I was nervous as hell.

And that's probably why I tried to concentrate on the preparations. Booking this cottage three days before Christmas cost me quite a bit of money as it required paying for a family who wanted to enjoy the holidays here. However, they gladly accepted my bribe and decided that they would rather stay at home.

That's why I was here.

I arrived about an hour ago. I went through the entire cottage to see if anything needed to be cleaned. I flooded both fireplaces – in the living room and the one in the conservatory. I tossed the rose petals that were ready into the hot...