by Debra Druzy
“I thought it was programmed into the female-chromosomes—the shopping gene.”
“Nope. Not this female.” It was much better excuse than venting about being broke.
“Do you wanna come with me?” His voice dropped an octave, making a trip to the mall sound so seductive she couldn’t say no. Made her wish he’d ask the same question in her bed.
“We’ll see.”
“Aww, come on. I’d like to get Chief Maresca something more than a bottle of scotch for giving me the job.”
She sighed, tapping her nervous fingers on the tabletop, getting the feeling he didn’t take no’s very easily. “Okay, fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. I guarantee the mall will be a zoo, and you’ll wish you listened to me.”
“Probably.”
The waitress delivered steaming mugs of cocoa overflowing with whipped cream and marshmallows alongside a mountain of cookies—a bunch of rainbow squares, an oversized black-and-white, and a few linzer tarts. She left the check, which Nick paid in cash on the spot.
“Hey.” She reached into her bag and took out some crumpled singles. “I owe half.”
“Put your money away.” He gave her the same look as he did when he told her not to walk home from Brawny’s farm, so she put the money back.
After they gobbled the cookies, he pointed to her cheek. “You have some crumbs…right…there.”
She swiped her chin with the back of her hand.
“Almost…over more. It’s still there. Here, let me help you.” He reached across the table and wiped them away with his thumb, leaving a sizzling trail where skin touched skin.
It wasn’t the first time he put his hands on her, but it was the first time she saw stars in his eyes, staring musingly at her lips, making her lick them on impulse.
“Um, thanks.” She dropped her chin to hide the secret crush blooming in her soul. Could he sense the puppy love? Could he see it in her eyes? She needed to change the subject before she said something outrageous regarding her unraveling emotions. “So, tell me…how’d you get stuck playing Santa Claus this year?”
Nick chuckled. “Well, let’s just say the chief’s a pretty persuasive man.”
The chief’s not the only one.
Chapter Eight
“A little early for a snowplow, isn’t it?” Lily asked, as Nick directed her toward his silver pickup truck, parallel parked across the street.
He skipped the details regarding his compulsion to mount it right before Thanksgiving, in time for the first snowfall, and simply said, “What can I say? I like being prepared.”
“Just like a boy scout.” She smirked, climbing inside.
“Kinda.” He chuckled, slamming the passenger door.
They meandered around Scenic View on a guided tour through Lily’s sentimental eyes. Her topographical knowledge of dirt roads, backwoods, and dead ends beat his GPS system’s incorrect interpretation every time.
He shared his pack of cinnamon gum while she shared her opinion of the local territory. From Alphabet Town Preschool where she spent her formative years, to Zhang’s Chinese takeout where they made her favorite spring rolls.
“See that building on the right?” Lily pointed to the abandoned-looking warehouse, next to a gentleman’s club called the Devil’s Oasis, as they passed the marina, heading uptown toward the railroad station. “Doesn’t look like much, but that’s the Sound System recording studio. Broken Zipper made their first album there. Just a little Scenic View claim-to-fame,” she said with a haughty twang.
Embarrassed to admit he never heard of the band, he nodded and smiled anyway for effect. “Oh, wow, that’s cool.”
The more he learned, the more he liked—about her, and this place.
“What’s with all the junk?” She referred to the stockpile clanking around in the backseat anytime he turned a tight corner or made a hard stop.
“Just stuff. Spare clothes. Work gear. You know, the usual.”
“The usual?” She poked her nose over the seat. “I don’t usually keep an axe in my car.”
“You mean the Halligan bar? It’s a forcible entry tool. Never know when it’ll come in handy.”
She shot him a dirty look, then turned her head and crossed her arms.
“My job really bothers you that much, huh?” He made a mental note to clean out the backseat Asap. If, by chance, she went out with him again, he didn’t want to spoil it with reminders of why she refused to date him in the first place. “Please don’t let it ruin the night, okay?”
