by Volley, Rue
Bang on time Charles rang the buzzer. I checked it was him first before I headed down. I gasped as I opened the front door. Charles was waiting next to a limo, a limo!
He smiled as I approached him.
“You look spectacular.”
Charles was wearing a black collarless suit and was freshly shaven. He looked gorgeous.
“Not so bad yourself.”
He held open the door and I stepped inside. There was a bottle of champagne. We took our seats and Charles poured us both a glass.
“You going to tell us where we are heading.”
“Yes, I got tickets for the movie premier, Planet forever.”
“Serious?”
“I know its Sci-fi, but it isn’t really about the movie it’s about the after party.”
“I love Sci-fi!” I said with glee.
“You’re kidding, me too.” He looked at me in disbelief. “You don’t look the sort of woman…”
“You don’t either,” I laughed. “Who’d have thought, I don’t have a single friend to watch my favourites with.”
“Favourite movie?”
“Alien 2 or 4.” I said right away.
“I liked the first but I agree the 4th was great.”
“I am so excited now Charles.”
We clinked our glasses.
We arrived at the movie theatre and Charles and I walked hand in hand up the red carpet. I tried to remain calm and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other so I wouldn’t fall on my ass. Charles put his hand loosely around my waist and showed the door man our tickets. I was having to refrain from running up to the famous people I saw and asking for autographs soooooo would not look cool. Charles seemed to take everything in his stride so I followed suit. We watched the movie which was awesome and them headed to the after show party which was immense. We got sat at a table with two really well known celebrities and they asked me if I was an actress. I was having the best time and Charles was so sociable even leading me onto the dance floor for several songs. I felt like Cinderella. It was the best night of my life so far, I never wanted it to end.
It had to of course and in the limo on the way home I asked Charles if he wanted to come upstairs and stay over.
“I’d love too. If you don’t mind me saying Jenny I’ve had a wonderful night.”
“Me too, the best in a long time, thank you, it was perfect.”
The limo dropped us off and Charles and walked hand in hand up my stairs to my apartment.
As I approached my door I heard something inside. My heart sped up in my chest. Charles pushed me behind him. From inside my apartment we heard a mighty crash. I rushed forward, I was being burgled.
“Call the police!” Charles hissed.
I reached into my clutch for my phone and did it right away. While I gave the police details Charles approached the door. Another crash. Charles opened the door slowly and entered.
“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!” came a voice from inside.
Fucking Alan! I dropped my phoned and ran into my home. It was absolutely ruined. My sideboard was tipped over and stomped on, as I got through to the living room I saw my sofa slashed repeatedly and my TV tipped over and smashed. All my booked and dvds were on the floor ripped or smashed.
“Alan what the hell are you doing? How the hell did you get in here?”
Alan, seemed to have completely lost the plot. He was wielding a thick kitchen knife and appeared to be very drunk.
“Why the fuck should you have all this you slag!” He waved the knife around wildly.
Charles made a lunge for him knocking the knife from his hand and fell to floor. Charles was stronger and more sober but Alan got lucky, he shoved and he fell back banging his head on one of the legs of the upturned coffee table knocking him out cold.
Alan turned on me.
“I only really ever wanted you,” he said approaching me with malice in his eyes, “I never wanted Tina, she was just a bit of fun. I thought when it all came out you would fight but you didn’t give a shit.”
“Alan what the hell did you expect? What kind of deluded world do you live in where you think by telling me you’d been boinking filth did you expect me to welcome you back with open arms.”
He growled and reached for the knife he’d dropped.
“If I can’t have you no fucker can!”
He lunged at me and I dived to the side. I yelled as the tip of the knife connected with the top of my thigh. My beautiful dress was ruined too. I saw with relief two police officers burst into the apartment. Alan dropped the knife right away mumbled.
“I wasn’t really going to hurt her.”
They cuffed him and dragged him away kicking and screaming.
I ran to Charles and looked at his head, he had a huge egg sized lump on the back. He groaned.
“Are you ok?” I asked smoothing the hair from his forehead. “I am so sorry.”
“Don’t be!” He said angrily, then he looked at the cut on my leg. “That fucker, he cut you.”
“It’s fine, it’s not deep, I’m more annoyed at the dress. Don’t be mad Charles, please, the police got here, I’m fine. I think you need to get your head looked at.”
“No doctors for me. Thank god you’re ok.” He pulled me into an embrace.
The police took Alan away, still screaming and shouting and then they took statements. I wanted to press full charges. Charles stepped up to the mark and even helped me to get a handle on the damage to report it to my insurers in the morning. Every room in the apartment was destroyed. He had scored the knife along the wood of my beautiful solid wood furniture in the bedroom, and he’d done the same to the wooden tops in the kitchen. He’d tipped everything out of the canisters all over the floor, coffee milk and sugar, pasta, spaghetti. In the bathroom he’d piled all the towels in the bath and put the taps on full. It was a disaster, much worse than being burgled because the culprit hadn’t wanted to steal my possessions he’d wanted to destroy everything that meant something to me.
