“Hello?” asked a voice on the other end of the line. The bass tones of the masculine voice instantly put her on edge.
Damn it, it’s Mack. She harrumphed before grumpily ordering, “Hi. Get Jazz. I need to speak to her immediately.”
“Is everything okay?” Mack wondered in alarm.
“That’s yet to be seen,” she replied tersely, aware she was coming across rude, but beyond caring. Hearing the dialogue transpiring between Mack and Jazz, she grew impatient. The fact Mack was expressing his concern over how upset she sounded only added to her annoyance. I’m not the one he needs to be worried about. If Jazz did what she’s accused of doing, it’s his wife who’s in trouble here. As the couple’s whispered conversation seemed to drag on, she barked, “Jazz!”
“Geez, Tally,” Jazz complained. “I’m here. What’s turned you to piss and vinegar? Did someone call and cancel their reservation for tomorrow’s soiree or did you burn something? If you burnt something, you should’ve stayed on the line with Mack because I –”
“What did you say to Lexi?” she demanded hotly.
“What?”
“Lexi,” she repeated. “I know you talked to him today.”
“Yeah, so?” Jazz asked, sounding clueless.
“So, did you tell him to divorce Kode?” Tally’s heart raced with anxiety. Her breathing grew fast and shallow as her irritation turned to rage. I swear, if that really was her advice, I’m going to kill her.
Jazz chuckled, completely missing the seriousness of the situation. “No, that’s not really what I said. That’s funny though.”
Tally was almost certain her head was going to explode. “It’s not funny!” What’s wrong with her? Growling, she added, “Nothing about this funny.”
“Okay,” the red-head replied. “Maybe, you ought to tell me what ‘this’ is so I can better understand your dilemma, huh? I mean, honestly, from where I’m sitting, you’re coming across like a whack-a-doodle.”
Tally closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. One, two, three… she mentally counted as she tried to calm herself. “Jazz, did you advise Lexi to divorce Kode and marry me?”
“Oh, that,” the crass Texan commented with another casual chuckle. “I get it now.”
“Jazz!”
Tally could hear the eye roll in her friend’s voice. “Relax before you have an aneurism already. Geez, woman! Look, I simply told Lexi you’d have to be married in order to avoid fornication charges, but if he intended to wed you, he’d have to divorce Kode first or he’d be a bigamist.”
“Jazz, no!” Tally exclaimed, smacking her forehead with the palm of her hand. All Lexi needed was a seed planted, which she obviously accommodated.
“What? It’s true, you know,” Jazz said defensively.
“Yeah, I know,” Tally conceded, realizing she acted in haste. I should’ve asked more questions to understand what was happening between the guys before I jumped to conclusions. I can see now that this is all just a huge misunderstanding. “Thanks, Jazz. I’m sorry I bothered you, but you helped me with my problem, shedding light on my situation. Please tell Mack I’m sorry for being short with him.”
“Yeah, no problem, hon,” Jazz replied unperturbed. “You sure you’re okay? Do you need Mack to talk you through making the stuffing again?”
Tally snorted. “Nah, after the last two years’ debacles and the burnt failure of Thanksgivings’ attempt, it’s coming out of a box, but thanks.”
“Wait, what’s happening in the world today? First, Lexi asked me for advice and now, you’re following my cooking tips. Am I being pranked?”
“No,” Tally assured her, “Just appreciated.”
“Oh, well, stop it. I don’t like it.”
Unable to help herself, Tally laughed. The wise-cracking beast of a woman somehow managed to drain her pain and anger with eight little words. “Well, in that case, you suck.”
Jazz’s smile could be heard in her tone. “That’s better, so before you say something to muck it up again, I’m going to hang up now.”
“Yeah, Bye.”
“Bye.”
Pressing the disconnect button on her phone, Tally flopped backwards against the floor. Holding the phone in one hand with the arm stretched down the side of her body, she draped the other over her face. “What happened to this morning’s speech about being honest and direct, talking to one another so we can work through everything together?” she asked out loud. The guys happened, and I fell right into step. Damn it.
