A Date for Christmas

by Erika Phillips

  “Well, Larry and I are excited to announce that...we are expecting in May!” Janet beamed with excitement.

  “Oh my god! Congratulations to you both!” Lori exclaimed, followed by Maggie and Jim gushing their happiness for them as well.

  “Well, then, I guess we know who the D.D. is tonight,” Jim teased.

  They talked, ate and drank until they were slightly tipsy, except Janet. As the drinks flowed, the subject turned from Jim’s sexual escapades with Bill, his husband, to Maggie needing to find herself a man. Or at least a hook up. Maggie started to shift in her seat as they all started to bombard her with questions about the last time, she had her clock cleaned and so forth.

  Maggie could feel her face flush red as Lori asked about Gabe, who she had met online last year. It had gone nowhere really. They talked for a while via Messenger, but then Maggie became busier at work and eventually the conversation went from planning a time to meet to rarely speaking. Last she saw, he had posted pictures of him on a beach somewhere with a leggy blonde wrapped around him.

  Not that she really cared, the last thing she was interested in was starting a relationship. Business had been picking up since Dr. Garret had retired and she enjoyed her work. So, the thought of making time to go on dates and getting to know someone was not anything she wanted.

  Maggie tried to deflect their assault as best as she could, replying with vague responses until they eventually stopped. The conversation turned to memories of high school and the ‘good old days’ as Lori liked to refer to them as.

  Maggie found her mind wandering from the conversation as her attention was distracted by the T.V. above Janet’s head. It was on one of those stations that talked about the latest celebrity news. Maggie watched mindlessly as the two anchors started to talk about a contest to win a date with some big-time celebrity for the holiday. Maggie chuckled inwardly, wondering why anyone in their right mind would even sign up for something so silly.

  Janet stopped talking to the group and followed the direction of Maggie’s gaze. She turned her head around to see what was so amusing. “Oh, I’ve heard about this!” she laughed. “Hey, Mags, maybe you should enter!”

  A picture of Bradley Thomas appeared on the screen and Lori chimed in immediately, “Wow! He is so hot! If I wasn’t seeing someone, I would be all over that. Hall pass please!” she blurted out and they all erupted in laughter.

  “Come on Mags, you should so sign up for that. Hot guy, weekend date to some mysterious location. Nothing more romantic than that!” Jim pointed out. “If he was gay, I’d be like ‘see ya Billy’.”

  Maggie laughed along with the group. But the idea of entering some contest to win a date with some hot, pretentious movie star was the last thing on earth she would want. Even in her drunken state, it was a solid no.

  The rest of the group laughed and joked about the idea of her winning the contest and meeting the man of her dreams. Maggie needed to change the subject from her love life, again, or lack thereof, stat.

  “So, Thanksgiving is this week. You’re all invited to join Dad and me on Saturday for Friendsgiving. Bring Billy and Larry, “she said looking at Jim and Janet. “And Lori, who are you dating again?” Maggie asked sheepishly, trying to remember Lori’s latest conquest.

  “Tom,” she reminded Maggie, shrugging it off. “But, no worries, he didn’t join me this week. He went home to visit his family and I was not ready for that step.”

  “Okay, then. So, I’ll plan to see you all on Saturday at 1 p.m. Dad is looking forward to seeing you two again,” she stated to Janet and Lori.

  “Hey, what about me?” Jim pouted.

  Maggie rolled her eyes, “He sees you all the time, silly.” Maggie winked at him, “But you know he loves seeing you too.”

  Maggie glanced at her watch, “Well, I better get going. I have a few patients to see in the morning. It was so good to see you all and I can’t wait to see you next weekend.” Maggie smiled and got up to leave the rest of the group, who looked to be staying for a while yet.

  “Do you really have to go so early, Mags?” Lori asked. “It’s only 10 p.m. Come on, the night is young!”

  Maggie laughed, “I can’t hang like that anymore. I’m too old, and the hangover is not the same as it was in my twenties.”

