Calling Mrs Claus

by Charlie Conwell

  Sophie gets up and paces again, “When was the last time you spoke to Lina?”

  “I talked to her about the meal and I know she wasn’t happy with me going along. That’s why we agreed that I would come over to her house after the meal. I showed up at her door, got abuse and a door slammed in my face. Now, here I am sat here like a blubbering mess on your shoulder.”

  “This doesn’t make any sense, let me go over and talk to her.”

  “I’ll come too.”

  Sophie shakes her head, “No, that’s not going to help anything. I’ll go and see if I can find out some answers and get her to come and talk to you.”

  “I can’t just sit here, Sophie, I don’t want to lose her.”

  Sophie gives her a hug, “Just give me some time and I will get to the bottom of it.”

  Ann tries to convince her to let her go with her, “Please, Sophie, I need to see her and talk to her.”

  “I know you do, but if you go over there right now in this state and with how angry Lina is, it’s just not going to work out the way we want it to. Please, stay here.”

  Ann is defeated and slumps back into the chair, “Okay, I will stay here, please tell her that I have done nothing wrong and that she is the one that I want to be with.”

  “I will, I’ll be back soon.”

  Sophie leaves Ann crying in her living room. She pulls on her coat, opening the door feeling the cold night air. She trudges up the driveway to Lina’s workshop after hearing the hammering and banging. She turns the handle but can’t open the door, she rolls her eyes, takes out her key for the lock. She opens the door and goes inside and sees Lina just hammering a piece of metal.

  “Lina, what is going on?”

  Lina keeps hammering and doesn’t look around, “Go away, Sophie, I’m working, and I don’t want to talk.”

  Sophie smirks and walks around the workspace looking at some of the toys that Lina had completed. “These look amazing, you have done a great job with them. The display will be awesome.”

  Lina shakes her head and hammers louder, “There won’t be a display and there won’t be a project, I quit.”

  Sophie ignores the statement and keeps looking around, “Jesus, it’s Ann.”

  Lina spins around looking at the door and can’t hide the disappointment when she doesn’t see her standing there. Sophie grins, “I mean here in this sculpture and that portrait of her there. She is in your head while you work, they are incredible pieces. Has Ann seen them yet?”

  “You need to get your eyes tested neither of them look like Ann. Why are you here? I need to work.”

  “Well, I wanted to say hi and see how you are doing? If you are quitting the project what work are you doing?”

  Lina grinds her teeth, “I am doing some sculptures for myself, I like to do them when I need a time out.”

  Sophie moves closer again, “And with this battered piece of metal what are you going to use it for?”

  Lina huffs, “Sophie, I really want you to leave and let me get back to my work.”

  Lina tries to walk past her, but Sophie stops her, “Enough, I am going to talk to you whether you like it or not.”

  Lina snorts, “I don’t think so, I’m not in the mood.”

  Sophie rolls her eyes and steps in front of Lina again, “Tough, I opened my door to a very distraught Ann Peeters an hour and a half ago. Since then, she has been in my living room, that woman hasn’t stopped crying and wanting to come over here and talk to you. I stopped her because I know you and your moods. She filled me in on everything that has happened today and why she went to dinner with that witch of an ex-girlfriend. You have no idea how much she likes you, you idiot.”

  At the mention of Celine’s name Lina growls and turns her back on Sophie, “I don’t want to hear it, Sophie, leave me alone.”

  “So, here is what you don’t know about this evening. Ann went to the hotel to pick up Celine. When she got there Celine wasn’t ready and told the receptionist to send Ann up much to her annoyance. Ann went to the room and found Celine in a state of undress and tried to seduce Ann. Ann turned her down and told her she had no chance of being with her because she is with you.”

  Lina scowls, “She did what? So that is why Ann was looking for a towel and Celine was only too happy to tell her where it was.”

  Sophie is confused, but it is Ann who answers, “I wasn’t in the hotel room with her. I was in the doorway when I saw her, I turned around and left the room. I sat at the bar and waited to see if she would act like a professional human being. I had a drink and when she came down, I told her in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t on the market.”

  “I told you to stay at home.”

  “You did, but I couldn’t stay away any longer. I’m the one that needs to talk to Lina, not you, even though I thank you for helping me. Lina, I want to know what you think happened? Why do you think I would go back to someone that took every ounce of joy out of my life? Why you think I would put what we have at risk by doing anything to cause us harm?”

  Lina turns away, “You both need to leave.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. You need to look at me and tell me that is what you want. If you can’t talk to me and tell me where this thought, came from. Tell me that you don’t want me and want me to go.”

  Ann steels herself for what she hopes doesn’t happen. Sophie is watching and wondering what Lina is going to do. Lina turns around walks in front of Ann, “I called you, when you were at the supposed dinner, you didn’t answer your phone. Celine answered, told me you were in the bathroom and that you were calling her to ask where the towels where. I hung up after that.”

  Ann is shocked and shakes her head, “I was at the table for all of the meal except when I went to the bathroom before dessert came out. My phone was in my purse.”

  Lina shakes her head, “I knew getting involved with you was a bad idea, I couldn’t stay away no matter how much I tried. I let you in and you cheated on me.”