“I’m not letting anything ruin the night,” she hissed, as pissed as a rattlesnake.
“Then smile, will ya?”
“There. How’s that?” She flashed a fake smile before pouting again. “Happy?”
“Come on, Lily. I thought we were past all that.”
“Me too. Guess I’m not. Seeing all your gear… I don’t want to think about it…it’s so…dangerous.” She glared at the windshield, not giving him the consideration of looking him in the eye.
“So, what—you want me to take you home now?”
“Why? You wanna take me home?” She unsnapped her seat belt. “You know what—I can walk from here.”
“What the hell are you doin’?” He yanked her elbow and swerved off the road onto a patch of dead grass. “Are you nuts?”
“You’re breaking my arm.”
“Better than letting you break your neck.”
“I’m not jumping out. I meant drop me at the corner. You can let go of me now.”
He released her with a deflated sigh. “What are we fighting for?”
“I dunno. Let’s just forget it.”
He put the truck in Park. “No. Let’s finish it, now. You hate my job, and you won’t date firemen—I get it. That’s why I haven’t made the effort to see you.” He hesitated, gathering his thoughts, not mentioning how he staked out her place and followed her downtown today. He was tired of wasting precious time with childish games. “Whenever I see you, it makes me wanna see you more.”
“Well…if we’re spilling our guts, the truth is I’ve tried hard to forget you. I thought time and space would get you off my mind, but it didn’t work. Every time I see you, we connect…or maybe it’s just in my head. All this talk about life, and us, and everything…I don’t want to get so far ahead of myself thinking this could go somewhere. Who knows when we’ll run into each other again after today?” She calmed down and put on the seatbelt.
All he got out of her rambling, he summarized in a whisper, “You tried to forget me?”
“Sorry…but, yeah, I did. Let me tell you, it’s not easy.” She bowed her head, shielding her face with the collar of her coat.
“Is it just because I’m a firefighter? Or does it have anything to do with me being so much older?”
“Nick.” She shook her head. “Age is a number.”
“Lily, I’m thirty-six. And you’re—God…you’re not even close.” He shook his head, disgusted by his lustful intentions.
“That doesn’t bother me. I lived through more than most people my age. Twenty-four’s not as young as you think.”
“So, it’s just my job you have a problem with?”
She shrugged. “It’s not that I have…a problem. It’s…it’s hard not to imagine something bad happening in your line of work.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“You don’t have to apologize. That’s not what I’m looking for.”
“Then, what are you looking for?”
“I-I don’t even know any more.” She sighed like there was something else to say.
“You still wanna go home?”
“No.”
That was all he needed to hear as he put the truck in Drive and tore down the road before she changed her mind. He circled around town, killing time, taking the long way up steep hills and down winding roads.
They cruised past the Scenic View Inn, decked out with the most holiday flair, covered with icicle lights, miles of g
arland, and giant bows.
Coasting past Town Hall and the Center Square, he whispered, “Whoa,” at the sight of the huge Christmas-Star-of-David menorah-tree.
“Pretty, right?” Lily exhaled dreamily.
“Pretty impressive.”
“Turn here.” She pointed to a side street—a private road that didn’t register on his GPS.
Behind wrought iron gates and manicured landscapes, McMansions on the bluff overlooked Scenic View Harbor. Each miniature castle was dressed in full holiday grandeur, more remarkable than the next. Nothing gaudy or over-the-top here. No plastic Santas. No reindeers on rooftops. No inflatable snowmen. Just classy crystal lights like tiny stars outlining the fine architecture.
“Whaddaya think? Nice, right?” She stared out the windshield, while Nick studied her profile in the ambient light.
“Stunning,” he breathed.
Lily must have caught him staring from the corner of her eye, because she gave a shy smile with fluttering eyelashes. “Um, if you follow the bend we’ll wind up on Main Street.”