I changed out of my dress and Charles cleaned up my leg, which really wasn’t bad at all. I pulled on some jogging bottoms and I loaned Charles an oversized T-shirt I had and together we cleaned up the worst of the mess in the bedroom. Once we were done I cried a little and Charles held me murmuring stuff about Alan, best not repeated. I couldn’t believe he was still there after all the baggage I’d brought with me.
He stayed with me that night and the night after and Monday morning he left me to go to work telling me to keep my door bolted shut and take the week off work. He said he would get a few bits from home and come back and stay with me. I was so grateful. I’d never felt scared in my own home and I wondered if I’d ever feel safe there again.
The next week was a blur, May came after work and tried to help me bless her. I felt awful but all I could think of was her leaving so that Charles could come over. My insurer replaced all my damaged goods very quickly. It was a clear cut case so I wasn’t badgered. I changed the locks and Charles gave the building manager a thorough bollocking for allowing Alan into the building when I had specifically informed them that we had separated.
In those seven days Charles and I grew ever closer. He’d taken me to his apartment across town once but it was miniscule and I missed my home. Charles seemed content to stay at mine and this suited me down to a tee. I cleared him out a drawer and bought him a spare tooth brush.
We fucked, we made love and we shared each other’s company it was comfortable and easy the time simply slipped away. The following weekend was going to be the Christmas office party. When I arrived at work on the Monday they had dragged out all the Christmas decorations and the whole place looked like Santas grotto on acid. I was glad to be back at work as all my work surfaces in my kitchen were being replaced and the shower in my bathroom that Alan so thoughtfully smashed.
Charles had already left in his own car five minutes before me so I headed straight for his office.
“You ok?” He asked, full o
f concern
“Yes I’m fine, they went nuts with the decorations this year?”
“They petty cash is very empty, I suspect I may be becoming soft, you are a bad influence Miss Holden. Are you attending the party on Saturday?”
“Yes can’t miss Santa, you.?”
I’ll be there for a few hours but I have a meeting I have to leave for, will you be okay?”
“Of course. Listen, Alan shook me up I’ll admit that but if the twerp is stupid enough to come within a mile of me he’s gonna land up in jail.”
“You are a strong woman Jenny.”
“I’m a pissed off woman, I loved my apartment and he ruined it. You’ve been amazing putting up with all this crap.”
“Non-sense I enjoy your company.” He said sincerely.
“Me too.” I smiled.
So I thought and thought about what the heck I was going to get Charles for Secret Santa. On my lunch I visited a shop that sold everything from T shirts to comic books to figurines and all of it Sci-fi and fantasy. In the window I stopped. They had a small Alien figurine about the size of a cat and it was made from warped metal and bolts and stuff. It was perfect. It was also £200, too pricey? Certainly was for a normal Secret Santa but I wanted to thank him for everything he’d done and I also wanted to do something pretty daring and out there too.
I’d come to realise in the short time I’d known Charles that there was much more to him than met the eye and I liked him a lot. I also realised when I thought about not waking up with him in the morning it made me sad. Was it too soon to even think about moving him in? I would say yes but the more I pondered it the more it seemed stupid. I mean it didn’t mean he had to sell his place I just wanted to sort of let him know that my door was open to him.
I walked to a nearby pet store and bought a small black studded collar for a tiny dog. Once I got home I took my spare key from the drawer, took the Alien out of its box and fastened the collar round its neck. I then attached my spare key to it and replaced it back in the box. I wrote out a little gift card.
To come and go as you please, hopefully more coming than going,
Secret Santa
I smiled, of course he would instantly know who it was from but that was ok. I just hoped I wasn’t being too pushy and forward. I knew exactly what I wanted and I just hoped he was thinking the same thing.
The day before the works Christmas do I was a bag of nerves. We handed in all the Secret Santa gifts to reception in the morning ready for Santa to deliver them the next day. I nearly took the key off the present as I pulled up in the car park, but I stopped myself. I had to concentrate hard on my work because my mind so easily drifted to Charles. Jesus I had it bad.
“Hey, long time no see.”
I looked up, startled at the interruption, to find Anthony smiling down at me. I was temporarily stunned but regained my composure to respond.
“Oh hey, where have you been?”
“They had me doing deliveries across town. How have you been, am I forgiven for the whole Xbox thing?” He said smiling sweetly.
“Of course you are.” I said honestly, I mean I had no hard feelings.
“Great, so can I make it up to you say Saturday. I promise it will be a fancy restaurant, not a computer in sight.”
I smiled. “Well it’s our works night out tomorrow and I’m sort of seeing someone now.”
“Darn it.” He laughed. “I really missed out there.”
“But hey, you know what you should do, you should totally ask out Mayline.” He looked over his just as Mayline ducked out of the way back in her booth. “Do a fancy restaurant with her, sounds like she would enjoy that.”
“You think?”
“Yeah, she’s single.”
