"Santa, In Brief" Part 1 of 3 a Christmas Short Story by Rolynn Anderson

“Santa, In Brief”

By Rolynn Anderson

Part 1 of 3

She’d never seen a Santa suit used in quite that way, but Emilia had never spent Christmas in Palm Springs before, either.

The tall man ambled toward her across the putting green, a young Santa, dressed down for a hot day in the desert.  His bright red shorts came mid-thigh on tanned legs; the matching red shirt was sleeveless, tight on his broad shoulders.  In one bare hand he held a putter; in the other, three golf balls and a Santa hat.  Black cleated shoes, no socks.  Clean-shaven.  Dark brown hair, cut short to manage a pesky whorl on his hairline.  The man’s face was Christmas red, but based on his uneasy expression, it was embarrassment, not heartiness, that made it rosy.

“Ho, whoa,” Emilia said, palm up, recognizing the man from a poster of employees in the pro shop.  She’d skimmed his short bio, learning he was her age, thirty-two, new to Palm Springs, and single.  She read his nameplate.  “You’re Nick, my golf instructor.”

“And you’re Emilia.  Are we missing Paul?”

“I’m Emilia Gant,” she said.  “Paul is my erstwhile boyfriend.  Gone Boy.”  Something about the cut-off Santa suit  lifted Emilia from the depth of her doldrums.  “Nice alteration,” she said focusing on the threads around his armholes flying in the breeze.

Nick shrugged.  “I’m new here and it’s Christmas day, so I have to wear it.  They didn’t say I couldn’t cut it to size and adapt it to 75 degree weather.”  He dropped the balls and the hat on the putting green.  “Emilia, you’ve paid ahead for two students in one hour, so you’ll get two hours of my time.  How’s that?”

“Generous.  Santa-like.”  She glanced at the casita where she was booked for a week, first day spent alone, Paul-less.  In twenty-four hours, he hadn’t called and he wasn’t answering his phone.  Her jet lag, laced with depression, sleeplessness, and disappointment, was a dizzying cocktail.  Even the smell of newly-mown grass, tinged with the pungent odor of fertilizer, made her nauseous.  Thank God, the putting green and driving range were empty, so no one but Nick could witness her unsteadiness.  Figured.  Dinner hour on the day before Christmas: an abandoned woman and a low-ranking golf instructor.  I was a fool to come here.

Emilia leaned on her putter.  “I suddenly have time.  Lots of it.”  She stared at Nick’s face, deciding his piercing green eyes invited her to speak.  He was the kind of man who focused on the person he was talking to.  Was Paul?  No.  Gone Boy’s eyes traveled everywhere during conversations, rarely meeting Emilia’s.  She gave her putter a one-handed swing.  “We’re lucky to spend the holiday in the desert,” she said, tightly.

He hitched his shoulders.  “It’s sleeting in Wisconsin.”

“Raining in Buffalo.”  Emilia concentrated on the bottom of the man’s shorts.  “You used a pinking shears,” Emilia said, pointing at the hem clipped like baby shark teeth.

“When I told my mother I was cutting the legs off a Santa suit, she suggested I use special scissors to keep it from unraveling.”

“Expensive solution.”

“I know.  I went to a sewing store and borrowed a pair.  The women helped me rip the seams on the arms.”

“But you didn’t pink those.”  She reached up to remove an errant thread, but realized she’d be touching his skin.  Her hand changed direction to adjust her visor.

He shifted from one foot to the other.  “I thought it would look dorky on my arms.”

Emilia nodded.  “We can only go so far with mother’s orders.”  She glanced at the empty sidewalk that led golfers from the pro shop to the practice green.  “He isn’t coming,” she said with finality, convincing herself and the teacher that life would now move ahead sans Paul.

“I’m sorry, Emilia.” 

She shrugged.  “He paid for my week here, including breakfast and two hours of lessons a day from Santa Claus.  Why be sorry?”

He chuckled from deep in his belly, a sound so infectious, Emilia laughed too.  His mother taught him joy along with sewing tips.  A vision of Nick cracking jokes with his family around the dinner table came to her imagination, in color.

