The Unexpected Gift

by D. L. Gallie

  Closing the door, I follow behind her into my apartment. I can’t resist and I give her ass a squeeze. She squeals in shock and when she looks over her shoulder at me, she smiles. It lights up her face and sets my insides on fire. My conversation with Kasey and Kody comes crashing back to me, and I unequivocally realize I am head over heels in love with Marlee Adams.

  She places the food and beer on the island countertop and turns to face me. She lifts her hand and with her finger beckons me to her. Without hesitating, I place one foot in front of the other and walk over to her, she drapes her arms around my shoulders and gazes into my eyes. “I missed you.”

  A smile breaks free. “You saw me yesterday,” I remind, as I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me.

  “That was forever ago,” she pouts.

  We silently gaze at one another. As I stare into her baby blues, I see deep into her soul, and I get the feeling that she feels exactly like I do. Lowering my head, I gently place my lips on hers for a slow, sensual kiss. When I pull back, I think, Fuck it. I open my mouth to say those three words that I haven’t spoken since Ma, when there’s another knock at the door.

  “Fuck,” I mumble but Marlee, excitedly says, “It’s here!”

  Squinting, I look inquisitively at her. She taps the tip of my nose and steps away to answer my front door. She has her hand on the handle when she turns and says to me, “Cover your eyes, I have a surprise for you.”

  “What?” I ask like a dummy.

  “Close your eyes.” We stare intently at one another. “Please,” she adds.

  With a sigh and a grin, I huff, “Fine.” And I close my eyes.

  “Cover them too,” she requests.

  My eyes pop open. “Really?”

  She nods. “Really, really.” There’s another knock at the door. “Now, Grainger,” she sternly warns.

  Once again, I huff, “Fine.” Lifting my hands, I close my eyes and cover them.

  “Thank you,” she cheerily says as she opens the door. I hear them quietly murmuring, followed by shuffling. A few minutes later the door closes.

  “Can I open them yet?” I whine. I’m not fond of surprises and the feeling of the unknown is unnerving.

  “Not just yet, give me a sec.” I listen closely to try and figure out what’s she’s doing, but she’s as quiet as a mouse right now. I hear her plug something in and then a switch flicks and she quietly says, “Perfect.”

  I feel her approaching me and I go to lower my arm, but she reaches forward and slams her hands against mine. “Not yet.”

  With her hand still on mine, over my eyes, she guides me into the living room. We come to a stop; she links her fingers with mine, and removes her hand from my eyes. “Surprise,” she whispers.

  Blinking a few times, I can’t believe what’s before me. Adorned in bright white Christmas lights is a four-foot Fraser fir Christmas tree, and beside it, a box of ornaments and on the top is an angel; it looks just like the one from my childhood. “Marlee,” I mumble, I don’t know what else to say. This is the first time in nineteen years I’ve had a tree, that I’ve actually cared about Christmas. That I feel the Christmas spirit.

  Turning to Marlee, she gazes lovingly at me. Happiness etches her face and I’m pretty sure the grin she’s sporting is a mirror image of mine. “Thank you,” I whisper.

  “You are welcome. I wanted to do something to surprise you after the amazing weekend we just had together. It's not much but…”

  “No, Marlee,” I say, as I cup her face in my palms. “It’s everything. It’s perfect.” Lowering my lips to hers, I kiss her deeply. She places her arms around my waist and presses herself into me. Lowering my palms from her face, I place my hands under her ass and tap. She jumps up and wraps her legs around my waist and drapes her arms around my neck. Our lips crash together. Our teeth bumping as I walk backward to the couch and sit down with her straddling me.

  Running my hands up her back, I slide under her shirt and when my palm makes contact with her skin, I feel a spark. Marlee must feel it too because she moans into my mouth and begins to grind herself on my dick, which is now rock-hard.

  She slides her hands under the waistband of my pants and grips my cock. This time I moan into her mouth. I snake my hands between us and flip open the button on her jeans, lower her fly, and slide my hand inside her pants. I cup her mound, her underwear is soaked with arousal. I slide my hand and up and down her panties and feel the material moisten under my touch.

