Perfect Christmas: A Paper Dolls Novel

by Blythe Stone

  “That means we should do it more often,” I said.

  “You know I like to,” she said. College had kept us abnormally busy. Less time for nights like this. Of course my baby missed me.

  “It's a deal then,” I said.

  Even though it wasn't really a deal. I just decided.

  “Hold me to it,” she said, taking my hand and keeping it near her neck as she pulled me toward the door to check and see if it was empty or not in the living room.

  “I will,” I said.

  She was leading me towards food. It was perfect.

  “Baby, we are going to eat so much tomorrow. Maybe I should wait,” I considered.

  “Up to you sweetie,” she said, going to the fridge and pulling a water bottle out to drink some.

  She must’ve been tired because she leaned her upper arms on the counter and set her head down a second to hold the back of her neck with her hands and just breathe. Olivia wasn’t much of a leaner.

  I put my arms around her and pulled her into my body.

  “Did I tire you out?” I asked.

  “Little bit,” she said, leaning back into me.

  “Let me take you back to bed. You can sleep. I know you were tired before,” I said.

  She turned and held onto me. I bent my knees and picked her up once again. I took her back to the bedroom and set her on the bed.

  “Get in, I'm gonna go to the bathroom,” I said.

  She sighed and moved to get under the covers and lay her pillow right for her head.

  The bathroom was cool and it made me tense up when my feet hit the floor. I went to the bathroom and washed my hands, hurrying to get back to the warm bed.

  I checked my image in the mirror on the way out and stopped. I looked wild but comfortable. My hair was crazy, waves going everywhere. My grip grew as I remembered why. My Olivia was perfect for me.

  When I got back in bed I cuddled up to Olivia and laughed when she sucked in a breath. My cold feet were on her legs.

  “Sorrrrrryyy,” I said.

  “The worst,” she hissed. “You know how easily I get cold.”

  “I also know how fast I can get you warm again,” I said.

  She wrapped her arms around mine and allowed me to spoon her.

  “Are you happy?” I asked.

  “You make me happy. Yes,” she said, forcing me to squeeze her a little.

  “Do you want me to be with you so you can sleep?”

  I was like a little kid, not tired at all and too excited for the wonders of Christmas day. I just didn't want to annoy or trouble her.

  “I like you with me but if you’re too excited you don’t have to stay.”

  “No, I want to stay. You're really warm and I like hearing you sleep,” I said.

  I settled my head on the pillow and sighed. We were as close as we could be. Our bodies pressed together and tangled.

  There was one area where I could spend energy and still be comforting.

  I started to sing. It was a song I'd written for her during Thanksgiving break and I hadn't performed it for her yet but this felt like a good time.

  Olivia was so still as she listened to me. She loved when I sang to her, she always wanted to remember what I sang.

  I sang until the last repetition of the chorus and I felt calm. At the end of the song I could tell that I would eventually be able to sleep but for right now I wanted to breathe her in.

  “That was beautiful baby…”

  “I wrote it for you and I'll play it properly when we get the chance,” I said.

  “That was probably the best way to hear it,” she said. “You don’t need instrumentation. Your voice is better when you’re being soft and quiet just for me.”

  “Then I’m glad that’s how you first heard it,” I said.

  I was still going to sing it for her with my guitar and some more preparation. For now, this was good and I just wanted morning to come.

  “Let’s try and sleep, okay?” I said.

  “I love you,” she said, turning into me and nestling her face on my chest. Her body hugged mine all perfect and strong.

  “I love you too… forever,” I said.

  I grew quiet, waiting for her to drift off before I did. Her breathing would lull me and I would know we were safe. Morning wasn’t that far away.

  It was only when the sun was just appearing over the horizon that I woke up. It was one of those first rays of sunlight to break through that shone right in my eyes. My legs were aching a little because of the angle they were at and my back was twisted a little. We had moved quite a bit.

  I groaned and untangled our limbs. She stirred and I tried to stay still until she relaxed again and then I pulled my body free, flexing and stretching to relieve the aches.

  I rolled off the bed and went to the bathroom.

  “Fuck, fuck, dammit,” I said when I hit the cold tile.

  I started the shower and then ran back to the bed, holding back my instinct to jump in and disturb Olivia. Instead I went to the closet and picked out a nice dress, blue with lace at the top. I got some underwear and a bra.

  When I passed back through I saw Olivia stretching and yawning in bed.

  “Aww, I didn’t mean to wake you,” I said.

  “You always do,” she smiled.

  “Do not but do you want to shower with me or sleep more,” I asked.

  “Showering is probably smart,” she said, sitting up.