Nick pointed to her club.  “You can putt.  I’ll bet you’d like to practice a full swing.”

She stared at him.  “How do you know I can putt?”

“The natural way you handle the club.  You’ve golfed, quite a bit, actually.”

Emilia tightened her fingers on the grip.  “Paul said he was a beginner; I told him I’d take lessons with him and polish my game.”

He waited for more, his eyes following hers, a human GPS.

“We met in Paris at the close of my buying trip for a department store.  He’s a financial analyst from New York.  Same hotel in Paris.  We clicked.  He talked me into a desert Christmas with his family.”

Nick was quiet.  Still.  Waiting.  The man must have sisters because he’d learned to listen.  And it made her nervous.  She had a father and two brothers with selective hearing.  Mom?  Silenced forever with cancer when Emilia was ten.

He stuffed balls, hat and putter in her rented bag and lifted it with one hand.  “Let’s go hit some balls named Paul.”

“Hmm.  Not a bad idea.”  She looked down at her black shorts and white and black golf shirt, both bought at the pro shop the day before.  She made a sound of disgust when she eyed her flats.  “What wrong with me?  I don’t have golf shoes.”

 And then she remembered the package that looked like a shoebox.  Paul said, “It’s my Christmas gift to you, Emilia.  But you can’t open it until we’re together in Palm Springs.  You have to promise me not to peek.”

She’d held up her swearing right hand, thinking he’d picked out golf shoes.  True, it wasn’t the most romantic present, but it represented something special they were going to do together.

At his bidding, she’d tucked the package in her checked baggage, already bulging with samples, giddy about opening his gift and her heart at a posh desert resort.  But Paul and his family had never arrived and Emilia found out Paul had paid ahead for only one casita.  The Fort Knox-wrapped box and her heart, remained closed. 

“Emilia?” Nick asked, his eyes exploring her soul.

With a gasp, she came out of the haze she’d been enveloped in for a week, swept up in a Parisian romance.  Desert sun, a gaping golf course and Nick’s penetrating gaze lifted a veil to expose her naiveté.  She stumbled at the curb and righted herself.  When she looked at Nick, his Santa face open, worried, and non-judgmental, tears came to her eyes.  “I screwed up, terribly.”

The concern in his eyes seemed genuine, so she took a breath, reassured.  “I did the one thing a person is never supposed to do.”

“What, Emy.  What did you do?”

The nickname helped her say her next words.  “Paul gave me a package, maybe illegally.”  She pointed to the casita.  “It’s in my room.  And I don’t know what’s inside it.”

Read Part 2 of this story tomorrow!

A Visit From Santa by Jena Galifany Chapter Three

 Jump to the first story

Chapter 3

Jayme was thunder struck. “Here? In our home?” She’d heard enough. She opened the car door and climbed out. He did the same, and came quickly around the car to stop her before she reached the door into the house.

“Jayme…” He grabbed her shoulders.

She shrugged him off, and placed both hands on his chest to give him a shove. He held his ground, and stopped her.

“Get away from me, Lou.” The tears fell. There was no stopping them now. There was no reason to hold them back. She struggled as he folded her into his arms, more gently than she expected.

“No. This isn’t how it was supposed to play out. I’ve totally blown this and I have to make it right before you walk in that house.” He firmly held her in place, and made eye contact as she looked up at him.

“What am I going to find in the house? What’s missing now, the rest of your things?” She fell against his chest, not wanting to see his face.

“I’d already bought your present. I couldn’t get it under the tree myself. I had to have help. Kelsey…”

“Helped you wrap a gift?” This was making no sense at all. “You already have several gifts under the tree for me. I doubt Kelsey’s ever wrapped anything in her life, except maybe herself in furs.”

She felt his chest vibrate in a silent laugh. “She didn’t exactly help wrap it but she had to be here. It took longer than expected and I’m sorry for that. I wanted to surprise you.”

“You did that,” she snapped.

“Not with what you think.” He pressed her to arms length and looked into her eyes. “Jayme, no matter what you are thinking, I love you. I’ve loved you from the moment I first met you. I don’t intend to ever stop loving you. I don’t always think things through, but I have good intentions. I want this to be a special Christmas, our first one together in our own home. I don’t want it to be the last. Can you give me five minutes to see if I can repair this damage and make you happy?”

