Between

by Mary Ting

  It was an extremely busy day. Everyone was doing last-minute shopping, being that it was two days before Christmas. Nanci attended to the customers while Patty and I worked behind the register. We had never worked this hard; we hardly got to talk. This place was loaded with customers. At one point, the line was very long and even though Patty and I moved as fast as we could, it hardly made a dent in the line. Mrs. Lee should have scheduled more employees today.

  As the end of the day was nearing, Patty sent Nanci home. Patty and I finally had time to catch up while we counted the day’s earnings.

  “Oh, I almost forgot.” Patty walked into the storage room and walked out with a box. “Some girl told me to give this to you.”

  It was a large box that was neatly wrapped in red with a gold ribbon. “Someone gave this to me?” I asked, taking the box out of her hands and placing it on the counter by the register. There was a card attached to it. “Did she give you her name?”

  “No, but she had long hair. Tall. Pretty. I think she shops here. She had on the same shirt that I displayed last night before I left…or at least I thought I did.” Patty was deep in thought, trying to recall what she’d done. Then she snapped out of it, shaking her head. “Anyway, I don’t remember seeing her before.”

  From Patty’s description, I knew it was Vivian; she was on watch today. I didn’t know exactly where she was, but when I was at work, they were told to keep their distance but to stay alert.

  “Well, aren’t you going to open it?” Patty asked. “Why would she give me a box to give to you and not want to give it to you herself?”

  “Ummm…” I had no way to explain it so I quickly changed the subject. “I’m going to open it.”

  “Okay,” Patty said excitedly.

  Carefully, I opened the card as my heart fluttered with anticipation. It read…

  Dearest Claudia,

  My love for you is like the snowflakes. Unique, special, one of a kind.

  Let me take your breath away. Allow me to be your date on Christmas Eve.

  I’ll pick you up tomorrow night.

  In my heart, in my soul—M

  I was all smiles as I read and Patty had that look on her face, waiting for me to say something. “It’s from Michael,” I gushed.

  “How sweet. So…I guess this means you’re dating two guys?”

  “No, I’m not dating two guys,” I corrected.

  “How about Austin?” Patty looked confused.

  There were no words to explain it all. “Austin and I are friends. I’m with Michael.”

  “Whom I have never met. Do I get to meet him before I have gray hair?” Patty teased.

  “Yes, of course. We can even double date,” I said, immediately regretting what I had just said and wishing I could take the words back.

  “Okay, I’ll hold you to it. Aren’t you going to open your present?”

  I gazed at the box, wondering what he could have gotten me that would fit in this big box. After I took the lid off and pulled off the tissues on top of it, Patty and I dropped our jaws and stared in awe.

  “He…he bought you a dress?” Patty said in admiration. “It’s beautiful. Purple…your favorite color.” She touched the fabric. “It’s silk. I can’t believe he went shopping and got you this gorgeous dress. Where is he taking you?”

  “I don’t know,” I said softly, still stunned. I took it out and held the dress up against me in front of a mirror. It was absolutely stunning. It was long with spaghetti straps and had little sparkles along the waist line.

  “Wow, Claudia, you’re going to take his breath away,” Patty remarked with exhilaration.

  “Thanks, Patty,” I said, feeling a bit nervous and excited.

  Patty went back to the storage room and walked out with another box. “Since I have the day off tomorrow and you’ll be busy tomorrow working and then with Michael, I might as well give you your gift.” She handed me her nicely wrapped box. Then I went behind the register and took out a Christmas bag. “Here you go,” I said and gave her a warm hug.

  “You open first,” she insisted.

  I peeled the wrapper and opened the box. “Patty, these will go perfectly with my dress!” She had given me a pair of clear crystal earrings that hung slightly below the ear and a silver sweater that was meant to wear with an evening dress.

  Patty’s eyes grew wide. “Well, what do you know? Your Mr. Right and I coordinated without talking to each other,” she laughed.

  Patty opened her gift, and as usual, my gift was practical—a gift certificate to Fashion Wear. “I didn’t know what to get you, so I thought you could buy whatever you wanted.”

