by A. J. Wells
We get back to Miss Lili’s and separate our purchases, say goodnight to Betty and Claudia and Miss Lili walks us out to our cars. She asks me why I’d suggested the men do the cooking tomorrow. “Because they did nothing tonight. You did most of it. Let them take some responsibility for being part of this. Tomorrow night’s Christmas Eve. You’ll be working your butt off in the kitchen Christmas Day, so let them give ya a break tomorrow. Besides, they liked the idea.”
She smiles and hugs me, “You’re right. Thanks. I’ll see you girls tomorrow after lunch. I’ll have two meals to make for a crowd tomorrow, I don’t need you girls and the boys to add to it. Okay?”
We both laugh and say “Okay” then we’re off for home. I holler at Maria, “If Steve’s at your place tell him to come home and not to forget Betty and Barney. That’s where I’m going. See ya tomorrow.”
Chapter 19
Steve and the puppies are home when I arrived. I made a quick stop at the clinic to leave the gifts there. Tomorrow Maria and I have to go to the hardware store to get paint for Miss Lili’s box. Then I need to talk to Mayor Cal about placement. This all has to be done tomorrow.
I help bring in the suitcases Steve indicates need to come in. Steve asks where we’ll put our tree and I look at him and laugh. “It may be a small tree, but we need a tree of our own. At least, ‘I’ think so.” He’s serious.
I stop laughing and suggest the end table would hold a small tree. He goes out to the truck and comes back with a tree then goes after the ornaments. “I hope you like angels for a tree topper. I went shopping today after the deliveries. These are just ours. Let’s set it up so it feels like Christmas, ‘our’ first Christmas.” He’s almost too much when it comes to romantic, but I get in the spirit. “Then we can make love under the tree.”
I look at the tree, the stand and the puppies and can’t see the possibility. “We’d have to be six inches wide, together, to do that.”
He laughs, “Then by the tree. We need a fireplace and a bear skin rug.” I poke him in the stomach. He grabs me and the tree had to wait.
Six o’clock in the morning I roll over on the living room floor to find Steve has the tree up and is fixing breakfast. Where’d he get the food? I forgot to shop. I yawn and Steve’s flops down beside me, kisses me and lays there propped up on his elbows, over me. “Move, I have to pee.”
“Only if you agree to come back and lay here just like ya are.”
“Why would I do that?”
“’Cause I want ya to.”
“Why?”
“Come back and do as I ask and you’ll see why. Promise, or you’ll have a mess to clean up.”
“Steve, come on, move so I can go to the bathroom and put the puppies out, please.”
“Won’t work. Promise. And the puppies have been out.” I shove at him and he rolls a bit then grabs me as I sit up and holds me on top of him. “Promise.”
“Steve, I’m going to wet myself and you, if ya don’t let go.”
“Promise.” He says a little more sternly. “Or I’ll tickle ya and make ya pee.”
He moves toward tickling me and that’s all I needed, “I promise.” But he keeps coming. “I promise, I promise. Don’t…” he kisses me and lets me go to the bathroom. That was close.
When I come back he’s standing guard and points to the “bed” on the floor. I head toward it, but dart out the door instead. He’s on my heels and has me wrapped in his arms and held tight against his chest. He’s carrying me back into the house. I think I spotted Mom and Dad out with Princess, laughing their butts off, while I was shouting, “Steve your ankle, be careful. Steeeeve!”
Back in the house he sits me on the back of the couch, steps between my legs and pushes me back, kissing me and falling backwards onto the seat of the couch. Then he rolls me onto the floor, laying on top of me to hold me in place. “Now you’re where ya promised you’d be. Now stay put.” He starts to move and so do I. He grabs me again. “Are you gonna be difficult?” I shake my head, but as soon as he starts to move again, I do too. “You’re a beautiful liar. I can’t trust ya to stay here, can I?” I nod, but he smiles, “if your breakfast burns it’ll be your fault. I hope nobody calls the fire department. It could get embarrassing.” He starts kissing me and taking my night gown off and the puppies are yipping at us from beside the bed.