Jayme swiped the tears from her cheeks, crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side. She fought to maintain her calm. “Okay. It’s Christmas. I’ll give you five minutes.

“Perfect.” He stroked her arms. “Umm… where to begin.”

“I’m waiting and it’s getting cold.”

“Okay. I wanted to get you something extra special for our first Christmas here. Something that would surpass anything anyone had ever given you. I found what I wanted about a month ago but it would be tricky to get it under the tree without you finding out about it. Kelsey offered to help me. I borrowed a couple of her friends, too. The party tonight was planned to give me the opportunity to take care of the gift. That’s why I was talking to Kelsey on the cell, to get this set up.” He paused.

“She was helping you?”

“It was more like she was supervising the project. Once you were at the party we all met here to take care of the gift. It took a little longer than we expected but we got it handled. It was perfect that you said you wanted to find something under the tree that wasn’t here before. I think I was able to make that wish come true for you. I hope you don’t mind seeing the gift before morning though.”

Jayme felt like crying again. He’d been taking care of her holiday wish. How could she have been so jealous? But wait a minute. “How does that explain you having Kelsey’s lip gloss on your mouth?”

Lou grinned. “She said I was such a romantic and so good to you that she’d be looking for someone just like me. Then she kissed me for being a good guy. If I’d thought about her lip gloss I would have wiped it off. It didn’t mean anything to me, Jayme. You are the only one who means anything at all to me and I hope you forgive me again for making you so upset tonight.” He held his arms open to her and she flung herself into his embrace.

“I’m so sorry, Lou. I have a hard time believing how lucky I am to have a man like you. I’m so afraid of losing you I can’t help but be defensive when I feel threatened.”

Lou kissed her. “I promise you there is no threat of losing me. I’m here to stay, Babe. I hope you forgive me for making such a mess of this.”

Jayme cuddled to his chest, enjoying his closeness. “I’ll forgive you if you’ll forgive me.”

“Deal.”  He grinned down at her. “Ready to see your present?”

“Actually I’m enjoying this.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, and held tight.

“Come on, Jayme. After all I did to get this set up, you want to stand around in the cold garage?”

Jayme laughed. “I think you’re more excited about it than I am.”

“I am.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her toward the house. “Close your eyes.”

She complied and allowed him to lead her through the house to the living room. “Can I look yet?”

“Not yet. I want you a little closer.” He shifted her across the floor a few more steps. He let go of her and stepped away. “Okay, open them.”

Jayme peeked through her eyelashes and then her eyes flew open wide. In the space where his entertainment center had been now set a white grand piano, the one that had graced Kelsey’s living room at Thanksgiving. Jayme covered her mouth with both hands, stifling the joyful cry that tried to escape. She turned to look at Lou, back at the piano, and back at Lou.

Lou shrugged. “You don’t like it.” He frowned and pushed out his lip in a pout.

Jayme flew at him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and nearly strangled him as they both laughed.  “You know I just hate it.” She laughed again, and kissed his whole face.

“I thought you would. Can you at least play it once before I throw it out?”

Jayme sat down on the bench and opened the cover to the keys. Her eyes popped wide again. In the center of the keyboard sat a small velvet box. She held her breath as Lou sat down beside her. They both stared at the box for several heartbeats.

She cleared her throat and nodded at the box. “Lou?”

“Open it.”

Jayme bit her lip. “I don’t think I can.”

Lou took the box and opened it. The diamond sparkled in competition with the lights from the tree. Jayme gasped as Lou slid to one knee beside the bench.

“Jayme, I only have one wish for the holidays, one thing that I’ve asked Santa for.” He took the ring from the box, placed the box on the floor, and turned back to her to take her hand. “Will you grant me my gift and become my wife?”

Jayme could hardly speak. The tears fell once more as she bobbed her head up and down, and hoped she could muster her voice. It took a long moment to collect her emotions but she was finally able to squeak a timid, “Yes.” Lou slipped the ring on her finger and slid onto the bench beside her. He hugged her and kissed her. A tear slid from his eye as well.