  Lori gave her a pouty look but resigned to saying goodbye. They all gave Maggie a hug as they said their goodbyes for the evening. Maggie walked out of the restaurant to the sound of Jim’s voice animatedly retelling a story from last week.

  The night air was crisp when Maggie stepped outside. She was sad to be heading home so soon, but relieved to not have to deflect anymore comments about her love life. As she replayed the evening's events in her head on the drive home, the conversations around the ‘Win a Date’ contest made her laugh. What were they thinking, thinking that I would in any way want to enter a contest like that?! I don’t know which would be worse, that or trying out for The Bachelor!

  Once home, Maggie washed the makeup off her face and threw on a pair of comfy flannel pajamas. Her long-haired white Persian cat was already curled up on her bed when she came out of her bathroom. He gave her a sideways glance and stretched out to his full length in the center of her bed. Maggie sighed, “Plan to let me share the bed with you tonight, Mittens?” Mittens meowed and made no attempt to change his position, giving Maggie her response. Maggie checked her phone to see if she had any messages and seeing none, she placed it back on the nightstand and slipped into the small unoccupied corner of the bed and fell fast asleep.

  *****

  The week of Thanksgiving flew by quickly. Maggie had a quiet week and was able to work in a few lunches with the group. She loved having them all back in town. It felt just like old times in high school.

  Thanksgiving Day itself was fairly quiet, Maggie spent the day with her dad at her house. He had brought Rex over and the three of them gorged themselves on turkey and dressing and lots of wine, while they watched football. It was their usual tradition. They both enjoyed cheering on the Cowboys and then as the night waned on, they turned to Hallmark movies. Usually creating a new drinking game every year as they watched the same sappy Christmas stories. By the end of the night they were both two sheets to the wind, Carl passed out on the couch and Maggie crawled into her bed and slept off her intoxication.

  The next day, they woke up and made homemade pancakes and omelets. Trying to carb load to soak up whatever alcohol that still lingered in their systems. This had been their tradition ever since she had come back home after college and she loved every minute together.

  “How ya feeling this morning, Pop?” Maggie asked as she held her pounding head up between her palms.

  Carl was up getting a cup of coffee and flipping the pancakes. “I’m feeling pretty good!”

  Maggie gave him a dirty look as she mentally thought about strangling the chipper grin off his face. “You?” he asked, cracking the eggs into a bowl to start the omelets.

  Maggie gave him the look of death from underneath her long lashes. “I feel like I’ve been hit by a Mack truck. How are you able to wake up so chipper and I feel like I ate cotton balls all night?” Maggie grumbled.

  Carl smiled at her as he placed a couple pancakes on a plate for her. “I guess I can just hang better than you can,” he shrugged, smiling at her before turning back to the stove.

  Maggie mumbled a few choice words under her breath and then jabbed the pancakes with her fork. She scooped up a large piece and shoveled it into her mouth. The warm, fluffy pancakes hit the spot. She quickly scarfed down the buttermilk goodness and then moved on to the Denver omelet her dad had placed in front of her. Maggie was nearly done eating when Carl sat down to join her.

  “Hungry?” he chuckled.

  “It’s either that or hurl,” Maggie replied matter-of-factly. She washed it down with a cup of black coffee and two aspirin.

  “So, what’s the plan for today?” Carl asked as he ate his own plate of food.

  “Not sur
e. Mostly lay around watching more Hallmark movies I guess,” Maggie laughed.

  “Why don’t we get out of the house. I’m sure Rex would love a walk and it looks to be a pleasant day,” Carl suggested.

  Maggie was not keen on walking anywhere today with the massive hangover she was experiencing, but she knew arguing with her dad was futile.

  “Why not, just give me a minute to get ready,” she replied, then headed upstairs to change into a pair of joggers and a sweatshirt.

  When Maggie came back downstairs, her dad had the mound of breakfast dishes in the sink and Rex was already on his leash. Maggie grabbed her sneakers and out the door they all went. The sun was shining, and it was close to sixty degrees. A little chilly for Maggie and she wished she had grabbed her stocking cap. Instead, she pulled up her sweatshirt hood to protect her ears.

