Time for Christmas

by Kay Phoenix

  “Maybe this dress will make Andrew’s head turn,” Regina said.

  Melissa met her gaze in the mirror. “See, I knew you weren’t over him. You’ll look stunning; you’ll be the prettiest girl in the room.”

  Jessica stepped forward and adjusted the strap a bit on Regina’s shoulder. “If you don’t mind me asking, who is Andrew?”

  “Just some guy at work. I thought maybe we had something, but it turns out I was misinterpreting the signals. He has a girlfriend.”

  “How do you know?” Jessica stepped back and assessed Regina in the mirror again. “Yes, this dress is the one. I knew it.”

  Regina ran her hands along the fabric, smoothing out the bottom of the dress. “I just know he does.”

  Melissa cut in. “We were spying on him a little while ago. We saw him buy a gift for a woman.”

  “Shush, Melissa. Geez!” Regina admonished.

  Melissa shrugged.

  “What kind of gift?” Jessica asked.

  “A purple suitcase.” Melissa informed her.

  “Well, I do happen to know the man that’s working in luggage right now. He’s my husband. I could ask him if he knows anything, if you’d like.”

  “No thanks, that’s really not necessary,” Regina said, then changed the subject. “It’s nice you and your husband get to work together.”

  “We like to work at the store during the holidays together. It gives us a better idea of what everyone is looking for.”

  Regina gave her a quizzical look.

  “So, we are better informed on what’s popular. We have so many children to give gifts to.” Jessica smiled warmly.

  “Oh, I see. You must have lots of grandchildren. How nice,” Melissa smiled.

  “Something like that,” Jessica answered. “So, what shoes were you intending to wear with this?”

  Regina looked down at her bare feet on the carpet. “I have some black heels.”

  “Black won’t do,” Jessica informed her.

  Melissa nodded her head in agreement. “You need new shoes too. You owe it to yourself. I told you, the full treatment. Make Andrew’s knees weak.”

  “Hearing you two talk makes me so curious about this Andrew fellow.”

  Regina shook her head. “We shouldn’t have been spying on him, Melissa.”

  Melissa shrugged.

  Jessica flashed them with a forgiving look. “Now, why don’t you go get out of this dress and I’ll get it all cozy back in the bag for you. I can take you over to see my friend Henry in shoes. He’s very good at finding the perfect shoe, you’ll see.”

  Chapter Six

  Andrew felt pretty good about his accomplishments from the night before. He’d packed up the majority of his apartment, which hadn’t been much, and even found time to go to the gym that morning, though lifting weights to Grandma got Ran Over by a Reindeer wasn’t exactly motivational. He’d try not to forget his Ipod next time.

  It was Thursday morning and he was ready to conquer the day. His list of things to do was down to notify his utilities of the eventual shut-off, and see about forwarding his mail. But more importantly, he couldn’t wait to see what Regina had found for him, mainly because he couldn’t wait to see her. He’d found that packing his apartment set a more final note to his move, and the truth was, he was a bit nervous about it. Had he made the right decision?

  It was about ten thirty when he finally decided he’d call her and ask her to come up to his office. There was a light tap on his door a few minutes later.

  “Uh, Pam wasn’t there, so I just knocked.”

  Regina looked stunning. She’d worn her hair up that day, a look that he loved on her.

  He motioned for her to come in. She closed the door behind her.

  Good. He would have asked her to, but was glad that she’d taken the initiative to do it herself. He was also glad that Pam hadn’t been at her desk. She was a known gossip, and if she’d seen Regina go in and close the door, she’d probably stand outside and listen with a cup, if that even worked.

  Regina wore black pumps, a plaid skirt and emerald green, buttoned blouse. His eyes lingered on her sexy, svelte calves as she walked to his desk and sat in a chair in front of it.

  “Have you double checked those figures?” He asked, folding his hands.

  “I emailed you the file a couple minutes ago,” she answered, a flat note to her voice.

  He opened his email program and found her message. He clicked the file and glanced up at her while it was loading. She avoided his gaze.

  She’s upset. Why?

  “Did you have a nice night?” He asked, trying to lighten the mood. There seemed to be a heavy mist of irritation steaming off her.

  “It was okay,” she answered. “Did you find the message?”

  “Yes, I’m waiting for the file to load,” he said. Obviously, she wasn’t one for small talk today.

  She uncrossed then recrossed her legs, and the quiet sound of her skin moving against the fabric made a jolt shoot straight to the front of his pants. The file finally loaded. “Ah, it’s open.”

  “As you can see, I didn’t have to change anything. All of the entries were accurate.”

  Of course they were. He’d already known that. Now he’d have to think of a way to keep her in his office longer, and find out why she was so upset.

  Each time he glanced up, she avoided his gaze. Whatever small fireworks had gone on the previous day, were dead. Something must have happened overnight to put her in a bad mood and he didn’t know what.

  “Did you have anything else?” She asked.

  He bit his lip. What should he do now?

  “I saw you at the mall last night,” she said suddenly.

  “Really? You should have said hi. I had to buy some luggage. The old set I have is almost torn through. I got a good, solid set.”

