One Night at Christmas

by Tressie Lockwood

  Her cell phone rang again, and she grumbled in annoyance and answered. “You know it’s late, right?”

  “I needed to talk to you, Charon. How have you been?”

  She ground her teeth. “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t have to sound so cold. Come on, baby. You knew I was going to call.”

  “Don’t call me baby. We’re not together, remember? You broke it off.”

  “I didn’t mean it. Why don’t I come over, and we can talk.”

  She shoved the container of nachos away, having lost her appetite. “I’m tired, Morris. I just got off, and all I want to do is go to bed.”

  “Then let me hold you there.”

  Her tablet beeped, and she knew a call from Bryson was coming in. He hadn’t waited for her to call. Whatever he had to say must really be important. Knowing that fact made her eager to answer, but she didn’t want Morris to hear her talking to him—or vice versa.

  Regret and guilt washed over her because of Morris. She gentled her tone when she spoke with him again. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. The people in the store were a trip today. Must be because of Christmas. I can’t deal with anything right now. Please understand.”

  “Okay, I want you to think about something.”

  She tensed. “What?”

  “I’m sending this picture to your phone. I found the place a couple days ago, and I’m going to put a bid in for it.”

  She gasped. “A house?”

  “Not just any house. It’s more like a cottage, and it’s cute, baby. Just what you’ve dreamed about. Trust me when I tell you. The place belonged to an old lady who passed away, and her daughter just wants to get rid of it. The price is right, and the best part is, it’s in the country. Not too far but not close either.”

  Charon pressed a hand to her mouth. Morris agreed with her dreams. He knew what she longed for in a home and in her life. The location sounded wonderful, and if the cottage was everything he said…then what?

  “That’s really nice for you.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. Half her attention was on the fact that the call from Bryson had stopped. He didn’t phone again.

  “Not me—us.”

  Her phone beeped. She took it away from her ear to look at the picture Morris had sent. The quaint little cottage was surrounded with trees. The slanted roof dipped almost to the ground, and a set of stairs ran along the side, up, and around to the back. The place had a lot of character and seemed super cozy. Emotions welled in her chest. It was everything she could imagine, and she longed to see inside.

  “Charon, I want to buy that house for you and me. I want to live there and have our kids there. If you say the word, if you marry me, I’ll do everything I can to make sure the seller chooses me. Whatever it takes. We were made for each other, Charon. I love you. And I know you love me.”

  She didn’t respond. Not once in all the time they were together did she tell him she loved him. While she admitted she cared—and she did care about him—if her feelings were love, they weren’t the same as what she felt for Bryson. Where did Morris get his confidence that she was in love with him? Wishful thinking?

  “Morris, I can’t think—”

  “Don’t answer tonight. You’re tired. I said I wasn’t going to ask you again until I knew you were sure, but it’s Christmas time. I couldn’t help myself.” His chuckle was filled with nervous tension. “I’ll hint that I got you a special present for Christmas and leave it at that.”

  “Damn it, Morris, it’s a ring, isn’t it? You say you’re not going to pressure me anymore and then you go and do this.”

  “Why can’t you understand—” He cut himself off as he raised his voice. A heavy breath sounded in the phone. “You’re right. I’m wrong, and I’m sorry. My offer still stands. You have to admit this is a once in a lifetime situation, Charon. That house won’t wait. Think about, okay? I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  She started to speak, but he ended the call. With her head on the kitchen counter, she woke up her tablet and brought up the app for video chatting with Bryson.

  A cottage. It sounded wonderful. A garden in the backyard, kids playing in the front—a tree swing!

  She groaned. Funny how she imagined the cottage and the kids but not Morris. Once and for all, she should be strong and tell him the truth, that she loved someone else. It might push him to give up.

  “It shouldn’t be Bryson or Morris. There’s nothing wrong with being alone.”

  The app connected, and Bryson’s face came on the screen. “I thought you fell asleep in your nachos.”

  She smirked. “What makes you think I bought nachos?”

  He pointed at the screen. “Isn’t that the edge of the container right there?”

  “No.” She pushed it out of view.

  “Liar.” He chuckled. “You get nachos at least three times a week, and it’s Thursday.”

  “Shut up.”

  “So mean,” he teased. “I like it.”

  “What did you want to talk about?”

  He studied her face, and she lowered her lashes. “Not too tired?”

  Not for you.

  “I’ve got to eat.”

  “Okay, well, hear me out.”

  She wrinkled her nose. Wouldn’t it be crazy if Bryson was about to ask her to marry him the way that Morris just did? Her insides went to mush as she thought about it.

  “You know how we keep saying it’s pointless to meet up and that it might mess up our friendship?”

  “Yeah. You’re not about to suggest that again. We talked about it this morning.”

  “No, we didn’t. Not in the way I’m about to propose.”

  Her head spun. “Go on.”

  “There’s no other time like now, Charon.”

  His words echoed Morris’.

  “You said our friendship has to change when I get married, and I respect it although I don’t agree with it. I’m not making a love match, and I don’t even expect her to be faithful.”