  “Please, Gage,” she begs, as she grinds herself on my hand. She hops off of me and quickly strips off her jeans, underwear, sweater, and bra. She’s standing before me in nothing but her Santa hat.

  “Fuck me, you are gorgeous, Marlee.”

  She grins at me as she lowers to her knees and pulls down my lounge pants. My cock springs free. She licks her lips and lowers her head toward my cock. Her tongue darts out and she licks the head. I groan when she sucks the tip between her lips, slowly sliding my cock into her warm, wet mouth. My hands grip her head and I guide her up and down. Her eyes are locked on mine as she continues to suck me.

  “Fuuuuck,” I moan, throwing my head back. Reaching forward, I lift her up so she’s standing before me. “I want to come inside you,” I moan. She steps toward me, straddles my legs, and lowers herself onto my cock. We watch as her pussy envelops my dick, when she’s fully seated on me, her eyes flick up to mine. We stare at one another as she begins to ride me. Resting her hands on my shoulders for support, she slides up and down my dick. Her pussy hugging me tighter and tighter with each motion. Her body tenses and she screams, “Gaaaaaage,” as her orgasm rips through her body. Seeing the pure look of ecstasy on her face pushes me over the edge and I come. Pistoning my hips into her as I ride out my release.

  She rests her forehead on mine. “Merry Christmas, Gage,” she breathless shares.

  “It's not Christmas yet,” I murmur back in reply.

  “Everyday with you is like Christmas, Gage. I can’t remember the last time I was this happy.” She pauses and leans back. “I…I love you, Gage Grainger”

  My mouth drops open in shock…she feels the same way.

  She swallows deeply. “I don’t expect you to say any—” I don’t let her finish. I slam my lips against hers, grip her cheeks tightly, and I kiss her with everything I have. When I pull back, I gaze into her eyes, which are shimmering and reflecting the Christmas tree lights.

  “I love you too.” I reply, her eyes bug open at my declaration. “I realized this morning that I am head over heels in love with you.” She smiles brightly back at me and I know that this is real. This is real fucking love and I could not be happier. “I planned to tell you tonight, I didn’t plan on telling you while we were naked and my dick was inside of you, but in all honesty, it couldn’t have been a more prefect moment. Marlee, you make me a better person, and for that I will eternally be grateful. I love you with my whole heart and soul, Marlee Adams.”

  “Ohh, Gage,” she sighs, cupping my cheek. “I love you with my whole heart and soul too.”

  We spend the rest of the night naked on the couch, eating cold Chinese, drinking beer, and watching the snow fall outside. The night could not be more prefect.

  When I wake the next morning, I’m alone on the couch. I look to the coffee table and see a note from Marlee.

  THANK YOU FOR THE MOST WONDERFUL NIGHT.

  HAD AN EARLY MEETING I HAD TO GET TO, I’LL CALL YOU LATER TODAY.

  LOVE YOU.

  M XOXOX

  With a smile on my face, I walk into my bedroom and turn the shower on. While I wait for the water to heat, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I’m smiling, but for once, it’s reflected back in my eyes too. I am absolutely happy and nothing can take that away from me…or so I thought.

  13

  Later that day, I’m at my desk when my office phone rings, it's coming from reception. “This is Gage,” I answer when I pick up, holding the phone between my ear and neck so I c
an finish this e-mail.

  “Gage, it’s Stacey at reception. There’s a Sullivan Grainger here to see you.”

  Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and exhale deeply. “I’ll be right there, Stacey.”

  Slamming the phone down, I rest my elbow on the edge of my desk and pinch the bridge of my nose, mumbling, “Fuck.” Pushing my chair back, I stand up and head out of my office toward my dad…the last person in the world I want to see.

  Walking into reception, I stop midstep when I see Dad talking and laughing with Marlee. My blood boils at seeing this. Marlee looks up and smiles at me, for a brief moment her smile calms me, and then my eyes flick to Dad and my blood simmers once again.