  Good, progress. We can talk about something.

  She nodded, bit her lip and wrinkled her brow. “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”

  “I’m not.” He cocked his head to the side. “Why?”

  What the hell gave her that idea?

  “No reason.” She looked at the floor.

  He studied her for a few seconds. She raised her gaze to his and smiled sweetly. “Is there anything else?”

  Andrew couldn’t read her at all, and it was damn infuriating. She’d seen him at the mall and somehow decided he must be seeing someone. What made her assume that? His thoughts swam.

  Ah, the damn suitcase.

  “The suitcase.” He said.

  “Hmm?”

  “I’m not seeing anyone, Regina. If you saw me it must have been after I bought the suitcases. I got myself a gray set and the salesman talked me into getting a purple carry-on for my girlfriend…”

  She raised her brows.

  “But, I don’t have one. See, the sales guy was a nice old man, and he kept getting me confused with someone else. I didn’t want to tell him he was confused so I just bought it.” And, I’ll be giving it to you at the Christmas Party.

  “Oh, I see. It really wasn’t any of my business anyways.”

  It seemed her demeanor had changed and the gloominess was gone, which relieved him. He loved the light that her smile brought to her eyes.

  “You look very nice today, Regina.”

  The light in her eyes turned up a few notches. “Thank you. You do too.”

  Her gaze locked with his. Work was light that week, as it always was around the holidays. It wasn’t like she’d have a stack of work waiting for her.

  “Do you have lunch plans?”

  “Actually, I brought my lunch.” Her cheeks flushed. “But…what did you have in mind?”

  He liked the way one of her eyebrows rose slightly.

  “Something I wanted to make sure I did before I left town,” he answered, with a grin.

  “Am I allowed to know?” She inquired with a wary glance.

  He shook his head. “Do you trust me?”

  “I’
m not sure.”

  “Good.” He grinned with a nod.

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “I don’t know, maybe I should stay here.” But, he could hear a tinge of excitement in the undertone which told him she was teasing.

  “Don’t worry, I will take excellent care of you,” he said. And, he meant to. He wanted to take care of her in more ways than one, and make up for lost time.

  Regina strapped on the seatbelt in the passenger side of his gray Volvo. His car was tidy, and she appreciated him getting the door for her. He got in the driver’s side and started the engine.

  Gray car, gray suit, gray eyes. Everything about him seemed gray and careful.

  The stereo came on with a loud blast, which made her jump. He turned the dial down.

  “Green Day”, he said.

  “I like them too. So, do I get to know where we’re going yet?”

  He pulled out of the parking lot. “You might be able to figure it out when we get closer.”

  Regina watched out the window as they traveled south on Decatur then east on Tropicana. She was aware of a few restaurants along the way, but they passed each one. Besides, it was still early for lunch. It was only eleven. In the distance, the outlines of the strip hotels started to come into focus.

  She’d expected to be more nervous about their outing than she was. So she decided, uncharacteristically, not to worry about it just then.

  “You’ve lived in Vegas all your life, right?” He asked.

  “Yes.”

  “You’ve seen this skyline change, haven’t you? Which one is your favorite casino?”

  “Honestly, I don’t have a favorite. If I had to choose, of course it would be Caesars Palace. It’s still the same as I remember from childhood, mostly, except it’s much larger.”

  They pulled into the inside left turning lane at Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard, and she was still trying to figure out where they were going.

  “Any ideas yet?” He asked as they sat at the light.

  She turned and locked eyes with him. He seemed amused, but his face was kind.

  “Nope.”

  The light changed and they made a u-turn and a quick right into the parking area for the New York, New York casino.

  “Here?” She asked incredulously, as he traversed the parking garage.

  He nodded.

  “There’s a spot.” She pointed out when they’d already passed a couple.

  “I always park on the roof,” he informed her. “It’s helpful because I’ll never forget where I’m parked.”

  “Makes sense,” she agreed. Who would have known Andrew was so careful? She smiled. She did.

  They pulled into a spot on the roof and exited the car. A loud noise ticked by, and she looked over to see the Big Apple roller coaster climbing the hill.

  He nodded to it. “So, what do you think?”

  They watched the cars climb, then lumber over the hill, people screaming in terror and joy.

  “I’ve been on it a few times. But, it’s been years.” She smiled watching the roller coaster cars careen over the succeeding hills and dips.

  “So, you like roller coasters? That’s good.”

  She stopped. “Wait. That’s what we’re doing? Going on the roller coaster?” She looked at him in amazement. “All right, let’s do it!”

  When she’d woken up that morning, she couldn’t have predicted she’d end up on the Big Apple at New York, New York with Andrew. Yet, that was exactly what was happening.

  She wondered what else would happen that day.

  Chapter Seven

  Regina had to admit she missed the days when the machines used to spit real coins into metal troughs. The clunky sound excited the winners more. As she and Andrew walked through the casino floor, she took note of the player’s scowling faces, juxtaposed against the extravagant Christmas decorations that brightened nearly every inch of the space.

