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| Reconnection |
Remembering back, as she often did, Andi was daydreaming again of those first two years of courtship with her husband. Why is it they always have to change? He was such an attentive man when we were first together, little notes, cards for no reason, and always sneaking up on me, nuzzling my neck and telling me how sweet I smelled...God I miss that.
Suddenly she was shocked back to reality by the piercing ring of the telephone. Concentrate! You are at work, Andi scolded herself.
She reached and picked up the offending phone receiver, only to discover that it was her husband on the other end of the connection. He had been prone to calling her often when they were first falling in love. His voice used to sound so carefree and happy. This very voice had exuded tremendous masculinity.
Andi’s magical conversations with this man had always left her eagerly awaiting his next breathtaking call and restless to escape work. She had always been exceedingly impatient to see him again and have his big, strong, reassuring arms around her and taste his warm sweet kisses.
However, lately, this same wonderful man had seemed so totally different. He had become so demanding and relatively indifferent towards her. Andi did not hear the love in her husband’s voice anymore or feel it in his touch. Her heart felt heavy, and her voice was reserved in responding to his pointed questions.
After Andi had hung up the phone, she made a steadfast promise to herself. This evening when I get home, before any plans are made and we are off doing something unimportant, I am going to find a way to rekindle the love I have for this man.
She and her husband were slowly drifting apart, and Andi hated the sadness it left in her heart. But Andi was filled with a new sense of optimism as she drove home from work that day. She had a specific plan now for putting some ‘spice’ back into her relationship, and she was firmly convinced that everything was going to be just fine.
She had worked through lunch to be able to leave an hour early, so she could be home before her husband. She planned to shower and be waiting in sexy lingerie by the front door as her husband entered the house.
As she unlocked the front door, however, to her surprise, there stood her husband in a towel. “What are you doing home so early?” Andi asked him in a low, almost inaudible voice.
He met her strange stare with one of his own. Then he replied, “I left work early and I was planning on surprising you when you got home. What are you doing here so early?”
Andi confessed, still in a whisper, “Oh my goodness, I was planning on surprising you.”
They both started to heartily laugh. Her husband enfolded Andi into a warm, secure embrace and held her tightly for a few moments. Pulling slightly back, he began to softly kiss her lips at first, then he feverently pressed his lips to hers, teasing Andi by sliding the tip of his tongue just barely against her trembling lips.
She was slowly surrendering to the overwhelming pleasure she knew this man was so capable of giving her. The same bliss he used to so freely give her so long ago. Andi was falling in love all over again.
As her husband erotically moved his lips to the side of Andi’s neck, he could barely hear that his wife was muttering something. He pulled back a slight bit and questioned, “Why do you keep whispering?”
Andi could hardly catch her breath after the magnificent, staggering passion that he had so effortlessly aroused in her body. She finally managed to confess with a slight chuckle, “I…I….was trying to be quiet so I could surprise you.”
They both succumbed to a lighthearted fit of laughter. Then they eagerly collapsed into one another's arms and quickly staggered towards the bedroom.
| The Business Card |
Renda made her way back over to the empty table to pick up her tip. When she glanced down, she noticed a business card lying amongst the carefully folded bills that had been laid in the middle of the table – Five bills to be exact. A very nice tip for an $8.00 meal, Renda was extremely pleased.
She’d been a waitress for many years; she actually liked her job. Experience had taught her that working as a waitress was hard, but if you were attentive to your customers’ needs sometimes it paid off. Today was definitely starting out to be one of those times.
She quickly slipped her tip into the small change apron that she wore around her waist. The business card, however, Renda purposely kept in her hand. She was anxious to look this over for some clue to the identity of who might have been so overly generous to her.
She knew only one thing for certain; the middle-aged man she had just previously waited on was extremely handsome.
He had been so polite to her, but he had not seemed to be flirtatious at all. He had looked familiar to Renda for some reason, but she had not been able to ascertain why.
When she got back to the kitchen, as she held the card up closer to examine the name, Renda could not help but notice that the scent of this man’s cologne still lingered on the card. She also noted that the smell of his cologne was very pleasing to her.
The company name on the card was not one that Renda recognized; neither was the man’s name - Thomas Carmichael.
Although she thought his name had a nice ring to it and seemed to fit well to the tall attractive looking stranger she had waited on.
Renda was about to throw the business card away when something stirred within her, and without a reason, she turned the card over, only to discover a note written on the back:
Renda, I know in my heart you don’t remember me...although for a second, when our eyes met, I thought you had vaguely recognized me. Or maybe I was just hoping that you had. Anyway, I would like to talk to you more.
Please call me, Tom.
Tom? Do I know a Tom? she took another moment to contemplate.
Renda could not think of any man named Tom that she currently knew. She positively had not recognized his face. However, she had gone through a very wild period when she had been younger, much younger. She had patronized many nightclubs and had been known to stay way past closing time.
Maybe he remembers me from those days.
A slight embarrassed blush rose in her cheeks as she contemplated this possibility.
Renda was not interested in going back in time; she had changed totally since those foolish, younger days.
Nor was she going to take a stroll down memory lane with some man who she might have spent time – or maybe even a bed – with, way back then.
She deliberately tore the business card in several tiny pieces, and threw it in a nearby trash bin.
I’m not interested, Renda stubbornly told herself.
With her head held high, as if she had secretly defeated a demon, she headed back out into the dining room to wait on the next group of hungry, expectant customers. She soon put this gentleman completely out of her mind.
Renda’s shift finally came to a close, several long hours later. She said goodnight to her boss, a couple of friends, and then she happily headed out the back door to her car. She had not gotten far when she had the oddest sensation that someone was watching her.
She turned and was shocked to find the ‘business card’ guy approaching her. Renda reached down into the front pocket of her purse and carefully fingered her mace. “Look, Mister..whatever your name was,” she said in a rather unfriendly tone. “I appreciate the tip you left me, but I’m not interested in rekindling old flames.”
He stopped several feet away from her and fondly looked her up and down. Then he sheepishly glanced down at his feet and said with a disappointed frown, “That’s a real shame. I was afraid it might be too late…..but I had to give it a try anyway. You know you are still just as pretty as you were back then, even more so with a little weight on those bones.”
“Thanks..I think?” she found herself replying.
Why am I talking to this guy? Why don’t I just get in the car and drive away?
Something about him was warmly mesmerizing Renda. The more she studied him the more she thought…His eyes. There is something about his eyes that I remember.
Against her better judgment, Renda found herself asking, “Okay, Tom, I’ll give. Where exactly do we know one another from?”
“Aw…. Renda. You stole my heart so long ago, and you don’t even remember me now. That’s okay. I didn’t have the nerve to tell you back then how I felt. I was just the fat, lonely…what was it your friends called me? – Nerd - that helped you through a few classes in high school.”
All at once, the years seemed to melt away – twenty-three of them to be exact. Renda was sixteen years old and back in high school again. She had befriended a boy who had been picked on by a lot of other kids, and they had formed a quick friendship.
The boy’s name had been Tommy Carmichael. "Tommy?” Renda uttered in amazement.
No wonder she had not recognized him. He had matured into a very handsome man. He looked nothing like the ‘fat, nerdy’ boy who had been merely a close male friend in high school.
“Wow! I would never have recognized you. It’s great to see you again!” she gushed.
Renda approached him then and engulfed him in a warm hug; it was then that she smelled that wonderful, heady cologne again. When she finally pulled back and saw the admiring gaze that Tom’s eyes held, she thought about the words on his business card and the words he had just spoken a few seconds ago.
“What did you mean about not telling me how you felt all those years ago. We were just friends, right?”
“Oh, yeah! We were just friends. But secretly, I fell head over heels in love with you. Renda, you were my first love. When you ended up falling for that dumb jock and going to the prom with him, it nearly broke my heart.”
“I’m so sorry, I never knew that,” Renda honestly admitted, hating that she had hurt him, even though it had been all those years ago.
"I know. I never told you. I didn’t think you would have been interested in a funny looking geek like me anyway,” he confessed.
"I had wondered why you suddenly ended our friendship.
I thought it might have been something I had done, but I wasn’t sure. I remember trying to talk to you about it, and you just shut me out. I really missed having you as a friend. You were a great guy!”
"Thank you. I still am. And I’m much better looking now too.”
This caused Renda to laugh and it broke a moment of tenseness that had crept into the conversation.
“So what do you say, Renda? Could I talk you into having dinner with me? We could muse over those good old school days? Or are you married to that jock from all those years ago?” Tom questioned.
“Not hardly. We broke up shortly after graduation. He turned out to be a real jerk,” she confessed with a reminiscent chuckle.
“Oh, I’m sooo terribly sorry to hear that,” Tom said with a snicker and gave Renda a playful wink.
“Yeah, I bet you are,” she replied with a grin that reveled beautiful white teeth, as she gave his arm a light playful swat.
Renda could not believe how comfortable she felt with Tommy after all this time. It was like all the years had never passed, and they were good friends in high school once again. Renda also felt a little of the pain again that she had felt when Tommy had abruptly ended their friendship. She had missed him greatly.
Had I had deeper feelings for him as well? she strangely found herself wondering.
“Well, I should let you go now. I know you are bound to be tired after working all day in that hectic restaurant.
I want you to know that I asked your manager when you got off before I left earlier. It took some persuading, but he finally told me. So I haven’t been just hanging out in the parking lot all afternoon waiting for you. I wouldn’t want you to think I’m some deranged stalker.”
She started to say something and he held up his hand. “Don’t say no right away, think it over. You have my business card with my telephone number, so if you decide you’d like to get together sometime soon, then give me a call,” Tom warmly invited.
“Oh no…I don’t have your business card anymore,” Renda was quick to admit. "I thought you were some deranged lunatic, so I tore it up and threw it away. Do you happen to have another one on you?”
Tom reached in his pocket, extracted his wallet and pulled forth another business card. “Here, only I don’t have a pen on me to write down my home phone number again, since I used yours when I was signing the credit bill, but you can definitely call me at the office.” he explained.