  “Claudia, this is too generous of you,” she said sincerely, giving me a hug.

  “I wouldn’t have this job if it wasn’t for you,” I said, squeezing her back.

  “And I told you, you got it yourself. Who could resist your charm?”

  I pushed her playfully. Afterwards, we counted the earnings, locked the door, and headed home.

  Being Christmas Eve, Fashion Wear was open ’til noon. Though we were exceptionally busy, my mind was somewhere else, and I couldn’t help but wonder what Michael had planned. With every hour that passed by, my stomach fluttered with excitement and anticipation.

  After I got home, Mom and I talked on the phone, but I was only half listening. Time couldn’t fly fast enough. I found myself doing the laundry, cleaning my room, and flipping through the pages of a book I’d started a while back. Michael didn’t mention what time he was going to pick me up, but I assumed it was would be soon, since he knew I usually eat dinner around 5:00.

  I slid into the dress Michael had given me and curled my hair. Afterward, I lightly put on makeup and slipped on my only pair of high-heeled shoes. Unexpectedly, there was a knock on my door. Who could that be? I thought. I had expected Michael to knock on the window, but that wasn’t the case. When I peeked out the window, I saw a black Ferarri 612 Scaglietti and let out a huge smile. It was the same car Davin had borrowed to take me to Michael.

  I opened the door to see Michael all dressed up in a nice, dark gray suit. He looked so debonair and handsome that all I could do was gawk and give him a happy smile.

  Michael smiled back. He looked a bit shy. “Claudia, it fits you perfectly. You look beautiful,” he said, taking my hands and kissing them both, then hugging me tenderly.

  “You don’t look bad yourself,” I replied, but what I was really thinking was that I wanted to just grab him and kiss him. “Come in,” I said finally. “Why didn’t you just fly in?”

  “I wanted this to be like a real date,” he said. “I don’t think guys normally just fly into their date’s bedroom.”

  “Normally,” I laughed.

  “We should get going. I have a reservation for us at 5:00.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “If I tell you, then it won’t be a surprise.” He took my hand and led me to the car, opening the passenger’s side. “It was Davin’s idea,” he said. “But don’t worry, I don’t drive like him.”

  “I’m not worried,” I giggled, feeling giddy and so overwhelmed with excitement that I could hardly contain myself.

  When we arrived at our destination, I saw that we were at the Grand View Hotel. The tall picturesque building with thirty floors stood out elegantly compared to other hotels surrounding the area. One thing I did notice this time that I hadn’t noticed before was the pristine white statues of angels situated high above. Their beauty was evident as their wings fanned partially, holding the same stance, like soldiers, guarding this place as they did at Island of Eden. Knowing who they were gave me a sense of new-found respect as I fell under the trance, and I could do nothing for some time but stare.

  After Michael pulled up to valet park, we got out of the car and headed to the entrance. The bellman opened one side of the glass double doors. “Thank you,” I said as I walked in first.

  The crystals from the chandelier caught my eyes like the last time as they
burst with unbelievable brilliance that sent sparkles throughout the room. A colossal, decorated Christmas tree stood tall smack in the middle of the front lobby. Adorned with golden balls, red ribbons, and shimmering lights, every inch of the pine tree was occupied. It was truly a magnificent sight. Beautiful arrangements of poinsettias in tall bronze vases were placed throughout, filling the room with a rich fragrance. Multiple, giant, real wreaths with red bows hung against the walls as an instrumental Christmas melody gave an added touch to the ambiance.

  As we headed toward the elevator, I stopped in front of a huge, striking painting of Katherine. She was painted standing with her golden wings expanded. Her long, dark hair accentuated her chocolate brown eyes. “Look, Michael, it’s Katherine,” I said, hypnotized by her beauty.

  Michael didn’t seem to care. He grabbed my hand and led us to the elevator. We got off on the 28th floor. I’d imagined walking into a restaurant, but instead, all I saw were doors—doors to the rooms. I gulped and wondered what Michael had in mind.

