Episode 7

Jasper

"You're going to wear out that phone screen."

I looked up. Sophia was grinning at me from across the shop.

Five forty-five. The meeting should have started at five-thirty. Still no message from Margot.

"Margot's late. Again." I slipped the phone back into my pocket. "And I told Lucas I'd stop by after closing."

Sophia raised an eyebrow. "Lucas?"

"Oh, right. I have a new neighbour, and I helped him with some repairs yesterday. Wanted to check if everything is still working."

"Aww... that's so nice of you." She tilted her head slightly. "Just let him know that you'll run late."

I ran a hand through my hair. "That's the thing. I don't have his number."

Sophia rolled her eyes and shook her head.

The shop door chimed.

I turned and saw Margot Haller sweep in with the cold evening air and her sweet perfume, something floral and strong that buried the shop's usual rubber and oil smell. Her cheeks were pink from outside.

"Jasper! Perfect timing!" She beamed at me, then turned to Sophia. "And Sophia, you look lovely, dear. You're coming to the warehouse, yes?"

"Someone's got to stay and actually work." Sophia was already gathering her things. "Close the shop, finish the paperwork, all the fun stuff. You go have your warehouse adventure."

I opened my mouth.

"Plus, I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight, so I can't be late."

Boyfriend? Huh. Apparently I'd missed that development entirely.

"Oh, of course!" Margot waved a hand. "You're so responsible, dear. You two have a lovely evening. Far more important than dusty warehouses." She turned back to me, already moving. "Come on then, Jasper. Tobias and Barbara are waiting. We're running late."

I grabbed my jacket and followed her out.

Sophia had already moved to the back counter, stacking papers. "Have fun!" she called over her shoulder.

Tobias and Barbara were already standing in front of the warehouse. They looked up as we pulled in.

"Finally!" Tobias called out. "We've been freezing out here."

"Sorry, sorry!" Margot was already out of the car, fumbling with keys. "Lost track of time. Let me just—where are these keys—ah!"

The door swung open, and Margot flicked the lights on. Cold air rolled out. Even colder inside than outside. Old wood, dust, stale air. The place hadn't been opened in months.

"Right!" Margot swept in. "Let's get started. Stall panels first, then—" She paused, looking around at the cramped space. "Well. We'll make it work."

Christmas market supplies everywhere. Stall panels stacked against walls, crates blocking paths, light strings hanging in bundles. Barely room to move.

"We really need a bigger storage space," Margot said.

"Not happening this year," Tobias said, squeezing past wooden frames.

Margot pulled out her clipboard. "Right. Let's assess the damage."

We split up to check different sections. The wooden structures looked fine. Stall panels solid, frames intact. No issues there.

Barbara was examining the light strings when she held up a section with broken bulbs and frayed wiring.

"Oh dear." Margot came over. "How bad?"

"They must have been here since I was a child," Barbara said. "Time to replace them."

"I'm going to the DIY store and wholesaler next week anyway," I said. "I can pick them up."

"Oh, Jasper, perfect!" Margot made a note on her clipboard. "One problem solved."

She moved to a box in the corner and pulled out decorations. Most were faded or broken.

"These are done for," Tobias said, looking through them.

"I can make new ones with my kindergarten class," he added. "The kids would love it."

"Wonderful!" Margot was writing again. "That works perfectly."

She glanced toward the back corner. "Right. The sleigh—let us check that."

She worked her way past stacked crates and panels, and I squeezed through behind her.

The old Santa sleigh was wedged against the wall, with ornate carved woodwork probably close to a century old. The paint was worse than I'd expected, peeling badly, flaking off in patches, exposing weathered wood underneath.

Margot ran her hand over the carved runners and frowned. "This is worse than last year."

"Who can fix this?" Margot looked around. "The paint job's not simple. It needs proper restoration work."

"I don't have the skills," Barbara said.

"Neither do I," Tobias said.

"I can handle it," I said. "I've got space in my garage, and I've done restoration work before."

"You're sure?" Margot asked.

"Yeah. Strip the old paint, sand it properly, repaint. Should be ready by December sixth."

"Perfect." She clicked her pen. "And Oma's still working on your costume?"

I nodded. "She's fixing the trim."

"Wonderful." Margot made notes. "Right. Jasper—sleigh and light strings. Tobias—decorations with your kindergarten class. Barbara—"

She paused and looked up.

I recognised that look.

"Maybe this year we could set up a small stage?" Her pen tapped the clipboard. "For a Krippenspiel—the children could perform. And a cookie decorating station! The kids would love decorating Lebkuchen—"

"Margot—" Barbara started.

"We'd just need someone to coordinate with the school and find volunteers to supervise the decorating—"

Tobias and Barbara exchanged a look.