"That’s okay,” Renda said. She unzipped a compartment in her purse and ever so gently pulled out a pen.
Tom watched as she turned the card over and took several moments to write something on the back. Then she handed him his business card back. “Read it. And if you can do what’s on the back, then you give me a call,” Renda instructed.
She gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek then, as she told him how nice it had been running into him.
Then she turned and walked the rest of short distance to her car. She slid in the driver’s seat, started the car, waved goodbye and drove away.
Tom was just standing there in shock; his mind was still thoroughly preoccupied by the words Renda had just spoken.
Finally, he turned the card over and eagerly read what she had written on the back: Tommy, if you can be honest with your feelings this time around, then I would love to get together with you. Who knows what could develop.
Why don’t you call me and we’ll talk further.
Following the note was her number written in the perfect handwriting he remembered from so long ago.
Tom safely slipped the business card into his front pocket and walked off to his car with an enormous smile on his face. He had another chance to capture the heart of his first true love after all these years. He felt young and invigorated again. He could not wait to call Renda, to hear voice once more..…. and let happen what may.
| Writer's Block |
Arabella sat at her computer staring absently at a blank, menacing, white screen. What do I want to write about? she was pondering with frustration. She absolutely despised writer’s block, as any writer does, but regardless, she had a terrible case of it today. To make matters worse, Gregory, her agent, was aggravated with her, because she had not posted her next short story to her website yet.
He had called a short while ago and freely chastised her, ‘Arabella, you promised your readers a fresh story each month, and it is already well past the middle of this month. Nevertheless, you have not turned out anything worth printing as of yet.’
‘It is crucially important that you keep yourself firmly planted in your adoring public’s mind. After all, you are just getting firmly established as a writer,’ he had also staunchly reminded her.
Arabella had been surprised to discover that the slight disdain she had ascertained in Gregory’s voice had hurt a bit. Why does this bother me so much? He’s just my agent. Why should it matter that much what he thinks? she defensively tried to convince herself. It matters so much to me because I have also come to consider him a good friend. Gregory’s opinion matters a great deal to me, her mind quickly betrayed her by acknowledging.
No wonder she was having so much trouble writing today. Her mind was totally preoccupied by this man. Stop thinking about him! Arabella attempted to stubbornly command her brain.
And then all at once, it freely came to her….if Gregory was all that was on her mind, then why not write about him? She would, naturally, change his name in the story. But she would make him the male hero in her romantic fable. Oh, this could be fun! she suddenly concluded with newfound optimism.
All at once, her fingers began to fly, and many words began to easily fill the empty space that had just been before her on the computer screen. Arabella found she was having a great deal of fun writing about this man and that if was very simple to spin a tale of romance involving him. It was not hard to write about his physical attributes either, since Gregory was a quite handsome man. She completed her short story in less than an hour and was very pleased with it.
She enthusiastically picked up the phone and called Gregory to share the good news with him that she had finally completed a short story for that month. He asked that she email it to him right away. So Arabella logged onto the Internet and immediately sent him the story to carefully peruse, as was their standard routine.
After she had sent the email, she logged off of the Internet, made sure the story was safely saved on her PC and happily vacated her office. She took the phone off of the hook – after all, if the story was good - and it is good - then Gregory would post it for her on the website. She had done her part. Now, Arabella was ready to relax for awhile. A quiet, non-interrupted, warm bubble bath sounded absolutely delightful to her right now.
After Arabella had filled the bathtub with steamy, bubble filled water, she slowly lowered her body into the delightful feeling, soothing, bath water, stretched out the full length of the tub and laid her head upon a sponge pillow on the back of the bathtub. She had been soaking in the cozy, hot water for about twenty minutes, when she fell into a peaceful slumber. She was awakened about ten minutes later - from the most delightful, yet decidedly confusing, dream - by a persistent knock on her front door.
Arabella carefully climbed out of the bathtub, threw a nearby, long, pink silk robe around her still sudsy body and quietly made her way toward the front door. When she peeked out a nearby window, she was shocked to see Gregory’s car in her driveway. What’s he doing here? she questioned with slight alarm, tying the robe a little more securely. She felt very unsettled about Gregory being here at this very moment. The dream she had been having was still a little too vivid to her.
She reluctantly made her way to the front door and slowly pulled it open.
“Hello, Bella,” Gregory spoke. He had nicknamed her Bella many months ago, and Arabella had heard him address her as such many times since then. Yet, it had an entirely different ring to it as if rolled off his tongue today.
It sounds almost seductive, Arabella perceived. I must just be delirious from the long, hot bath and that crazy dream I had, she tried to convince herself.
“So what brings you visiting, Mr. Vincent?” she asked, deciding to use his last name instead of his first. She wanted to make it sound more formal and thus put a little much needed distance between the two of them.
“Your story,” he answered and held up a copy which he had printed off. “I think we need to talk.”
“What? I thought it turned out pretty good,” Arabella began to defend herself. “I had a little writer’s block at first, but I think I overcame it very well. What is wrong with the story?”
“Can I come in, and we can talk about it?” he asked. She noticed him giving her body a rather thorough sweep with his eyes, and this unnerved her a little. I’ve never noticed him looking at me like that before. Maybe he really doesn’t mean anything by it at all. He’s probably just wondering why I am running around in my robe in the middle of the day.
“Yes, of course you can come in. I’m sorry. I took a bubble bath to unwind after I finished the story and I fell asleep, so forgive me if I’m a little slow right now.”
Arabella backed away from the doorway and welcomed Gregory inside. “Please have a seat on the couch. Can I get you something to drink?”
“No. I’d just like for you to sit down beside me and for us to have a little talk,” he answered, patting the sofa cushion beside him after he had taken a seat.
Arabella stared into his serious eyes for a moment and then she swiftly joined him on the couch. “What’s wrong, Gregory?” she asked with concern. Rarely did she see him this somber. Usually when they were together they were very relaxed in one another’s company and spent a great deal of time laughing together.
“Arabella, your story kind of took me by surprise,” he candidly admitted. “I thought maybe I was just reading things into it at first. That maybe I was just imagining things. But then towards the end, you used my name twice. Once when you are descriptively telling of your story’s heroine’s strong attraction to your male character and once when she tells him she loves him. The characters felt very familiar from the beginning of the story. They felt like you and I, and then you used my name. I feel like you just sent me a love letter. Am I wrong?”
Arabella was suddenly beside herself. She had been writing about Gregory when she had written the story. But she had not been writing about herself. Had she? And it was all fiction. Wasn’t it?
Then she thought again of the dream Gregory had awakened her from. She had been dreaming of the two of them passionately making love. It had felt so right, so natural, so overpowering.
Arabella stared at Gregory for a second, completely speechless.
“Arabella?” Gregory finally spoke again, lightly caressing her arm. “I’m sorry. Maybe I was wrong. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”
“N..no,” she finally managed to stutter. “It’s just…I…I never really thought about it before. You were on my mind, so I just decided to write about you. But I guess I did also write about me….about us.” Arabella was completely blown away by the newfound, invigorating feelings she all at once found herself experiencing.
“So I guess my next question is….what if I was writing you a love letter?” she bravely managed to ask. She braced herself for his answer. She knew Gregory could very possibly say that he did not feel the same way.
“I thought about that from the time I first finished reading your story. And I continued to think about that the whole way driving over here. Then you answered the door looking so adorable in that inviting robe. I realized right then and there that I was hoping upon hope that I was not wrong about your short story. I so badly wanted it to be true that I could practically taste it.”
“Do you know what I would like to taste right now?” she asked rather breathlessly.
“What?” he inquired just as huskily.
“Your lips,” she answered most naturally.
Arabella instantly closed the gap between them and feverishly brought her lips to his. His kiss was like the sweetest honey to her. This all felt so completely fitting. Gregory had been her most avid supporter in her writing endeavors. Then he had become a very good friend to her. Now, he would become her lover. Of this Arabella was sure.
What had started as an awful case of writer’s block had ended up being the beginning of a beautiful union between two people who so naturally belonged together. If Arabella had not had writer’s block and ended up writing about her and Gregory, would they still have eventually confessed their true feelings to one another? She had no way of knowing. They only thing she knew for certain was that she was now glad that she had suffered from writer’s block and that it had forced her true feelings to come out.
| The Matchmaker's Match |
Breann, now 21 years old, had been matchmaking since she was a little girl, and quite honestly was pretty good at it. She had this special knack for seeing what two people had in common and then bringing them together.
Only, Breann herself had never been in a relationship of her own. She enjoyed love through the ones that she matched up. Her match matching skills had begun to hone themselves when she was merely eight years old, with her Sunday school teacher and the nice man at the hardware store.
Who would have guessed that they would have had so much in common? Breann had somehow innately sensed it.
Then there had been her best friend’s nanny and her best friend’s daddy. They were perfect, since they already lived in the same house. It went on and on, even when she was in high school and fixed her best friend up with her newspaper boy. It was so great to find out they both loved sunsets, the Mets, and eating cold pizza for breakfast.
This time Breann had her sights set on the third grade teacher at the local elementary school, who she worked as a teacher’s aide with, and the fire chief of their small city. She adored Ms. Mayes, and on the day that Chief Collins and his lieutenant had come to the school to give the children a talk on fire safety and a ride on the big, loud, fire truck, Breann had gotten a chance to talk with him, one on one.
He had arrived a little early, and the kids had still been eating lunch, so Ms. Mayes had asked her to entertain him until she could get the kids settled back in the classroom.
Breann had taken Chief Collins into the room next door and began to make casual conversation; she had always been good at that.
She found out he was 30 years old, single, the same age as Ms. Mayes, loved to ride motorcycles, as did Ms. Mayes, was hooked on health food, as was Ms. Mayes, and had one gigantic lovable golden retriever, named Hoser, and Ms. Mayes loved animals, especially big dogs.
He lived with Hoser in a small condo near the firehouse.
He had been a fireman since he graduated from high school and loved every minute of it. When a woman passed by, she could not help but look him over and over and over.