Shaking her head, she thought, I’d have thought ten years of practice would’ve made Kode and Lexi better communicators, at least with each other. Then again, I’m more than familiar with Kode’s hot temper where Lexi is concerned. He fiercely protects him, which is one of the things I love about him, but the man only allows himself five emotions: happy, hungry, horney, tired, and mad. “Hell, sometimes he even expresses hungry and tired as anger.” I guess I should’ve known better. We all should have.
*****
Having spent a restless night with the return of her insomnia, Tally decided to give up trying to sleep. After a refreshing shower, she made her way down the stairs of her two-story apartment to begin preparations for the evening’s dinner party. Rummaging through the refrigerator, she grabbed the tub of butter and turned her sights toward the thawing turkey, resting in a sink of temperate water.
“I might as well get you dressed and cooking,” she said to the eighteen pound bird still wrapped in plastic. She squatted down to retrieve the flimsy tinfoil roasting pan she’d purchased for the job. By getting it into the oven this early, I can set it lower so it bakes slower, making it more succulent. The idea appealed to her and she smiled. Yum, it’s going to taste so good. I love turkey!
As she stripped the plastic from the fowl, Tally planned her morning. I think I’ll set up the folding table and chairs in the office next. Yeah, that’ll be easier than trying to shift furniture around to fit it into the living room. Glancing toward the Christmas tree, she thought, It’ll also save me from having to clear the table before we exchange gifts. “Which reminds me,” she said to herself, “I need to wrap the cuff links I bought for the guys.” They need something to open since I gave them unwrapped gifts.
It wasn’t long before the most dreaded part of cooking turkey arrived. Frowning, Tally thought, It’s bad enough I’m elbow deep in poultry juices, but now I get to do this – yay. Of course, the moment she inserted her hand into the bird was the moment her cell phone rang. “Who the hell’s calling me at…” she squinted toward the clock on the microwave “…seven o’clock in the fricken morning.” Her hand fishing around inside the body cavity for the bags of innards, she grumbled incoherently before ordering her smartphone to take action. “Answer,” she called out the Google command.
When her phone accepted the call, putting it on speaker, she heard a tentative voice asked, “Tally?”
“Lexi? Oh, thank goodness,” she replied, “I’ve been so worried, but I didn’t want to disturb you. I mean, I figured you’d call when you were ready and I wanted to give you time, so…” Perking up, she dropped the acquired bags into the trash can next to her. “How are you? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine – we’re fine.” Her best friend sounded surprised. “Actually, I was calling to ask you the same thing.”
Smiling, she said, “If I wasn’t molesting a dead bird right now, I’d be happy to respond in kind, but since I am, I have to tell you, your timing sucks.” I’m definitely going to need a shower before guests start arriving. Blech!
Lex laughed with notable relief. “Do you want me to come over and help with anything?”
“Yes, I’d love that; thank you. Will you ask Kode to come, too, please? I talked to Jazz and I think I know what happened last night. That being said, we have a lot to talk about.”
“Of course,” Lex readily agreed. “We’ll be over just as soon as we can. And Tally?”
“Yeah?”
Le
x’s voice was sad, but earnest. “I’m truly sorry about, you know, everything. We both are.”
“It’s okay. I know it was a misunderstanding charged by fear. It’s nothing we can’t work through.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.”
“Yeah, sure,” she replied. “Say, when you get here, just let yourselves in, okay? Lord knows where my hands will be by then.” Lex’s laughter rang out and then he was gone. When the phone disconnected, the tiny woman thought, thank God for grace because we all need a new beginning now and then.
*****
By the time Lex reached his destination, dug the apartment keys out of his pocket, and entered the open-concept living space, Tally had moved onto decorating. Not only had she gotten the turkey in the oven, but she had the portable table setup. A festive Christmas cloth hid the ugly metal-legged plastic rectangle, giving it a flourish of cheer. She even had fancy holiday bows of red and green adorning the backs of the chairs she was placing.
“Wow,” Lex commented with a small whistle, “this looks great.” Tally doesn’t think she has an artistic eye, but when it comes to dinner parties, she’s a genius. She has the prettiest accessories, and no one can fold a napkin swan like she can.
