Christmas Spirit

Anja was frustrated with herself for being won over by a pretty face because she knew that she was a probably sucker for giving in. She was certain that he was about to tell her that he needed to buy a present for his girlfriend. Men like him always had girlfriends and even though he had had all year to shop for her he had waited until the last minute. That meant that she was putting herself out so that some other woman could enjoy their Christmas, great.

“Thank you so much” he said in a deep voice that seemed almost touchable. It was how he imagined that black velvet must sound, if indeed its soft, sumptuous qualities could be transposed into something audible.  “I’m sorry to hold you up” he said as she locked the door again. “I meant to come out earlier but I was tied up.”

 “No problem” she said but without any real affability in her voice. She was tired and hungry having not had time to stop for lunch, and she wanted to go home so that she could begin enjoying the festive season like everyone else was doing. “What can I help you with?” she added hoping that he knew what he wanted and would not stand there thinking for the next half an hour. If he procrastinated, no matter how good looking he was, she would be tempted to just shut the shop up with him in it and he could remain there until after January second when she reopened.

“I need a gift for a woman” he said. “Can you suggest something?”

So she was right Anja thought with a sigh, the gift was for his girlfriend. Well she hoped that the lady in question did not mind a last minute gift. “Thirty something female?” Anja said as she turned away and tucked some hair behind her ear. Biting her bottom lip she considered the best options. “Let me see.”

“No” he said “sixty five.”

Surprised Anja turned back and stared at him. “Your girlfriend is sixty five?” she said without thinking and inadvertently revealing her own musings.

The man laughed. “No, the gift is for my mother” he said.

Embarrassed that she had let her thoughts lead her astray Anja blushed right up to her hair line. “Sorry” she said turning away. “I just assumed. It’s a bad habit.”

“No worries” he said and she could hear the smile in his voice. “I hope if I had a girlfriend” he said “I would have put more thought into her gift.”

Anya did not know what to make of his comment. On the one hand she was pleased to hear that he would have given a gift for a partner more consideration and it had to be said that she was pleased to hear that he didn’t have a girlfriend. But the fact that his mother did not seem to warrant a comparative amount of thought, she found a little disconcerting.

As if answering her unspoken thoughts he said “my mother flew in today at the last minute to surprise me.” He was talking as he inspected the goods on the shelves. “I was supposed to see her in the new-year” he continued “so I was going to buy a present later when I had more time. However as things stand, it can’t wait. But then I got held up at work and now I’m forced to hold you up.”

As he finished speaking he looked up and met her gaze.

Anja liked that he had not left the gift purchase to the last minute on purpose and she smiled. He was nothing like she had imagined when she had first seen him and she was glad of that.

He returned the smile and for a long moment their gaze was locked together.