He had enticing, dark chocolate eyes, light brown hair and a soft smile that never left his lips.
With his open and friendly demeanor, Andy never met a stranger and he always made you feel comfortable to be around him. Even so, he was not conceited and was not a big womanizer.
Ellen Mayes’ big, bright smile first thing in the morning, when the kids arrived at school, made the day sunny even when it was cold and dreary. Her pretty, light green eyes had such a sparkle that they could light up a darkened room. She had adorable dimples, which showed up only when she laughed.
And her laughter was so contagious; you’d begin to laugh along with her before you knew what was funny. Ms. Mayes was five foot four; her dark auburn, naturally curly hair hung in huge ringlets to frame her perfectly symmetric face. Her skin was a golden brown, even in the winter, because of her Italian heritage. The 130 pounds she carried was proportioned in all the right places. She was just very shy when it came to men..
After spending some time that afternoon talking with his lieutenant, a nice young man they called Smooth because of his skills at basketball, Breann had also learned that Chief Collins was kindhearted, a gentleman, and he knew when to stand up for what was right, still knowing when to walk away from what was wrong.
Ms. Mayes talks about someday meeting a kind and gentle man that knows when to step up and speak up, but who can also walk away when it becomes necessary.
The lieutenant had also revealed that Andy was always saying he wanted to settle down someday and have kids of his own. This was part of why he loved coming to the schools and working with the kids.
Ms. Mayes has an amazing touch with the kids and has a way of making each and every one of them feel special.
She’s always saying “Some day I will have four or five of my own.”
Immediately, Breann’s mind had started to weave a romantic web for Ms. Mayes and Chief Collins. He had all the characteristics for the kind of man Ms. Mayes would be attracted to. During that short period of time, Breann had also convinced Smooth to help her with her plan to match up these two individuals.
After giving the children his talk on fire safety, and more importantly a ride on his truck, Andy was finally helping the last of the children down off of the fire truck and was preparing to leave for the day when Smooth approached him. He shared that Breann had asked that the two of them come to a cookout at her house that weekend - her way of thanking them for taking time out of their busy day to talk with the children. Andy seemed a little reluctant, so Smooth further begged, “Will you please help me out, buddy, and go to this cookout with me? Breann is a really pretty lady, and I really think we could hit it off.
But I just have this feeling that if I don’t go to her cookout, then she may never go out with me. And Ms. Mayes will also be there. She is a fine looking lady as well, in case you haven’t noticed, so you wouldn’t have to sacrifice much. What do you say?”
Andy gave his young lieutenant an amused smile.
Here we go again.
Romance of the week, he was thinking.
Smooth was six foot tall, had a full head of gleaming blond hair and appealing, sky blue eyes. Like Andy, his body was also large with muscle in all the right places. The nickname Smooth did not only fit his younger counterpart because he was good at basketball.
It also fit him well because he was good at romancing the ladies. Smooth was only twenty three years old, and he was a striking young man, so Andy saw nothing wrong with him playing the field.
“Okay, I’ll go to the cookout.”
“Great!” Smooth said with an enormous, grateful smile.
“You won’t be sorry, boss. You’ll see.”
While Smooth was inviting Andy, Breann was asking Ms. Mayes if she would like to come over. She fibbed a little and told her it would merely be a few intimate friends and everyone would bring a dish. After taking only a few minutes to think it over, Ellen decided it would be fun to go to a cookout. It had been a long time since she had spent some quality time with adults.
Breann was very pleased that Ms. Mayes had agreed to come to the cookout. Ms. Mayes also offered to bring her favorite dish, broccoli casserole.
Smooth came back into the school before they left and told Breann that he had gotten Andy to consent to come to her cookout. Breann shared that she had also gotten Ms. Mayes to agree to come, so the two parted feeling very satisfied with their efforts.
On Saturday afternoon when Ellen arrived at Breann’s home, she was befuddled to see only Breann’s car and one other car in the driveway. She began to wonder if she was wrong about the time and was actually early. Ellen knocked on the door and when Breann answered, she was surprised to see Chief Collins sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter and his lieutenant putting burgers on a tray to take out to the grill.
“Hi, Ms. Mayes, please come on in, we were about to put the burgers on the grill.” Breann shuffled her into the living room, and at the same time reached to take the hot casserole dish from her hands.
“Breann, please call me Ellen,” she requested. “I only ask that you call me Ms. Mayes in front of the kids.” As she handed Breann the casserole, she added, “If you have a microwave, just sit this in it and we can heat it up just before we sit down to eat.” Ellen noticed Chief Collins smiling in at her. Then she asked with some concern, “Where is everyone else? Are there a lot of people running behind?”
Breann smiled and tried to explain, without giving the plan away, “Well, I did say I was inviting just a few intimate friends and here we are. To be quite honest, I have just a couple of intimate friends.”
Breann was really smiling then, unable to hide her delight. Ellen had the strangest feeling that this was not just a casual cookout, but she liked the company that was attending so she settled down on a stool at the kitchen counter beside Chief Collins. Breann was feeling exceptionally good about tonight. She had to admit the vibes she had were even stronger now that she had the two of them together under one roof.
Breann also noticed that Ellen looked extremely pretty, and from the way Chief Collin’s eyes were studying her, she thought he had noticed this as well. Ellen was thinking the same thing about Breann. She thought Breann was an attractive young woman, but tonight she looked like a smashingly beautiful lady.
Breann had her long, shiny black hair swept up off her neck, with only a few strands purposely falling in dangling loose curls along the back of her neck and to frame her face. Breann had applied a shimmer of green eye shadow and some mascara, which gave a dreamy look to her eyes. She had finished off the look with a sheer shinning lip-gloss. The shadow and mascara made her large, emerald green eyes look extraordinary, and her mauve lip-gloss perfectly complimented Breann’s attractive full lips. This was a look Ellen had never seen her in at school. Ellen secretly hoped that Breann and Smooth were able to hit it off. She believed that Breann deserved the love of a good man in her life.
While the ladies prepared the dressings for the burgers - tomatoes, lettuce onions, pickles and all the condiments, the guys set to cooking the burgers on the grill. Smooth had brought some margarita mix and had whipped up a batch in the blender, so he poured each of them a drink. As the food came close to being done, they all moved to the deck.
With drinks, good food and small talk, the evening progressed as planned. Breann quickly sat beside Smooth on one side of the table, so this forced Ellen and Andy to sit beside one another on the other of the table. Breann intentionally brought up how Ellen loved motorcycles, and Andy jumped at the prospect of taking for a ride on his.
Then Smooth mentioned that Andy really got into health foods, and that them eating burgers tonight was okay, because the burgers were Turkey meat. Ellen began telling him how she really stuck to her guns when it came to eating healthy too.
The four of them had a wonderful dinner together. Andy and Ellen comfortably talked and laughed together. Breann observed with satisfaction - They are hitting it off. I knew they would.
Unbeknownst to Breann, Ellen was also watching what was transpiring between Breann and Smooth. They make such a cute couple. Look at how he is gazing into her eyes. And Breann obviously is attracted to him as well. I think they may very well belong together.
By eight o'clock, after finishing up their food and drinks, Breann and Smooth had worked their way back into the kitchen, leaving the happy little couple alone to get to know one another even better. It had turned out to be a beautiful romantic night. There was a comfortable warm breeze, and a dark blue sky with bright shining stars sprinkled all about it.
Breann was so excited when Ellen came into the kitchen and shared with her that Andy had asked if he could have her number and possibly take her to dinner some evening soon. Yes! Breann silently cheered in her mind. She gave Smooth the most brilliant of smiles. He felt like his insides were melting. God, she is gorgeous! And she is so down to earth and easy to talk to, and we share a lot of the same interests. I don’t want our time together to end either.
Breann questioned Ellen with excitement, “You did say yes, didn’t you???”
Ellen gave her a funny little look of ‘maybe, maybe not’. Breann was a little surprised and anxious. Then Ellen finally conceded, “Yes, of course, but only under one condition?” And Breann heard Ellen’s familiar contagious laughter.
Breann was suddenly not sure what was going on in this other woman’s head, so she had to know right away what this condition might be. “Okay, come on, what condition?”
“That you and Smooth have to double date with us.” With that, Ellen’s laughter bubbled through the screened in, glass doors to where Andy was sitting and he could not help but laugh too. He vacated the table and came inside with everyone else, standing very close to Ellen’s side.
As Andy and Ellen had sat outside and talked, little by little, they had figured out that this cookout had been a scheme to get the two of them together. After talking some more and getting to know each other a little better, they had decided that it had been a very good plan. In the short time they had spent talking out on the deck, under the romantic night sky, after Breann, the matchmaker, and her accomplice, Smooth, had escaped to the confines of the kitchen, Ellen and Andy had discovered that they really enjoyed each other’s company.
They had decided that they too would be matchmakers. Their plan was to get Breann and Smooth together. They had observed, in the course of the evening, that Breann and Smooth also seemed to have a lot in common.
Breann looked over at Smooth with a shy smile and he responded with some unbridled excitement, “Hey, a double date wouldn’t be a bad idea, what do you say Breann?”
Breann was rather shocked to hear these words coming from Smooth’s mouth. Is he just teasing with me? she wondered. But she could see by his eyes that he was serious. She could also see in his eyes that he was attracted to her. Oh my gosh! What’s going on here?! she pondered with slight alarm all at once.
“Breann, I think you are great. I know this did not start out as a real date, but it has become one to me. I’ve never felt this connected to another woman before, and I’ve dated a lot of other woman. I know I might be coming on a little too strong, but I really would like to date you. So what do you say?”
She stared at Smooth in silence for several more moments, allowing all he had just said to her to fully sink in. Well, I have been enjoying spending time with Smooth tonight, and we do seem to have a lot in common. All at once, it hit her like a ton of bricks: Oh my gosh! Is it happening to me? Have I finally found my match? Can this be possible?