  “Feeling nervous?” he asked, opening the double doors to room 2828.

  “No,” I smiled, but I was. Immediately, I could smell roses and stargazer lilies, which he already knew were my favorites. As we walked further in, I realized we were in a suite as my feet moved from carpet to marble floors. The room was filled with flowers, and as I peered to the right into the bedroom, heart-shaped, red rose petals were spread out on the bed. I was mesmerized, overwhelmed with it all, and I stood there still unable to believe my eyes.

  “The flower arrangements are beautiful. This room is so big. I’ve never been inside something like this before,” I rambled, not knowing if I made sense, hoping he would feel the depth of my gratitude. Then I melted into his arms.

  “Only for you,” he said and led me to another room.

  After he opened the door, I saw a table-setting for two. Elegant plates with gold trimmings, wine glasses, and candles were set on the table. The atmosphere was pure romance, topped off by the promise of a brilliant sunset for which we had front row seats. I was all smiles as he pulled out the chair, gesturing for me to sit. When he finally sat down, I saw someone wearing black and white walking in from my peripheral vision.

  “Hello and welcome to Da-vin’s.” Davin was dressed as a waiter. He looked so cute, I couldn’t help but giggle. “Davin!” I called excitedly. Then I saw Caleb, looking healthy and well. I wanted to run to him and show him how relieved I was that he was better, but my legs remained planted. I wasn’t sure how he would react to my affection, so I remained seated.

  “Caleb. It’s great to see you,” I said enthusiastically.

  “Yeah…back to my good old self,” he replied.

  “I’m glad you’re better.”

  “Thanks, me too. I wouldn’t want to miss out on any of the fun.”

  Vivian walked in. She was dressed up too. “Vivian, what are you all doing here?” I guess it was obvious, but the words just slipped out.

  “We’re here to serve you,” Vivian said. “Pretend you don’t know us.” She swooshed me with her hands. Then she walked away, dragging Davin and Caleb by their shirts. “Boys…let’s get dinner.”

  I turned to Michael. “So, you had a little help.”

  “Of course…when it comes to you, nothing but the best. And you know them. They insisted. You know how much they care for you.”

  “Thank you. I know,” I said warmly.

  It didn’t take long. The alkins came back with a rolling cart draped with white linen. On top of the cart were plates covered with silver lids. The aroma made my hunger worse and sent me into a whirl spin.

  Davin placed a plate in front of me and then one for Michael. He opened the lid, and the smell of the food exploded.

  Yum, I thought. Placed in front of me was a steak, lobster tail, asparagus, and baked potato.

  Vivian lit the candles while Caleb poured the sparkling water. Then they walked out and closed the door behind them.

  Michael and I ate, watching the sunset, as the city below started to light up, getting brighter and more colorful as day turned into night. It was truly the best date I could ever imagine. I wondered what I’d done to have such wonderful new friends and someone as wonderful as Michael to be in love with me when I always thought of myself as plain Jane. “Thank you for everything: my dress, our date, and for being with me on Christmas Eve,” I said, getting all choked up.

  “It’s your first Christmas without Gamma. It must be difficult for you…and with your mom away with her sick friend. She must be worried.”

  “I’m okay, Michael. I have you.” I smiled, trying to lighten up the mood. “It’s so beautiful. You took my breath away, just like you said you would in the card.”

  Michael smiled, “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

  As I was about to ask him what else he had planned, there was a knock on the door.

  “Come in, Davin,” I said, giggling, knowing it was him.

  Davin walked in with Caleb and Vivian.

  “You don’t need to knock,” I said.

  “Oh, yes I do. What if you were doing something that I would do and worse—clothes-less like at the waterfall? Then it would really be too good to be true.” He grinned, cocking his brows.

  “What, you were clothes-less?” Vivian asked in shock.

  Caleb’s eyes grew wide. Then my face felt warm.

  “What Davin meant is that we went swimming,” Michael intervened. “So, what’s so urgent you need to interrupt our dinner?”

  “I wanted to give her something before you take her to…”

  “Whoa, let’s not ruin the surprise,” Michael said quickly.