  “I’m going to go get in, I’m freezing,” I said.

  I trotted into the bathroom and pulled the shower curtain back and stepped inside.

  The water was hot, almost too hot but I waited until I adjusted and then leaned into the spray, getting my hair wet and sighing.

  Olivia came in and slowly got undressed. The sound of her brushing her hair made me smile. Pulling the curtain back a little, she snuck inside behind me and hugged me tight.

  “Mmm, you’re all chilly now,” I said.

  I turned around so we were facing one another. She looked up at me and I smiled. She was gorgeous and I would never be able to resist those eyes.

  She perched up on her toes and led me in to kiss her.

  “Merry Christmas,” I said, when the kiss was over.

  “Mmm,” she hummed. “Very merry,” her eyes sparkled up at mine. “Thanks for putting up with me the past few days. I know I haven’t been the easiest.”

  “It wasn’t hard. I don’t put up with you. It’s not like that. I gave you my own share of trouble right back,” I reminded.

  “Well, thanks for last night then,” she said, trying to hide her embarrassment from me. “I’m going to be thinking about it all day.”

  “Are you? I’m glad you liked it. I didn’t even realize how much I wanted to do that, until last night. We should do it again soon but next time I want to see your face,” I said.

  I reached back and grabbed the shampoo and opened the cap, pouring some into my other hand and then holding it out so she could take some.

  “Whenever you’re ready,” she said, taking the shampoo from my hand.

  “Baby, I’m ready right now but we have tons of stuff to do,” I said.

  I rubbed the shampoo in my hair and made sure my hair was all filled with suds.

  “Your choice,” she shrugged.

  “Your parents are going to be coming to find us if we don’t turn up at the house,” I said.

  “No. They won’t,” she sighed knowingly. “I’ve been remiss. I should’ve gone out with them last night but I wanted to do what I wanted to do- which was obviously you. I guess this is what it’s like though. Being married. You have to decide which family gets what.”

  Christmas had given her a small crisis, which I realized now.

  “It’s tough. Just means we should go hang out with them this morning and afternoon. I also want to know what happened with Nat and Layla,” I said.

  I rinsed my hair and then reached over and went to work helping her get shampoo all over hers.

/>   “It’ll work out,” she said, guiding my hands. “I just hope Layla’s serious. A lot of the people Nat meets, they’re really flighty. I think it’s a rich people thing.”

  “You’re not flighty,” I teased.

  She really wasn’t. I never thought so and her family was definitely rich.All you had to do was look around at our house and our apartment in Palo Alto.

  “I’m not in the industry either,” she said. Nat hung around actors and musicians, travelers; a more adventurous clan.

  “Nope, you are not. If you had to be in the entertainment business what would you do?” I asked.

  I rinsed her hair, turning us around so she was under the shower head. She took over when I put conditioner on my hair and then handed the bottle to her. We were getting there slowly. I rinsed my hair and let her do hers after she had put conditioner all over.

  Then I got the sponge and soaped it up rubbing it all over her body, making sure not to hit very sensitive spots. That would just be mean.

  “Location scout,” she said. “But a researcher also, that would be fun.”

  “That does sound fun. Maybe I should do that once I graduate. You’re giving me career ideas,” I said.

  “We could do it together,” Olivia said. “Travel everywhere, take a lot of pictures, sleep in expensive hotels…” As usual she got lost in the attraction- all that potential of it- and nestled into me, losing track of our current task. I love you in hotels,” she whispered, kissing my neck and lovingly touching me.

  “Yeah? What is it about me in hotels that you find attractive?” I asked.

  It sounded great and who knew we could do that someday. I didn’t even have a clue what I wanted to major in. I might as well do a communications major and then try and get into film.

  “I dunno,” Olivia laughed. “Everything? You get all…” She pushed my body a little.

  “Hmm, I dunno,” I said.

  I took her hands and pulled her into me.

  “Maybe you just have a hotel fetish,” I said.

  “Um. No,” she laughed defensively. “I do like hotels, but you’re certainly different inside of them,” she looked up at me, questioning me. “You know how you are,” she said, relaxing a bit and pushing me.

  “Excited? I love hotels. It’s always been neat, ever since I was a kid,” I said.

  I turned her around and started to help her rinse her body. We were never going to get done if I let her be in control. I started to soap my own body but she took the sponge from me and did it herself. It was always better when she did it anyway.

  “Mm, yeah, so neat,” she teased, shaking her head at me as she got lost in preparing me.

  I shivered when she brushed my nipple with the sponge. I couldn’t help it. She had that concentration face on and it was so sexy. I wanted to put my hand behind her head and press her mouth to my breast but I resisted, balling my hand into a fist.

