A Very Romantic Christmas

by Lorraine Bartlett

  Perhaps she should have bought herself a gift, wrapped it, and opened it on Christmas Day, but that sounded even more pathetic. Perhaps what she should do is make a Christmas wish. It was a game she and Pam had played while waiting for Santa’s arrival in the wee hours of Christmas days past.

  With nothing else to do, she thought about all the things she could wish for. A vacation trip. Got that. A new wardrobe? Didn’t need that. A pay raise? Forget about that. Eventually she realized she had only one Christmas wish—never to be lonely again.

  Judi smiled in spite of herself. It was such a foolish waste of time to wish for things that might never come true. Still, she closed her eyes, tilted her head toward the sky, and felt the warm breeze wash over her, playing with the lose strands of hair around her face.

  I wish with all my heart to find my special someone.

  It felt good to hear the words in her mind, because she knew it would sound absolutely stupid if she said them aloud—even if there was no one nearby to hear them.

  When she opened her eyes, she was startled to find a man standing over her. Not terribly tall, not terribly good looking, with graying brown hair and brown eyes. “Oh, hello. Am I disturbing you?”

  “No,” Judi said, feeling a little foolish. How long had he been there?

  “You look a bit ... well, lonely. Would you like some company?”

  Judi looked him over. He looked nice enough, but ... it was a lonely beach, and she was on her own, and ... didn’t perverts and molesters comb such places just looking for victims?

  Before she could answer, he spoke again.

  “I’m out looking for sea glass.” He reached into his pockets. “See? Pretty aren’t they?” His voice held the hint of an English accent.

  “Yes, they are. What are you going to do with them?”

  He shrugged, putting them back in his pocket. “Probably make a necklace. It’s my hobby, you see. I come out to the beach whenever I have a day off and look for sea glass and other interesting stuff. Why don’t you come along and look with me? We can walk up the beach, back toward your hotel. Which way is it?”

  Judi felt a little uncomfortable admitting where she was staying. She didn’t know this guy from a hole in the ground. “That way,” she pointed.

  “Come on,” he said, and headed back toward the water where the waves were gently lapping against the sand.

  For some reason, Judi picked up her beach towel, wrapped it around her waist, and followed him.

  “My name’s Harry, what’s yours?”

  “Harry—like the prince?”

  He laughed. “That’s it exactly, only I don’t have a title or a heady inheritance looming in the future.”

  “I’m no princess, either. But if you wish, you may call me Princess Judi.”

  “Like Judy Garland?”

  “No, like Judi Dench. My mother was a huge fan.”

  “As am I,” Harry said. He bent down to examine a stone, picked it up, inspected it, and tossed it back into the surf.

  “Is sea glass very common?” Judi asked, poking the sand with the toe of her flip-flops.

  “Not as much as it used to be. Cruise ships don’t dump their garbage the way they used to, which is good for the ocean, but not good for finding sea glass. They’ve really cracked down on littering, which is good for the island. Who wants to live in a dump?”

  “So you live here in Puerto Rico?” she asked.

  “Three hundred and sixty five days of the year. Where are you from?”

  “Cleveland.”

  “Of course—the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”

  “You’ve got it.” She bent down, and picked up a shell, examining the delicate ridges and pale iridescent colors. “I’m an administrative assistant for a large legal firm. What do you do?”

  “I have my own business.”

  “Selling handmade jewelry to the tourists?”

  Again he laughed. It was a pleasant sound. “No, that’s just a hobby of mine. During the week, I’m an accountant. If you need advice about the tax rules, I’m your man.”

  “And your family?” she asked and resumed walking along the shore.

  “I have a brother and sister back in England, but nobody here in the States.”

  “No wife and kids?”

  He shook his head.

  “What brought you here to Puerto Rico?” she asked.

  “The miserable winter weather in London. How is it you’re here all alone on Christmas Day?”

  “I won an all-expenses paid trip, which is turning out not to be an all-expenses-paid trip. I guess I should have known better.”

  “But you’re here now, and you may as well make the most of it.”

  “You’re right. I will.”

  “No husband and children?” he asked.

  “No. It just never happened.”

  The sun peeked out from behind the clouds. “Looks like it’s going to be another fine day,” Harry said.

  “And hot?”

  “If we’re lucky. There’s shade by those trees, would you like to go sit there?”

  Judi looked around. More and more people had brought towels out to the beach. She decided she’d be safe enough sitting and talking with this stranger.

  And talk they did—straight through lunch. Harry told her about his life, and she shared the boring details of her own life.

  “You’re not boring at all,” Harry assured her. “You just need to add a little spice to your life. Speaking of spice, I know a great little restaurant that serves the best jerk chicken.”

  “I thought that was Jamaican cuisine.”

  “It is, and it’s delicious. Will you join me?”

  “I’d love to.”

  [Dear Reader, this note is to let you know that you can get a link to a special holiday bonus from Lorraine if you visit http://storytellers-unlimited.com/lorraines-gift. Now please keep reading to find out what happens on Judi′s holiday idyll!]

