A Holiday Romance

by Bobbie Jordan

  “But that will only work the first twenty or thirty times, Sir, I just want you to know that.” They settled in on the couch.

  “Merry Christmas, we’re here. I can’t quite believe it. I wonder if the others are still at the Hyatt at Dulles?

  “I doubt it. You know it is Christmas and we should make a few plans, you know, like dinner?”

  “Oh, yeah, are you hungry baby? I saw some snack things over on the bar.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Yes, I do, what are my choices?”

  “In or out.”

  “Oh,” Latisse had to consider this a minute. It was almost 4PM Christmas day, she hadn’t even opened a suitcase much less thought about going out to eat.

  “In. What else?”

  “No, that makes it easy. We can order from the Inn, they running a full kitchen, I checked. I hoped you would say “in.””

  “And movies? And definitely the Jacuzzi I think.”

  “Two great minds with a single thought, who’d have guessed?” Guy smiled at Latisse appreciatively.

  They sat in comfortable quiet for a few minutes sipping the Napa Caberet. Latisse’s stomach made an audible growl.

  “Well maybe some of those snacks for the moment.” She said getting up and going to the bar area. “Can I ask you something?”

  “You, my dear, may ask me anything, anytime.”

  “Okay so, your people told me our business meeting had to be Christmas Eve, it was your only window until after New Year’s, but here you are with me. What’s up with that, were they just blowing smoke, you know?” she said and shyly looked down without finishing the vulgar remark.

  Guy smiled and said, “fair question and very observant. Didn’t you wonder before now why a guy like me was alone for Christmas Eve and the holiday? Oh, I get it,” he paused looking serious, “you just took me for a loser type and was just taking pity on a nerdy guy alone on the holidays. That was so noble of you, my dear. Always thinking about others.”

  “I am that good, aren’t I? Latisse retorted and giggled. There was a little pause. Latisse could see Guy considering his answer carefully.

  “I’ve kind of been seeing someone. And, well, to tell the truth I’m supposed to be somewhere with her right now. I was actually going to use the trip to break it off with her. But after meeting you,” Guy paused and looked , really looked deeply into Latisse’s brown eyes and said “I don’t know where this is headed. What I do know is that I feel strongly enough about you, about us, that I couldn’t spend another second with her.” I know it was cowardly of me to call her, but I did from Washington. I just wanted to have a clear conscious when we had dinner in D.C. I told her to take whomever she wanted but that I was sorry, we were done.”

  “I am so sorry Guy, I had no idea.”

  “Why would you, the last few days have been the happiest I can remember in so long. You’ve given me back joy and beauty, and hope damn it, real hope.

  “Hope for what Guy, it’s kinda funny you say that. Hope I mean, what do you hope for?”

  There was no hesitation in Guys response. He had obviously considered the question recently.

  “Joy, satisfaction and happiness. You have given me all three in the past few days like no one else ever has. I hope I get to enjoy you, be a part of you for a very long time.”

  “And this other girl just took it like that, no muss, no fuss?”

  Guy looked just a shade uncomfortable but said nothing.

  “No, I wouldn’t think so.”

  Guy admitted “she’s called a couple of times but I haven’t picked up. I don’t know what else to say and –“he trailed off.

  “You don’t want to be the bad guy, no pun intended, on Christmas, I get it. But, not answering- ignoring her is just as bad. I don’t know. You kind of strike me as a decisive kind of guy, pun intended. Are you like rehearsing in your head or something?

  My Momma always says it’s easy for people to be good when everything going their way. But the true test of character is how you act in adversity, that’s when your true personality comes out. Tells a lot about a person, how they act under stress.”

  “Your Momma sounds like a very smart lady.”

  “She is. She also taught me to not take anything for granted. Your little trip with the ex wasn’t here to Napa by any chance was it? I mean, she’s like not right next door, is she?”

  Guy gave his best “caught in the act” look but started laughing. “Oh that would be good wouldn’t it? That’s an old Doris Day, Rock Hudson and Jerry Lewis set up I think. No, she should be half way round the world.”

  Latisse wondered where he had planned a Christmas trip with his recent girlfriend half way around the world, but was too polite to ask.

  “Well, you already heard about my last fiasco and every other little detail of my life sitting on the plane at Dulles. You were my captive audience.”

  Ít was my lucky day.”

  “I hope it was our lucky day.” And they kissed, passionately, almost spilling the wine.

  The wine made by grapes in California uses the genetics from the vines themselves combined with the soil, sun and moisture from a relatively small area of the pacific coast to produce a range of varietal wines from several family owned vineyards and wineries. One the day after Christmas, Latisse and Guy toured wineries and learned a lot about how wine grapes were cultivated, harvested and processed. The final scents and flavors of the wine are as much what happens to the grapes after they’re picked. Oak sheaved casks the wine ages within, the temperature of the aging vaults.

