A Christmas Date

by L. C. Zingera

  Chapter Three

  Lucas awoke to the aroma of fresh baking and coffee, something he definitely wasn’t used to. During his time in Milan, he’d always simply walked down to the nearest café on his way to work in the morning for a double espresso and a croissant. He rarely stocked his kitchen, he had no interest in cooking, and the women he’d known who’d occasionally stayed over at his place, weren’t exactly the homely, cook his breakfast type. He wondered if Angelina was? He was strangely sorry to find her gone when he awoke.

  She’d loosened up and talked to him for a while last night mainly about her new business, a florist shop, but he could tell that she was still wary. He wasn’t proud of his arrogant dismissive behavior when she’d arrived but he’d wanted to merely nip this thing in the bud. But now, somehow, he was kind of wishing he hadn’t. Not that she’d expressed any interest in him, but still…

  “Good Morning!” Lillian said cheerfully walking in with a plate of fresh homemade cinnamon rolls. Sean sat down beside her on the loveseat looking content. For the first time in his life, Luke wanted this. The two sat cuddly-close side by side, waiting for him to get up, unfortunately, he couldn’t. His morning hard-on was still raging out of control, due to some explicit and strangely erotic dreams, brought on by listening to the gentle breathing of one soft armful of woman, who had slept only feet away from him. He rose to a sitting position beneath the camouflaging blanket and wished with all his heart he had someone to wake up with, roll over and make love to when he awoke feeling like this. He must have been looking dazed because Sean eyed him curiously. What the hell, he had to ask. Didn’t he?

  “Where’s Angelina?”

  “Gone,” Lillian replied.

  “Luke? What did you do?” Sean quizzed leaning forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped, frowning at him.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Angie always stays for Lillian’s cinnamon rolls. But today she slipped out early, as soon as the roads were clear,” Sean replied. “She moved so fast you’d think the devil was nipping at her heels.”

  “I didn’t do anything!” he cried, wondering if it was safe to get up yet, unfortunately his body disagreed. The longer they talked about Angelina, the longer he would be here, and it was the last place he wanted to be. They’d probably have him married by the end of the week. Hadn’t he just thought about that himself? Oh hell! Now he was really confused. Sean snorted and handed him a cup of strong black coffee.

  “You look like crap!”

  “Thanks!” he muttered and lifted the strong brew to his lips, downing it in two swift swallows. It wasn’t exactly the espresso he was used to, but it would have to do.

  “Maybe you scared her away?” Lillian suggested sweetly. He was beginning to wonder if Lillian was really as sweet as she pretended to be, but she just smiled at him softly, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

  “That bad huh?” he asked wryly. “But I think she must have left before day break, so she didn’t see me.”

  “I wasn’t talking about your appearance Luke,” Lillian pointed out serenely.

  “Yeah, what was with the bad attitude last night? It just wasn’t you,” Sean asked, refilling Luke’s cup.

  Great, he was prisoner here until his body cooperated or those two left so he could make his escape to the bathroom. He sipped his coffee and eyed them speculatively.

  “What’s with the matchmaking you two?” he countered.

  “She’s perfect for you and you know it!” they said in unison.

  He looked from one to the other and couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing.

  Chapter Four

  “Angelina?”

  “Yes this is Angie, who’s calling please?” She hadn’t recognized the voice right away, but suddenly she just knew it was him.

  “It’s Lucas Hart, Sean and Lillian’s friend.”

  “Oh God! Everything is okay with them isn’t it?” she asked hurriedly.

  “Yes, yes, fine,” he quickly reassured her.

  “Then why are you…?”

  Luke cleared his throat. “I was calling to ask you out. On a date,” he clarified.

  “A date? With you?” she asked incredulously. “Why?”

  Not the reaction he’d been hoping for but it wasn’t entirely unexpected, “I was rude and belligerent at our friends’ house last night. I would like to make it up to you…”

  “Not necessary, but thanks anyway. Have a nice day Lucas.”

