by Ellen Hutton
“Oh that’s okay. I could hardly recognize you myself. You have lost some weight and you look so much like the most beautiful angel in heaven. ” he joked. Of course he had to be kidding and teasing me because I knew that I was a mess. Oh no, I was sure that I was a mess. But it still made me blush anyway.
I was still enchanted by his looks and my mouth could hardly form any words
“Are you here with Eunice? I think I caught a glimpse of her from afar” he said.
"Hmm hmm" I nodded.
Honestly, I would have nodded to whatever question he asked─ even if it was whether I was an accomplice to the murder of Michael Jackson.
He gave that charming smile again and led me toward the bar. I explained to him that I was having a drink before I decided to look around. His lips form an Oh, and he asked me what I was having. I blushed and answered truthfully that I had no idea, and then looked down in embarrassment. Well, he already knew I was not much of an alcoholic. And he definitely could spot the alcohol in my eyes if he looked closely enough.
"No worries. A decent girl shouldn't know too much about alcohol, anyway." he spoke, much to my delight. He still had his princely charm.
The guy behind the bar smiled and handed my bag over to me. He had kept it somewhere under the magnificently built counter. I just loved everything about the place. The inch perfect design of every single piece that made up the whole setting….ah! Awesome! The designs on the floor were beautiful... a mix of Mozart and conceptual flooring. The name of the establishment was written in graffiti behind where I sat. Everything was so organized and planned, from the lighting to the sounds, to-
"Scotch..." I heard him say, drawing me away from my mental admiration.
"Scotch…" he repeated.
"Huh?" I turn to him in shock.
"You are having scotch. The drink... It's scotch" he explained.
"Oh… Oh..." I croaked.
I realized my mind had drifted away into a stream of its own consciousness, and I had completely forgotten that I had this handsome American Adonis in front of me. He was still smiling, obviously sensing the distance of my mind. I felt a sudden coldness on my wrist. I abruptly looked down and found his fingers slightly placed on my hand. A sharp rush of hormones ran through my spine.
Chapter 6
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Urrm... Yes. Yes. Fine," I muttered.
He was about to speak again when on the spur of the moment, someone stood up from one of the tables and started making a toast.
"Here's to the man of the evening, ladies and gentlemen. He has been a symbol of perfection and proof that there truly is a level higher than the skies. I and my friends, and all the rest of us celebrate you as one family today. Cheers!"
"Cheers!" boomed throughout the club in an uproar. They all look at and point their glasses towards a man at a table adjacent to Diana and Garrick's. He stood up and threw his hands in appreciation, then did a mock bow, which sent everyone into laughter of frenzy. That was Harry Portman─ the owner of the club, and our host for tonight's Christmas Eunice celebration.
Kyle and I spent the next thirty minutes talking about each other and exchanging laughs. He told me about alcohol, and the names of different popular brands. He requested that we try a few, so I could get myself acquainted with some peculiar flavors. We tried another brand of scotch, then Vodka, then some others that my mind twirled too much for me to remember their names. I knew I would pass out if I didn't stop. I told him... He understood. We kept on talking about more personal issues. I was more open now; maybe a little too open. I told him about Nate. I was sure he already knew, though.
"Why do you think he did that?" I asked. A little stupid on my part, but then, I had thrown my care to the wind.
"Because he is a douche who did not deserve you." he replied calmly.
"You know, he was so special at the time or at least I thought he was.” I was feeling freer and more open. “We never really…”
“What?” A blush appeared on my face when he looked me in my eyes, urging me to continue.
“Urrm. We never really had sex.”
He smiled. “That was not so hard now, was it?”
“I don’t even know why I am telling all this to you”
“Come on. We have been friends for as long as I can remember. You used to tell me almost everything you know?”
I chortled.
“Sometimes I begin to think that maybe if we had sex, he would not have cheated. Maybe I pushed him to cheat. But why didn’t he trust me enough to tell me that he had a son?”
“You don’t have to blame yourself for every bad thing that happen to you as a result of the actions of others, you know,”
“Maybe I was not as attractive to him. Maybe─”
“Shuush…” he held my hand. I felt a sudden rush of electricity through my veins.
Just then, the host for the night, Harry Portman, got up from his seat and hit his cup with a spoon to gain the attention of everyone. He had our attention.
“Before I proceed, I would first like to thank all of you for making this possible. Last year, before we closed, I said that I would love this year’s celebration to be grander and more spectacular… and here we are… living in the dream.” He paused a while as people began to cheer and whistle.
“Now, it is time for us to drop the alcohol and move into the main event of the Night. It won’t be fair if we all celebrated Jesus, drunk and high, would it? Come on, I don’t think he would mind personally, I mean, he is Jesus─” that sent everybody into another frenzy.
“So now it is time to drop the alcohol. Desserts would be served now and the carol would begin immediately the guys at the back there are ready,” he pointed at the stage.
“By the way, let me be the first to wish all of you a merry Christmas!”
We clapped and cheered.
“Is it always like this every year?”