Now, looking at him in this different light, Breann saw a very attractive man. His thick blonde hair framed his face nicely. His eyes were those of an honest and sincere person. He had pretty white teeth that showed as he began to smile under her examination. As she began to study his body, Breann could see that Smooth was also a strong fit man, and she could almost feel his hands holding her at that very moment. This feeling of magnetism towards this man was unexpectedly overtaking Breann.
As she looked again at Smooth’s face and noticed him intensely studying her expression, she realized that she had been caught doing her visual assessment of this young man. With embarrassment, she began to blush. This, in turn, excited Smooth, and he got up from where he had been sitting to walk over and stand directly in front of Breann. His face was just inches from hers. He smelled so good that he was becoming intimidating.
The two of them had totally forgotten that there were two other people in the room, and they came very close to kissing at that very moment. If it had not been for a little cough from Andy, it would have happened.
“So, what do you say, young lady?” Smooth said as he brought himself back to reality. Breann was still trying to deal with the sudden desire to touch this man, to feel his warm skin against her fingertips. Abruptly, Breann turned to look at Andy and Ellen, and then she slowly turned back to Smooth and with a gentle smile replied, “Yes, yes. I would like to go out with you. And I think I may have just found my match.”
“Well, if I have anything to say about it, then you most definitely have,” Smooth said and before he thought about what he was doing, he grabbed Breann and engulfed her in a warm hug in his large arms.
In seeing the two of them, Andy and Ellen could not help but also embrace and the two happy couples all laughed together at all their careful efforts had accomplished this night. This all felt so right. Breann was astonished. What had started out as another simple matchmaking of another couple by her had led to her finding her perfect match. She could feel this in her heart.
| The Irresponsible Ones |
Maxwell Meyer was a short, rather plump man, with a chubby face, soft green eyes and thin gray hair. Then there was Jemma Clark, who was an obese woman with hair colored orange like carrots and somewhat sad brown eyes. If it were not for her very large breasts a man would not give her a second look. These two slightly unattractive people made the perfect partners for one another. They had several things in common. Only one similarity posed a terrible problem; they were both married - yet not to each other.
Maxwell was the head of the town council in a small midwestern city, named
Jemma told Maxwell that her unhappy marriage was the reason for her having gained so much weight. Maxwell commiserated with Jemma that his marriage was also unfulfilling. He told her that he was not even sure if he loved his wife anymore, but because of the political office he held, he did not think it was wise to get a divorce.
Their relationship was used to fill the empty places that were left by their marriages. Maxwell and Jemma were friends, confidants, and were edging closer and closer to becoming lovers. First with an innocent neck rub that Jenna gave Maxwell in the office after a long stressful day. Then there was the afternoon that Maxwell had caught her crying about something mean her husband had said to her. Maxwell had held her in his arms, just to comfort her.
Their last evening together, they had talked more and more about how unhappy they were; business never entered the conversation. As usual, Maxwell had walked Jemma to her car once the evening had ended. But to both their surprises, while standing just inside of the opened car door, they had come together, a yearning in their bodies that could not be controlled, and the innocent evening had ended with a long, forbidden, heated kiss.
Tonight, instead of meeting at Sally’s restaurant, wishfully Maxwell had taken the initiative to suggest that they go someplace new. The place he wanted Jemma to go with him was a small hotel on the outskirts of town. Jemma naturally knew what this would mean. She was excited and scared all at the same time about the thought of being with another man other than her husband. Should I do this? Can I do it? So far everything that had transpired between her and Maxwell had not been immoral – except for maybe that kiss the other night.
Even though Jemma knew that meeting Maxwell at this hotel would be wrong of her, she had still agreed to do so. She wanted him very deeply, and he made her feel desirable, like she was an attractive woman, something which her husband had ceased to do many years ago.
So after work that day, Jemma climbed into Maxwell’s car, and he drove them out to Kirk’s motel. He rented a room and paid cash for it. Jemma nervously waited in the car for Maxwell. When he came out, he moved the car from in front of the office to a parking space around on the back side of the hotel and parked in front of their room.
The room was nothing fancy, smelled a little of cigarette smoke, but neither of them cared. It gave then the privacy they needed most and a queen sized bed. Jemma also thankfully noted that the bedspread appeared to be fairly new and clean.
Maxwell wasted no time in initiating romance between the two of them. He took Jemma in his big thickset arms and he began to kiss her. Jemma was so overwhelmed by all that was transpiring that she feared she would swoon. “Maxwell, I need to sit down,” she told him in a breathless whisper.
“Of course,” he agreed. He sat down on the side of the bed, gently took her hand, and softly pulled her down beside him. Jemma sat nearly in Maxwell’s lap. Then he began kissing her again. His lips were warm and wet and his tongue was so persistent now, searching the inside of her mouth.
Jemma’s head was spinning because of the heated excitement that Maxwell was arousing so easily in her. Her large bosom was heaving with anticipation of what was yet to come. “Oh, Maxwell! I want you so badly!” she proclaimed and panted with hot, eager breath in his ear.
“Jemma, I want you too, my darling!” he declared with equal fervor.
They quickly undressed one another and then the two sprawled backwards across the bed and let nature take its course. They had now become lovers and were cheating on their spouses without giving it much thought, or having little guilt about what they were engaging in.
****
They began stowing away to Kirk’s motel on a more and more frequent basis. Jemma was amazed that Maxwell could afford to go to the hotel and pay cash for the room on such a consistent basis. After all, Maxwell’s salary as head of the town council was only supposed to be $12,000 a year.
Jemma realized that Maxwell also received monthly retirement and pension checks due to his long years of service at a factory in town. However, she still did not see how he could afford to spend so much money on hotel rooms. She raised the issue with him at one point, but Maxwell told her not to ‘worry her pretty, red head about it’, so Jemma swiftly let the subject drop.
As it came closer to election time, the town council members began strangely voting in several no-bid independent contracts for $2,500 each. Jemma thought that this seemed a little strange, so she asked Maxwell about this on one occasion. He told her it was just for some capital improvements that needed to be made around town. For Maxwell this was a smart investment with the election coming up. ‘We have to keep our voters happy,’ Maxwell had explained. With lust controlling her judgment, Jemma accepted this explanation without doubt.
Even though Jemma had heard around town that several folks were unhappy with the job that Maxwell was doing, he miraculously was elected for another four-year term. Most of the town council members were also reelected for their two-year term, with the exception of two. There were six town council members, so the majority retained their seats, even though they would have to contend with two outsiders for the next two years.
After the majority of the town council and Maxwell were convinced that their jobs were safe, they met to vote for a significant tax increase for the town. Even though the majority of citizens who showed up for the town meeting were furiously against the increase, Maxwell and the council voted it in anyway. Jemma knew that people were upset with Maxwell, and she did not like the idea of having to pay for a tax increase either, but she decided that she would support her man.
Jemma did not fully understand why the town would have to raise taxes so high, since they had always seemed to have a good amount of money coming in each year, but again she did not question Maxwell about this. If he and the town council say they needed more money, then they must truly need more money to run the town, she foolishly convinced herself.
Everything seemed to be going fine between the two of them until Maxwell’s wife somehow found out about their affair. Some anonymous citizen had spotted them going into Kirk’s motel together, on more than one occasion. Maxwell tried to deny that this allegation was true. He told his wife, “It’s because of this tax increase. I have made some enemies in doing this and they are trying to slander my good name.” His wife seemed to accept his explanation, mostly because she needed to. Maxwell and his wife were prominent Catholics in the community, so divorce would ruin them both.
Since Maxwell could not take the chance of this anonymous citizen getting solid proof of his affair, he and Jemma went back to Sally’s restaurant again and reserved their private room in the back to talk things over.
“Jemma, I care about you, and I think you are a wonderful women. But I cannot let our affair destroy my marriage and my political career. I think we need to cool things off…. at least for a little while.”
Jemma was shattered. She did not want to hurt Maxwell, and she certainly did not want to hurt his wife, but she did not know how she could survive without their weekly trysts now. They had made her feel more alive than she had in years and supremely happy. She had even been thinking of asking her husband for a separation.
She began crying hysterically. “Shh, Jemma. You need to calm down,” Maxwell had told her, getting very distressed by her emotional scene. “It will all be okay. Maybe when all of the tax increase business is not such a hot issue, then we can look at getting together again. You just need to give me some time. That’s all. You can do that, can’t you?”
“I just don’t know, Maxwell,” Jemma truthfully sniveled.
“Well, maybe this will help tide you over for awhile,” Maxwell said and handed her a leather briefcase. “Call it a bonus for being such a great assistant to me. If you are a good girl and you keep your mouth shut and let our little affair go by the wayside for awhile, then I will try and get you another raise like this next year.”
Jemma was not sure what Maxwell could be talking about. She watched as he unzipped the briefcase and held it open toward her. Jemma was shocked to see a large amount of money inside.
“Maxwell…. what is that?”
“That is eight thousand dollars, Jemma. That’s what it is. A nice little raise for all your hard work, And its tax free. This can keep you warm on those cold nights for a while, can’t it? Especially if I tell you there will be more to come next year if you play our little game.”
Jemma was speechless. Where did all this money come from? If he took it out of his personal account, isn’t his wife going to wonder what he did with their money?
Suddenly the cold truth hit Jemma like a ton of bricks. This was not money from Maxwell’s personal account. This was taxpayer’s money. He had been using taxpayer money all along to fund their escapades. The large amount in the miscellaneous office supplies that I couldn’t explain maybe. This was why Maxwell and the town council had suddenly had to raise the town’s taxes so significantly. Did he also bribe the council members to go along with this?
The $2,500 personal no-bid contracts! Had he used these to buy votes for himself and the council members? It all made sense now. The pieces of the puzzle were all starting to fit perfectly together, and Jemma did not like the picture they were forming, at all.
“So how about it, Jemma? You’ll stay quiet about our little affair and just let it go by the wayside for awhile, right?”
“I need to think about it, Maxwell. Give me a few days. Let’s meet here again on Friday night, okay? Just three days. That’s all I’m asking. You’ll give me that, won’t you?”