  It grew quiet, Olivia kept soaping me but she was doing it much slower.

  I let her take her time and enjoyed the fell of her moving around my body with care. I moved my legs so she could clean everywhere. I leaned under the spray and let it wash over me. Soon I was all clean and we were virtually done.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Sure,” she said, a little caught up and dazed.

  I turned off the water and stuck my arm out past the shower curtain and grabbed a towel and handed it to her and then did it again to get myself one. We dried off with the curtain drawn. It was chilly so I liked to hold in the warmth for as long as I could.

  I finally pulled the curtain back and stepped out, running for the closet where there was warm carpet. I started to dress and felt her brush past me. She had the towel around her hair and the rest of her was naked.

  “Mmm, I like watching you,” I said.

  She laughed to herself, a little embarrassed. “I know the feeling,” she said, smiling over at me a little and grabbing some underwear and putting them on.

  Her eyes touched me in places before sliding downward to concentrate on getting dressed.

  “I’m sure,” I said, realizing that I was standing in front of her as naked as she was.

  I put on my underwear and the dress I’d picked out and then went back to the bathroom to dry my hair and do my makeup.

  We were both ready within an hour. I made Olivia do my eye makeup because I wanted it to look nicer and I always got impatient. She had unlimited patience for things like that.

  “Thanks, Baby,” I said.

  “It’s nothing,” she said, holding my hand.

  She’d dressed in her version of down: tight high-waist jeans, a short black sweater, her hair a little different but down with small braids to keep it out of her face. She’d put her engagement ring on a chain and wore it around her neck sometimes, keeping it hidden but I knew it was there.

  “Days like this I don’t know what to do,” she said, heavily. “I just get sad and I don’t know why and I can’t stop it. But I know it’s dumb.” Her fingers tangled in the edges of her sweater sleeves, playing with them.

  She forced a smile but I could see it inside her, all that confusion on how to be.

  “I have so much to be grateful for,” she said, meaning it. The sadness was this extra thing she couldn’t confront or explain.

  “Maybe it’s just the past sticking with you. I don’t know but I understand and I’m sorry you’re sad. Just tell me if I can do anything. At least, after this we will have time to hang out, just us,” I said .

  She looked up at me, smiling. A tear fell down her cheek. “You do everything,” she said, gratefully. “I’m actually looking forward to today.” She licked her lips and then bit her bottom one, trying to keep it together and not cry.

  Olivia cried a lot, at least, she cried way more than I did. I learned that it didn’t mean that I’d done something wrong necessarily. It was just her emotions overwhelming her.

  “Come on, we’ll go see what’s cooking and have some coffee in the main house,” I said.

  “Okay,” she nodded, finally ready to get on with the day.

  “You look beautiful, as usual,” I said.

  “Stop,” she said, hitting me, mood immediately changing into that joyous flirtation. “I can’t take you on top of this. You know I’ll explode,” she rolled her eyes, demonstrating. After a second she swallowed. “I just wanted to be comfortable today,” she said, looking down at herself and holding the hem of her sweater right over her stomach. Olivia was probably the only person I know who would get her nails done all black for the holidays. The ring on her finger, our marriage ring, was a shining light.

  “I can’t help it. You’re far too gorgeous for me,” I said.

  I found some shoes, some low heels and slipped them on. I pushed my hair away from my face when I lifted my head.

  “You know it’s just mean for you to dress like that,” she said, judging me. “Like I haven’t anything better to do than fantasize.”

  “Oh, do you think so?”

  “I know so,” she said. “You’re an abnormally cruel person sometimes.”

  Her own feet were bare. I don’t think she even intended on dressing them, not even some socks.

  “Aren’t you going to get cold like that?” I pointed down at her feet.

  “From one house to the next?” She asked, eyebrows raising. “I think I can take it.”

  Olivia grew cold often. Once her feet went cold her whole body did. She was always like this though, so ridiculous and stubborn.

  “I want a croissant,” she said, randomly. “With chocolate in the middle. If my mom didn’t buy one I’ll be upset.”

  “I bet she did. She knows we both like them,” I said.

  “You’re always protecting her,” Olivia teased.

  “This time I’m just telling the truth or what I’d bet is the truth,” I argued.

  I pulled her in and hugged her and then I spun away and took her hand on my way. We walked out into the living room and throu
gh the door beyond. We went across the pool area and entered the main house. There was an elaborate set up of pastries from different places set out on the table in the breakfast nook.

  My eyes widened when I saw a man in a white coat and two other people dressed similarly moving around the kitchen. I looked back to Olivia and raised my eyebrows. I had no idea who any of them were.