bang on about being in a happy relationship around Christmas was the last thing Kyoko wanted to hear.

"Hi mum, hows the trip going" she says as she heads back to her office. 

"Oh darling it's such a lovely cruise, wish you could be with us" looking at the pile of paper on her desk Kyoko wishes she could be on a cruise of the Caribbean too. 

"Ah mum, you know how work is at this time of year" she slumps down in her chair and looks out across the grey London skyline.

"You work too hard darling" she closes her eyes and visualises lying on a tropical beach with a cocktail filled coconut 

"I have some time off so I'll chill over the holidays" the thought of being alone in her north London flat over Christmas wasn't filling her with the same joy. 

"Sorry we are away for Christmas darling" Kyoko nods to herself and sighs 

"oh mum, you know me and Christmas, it's just another day, actually, I have to get back to work but you and dad enjoy and I'll speak to you soon".

Kyoko hated Christmas, seeing everyone else cosy up at this time of the year was just not for her.