  A Very Romantic Holiday

  Judi spent every day walking the beach with Harry, talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. He invited her to his house for dinner on her last night on the island. He’d made beef wellington and served gin and tonics. And afterward they made love for the first time. Harry hadn’t pushed her, and in fact was apologetic that he didn’t have any condoms, but Judi had visited the hotel gift shop and bought a box before he picked her up in his rust bucket of a car. She wanted her last night in Puerto Rico to be a memory she’d keep in her heart forever.

  At midnight, he delivered her back to her hotel. “I’ll take you to the airport in the morning.”

  “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”

  They kissed goodnight, a warm passionate kiss that she relived over and over again in her dreams.

  All too soon it was morning, and as promised, Harry showed up with his car. He helped Judi load her suitcase in the trunk, and off they went. The trip was silent, with both of them lost in thought, but before he reached the airport, Harry pulled off to the side of the road. “I can’t just let you leave like this, Judi.”

  “Believe me, I don’t want to go back to my old life, either.”

  “Then stay here with me.”

  “Much as I would like to, I can’t. I have family back in Cleveland.”

  “How often do you see them?”

  Judi sighed. “A couple of times a year.”

  “And what do you do in the evenings when you’re alone?”

  She frowned. “Read books or watch TV.”

  “You don’t even have a cat to keep you company.”

  No, she didn’t.

  “Marry me,” Harry blurted.

  Judi blinked in astonishment. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it just wouldn’t work out.”

  “Why wouldn’t it? I make a good living. You could find work here, we could spend our evenings and weekends together for the rest of our lives.”

  “I’m just not a risk taker, and le
aving everything I know would be a really big risk.” She studied his face. His eyes looked so, so sad. “I’m sure you’ll find another lonely woman on the beach.”

  “But I don’t want someone else. I want you.” The sincerity in his voice nearly broke her heart. What they’d shared was a week-long fling—nothing more. But oh, how Judi wished it could have been more.

  “I wish I could come inside and stay with you until your flight leaves.”

  “I do, too.”

  Harry pulled out a wad of tissue paper from his pants pocket. “For you.”

  “Oh, Harry, you shouldn’t have.”

  “Something to remember me by.”

  “It’s not like we’ll never communicate again. I have your email address and you have mine.”

  “Yes, but this is something tangible.”

  Judi accepted the small package, unfolded the tissue and found a piece of sea glass threaded through a silver chain. “Oh, Harry. It’s beautiful.”

  “Will you put it on for me? I’d love to see you wear it.”

  Judi passed the necklace to Harry, who fastened it around her neck. She reached up to touch the pale green glass. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t ever take it off. I want you to remember me and the precious few hours we’ve been able to spend together.”

  “I won’t.”

  Harry kissed her, and then shifted the car into drive and started off for the airport once again.

  He pulled up to the curb, and they both got out. He took her suitcase from the trunk and presented it to her. “I’m not going to say good-bye. Just … until we meet again.”

  He pulled her into a fierce hug, that lasted far too long—then they shared just one more passionate kiss before she had to go.

  “Email me the minute you get in.”

  “I will,” Judi promised.

  There was nothing left to do but leave. Judi turned for the terminal doors, tears blurring her vision, and didn’t look back.

  Holiday Hangover

  Monday morning rolled around and Judi found herself loathing the idea of returning to Rogers and Meriwether. She’d spent the day before doing laundry and putting away her suitcase. The only thing that kept her going was knowing she and Harry could share emails. But how long would that last? He might go beach combing that very afternoon and find yet another lonely middle-aged woman.

  No sooner had she arrived at her desk when the phone rang. “Judi Straub,” she answered automatically.

  “Thank God, where have you been?” Pam demanded. “I’ve been calling you for days.”

  She hadn’t called the evening before.

  “I’ve been on holiday in Puerto Rico,” Judi said.

  “Holiday? You mean vacation?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, you might have said you were going. In fact, you told me just before Christmas that you couldn’t afford to go skiing with us. Was that a lie?”

  “Of course not. I won the grand prize at my company’s Secret Santa. A trip to Puerto Rico.”

  “You could have told me you were leaving the country.”

  “Puerto Rico is part of the US—no passports required.”

  “Weren’t you terribly lonely?”

  “Not at all. In fact, I met someone while I was there.” She decided to annoy her sister. “In fact, he asked me to marry him.”

  “I hope you said no. What was he, some kind of beach bum looking for an American to support him?”

  “Actually, he’s an accountant.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “I don’t see how that’s relevant.”

  “Humor me.”

  “Oh, all right. Harry Powell.”

  “And are you going to marry him?” Pam demanded.

  “Of course not. It was a vacation fling.”

  “You were flinging with him?” Pam asked, appalled.

  “I am a grown up, not that you or Bill have ever acknowledged that.”

  Pam said nothing for several long moments. “You aren’t thinking of going back to him, are you?”

  “No. I told you, it was just a fling.”

  “I can’t believe how foolishly you’ve behaved. You could catch a disease. I’ll bet he spends all his free time looking for women to screw.”

  “He was a nice guy. Now let’s drop it. Why did you call?”

