Match Me Up

by Parker, Weston

  “This analogy is getting a little weird,” I told him.

  “I was hoping your little computer brain would be able to pick up on it.”

  “I didn’t want her to feel like I was pressuring her because we live together,” I said. “We only slept in the same room a couple of nights a week so it didn’t feel like we jumped right into living together as a couple. I was trying to take it slow. I already know she’s the woman I want to be with. I didn’t want to move too fast and send her running.”

  “Looks like you moved too slow and sent her running,” he said with another laugh.

  “Well shit,” I muttered. “She also doesn’t think she’s a nice girl, like the kind my mom wants for me. Her family is a little messed up. She says she can’t be with me because my family wants more.”

  “That’s on you to fix,” he said. “That sounds like an easy one. From the way I see it, you haven’t totally screwed this thing up. A little groveling and some talk about your feelings could turn this whole thing around.”

  “You think?” I asked hopefully.

  “I do. Isn’t today Tuesday? Shouldn’t you be rushing out of here and getting your Thai or something?”

  “I wasn’t going to,” I said. “It’s awkward.”

  “Go home and get the Thai food,” he said. “I don’t know if you want to bombard her with the feelings, but ease back into a friendly relationship. Take it from there.”

  “With Christmas coming, I’m worried,” I blurted out.

  “Worried about what?”

  “I assumed she would go home with me again, but after Thanksgiving, I’m not sure she’ll want to do that. Her dad is pretty much a nonstarter. I don’t want to leave her alone. Should I insist she go home with me?”

  “Before you dare insist anything, you need to get back into her good graces. Fix what got broken between you and then start having those conversations.”

  “Okay, I can do that. I’m going to do that. In fact, I’ve got to go. Get the team on making some ads with those pictures. Make sure you get all the demographics covered.”

  “Are you going to get Thai?” he asked with a laugh.

  “I’m going to get a lot more than Thai,” I said and grabbed my jacket.

  I was going back to the beginning. I was hitting the reset button, and this time, I was going to do it right. I didn’t know why I waited so long. I could turn this around. I drove to Target and gave my credit card a good workout before heading home. It took three trips to get all the loot up to the apartment. I set about putting up the Christmas decorations. She couldn’t be mad at me in a festive atmosphere. I knew she loved Christmas. At least she used to back in school. I imagined it was a difficult time for her with her mother gone. I wanted to try and make it a happy time.

  She came home carrying a box of pizza. That was when I knew for certain all was not lost. “Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed. “What have you done!”

  “I decorated,” I said. “I got a tree for us to put up as well.”

  “You bought a tree?” she gasped.

  “It’s a fake tree, but I didn’t want to deal with pine needles, and I think the building restricts real trees anyway.”

  “This is pretty amazing,” she said with the first real smile I’d seen on her in a week.

  “You brought pizza,” I said and pointed out the obvious.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d be home, but just in case.”

  “I got Thai,” I said.

  I could practically see the ice melting between us. “Why don’t we eat dinner and then we can decorate that tree?”

  We sat at the bar and caught up on the last week. The conversation flowed between us. We talked, ate, and drank, and I could practically feel my world being righted.

  “Did you leave anything for the rest of the city?” she teased when I pointed to the pile of decorations I bought for the tree.

  “I wasn’t sure how much we would need,” I said. “I didn’t want a naked tree. I had no idea there were so many different colors and designs. It was a little overwhelming. I went traditional and stuck with what I knew best.”

  “These are perfect,” she said and started opening boxes. “I haven’t put up a tree in years.”

  “Years?”

  She shrugged. “My apartment was small and I wasn’t really in the mood. Tamlyn did get me a little one last year. I know she was trying to get me in the spirit.”

  “Have you talked to her?” I asked.

  “Yes. She’s hounding me to go back for Christmas.”

  “I’d love it if you did,” I said softly. “You know you are part of the family, no matter what’s happening between us.”

  “I don’t want to impose,” she said.

  “You used to come over for Christmas all the time,” I reminded her.

  “Yes, but that was when I had a home to go back to. That’s when I had a mom who wanted me to spend time with her. I was a visitor back then. Now, I feel like an interloper.”

  “You are definitely not an interloper,” I assured her. “My mom has already assumed you were coming home with me. You don’t want to disappoint her.”

  “That’s low.” She laughed.

  “I’m ready to pull out the big guns if I need to. We all want you there. You know how much my mom loves throwing a big Christmas party. Come, please.”

  She let out a sigh. “It’s not like I have a list of invitations to sort through.”

  “Gee, glad we rank at the top of that list,” I teased.

  “If you’ll have me, I’d like to go,” she said.

  “Perfect.”

  We finished decorating the tree. “Ready?” she asked with excitement on her face.

  “Ready.”

  She plugged in the lights. It looked good. We did good. “Gorgeous,” she said with awe. “I love it. Thank you for doing this. How can you be sad when you’re looking at such a pretty tree?”

  I didn’t know if it was allowed, given our new relationship status, but I hugged her anyway.

  37

  Lily

  “Check this out!” Tamlyn exclaimed and held up a pretty scarf. “My mom will love this.”