  “Dad,” I tersely say between clenched teeth. Marlee’s eyes flick to mine and her mouth drops open. She’s either shocked at the anger in my voice, to the fact I just referred to this man as my father, or both.

  “Gage,” Dad replies.

  With my eyes locked on Marlee’s I say. “Dad, I’ll be with you in a moment.” Without waiting for a reply, I add, “Marlee, a word?” My voice comes out angrier than I intended.

  Her face is etched with worry and confusion. She looks to Dad and smiles at him. He doesn’t deserve your smiles, I think to myself, as Marlee and I walk around the corner. “What are you doing here?” I briskly ask.

  “I just finished up a meeting with Chelle and Kasey, I was about to ask Stacey if you were free when I heard someone ask for you. I was shocked when I realized that that someone was your dad. You told me you had no family.”

  “I don’t,” I snap in reply.

  “Then that man out there isn’t your father?”

  “He might be my sperm donor, but he’s not my father. I lost my family when I was ten. The day my Ma died.”

  “I don’t understand, Gage.”

  “You wouldn’t,” I snap again, “You had the perfect life. Perfect parents. Perfect everything. Me? I had a drunk for father, who didn’t give two shits about me. With that accident, my whole world imploded. The day she died, I lost what little father I had.”

  “Gage,” she says, her voice laced with pity. She reaches for me and I pull back.

  “No, I don’t want your pity.”

  “Gage, no, that’s—”

  “Save it, Marlee. I’ve heard it all over the last twenty years. I don’t need to hear it from you too.”

  “Gage,” she snaps back at me. “You do not get to speak to me that way. When you’ve pulled your head out of your ass. You know where to find me.” She turns and storms away from me.

  Taking a deep breath, I mumble, “Fuck.” Turning on my heel, I chase after her and shout, “Marlee, wait!”

  By the time I make it back to reception, the elevator doors are closing and the look of hurt on her face as a tear cascades down her cheek crushes me. Closing my eyes, I breathe in deeply and run my fingers across my forehead, releasing the tension building; that is until my father speaks. “Gage?”

  My head snaps toward the man before me, and I look over at him. I really look at him. He doesn’t look anything like what I last remember, it must be at least six years since I have seen him. “Dad, what are you doing here?”

  “I…I…” he stutters. “I need to speak to you, Son.”

  “Stop calling me that,” I snarl. “You lost your son twenty years ago,” I spit back at him, my rage once again simmering toward the man in front of me.

  “Please, Gage. Can we just go somewhere private and talk?” I look around and see Stacey staring at me, she sadly smiles before picking up the phone.

  Looking over at Dad, I stare at him, and for the first time in twenty years, I feel sad for the man standing before me. “Fine, you have ten minutes.”

  Turning my back on him, I storm back toward my office. Walking in, I sit at my desk and wait for Dad. Resting my elbows on the edge of my desk, I lower my head into my hands. The click of the door closing causes me to look up. Dad takes a seat across from me. He’s breathing heavily and is quite pale. “Can I get you some water?” I reluctantly ask him.

  “No, I’m fine. I won’t take up much of your time.”

  The room falls silent. The air is thick with animosity and it’s quite awkward.

  “Son—”

  “Stop fucking calling me that. You have no right to call me Son.”

  “Gage, please.” He pauses, staring at me, and I shake/nod my head in a ‘hurry the fuck up and speak’ way. “As I said the other day, I have cancer and I’m dying. I…I’m sorry.”

  “And as I said the other day, you don’t get to make deathbed amends. It’s too late. You’ve had twenty years to be a father to me, and instead you drank your life away. You left me to fend for myself. You left me to grieve for Ma by myself; I was ten fucking years old! I was trapped in the damn car with her. To this day, I have that vacant stare she had on her face etched clearly in my mind, like it was just yesterday.” I pause and take a breath. “I lost you even more that day. I know you hated that I was born and when she died, it only cemented your hatred for me.”

  “Gage, no.”

  “Dad, you’ve had your ten minutes. I’d like you to leave.”