"That's really a great idea," Tobias said. "For next year."

I checked my phone. Past seven. We should have already wrapped up, but Margot was still in full swing. I shifted my weight, ready to move toward the door.

Margot paused, looking at another box in the corner. She pulled it open and lifted out faded costumes. Velvet and worn brocade.

"Oh! The old Christmas Carol costumes!" Her face lit up. She held up a tattered coat. "What if we brought it back? A proper theatrical Christmas show on the market square! We could hire a professional troupe from Munich with costumes and everything!"

Silence.

Tobias and Barbara exchanged a look.

"Margot—" Barbara started gently.

"The children would love it! And tourists—imagine the crowds!"

"That's a wonderful idea," Tobias said carefully. "For next year."

"Right, yes." Margot scribbled something down, still holding the costume. "But if we started planning now—"

Barbara stepped toward Margot, stepping over a small crate on the floor, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She smiled warmly. "Margot, we should probably wrap up." She gently guided Margot toward the warehouse door.

"Of course! Sorry, I get carried away." Margot laughed as Barbara steered her toward the exit. Then she turned her head back toward me, still clutching the costume. "The sleigh—Jasper, I'll have it delivered tomorrow?"

"That works."

"Perfect!" Margot called over her shoulder as Barbara guided her through the door. "And I'll confirm with the suppliers tomorrow. We should meet again next week to—"

The cold evening air hit as we stepped outside. Finally! Everyone was moving toward their cars, keys jangling.

I checked my phone whilst walking fast to my car. Seven-thirty. I really needed to get home now. Lucas was probably already waiting.

Tobias and Barbara were fast. Their engines were starting, and they were pulling out.

I was nearly at my car when Margot called out.

"Oh, Jasper, wait!"

I stopped and turned back. Margot was hurrying over, her bag swinging against her hip.

The cold bit through my jacket. I pulled it tighter and waited.

"Can I ask you something? It's a bit personal..."

I glanced at my car, then back at her.

"Sure."

"My niece Emma. She's moved back recently. Doesn't really know many people here."

I nodded. The cold was working its way through my jacket after an hour in that warehouse, and I just wanted to get in the car and turn the heating on.

"You two would have so much in common!" Margot shifted her bag to the other shoulder, settling in. "She loves hiking, the outdoors, all of that."

"Oh, that's nice," I said. My fingers had gone stiff in my pockets.

"And you know everyone. You could introduce her around." Her voice was warming to the subject. "The trails around here are great."

I could feel where this was heading. My hand found my car door handle—the metal ice-cold against my palm—but Margot was still talking, and I was too tired to figure out the polite extraction.

"She's having a hard time after the breakup." Margot moved closer, her voice softening. "It would really help if she knew more people her age. She's smart, funny, worked in marketing. Loves reading."

The fastest way out of this was probably just to say yes. Get in the warm car, drive to Lucas's flat. He'd been waiting for over an hour now. He probably thought I was ghosting him. I needed to get this over with.

"Maybe you could show her some trails?" Margot's eyes were bright with hope. "Or she could stop by the shop? She'd love to see what you've done with the place."

I rubbed my free hand against my arm through my jacket. Still cold. "Yeah, I'm sure—"

"She's really lovely, Jasper." Margot wasn't letting it drop. "Just needs a chance to settle back in. Meet some people."

I looked at my car. Back at Margot. She'd positioned herself between me and the driver's door now, and working around that politely would take more effort than I had left. My keys were digging into my palm.

I was too cold and too tired to find a polite refusal. The calculation was simple: agreement meant I could leave in the next thirty seconds. Anything else meant standing here in the dark car park working through explanations I didn't have the energy for.

Just say yes. Get out of the cold. Get to Lucas.

"How about Thursday evening?" The words came out flat but easy. "I could show her the trails around Waldstein."

"Thursday?" Margot's face lit up. "Oh, that's perfect! She's free then. Yes, the trails would be wonderful—she just needs to get out of the house, you know, get some fresh air."

"Yeah." I was already reaching for my car door again. "Sounds good."

"That's wonderful, Jasper! Thank you so much." Margot finally stepped aside. "Thursday at six? I'll text you her number."

I pulled my door open and got in. The engine started, and I pulled out of the car park whilst Margot was still waving.

The moment I pulled out of the car park, I let out a long breath. Seven-forty on the dashboard clock. Over an hour late.

My phone buzzed on the passenger seat, screen lighting up. Family chat—Anna.

I couldn't even tell Lucas I was running late. Didn't have his number. Should've asked for it yesterday.

He was probably wondering where I was, or whether I'd forgotten entirely.

I drove quickly through the dark evening. The phone buzzed again. I didn't look.