Accidental Love

by BL Miller

  "Do you like it?"

  "Oh yes, absolutely." Rose looked at the length of the sleeves, noting they were a perfect match to her shorter arms. "I won't have to fold over the cuffs."

  "Of course not. I made sure to get the right size." Ronnie smiled proudly. "Do you like the color?"

  "Very much."

  "It matches your eyebrows. I bet you'll look great in it."

  Rose turned the shirt this way and that, nodding with agreement. It was, quite simply, terrific and she couldn't wait to wear it. She folded it up and handed it to Ronnie, who set it on the empty cushion at the end of the couch. The trash was moved out of the way and another present retrieved from under the tree…

  *******************

  Rose forced the last piece of wrapping paper into the already overstuffed trash bag and wiped another happy tear from her cheek. "You really are amazing, you know that?"

  "I'm glad you think so," Ronnie responded with a warm smile. It had been a day full of tears and smiles from Rose and the executive could not have been happier. "Those are the only things I wasn't sure about." She gestured with her hand at the pair of blue and white sneakers on Rose's lap. "I can take them back if they're too big."

  "No, they're perfect."

  "Great." Ronnie reached over and picked them up, then looked around for an empty place to put them. The cushion was piled high with clothes and the coffee table was littered with software programs and various other items. She went to set them on the carpet but Tabitha came running over. "Oh no you don't." In the end the sneakers were placed on top of the pile of sweaters.

  Rose gave a short sniff and blinked several times before moving her hand beneath the afghan. "I guess it's time for your gift now. I'm sor…"

  "No, wait." Ronnie jumped off the couch. "There's one more. Don't go away, I'll be right back."

  Fingering the thin bow on the gift in her lap, Rose let her gaze settle on the pile of clothes. A fresh tear rolled down her face, causing a frown to cross the blue-eyed woman's face upon her return. "You know, it wasn't my intention to make you cry." She resumed her position on the couch only inches away from Rose.

  That earned a chuckle. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed, I guess," Rose replied, haphazardly wiping the salty drops off her cheeks. "I've never gotten so many things at Christmas ever." She looked around, still amazed at the multitude of presents piled about. "I just can't…" Rose looked down at her lap and shook her head. "Listen to me, I make it sound like my life was straight out of Oliver Twist." She took the offered linen handkerchief.

  "Of course you don't," Ronnie said softly. "Come on, let me give you your last present and then you can give me mine." She set the jewelry box in Rose's hands.

  "Oh…oh my." The young woman's hand began shaking only to be steadied by a much larger one wrapping around hers.

  "Open it," came the whisper near her ear. "It's okay, it won't bite." After a few seconds, long fingers pried the box open to reveal its contents.

  Rose stared in amazement at the pendant attached to a thin rope chain. Only an inch and a half long, the white gold had been carefully molded into an exquisite representation of a rose. Tiny emerald and ruby chips made up the petals and leaves while a diamond solitaire rested at the base of the stem. Her lower lip quivered as she touched the pendant reverently with one fingertip.

  "Oh Ronnie…it's beautiful," she whispered.

  "A rose for a rose," Ronnie said, repeating the slogan that had drawn her to the jewelry in the first place. She took the necklace out of the box and opened the catch. Rose stayed very still as the cool metal touched her skin and Ronnie fastened the chain. "Looks perfect on you."

  "It-it's too much, Ronnie. I can't…" She was stopped by a pair of fingers pressing against her lips.

  "Rose…" She wiped another tear with her thumb. "I guess Santa should have brought you some handkerchiefs too, hmm?" She dabbed another tear away from Rose's face. "Listen to me. I wanted you to have this."

  "But…" Rose looked around. "All these clothes, the programs, the shoes and sneakers and…" Ronnie's fingers silenced her again.

  "You deserve nice clothes. You deserve things that fit and look good on you." She took the young woman's chin in her hand and forced her to meet her gaze. "And you deserve to wear something pretty. Now…give me a hug, tell me how much you like it, and give me my present." She said the last part with a playful smile, forcing Rose to smile along with her.

  "It's more than pretty, it's wonderful. I love it." The young woman wrapped her arms around Ronnie's neck and pulled her in for a hug. "It's so beautiful," she whispered. "I love it so much, thank you."

  "I'm glad."

  "You really are my guardian angel, aren't you?" Rose pulled back and looked at her friend, green eyes sparkling with moisture. "You're the best friend anyone could ever have." She reached under the afghan and pulled out the present. "I just wish I had something more to show you just how much you mean to me. Merry Christmas, Ronnie." She nervously handed over the present, a million thoughts flying through her mind. Her anxiety grew as Ronnie slowly removed the gift tag and slipped it in her pocket. "Well, open it."

  The older woman laughed at Rose's impatience and tugged on the thin red ribbon. "You're as bad as I am…oh." She opened the long velvet box. "Rose, they're beautiful."

