The Christmas Present

Sharni picked up the last red tie from the rack which also represented the last Christmas gift she had to buy and with a sigh she headed to the counter. She had no idea where the time had gone this year. She had never been this disorganised before and she didn’t like it. Still, with a week to go until Christmas she was done at last.  

There were three people ahead of her in the line and her mind wandered as she waited to be served. Even though the gifts were bought now she still had a couple of dozen things to do. Thinking about where she would go next her focus was brought back to the queue when the person behind her bumped into her. At a sharp pain in her calf she turned her head with a frown, but all she saw was an expanse of male chest. Her eyes moved upwards and as they met the man’s brown eyes he said “I’m really sorry.”

The man looked to be a little older than her, about forty, Sharni thought and with dark hair to match his eyes and strong masculine features, he was very attractive. Looking into his eyes Sharni’s expression changed. “Um…” she stuttered “that’s okay.” 

“Did I hurt you?” he said, his expression concerned as he indicated the large box sitting on the floor between them. His hands were full of smaller packages.  

“No I’m fine.”

He smiled. “Good” he said. 

She returned his smile and turned back to face the other way. Wow she mused, he’d make one hell of a Christmas gift. Only trouble was, she realised, she wouldn’t want to give him away. She laughed to herself and finally it was her turn to be served. Picking up her bags a few minutes later she took one last look at the brown eyed Christmas present as he lifted his purchases up onto the counter and she walked out of the store.

Loss and Longing

Twenty minutes later they were installed at a table in the window of a dark and moody bar set in a strip of shops, most of which were other restaurants or bars. I was a lively area. “This is nice” Stevie said as she sipped her white wine and looked first around at the unusual decor of the bar and then outside to the people passing by.

“Mmm” Grant said from his seat opposite her. They were seated in comfortable high backed lounge chairs with a low table between them. Sipping his beer he said “it’s not quite how I remember it.”

“You’ve been here before?” Stevie asked, her eyes coming around to rest on his face.

“Not for years” he said and a frown coming down on his face as he looked away, he appeared to be talking more to himself than her when he said, “I haven’t been anywhere for years.”

Stevie studied him for a minute and then said “do you want to tell me about it?”

His eyes flicked around to her and he just looked at her for a minute in silence.

Worried that she’d done the wrong thing, Stevie bit her bottom lip and held her breath.

Finally he looked away and said “I think maybe I do. I just don’t know how.”

She reached out and grasped his hand. “I’ll be ready to listen, whenever you get it worked out.”

“Thanks” he said. And then squeezing her hand he said “sorry.”

“It’s fine” she said. Then sipping her drink and trying to lighten the atmosphere she looked around again and inspecting the draped fabrics in red and gold, the carved mirrors adorning the walls, the low light and the ornate furniture she said “I like it. It feels like we are in a bedroom full of a lot of strangers.”

Giving her a smouldering look he said “I wish we were in my bedroom.”

She smiled, “Minus the strangers, I hope.”

“I can’t see anyone else” he said sitting forward. “Come here.”

Stevie looked around. No one was paying any attention to them. She smiled and leaned towards him. She said “this could be dangerous.”

Grant slid a hand into her hair and smiling he said, “I know” before pulling her head towards him and kissing her. It was a hot and demanding kiss, that went on and on and when he finally moved back Stevie was glad she was sitting down as she wasn’t sure her legs would have held her up.

“I don’t know about you” he said with a slow smile, “but I’ve had enough to drink.”

“Definitely” she said, disregarding her still half full glass. 

Grant got to his feet and having already payed for their drinks he led her straight out of the bar and headed for his car. As they reached it he unlocked the doors but he didn’t start the engine. Instead, without a word he pulled her towards him and took up where they’d left off in the bar. But this time it wasn’t only his lips that were involved. His hands slid under her top and over her skin. Stevie groaned against his mouth. After a minute, he dragged his mouth away and releasing her, he turned the key to start the car. “God I hope there’s no traffic” he said.

Going Home

Part 110

Later as Grace got into bed beside Josh she put her hand on either side of his face and gave him a long sweet kiss.