They rode a few miles on North Shore Road until the shopping center was in sight.
The empty parking lot meant one thing—she was right—The. Place. Was. Closed. A few people were setting up chairs in a line at the front door of Child World. Other than them, no one was here.
Lily’s wide eyes spoke volumes: I told you so. She popped a Starlight in her mouth. “Want one?”
Nick shook his head, grinding his teeth on a piece of flavorless gum. He pulled up against the curb to ask the organized mob what time the mall would open.
“Five,” said a random voice.
“Minutes? Or hours?”
“Five in the morning,” another voice chimed in. Meanwhile, his cell phone moaned again, and he dumped the call.
“Why don’t you just answer it already?” she asked sweetly, her curiosity laced with a tone of genuine concern.
“’Cause I don’t wanna!”
“Oo-kay.” Lily shifted closer to her side of the bench seat.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I know who it is—my ex-wife.”
“Maybe she has something important to say.”
“Then she can leave a message. I don’t wanna talk about her,” he grumbled, driving toward the exit.
“We can wait in line if you really want to do this.”
“Ah, fuggetaboutit. There’s plenty of time ’til Christmas. I just thought, you know, we could spend some time together. When I was a kid, that’s what we did on a date—go to the mall.”
“I thought you said this isn’t a date.” Her seriousness made him wish he chose a different word. Then she smirked like she was just messing with him. “We’re not kids, Nick. We can go anywhere we want.” The husk in her voice vibrated all the way to his core, and he swallowed hard, not sure what she was thinking behind those motel eyes.
His itchy fingers twisted the radio dial, searching for something Christmassy and corny enough to restrain his fantasy from running wild.
“Wait!” She grabbed his hand, sending another shock through his system. “Go back—I love that song!”
“Dontcha wanna hear holiday music?”
“No, thanks. ‘Hell-ooo. I’ve waited here for you. Everlong…’”
The green light turned yellow, then red. Nick tapped the brake. When he came to a full stop, he took his attention off the road for the moment to gaze at her as she bopped to the beat, feeling the passion of the song as she sang along with the Foo Fighters.
“‘And I wonder…’” The song continued, but Lily stopped and stared like she was reading his thoughts.
“What?” The sensitive serpent trapped in Nick’s jeans twitched as if she was some kind of snake charmer.
“Nothing. Just thinking,” she uttered at the guitar bridge.
“About?” And I wonder…
“About this song. This day. You. Life. Everything.” She released tangible energy, making Nick want to pull over and grab her on the spot.
The light turned green, and he pressed the gas.
“And I won-der…” David Grohl sang.
Thank God for red lights and redheads.
At the next intersection, he timed his arrival with the stoplight so he could lock eyes with her for another ever-long moment, then he manipulated the rest of the ride home to last as ever-long as possible.
“I didn’t mean to waste your time going to the mall. That was a stupid idea.”
“You’re not wasting my time, Nick.” She reached over and put a reassuring hand on his sleeve. “Don’t even think it for a minute. I’m sorry about before. I really would like to get to know you better. You seem like a really nice guy. Any girl would be lucky…” She bit her bottom lip.
“I don’t want any girl, Lily.” He made a sharp one-handed turn toward Main Street that sent everything in his backseat sliding to one side. “And I really don’t wanna take you home yet.”
“We can park somewhere if you want.”
He sucked in a hopeful breath. “You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“How about the marina?”
She nodded with a delicious grin. “Sure.”
“Okay then…”
He drove until he found his usual out-of-the way spot where he liked to meditate about her.
Being here with her now seemed strange. Just the sound of their mingled breath and the hum of the engine. They stared out the windshield at the moon brightening the sky, reflecting off the water like a sea of twinkling diamonds. Hypnotic waves lapped against the dock, making everything seem to sway.
He’d done this sort of thing plenty of times, on plenty of first-and-only dates in Star Harbor, but it never felt like this.
“Are you warm enough?”