Jayme wiped it away and held his face in her hands. “Looks like we both got just what we wanted.”

The End

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to You All!

A Visit from Santa by Jena Galifany Chapter Two

 Jump to the first story

Chapter 2

In the ten minutes it had taken for them to drive to the hall, Lou had completely changed his countenance. He was smiling and happy, as if nothing had happened. Jayme felt like she’d been left out of some great adventure that he was enjoying without her. She was afraid to be left out of his world but was unsure how to get back into it after the apparent foolish assumptions she’d made earlier.

At that moment, he reached for her hand and kissed her fingers. “I’m sorry for the things I’ve been doing that upset you. I promise, I’m not doing anything you have to worry about.” He cut his eyes to her as he pulled into a parking space. Once he’d cut the motor, he turned to her. “Can you forgive me for upsetting you? Especially on Christmas Eve? No one should be upset on Christmas Eve. Santa might not show up at our house.”

“I’d really not like that to happen.” Jayme gazed into his eyes. “Did I ever tell you what I really want for Christmas?”

Lou’s mouth twitched and his lips curled ever so slightly. “No, but don’t you think it’s a bit late now? It’s only four hours away.” He toyed with her hand.

“I miss getting up in the morning and finding something under the tree that wasn’t there the night before. I guess I miss Santa Claus.” Jayme gave a nervous laugh, expecting him to laugh at her for her childish wish. He didn’t.

“I’ve never realty thought about it but, yeah, I do, too. It’s been a long time since he gave me what I really wanted.” He pulled her across, and lightly kissed her on the lips, “I’ll see what I can do about that.”

Jayme smiled. “You do that.”

He sat back in the seat, his attention on the brightly decorated entrance to the hall. “So, do you forgive me?” He adjusted his jacket before turning to her again.

“How could I not. Lou, I do love you.” She caressed his face.

“I love you, too, Jayme.” He climbed out of the car, and came around to help her out. “I hope we both have a great time tonight. No worries, only fun. Got it?”

Jayme saluted. “Yes, sir.”

“Good.” He held out his arm to her and she hooked her arm through his as they strolled up the steps to the brilliantly lighted dining hall that spilled forth holiday music.

 Jayme sipped her drink as she stood at the side of the room, her gaze following Lou. He talked with a gathering of fellow business associates but his gaze kept drifting to Kelsey. He shared a smile with her when their eyes met, and then abruptly, his attention switched to Jayme as if he’d only just remembered she was there. He gave her his brightest smile and silently toasted her with a raise of his glass before taking a drink and turning back to his conversation. She returned his salute and emptied her glass. This party was not the happy diversion she’d thought it would be.

As she thought about him, watching him mingle with the others, she noted that his attention continued to stray to Kelsey. Sure Kelsey had a killer body and she knew how to dress to attract but did Lou have to be so obvious about it? Shouldn’t he be spending his time with Jayme? After all, they were a couple, weren’t they? They’d been together over a year but she hoped her earlier doubts didn't make him think the relationship was a mistake.

She wandered to the bar for a refill. Taking the refreshed drink from the bar tender, she turned to find Lou standing behind her. “There you are.” She smiled at him.

“Here I am.” He returned her smile. “Are you having a good time?” He reached around her to set his empty glass on the bar for a refill. As the bar tender mixed him a new gin and juice, he wrapped one arm around Jayme. “I forgot my cell. I’m going to dash home to grab it. I don’t want to miss any calls, you know. Could be big business.”

“I’ll go with you.” Jayme set her glass down. Lou placed his hand around hers on the glass.

“No. You stay hear and enjoy yourself. I’ll be right back. I promise.” The million dollar smile surfaced again.

“If you really want me to.” Jayme felt abandoned. “Hurry back, though.  I don’t know that many people here. It’s awkward.”

He kissed her forehead. “You’ll be fine. Twenty, thirty minutes tops.”

Before she could protest the length he predicted, he’d downed his drink and melted into the crowd of party-goers.