  Luke stared at the phone. She’d hung up. That had never happened to him before. He was both stunned and strangely disappointed.

  ***

  “What do you mean she turned you down?” Lillian asked, hands planted on her hips glaring at Luke. He shrugged. This was embarrassing. Sean was just leaning back against the wall, arms folded over his massive chest looking smug. Luke shot him an evil look, Sean smirked wider. Sean was a former bodybuilder who after years on the road chasing competitive titles, had fallen for a sweet homely girl who wanted babies and liked to bake cookies. Sean was still massive and worked out every day. Lillian was small and soft looking, they were total opposites. Is that what they were aiming for here, with him and Angelina? They had nothing in common. But he had to admit they might have a point. He was strangely drawn to her.

  Lillian began rummaging purposefully in her messy cupboards, how she ever managed to make some of the delicious things she baked in her totally disorganized tiny apartment kitchen Luke did not know, but it was obvious she was up to something now. She pulled out a roll of cling wrap and packaged up a few cinnamon rolls.

  “Off you go!”

  “What? Where?” Luke asked, now dressed in his dark outerwear and once again looking like he’d walked off the pages of a Milan fashion magazine.

  “To Angie’s store of course! You can drop these by for her. It will give you a reason to be there.”

  Sean watched in amusement as Sweet Lily, as he liked to call his wife in private, turned into the little tigress he loved in the bedroom, speaking of which…

  “See you later dude, let us know what happens!”

  Sean purposefully escorted Luke to the door and Sweet Lily into the bedroom.

  ***

  Luke found himself standing on the cold crisp New York sidewalk with a package of cinnamon rolls headed for a florist shop and a girl he hadn’t thought he’d ever want to see again. Until this morning. Following Sean’s hurried directions he arrived at Make Piece, Angelina’s specialty florist shop. Funny, Angelina Makepeace apparently had a sense of humor.

  Angelina looked up when the door chimes jangled. When she saw him, a frown knit her delicate brows together instantly. He just wasn’t used to people feeling that way about him. He held out the package.

  “Peace offering,” he said sheepishly.

  A moment later, a small equally round, no, wrong word again, voluptuous, that was it! That’s what they used to call women in the old movies, came dashing from the back. “I swear I smell cinnamon!” She screeched to a sudden halt almost worthy of a roadrunner cartoon. “Hi, I’m Charlotte,” she said, her eyes alight with interest, she extended her hand. He shook it firmly.

  “Are you sisters?” he asked in an attempt to make conversation as Angelina still hadn’t said a word.

  “No, why would you ask?” Charlotte seemed genuinely surprised.

  He saw the edges of Angelina’s lips twitch just a little. She could see right through him, and suddenly he felt shallow and foolish. He blushed. That was another first for him.

  “Because you both work together I guess,” he bluffed.

  “Oh, no we’re just friends.”

  Charlotte wasn’t the sharpest crayon in the box, but she was the most creative. That was why Angie had hired her. “Take the rolls into the back, you can take your break now Charlotte,” Angie instructed, then eyeing Luke carefully. “Tell Lillian I said thanks, okay?” she said, and turned back to her work.

  “You’re ignoring me?”

  “I thoug
ht you were leaving.”

  “Have dinner with me.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t like you.”

  “You seemed to like me just fine last night,” he accused, unable to help the sting to his pride her blithe remark had caused.

  Angie turned to find Charlotte still standing in the doorway with her mouth open. “Enough already,” she hissed, glaring at him.

  “A cinnamon roll and coffee?” he suggested.

  “Okay fine, I’ll get my coat. It’s not what you’re thinking, Charlotte,” she muttered on her way out, as Charlotte snagged a cinnamon roll and handed the rest back to Angie.

  “Uh-huh?” Charlotte grinned, giving Luke a wink. Luke was surprised to find himself winking back. He never did things like that!