“Yes, actually it is. He enjoys a matured Christmas party with booze and enjoyment. But the moment the night starts drawing to its end, the holiness must come in sporadically. It’s a tradition.”
Just as he said, desserts were served. Small frosty fries, pastries, other small chops, Pepsi drinks, and every other tasty deliciousness were served. Then a small choir came on the stage as it lit up and kicked off the carol. Two well decorated Christmas trees stood at either side of the stage as the choir performed. The sand Silent Night in the most unbelievable way I had ever heard it. It was fascinating. Through all the songs, Kyle held my hand and I squeezed his even harder. I was overly comfortable around this man and I could not fathom why.
Some small cards were distributed, which showed the organization of the program for the night. We all sang our parts and enjoyed the show amid horrible voices that emanated from different corners of the club. Finally, it was gifts time… and I had not come prepared. Kyle went away for a while and came back with two wrapped boxes, handing me one. We were supposed to drop the gifts we brought under the Christmas trees. Each gift was numbered and the numbers were written in small pieces of paper. After everyone had dropped their gifts, each person went to the bag where the little pieces of paper were dropped and randomly picked one. Then he would go to retrieve the gift with the corresponding number under the Christmas tree. I had never experience sort of ritual before, but it was fun. Each person would un-wrap his gift before he went back to his seat. Once he was done un-wrapping his gift, the rest would scream and cheer. I almost screamed my heart out when I found a gold bracelet in the box that I picked.
By the time I got back to my bar seat, Kyle was gone and I could not find him anywhere around.
I was sad. I wanted to thank him for the wonderful night he gave to me. Still, I felt relieved that he was gone. I was not really sure if I was ready to move on already. When the Night finally drew to a close, I felt a sudden cloud of gloom embrace me. The realization that I was going back to my boring, unhappy life hit me hard.
At first, I was unwilling to ev
en step foot into the house. What was the use? I had no Christmas tree or anything that even half resonated Christmas inside. After the party tonight, it felt like migrating from the city to the ghetto. With a sigh, I unlocked the door and strode in.
The first sight that greeted me left me completely speechless. Right there in front of me was a Christmas tree perfectly decorated with classic gold and silver ornaments and beaded garlands. There were led lights, globe lights, bubble lights, and some actual fruits hung on the tree. Lights also extended round the house, giving a multi colored flavor to the overall beauty of the masterpiece. I could smell something cooking in the kitchen. There were cup cakes (obviously ordered), a chicken, and biscuits, properly arranged on the dining table. I dropped my bag and held my velvet blazer in awe. Who did this?
Then I saw him walking into view, from the kitchen. A smile beamed from his lips… My joy was filled to the brim. There was Kyle… he had gone through all this stress just to make my Christmas at least blissful .I ran towards him and fell into his arms in a full hug. He was all smiles and all too willing to catch me. I felt his well-built masculine chest; I inhaled the fresh smell of fruits that exited from his skin. Who could ask for a better Christmas? For the first time that week, I was tranquil. My mind thought of nothing more but happiness and unrivaled love.
Chapter 7
It was Christmas morning and I woke up to the sweet smell of scrambled eggs. Kyle sat by the edge of my bed, watching as I yawned and stretched my arms. He looked adorable and really cute with his scattered hair. I could hardly remember the events of the last night. All I knew was that I had a great time all through. I loved Kyle more than anything right now. He had completely taken away all the pains in my heart in one night. Seeing him right there gave me memories of the happy moments we had had throughout our time together, from growing up till when we became adults. We had always been drawn together by a force of attraction that I could not explain… but I was scared to take the plunge with him. Each time I thought about it, I felt shivers in my skin
“Wakey wakey, K”
Kyle called me K. I remember when he first called me that. It was when we were very young. My legs hadn't grown very firm, and I had knock knees. I was going to see the orthopedist one day when Kyle called me K. He had never said that before... never called me anything but Miranda. Kyle was clownish, though, so I knew something was up. Then I realized he was referring to my K legs. Although he said he called me K, for Miranda ‘Katy’ Anderson. Katy is my middle name, but I knew he lied. Even when my legs straightened as I grew, he continued to call me K every once in a while.
“God, Kyle, what would I do without you?”
He just smiled and stood to his feet.
“I have to go attend to some things, K; Remember there is a Christmas dinner at Uncle Richard’s tonight. Don’t be late.”
He was about to leave when I called his name.
“Kyle,” I called him softly.
“Yes, Miranda?”
“Have you ever… errm.”
“Have I ever what?”
“You know, thought about me as more than a friend?”
That seemed to catch him unawares. He held his breath for a while and looked away.
“Kyle… it’s okay, you know,”
“Okay to do what?”
“I have thought about you romantically several times─ and seeing all what you’ve done for me, I just thought it was only fair to let you know.”
He moved closer to me now, and then sat back on the bed. Then he held my hand and took it in both his hands, and then kissed it. I just lay there, watching every movement he made, my heart pounding. I must have woken up on the right side of the bed that I was so confident to say what I had just said. Now Kyle had my hand in his and he had just kissed me. I felt my heart melt.