  Christmas music pumped through the speakers and the smell of sweat and stress permeated the air. Tamlyn and I were part of the last-minute-shopper crowd at the mall. It was brutal. I was kicking myself in the ass for not shopping earlier. I hadn’t been sure I was coming back and didn’t know if I needed gifts for the family.

  “Are you going to get it for her?” I asked.

  She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure.”

  I snatched it out of her hand. “Good, because I am.”

  “Hey! That’s not fair!”

  “You snooze you lose!” I said and headed deeper into the store.

  We spent another three hours shopping before dragging our exhausted bodies back to her parents’ house. Thomas and his father were out back while Mrs. James was in the kitchen making pies for the party happening in a couple of hours.

  “Oh, good, you girls are back. I’ve got those two knuckleheads out back trying to fix the lights in the backyard. I swear they’ve been out there for hours. I need help getting the chairs out of the basement. Then I need to get these appetizers onto the serving trays.”

  “I’ll get the chairs,” Tamlyn said and practically ran out of the room.

  Her mother shook her head. “I’ve never seen a young woman be so afraid of domestic work. She acts like she’s going to catch domestication.”

  “I’d be happy to help,” I said and quickly washed my hands.

  “You know, I just feel so terrible that you guys are staying in a hotel,” she said.

  “Don’t feel terrible,” I told her. “It’s more important your parents are here. Tamlyn told me about your father’s recent fall. This will allow you to keep an eye on them.”

  “They are not getting any younger,” she said with a sigh. “I guess I’m glad my son is a successful businessman and can afford a hotel, but I ju
st hate that you guys came all this way and aren’t staying under my roof.”

  “You have a full house,” I said. “We don’t mind the hotel.”

  “I imagine it’s probably nicer anyway,” she joked. “I know Thomas has far outgrown his old bed. We just can’t see the sense in buying a bigger bed that will only get used a few times a year.”

  “I agree,” I said. “It makes no sense.”

  After helping her get things set up, I headed upstairs to change into the dress I brought for the party. Thomas had rented us rooms at the hotel under the guise it would allow more of his relatives who didn’t make as much money to stay at the house. I had a feeling it was also for my benefit. The last visit had left me feeling a little uncomfortable. It was just another sign of his thoughtfulness. He was always looking out for me and trying to make me happy.

  I walked downstairs in the low heels and was surprised to see the house had filled up. I was only up there for thirty minutes. I smoothed my hands over the black cocktail dress I had brought along. The party was a tradition in the James household. Neighbors, friends, and family all counted on it every year.

  “There you are,” Thomas said and handed me a glass of their infamous cranberry punch that was spiked with the perfect amount of alcohol. “You look stunning.”

  “Thank you,” I said and took a sip. “This place is packed.”

  “I think you know most everyone,” he said.

  I scanned the room and looked at the familiar faces that were just a little older than the last time I saw them. A woman approached. She was wearing a skintight red dress and had her nails done to match. I immediately recognized her as Tracy from high school.

  “Oh my gosh, Thomas, is that you?” she cooed. She kissed him on the cheek and left a spot of lipstick. I had to tamp down my jealousy.

  “Hi, uh,” he said and obviously didn’t remember her. That gave me a great deal of satisfaction.

  “It’s Tracy,” she said. “We had calculus together.”

  “Oh, hi,” he said and still seemed confused. He should be. Tracy never would have given Thomas the time of day back in high school. She was a cheerleader and dated the popular guys. Thomas was not in that crowd.

  He immediately turned to me. “You remember, Lily,” he said and essentially presented me.

  Tracy looked at me. “Who?”

  I smiled and stood just a little closer to Thomas. “Lily Shepherd,” I said. “I don’t think we had any classes together.”

  She quickly dismissed me and was focused on Thomas once again. “Do you live here anymore?” she asked him.

  “No, Austin,” he said.

  “We have an amazing place there,” I added.

  She looked at me again and this time I grinned and batted my eyes. “I see,” she said. “Well, it’s so nice to see the two of you. I need to go say hi to someone.”

  She fluttered away. Thomas looked at me with a sexy smile. “Thanks,” he said.

  “For?” I asked and reached up to wipe away the lipstick from his cheek.

  “I felt like I was about to be attacked by a vulture.”

  “You were,” I said. “A vulture with Spanx. She probably uses the Spanx to subdue her victims.”

  He laughed and put his hand on the small of my back. “Maybe we should find safer territory. I don’t even know who she is. She seemed to know me though.”

  “She didn’t know who you were back then, but she sees handsome rich guy now and that’s all that matters to her.”

  I knew I sounded jealous. I had no right to be, but I didn’t like women like her who never paid attention to him then but now they wanted to be his best friend. Shit. I was one of those women. I pushed the thought from my head. I wasn’t really one of them.

  “Incoming,” I said when another woman honed in on Thomas. “Good luck.”

  I stepped away and let him fend off his admirers himself. I didn’t want to stand in the way of him finding the nice girl his family wanted him with. There were probably a lot of nice girls here with solid families that would make the James clan very happy. I meandered around the room, talking to a few people before finding myself a nice wall to hold up.