* * * *

Twenty minutes stretched into thirty and then forty five. Jayme was getting a little upset when Lou finally strolled through the door, a smile and a touch of color that looked suspiciously like Kelsey’s on his lips. Heat flared up her spine as she looked around for Kelsey. She wasn’t in the room. Jayme wondered how long she’d been gone. She wondered but figured it was probably around forty five minutes. She fumed as Lou walked toward her.

Jayme decided not to make a big deal out of it in the presence of so many people she didn’t know. She didn’t want to cause a scene and mark herself as a drama queen. She might have the opportunity to work with these people professionally in the future. Better not to make a public display of the fury and hurt she felt. She turned to the bar and collected a napkin, turning back to wait for Lou to reach her.

He reached for her hand and moved in for a kiss. He was met with a napkin over his mouth. The puzzled look in his eyes would have been comically if it hadn’t been such a painful moment. He grabbed the napkin to complete the motion of wiping his mouth. His gaze on Jayme, he asked, “Was there something on my face?”

Jayme nodded as she took a long sip of her drink. She looked around the room again, and noticed that Kelsey had returned. “It’s not your color, either.” She remained calm on the outside though her insides were boiling.

Lou looked at the napkin, his eyes cutting from the evidence to Jayme’s face. “I…”

Jayme held up a hand. “Let it go, Lou. Not here. Finish up your party and let’s go home… if you still live there.”

Lou stuffed the napkin into his pocket. “I was hoping to make this a great holiday for you. I guess I blew it.” He turned to the bar tender and requested a gin. Jayme blinked hard to keep tears from forming.

“You could say that. This isn’t what I wanted for Christmas, Lou.”

“Me either.” He took a long drink. “I only wanted to make you happy.” They both stood with their backs to the bar, eyes sweeping across the crowd. “Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

Jayme felt the bark of laughter trying to escape. She held it back. “Sure. Give me that one wish that I’ve long wanted for Christmas.”

“A visit from Santa?”

“Right.” Jayme finished her drink and went in search of her coat, Lou following silently behind.

* * * *

The ride home was slow. Lou didn’t seem to want to get there. Jayme wanted nothing more than to get home, get into her warmest night gown and curl up with a blanket to hold off the cold that ate at her. The snow on the ground wasn’t the only chill in the car. Though the heater blasted warmth, it didn’t make much difference.

She wanted to say something but was afraid anything she said would only make the night worse. It was their first Christmas in the house. She thought about the gifts she’d purchased for him that were gathered under the tree. He’d deposited several for her and the tree looked wonderful, sparkling with lights and ornaments. The sudden memory of the empty space now beside it marred her attempt to cheer herself up. She’d forgotten about the missing furniture and clothing. At least now she knew why.

They pulled up, waiting for the garage door to rise. Lou looked straight ahead, and tapped his fingers on the wheel. When they’d pulled in and the garage door closed, Lou killed the engine and sat back, his gaze remaining on the wall before them. “I think we need to talk before we go in.”

Jayme groaned. “It’s cold out here.” She hugged her coat close around her shoulders.

“That’s okay. This will only take a minute.” He turned in the seat to face her. “Jayme, we’ve been together for a long time. I don’t want to break the trust we’ve built. I’m not going to lie to you. Kelsey kissed me.”

“That was obvious.” She rolled her eyes.

“The point is I didn’t kiss her.”

“Where were you when this assault on your person took place? If you’d been with me, she wouldn’t have had the chance.” Didn’t he see that he’d made the opportunity for Kelsey by being with her instead of with Jayme? Did he really need his phone that bad or was that only an excuse to be some where else?

“That’s what I need to tell you. We were here.” He looked away.

A Visit from Santa by Jena Galifany Chapter One

 Jump to the first story

Chapter 1

She only had one wish for the holidays. Each time someone asked her what she wanted, she felt foolish. It was something small but she missed it so much it put a damper on her holiday spirit every December 25^th.  That was only a few days away and she didn’t know if she should tell Lou or be resigned to another disappointing Christmas morning.

At the age of twenty-four she thought she should be over childish things. Besides, there were more important things to worry about. Lou had recently been acting strange. He was preoccupied, even secretive, but not in a holiday surprise kind of way.  He was hiding something, she was sure.

