Ticket 1207
Page 10
“Sorry, baby. When’re you gonna be finished with your report?”
“The answer is the same one I gave you five minutes ago.”
Jill sighed and laid her head against the back of the couch. “Can I just tell you how sexy you are in those reading glasses?”
“Thank you, sweetie.”
“I’m gonna be quiet now.”
“I doubt it,” Shawn whispered as she typed. She winced when Jill’s phone rang, then tried to ignore the conversation.
“She’s still working,” Jill said with a long suffering sigh. “Is Nadia home yet?…No, we’re not dressing alike, are you crazy?…Oh, Rene, y’all are grown women.”
“Baby, go in the one of the other rooms, please,” Shawn said testily.
“I’ve been exiled,” Jill said as she got up from the couch and stomped into the bedroom.
Shawn could still hear the conversation, however.
“I made a seven-layer dip because Theo loves it and a pan of chocolate chip nut brownies. Those are Shawn’s favorite…No, we’ll be there at eight if I have to drag her…I can tell you that won’t work. She’s seen me dance naked, and after she stopped laughing, she fell asleep…No, y’all are not going on the carriage ride with us, it’s our anniversary thing…No, I’m not doing anything on that seat, do you know how much ass has been on it?”
Shawn smiled as she clicked a key on her laptop and saved the report she was working on. The last year had been revealing. Jill wasn’t the dream woman Shawn had invented in her mind. Jill didn’t always say the right thing. She was picky about their home, and when Shawn dropped her keys on the counter in the kitchen, Jill would growl and promptly hang them on a hook. They argued over laundry detergent and spots on the dishes. But Shawn was quick to mentally acknowledge that Jill was the closest to perfect she’d ever met.
Next to a huge Christmas tree, that Jill had gone over the top decorating since Christmas was her new favorite holiday, sat the one that Shawn had given her the year before. The shrunken head was still the topper, and his red eyes were glowing, compliments of fresh batteries. Presents were stacked next to the door, waiting to be carried to Theo’s for a family celebration. And Shawn had a new diamond in her pendant commemorating their first anniversary. Jill got more track so she could run her train all over the apartment, but her real present would come on Christmas morning when Shawn planned to get down on one knee and slip a ring on her finger.
“You spit this out on my pillow again last night. I rolled over, and it stuck to my face,” Jill said as she walked into the room waving Shawn’s night guard. “I rinsed it off, stuffed it back into your mouth, and somehow, you managed to get it inside your pillowcase. Baby, don’t you realize it’s missing when you get up in the morning?”
Shawn gazed up at her. “I love you, Jill.”
“Is a but about to pop out of your mouth?” Jill asked as her brow rose.
“No, I’ve never been happier. I just thought you should know that.”
Jill tossed the night guard onto Shawn’s laptop and climbed into her lap. “I love you, too, ticket 1207. You are my heart’s desire, and you always will be.”
“And you’re mine,” Shawn replied with a kiss. “I’m gonna go get dressed.”
Jill’s brow shot up. “In the Christmas sweater I bought you?”
“Baby, I’m so happy that you love Christmas now, but could you refrain from decorating me?”
“Oh, come on, it’s got a reindeer on it, and the nose flashes.”
Shawn got up with Jill in her arms. “I promise that I’ll wear it later when we’re alone.”
“Just the sweater?” Jill asked with a coy smile.
“Anything you want.” Shawn set Jill on the couch. “Play with the train while I take a quick shower.”
Jill watched Shawn’s butt as she walked into the bedroom, and she sighed happily. Her gaze then moved to the Christmas tree. The loneliest time of the year for her had changed. She no longer resented the decorations or festivities. Shawn’s presence had chased away the cold. Jill was warm inside and out.
She got up and walked past a glass frame with the slip of paper inside that read: Ticket 1207 belongs to yo heart’s desire. “Right you are, Theo,” Jill said with a laugh as she began to strip away her clothes.
Shawn’s eyes flashed wide when Jill pulled back the shower curtain and stepped in. “Baby, we’re gonna be late.”
“I should say I’m sorry, but I’m not.” Jill wrapped her arms around Shawn’s neck. “I’ve got a present you should open right now.”
“Oh! I already know what it is.”
Their laughter echoed throughout the apartment.
About the Author
Robin Alexander is the author of the Goldie Award-winning Gloria’s Secret and many other novels for Intaglio Publications, including Gloria’s Inn, Gift of Time, The Taking of Eden, Love’s Someday, Pitifully Ugly, Undeniable, A Devil in Disguise, Half to Death, Gloria’s Legacy, A Kiss Doesn’t Lie, The Secret of St. Claire, Magnetic, The Lure of White Oak Lake, The Summer of Our Discontent, Just Jorie, Scaredy Cat, The Magic of White Oak Lake, Always Alex and The Fall.
She was also a 2013 winner of the Alice B Readers Appreciation Award, which she considers a true feather in her cap.
Robin spends her days working with the staff of Intaglio and her nights with her own writings. She still manages to find time to spend with her partner, Becky, and their three dogs and four cats.
You can reach her at robinalex65@yahoo.com. You can visit her website at www.robinalexanderbooks.com and find her on Facebook.