  “You’re not serious?” Who would cheat on Bryson?

  “We’ve talked about it.”

  “No way.”

  He nodded.

  “You’re not asking me to be your mistress are you because that would be a hell no!”

  “I know you better than that.”

  She was somewhat disappointed, but at least he didn’t gag and say, “Ew, gross!”

  “One night—tomorrow night to be exact.”

  “Say what?”

  “I’m going to be finalizing everything with her the day after Christmas. I’m not quite sure yet, but I guess I’ll ask her officially at that time too.”

  “So romantic.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

  “Charon, forget about her for now.” He leaned close to the screen. “We both know how we feel about each other.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “How do we feel?”

  His cheeks pinked. It was such a rare occurrence. She drank it in. God, he was sexy, even embarrassed and uncomfortable.

  He hesitated and then continued with determination. “In a different world, we would be together.”

  That was all she was going to get.

  “One night, Charon. We fly to wherever we choose, or wherever we can get a flight. We spend the night together, and then we say goodbye.” He suddenly left her view. She leaned to the side as if it would help her to see.

  “Bryson, are you there?”

  He didn’t answer, but his bedroom was in full view. She had seen it before and knew he had a king sized bed and a gigantic bedroom. He had given her the grand tour online. She had done the same for him, and he’d been shocked at how tiny her apartment was. Bryson wasn’t born rich. His family was at most middle class, but the home where he was raised was a good size.

  He came back into view but didn’t explain where he had gone. “Charon, I want to be clear. When we meet, I want to make love to you.”

  Her mouth fell open.

  “You…uh…you want that
too, correct?”

  Still unsure of himself. This was a record. Bryson Scott wasn’t as confident in her answer as he might have wished. She had no desire to keep him in suspense.

  “Yes.”

  He visibly relaxed. “One night, Charon. We will spend Christmas together and enjoy each other. As far as I’m concerned, it’s perfect.”

  “I’m not sure there’ll be flights left on Christmas Eve.”

  “There are a few. I’ve already checked.”

  “You’ve thought a lot about this.”

  “It’s been on my mind for months.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “I knew I wanted to touch you at least once, to taste that mouth that I’ve been seeing on my screen and fantasizing about all this time.”

  “Bryson, we’re friends, and I wasn’t single the whole time.”

  “I’m just being honest.”

  She didn’t know what to say.

  “Spend Christmas with me. After that, if you want to marry him, do it. Have your white picket fence and a little house on the prairie with eight kids.”

  She rolled her eyes. “And you’ll go into your loveless marriage of convenience.”

  “Yup. Perfect, see?”

  “This is crazy.”

  “Crazy and right.”

  There wasn’t a more perfect time as he said. She was single for the moment, and so was he. Neither was tied down yet. She might never be, and she didn’t have to feel guilty about his fiancée-to-be because he hadn’t proposed yet. Neither did the woman love him.

  The idea grew on her. Little by little, she began to see herself doing it. Not in a million years did she think she could ever be with Bryson like what he proposed. She couldn’t say no. If she did, she would regret it no matter what her decisions were later. Right now, today, she loved him so much. To have him make love to her would be something she could remember for a long time after they didn’t talk anymore.

  “Okay,” she said. “Let’s do it.”

  Chapter Three

  Charon ducked behind her wineglass and stared at Bryson. He was just entering the restaurant, and he hadn’t spotted her yet. Her breath caught in her chest. God, he we was beautiful. When she first saw him she suspected he was tall, and at some point during their conversations he confirmed it. But now, in person, he was like a Greek god. No, he was sexier than that.

  He paused and scanned the restaurant. She didn’t move or signal him. Courage left her now that he and she were in the same place. To distract herself from the rising panic, she studied him again. He wore jeans and a long sleeve shirt, casual for him who lived in suits.

  She’d gone through her own closet looking for the perfect dress and ended up shopping for one and spending way more than her budget allowed. No matter, this opportunity needed to be taken advantage of with her looking her best. That meant she had to buy new underwear. Her panties were looking worn and faded lately. Not to mention the fact that she didn’t have any matching bras.

  He spotted her, and goose bumps popped out on her arms. She took her time standing. All the hairs rose on the back of her neck. She watched as he approached and his gaze slid down over her form. The dark purple sweater dress hugged her curves. Around this time of year, she always put on a little weight and then spent the better part of the following year trying to get it off. She held her breath, watching for his reaction.

  He reached the table and stood in front of her. “I knew I made the right decision.”

  To her surprise, he sounded a little breathless. She looked into his eyes to see if he was nervous, but she couldn’t tell for sure. Swallowing so her voice would come out okay, she said, “Hey.”

  “Hey yourself.” He stretched a hand out and tugged her close. The next thing she knew she was engulfed in his embrace and held against his chest. She enjoyed the strength of his arms around her. He smelled just as she imagined, like magic, leather, and manliness for lack of a better description. She hadn’t thought of the specific scent but just the sexy nature of it.