  She snuck a glance at him and wondered exactly what his motivations for the day were. It wasn’t that he’d been cold after their initial meeting months before, but he hadn’t acted upon any attraction he might have felt. Perhaps he felt as awkward as she did, and now, with him moving to another location, he would no longer be her “boss”, therefore, the “rules”, stupid and outdated as they were, wouldn’t apply anymore.

  It was his idea that they spend some time together today before he left, and she was glad of it, at least it might clear the air between them, and close any gaps in miscommunications. She made the decision to let him take the lead.

  They’d made it across the casino and stepped onto the escalator going up to the roller coaster entrance.

  From previous visits, she remembered the escalator always ran extremely slow, and the climb to the next level was quite long. Andrew was on the step below hers. She realized she wouldn’t even have to lean back very far to be against him. The thought gave her a shiver. Maybe she should, just lean back a little…

  In those small moments, much like the day before when she was standing next to him in his office, she was aware of his closeness. His arms, outstretched behind her, hands gripped the rail. She wanted to sink into his embrace and feel him wrap his arms around her.

  About halfway up, she turned to him. He was still taller than her, even though he was on the step below. His gaze met hers.

  His eyes were hot and dark, and made her feel completely undone.

  She shifted her weight and lost her footing, her heel slipping off the step. He steadied her. “I’ve got you, Regina.”

  His kept his arm around her, his thumb smoothing a circle on the back of her arm.

  Finally, they made it to the top of the escalator, which released into a throng of children, zipping in all directions to play arcade games.

  His arm was still around her, protecting her, and she made no objection to it. Heat pulsed from his touch, and she was sure her cheeks were pink.

  He purchased their ride tickets and they got in the short line.

  “Do you want the front row?” He asked.

  “That would be cool. I guess we’ll see, right?” She answered.

  “Nonsense. I’m sure they’ll let us wait for it, if we ask.” He smiled.

  And, sure enough. They rode the coaster in the front seat.

  Andrew was pleased with the way the day was turning out; especially since the bumpy beginning they’d had when she’d mistakenly thought he had a girlfriend. No, he didn’t have a girlfriend. He wanted one, in fact, and the one he wanted was right next to him.

  He’d put his arm around her on the escalator, and took it as a good sign that she hadn’t shrunk away from him.

  But now, after riding the coaster and eating a hot dog, they were on their way back to the parking garage. He needed to think of another way to get her to spend more of the day with him.

  “Have you finished packing?” Regina asked, stirring him out of his thoughts.

  “No. I still have tons to do,” he answered, which gave him an idea. “Hey, how good are you at packing?”

  She spun and gave him a deadly serious look. “Seriously?”

  “What?” He was a bit confused.

  “I don’t understand what we’re doing here, Andrew. You put your arm around me, then took me on a roller coaster. It feels like a date. Is that what it is?”

  They’d stopped on the pedestrian bridge connecting the casino to the parking garage. Above them, the roller coaster climbed the hill in successive clinks.

  She walked to the edge of the bridge, putting her hands on the sides. “Look, I’m attracted to you, Andrew. It killed me that you never called me, or even mentioned anything about our first meeting until yesterday. I guess I understand, with the policy and all. And, it wasn’t like I could have either. But, it’s seriously bumming me out that you are transferring. I’m glad that you brought me here, but I’m so confused.” Her eyes moistened. “I don’t really understand what’s going on here and I need to know.”

  She had turned, facing him. Her e
yes glinted, her expression frustrated.

  Her arms were folded. She was clearly waiting for an answer that he wasn’t prepared to give, but knew he needed to. It appeared she was getting emotional and it was his fault. He felt terrible about it. Before he took the promotion, it seemed like he’d had all the time in the world to explore what was going on with them, but still, he hadn’t acted on it and wasn’t sure if he ever would have.

  He was such a damn chicken shit.

  He couldn’t put his feelings for her on the backburner anymore. The time was now. He grasped her arms and turned her to him.

  “Regina, I need to tell you something,” he started.

  “Go on.” She encouraged.

  “I’ve been so stupid.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “How so?”

  “I’ve kept my feelings for you secret, thinking it was the right thing to do. But now, now the time is slipping by so fast and I’m afraid it’s too late.”

  She blinked.

  “Regina, I’ve wanted to do this for months.” He leaned in to kiss her.

  She seemed to melt against him, opening her lips and allowing him to explore her sweet mouth with his tongue.

  God, that sweet mouth.

  She let out a small whimper and his pants became tight across his groin.

  He pulled back before things went much further.

  Her blue eyes were set in a dreamy daze, her lips turned up into a small grin.

  He ran a finger down her cheek. “I’m sorry it took me so long.”

  “Me too.” She answered.

  They locked lips again. Holding her in his arms was what he’d wanted for months, and it finally happened.

  She cupped his face, and there was the whimper again. The soft, sweet sound from her throat that made his brain turn to mush.

  She leaned back. “Andrew…I…” her voice quaked.

  “Go on,” he encouraged.

  She sighed then put her hand on his chest and looked straight in his eyes. “I want you.”

  Those had to be the sexiest three words he’d ever heard from a woman’s mouth.

  “I want you too,” he answered. “My place?”

  She nodded. “Mmmhmm.”