A Yuletide Affair

by Monica Richardson

  “I’d like to start with a key lime cosmopolitan, with just a touch of cranberry and a little extra lime juice,” said Alyson.

  “Yes, ma’am.” The woman disappeared.

  “I think we have more in common than you think. Although I’m not all that familiar with Caribbean food, I do prefer an old-fashioned meal myself.” Samson laughed. “Maybe I missed the mark a little with this place.”

  “I would think that a ladies’ man such as yourself would be a bit more perceptive when it came to women.”

  “I was trying to impress you with a nice meal and a gorgeous view.”

  Alyson gave an appreciative smile, but turned her head toward the bay. “You were dead-on with the gorgeous view.”

  “Breathtaking, isn’t it?” he said softly, relaxed in his seat. She could feel his eyes settle on her.

  The server placed the cosmopolitan in front of her.

  “I think I’ll have the Chilean sea bass,” she said, and then handed her menu to the server. Took a long swig of her cocktail.

  She’d decided against the salad long before. Since he’d taken the time to try to impress her, the least she could do was eat. And she did just that, and enjoyed the simple conversation. Samson was easier to talk to than she’d ever suspected, and she found that she enjoyed his company.

  “Would you like dessert?” he asked.

  “Let’s not push it,” she said. “I really am watching my figure.”

  “What is this obsession with your weight?”

  “There’s no obsession. I’m just cautious.”

  “I think your body is perfect.”

  She did everything in her power not to blush, but she couldn’t help it. She looked away to disrupt the uncomfortable moment. “It’s a beautiful night.”

  “We should go for a walk along the beach after dinner. What d’you say?”

  “Maybe another time,” she said. “I have work waiting for me at the Grove.”

  “I understand.”

  She ordered another cosmopolitan, and before long she was feeling mildly tipsy. The more she talked to Samson, the less she wanted the night to end. She almost rethought his invitation to walk along the beach, but wasn’t about to bring the subject up again. She was too stubborn. However, she vowed that if he asked again, she’d take him up on it. But he didn’t ask. Instead, he motioned for the server to bring the check.

  Fifteen minutes later, Samson delivered Alyson to the door of her suite at the Grove.

  “So this is good night,” he said.

  “I had a lovely time.” She was sincere when she said it.

  She leaned her back against her door, and Samson drew closer. “Can I see you again?”

  She breathed in his scent. She hoped he would kiss her; she wanted him to. He leaned in, and she rested her head against the door. She decided not to close her eyes. She wanted to be fully aware of him. His nose brushed against hers.

  “Well, there you are,” came an intrusive voice.

  Bijou appeared out of nowhere, and Alyson rolled her eyes at the interruption.

  “Hello, Bijou.” Samson spoke to her.

  “I’ve been looking all over for you. The band is setting up for rehearsal. Are you coming?”

  “Of course.”

  Bijou stood there, as if waiting for him.

  “Did you need something else?” he asked what Alyson wanted to ask.

  “No. I’ll be downstairs,” she said, and turned to walk away. “Good evening, Miss Talbot.”

  “Good evening, Bijou,” Alyson mumbled.

  Samson turned back toward Alyson and attempted to pick up where he’d left off. Alyson placed a finger in the air and blocked his lips from finding hers again.

  “Good night, Mr. Steel. Thank you for a lovely dinner.” Alyson turned to unlock her door. “I need to call and check on my father.”

  “When will I see you again?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll be tied up this weekend,” she said as she turned to face him again. “My parents are planning a family dinner on Saturday, and I’m expected to be there.”

  “Oh, you mean the family dinner that I’ve been invited to attend?” He grinned. “Your mother invited me to break bread with your family.”

  “Oh, she did, did she?”

  “She did indeed. And I’m glad now. I have an excuse to see you again.”

  She felt a sense of warmth in her heart—something she hadn’t felt in some time. But just as sure as she felt it, she dismissed it. She didn’t have any time or room for Samson Steel in her life. She was too busy for romance, and too focused to become attached to someone like him. She reminded herself that Jasmine’s wedding was the only reason she frequented the islands, and that wouldn’t change.