  "Do you like them?"

  "Yes, very much." Ronnie pulled the pen out and held it up to the light, the smile never leaving her face. "That's a very pretty design. All those blues and greens swirling around. I like that gold band there too."

  "You really like it? You're not just saying that to make me feel good, are you?"

  "No Hon, I'm not just saying that. I really do like it." She leaned over and gave Rose a hug. "It really is a thoughtful gift," she said, leaning back.

  "You said you could never find a pen around here."

  "I never can," Ronnie agreed. "I guarantee I won't lose this one."

  "I didn't know if you liked mechanical pencils. Probably not since you can't bite them, huh?"

  "Rose, mechanical pencils are fine. Really, they are. I only use the wooden ones because that's what we have in the supply office at work. I never had any reason to buy a pencil like this." She turned the metal at the tip, watching the lead grow from the end. "I'll promise you this, I won't chew the end of this one."

  "You'd better not," Rose playfully teased, her fears eased by the smile on Ronnie's face. Her tone grew serious. "I'm really happy you like it. I've never bought anyone something like that before."

  "You know I would have been happy no matter what you got, even if it was just a card." She looked down at the set and smiled. "These really are beautiful." She reached over for another hug, much to Rose's joy.

  "This is the best Christmas I've ever had," she whispered into Ronnie's ear. "Thank you so much."

  The dark-haired woman smiled and hugged even harder. "You're welcome. Thank you for making my Christmas so special." She reluctantly ended the embrace, her hand still gripping the pen case.

  She looked over at the clock. "Wow, I didn't realize it was so late. It took that long just to open presents?"

  "There were a lot of presents to open," Rose replied with a smile. "I have no idea what to do with all those computer programs." She gestured at the pile on the table.

  "You're going to learn from them." Ronnie set the pen case down and picked up one of the software boxes. "This one teaches you how to type. It's self-paced and shows you how to format business letters and memos." She set the box on Rose's lap and picked up another one. "This teaches the fundamentals of bookkeeping and accounting. There are programs to do all the actual calculations but if you're going to be in the business world you really should know the basics." She put the programs back on the table. "I'll install them for you tomorrow and show you how to bring them up so you can work on them. Once you're comfortable, I'll show you how to log into the corporate network and you can go onto the Internet."

  "That sounds like fun. I've been on t
he Internet before. They had it at the library. I found a great site once that had all sorts of information about how to take care of cats."

  "Anything you're interested in is out there on the Internet. When I first got used to being on a computer, I spent hours surfing the Net looking at different things. My bookmark file must have been a mile long."

  "Bookmark file?" Rose shook her head. "I don't know if I can get all this computer stuff."

  Ronnie laughed. "Oh, Rose. Trust me. A few weeks and you and the computer will be best friends. I'll have to drag you away from it."

  "I don't know about that."

  "I do. It's very addictive."

  "Ronnie? I understand how the typing and the other programs are supposed to help me, but what is the Rescuer of the Maiden supposed to teach me?" She pointed at the brightly colored box with knights battling on the cover.

  "Uh…well…" The executive's face colored slightly and she gave a sheepish smile. "That one teaches you how to be the great knight who rescues the fair maiden from the evil king's dungeon. I thought you might like a game to relax and take a break with."

  "A knight rescuing a maiden, hmm?" Rose glanced at the cover again, noting that the maiden was fair-haired, like she was. She looked over at her own personal knight in shining armor. "I'm sure I'll enjoy it." Ronnie smiled back and stood up.

  "Right now I think we had better hit the kitchen and get dinner started or we're not going to be eating until late tonight." Rose watched as the wheelchair was brought over.

  "Oh, okay." She allowed herself to be lifted into the chair but before Ronnie could pull back she wrapped her arms around the executive's neck and squeezed, burying her face into the dark tresses. "Thank you. You're the best friend I’ve ever had and today is one of the happiest days I've ever known."

  Ronnie returned the embrace, smiling into the golden hair. "You're welcome. And thank you for making it so special for me."

  **************

  As they reached the threshold of the kitchen, Rose looked up. "Hey, look at that."

  "What?"

  "The mistletoe. You've left it up there all this time and I didn't notice."

  "Hmm, guess I have." Ronnie's heart began beating faster. They were directly below the green leaves. "Um, would it be okay if…"

  "Well, we're both under the mistletoe and it is Christmas." Rose swallowed, nervousness creeping in although she wasn't sure why. After all, it's just Ronnie. "Yes." She turned her face up to meet the dark head coming down. Their lips touched once…twice before Ronnie pulled back.

  "I um…I guess we'd better get dinner started." She guided them into the kitchen, knowing full well why her heart was pounding like a rocker's drum. Rose's lips were soft, so very soft she had almost lost herself in them, stopping just before her tongue could work its way out. Knowing she couldn't afford another kiss like that one, Ronnie made a mental note to let the young woman wheel herself out of the kitchen.