  After several tastings, they started feeling some effects from the wine. Latisse had originally thought the limo was a bit over the top for the days excursion, but was glad neither one of them had to drive. Latisse started thinking how much relationships were like wine. It started with genetics but was affected by how the grapes were treated afterwards.

  The final product was due to a fermenting period of time. All things took time to develop and ripen, to reach their potential. She thought with some humor how Boons farm tried to hurry the wine, and you see the difference. She also thought how like fine wine, just a few sips of it could alter your senses, cloud perceptions and color reality. Whatever that last sample was, no more of that! She thought.

  They were riding between wineries talking about what they had both just learned about cognac when his phone rang. He looked at the number and said to Latisse. “I will text her and set a time to talk, but not here and not now. On my schedule, not hers.”

  Latisse could see the wisdom in that at simply said “fair enough.” The truth was, she wasn’t sure how much of her business this should be. On one hand, there was something already between them, growing stronger every minute. Why shouldn’t she be involved, but it was his old business and she trusted him to take care of it as kindly, and as fast as he could. She surely wouldn’t want him getting involved with Daryl if he showed up. Now that would be a scene out of a Wes Craven movie.

  Later that afternoon, they were back at the Inn getting ready for dinner. Tonight’s plans had them going “out.” The floor plans of the suite had the two offices sharing a wall centrally, the bedrooms outside. The two identical suites were the same, but mirrored in layout. While Latisse was shooting off a quick e-mail to her office, she thought she heard Guy talking in the next room. Of course it was muffled, the soundproofing was top notch, but she could have sworn his voiced was raised which surprised her. In all the time she had known him, he had never raised his voice or ever seemed in less than perfect control of his emotions.

  Even at night, when they were making love, it was as if that were his only feeling at the time, it consumed him. Latisse had never seen Guy allow any other emotion invade what he was doing, or thinking.

  She had thought this was a sign of great strength, but now she wondered at what cost it came. She only heard whatever it was for a few seconds, and quiet was there again. It might not have even been real, it could have been imagi
ned and then it was forgotten.

  The next few days flew by without rhyme or reason.

  Beth was Latisse’s best friend. That is saying a lot. Latisse by nature didn’t give up much of a personal nature to most people. Beth had been by Latisse’s side from grade school. Although their lives had taken dramatically divergent paths, they had remained close. Beth was married to her high school sweetheart and was happy. She lived in the town they both grew up in.

  She was actually an elementary school teacher in the school Latisse and she had attended as little girls. Latisse’s father had delivered Beth that’s how long they had known each other.

  One of Latisse’s faults was that she had to be perfect. Even her emails to her friend Beth had to be correct. This meant that if a lot was going on, she often delayed “talking” to her friend until she could compose a coherent, organized, correct missive. When things were really out of control, and that didn’t happen very often, she did the best she could. This was one of those times. It was Christmas and New Year’s, so much had happened, and she also wanted to know what was going on with her friend and family in twenty words or less.

  “Hey Happy Holidays Girl! Was he happy when he opened the Victoria Secret box? I’ll bet he was! Brilliant! A gift for him that’s really for you! But really for him, win-win!!!!

  Bethie, I have SO MUCH TO TELL YOU!

  Met a man, not just a man. Think I’m in LOVE!!! No KNOW I’m in love! So much has happened, can’t begin to tell you. Okay, will tell you he’s here with me in Napa. Flew me here in his own jet. NO CRAP!

  Sweet, kind, TENDER, rich, handsome, did I say cute? And girl, he smells good.

  Met his mother, been to D.C., Chicago and now Napa…. I have so much to tell you. The only thing fishy are the calls from the ex-girlfriend. Trying to ignore but WTF? Not worried about him, but what’s her deal?

  Tell me about your day, did you see your brother? Did he get you that bracelet? Are your parents well? Love you girl, L.”

  Latisse read it again before hitting the send button. That was about all of it. It said everything she was feeling and hoped conveyed enough interest in Beth’s holiday. Latisse had been so consumed by the events of her own life; there really hadn’t been much time to consider anyone else.

  December 27th was quiet. Not just in the world, but between Latisse and Guy the day dawned ripe, unburdened and fresh. Refreshed, Latisse awoke entwined within the sleepy embrace of her perfect man. As she opened her eyes and became aware of his still sleeping form beside her, she took a deep breath, a cleansing breath and checked again, it was as perfect as she could have hoped for.

  “So what do you want to do today?” he asked. It is always an interesting question when everything is exactly the way you want it.

  “Can we stay in bed?”

  “Sure, but we could save that for when we’re old and lazy, right?” Latisse smiled at Guys usual “meet life head on” attitude.

  “What do you want to do?”

  “An adventure. Up for it?”

  “Yeah, it’s been kind of boring around you the last few weeks; I’d like some adventure for a change.”