You could tell that Maxwell did not like Jemma’s request at all. But, since she was not turning him down, he finally agreed to her terms. “We’ll meet here again Friday evening,” he reluctantly conceded. The two left the restaurant then. Maxwell was still carrying all the money. Jemma asked that he be sure and bring it back with him when they met there again on Friday.
* * * *
Everything seemed to be fine with Jemma the next few days. Judging by her actions, Maxwell was convinced that Jemma had decided to accept the ‘quiet’ money. He could not wait for Friday evening to come so that they could go to Sally’s restaurant again and ‘transact business’, even though he was still wishing they were going to Kirk’s instead.
They had barely sat down in their private room when Maxwell brought up the issue of their affair and the money again, “So did you make a decision, Jemma? I have your bonus with me.”
“Yes, I did,” she said with a deceptive smile. “I will take the money, and we will cool things down for awhile, and I won’t say anything to anyone about anything.”
“I knew you would be sensible,” Maxwell praised, giving her a large, conniving smile. He placed the briefcase on the table and began to slide it toward her.
However, just as he did, the doors in the back and the doors leading from the restaurant burst open. All around the room stood members of the FBI, a fair size of them who had guns drawn and pointed at Maxwell. Jemma stood and backed up behind a few of them.
“What is this?” Maxwell asked, trying to feign innocence.
“Maxwell Lincoln, you are under arrest for bribery and the alleged embezzlement of taxpayer’s money. You have the right to remain silent….”
“I know my rights! This is crazy,” he protested as the FBI agent proceeded to handcuff him. “You have no proof!”
The FBI led Maxwell out of the room still snarling and objecting to his wrongful arrest. He threatened to have their jobs. Jemma walked out with a few of the officers.
She was shocked to find her husband waiting for her outside. They had engaged in a very long talk Tuesday night, and she had confessed to having the affair with Maxwell. She had told her husband about the money that Maxwell had offered her as a bribe to keep her mouth shut about the affair. Her husband had left the house, and Jemma had just assumed that he was leaving her life as well.
“What are you doing here?” she asked him.
“I did a lot of thinking the past few days,” he told her, glancing alternately at her face and at his feet. Jemma knew him well enough to know that he was in pain. She felt very badly about this. She had never meant to hurt him.
“We’ve been married a very long time, Jemma, over twenty years. Somewhere along the line, I started taking you and our marriage for granted. I haven’t been there for you like I should have. That’s why you turned to someone else.”
“So what are you saying?” she nervously asked.
“I’m saying that I’d like for you to give ‘us’ another chance. Let’s try to recapture what we used to have in our marriage. Let’s not just throw away twenty years together. You are a good, brave woman. You proved that today by what you just did with the FBI against that crooked politician. Can we give it another try?”
Jemma was so moved she had to fight to keep from crying. She had been the one who had wronged her husband, but here he was begging her to give them another chance. She was truly amazed, and she immediately realized how foolish and irresponsible she had been. She had allowed herself to be taken advantage of by a crooked politician, a womanizer, and she had almost thrown away a truly good man in the process.
“Let’s go home,” she said to her husband and linked arms with him. “Let’s start all over.”
| Red Hat Society |
The city of Malden was quietly situated in the beautiful, rolling hills of West Virginia, brilliantly showcased by cluster upon cluster of magnificent leaf color, since it was autumn. Maddie Campbell was one of the proud residents of this very city. She was also an active member of an organization called the Red Hat Society.
The Red Hat Society had become a Godsend to Maddie, who had just recently lost her husband of many years. Her friend Joan had practically drug her kicking and screaming to the first meeting. Since that first dreaded night, her feelings regarding the Red Hat Society had changed tremendously. She had formed compassionate and endearing friendships with many of the other ladies who belonged to this close-knit group. Now, without the Red Hat Society, Maddie knew she would be completely lost. They had not only become dear friends, they had become a part of her extended family.
The group had agreed to meet for lunch one day at Tamarack, a nearby center of juried art and great shopping. Tamarack also had a very nice dining area provided by the Greenbrier Society. The ladies were all seated at a big round table in a somewhat private dining area enjoying a leisurely lunch and wonderful conversation, when out of nowhere an unknown man approached them and enthusiastically asked if he could take their picture.
The group was all very charismatic and outgoing, so they were thrilled to be photographed by this friendly and eager young man. The forthcoming man snapped a few pictures of the group of ladies while he introduced himself to them, “Hi, I’m Wayne Driscol”. Then he pointed over to his wife who was sitting across the room patiently waiting for him to rejoin her for lunch.
He shared with the ladies that he and his wife, Camille, were on their way to New York to celebrate their one-year anniversary. He also excitedly shared with them that his wife was an author and had recently published her first novel. Wayne was so proud of Camille that he was telling everyone, and anyone, of this astonishing news. Yet, in hearing this, the ladies of the Red Hat Society were thrilled and at their insistence, Wayne began to avidly gesture to his wife to come over to their table and join him.
Camille was extremely curious to know exactly what was transpiring between her adoring husband and these sweet looking older ladies. So, with a wide, somewhat shy smile, she swiftly vacated their table and made her way over to the Red Hat Society table. Wayne then asked, “Camille, do you have any bookmarks with you?”
“Of course,” she answered. The corners of her soft pink lips curled even further with pride.
Camille gingerly reached into a certain area of her purse, where she had carefully stashed a small stack of these bookmarks. She handed them to Wayne, who proceeded to place one in each and every one of these lovely ladies outreached hands.
“What is your book about?” Maddie inquisitively asked this younger woman.
Trying to control her excitement, Camille began with tenderness in her voice, “It’s about the endearing friendship between three very different women, love, romance and the dark secrets that threaten to destroy their lives,” she told not just Maddie but all of the ladies at the table.
“You make it sound fascinating,” Maddie said with a wide amusing smile.
Camille hurriedly replied, “Oh it is! People have told me once they started reading it, they found it almost impossible to put down.”
With that, Camille glanced at her husband. Their eyes locked, and Maddie could see the love between them. It made her think back to before she had lost her own beloved husband. Then Maddie asked, “Do you have some books with you?”
“Yes, but they are out in our car” Camille was quick to confirm. Is she interested in buying one?
“How much are they?”
She must be interested in buying one!!
“They are $8.00,” Camille replied.
Camille looked toward Wayne again, who quickly nodded and replied, “I’ll go and get the books. You visit with these ladies while I’m gone. It won’t take but a few minutes.”
“Okay. Thanks. I love you,” Camille said and gave him a quick kiss before he departed.
The ladies of the Red Hat Society, especially Maddie, were happy to see the obvious love between these two young people.
Maddie, without hesitation and knowing her companions would not mind, extended an invitation for the couple to join them for lunch, “Camille, why don’t you go and get your things from your table and come have a seat with us. It will take a little while for your husband to get back with the books. We can chat while he is away.”
“I would be honored to,” Camille was quick to agree. The ladies all seemed so warm and friendly that she was more than happy to spend some more time with them. She sped back across the room, picked up the tray with her and Wayne’s lunch on it and happily sauntered over to the Red Hat Society table.
By the time she got back, Maddie had already pulled up a chair for Camille and another empty one beside it for Wayne. With a smile, Camille took a seat at the table between Madeline and Joan. The ladies all began introducing themselves to Camille then.
Right after introductions had been made, Maddie told Camille, “We would like to make you an honorary member of the Red Hat Society. Since the Red Hat Society is for women of fifty years or more, and you are obviously more than a tad younger than that, you will need to wear pink and lavender instead of the red and purple.”
With this, Madeline proceeded to pull out a pink hat from beneath the table and Jane pulled forth a lavender scarf. They handed them to Camille.
“Wear them with pride,” Maddie instructed.
“I will,” Camille instantly agreed with a broad toothy grin. Reaching to take both the hat and the scarf and immediately putting them on, Camille could not help asking, “But where did these come from?”
“They are my daughter’s,” Maddie confided to her. “She is embarrassed to be seen with this group of ‘old’ ladies. She drove us here, but she is out shopping while we have lunch. She asked that I hold on to these as she didn’t want to have to carry them with her. You and your husband truly seem to appreciate the group, so I think you deserve to wear this hat and scarf more than my daughter. Believe me, she will not miss these.”
“I’m touched,” Camille said, and freely gave Maddie a grateful hug.
“It’s nice to meet such a caring, happy couple and two such friendly individuals as you and your husband. The Red Hat Society is happy to welcome you. Isn’t that right, ladies?”
“Welcome, Camille!” they all said in unison and raised their drinking glasses in the air in a sign of reception.
Camille also raised her glass and gloriously smiled as she nodded at each lady at the table. She and Wayne had just stopped at Tamarack to shop and to get some lunch. Now, even though she barely knew these ladies, she felt as if they had just made a group of new friends.
Maddie began asking her questions about her marriage to Wayne, and Camille zealously began relating details of their enduring courtship and love to the ladies. They were still owing and awing over Camille’s real life love and romance when Wayne reappeared with a stack of books. Camille spent the rest of the lunch signing books and sharing details of how it was written.
She almost felt guilty charging these ladies for the books now, since she felt as if she was now one of their honorary sisters. However, Maddie, Joan and the others, who bought books, all insisted on paying for their copy. They all wanted to help their newfound Red Hat Society sister in becoming a success as an author.
Before they left, Joan Ann gave Camille her e-mail address, and Camille promised she would send the ladies a copy of the pictures that Wayne had taken. Camille hated for their time together to end. Running into these ladies and being welcomed into their circle for a short while had made her and Wayne’s visit to Tamarack an extra special one.
Wayne thought it was wonderful that the ladies had adopted Camille into the Red Hat Society, and he told them all so. He thanked them all for treating his wife so well, and Maddie and Jane both assured him that it had been their pleasure. The ladies all wished the young couple the best of luck and continued success in love.
After the ladies had left, Wayne said to Camille, “Well, come along, my wife, author and now Red Hat….or should I say Pink Hat for now…..lady. We need to be getting a move on if we want to get to New York sometime today.”