“Great, I may do that, whoever your new man is, well he’s a lucky guy. I’ll see you around Jenny.”
I looked over and saw Charles blind twitch slightly so I got up, grabbed a disc and went over to his office. He was sat smiling behind his desk.
“I think someone has it pretty bad for you.” He said.
“Maybe, can’t be that bad he agreed to ask out Mayline when I turned him down.”
“Good to know.” He winked.
“I was thinking of picking up steaks for tea is that ok?”
“Anything you cook is always lovely.”
“Cool, still breaking in the new kitchen.” I smiled. “Will you be coming back to my house after your meeting tomorrow night?”
“I was planning to, if it’s okay with you.”
“Absolutely. Shall I wait up?”
“Most definitely.”
“Cool, well I better get back to work. See you tonight.”
“I look forward to it.”
Of course we had a wonderful evening, we always did. We watched two Sci-fi movies and enjoyed several glasses of bourbon over ice.
After the second film finished and we were just about ready for bed Charles took my hand, kissing my fingertips.
“I was wondering,” He began. “My parents are having the annual Christmas party and I wondered if you’d like to come along this year?”
“To meet your parents?”
“Yes,” he laughed.
“Didn’t you say they lived on a huge estate?”
“Yes but they will love you.”
“If you are sure we are ‘there’, then sure I guess I’m fine with that, I’d like to meet them. I just hope they like me.”
“They will love you,” he said pulling my hand and leading me through to my bedroom.
The next day we pottered about together and Charles showered and got ready for the party at my house but he left an hour before I did. Mayline arrived ten minutes after with some wine to get us in the mood for partying. I chose a dusky pink knee length tube dress and black strappy heels to go with it. I was hoping Charles would like what he saw.
“Okay Jenny!” She said putting the bottle down on the coffee table. “Who is the guy you are seeing?”
“What, what guy?” I answered innocently.
“Don’t give me that look missy, when I passed the bathroom there’s a pair of men’s slippers and a blue bathrobe. Who is he? Oh my god he’s married! Isn’t he?”
“NO, Jesus calm down. I just like him a lot okay, and I want to know he is the real deal before I unleash him on the world.”
“I worry about you chick.”
“Well don’t, he is wonderful and I promise when I am ready you will be the first to know ok?”
“I guess I have no option huh?”
Our works had gone all out, we couldn’t believe our eyes when we arrived at the hotel. They had rented out quite a big ballroom and a DJ was playing modern music. The tables were decorated with crystal vases and white foil snowflakes.
Charles sat at the main table at the front with the other floor managers. We found our seats and sat down, already quite giddy from the wine. We were to receive our first two drinks free as well. A waiter took our drinks order and asked if we wanted beef, chicken or the veggie option. We both opted for beef.
I was disappointed because Charles was sat behind me so I couldn’t glance too often over my shoulder and I was even more disappointed when he rose and obviously said his good byes to his table fellows just after we had eaten. I had to admit, although being a dirty little secret had been fun I felt sad that he couldn’t twirl me around the dance-floor.
Mayline and I danced for a while feeling very merry and getting into the party spirit and then just after nine o clock Santa arrived. He brought with him six helpers and everyone took their seats. One of the heads of the company announced Santa would go table to table delivering the gifts table to table. Ours was one of the first and Mayline squealed as Santa handed her hers. He went round giving me mine last. I was a small white envelope. Everyone opened theirs and I slid my finger under the seal and opened mine too. It was a £50 next vouch. WOW generous much! There was a small card with it.
10pm room 52, don’t keep santa waiting
x
What the…? We all admired everyone’s gifts, Mayline was particularly impressed with my voucher. Santa delivered all the gifts and then with a final Ho Ho Ho and a very jolly MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE, we all cheered and he exited the building.
At a few minutes to ten I told Mayline I was just nipping to reception and I made my way into the lobby and got instructions to room 52 which was actually the penthouse suite. I walked along the beautiful corridor and knocked softly on the door.
Santa answered. He beckoned me in with crook of his finger and then reached into his pocket, pulling out a long velvet jewellery box. I glanced down at it and then something caught my eye on the bedside. My alien figurine, complete with collar and key.
“Charles?” I smiled.
He pulled down the Santa beard and smiled wide. I took the box and opened it.
It was an exquisite bracelet made of white gold and with diamonds inlaid around it.
“Charles oh my god it’s beautiful.”
“I have to say I liked my gift too.” He stood and took me in his arms.
“So you are Santa huh?”
“Yes, for the last three years actually.”
“You can’t be all that bad then, Secret Santa. And Santa fixed the names I take it.”
“I may have taken advantage of the situation yes. I actually meant it as an ice breaker so I could get to know you.”
“Well Santa, we seem to know each other quite intimately already.”
He took the bracelet from me and fastened it delicately around my wrist.
“Beautiful,” he whispered. “I say we take advantage of that big bed over there and then re-join the party.”
“Together?”
“What do you think? I’m ready to let the gossip mongers know, hell we might even make the front page!”