  We stare at one another, he sadly smiles at me and stands to leave. “I hope you can work things out with that young lass. I can see you care for her deeply, the look in your eyes when you spoke to her reminded me of when I first met your mother, before…” He doesn’t finish what he was going to say; he just nods at me, sadly smiles, turns, and slowly walks out.

  Sitting in my chair, I stare at the door and think about everything that just transpired. I was such a dick to Marlee; all she was trying to do was offer me comfort and I threw it back in her face like an asshole. And then there’s Dad, he was nice, almost fatherly. That’s confusing enough, he was rarely fatherly before Ma died, after her death he became an even bigger asshole, and I was an inconvenience.

  “Fuuuuck!” I growl to my empty office as I run my fingers through my hair, gently pulling to cause myself pain and possibly ease the tension…but it doesn’t work. I’m still agitated over Dad and pissed off with how I spoke to Marlee.

  The day drags by ever so slowly and just before five, I pack up and leave.

  Stopping in at Bin 501, I quickly speak to Kody about a wine that will accompany my apology to Marlee. He hands me a blah blah Verdelho and assures me that Marlee will love it. He tells me to grab some salami, cheese, and bread and I’ll have a gourmet meal to go with my apology. As for the apology itself, he told me I’m on my own there; asshole.

  With the wine and hamper in hand, I walk across the road. Someone is coming out so I can slip in and surprise Marlee. In the elevator on the way up to her floor, my heart begins to race erratically and I’m nervous as hell. I really don’t want to lose her. I just hope my outburst from earlier hasn’t ruined what we have started. I really love this woman, and I’m going to fight tooth and nail to prove my love to her.

  14

  Raising my hand, I knock on her door, grateful Kasey gave me her apartment number when I called and groveled on the drive here. A few moments later the door opens, when I see Marlee I feel like an even bigger asshole. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying, there are mascara tracks down her cheeks, and she looks broken…all because of me.

  “Marlee, babe, I’m so sorry I was such a dick to you. That man brings the worst out in me.”

  “You can’t blame your father for everything, Gage.”

  I stare at Marlee, shocked at what she said, but a part of me knows she’s right. “I know, you’re right.” I pause. “Can I come in and tell you the truth about my father?” She looks at me but doesn’t say anything. “If it sweetens the offer, I also have this.” Raising the wine and hamper for her to see.

  “Depends.”

  “On what?” I hesitantly ask. I’m currently worried she’s going to turn me away.

  “What type of wine you have?”

  “It's a vermelho. Kody assures me it’s divine.”

 
; “Never heard of vermelho.” She grins at me. “But if you mean Verdelho and Kody recommended it, then I’ll allow you to enter.”

  “Thank you.” I step into her apartment, stop in front of her, and place a kiss on her cheek. “I really am sorry.”

  “I know,” she sadly says, her voice showing how much I’ve hurt her.

  She steps away from me and walks into her kitchen. My eyes follow her and as usual, drift down to her ass. She’s still in her work clothes, and today she’s rocking a sexy as fuck, dark blue pencil skirt that hugs her curves perfectly and a white blouse with ruffles.

  I step in the kitchen, place everything on the counter, and turn to her. “You look lovely today, Marlee.”

  She smiles at me. “Thank you.”

  Stepping toward her, I wrap my arms around her waist and she places her arms over my shoulders. “I really am sorry for how I spoke earlier today. It was a shock to see you laughing with him. I can’t remember the last time I did that with him.”

  “Why do you hate him so much?”

  “Where do I begin?”

  “At the beginning, generally,” she teases, sticking her tongue at me cheekily, seeing her do that, I know we will be okay.

  “Let’s get this set up and then I’ll tell you.”

  “Deal.” She grabs two stemless wine glasses, while I take the hamper into the living room and place it on the coffee table. Sitting on the rug, I pull out the food and arrange the packages on the table. Marlee joins me with the wine in a bucket and our glasses. Taking the bottle from her, I uncork it, pour us each a glass, and hand one to her. She takes the glass from me and our fingers touch, a spark jolts through me, setting my body ablaze. With our eyes locked on one another, we silently drink our wine.

  “You picked well, Mr. Grainger.”