Fine. She accepted that he was developing other interests. She knew she was kidding herself about their relationship, especially after the things he’d been doing. When she arrived home early from work, she heard him talking on his cell.

“You know how important it is that she not find out about this,” he’d been saying. “It’ll ruin everything if she did, Kel.”

Jayme stopped in the entry, unsure what she should do. Why was he talking to Kelsey? He didn’t even like her, or so he’d said.

Lou had made negative comments about Kelsey while driving home after attending Thanksgiving at her spacious, and completely white, condo. She had white carpet, white walls, white draperies with white sheers, a white grand piano in the living room furnished with white sofas and wing-backed chairs beside the white brick fireplace. The only obvious color beside Kelsey’s creamy chocolate complexion was the aurora borealis crystal chandelier which hung in the dining room, a priceless bauble acquired from husband number three.

Lou smirked on the drive home that night. “I thought I was in a blizzard. Her place is harsh on the eyes.” He shook his head. “She’s a man-user. She’s wealthy but only because of several divorce settlements that worked in her favor. She’s a gold digger, and marriage is only a career move in her book. No commitment, only a business transaction.”

“I thought she was a friend of yours,” Jayme commented as she stroked her hand over his where it rested on the gear shift.

“We had some business some months ago. She had me do an appraisal on the properties husband number four or five, I don’t remember which, owned. She was working up to a divorce and wanted to know what her fair share should be.” His dark eyes cut to Jayme. “That’s how I know what kind of woman she is. I guess I did her a favor with the assessment. That’s why she invited us tonight.”

“I don’t think she liked me.”

Lou smiled and raised her hand to his lips to place a light kiss on her knuckles. “I like you and that’s all that matters.”

Jamie smiled. “I’m wondering what she’s doing with a grand piano. Does she know how to play it?”

“I think it’s for show. More than likely, she got it from one of her ‘business transactions’. Who knows?”

“She seems to be all show. I don’t understand people who have things that they can’t use just to look good.”

“Maybe you two can get to be best friends and she’ll have you over to give her lessons. Just don’t let her give you lessons on how to handle men.”

Jayme laughed. “I don’t think so. We don’t move in the same circles. I don’t think she’d care to learn, in any case.”

He pulled the car into the driveway, and pressed the garage door opener. He pulled in and cut the motor as the door closed behind them. “I wonder if her bedroom looks as virginal as rest of the place?”  Jayme had chosen to ignore the comment but planned to do her best to make sure he forgot all about Kelsey and her ‘virginal’ condo. He turned to her and pulled her toward him, his eyes communicating what was to come. “It’s her loss. All I care about is you.”

The kiss was long, deep, and raised her core temperature to near boiling in anticipation of what the night would bring. He caressed her cheek, and looked into her eyes. “It’s early. Let’s get in the hot tub and see what trouble we can get into.”

* * * *

Jayme thought back to that conversation. With a sinking feeling in her middle, she now wondered if Lou planned to find out the answer to his question, or perhaps he already had.

Jayme pushed the thought from her mind. She didn’t want to jump to any conclusions or suspicions that were unfounded. She had to deal with her own insecurity and low self-esteem issues without damaging her relationship with the man she loved, the man that she hoped truly loved her.

It’s not that he didn’t show his affection. He actually showed it more than she was sure was genuine. Sometimes he was over the top with the things he did for her. She’d dated men like that before, who went out of their way to pampered her only to keep her from knowing they were stepping out behind her back. She tried to leave the old baggage behind but sometimes it crept into her thoughts. She had to stop comparing Lou with those who’d hurt her before.

Lou was different, she was sure. He committed to live with her, moved them into a beautiful ranch-style home complete with pool, spa, walk-in closets, and a housekeeper during the week. He paid for it all, too, which was far different from the men she’d known in the past. Since she owned a successful graphic design business, she seemed to attract men who planned to reap the benefits from her hard work. Lou refused her offer to pay half from the beginning. They dated for just over a year before he offered to buy them a home to share.