The sounds coming from our activity is deafening and incoherent. The feeling is unfathomable. Never have I felt such feelings and excitement. The abandon it creates is embarrassing and inescapable. It’s passed the inferno and the lightening, back into the consciousness of an out of body of experience. You feel and are involved, yet you’re watching from a distance. You’re shocked at your own behavior, but unable to stop. Its pure unadulterated and uncensored lust and love.
When we, slowly, settle back into a state of normalcy, still unable to breathe and gasping for air, we smell smoke and Steve hobbles to the stove. He grabs the pan of bacon outta the oven, puts it out on the porch and comes back in to collapse next to me, gathering me to him. “Breakfast is burned,” he gasps out. I start laughing. “What’s so funny?” He’s looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“I can’t thing of a better reason, or way, to burn breakfast, can you? But it can’t be any hotter than we were.” I snicker again and Steve has his Cheshire cat smile on again. I put my head on his chest and kiss it while he rubs my back and we enjoy our final settling back to earth as the puppies come outta hiding to hop on us to be petted.
When we realize the time we quickly shower and go over to Mom and Dads. I’d promised we’d spend some time with them today. We decide we’ll have breakfast with them. Dad says Mom’ll make the breakfast, he saw the smoke earlier and he likes to eat…too. We agree to their conditions, but have to leave right after we eat. I still have presents to wrap and some painting to do.
On the way into town, I tell Steve about Miss Lili’s Christmas gift. He’s not enthusiastic about it. I remind him she asked me to hold her to her New Year’s resolution and it’s only a suggestion box for the town’s people to use to have a voice in the improvements in town. Not some kinda arm twisting to get certain things done. He understands and asks how it’s going to be painted. I tell him I was thinking of a flower child type print because it reminds me of Miss Lili. He agrees and wants to help.
Maria and Bob meet us at the office. The guys look at the box and decide they want to choose the paints. I have gifts to wrap and a phone call to make. Mayor Cal was hard to track down, but I got his okay to put the box next to the sidewalk at the entrance to the city offices.
When I get through, I find the guys have already put the base coat on the box and stand. It’s neon green. Maria’s looking at it doubtfully. We let it dry while the guys go after lunch and Maria and I wrap the final gifts and put them in the trucks.
After lunch we go out to paint the flowers on the box and the stand. Bright pink, red, deep blue, green, purple, black and white are the colors the guys got. I look at Steve and he shrugs, “You did say hippie colors and Bob picked them.” We paint the flowers and leaves on and Bob added a few touches to give them definition. Then he painted the words “Citizen’s Suggestion Box for City Improvement” on the base. It’s made to look like an oil rig and looks very nice, very bold and bright. It’ll draw attention. I have the key to the lock on the box in an envelope with Miss Lili’s name on it.
The guys want to make it a treasure hunt type gift. So they sit down and give five instructions that will lead Miss Lili to the box. They’re laughing at their plans and instructions. They won’t tell us, but they make up eleven other envelopes to make it seem like a real treasure hunt. The first thing they’re going to say is no team is to let any other team see their list. Then it tells them to meet at the box.
When we arrive at Miss Lili’s she has a ham and a turkey she’s preparing to cook tomorrow. Betty and Claudia are in the kitchen helping her and preparing some of their traditional dishes. Maria and I put on aprons and s
tart helping, too. Tonight the guys are barbecuing so we only have to get this done. We’re laughing and talking while we work, like a family that’s known each other most of their lives. Miss Lili is lovin’ every minute of it. There are tales about Christmas’s past, birthdays and any special event in Glen’s family’s life, with a few of ours thrown in to keep the conversation going. The kids are outside playing with the dogs and the men. Shay’s to be dropped off soon by Maria’s mother. Bob and Steve come through the kitchen to go out to join the others in the yard, they stop for a kiss that’s more than a peck. Miss Lili starts hooting and the other two join in.
When the kisses end, Maria turns “We’re lucky women.” I nod and the guys give us another quick kiss.
“It’s nice to appreciated,” Bob says and Steve nods as they make a run for the back door. Maria throws a towel at them anyway.
“I could’ve told ya not to compliment them unless you’re ready for the consequences, but I thought you’d probably remember better if ya learned the hard way,” Miss Lili says. I threw a towel at her and we all laugh and got back to work.