  They walked to the nearest corner coffee station and purchased coffee, sitting down at the small park bench with Lillian’s cinnamon rolls, sipping the hot coffee in the cold morning air. He never did things like this either. She was quite adorable. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t allowed himself to see that right away last night. Her long curly chestnut hair framed her face perfectly, her cheeks were pink and fresh looking in the cool air, and her eyes sparkling green and focused directly on him, a puzzled frown marred her lovely features.

  “Why are you here?” Angie asked, snapping him out of his perusal of her features.

  “Lillian asked me to…”

  “Okay. You’ve delivered the cinnamon rolls. Task accomplished. Did she say you had to take me out too? Because you don’t seem like the type to be ordered about!”

  “Thanks, I’m not. I wanted to see you.”

  “Why?”

  “To apologize.”

  She raised her brows, her expression clearly skeptical.

  “I wasn’t on my best behavior last night. I was just annoyed at them both for trying to set me up…”

  “They always do that, surely you know that by now? You don’t have to spend the rest of your life with someone, just a pleasant evening.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry.” He sounded genuinely contrite.

  “So does this mean if they try to throw us together again, you’ll at least be polite?” she teased, finally loosening up.

  “Cross my heart.”

  “Good, because they are having a Christmas Eve dinner party and I suspect we’re both on the guest list. We probably are the guest list!” she murmured with a groan.

  “Good,” he said and grinned.

  “Good?”

  “I really want to see you again.”

  A tiny smile curved her lips and he wanted to see more of that kind of reaction from her. But he knew better than to push his luck at present. She rose, taking away his choice.

  “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you on Christmas Eve then, Lucas.”

  “See you Angelina.”

  Chapter Five

  Luke wasn’t a relationship kind of guy, never had been, but Lillian and Sean were rapidly getting to him. Every time he saw Sean, he was either checking his text messages or saying ‘I love you’ into his cell phone. And what’s more, he’d never said another word about Angelina. He wondered if she was seeing someone now? Maybe that guy Adam she’d mentioned. It had been almost three weeks.

  “It’s the Christmas Eve dinner party tonight, don’t forget Luke, okay?” Sean said as he tucked his cell phone back into his belt.

  “Yeah, um Sean, will Angelina be there?”

  Sean nodded warily, arms crossed. “Yes, why? You’re not backing out are you?”

  Thank God, at least she hadn’t backed out. He ignored the question. “Is she seeing Adam now?”

  “Who?” Sean’s lips twitched.

  “Adam...oh,” he groaned, and then burst out laughing. So, there was no Adam; she’d just been pushing his buttons, and he’d deserved it.

  “I gotta go. Lillian wants me to pick some things up for her on my way home.”

  “Anything I can do?”

  Sean stared at him for a moment, stunned at the unexpected offer, and then shook his head. “I can’t even imagine you in the grocery store, let alone the kitchen,” he grinned and took off with a wave.

  Luke strolled home, picking up some flowers and a box of candy on the way as hostess gifts for the evening ahead. Sean was right, he didn’t know his way around a kitchen, but apparently Sean did, and for some odd reason Luke was starting to feel jealous. Sean had it all.

  ***

  When Angie arrived at Lillian and Sean’s house, she thought she was almost prepared for seeing Lucas again, but she wasn’t. The man who opened the door, was the same man who had reappeared wearing Sean’s Christmas sweater and jeans after their snowball fight, relaxed and casually dressed in blue jeans and a warm red wine sweater, and wearing a sheepish smile. Not the cold dark clad stranger with the aloof and disdainful attitude she had first met. Angie eyed him suspiciously.

  “Who are you? And what have you done with Lucas Hart?” she asked, walking in and allowing him to take her coat. It wasn’t as cold as before, but snow was forecast. She planned on keeping an eye on the weather this time. But she wasn’t about to stay home alone on Christmas Eve just in case of snow.

  Luke was about to answer when he realized she was standing under the mistletoe. He grinned. “Oh, you mean my domineering alter ego? He’s right here!” He stepped under the mistletoe, took her in his arms and kissed her, his lips moving gently but firmly over hers. He didn’t try to deepen the kiss, though it wouldn’t have been hard, her lips had parted in surprise and he took full advantage, savoring the taste of those gorgeous full pink lips, enjoying both the texture and warm softness of her mouth and her curves pressed closely against him.