  “To find out if you’re okay. I do worry about you, you know.”

  Not so I would notice, Judi thought. “Look, I’ve been away from my desk for over a week. There’s a ton of work I need to catch up on. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “You better believe you will,” Pam said, and hung up.

  Judi replaced the receiver and reached up to touch the piece of sea glass that hung around her neck. How she wished that what she and Harry had shared could be considered more than just a fling.

  Judi could hardly wait to get home to check her email. She knew better than to use her company computer for personal use. She booted up the machine before she even changed clothes, but there was no message from Harry. She wrote a short note and hit the enter key, hoping she’d have a reply before dinner. But she received no reply. Nor did she get one the following night, or the night after that.

  A fling.

  That was all they’d shared, after all.

  On the following Monday, Pam called to ask Judi out for lunch. “But we already had our once-a-year lunch,” Judi protested.

  “You’re my sister. Isn’t that enough of a reason to get together to talk?”

  “I suppose. But we have to meet near my office. I’m out of vacation time until June when it starts accruing once again.”

  “Name the place, and I’ll be there at noon.”

  Judi picked a diner around the corner from her office.

  Pam was already waiting when Judi arrived at 12:05. “Sorry I’m late,” she said, and shrugged out of her coat. She picked up the menu, turning to the section marked sandwiches. “So, what’s new?”

  “With me? Not a thing. Our trip to the mountains was a disaster. The boys caught the flu, and our room smelled like urine. They came in and cleaned the rug, but it still smelled the entire time we were there.”

  “I’m sorry you had such a bad time,” Judi said, and gave a sigh of relief that she hadn’t allowed Pam to talk her into going on the trip with them.

  “Aren’t you going to tell me more about your holiday?” She said the last word as though it was an insult.

  “The English call their vacations holiday.”

  “So this Harry guy is English?”

  “Was. He’s got dual citizenship.”

  “So, he’s not loyal to either country,” Pam accused.

  “More like he’s loyal to both.”

  “Have you heard from him since you got home?”

  Judi lowered her gaze to the menu. “Once or twice via email.” The truth was, she hadn’t heard from him at all, which was heartbreaking, but not entirely unexpected.

  “Larry did some poking around.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When you told me this guy had asked you to marry him, I had Larry do a background check on the guy.”

  “Oh, Pam—please tell me you’re joking.”

  “I’m not.

  “Would you like to know just what kind of a creep this guy is?”

  “I don’t suppose I have much choice,” Judi said, setting the menu aside. She’d lost her appetite.

  “Harry Powell; address 4567 Calle Blanco.”

  That was Harry’s address all right.

  “Married to Doris, with three children between the ages of 5 and 12; William, Nicholas, and Olivia.”

  “That can’t be. I’ve been to his house. It’s a small bungalow—no room for a family.”

  “Of course not, they live in England.”

  Judi felt her cheeks grow hot.

  Pam looked back down to the paper before her. “He told you he was an accountant, right?”

  “Yes,” Judi answered wari
ly.

  “Well, he’s not. He’s actually a tour guide. He doesn’t own that house, he rents it. And he’s broke.”

  “Why are you telling me all this?” Judi demanded.

  “Because I don’t want you making a mistake that will ruin your life. I still can’t believe how foolish you’ve behaved.”

  Judi said nothing, fighting tears.

  “I hope you’re not going to stay in contact with that gigolo now that you know the truth.”

  “You’ve certainly given me a lot to think about,” and part of it was anger at how cruel Pam had been to share this information with her.

  “Do yourself a favor; forget the guy,” Pam advised. “You’ll only get your heart broken.”

  Too late for that, Judi admitted to herself. She’d fallen for Harry hook, line, and sinker. And she did feel foolish. And who else would Pam share this information with? Bill, so he could condemn her, too, plus all Pam’s friends, their cousins, and no doubt anyone else who would listen.

  Judi shrugged back into the sleeves of her coat. “I’ve got to go.”

  “But you haven’t eaten lunch yet?”

  “I don’t want any lunch.”

  “I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you all this, but you needed to know. You’re just too trusting, Judi. You always have been.”

  Judi stood. “I’ll talk to you later,” she said, but had no intention of speaking to Pam any time soon.

  Weeks went by and Judi heard nothing from Harry. Not an email, not a phone call, not a card. Pam was right. He’d taken advantage of her. Not that he’d asked her for money, or to even pay for the dinners and lunches they’d shared. And he hadn’t pressured her into having sex with him, either. She had enjoyed every minute she’d spent with Harry, and she’d fallen for him. She’d been incredibly foolish to expect they would stay in contact once she left the island, but it was a lesson learned. And eventually she’d be able to think of Harry a bit more charitably than she did just then.

  January rolled over to February. With each passing day, Judi thought less and less about Harry. It started to seem as though the week she’d spent in Puerto Rico was all a dream. A pleasant dream, but a dream none the less. Ted noticed that she’d taken on more work, and rewarded her with a modest, and long overdue, raise. She’d bank the extra cash to save for a home of her own. She wanted to change her life, make it very different from what it had been before her Christmastime holiday.