I tell Miss Lili, Steve and I will be over about noon. I want to spend some time with Mom and Dad. She says that’ll be fine, we’re opening gifts tonight so Santa’ll have room and there won’t be a mess to clean up before anyone can get through to the kitchen. She hands us a box of plastic garbage bags to put by the fireplace for the wrapping paper, bows and boxes. Then we put the food away in the many refrigerators Miss Lili has and join the men in the living room.
After supper, while it’s still light Steve and Bob spring their treasure hunt on everyone. The key is at the last stop before the box. Miss Lili and Glen are teamed up and the rest of the couples are teamed up with kids. I get Penny, Maria gets Shay and the others got a niece or nephew. The guys make a joke of giving Miss Lili and Glen a ten minute head start, because of their age. Then they have to fill the rest of the group in on what’s going on and we leave to beat them to the box.
Steve and I go by the hotel to let the dogs out and check their water and food.
I don’t know how it happened, but Mayor Cal and a few of Miss Lili’s friends are waiting for us. Twenty minutes after we arrive, Miss Lili and Glen arrive. The guys had written on the last envelope not to open it until they reach the next stop. When they see us all there, Miss Lili realizes it’s been a hoax.
Mayor Cal takes the tarp off of the box and Miss Lili looks confused. Mayor Cal has her read the sign on the front of the base. Steve tells her to open the envelope to find the key that fits the box. There’s a piece of paper in it. It says, “Merry Christmas. Now you can keep your New Year’s resolution. Love, Steve and Sher, Bob and Maria.” She loves it, now the confusion is over. She makes a little speech about getting the town’s people involved in the improvements around town and wants everyone to tell the rest of the town. We applaud then we break up to go home.
We get settled with a cup of eggnog and Yolanda comes out to join us. The gifts are handed out and opened, thanks are given and hugs are exchanged. We have more eggnog and Yolanda goes back to bed and we take the gifts for them into their living room. We put our gifts into bags to be taken to the truck when we leave. The trash is taken out and everything is pristine. Before we can leave, the guys go out to get the things from Santa. Penny’s is put in their living room and Shay’s is put in the main living room. Maria can’t believe how much “Santa” brought Shay. I had the same problem with Penny, but then that’s the only “Santa” visit she’ll get. Shay’ll have one or two more visits. That done, we go home.
Steve insists we decorate the tree. Since we’re going to have a tree I kept the personal gifts to be opened tomorrow morning. I have to admit the tree is pretty. Steve takes pictures of our first Christmas tree and me, and I take the same pictures of him. Mom and Dad come over with eggnog and we take more pictures.
After they leave, I put my gifts for Steve under the tree and Steve gets mine out of the truck and puts them under the tree. We open a gift each. His is a pair of boxers from the adult store and mine is another teddy, smaller than the last one, but we don’t wear them tonight.
Christmas morning there are a few more gifts to open. Steve got a couple of tee shirts, a pair of boots and a hat. I got ear rings, a belt buckle with our initials on it and a set of keys to Miss Lili’s house and Steve’s truck. We go to Mom’s for breakfast. When we get there, we open more gifts while having coffee before breakfast. Mom got Steve a bridle. Steve thanks him and says nothing. We open the rest of the gifts, but that’s the only present for Steve. After all the gifts are opened, Dad insists we go out to the barn to give Izzie a carrot or two. That’s when Dad surprises Steve with a buckskin gelding. Steve calls him Apache, even tho’ there’s no resemblance to an Indian pony. Steve has tears in his eyes and so does Dad. They walk back to the house like father and son.
Mom and I trail behind them. “Mom, how’d Dad know to get Steve a horse?”
“They’ve talked a lot and I guess it just came out, but he said Steve’d said he’s always wanted one. According to your Dad, now Steve’s family, he needs a horse.” Mom shrugs as we walk in the back door. She and I make breakfast while Steve and Dad talk, over more coffee. Steve invites Mom and Dad over for dinner, but they have to go to Aunt Nell’s for dinner. They might drop by later. After breakfast we talk some more. At eleven we have to go check on the boarded dogs. Mom gives me a bag of gifts for Miss Lili, Glen, Bob, Maria and Shay.