  “So who was that?” she asked, stepping back breathlessly when he released her, her cheeks a furious pink.

  “Who was what?” he asked confused.

  “Was it Luke, or Lucas Hart the alter ego?”

  “Luke, just Luke,” he grinned, surprised and relieved when she grinned back.

  “Dinner’s ready!” Lillian called from the other room.

  There was something odd in the air. Lillian had a slight nervousness to her this evening that was completely uncharacteristic, something was going on, Angie was sure, even Lucas appeared to have noticed and was watching their hostess in anticipation. Angie was still having trouble thinking of him simply as Luke.

  When Lillian brought out her famous Christmas trifle, and it didn’t contain a single drop of booze, Angie was pretty sure she knew what that something was. She was almost jealous, but very happy for her friends nonetheless. They were going to make great parents.

  Sean rose to his feet, tapped his glass with his fork and cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen…” he began in a stentorian tone that had Lillian nudging him and rolling her eyes.

  “We have a world changing, life altering announcement to make…Lillian and I, are having a family!”

  “A family?”

  “Sweet Lily is pregnant…”

  “With triplets!” Lillian interjected proudly.

  “Oh my God!” It burst from her lips, Angie had meant to sound sweeter, more polite, happy for them! But triplets?

  Lucas was looking dazed. “Triplets?”

  “Exactly!” Lillian was laughing at their shocked faces. “Trust me, we both looked equally shocked when we were told too!”

  “Congratulations!” Angie and Luke chorused in unison. Angie hurried over to hug her friend and Luke grasped Sean’s hand for a hearty shake that became a manly hug with both men slapping each other on the back.

  ***

  Angie could not believe that the silently falling snow had rendered the roads uncooperative twice, and once again she was sleeping on the loveseat across from Luke who was stretched out on the sofa.

  “We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” Luke joked, turning over, and watching her in the glow of the firelight. Leaning up on his elbow, his chin propped up on his fist.
<
br />   “Yeah,” she laughed. “This is the second time we’ve slept together, watch out or I might expect a commitment.”

  Luke laughed as she had meant he should, but then his gaze turned serious. “Do you want to get married Angie?”

  Angie raised up on one elbow to look at him better. He’d finally called her Angie, wow, that was almost relaxed for him! But then he’d actually chosen to kiss her tonight too. “Is that a proposal?” she teased, trying to get into the spirit of things.

  “Not yet…but…” he allowed the sentence to trail off with a shrug.

  “We have to sleep together three times for that, right?” she laughed.

  “So, watch out for New Year’s Eve?” he chuckled.

  “Good night Luke.”

  “Night Angie.”

  Chapter Six

  Angie hurried inside, out of the ice cold crisp night air. Tonight it wasn’t an option, snow or not, she had planned to stay over with Sean and Lillian, it was New Year’s Eve and getting home in the early hours wouldn’t be easy, even if the roads were clear, finding a taxi would be virtually impossible. She found herself almost looking forward to seeing Luke again. Almost. She’d slipped out early from their last sleepover once again, to spend Christmas day with her parents.

  Sean opened the door and Luke walked out of the kitchen wearing a pair of brightly colored oven mitts, her eyes grew wide and his crinkled at the corners at her reaction.

  “You’re cooking?” she exclaimed in disbelief.

  “Surprised?” Luke asked conversationally.

  “Stunned!”

  “Well don’t be,” Lillian clarified, appearing in the kitchen doorway behind him. “He was just getting something out of the oven for me, my hands are covered in flour.”

  “Faker!” Angie accused him laughing, and felt a sudden knot in her stomach at the way Luke was looking at her. He almost looked pleased to see her.

  “Can you believe we’re all together again?” Lillian said, over dinner.

  “Third time lucky,” Luke said, looking at Angie meaningfully.