  "Yes," Rose agreed, turning her head forward and hoping the blush she felt rising to her cheeks wasn't noticeable to Ronnie. It was soft and sweet and she felt guilty about the way it made her feel. No one had kissed her in a long time and certainly not with as much gentleness and tenderness. She felt warm inside, as if she had swallowed a strong drink. She dimly realized Ronnie was speaking to her. "I'm sorry, what?"

  "I asked if you wanted to make some sugar cookies."

  "Oh. Do you like sugar cookies?"

  "Well, they're okay and they are the traditional holiday cookie." Ronnie opened the refrigerator and smiled. "Of course we do have a roll of chocolate chip cookies here too." Her tone made it clear which type she preferred.

  "Sounds good to me." She wheeled her way over to the lower cabinet and retrieved a cookie sheet, careful not to let the wheelchair scratch up against Ronnie's woodwork. The counters were too high for her to easily help with the preparations but Rose did what she could. Ronnie turned on the radio in the corner and soon festive holiday music filled the air, making the perfect setting to prepare dinner. Neither knew the other was thinking about the mistletoe and the kiss.

  Rose was confused. Her feelings went beyond friendly affection, but how much beyond, she was not sure. As she watched Ronnie cut the cookie dough, she was struck again by just how beautiful her friend was. Certainly, no one had ever meant as much to her and Rose could not imagine her life without Ronnie in it. The kiss was warm and loving and something she wanted to experience again.

  Ronnie had her own internal dilemma. Her mind and body screamed for her to taste the softness one more time, to show Rose just how much she meant to her, to take her beautiful golden haired companion into her arms and never let go. It was torture, plain and simple, and the cool air when she stepped out to go to her sister's house did nothing to lower the temperature of her fevered soul.

  *********************

  Rose had just folded up the last pair of panties and put them in the lower drawer of the dresser when Ronnie returned. She entered the room and flopped down on the bed, her long arms folded up behind her head. "It didn't go well?" Rose queried, noting the somber expression.

  "Oh, the kids loved the presents. So did Susan."

  "What happened?" She wheeled herself over to the side of the bed and put her hand on Ronnie's forearm. "Did Tommy show up or something?"

  "No, I guess he's up in the mountains with his buddies. Everything was fine, it's just that…" Ronnie turned her gaze away from Rose and glanced at the ceiling. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't the oldest. It's too much responsibility."

  "What happened?"

  Ronnie gave a sigh and looked back at her companion. "Mother called from whatever port her cruise stopped at. She's not happy with the way I handled the whole thing about Tommy embezzling from the company."

  "How does she know about that? I thought you weren't going to tell her."

  "There are no secrets in this family, Rose," she said sadly. "The thing is she isn't questioning whether or not he did it but how I handled it. She said I should have kept a lid on it until I was completely sure, and then I should have talked to him before removing him from his office."

  Rose's hand began moving up and down Ronnie's arm in a comforting motion. "Did Susan at least stick up for you?"

  "She didn't say a word. Not a peep. You know, sometimes I wonder why I don't just say screw them all and quit. I could move to Chicago or Boston and start my own company."

  "Then why don't you?"

  There was a long silence before Ronnie answered. When she did, it was with quiet resignation.

  "Because they need me." Shaking her head, she gave a resigned sigh and reached for the remote.

  "Come on, all those Christmas shows will be starting soon. HBO is rerunning that Rich Little version of A Christmas Carol."

  "I've never seen it."

  "Oh, it's pretty funny. He does all the characters as impersonations of famous celebrities. I saw it when I was a kid. Come on." Ronnie found the right station and set the remote aside before rising and helping Rose get into bed. Midnight would find them as it always did, the longer one curled up against the side of the smaller one, both sleeping contentedly.

  **********************

  Rose stared at the screen, concentration causing her brow to furrow. She pressed the mouse button and moved the red seven under the black eight. She was taking a short break from the typing program, having worked on it steadily for almost three hours. She was pleased with her progress after only three weeks of practice. Her speed was improving rapidly while the number of mistakes declined. A flat board resting across the arms of the wheelchair served as a makeshift desktop, the full leg casts making it impossible for Rose to get under the desk far enough to use the keyboard tray.

  Maria entered the room with a sandwich and cup of coffee. "You need to take a break." She waited for Rose to put the mouse and keyboard back on the desk, then handed her the sandwich, setting the cup on the night stand within easy reach. "I swear you're as bad as she is sometimes.
I've left some evenings with her on that thing and come back in the morning to find her still sitting in front of it." The middle aged woman shook her head. "When she was in high school she was the same way."

  "What was she like? When she was younger?" Rose gripped the wheels and turned her chair, silently asking Maria to sit and join her. The housekeeper relaxed into the soft leather of Ronnie's chair and laced her fingers together.

  "So you want to know what she was like?" A friendly smile worked its way across her face.