His hand was on her hip, as she moved her head back. Josh looked at her quizzically “what was that for?”

Smiling Grace moved her hands to his chest and said “that was for being the sweetest man I know.”

Puzzled as to what he’d done to deserve such praise Josh frowned “how do you figure that?”

“Well you did your best to make it easy for me earlier, so thank you.”

Smiling Josh replied “no worries” then asked “it wasn’t so bad then?”

Grimacing Grace said “well it wasn’t good, but I survived.”

“So I guess you don’t want to know what Dad said then?” Josh teased with a grin.

Burying her face in his shoulder she groaned “oh god what did he say?”

Laughing Josh rubbed her head “not much, he thought it was funny really.”

“Oh no, I think that’s worse.” Grace said, her voice muffed by his body.

Lifting her head to look in her eyes Josh smiled “I told you, don’t worry about it, it’s over now and they didn’t care. And if anything they blame me for a lack of control. They think I dragged you in here, so stop worrying about it.”

Then seeing she was still concerned he teased “but if they knew it was actually your fault we ended up in here, that you deliberately provoked me. Actually now I think about it maybe I should tell them and clear my name.”

“Josh” Grace warned “don’t you dare”.

“Well forget it then. Okay?”

Nodding Grace said “okay.”

Then searching her beautiful eyes for a minute he leaned down and kissing her, ensured she wasn’t thinking about anything but him.

Loss and Longing

Stevie smiled and went back to work. As she moved towards the back of the shop, Rachel moved over to her. “He’s gorgeous” she said.

“Shhh” Stevie said looking back over her shoulder to see if Grant had heard. Then unable to stop the giggle she said “I know but more than that, he’s a wonderful person.”

“I’m not sure I’d even notice” Rachel said with a grin as she looked over her shoulder at where Grant stood in the front of the shop.

Stevie smiled and just after nine they were ready to lock up and leave. Stevie let them all out the back door and after locking it, she turned to Rachel and said, “have a great weekend. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“I should be saying that to you” Rachel said “I’m working tomorrow, remember.”

“Oh right, sorry. I hope it’s busy for you.”

“Me too” Rachel said “bye Grant, see you next time.”

“Bye Rachel” Grant said. And holding up a hand in farewell, Rachel walked to her car.

Stevie looked at Grant “okay, where are we off to?”

“I have a place in mind, but what are we going to do about your car?”

Stevie gave him a shy smile “actually when you said you’d pick me up, I got Mum to drop me off. I’ll just get a taxi from your place later.”

“Good thinking” Grant said pulling her into his arms and lowering his head. “But I’ll drive you home” he said against her mouth before kissing her.

Stevie smiled as she moved back a few seconds later “thank you” she said.

“No problem” now let’s go, before I decide to skip the drink all together.”

She laughed and followed him to the car.

Going Home

Part 109

That night as they sat on the deck after dinner it was Josh who brought the conversation back to Gavin. Thanks to Grace he was feeling less tense now even if she wasn’t. The earlier incident had helped lighten the atmosphere and after everyone had been quiet for a while Josh turned to his mother. “I was thinking Mum, do you remember when Gavin caught that huge trout?”

Margaret’s smile was sad as she nodded and looked out over the water, “yes that was our last summer here. It was really hot that year and Gavin was determined to beat the red fin you’d caught the year before. You gave him such a hard time about it all year that he was determined to out do you and he had that fishing line in the water nearly every waking moment. He was so single minded about it that I began to worry about how he’d cope if he didn’t catch anything to rival your fish.”

Looking serious Josh nodded “yeah I remember.”

Then laughing Margaret continued “but oh the smile on his face when he caught that trout, he was beaming for hours.”

Again Josh nodded “I know.” Then after a minute he added in a quiet voice “that’s how I remember him.”

Robert who had been listening turned his head to look at Josh and said “yes me too Josh, he was happy.”

Then lifting his glass Josh said “to Gavin.”

Solemn the other three raised their glasses and replied to his toast “to Gavin.”