  Even if Samson’s almost-kiss did have her loins burning on the inside.

  Chapter 11

  The house smelled of Bahamian macaroni and cheese, garlic chicken and fresh collard greens. Freshly baked johnnycakes rested on the kitchen table right next to her mother’s famous rum cake. The conch had been chopped into small pieces and was ready to be tossed in a salad. Bahamian music played on her father’s stereo in the living room, while her mother cooked and danced around the kitchen.

  “Alyson, check the pigeon peas and rice for me,” her mother instructed after taking a sip of her sky juice. “Jazzy, the conch is ready for you to make that conch salad. I’ve already fried up the fritters. We are on the ball.”

  “Yes, we are, Mother.” Jasmine kissed her mother’s cheek.

  Alyson stirred the mixture with a large spoon. Of all the family dinners at the Talbot home, this one was causing her the most anxiety. The anticipation of seeing Samson again had her giddy.

  “Why are you glowing?” asked Beverly Talbot. She brushed her daughter’s hair with her fingertips.

  “I’m not,” Alyson denied, and pulled away from her mother’s touch.

  “You’re wearing makeup.” Beverly smiled. “Is that eye shadow?”

  Alyson rarely wore more than an occasional lip gloss, and perhaps a little eyeliner to heighten her eyes.

  “I always wear eye shadow,” she lied.

  Talbot women didn’t need makeup. Their skin was flawless.

  “I’ve never seen you wear it,” said an instigating Jasmine, who stood nearby with a knowing grin.

  “If you two don’t stop...! I’m going to set the table.” Alyson left the kitchen in a huff.

  The sight of Edward walking through the front door gave Alyson a sense of normalcy. Took a bit of her anxiety away.

  “Little sister.” Edward greeted Alyson with a strong hug and a kiss to the cheek.

  “It’s about time you got here,” she said. “I thought you were coming in yesterday.”

  “I spent too much time at the courthouse yesterday. I’m going for full custody of Chloe,” said Edward.

  “What? Why?” Alyson asked.

  “Because she belongs with me.”

  “You can’t get full custody!”

  “Why not?”

  “Because, number one, you don’t have time to raise a kid. Which is the reason you’re divorced in the first place,” said Alyson. “And what makes you think a court would give you full custody instead of Savannah?”

  “Whose side are you on, anyway?”

  “I’m always on your side, but I know that courts typically rule in favor of the biological mother unless she’s a lousy parent. Which you and I both know she’s not. Savannah is a wonderful mother. And you two have the perfect coparenting relationship,” Alyson said as she set embroidered place mats on the table. “What’s really going on?”

  “She’s seeing some dude.”

  “So? You’ve dated women, too, since the divorce.”

  “But I don’t bring anyone around Chloe. That’s not a part of the deal. Not to mention I found out that he might be living in my house.”

  “Your house?”

  “The one I still make mortgage payments on.”

  “Are
you jealous?”

  “Of course not!” Edward denied the obvious. “I’m concerned about my daughter. That’s it. And Savannah broke our agreement. No one spends time with our daughter until the other party meets that person, checks him or her out and decides that it’s okay.”

  “In what world does that happen?”

  “In my damn world!” said Edward.

  “Maybe you should have a conversation with Savannah about it.”

  “You don’t think I’ve tried that? She told me that whomever she dates is none of my business. She got all self-righteous. Pissed me off! So I’m taking her to court. We’ll see whose business it is when I sell the house and take Chloe.”

  Edward hadn’t been divorced that long. She still remembered when his ex-wife had become fed up with his impossible schedule. He’d been too focused on his career, and not focused enough on his family. Savannah had begged him for more time and attention to his home life, and he’d refused. He hadn’t anticipated that she would leave him and take his daughter away, but she’d followed through. And when she filed for divorce, he was devastated. By the time he’d tried to change her mind, she was gone. Alyson suspected that he still loved her, yet he’d never admit it.