“Too warm.” She slipped off her coat and shoved up her sleeves. She wore no rings. No bracelets. No chains around her neck. Not even earrings. Most girls wore some piece of jewelry, but Lily wore none, and it thrilled him, creating the illusion that she never belonged to anyone else.
“Lily…” His attempt to break the awkward silence didn’t get very far, not with her glittery eyes staring at him. “I haven’t done anything like this in so long. I forgot what it’s supposed to be like.”
“Me, too.”
“Let me ask you something. What exactly are you looking for?”
She broke her gaze with a few rapid blinks. “What do you mean?”
“I’m wondering…about what you said before.” He shrugged, not even sure what he meant. “Outta life? In a relationship? From me? In one breath, you let me know I’m un-dateable. And in the next, you tell me any girl would be lucky…I dunno what to think. I just wanna know what you really want.”
“Hmm...I guess what any girl wants—I just…I want it all.”
“Good to know.” Satisfied with her blanket-response, he stole a first kiss. Harder and deeper than he intended because he was working on limited self-control.
Lily purred, bowing her pliant body against him.
His arms wrapped around her, grabbing the hair at the nape of her neck to pull her against his mouth. Like yin and yang—a perfect fit, a perfect kiss. She tasted every bit as sweet as he imagined. Like a candy cane, only better. He slid the bench seat back and pulled her across his lap, cradling her head in the crook of his arm, to kiss her deeper, harder, longer.
Ever-long.
She squealed.
He pulled away to survey her face for any hints of uncertainty, relieved he saw nothing but a molten stare that matched his own raging temperature. “Did I hurt you?”
“No. Not at all.” Her face was red and raw from his five o’clock shadow working overtime.
He stroked her hot cheeks with the side of his finger, holding her face like some fragile treasure. The moonbeam illuminated her profile, setting her delicate features aglow.
“You’re okay with this?”
“It’s fine. I’m fine. Really. Everything’s fine.” She nodded with e
ager eyes.
“Then I’m gonna kiss you again, okay?”
“I hope so.” She wet her lips, but he moved around them to nibble her neck, her jawline, her ear lobe, making the glorious moment last.
“You are so delicious.” He murmured between kisses. “I can’t get enough of you.” The words slipped out as easy as the oversized sweatshirt slipped off her shoulder.
He could have undressed her without even trying, but his plan wasn’t to seduce her in the truck, even if she wanted it. She deserved their first time to be somewhere better than his front seat. Besides, the glove compartment was empty; he’d tossed away the remaining condoms figuring they’d expired after being in there for so long.
“I-I…” Lily gasped. “Nick, I can’t have sex with you. Not here…now. I’m not—it’s just—I can’t. I’m not ready to go that far.”
“Shh…it’s okay. I wasn’t even thinking it.”
She pulled back with skeptical lust-drunken eyes. “Yeah, right.”
He brushed the hair off her feverish forehead, tempted to kiss those luscious lips again but needed to adjust his jeans before they cut off circulation to his crotch. “I can use some air. How about you?”
“Sure, why not.”
He opened the door and got a cold, damp blast in the face, then went around to help her out of the passenger’s side.
“Better put your hat on.” He tugged it over her hair. She zipped her coat halfway, but he dragged the metal tab up to her chin. “Didn’t you have gloves?”
“I don’t need them.” She jumped out and put her warm hand in his. “It’s f-f-freezing. Are you s-s-sure you wanna d-d-do this?”
“It won’t be so bad once we’re moving.” He pulled her closer to benefit from the protection of his body against the whipping wind. “Which way should we go?”
She tugged him in the opposite direction of the Scenic View Inn and any chance of renting a room there for the night.
The stores were all closed along Main Street, but their holiday lights sparkled in full festiveness, making it feel more like Christmas than Thanksgiving. No traffic tonight. Just a few pedestrians. Other than that, it was like having the whole town to themselves.