  I watched Thomas in the crowd. He was wearing black slacks that were tailored to his long legs and trim hips. He’d kept his outfit simple with a white long-sleeved shirt and a silky red tie. He looked debonair without even trying. He smiled and shook hands but I could see he was a little uncomfortable. This was not his scene, but he was trying for his mother’s sake.

  His eyes caught mine once. I thought I saw a cry for help, but there was little I could do for him. Tamlyn had found me and was dragging me to meet someone. “You cannot be a wallflower,” she whispered. “There are a lot of eligible men here. Let’s find you one.”

  “I’m good,” I said. “I don’t need an eligible man.”

  “Sure you do,” she said. “Have a fling while you’re here.”

  “How much punch have you drank?” I asked her.

  She giggled and waved the question away. “Enough. You should catch up. Then you wouldn’t be hiding in the corner.”

  I met one man after another and felt totally awkward the whole time. Thankfully, Tamlyn saw something shiny or handsome and her attention was pulled away from me. I breathed a sigh of relief and was on the retreat to my corner when Thomas appeared.

  “Having fun?” he asked.

  I forced a smile. “Absolutely.”

  “Liar.”

  “What about you?” I asked. “You’re the belle of the ball.”

  “It means nothing,” he said. “It’s all superficial. They want to play with the new thing in town and tomorrow I’ll be yesterday’s news.”

  “I doubt that,” I said. “You’re not that forgettable.”

  He was staring down at me with that look on his face that said he was going to kiss me. “Thomas,” I whispered. “We’re surrounded by people.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “You’ve had too much to drink.”

  “I’ve had nothing but club soda all night,” he whispered as his face slowly lowered to mine.

  “We can’t. Everyone will see.”

  “Good.”

  “Thomas,” I hissed and turned my face away from his.

  “Baby, you’re under the mistletoe,” he said. “I’ve been waiting all damn night to catch you under this thing. You can’t reject tradition.”

  He kissed me right there in front of God and everyone. I heard the faint gasps and just knew we were making a spectacle of ourselves. I cared for about half a second. Then I gave up and enjoyed the kiss. When he stood to his full height, he looked down and smiled. The room erupted into cheers and cat calls. I was so embarrassed. I could feel my cheeks burning.

  “I can’t believe you did that,” I groaned.

  “I did it because I love you and I want to do it again and again. I want to do it here, there, and everywhere and I don’t care who’s looking.”

  My eyes widened. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I didn’t taste alcohol on his breath, but maybe I missed it. I glanced to my right and saw Tamlyn staring at us. Anger flashed in her eyes. It was both the happiest and worst moment in my life.

  “Oh no,” I whispered.

  Thomas looked at his sister. She shot us both a dirty look before spinning on her heel and walking away. It was definitely not the way I wanted this to go down.

  “I should go talk to her,” I said.

  “Give her a minute,” he said. “She’s pissed, but she’ll get over it.”

  We were descended on by his family. They had a lot of questions. Thomas did the talking while he kept his arm around me. When it was time to go to the hotel, I was feeling very down. I hated to think I hurt Tamlyn. I had not seen her for the rest of the night.

  “Stay with me tonight,” Thomas asked.

  We were standing in front of my hotel room door. I did miss the man. “You love me?” I repeated.

  “I fucking love you,
” he said.

  “Take me to bed,” I whispered.

  He pulled me across the hall and quickly opened his door. He undressed me with a tenderness I had not experienced before. When he lowered me to the bed and began to make love to me, I felt a tear slip down my cheek.

  “Baby, why are you crying?”

  “I’m so happy,” I told him and rested my hand against his cheek.

  “Happy tears.” He smiled. “I can live with that.”

  He kissed away the tears before slowly kissing down my neck. My hands roamed over his bare back that was so familiar to me. I had mapped out every muscle and mole so many times. I knew where to scrape my nails over his skin to give him the most pleasure. I could kiss just the right spot on his neck and make him groan. I knew his body as well as I knew my own. He knew mine just as good. It was why we were so good together.

  Our lovemaking was tender and loving. When we were both spent and I was lying in his arms, I had a feeling of being whole. I didn’t even know I hadn’t felt that way until just then. Thomas had filled an empty place in my life, and I couldn’t wait to see where this thing took us.

  38

  Thomas

  I woke before she did. Last night had been amazing with one minor glitch. I told her I loved her and she said nothing. I wasn’t going to let it ruin the moment. She didn’t reject me and she didn’t come right out and say she didn’t feel the same. I had to count that as a win. We could work on the rest. My parents were thrilled it was Lily that made me happy. I knew they would be. Lily was the only one who doubted her value.

  “Merry Christmas,” she whispered in a sleepy voice.

  “Merry Christmas,” I answered and squeezed her close.

  She yawned and turned to look at the clock. “We should probably get up. Your parents are going to be expecting us soon.”

  “I think I like being right here in bed with you.”

  “I definitely like that, but we have obligations.”

  “How are you feeling?” I asked. I learned my lesson the first time. I wanted to check in with her and make sure we were still on the same page. I couldn’t handle getting jilted a second time.