  “You would do that to her?” Alyson asked.

  “In a heartbeat.”

  “You’re ruthless,” Alyson teased.

  “I’m not ruthless,” Edward countered. “And enough about me. Why are you spending so much time on the island these days?”

  “Well, in case you’ve forgotten, our sister is getting married in a few weeks. I’m helping with the wedding plans, and I’m the maid of honor.”

  “It’s good you and Jazzy are spending so much time together. I’m happy about that.” Edward smiled. “Where is my little sister, anyway?”

  “She’s in the kitchen with your mother...” Alyson raised an eyebrow. “Your very tipsy mother, I might add.”

  “She’s been hitting the sky juice?” Edward laughed.

  “Way too often lately,” said Alyson.

  Edward disappeared into the kitchen. Alyson continued to set the table, and when she looked up, she was staring into a pair of handsome eyes. Samson had arrived, wearing her favorite color. A red button-down shirt tightly clung to his chest, and a matching red-and-black-plaid fedora rested on his head. Following her father into the dining room, he removed the fedora and gave Alyson a wide grin.

  “Sweetheart, have you met our dinner guest, Samson Steel?” her father asked.

  “Yes, Daddy. We’ve met. He’s staying at the Grove.”

  “She took me on a house-hunting trip recently,” Samson added. “In the Abaco Islands.”

  “In Abaco? I see,” her father said thoughtfully.

  “I’ve been trying to get her to have dinner with me ever since, sir.”

  “I’m a busy person. With work and Jazzy’s wedding, I have a lot going on.”

  “Maybe you should consider his offer, sweetheart. Even busy people need to eat.” Her father took a drink from his bottle of water. “I’ll grab you a beer from the kitchen, son. And let my wife know that you’re here.”

  “I can get it myself, sir. You should probably rest.”

  “I’ve been resting all week! A man can’t find a moment’s peace with a houseful of women. I’m fine, really,” said Paul John. “Make yourself at home.”

  Samson grabbed the stack of plates and began to help Alyson set the table.

  “You should be ashamed of yourself. Lying to my father like that.”

  “You should listen to him and have dinner with me again.”

  “You should stay out of family business.”

  “Are you always this difficult with everyone or just me?” he asked thoughtfully.

  “Just you.” She couldn’t help but smile.

  Jackson walked in, a bottle of Merlot in his hand. “Well, hello, good people!”

  “Jackson, my man.” Samson was the first to give his friend a strong handshake.

  “I see you found your way to the Talbot household. Glad you could make it.” Jackson gave Samson a pat on the back, and then kissed Alyson on the cheek. “Good to see you, sis.”

  “Likewise,” said Alyson.

  “And where can I find my woman?” asked Jackson.

  “Slaving in the kitchen,” Alyson said, and then lit the candle in the center of the table.

  Paul John returned from the kitchen with a bottle of Bahamian beer for Samson. He shook hands with Jackson. “Well, if it isn’t my son-in-law-to-be. Good to see you, son.”

  “Good to see you doing well, sir,” said Jackson. “I heard about your little...thing. You gave us all quite a scare.”

  “It was a small thing. Nothing to even discuss,” Paul John said.

  Alyson frowned at her father and gave him the evil eye. “A small thing,” she mumbled.

  Paul John changed the subject. “Did you finish that big renovation in Palm Beach?”

  “All done. We put the finishing touches on the hardwood floors yesterday and installed new appliances and fixtures this morning...just in time for me to catch a flight here for dinner,” said Jackson with pride. “I’m home for a while.”

  “Jazzy will be very happy to hear that,” Paul John said as he handed Samson the beer.

  “Happy to hear what?” asked Jasmine as she entered the room.

  “That your man’s home for a while,” Jackson said, then grabbed Jasmine in his arms and gave her a strong squeeze. Kissed her lips as if he’d missed every single moment that he’d been apart from them.

  “Let’s retire to the living room, son,” Paul John told Samson. “I’m sure there’s a game of some sort on the telly.”