“Thank you,” Tally said with a blush.
“If you had waited a little longer, I could’ve helped you.”
“It’s okay,” Tally responded, tucking a loose strain of chestnut-colored hair behind her ear. “I got it, and from the smell of it, you brought coffee.” She slouched in on herself, a dreamy expression etched on her face. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
“No, but one taste of your almond latte with coconut milk from Caribou Coffee and I think you will.”
“You’ve got that right.”
The duo moved from the first floor bedroom, which Tally used as a home office and library, into the main space of the apartment. As soon as they did, the sleep-deprived beauty made a bee-line through the open room toward the granite island where the coffees waited; their rich aroma beckoning. After taking a long sip of her coveted drink, Lex noticed his friend growing pensive.
“What?” he asked, taking a taste from his own cup. I hope they got her order right.
“Where’s Kode? Didn’t he come with you?”
Oh, yeah. I probably should’ve mentioned him right away so she wouldn’t fret. Lex shrugged. “He had some errands to run.”
Looking apprehensive, Tally replied, “Oh, okay.”
In response, Lex laughed, set his coffee down, and tugged her into a warm embrace. “Oh, stop, silly. Everything’s fine, I promise.” Releasing her, he said, “Oh, this reminds me. I promised to deliver his message, which he made me practice, by the way.”
“He did,” Tally asked, chuckling despite her visible doubt.
Lexi cleared his throat, acting as though he were performing a piece in a school recital. “Okay, here it goes. ‘Tally, I’m an ass. I’m sorry about last night. There’s no excuse for my behavior, but as I said, I’m an ass.’” Tally grinned while trying to suppress her nervous giggles. The sparkle in her eyes not only warmed his heart but encouraged Lex to continue. “Now this is the part I can’t wait to see. ‘I swear I’ll grovel at your feet this evening, hoping you’ll allow me to make things up to you as we share our lives together. I appreciate your invitation this morning, especially since we have so much to discuss, but right now, I have some secret errands to run for Santa. I love you.’”
Chuckling, Tally clapped her hands as Lex bowed. “Bravo! Bravo!”
“Thank you,” Lex replied. “Now, when Kode asks us – and we both know he will – we can honestly say I delivered his message.”
“That we can,” she agreed, but he knew her too well to miss the sadness pervading her aura.
“Hey, what’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy hearing Kode not only apologized, but he committed to groveling, and at your feet, no less.”
Tally locked eyes with Lex. “Are things really okay? I mean, last night – phew!” She shook her head from side-to-side, a look of disbelief on her face. “That was intense.”
“Yeah,” Lex said, both in agreement and to reassure her. “You know, it’s my fault. I mean, I should’ve done a better job preparing him before I told him what Jazz said. In hindsight, I should’ve waited until you got there, too. It would’ve been better and we could’ve dealt with him together.”
Tally shrugged. “We can’t be perfect all the time.” Leaning against him affectionately, she asked, “Is he really running errands on Christmas Eve?”
“Yep,” Lex confirmed, “I was there when he received the email this morning. When I asked him who was audacious enough to message him at such a ridiculous hour, he answered Santa’s Workshop. Apparently, he has some last minute gifts to pick up.”
“Oh,” Tally voiced, looking satisfied with his explanation. “Well, that’s nice, right?”
Lex laughed. “It is. So, the game plan is for me to help you with preparations, Kode to complete his secret Santa mission, and then for us all to convene together later. And this time, it’ll be forever.”
*****
The day passed in a whirlwind of activities, ending with an evening of lethargic party attendees. The delectable meal caused everyone to over-eat. Several guests unbuttoned their pants to give a little breathing room to the bloated gathering as they migrated into the living room. All-in-all, the atmosphere was one of contentment and comradery, making it a very pleasant, low-key celebration.
“I don’t think I could eat another bite,” Tally declared, rubbing her stomach.
“I’m so full I could vomit, but I’m still having some pumpkin pie,” Mack announced. Slipping behind Jazz, he smacked her ass playfully as he headed into the kitchen.