“What a great day this has been!” Camille said with an elated grin.
“And the trip has just began,” Wayne said, returning her smile. He took a second to give his wife a warm, happy kiss. “We have a one-year anniversary to celebrate. The first of many more happy years to come.”
“For sure,” Camille said and gave Wayne another grateful kiss. He was the one who had approached these ladies. If he had not, then Camille never would have met them, and she was very happy that she had.
| The Blind Date |
Marcella was depressed. Not seriously depressed. It was not like she was sitting around crying or starving herself or sleeping all the time. She actually just had a bad case of the blues. * * * *
The reason for Marcella’s current discontentment was the fact that she had just finished writing her current novel. Marcella was a successful published author. She had a great imagination. She was a serious romantic that truly loved to spin stories, and she had, for the most part, thoroughly enjoyed writing this last book.
However, Marcella was finding it very difficult to let go of the characters she had created this time around. It was as if she was about to lose several of her closest friends. She had given these characters life, and now, she still wanted to be a part of every breath they took, as she had for the last ten months. But she realized it was time to leave them behind, close that chapter of her life and work on coming up with new intriguing characters for her next book. That’s the part she loved most about writing, creating the people in her stories and bringing them to life with romance, fear, happiness, hatred, suspense. You name it; Marcella would use it somehow in her novels.
Marcella was having a tough time putting her finger on why this novel was so hard to move on from. This was far from being her first book. In fact, this was the tenth book she had written, and her publisher was waiting impatiently to get his hands on it so that he could send it to print. She had not had any trouble whatsoever moving on from her other nine novels. In fact, usually she had been excited to have the opportunity to move onto something new, that next adventure, that next exhilarating beginning to a new novel.
Out of nowhere, she heard the phone begin to ring and this roused her from the deep contemplative state she had just been engrossed in. A little out of sorts, Marcella began following the sound of the ringing in an attempt to locate her phone.
“Hi, Marci, how’s it going?”
It was one of her very best friends, Beth.
“Oh, fine,” Marcella answered in a rather fatigued sounding voice. There was no sign of the usual excitement in her vocal expression today.
“Okay, what’s wrong?” Beth perceptively inquired. “You just finished another novel. You should be on top of the world. But instead you sound like you’re ready to crawl under some big rock to hibernate for the winter. Are you not happy with the way the book turned out?”
“No….I mean yes….I’m very happy with the way the book has turned out. It’s….I don’t know exactly what it is, and I have tried to put my finger on it. I simply do not want to let go of this one, Beth. This novel somehow became a part of me - a part of my every day waking, breathing, daily life - and I loved the feeling it left within me. I know that sounds nuts, but that’s genuinely the way that it is. Does that make any sense at all?”
“Actually it makes perfect sense,” Marcella was surprised to hear Beth declare.
“You think? How so?”
“How so??” Beth repeated the question. “I’ll tell you exactly how so. It’s been almost a year since your divorce from Roger was finalized. You are an attractive, middle-aged woman, with a great personality to boot. Yet, you have not gone out on one single date since the divorce. At first, your excuse was that it was ‘too soon’. Then, you were ‘too busy writing’. Now, you are finished writing a wonderful, spellbinding, romance novel, in which each of your female characters goes off into the sunset with their prince charming. All at once, you are finding yourself disturbed, a little depressed and having some separation anxiety. Could this perhaps be because you have finally run out of excuses for not moving on with your own life? You want to hold on to the perfect fantasy world that you created in your book and let real life pass you by. I understand why, because real life sucks and hurts sometimes… aka….your divorce from Roger. But you can’t hide away in your novels forever. It’s time to move on, Marci, and I know the perfect man for you to begin with.”
“Oh right…..and who might this ‘perfect’ man be?” Marcella asked, feeling a little intrigued by Beth’s proclamation. She could not argue with her friend. Marcella had immersed herself in this last novel, letting her mind wonder far away from dealing with the real world. It had been such a pleasure to do so. She realized, now, after hearing these wise words of her friend that she probably should at least be dating by this time. It had been nearly a year. After all, Roger was already remarried. Of course, he had been seeing his current wife while he had still been married to her, but should that make a difference?
“Why don’t you let me worry about that?” In a whispered voice, Beth rather secretively suggested. “Just keep Saturday night open. That’s this Saturday. Tomorrow night. Dress will be casual, but definitely sexy. One of those soft, up do, hair dates. You know what I’m talking about. I will pick you up at 7:30. We’ll do the double dating thing. You don’t need to know where we are going or what will happen once we get there. How’s that sound?”
“It sounds very mysterious,” Marcella said with a little doubt in her voice.
A little mysterious maybe. But it won’t be for long. You’ll see. It will do you a world of good to get out and have some good, old-fashioned fun with a member of the opposite sex.”
“I must confess I do need to get out of this funk that I’m in, so I’m willing to try just about anything at this point…..even double dating…..I guess it’s a blind date to boot? This will be a first for me,” Marcella admitted with a certain degree of embarrassment. “Make sure you pick a good guy for me, okay? One that is somewhat attractive and has at least a little personality. I don’t want to get stuck with some jerk for the evening.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” Beth earnestly assured her. “I’ll see you tomorrow night. Remember, I’ll pick you up at 7:30. Okay?”
“Okay,” she rather reluctantly agreed.
I sure hope I’m not making a mistake, Marcella pondered for a few moments after she hung up the phone. Suddenly feeling nervous, her thoughts continued to wander, No matter how drab he is, it’s only going to be for one evening. I just need to get out for awhile. I won’t have to see this guy ever again.
Marcella had started getting ready early; she knew she would have a hard time deciding on what to wear. As usual, she had tried on several different outfits, mixing and matching. Finally, she stood in front of the full-length mirror in her room and determined she was ready.
She had chosen her favorite cream colored corduroy jeans and soft, pumpkin colored, brushed cotton tee. It was tapered at the waist and extenuated her full breasts. Over that she layered a silk multi colored poncho. The colors in the poncho, green, cream, light orange and a soft brown complimented her skin tone beautifully.
She curled her eyelashes and added three coats of mascara, which made her long lashes thick and gave her soft brown eyes a dreamy look. Then she added a rich dark pumpkin semi-permanent lip color and finished with a smooth shimmering gloss.
She had twirled her dark auburn curls up and secured them with a tortoise shell clip. Then, as previously instructed by Beth earlier that day, she delicately dabbed her favorite cologne at the nap of her neck, on each wrist and around the hem of her poncho. Marcella had just taken one final look in the mirror, adjusted a few strands of hair and blotted her lips one last time.
During the ordeal of dressing she had drank a large glass of white wine, and now she felt sort of dreamy. As she danced around the living room of her uptown apartment, she could faintly smell the sweet scent of her cologne. Oh… Why should I care how I look, after all, I don’t even know what the guy looks like that I will be stuck with tonight, she mused. She all at once felt a little ridiculous about the trouble she had gone to in order to look her best, and she found she was even more nervous about this whole affair.
Marcella had experienced several such moments of anxiety throughout the day and each time had almost phoned Beth to call the whole thing off. However, for whatever reason, Marcella had decided to go through with this blind date. Waiting and contemplating, she let her mind wonder again.
I have nothing better planned for this evening. If I don’t like the guy, I’ll find some excuse to leave early. I could set my alarm on my cell to ring like a call coming in. Then, I can say it’s an emergency and I have to go. Beth would understand, she would probably do the same thing.
Beth was knocking on Marcella’s door at eight o’clock sharp, as she had promised the following night. “You look great!” Beth exclaimed when Marcella opened the door. Noticing the faraway look on her friend’s face, Beth added, “Stop worrying, it’s going to be lots of fun!”
“You look very pretty too. Thanks for the encouraging words. So tell me, how does the guy I’m going to be hooking up with look?”
“You’ll see soon enough,” Beth said with a confident smile. “Are you ready to go? I told the guys we would meet them at the restaurant at 8:15.”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Marcella admitted and reluctantly followed Beth out the door and to her car.
As they walked in the doorway of the restaurant, the mystery was suddenly revealed. Standing side-by-side, right in front of them, were Stanley, Beth’s boyfriend, and Roger’s handsome best friend, David. Marcella glanced at Beth with slight bewilderment, but Beth only gave her an encouraging smile.
“David?” Marcella said with noted doubt as the men slowly approached them.
“Yes, it’s me, Marci,” he said and gave her a somewhat bashful smile.
“What is this a pity date?” she asked both Beth and David.
“No,” they both answered.
“Talk to her, David,” Beth said, and took
Marcella’s face was all puzzlement as Beth and
“David, you don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to. I can call a cab,” Marcella told him. “I know this has got to be uncomfortable for you. I would have thought that Beth could have been a little more imaginative when she was thinking of someone to set me up with.”
“I think she set you up with the most perfect person,” David surprised her by saying. “Marci, I have a huge confession to make. I always had a huge crush on you. I hated it when you and Roger hooked up, and he treated you so badly. I never thought that he deserved you. My best friend was a total jerk and someday he may realize what a wonderful woman he has lost.” Reaching out his hand, David continued, “Come on, let’s get a table, sit down and talk. You might find out you like my company after all.”
Marcella strolled by David’s side as they followed a hostess to a table. She took a seat across from David. As she gazed into his eyes, she at last glimpsed the truth. David really was attracted to her. How is it that I never noticed this when Roger and I were together?
“David, this is all a little unsettling,” Marcella confessed, breaking the awkward silence that had developed between them all at once.
“Marci, if you are uncomfortable about being on a date with me, you only have to tell me and I will take you home. Perhaps you aren’t even attracted to me. It’s okay. It happens. I know I’m no Roger…. Mr. drop dead handsome. But Roger took advantage of being so good looking. He had always been such a flirt. He should have turned it off once he married you, but he still liked gaining the attention of other women. And we both know where this eventually led him…. to cheat on you. He was so wrong and so incredibly stupid.”