  They embraced a good twenty seconds before he released her and stepped back. A little shaky, she sat down and grabbed her wine glass again. The alcohol made her head buzz. “I didn’t think you would make it after your flight was cancelled.”

  He signaled to the waiter. “Neither did I, but I promise you I would have found another way if I couldn’t get a different flight.”

  “Is JFK bad?”

  “Pretty much. The weather kept a lot of planes from landing. I ended up calling in a favor.”

  “From who, the FAA?”

  He chuckled. “No. I’m not that powerful—yet.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “I’m kidding. Never mind how I got here. You look good, Charon.”

  She blushed. “Thanks. So do you.”

  He ordered a glass of wine and held up the waiter before he could leave.

  “Do we want to order or…” Bryson raised his eyebrows in question.

  “Yes, definitely. I don’t know about you, but I’m nervous as hell. I need to unwind a little and talk to you face-to-face. I guess you’re ready to jump right to it.”

  “No.” He pushed fingers into his dark hair, ruffling it and making himself sexier. “I mean, I can’t get the idea out of my head about what it will be like, but I don’t want to move faster than what makes you comfortable.”

  She glanced at the waiter. The man would be a fool not to figure out what they alluded to. Not that she cared. He didn’t know her. They met between their two locations in Virginia. Tomorrow, she would fly home and never come back there.

  Bryson booked the hotel for them, and he paid for both her flight and his. She had offered to pay, but he refused. Since she was already over budget with the new clothes she didn’t argue.

  They ordered. She chose something light that wouldn’t sit on her nervous stomach like a rock. Bryson, being a big guy with a healthy appetite, ordered the steak. The waiter left them alone.

  “Hungry?” she joked.

  “I need my energy.”

  “Because you’re an old man.”

  They laughed together, but he cut it short to reach a hand out to her. She took it, and his fingers entwined with hers. Tingles of delight raced over her skin. That was a good sign. He wasn’t just good-looking. He turned her on. One touch had her trembling and ready for more.

  “I can’t wait, Charon.”

  “F-for?” Why was she even asking? She knew what they were talking about.

  “I’ve fantasized about kissing you. I want to do it now.”

  “Now?” She gulped. “Here?”

  He hesitated. “You’re not a virgin, are you?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Did you forget Morris?”

  “Yeah. The minute I decided to come here.”

  “Oh.” She didn’t blame him. She blocked out thoughts of his plans and anything about the future. All they had was now. She wanted to pretend he belonged to her and her alone. Now that he planned to commit himself to another woman, a woman who didn’t deserve him.

  She took a drink of wine and looked him in the eyes. “You can kiss me.”

  He moved around the table and leaned down. She raised her chin, and their lips touched briefly before they moved into a deeper kiss. Warmth spread throughout her body all the way down to her toes.

  His lips were firm yet soft. He slanted his mouth across hers and teased the corner of her lips with the tip of his tongue. Panicked, she moved back a bit, but he chased after her with a finger under her chin. Once again, he covered her mouth, and she was lost. Their heads tilted in opposite directions, they kissed long and slowly, exploring and tasting until Charon felt all the nervousness and doubt slip away.

  Someone cleared their throat, and she and Bryson sprung apart. Charon looked over her shoulder to find an elderly woman glaring at the two of them. When the woman was sure her sentiment was clear, she stepped toward the exit.

  “We got a little carried away.” Charon started
to drink again just for something to do, but her glass was empty.

  Bryson poured her more wine from the bottle he had ordered. “It’s easy to get carried away with you. If that kiss was any indicator of how tonight is going to go, I’m ready.”

  “Me too.” She meant it. Dinner no longer appealed. Even as she thought it, the waiter arrived with their meal. She looked at Bryson, and he looked back at her. He seemed to read her mind and signaled the waiter again.

  “Sorry about this,” Bryson told him. “Something has come up. We’ll take the check right now.”

  “Shall I put everything in a box to go, sir?”

  “No—”

  “Yes, we’ll take boxes,” Charon interrupted. “We might get hungry later.”

  Bryson paid for the food, and they hurriedly left the restaurant. Charon gazed out at the street beyond the restaurant. There wasn’t a taxi in sight.

  She turned to Bryson. “Oh, boy. I didn’t think about a taxi. Getting one from the airport was easy. From here, I’m not so sure.”

  He tugged her to his side and held up a set of keys. “I have a rental. Come on.”

  Chapter Four

  Charon stepped out of her dress. She told Bryson she wanted to freshen up even though she took a shower and changed as soon as she checked into the hotel earlier. The truth was she needed a moment to collect herself.

  She checked out her body in just a bra and panties in the mirror. Her hips were a little wide, and her thighs were thick. Not that she was really big, more like overweight. She worried about the slight love handles and the boobs that weren’t as perky as they had been in her early twenties. Sure, she was just twenty-six, but she could see the big 3-0 already casting an influence. Someone as perfectly built as Bryson wouldn’t have any trouble getting a woman, even a supermodel.

  She licked her lips and swallowed. A knock at bathroom door made her jump. Bryson called out. “Hey, you coming out, or do I have to come in and get you?”

  “Not funny.”