We take some time at the hotel with the dogs. I have to clean the kennel and change the litter boxes. Maria, Bob and Shay come in as we’re finishing. I give them the gifts from Mom and Dad. Bob gets a bridle, too with a note to come out for dinner tomorrow. Steve, nor I, say anything, Bob’ll have to wait. I ask them to come out early if they want to. I know day after tomorrow Glen’s family is leaving so we need to be here to see them off.
We go over to Miss Lili’s and go into a house that smells so good ya start drooling when ya walk in. Dinner’s still an hour off. The women are in the kitchen and the men are outside with the kids. Penny’s riding her bike and Shay’s riding his. Yolanda’s sitting outside for a while with Glen keeping an eye on her. Maria and I watch the kids play with their new toys for a while and bring Yolanda in to put her to bed. Miss Lili says Yolanda insisted she go out to watch Penny on her new bike.
They’ll be joining us for dinner. We have to keep check on her even tho’ she has a buzzer, which she doesn’t use, to call someone if she needs anything. She’s tried to get around by herself, but can’t quite get it done.
Maria goes to check on Yolanda to find her on the way to the bathroom by herself. Maria threatens her, in Spanish, if she doesn’t start using the buzzer. There’re enough people to help her ‘til she’s stronger. Yolanda says how nice everyone’s been and she doesn’t want to inconvenience anyone too much. Maria reminds her it’s just for today, and it’s not an inconvenience on Christmas. Yolanda agrees to use the buzzer. Maria tells Miss Lili Yolanda is doing well and has agreed to use the buzzer.
Maria goes outside, bringing the two smaller kids in for a rest from the sun. She has them play in the living room with some of their other toys. I go in to check on them and Penny says Santa brought her three dolls, a bike, a play kitchen and a baby buggy. Shay got leggo’s, marbles with a marble pad, a farm set and a small toy box to keep some toys here.
Miss Lili opens the door for Steve and Bob who are bringing in some pies and cookies. They’re fresh out of the oven in the garage. We’re running out of space to put things, but the guys turn left just after they enter the kitchen, into the pantry. Everything’s done so we, women, go into the living room to rest and enjoy a glass of iced tea. The buzzer goes off and Penny and Maria go to see what Yolanda wants.
Maria comes back a few minutes later. Yolanda needed some medicine and wanted Penny to keep her company. She’s tired of being alone. They were watching TV when she left them.
We finish our tea then set up the table
s and set them. Miss Lili hollers out the back door for Steve and Bob to come take the ham and turkey out of the oven for her. The meats are left on the counter while Miss Lili starts the rue for the gravy. I takes the four of us to set the ham and turkey on their platters. Then we pour the juices from the foil in the pans into strainers over the gravy pans while Miss Lili and Betty stir. Miss Lili adds water to the ham gravy and after tasting she puts a little water in the turkey gravy. She can’t heft the dressing out of the oven so I do it. It’s a lot heavier than I thought.
Miss Lili apologizes for being so disorganized, it’s been years since she’s cook a full meal for such a large group. Maria goes into the pantry to find metal covers for the meats, gravy boats, and extra meat platters and their metal covers. She can’t find them all so I go in to look. The pantry is as much storage as a pantry. The woman could feed an army and not use all the pots and serving dishes in here. I find the platter covers and look for a way to reach them. Miss Lili tells me where the step stool is. I find it and climb up to get the covers down, but the stool tips and I start to fall when Steve catches me. “We need a new floor and stool. Don’t be climbing around in here, unless I’m here to catch ya.” He kisses me and puts me down then hands me the covers. I thank him with another kiss that’s not quite so much of a peck.
Claudia finds us, “For pity sake, ya’ll are engaged and living together, you’d think sneaking off to the pantry wasn’t necessary,” and she laughs. She takes the covers into the kitchen and we hear, “My goodness, maybe you two should join Steve and Sher in the pantry,” then a roar of laughter. We come out of the pantry to see she’s talking about Miss Lili and Glen.
Steve hobbles over to put his arm around Glen’s shoulders, “That’s okay, everyone should kiss the cook.” He leans over to kiss Miss Lili on the cheek. Bob comes over to kiss Miss Lili, too, then Glen’s son and son-in-law and Shay. Then they go down the line kissing all the women on the cheek, except the woman that belongs to them, whom they kiss eagerly. Shay, Bob and Maria are in a clench, like the others.