“Where does he put it?” Janet Smith, Keller’s wife asked Jazz in amazement.
“No idea,” Jazz replied, shaking her head as she plopped down next to the faux White Spruce. She inspected a branch before scrutinizing the overall tree. It was full and fragrant, thanks to the cinnamon pine cones hung intermittently through the boughs, giving the illusion it was real. “I’d never guess this was artificial. The manufacture did a great job.”
“Um, Jazz,” Lex questioned, “Are you sure you want to sit there? I mean, you know the rule, right?”
The large red-head waved him off. “Yeah, yeah.”
“What rule?” asked Nina, the precocious eleven year old daughter of Janet and Keller Smith.
Jazz yawned as she answered, “If you’re closest to the tree, then you pass out the gifts.”
The youth’s eyes widened as Janet drew her down beside her on the couch. “There are gifts?”
“Of course, there are,” Tally smiled as she squeezed onto the loveseat between Lex and Kode.
The young girl gasped and clapped her hands. “Yay!”
“Yay, indeed,” Mack echoed as he returned with a generous slice of pie and whipped cream, shoveling a forkful into his mouth. He dropped to the floor, seating himself at Jazz’s feet, and then addressed the girl directly. “I should apologize for not bringing the kids tonight. I didn’t think you’d be here so I sent them to their grandmother’s house.”
“That’s okay,” Nina assured him. “I don’t mind. I like hanging out with you guys. You don’t ignore me like most adults do.”
Mack laughed, tucking another forkful of pie into his gullet while Jazz commented, “Thank you. We like hanging out with you because you don’t act like a hooligan.”
“Wish we could say the same about your kids,” Lex teased.
The large woman scoffed. “Okay, so Nina gets Lex’s gift, I see.” Their exchange brought a round of laughter and prompted Jazz to pick up the first present under the tree. “Let’s see. This one says – Oh! It’s for me.” Her face lit up in delight. “Well, that worked out nicely.”
“For you,” Keller joked. He patted his daughter’s knee as he bent to kiss the top of her head.
“Oh, Daddy,”
the girl said, “I’m only pretending to pout. I always enjoy seeing what people get during the holidays. After the food, that’s my favorite part.”
Looking proud, Keller replied, “I know, but I still want to kiss you.” He planted another kiss atop her head, causing her to roll her eyes and smile.
“What did you get?” Nina wondered.
Lex, already knowing the answer, asked, “Yeah, and who’s it from?”
Jazz shot him a look of derision before saying, “Lexi Love, you know this is from you.” She clicked her tongue as she removed the last of the wrapping. Inside the small box was a coffee mug.
“You should read the inscription out loud,” Lex suggested.
“Yes, please,” Nina encouraged. “What does it say?”
“Okay,” Jazz agreed, “I’d be happy to. It says ‘World’s Greatest Boss.’ Thanks, Lexi Love, that’s real sweet of you.”
Keller laughed as he said, “You may not think so once you see the backside.”
“Huh?” Turning the mug around, Jazz read, “‘Lex Rules with thirty percent.’ I don’t get it.”
“I’m your new boss,” Lex announced happily.
“What?”
“Yeah,” Ishkode confirmed, “Tally gifted him thirty percent of the company as his Christmas gift.”
When Jazz turned her attention to the petite woman, Tally simply shrugged. “He deserves it. I gave Kode a percentage, too.”
“But not as much as I received,” Lex pointed out, “so only I out-own you.”
“Well, being equal partners, Tally and Lex out-own you,” Ishkode interjected with a grin.
“Which makes me your boss now,” Lex informed the red-head smugly. As he waited for her to squawk about it, he interlaced his hand with Tally’s. “This is so much fun. This is a gift that keeps on giving.”
Everyone laughed again, Jazz included. “That’s awesome, Lexi, and you’re right, it is deserved. I will use this cup in the office with honor.”
Lex’s face drooped as the wind was pulled from his sail. “You will?”
“Of course,” Jazz replied, “But you need to understand something.”
“What’s that?”
Flawed Perfection: A Collection of Winter Wishes Page 26