“I have thought about you every single day since we were kids, Miranda.” He finally managed to utter. Then he continued. “No single day has gone by that I have not thought of you, as a friend, and as more. But all I have ever wanted; always wanted, and still want is for you to be happy.”
“Why didn’t you say anything, Kyle?”
“You have always been my best friend. I did not want to ruin that. I could not tell what your reaction would be if I told you.”
“I have always loved you. But I admit that I might have reacted differently if you had told me any time before. But this past week, I have had time to think about things and you have always been there for me.”
“And I want to be there for you always, every single time.”
“You know this is the first romantic conversation we have ever had, our entire lives together.”
“No. It cannot be!” he chuckled. “We used to be a couple one time. I must have said some sweet things to you then.”
“Yes you did. But you always clowned around, you never sounded serious”
“Funny how they say best friends can never become the best lovers.”
“Hey, hey, hey, slow down Romeo. Who is talking about lovers?”
He threw a scowling face at me.
“I have been waiting for this day my whole life. I only thought it possible in my dreams.”
“Your dreams? I’m sure your girlfriends and those girls that flock all around you would give you better dreams.”
“Ha-ha-ha, from what I know, you are stylishly enquiring about whether I have a girlfriend or not”
“I have always wanted to know. You hardly ever talk about your love life, yet I constantly bore you with mine. I must have made you so jealous on countless occasions.”
“You can’t imagine, Miranda. You can’t imagine. But I always thought Roland was a great guy, and he made you happy, so that was fine for me.”
“Remember that time I spurted eggnog all over your face? And you jumped on me? We were little then, I doubt you would remember.”
“For real? You remember that? How could I ever forget my first real chance of being on top you and partly living my fantasies?”
“You pervert. You actually enjoyed it huh?”
He blushed a bit. But I guess he was freer now, and so he did not really care.
“Oh the things I have dreamed about doing to you. The many things I have dreamed about doing to your cute body.”
“Urrrm… This is getting awkward.” I chortle.
“Plus your eggs are getting cold. I really should go.”
“How about we go on a real romantic date sometime?”
“Why do I get this feeling that you are playing me into something?”
“That’s your insecurity speaking”
“Well, a guy has got to have some insecurity when a girl like you is involved.”
“I am so glad we finally got to have this talk. Even if it is one of the most awkward talks I have had in my whole life.”
“Yeah, it is for me too. I feel like we are fourteen years old kids, trying to get into a relationship for the first time.”
I gave a snigger.
“But to actually answer your question; I do not have a girlfriend presently. I am officially single… and I think my search has ended.”
“What about Mandy, Evelyn and Charlotte?”
“It never really worked out. I always felt a certain connection between me and you and I had desires for you. So I measured them using you as the base most times. So it never really worked out.”
‘You know what’s funny?”
“What?”
“Even now, we are not talking like normal couples do.” I giggled.
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“Well, I guess only time can actually tell in the end.”
He smiled sheepishly, giving me a thoughtful look, and then stood to leave.
“Kyle? Where did you sleep last night?”
“On the couch; fell asleep watching a video. I promise to check on you later”
This time I did not stop him. I stared at him as he walked out of the room. He turned back and winke
d at me right before he stepped out.
Chapter 8
When I finally got out of bed that day, I realized that Kyle had left a gift under the Christmas tree for me. It was a nice thick sweater with two hearts drawn across the chest. He always knew what I would love. I was not sure yet if I was ready for a relationship… but I knew that I could not keep Kyle waiting anymore. I had decided to give him a chance. Sometimes, opportunities stare at us right in the face and we are mostly too distracted to see them until they go. I did not want Kyle to get tired and go. I felt he deserved more than that. He was simply a darling.
That night, I wore the sweater he had given me to dinner at Uncle Richard’s. Eunice was going to be busy tonight with her boyfriend, so I had decided to leave her out of the plans. She had been there for me long enough, now it was time for me to let her enjoy her life for one night since my disastrous wedding. I arrived at Uncle Richard’s and was greeted to an elaborate dinner with grilled chicken, Cranberry Sauce, Eggnog (for those who were interested), fruit cakes, mulled wine and every other goodie that Mrs. Claus could ever think of.
The night started with crackers and fireworks. It was simply beautiful and I loved the feel of being around family once more, celebrating with joy. Uncle Richard’s last wife was also present. Christmas was the only holiday that brought all Uncle Richard’s family and friends together in one place at the same time. I enjoyed running around with the boys, playing like we were kids. The snow had already started gaining momentum, and I prayed that the clothes I had on were going to be able to properly shield me from what seemed like it was going to be a heavy downpour of snow. Thankfully, Uncle Richard made an announcement, concerned about the weather too, and then we went in and gathered in the large dining and prepared to eat. Jokes flew from left to right… Uncle Richard had a lot of his old school jokes to tell. Then my night beamed brighter when I saw Kyle come in. We hugged and talked for a long time before I let him go, and he disappeared into the crowd of people that were at Uncle Richard’s residence. Everybody simply loved Uncle Richard; one would wonder how he managed to get divorced three times.