  “So get up and get dressed.”

  “You first!”

  “Okay, let’s just stay in bed.”

  “Now you’re talking” Latisse said as she curled up into Guy’s strong arms.

  Guy’s cell phone was ringing. “What time is it?” Latisse asked.

  Guy checked the caller ID and said “nothing important, go back to sleep.”

  They were on their way to Montana D’Oro, A California State Park named for the golden wild flowers that covered its coastline paradise.

  When Latisse heard of Guy’s plan, she was again speechless that he could have planned an excursion so in tuned with her own personal sense of self. Montana D’Oro was 22 miles of virgin pacific coastline. It had been protected land from pioneer times and was the same today as it had been a hundred, two hundred or more years ago. “Can you ride?”

  “What do you mean can I ride?” Latisse asked.

  “A horse. Have you ever ridden a horse?”

  “I grew up in the south, yo!”

  “Yeah, and?”

  "Yeah, okay, yes I ride.”

  “Hey, okay, I don’t know. I’m sure a lot of beauty queens have never been on a horse before.”

  “Fair enough. This one has.”

  They spent the day exploring the coastline. The company that had provided the docile mounts had also provided a basket lunch. When they stopped and dismounted, they explored the tide pools, the wild flowers and looked for shells in the surf. During lunch, his phone rang once, she barely noticed, he didn’t seem to notice at all.

  Extending out from the coastline were lines of rocks forming jetties into the Pacific Ocean. At one such jetty they stopped and tethered the horses. Hand and hand they carefully picked their way across rocks out into the very center of the ocean. There, uninhibited by complete privacy and seclusion they stripped down and laid on flat rocks a good ¼ mi westward from the continental United States. They were the only two human beings in existence as far as anyone knew. Latisse and Guy had never felt any more right with the world. They felt loved, protected, safe and at home in their own skins. Nothing else existed for several hours. There was no cell service out on the jetty.

  By the time they got back to the Inn, Guy had three voicemails waiting. While Latisse was dressing for dinner, she could have sworn she heard Guy yelling for an instant. Maybe it was the T.V. She couldn’t imagine Guy raising his voice under any circumstances.

  They went out to dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant called Ristorante Allegria. They sat in silence after ordering their meals; Guy seemed to be lost in thought. Latisse made a few attempts at small talk, but it was obvious Guy was lost in another world. He kept staring off into space, swirling his red wine absent-mindedly in his glass. Finally Latisse had had enough.

  "Well, what is it then?" she exclaimed, startling Guy out of his reverie. For a moment he looked like he didn't know where he was, but then his glazed expression cleared and he smiled warmly at her, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand.

  "Nothing baby. Just thinking about work, that's all." Latisse didn't buy it; she just couldn't believe that work would have him a million miles away from her when they were sitting right across the table from one another. Still, she let it drop, at least for now. He would tell her what was bothering him when he was ready.

  After dinner they went back to their hotel suite and cuddled up on the couch to watch a movie. Latisse found herself dozing off about halfway through. She hadn't realized just how exhausted she was- she couldn't keep her eyes open. Eventually she felt herself being lifted up in Guy's arms and carried to bed.

  She woke up alone the next morning. Much to her dismay, she could hear the faint sound of Guy yelling on the phone in the other room. A bad feeling had begun to root itself into the pit of her stomach, though she tried her hardest to push it away. You hardly know him, she reminded herself, and yet it felt like she'd known him for a thousand years. Had it really only been less than a week?

  That couldn't be right. Their time together so far had been so magical… it had to be longer. Maybe they had crossed paths in another life, of in a parallel universe… or maybe they had always known each other in their dreams. Meeting Guy had been the best thing that ever happened to her… being with him was like finally discovering the other half of herself, which she hadn't even known was missing…Reluctantly she crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom to take a hot shower. Suddenly she felt very cold, and no amount of heat could warm her up.

  She was standing in the shower, letting the scalding hot water run over her mocha colored skin, when she heard a soft knock at the door. Before she could reply, "come in," the bathroom door creaked open, and Guy let himself in. She could make out his handsome features through the steamy mist that filled the room and fogged up the glass shower door. He stepped up to the shower door and ta
pped lightly on the glass.

  "Mind if I join you?"

  "No, not at all," she replied, feeling the familiar sensation of butterflies fluttering in the pit of her stomach as Guy stripped naked, opened the shower door and let himself in.

  "Hey," he whispered, leaning down and pressing his lips against hers. She felt her body melt against his, and slowly the icy feeling that had planted itself in her core melted away. In that moment, nothing else existed but the two of them. Their kiss held all the promises of tomorrow, and days after. Guy wrapped his arms around her as she fully melted against him, pulling her body close so that there were no barriers between the two of them. In that moment, they truly were and would always be one.