  “What do you mean, ‘I’? He means all of us,” Vivian said, pointing to Caleb and her.

  “Okay, before I get myself in trouble with my mouth, let me, I mean, us, give you this.” Davin handed me three wrapped boxes.

  “You guys didn’t need to get me anything. This is so sweet of you all.”

  “We don’t celebrate Christmas. Actually, we don’t celebrate anything. How boring is that?” Vivian said. “So, we wanted to wish you Happy Christmas Eve.”

  I was extremely touched. “I didn’t know we were exchanging gifts today. I have something for all of you too.”

  “You do?” Davin asked excitedly. “I get a gift?”

  “That is very sweet of you. You didn’t have to do that,” Vivian seconded.

  “Yeah, you’re spending your hard-earned money on us,” Caleb said.

  “I feel bad for window shopping,” Davin said, looking guilty with his head low.

  “Don’t worry. You don’t have real money,” I said, thinking I used the wrong words, hoping I didn’t hurt their feelings.

  “Claudia, why not open them? It is Christmas Eve!” Michael insisted.

  I opened Caleb’s first. It was a red sweater. Vivian gave me a colorful scarf that matched the sweater. Then I opened Davin’s box. It was a flashlight that looked just like Patty’s. I couldn’t help myself as I let out a huge smile and giggled. Davin was just too cute.

  “I remembered how much you hugged that thing when I gave it to you. You told me that it belonged to your friend. Since you didn’t have one, I thought I’d get you one.” Davin looked worried, probably wondering if I would like it. It was an incident only Michael, Davin, and I would understand. “Thank you,” I said. “This is way too cool.” I gave each of them a hug. “You’ve truly made my Christmas Eve the best.”

  “Your mom is away, so we thought it should be celebrated with people who you would consider as family,” Davin said.

  I was in tears. They were so thoughtful. “You are my family and always will be—now and forever,” I said while my lips trembled, knowing that one of these days, they would have to leave me.

  We all sat around together and ate chocolate-covered strawberries. We talked about what their lives would have been like, and if they could live in the present, what they would be. Caleb said he would’ve wanted to be a do
ctor. Vivian said she would have wanted to be a fashion designer, and Davin said he wanted to work with cars—only the fast and expensive cars. We had such a great time. It was one of the best Christmas Eves, for sure, though it would have been perfect with my mom and Gamma here too.

  About an hour later, Michael stood up. It was his way of telling them it was time to go. After the alkins left, he stepped out of the room and came back holding something white. As he unfolded a lump of white material, he draped it on my shoulders. It was a thick cape, one that would keep me warm. I guessed we were going somewhere cold. I ran my hand down to feel the smooth velvet; it felt plush and soft. “What’s this for?” I asked, wondering why he would put this on me.

  “Even though I can keep you warm, I want you to feel comfortable.”

  “Where are we going?” I asked as my mind wondered with thoughts of where Michael would take me.

  “If I tell you, it…”

  “Won’t be a surprise. I got it.”

  Michael gave me his irresistible smile as he placed the hood over my head. Then his wings leisurely unfolded. Taken in by his beauty, I was lost for a moment until he spoke. “Ready?”

  I snuggled up to him. Tucked lovingly inside his wing, we flew across the dark sky.

  Michael brought me to The Cliff. This I knew for sure. He told me to close my eyes before we landed. As usual, closing my eyes meant one thing; he had a surprise for me. The last time, the trees were lit with white lights, making them look like stars. It was also warmer back then, but tonight was extremely cold like he said it would be. As I cuddled myself into the cape, I wondered what he had done this time.

  “Open your eyes, Claudia,” he said excitedly.

  He’d really outdone himself. It was the most dazzling thing I had ever seen. Every single tree I could see was adorned with decorations: Christmas balls and colorful lights hung from top to bottom, each one representing its own unique theme. It brightened up the night; it was like an enormous decorated flashlight. “Michael, it’s…but how…amazing…you did this?” I stuttered. I didn’t even know if I made sense or if I asked him a question.