“You are so right,” Marcella agreed with a lighthearted chuckle.
It felt good to laugh about what Roger had done. She was finally putting it in the past. Marcella had been devastated by his affair at first. She had wondered over and over what she had done wrong to cause Roger to stray. To hear David throw the blame all in Roger’s court was very satisfying to Marcella. It also felt wonderful to have a man look at her with desire in his eyes once again.
“No, I certainly do not want you to take me home, David. As to whether I am attracted to you or not, I had never thought about you in that sense. But you know, you may not be leading man material like Roger, but I will be honest, I have always found you to be very striking. Striking, and you always…. like tonight…smelled so fantastic. In fact, I have a confession of my own to make, I once asked Roger if he knew what kind of cologne you wore, because I thought about buying some for him. Kind of twisted, isn’t it.”
“No more than pining away after your best friend’s wife,” David admitted, an attractive smile forming on his tempting lips. As he reached out and gently took one of her hands in his own, he informed her, “The cologne I wear is called Mon Pierre. It’s French. But it can’t compare to the sweet smell I have always found when standing close to you.”
“Thank you, that’s so nice to know for future reference. I’ll have to remember to wear this very scent when I’m around you. Oh, I didn’t mean to be presumptuous, as if I know that we will have more dates after tonight,” she invitingly suggested, returning his amazing smile. She felt so comfortable being here with this man, but then again, Marcella had always felt comfortable being around David. He was a great conversationalist and also had a great sense of humor.
Maybe Roger was not the only one who had been wrong and stupid. Maybe I was ignorant and chose the wrong man in the first place. If I was honest with myself, I have always been, in some way, attracted to David as well. I just would not allow myself to acknowledge this. I always attributed the attraction to the fact that he was my husband’s best friend and the fact that I liked him a lot.
“As to future dates….be presumptuous. Be very presumptuous!” David welcomed. His grin widened even more and he gently rubbed the top of her hand. A simple and rather innocent action that sent waves of excited pleasure up and down Marcella’s spine. “I let you go once, Marci. I don’t intend to make the same mistake a second time. So as far as I’m concerned tonight is merely the first of many more dates to come.”
Marcella dared to reach out and softly run her hand affectionately along the side of one of David’s cheeks. When he looked pleased but still a little confused by her act, Marcella quickly decided to explain, “I was just checking to make sure you are real and not some figment of my imagination…some character I have made up for one of my books. This all seems too good to be true.”
“I’m very real, Marci,” David assured her, reaching to tenderly stroke one of her cheeks as well. The magnificent feel of his strong, yet smooth hand caused Marcella to shiver slightly with desire.
“This is like a dream come true,” Marcella truthfully professed with a delighted sigh. “I couldn’t have written a better ending to this blind date story.”
“No you could not have. Why don’t we toast to our ‘happy beginning, not ending’?” David suggested and raised his glass of water off the table.
Marcella quickly retrieved her own glass, and the two of them tapped them together with a light ‘chink’.
Marcella’s depressed funk had come to a crashing halt. She no longer needed to hold onto fictional characters to find happiness in her life. Marcella now had a real man to fulfill all of her fantasies of love, and she was definitely looking forward to losing herself in this real life scenario as she had always done in her writing.
| Grinch |
There was no doubt that Isabella and Pedro Estevan knew the true meaning of Christmas. Their greatest joy came in bringing wide-eyed smiles, laughter and happiness to others, especially children. They accomplished this by transforming their front and side yards into a mini-Christmas wonderland each year. * * * *
It was about 8:00 p.m. on a Saturday night. Tony was just coming home from the office. He was prone to going into the office on the weekends. This was yet another way to escape having to spend time listening to his children’s annoying questions.
Pedro was an accomplished electrician. He put his skills, plus his creative talents, to use. Pedro built a small roller coaster and several merry-go-rounds. The small one car rollercoaster pulled Santa up to the Estevan’s roof. Then, just like a real rollercoaster, the car with Santa plummeted back down a steep hill.
The merry-go-round displayed dolls and Disney Characters. There were also dolls that were made up to look like Christmas carolers. Festive Christmas music flowed from speakers strategically placed around the yard, and this made the Christmas caroler dolls appear to be singing the carols. Many Christmas lights also adorned their house and yard.
Isabella and Pedro had moved to the
People flocked from all over the city to see Pedro and Isabella’s captivating Christmas display. Night after night, Isabella came out into her driveway and greeted parents, children and other onlookers. Many thanked her for all of the hard work of putting together this magnificent Christmas display.
Unfortunately, two doors down from Isabella lived a real life Grinch. His name was Tony Rogers. He and his family had been living in the subdivision on the same street as the Estevan’s for over five years.
Tony hated the traffic congestion that bogged down his street after the Estevan’s decorated their house and yard each year. Cars came and went almost non-stop from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas day. Tony thought it was an enormous waste of gas from cars and electricity. Tony also believed the Estevan’s Christmas display was tacky.
Tony claimed that the Estevan’s Christmas scene made the neighborhood look trashy. Behind Pedro and Isabella’s back, he talked to neighbors and even a police officer friend of his. He was trying to convince them all that this obnoxious display of holiday cheer needed to be permanently closed down.
Tony’s friend on the police force stopped by the Estevan house first. He informed the Estevan’s that they must turn off all of their Christmas lights and contraptions no later than 9:30 each night. “It’s either turn them off at this time, or turn them off permanently,” he sternly warned them.
Isabella did not understand why her home was being singled out. There were several houses on her street that were decorated for Christmas, but they did not have to turn their lights off at a certain time. In fact, most of the others in the neighborhood left their lights on all night long.
Of course, Tony Rogers, the Grinch, was not one of the people on her street with decorations lit all night on his house. Tony had no decorations on his house. He had no time for such nonsense.
Tony Rogers was a Senior Vice President at one of the banks in town. He was not just a Grinch at Christmastime. He was the Grinch of any pleasure that people’s lives held all year long.
One of his employees liked to take up money and buy lottery tickets for the department. Tony pulled him aside and told him he was breaking bank policy by doing this. Tony was also known for picking on those that had a lot of vacation time. He did not take his vacation time, even though he had three children – two adorable little girls and one boy.
Tony also picked on other neighbors at other times of the year. At one point, he hired a lawyer to sue a couple that moved in down the street from him, because they chose to put up a privacy fence.
“This ruins the look of the neighborhood,” he gossiped behind their backs, trying to garner other neighbor support. Tony was good about talking behind his neighbor’s backs. Never once did he approach them face-to-face with his complaints.
As Tony approached his house, he noticed with ire that there was a strange car sitting in his driveway. It has to be one of the Christmas freaks! he ascertained with meanness.
Tony whipped his SUV into the driveway beside this car. Tony leaped out of his vehicle. In a determined rampage, he rushed toward the Estevan’s house.
“Which one of you are unlawfully parked in my driveway?” he demanded to know in a loud, aggravated voice.
At first, everyone was so enthralled with the Estevan’s Christmas paradise that no one seemed to notice Tony in his fit of rage. However, in raising his voice another octave, Tony got everyone’s attention. “I need to know who is parked in my driveway. Two doors down,” he declared.
Finally, a young man with a child in a wheelchair looked up at him. “I’m parked in your driveway,” he confessed.
“Well, I’m trying to get in my garage,” Tony mumbled, avoiding eye contact with this other man.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the man promptly apologized. “I’ll come move my car right away. I just wanted to let me daughter see the Christmas display up close. Since it’s so cold, I didn’t want to have to push her up the street in the chilling wind, so I pulled off in your driveway. I truly am sorry. I should have found another place to park.”
“Yes, you should have,” Tony continued to be nasty to this man.
He had no compassion that the man had a sick child with him. His daughter was, in fact, very ill, and would probably not live to see another Christmas. The man was merely trying to make this last Christmas holiday extra special for her.
The man wheeled his daughter back along the sidewalk with haste toward his car. He hurriedly lifted her from her wheelchair and placed her in the car seat. As he leaned across her to fasten her seat belt, he whispered in her ear, “At least you got to see part of that beautiful holiday scene up close”. His little girl just smiled back at him.
The man shut her car door then. As he rushed to the driver’s side of the car, he continued his futile apology, “I really am sorry.”
Tony, who was glaring at him and waiting impatiently for him to move his car, gave no reply. This is just another reason why I have no patience for that abomination down the street from me, Tony was evilly thinking.
As soon as the man had backed out of his drive, Tony slammed his SUV back into gear and raced forward toward his garage. As the garage door opener raised the garage door, it was completely obvious that Tony could have pulled into the garage without making the man move his car. Regardless, Tony felt justified in his decision.
They have no right to be parking in my driveway. Never mind that he had ended a sick little girl’s Christmas delight by making them leave.
Tony had no sooner entered the house than his three children ran to him and gathered at his feet. They all began to fire questions at once. It was obvious they were starved for attention from their father.
Tony’s wife, Beth, scurried into the room and carefully shooed the children away. She knew that Tony became irritated when the children bombarded them like this. She understood, however, that the children merely missed their father. Beth wished that Tony were more understanding with them.
“You’re awfully late,” she gingerly expressed, once the children had left the room.
“I have a lot of responsibilities, Beth. You only have to keep up the house and watch the kids. I have to solely provide the finances to keep a roof over all of our heads, clothes on your back, and food in our stomachs.”
“Please don’t get cross, Tony,” Beth half-begged. “It’s just…. the kids were looking forward to going out and getting a Christmas tree tonight. You did say you would be home early, for a change, and that we would go out and get one. They’ve been excited all day, and waiting patiently for you to get home.” For hours, she knew, but did not add.
“Well, I could have been home a few minutes earlier. I had to go down to the Estevan atrocity and have some Christmas fool move his car.” Tony explained.
“I saw them park there,” Beth admitted. “It was a man with a little girl in a wheelchair. I figured they wouldn’t be there long and it would give the child some Christmas cheer. I hope you weren’t mean to them.”