  They walked a few blocks and ended up in the center of town. People were out in droves, starting their holiday shopping. They walked by several store windows glancing in to see what was on sale. They laughed and talked as they wove their way through the crowded sidewalk. Maggie loved living in a small town. She loved the fact that she knew almost everyone they saw. And during the holidays, Chesterville was the place to visit with its rustic charm and holiday cheer plastered everywhere for everyone to see. All the stores were decorated for the Christmas festivities. In the center of the shopping square was a small park where volunteers would decorate the large Colorado blue spruce they had shipped in every year.

  The white gazebo was decked out with over 500 strands of multi-colored Christmas lights and garland was intertwined throughout. The park was a sight to see and they would have a live Nativity scene every Christmas Eve.

  On their walk they stopped and chatted with several people about their Thanksgiving and wished them a happy holiday. The Tuckers told them about their seven children coming back home as a surprise and how excited they were able to see all their grandchildren. Maggie even saw a few of her patients’ owners and was able to get a status report on a few of the minor surgeries she had performed last week.

  They walked around town for a good hour and Maggie could feel her hangover start to subside. By the time they got back to her house she felt much better. Carl came in and helped her wash the dishes from breakfast. When they were done, they sat down to make plans for Friendsgiving.

  Maggie made a list of grocery items she still needed to pick up, while Carl petted Rex and Mittens gave them all an irritated look of disapproval to have his home invaded.

  “Okay, I think we have everything,” Maggie stated. “So, everyone is coming over around 1 p.m. I plan to make the turkey tomorrow and I purchased the pies already. Janet, Jim, and Lori are each making a side dish.”

  “What should I bring?” Carl asked.

  “Just a smile,” she said sarcastically, then quickly added, “Just yourself, Dad. You’ve done enough over the last few years. Now it’s your turn to relax on the holidays,” Maggie smiled and gave him a peck on the check.

  “Come on, let me bring some wine or something at least,” Carl replied indignantly.

  “Fine, bring a bottle of wine. But nothing else, you hear me?” she stated firmly.

  “Cross my heart,” Carl replied as he made a cross-like figure over his chest. “Well, I need to get Rex home and I’ve some work to finish up,” Carl stated as he stood up to leave.

  Maggie gave him a quick hug and kiss goodbye as he gathered his things and headed out the front door.

  “See ya tomorrow,” Maggie called out as Carl got into his car.

  *****

  Maggie scurried around the house, setting the table and making last minute preparations before everyone arrived. Her dad had just called, letting her know he would be over in ten minutes. Maggie had been up all morning prepping the turkey. Everyone else was bringing over a dish to share so she only needed to worry about the main dish and dessert, for which she was grateful. Maggie had limited cooking skills and she did not want to start anyone’s holiday season off with food poisoning.

  The doorbell rang just as she was putting out the silverware and napkins. Maggie yelled out from the dining room, “The door is open.”

  Her father walked in. “You know you need to keep your door locked even during the daylight hours,” he tisked at her. “I could have been a predator trying to break in. You had no idea who was at the front door.”

  Maggie rolled her eyes at him as he continued to go on about her safety and being more mindful as a single woman living on her own. “Don’t worry dad, these bad boys can take anyone down,” she chuckled as she showed off her flexed biceps. “I dare anyone to come try me.”

  Carl just shook his head knowing his words had gone in one ear and out the other. “So is the whole crew joining us today?” Carl asked as he placed a bottle of wine in the center of the table.

  “Yep, everyone should be here shortly. They’re all looking forward to seeing you. It’s been a long time,” Maggie smiled. She looked over the table satisfied that everything was ready for a fun-filled day.

  Carl looked around and sniffed. “What’s that smell?” his nose wrinkled up as the aroma of burnt meat filled his nostrils.

  “Oh shit! The turkey!” Maggie made a mad dash to the kitchen to get the turkey out of the oven. Grabbing the oven mits she threw open the door and pulled out the pan.