“It’s not that I don’t want to marry you, Jayme,” he’d explained as they walked through the house with the realtor. “I just want you to be sure I’m what you want before you need to make that decision. You won’t truly know me until you live in the same house with me.”

“If you want me to sleep with you, Lou, wouldn’t it be cheaper to rent a hotel room?” She made the joke, surprised at his comment concerning marriage. The subject had never come up before and hadn’t since.

“You can have your own room. I don’t mind and I don’t want you to do anything you’re uncomfortable doing.” He shared a bright smile, perfect teeth made whiter by the rich tan of his complexion.  

Now, standing alone at a party were she was virtually unknown, she shook her head to clear the suspicion from her thoughts and carried her empty glass to the bar for a refill.

 “What happened to your wall unit?” Jayme was shocked when she walked in from work earlier that evening. What had he done with his most prized possession, his entertainment center? The large empty area was far from unnoticeable when she came into the living room. It appeared that half of the furniture was gone.

Lou shrugged as he lounged on the sofa, a drink in his hand. “It was taking up too much room. I thought you’d be happy to see it gone.” He frowned.

“Well”, she hesitated. “What did you do with it? All of your music? The big screen? How will you watch your games?” She eyed the glass in his hand and wondered why he was drinking so early in the day.

He shrugged. “I’ll watch at a friend’s house. No problem.”

Something had to be wrong. He lived for sports. Now only a lone sofa and a sparkling tree decorated the large living room. It looked bare and sounded hollow when she crossed the room, her heels clicking on the hard wood surface.

“Lou, are you moving out one item at a time?” Jayme hugged herself as she stood with her back to him. She braced herself for what she was sure was to come.

The long silence ended when his arms wrapped securely around her. His lips lightly brushed her ear. “I’m not moving out. Why would you think that?” He kissed her neck.

“Your closet suddenly seems to have more room, for one thing.” Jayme had noticed this morning and wondered what was going on. “And why else would your entertainment system be gone?”

He held her. “I had Elise take out the older clothes and donate them. Besides, don’t you think it looks cleaner in my closet and in here now?”

“I’m not keeping the house uncluttered enough?” Jayme wrapped her arms over his to keep him close against her back. She blinked away the tears that threatened to fall.

“You keep things perfect, Babe. No worries.” He turned her to look at him. “Why are you so worried about us? Did I do something wrong?” He brushed a tear from her cheek.

The memory was driving her crazy and she had to ask. “Why were you talking to Kelsey? What should I not find out about?”

Lou froze for a moment, a long moment, too long of a moment. “I… I didn’t want you to find out she called. I know you don’t like her and I didn’t want you to worry about me talking to her.”

“What were you talking about? Why did she call? She doesn’t have another husband yet. What did she need to talk to you about?” Jayme waited, searching his face as he obviously worked to formulate an answer. Before he could answer, she pulled from his grasp. “Unless she’s expecting you to be number six or what ever number she’s on.”

Lou laughed. “Are you kidding?” He laughed again. “Like that would ever happen. I don’t make enough money for Kelsey to be remotely interested in me.”

That didn’t make her feel any better and the laughter made Jayme’s tension rise. Was she reading things into the situation that weren’t there? “I don’t know what to think. You’re talking to the Black Widow. You hang up the phone when I come in. Now you move your things out. Do you see what I’m seeing, Lou?”

He dropped his hands to his sides and frowned. “No, I don’t.” He turned and left the room. Jayme watched him go, not knowing what to say. Had she just caused the damage she thought was already done?

“Lou?” She hurried to follow him to the room they’d shared for months. He pulled his shirt off and tossed it in the hamper. He kicked off his shoes, and sat on the foot of the bed before he looked up to where she stood in the bedroom door. 

“I’m getting a shower and forgetting about this conversation. It’s Christmas Eve and we have a party to go to. I won’t let this kind of foolishness ruin our evening. There’s nothing going on, Jayme. I love you and I’d hoped that by now you’d know it. Just let it go, okay?”

That’s where it had been left. They both showered and dressed separately. No words were exchanged. He looked like he was afraid to say anything and Jayme was afraid to ask. Kelsey would be at the party tonight. Jayme would see how they reacted to each other. That would surely tell her something.