“Mean to them? Why didn’t I just invite them in and ask them to stay for a while? We could have vacate our bed and let them sleep there. That’s the true Christmas spirit. You sound like you should be living with the Estevan’s.”
“Well, sometimes I wish I was,” Beth snapped back.
She was tiring very quickly of Tony’s terse attitude. It hurt Beth to see the disinterest that Tony displayed toward his own children. Beth also got very tired of hearing Tony complain about the Estevan’s house. She hated that her husband seemed to have no Christmas spirit at all. It had not always been this way. He was getting worse with each passing year.
“Look, Beth, I’m sorry I am late. Alright? There is always tomorrow to go and get a tree. I’ll go into the office early tomorrow and be home by early afternoon, so there will be plenty of time. Those tree places stay open late, especially this close to Christmas.”
Christmas was next Friday. Tony had always been too busy to go and get a tree up to now. Beth had made him promise that they would get one this weekend.
“You’re going in again tomorrow?” she questioned with noted disappointment.
Beth had hoped that Tony could stay home with the kids, so she could get some last minute Christmas shopping done. “Are you going to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day too? Aren’t you going to spend any time at all with your children, your wife, your family? You’d think you could at least do that much at Christmas. If you can’t do it for me, then you should at least do it for your children.”
People put too much emphasis on Christmas. The kids won’t even notice whether I’m here or not once they start opening the overabundance of presents that you’ve bought them. The same presents that my ample salary paid for, by the way. There wouldn’t be this salary if I didn’t put out the hard work and extra hours I do. You seem to conveniently forget all of this.”
“I know that you work hard and that your salary pays for us to have a good life. But all the material presents in the world can’t make up to your children for not having their father in their life. This is what you conveniently seem to forget,” Beth pointed out.
“So what do you want me to do, Beth? Do you want me to quit my job? Then you can return all of the kids’ presents, and we’ll live hear on love. Let’s see how happy having nothing makes our kids.”
“Other people seem to have both – a good life materially and love. You would do good to take a lesson from the Estevan’s. They have a nice house the same as ours. Their kids are all getting presents for Christmas, but they also get something much more important. They get the love of both their parents, and they get parents that teach them the true meaning of Christmas. You seem to have forgotten what that is. It’s sad to see, Tony. It really is.”
I’m tired, and I just want to relax. Is that too much to ask?”
“Not at all,” Beth answered. She turned then, feeling defeated, and left the room without another word.
Tony headed back to his den, as usual. He switched on the television and he took a seat in the recliner across the room. Tony began channel surfing. He successfully run past all of the holiday shows and settled on a news program. He was feeling a little guilty about all his wife had said to him, but Tony was trying not to let her words bother him.
Christmas shouldn’t be any different than any other time of year. If everyone weren’t so wrapped up in this and taking time off with their families, then I wouldn’t have to work so hard.
A few moments later, Beth came into the den with her coat on.
“Where are you going?” Tony asked.
“I’m taking the kids down to the Estevans. If we can’t go get a tree, then we can at least capture some Christmas enjoyment there.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me?” Tony remarked with prominent disdain. “I’m trying to shut that place down, and you are intending to take our children over there. Are you nuts?”
“You…you’re what? Did you say you are trying to shut down the Estevan’s Christmas display?”
“Yes. I threatened to sue them if they keep doing it. It’s obnoxious! The traffic is ridiculous! It’s just not what our neighborhood needs.”
“You’re obnoxious!” Beth shouted. “I don’t even know you anymore, Tony. You break my heart.”
“Please don’t over dramatize, Beth,” Tony ordered with displeasure.
“I’m not being over dramatic, Tony. In fact, I’ve been so wrong. I’ve let this go on for far too long. I’ve allowed you to ignore your children, not to mention myself. Now you are trying to ruin Christmas…not just for us but also for other innocent people. There are so many who get such great joy from the Estevan’s Christmas set-up. You are the ultimate scrooge! Our Children deserve better. I deserve better!”
“I’m really tired of you attacking me tonight, Beth. I am trying to provide a nice home for you and the children. You better count your blessings, instead of complaining about everything,” Tony pointed out.
“Until you can, the children and I will be at my mother’s.”
“Do what?” Tony asked with incredulousness. Surely Beth could not mean this.
“You heard me. I’m going to go and pack our suitcases now.”
“You are being ridiculous,” Tony continued to argue.
“No. I’ve been being ridiculous. Ridiculous for putting up with the way you have been treating us. I won’t stay in this house with a man who wants to spoil everyone’s Christmas.”
Beth spun around and rushed out of the room then. Tony remained seated in his chair. He was trying to determine what he should do.
Beth wants me to chase her. She wants me to admit I’m wrong. But I’m not. We can’t allow people in this neighborhood to make it a tacky showplace – at Christmas or ever. I’m just looking out for our welfare.
Tony continued to sit in his chair, mulling over all that had transpiring this evening with his wife. He was surprised when he heard the back door slam several moments later. Surely, Beth hasn’t really left with the children.
Tony finally vacated his chair and headed toward the garage. He discretely pulled back the small curtain on the back door and peeked out the window. He saw the children scrambling into the car and Beth putting suitcases in the trunk. She actually is leaving, he thought as a wave a panic overtook him.
What do I do now? Tony questioned himself. He watched Beth climb into the car and start the vehicle. She’ll surely cut the engine in a minute. She’ll come to her senses and reconsider. She isn’t going to leave her home over some silly squabble over Christmas.
However, Tony observed the garage door open and his wife backing the car out. Beth really is leaving. Tony rushed to the living room and was relieved when he saw the car stop at the end of their driveway. He saw Beth open her door. Good! Beth has come to her senses. Why didn’t she pull the car back in?
Tony watched each of his children also climb out of the car. They gathered around his wife with excitement. The four of them began walking along the sidewalk. Where are they going? Tony wondered for only a second. Then it fully dawned on him. Beth is taking them to the Estevan’s. Unbelievable!
Tony stomped away from their front window. I can’t stand for this!
He rushed to the closet and pulled out his coat. I’ll walk down to the Estevan’s too and bring them all back.
Tony left the house. He took long strides down the sidewalk toward the Estevan’s house. As he approached, he had to come to a complete stop, because there were several other groups of people milling about in front of him.
Tony listened as he passed by one family. A small child’s eyes were lit with wonder. There was a big smile on both the child’s face and on both of his parents.
“Isn’t it pretty?” “Isn’t it amazing?” The child’s mom and dad both asked.
Tony worked his way past this family. He passed a group of teenagers. Tony expected that they would be making fun of this display, but they too were ‘oowing and ahhing’. He was dumbfounded by all of these people’s astonished reactions.
Tony finally spied his own family. Beth, the girls and his son were all gazing with wonder and elation at wonderful sights all about them. As he drew closer to them, he heard his son say, “Why didn’t daddy come with us, mommy. This is so beautiful. Daddy should see it too. Can we go and get him?”
He saw Beth look at her son with sad eyes. He waited to hear her response. “I wish daddy could see it too, Timmy. Daddy is very tired right now though. He works very hard for us all. He’ll see it another time.”
As Timmy looked away and continued to try and take in all of the remarkable sights surrounding him, Tony saw that there were tears standing in Beth’s eyes.
“Mommy, are you okay,” Tony heard one of his daughter’s ask.
“Yes, sweetheart. This is all so wonderful that it just touches mommy’s heart. That’s all,” she told Samantha.
Tony knew that Beth’s tears were not tears of joy. They were tears he had caused by his hurtful words and actions.
Tony’s oldest child, Valerie was also awestruck by all of the sights surrounding her. “Thanks for bringing us, mom. I don’t understand why dad doesn’t like it. How can he not?”
Tony was suddenly very ashamed of himself. He turned from side to side and continued to observe all of the people, who kept coming and coming and coming – both on foot and in cars.
I was trying to destroy Christmas, he could not help but conclude.
Tony at last walked up behind Beth. She was startled when he placed his arm around her waist. “Tony…wha?” she started to ask.
“I thought I would come and enjoy looking at the phenomenal Christmas decorations of our neighbor with my family. Afterwards, why don’t we all go and pick out a tree? How would that be?”
“I….I thought you were too tired,” Beth said, eyeballing him in bewilderment.
“I was, but it’s Christmas. The time of sacrifice, right? Also, I’m not going to work tomorrow, Christmas Eve or Christmas. I need to spend a little more time with you and the kids.”
“Do you mean this?” Beth asked with skepticism.
“Yes,” Tony said, and he did mean what he was saying. “You were right, Beth. I’ve been forgetting what is most important in life. Maybe that’s what the true meaning of Christmas is all about, remembering what is most important. You and the kids are the most important thing in the world to me. I almost missed seeing their eyes light up with wonder as they looked at this Christmas scene. It made me wonder how much else I might be missing. I’m sorry, Beth. Can you forgive me?”
“Tony, you just gave me the best Christmas present you could have,” Beth gushed.
The tears she had been holding back could no longer be controlled. They fell from her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. Tony tried to console Beth. He wrapped his arms around her and placed little butterfly kisses on her wet cheeks, like he used to do when they had fist met. Beth was so overcome by this show of affection, she felt as if her heart threatened to burst.
As they turned to leave, Tony came face to face with Pedro and Isabella Estevan. “Merry Christmas, neighbors! Thanks for providing my children and so many others with such joy. I wouldn’t dream of trying to stand in the way of this.”
“Merry Christmas to you!” Isabella replied.
She hugged Beth, each of the children and even Tony. She could not believe her neighbor was finally coming around. Isabella was very happy that he was. She desired peace within their neighborhood. Tony had also given her a wonderful Christmas gift.
Tony placed his arm around his wife’s shoulder as they walked back toward the house. “Can I help you unload those suitcases from the trunk?” he asked Beth with a bittersweet smile.
“Yes, I’ll think I’ll be staying,” she replied. “After all, my husband is coming home for Christmas.”
“Yes, and hopefully he will be around a lot more after Christmas,” Tony said and gave his wife another soft kiss on the cheek.Back to Short Story Menu At Top
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