  She placed it on the countertop and let out a sigh of relief. It was a little crispier than she wanted it, but salvageable. “Well, hopefully the gravy will help if it’s too dry.” she shrugged as she turned off the oven.

  Carl smirked, “Good thing your friends like you for more than your culinary skills.” Carl jested as she took a seat on the wooden stool under the counter. “How can I help?” he asked, not really sure if there was anything he could do.

  “All good, Dad. Just sit there and look pretty. Ham is done and turkey, well…it’s done too.” Maggie shrugged. Just then, she heard the door open and talking and laughter filled the house as people started to filter in.

  Maggie dropped the oven mits on the counter, and she and Carl walked out into the entryway to greet the guests.

  “Hi!” Maggie exclaimed as she greeted the group. Everyone took turns making their exchanges of pleasantries, before heading to the table to eat.

  Maggie shooed them all into the dining room, while she walked back into the kitchen to grab the turkey. Entering the dining room, she held the slightly over-cooked meat out for everyone to see.

  “Not bad, Mags,” Jim remarked. “It looks way more edible than last year.”

  Maggie gave him a death stare as she placed the turkey on the table. She took her spot at the head of the table and stayed standing to make a quick toast.

  “Well, I want to thank you all for being her with us today again for our traditional Friendsgiving. You’re all my family and I love you all dearly. Now dig in, before it gets cold!” she pronounced.

  No one needed anymore encouragement as the group passed around dish after dish. The conversation and laughs flowed seamlessly as they ate and drank their share of food and wine. An hour later, they were all full and moved the conversation to the living room. Carl walked over to the T.V. to turn on the football game already in progress. Jim, Billy, Larry and he watched and cheered on their team while the girls sat and chatted about work, the upcoming baby, and Lori’s sex life.

  Maggie looked around the room, enjoying the noise in her house. Living alone, it was never this loud. And, in that moment, a small piece of her wished she had someone special to share this day with herself. As the day turned to night the group made leftover sandwiches to munch on and downed a few more bottles of wine. Carl began to flip through the channels as the football games had ended.

  The group stopped talking as they focused on the T.V., something had caught their attention on the channel Carl had stopped on. It was one of the entertainment news channels that highlighted celebrity happenings.

  “Well, Bradley, we’re excited to have you here wit
h us--but we’re not here to talk about you right now. Instead, you’ve got some exciting news for one lucky lady?” the bubbly reporter announced, batting her long, thick lashes at him.

  Maggie rolled her eyes, “Ohhhhh, I can’t wait to hear who’s so lucky to get to spend a whole weekend with Mr. Dreamboat,” she replied mockingly.

  No one in the group commented as they waited for his answer. Maggie looked around at the group. “Come on, you can’t all really care who this imbecile chooses to take on a date...do you?!” she laughed out loud.

  The group turned their attention back to the T.V.

  “Well, don’t keep us all waiting? Who’s this lucky lady who will get a weekend-long date with you at the Pine Creek Ski Lodge in the mountains of Vermont?” she cooed.

  “Well, Samantha, the lucky lady is...Maggie Vaughn!” Bradley replied in his sexy, charming voice.

  Maggie was only half listening, her attention had moved to her cell phone as she scrolled through her emails, disinterested in the conversation on T.V. When she heard her name ring out from his silky voice, she spit the wine out that she had just taken a sip of. Wiping the dribble from her chin, she looked around the room.

  “What? What are the chances that someone with my name won? This must be a mistake, there must be another Maggie Vaughn somewhere. I DID NOT enter this contest. To be stuck in a ski lodge with that,” she pointed at the T.V., “man for two whole days is the last thing I’d ever want.”

  Maggie looked around the room, thinking this has to be a joke, when she noticed everyone had grown rather quiet. Maggie could feel her blood begin to boil as she stared at the guilty crowd around her.

  Jim was the first one to speak up, “Mags, you see...we thought it’d be funny--like a joke...we never thought you would actually win. We only planned on telling you after the announcement was made that we entered your name. I... I,” he stumbled, his eyes pleading for someone else to step up.