  Alyson felt awkward, standing there as the lovebirds continued to engage in a kiss. “Get a room,” she said with a huff, and then went into the kitchen.

  Beverly pulled a dish of garlic chicken out of the oven and placed it on top of the stove. “Let’s get this food on the table, Alyson. Go ahead and take the johnnycakes and conch fritters out there.”

  Alyson grabbed the warm dishes with oven mitts and took them into the dining room.

  “Let me help you with that,” said Edward, who grabbed a warm dish and followed Alyson.

  “Are you two still kissing? Jesus!” she exclaimed when she entered the dining room.

  “Alyson, chill out,” Jasmine said. “I haven’t seen him in weeks.”

  “Jackson Conner.” Edward reached for a handshake from Jackson.

  Jackson stopped kissing Jasmine long enough to shake hands with his good friend and future brother-in-law. “Edward, how’s it going, man?”

  “Not bad, bro. Good to see you home.”

  “Glad to be here.”

  “Try to exercise some restraint,” Alyson said to Jasmine. “Can’t have you preggers before the wedding. It took us too long to find that dress!”

  “Oh, sweetheart, you found a dress?” Jackson was surprised.

  “Yes,” said Jasmine. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you with all that went on with Daddy the other day.”

  Alyson interrupted. “Yep, she found a dress—with a price tag that sent my father into cardiac arrest.”

  “Stop it, Alyson! I didn’t even have a chance to tell him about the dress before I learned about his heart attack.”

  “I can’t wait to see it.” Jackson smiled.

  “Not before the wedding, Romeo,” said Alyson, while grabbing her sister by the arm. “Now come on, Jazzy. We need to get this food on the table.”

  * * *

  The dinner conversation was light and jovial. The Talbot children were happy to have the patriarch of their family alive and doing well. His mild heart attack could’ve been much worse. They were also eternally grateful that Samson had been there and had selflessly spent the day at the clinic with their father.

  “So I understand you attended Harvard, Samson,” said Edward.

  “I did.”

  “Strange our paths never crossed. Although y
our face looks familiar.”

  “As does yours.”

  “Jackson and I spent a great deal of time talking shit to one another during our days at Harvard.” Edward laughed. “I’m proud to say that he’s one of my best friends.”

  Jackson raised his beer in agreement. “Which is why he’s my best man at the wedding. Did you get fitted for your tux, by the way?”

  “It’s on my calendar.”

  “Oh, my God, Edward! You haven’t gone to get fitted?” Alyson interrupted. “Are you going to wait until the day before? What if alterations are needed?”

  “Get off my back, woman. The bride only recently found a dress.” Edward laughed, and caused the other men in the room to join him in laughter.

  “What does the bride’s dress have to do with you getting fitted?” asked Alyson. “We are getting down to the wire.”

  “I’m on it! I promise,” Edward said.

  Alyson shook her head at her brother.

  “I’ve been so tied up with the wedding that I haven’t had a chance to even think about Junkanoo.” Jasmine tried to change the subject, lighten the mood.

  “What’s Junkanoo?” Samson asked.

  “It’s the highlight of the Christmas season!” declared Jasmine. “It’s a huge street parade, with costumes, music and dancing.”

  “It’s what dinner conversations are usually made of,” added Edward.

  “Only our dinner conversations have been about a wedding instead, this year,” said Alyson.

  “Junkanoo takes place the day after Christmas,” Jasmine explained. “On Boxing Day.”

  “If you weren’t getting married, I would be traveling to Nassau,” said Alyson. “Junkanoo in Nassau is so much better. Folks all up and down Bay Street. There’s really nothing like it.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being on the Eleuthera for Junkanoo,” said Beverly. “It’s just as nice.”

  “Mother, really? It’s not the same,” Alyson rebutted. “It’s why Daddy used to take us to Nassau every year, for the bigger parade.”

  “It’s certainly a sight to see,” Paul John said to Samson. “And if you haven’t experienced it, you certainly should...at least once.”

  “I can’t wait to experience it.” Samson took a sip of beer.