  “I haven’t cheated on you! I couldn’t cheat on you. You should know that! You mean so much to me. I was really looking forward to seeing you after that dinner with Celine. She manipulated the meal out of me because of the stupid article, and because Olivia slapped her for how she spoke and treated me.”

  Lina throws her hands up, “You chose to go to that dinner, you were in her room and you slept with her.”

  Ann starts to cry and shakes her head, “No, I didn’t sleep with her, I couldn’t and wouldn’t because…”

  She shakes her head and starts to walk away when Sophie calls her, “Ann why couldn’t you sleep with her? What stopped you?”

  Ann turns to face her confused, “What does it matter now?”

  Sophie smiles softly at her, “It matters, tell her why you couldn’t do it.”

  Lina still has her back to Ann, and she is shaking as the tears silently slide down her cheeks. Ann takes a breath, “Because I love Lina, I love you and I don’t want Celine, I’m so happy to be rid of her from my life.”

  She turns and runs out of the warehouse in tears. Sophie turns to Lina who is still standing with her back to her. “What are you doing? Why are you still standing here? Go after her!”

  “I can’t, she is gone, and she can go and be with Celine.”

  Sophie shakes her head, “What the hell are you talking about? She loves you and I don’t believe she cheated on you for a second.”

  “Where was she when I called? How did Celine have her phone?”

  “Oh my God, you really are an idiot. If you were Celine and she made a move on you and you turned her down what would you do? How could you cause problems? Celine is a manipulator, and not used to having anyone say no to her, especially not Ann. She was so dominant of her when they were together, now Ann has grown stronger, and doesn’t bend to her every whim. Like I asked you before, what other things can you do to upset that relationship, in the hopes of getting the little submissive woman she had before? Get rid of the girlfriend and hey ho
Ann is distraught, she can swoop in and be the shoulder to lean on.”

  Lina is listening and starts to pace, “You really think Ann didn’t cheat on me? Is Celine that vindictive? Oh my God, what have I done?”

  She is still standing there, Sophie rolls her eyes, “Dammit Lina, go after her and beg that woman to forgive you and then we figure out a way to deal with Celine.”

  “I’m going to kill her!”

  “That is not what we are going to do.”

  “I can hit her, though right?”

  “Jesus, Lina, go after Ann and get your relationship back on track.”

  Lina rushes out of the door shouting Ann’s name.

  Chapter 20

  Lina runs her fingers through her hair looking frantically around for Ann. It’s so dark around her workshop that she can’t see anything. “Ann, where are you?”

  She hears the creak of the swing from the side of her house and hopes that Ann is there. She rushes around the side of the house and there in the moonlight is a silhouette of Ann on the swing. She can now hear Ann’s sobs and her heartaches. She slowly approaches her, “Ann?”

  Ann lifts her head, “What do you want? You’ve made your point of view quite clear already, thank you.”

  Lina bows her head, makes her way behind Ann and starts to push her much to Ann’s annoyance, “What are you doing? I don’t want to be pushed.”

  Lina smirks and continues to push her, “If I am pushing you, you can’t run anywhere until I am finished talking.”

  “I don’t want to hear what you have to say.”

  “I think you do because you are still here.”

  Ann snorts, “I came here in a taxi, I have no way home.”

  Lina grimaces, “I’m sorry, Ann, I jumped to conclusions and didn’t stop to think or listen. I’ve treated you so badly and I feel like an ass. I don’t deserve to have you listen to me now, but I do want to try and fix this.”

  Ann jumps from the swing shocking Lina who still is in the motion of pushing the swing. It comes back so fast and because she isn’t paying attention it hits her on the chin. “Oh fuck!”

  Ann turns around seeing Lina hold her chin and the culprit, swing still moving erratically. She rushes to help her but can’t hold in the laugh. Lina rolls her eyes that are now watering, “Really, you’re laughing at me?”

  Ann shrugs, “I think Karma just paid you a nice visit and I am definitely laughing at you.”

  “That hurt, I think I’m bleeding.”

  At the mention of blood Ann gets concerned, “Are you bleeding? Let me see!”

  Lina moves her hand away and sure enough, her lip is busted, and blood is pouring out. “Oh my God, you really are bleeding. Come on we need to get you cleaned up.”

  Ann leads her back to the warehouse and pushes open the door. Sophie spins around smiling until she spots the blood on Lina’s face. “Oh my God, did you hit her?”

  Ann tuts, “No, I did not, the swing did.”

  Sophie is confused but rushes to get a damp towel to help clean Lina up. Lina is pushed into a chair, both Ann and Sophie are fawning over her. “I think I can do this on my own.”

  Ann hushes her, “You can’t do it yourself, now be quiet and let us take care of you.”

  Lina tries to smile but winces, “Damn my lip is split.”

  “No shit, Sherlock, now be quiet and you will be fine in just a minute.”

  Sophie smiles at Ann as they work together to stop the bleeding. Once it is stopped Sophie looks at both of them. “Is it safe for me to go home now or do you too need me to mediate your talk?”

  Lina looks at Ann, “Can we talk?”

  Ann folds her arms looking irritated, “Will you listen to my side and not interrupt?”

  Lina nods her head, “I will because I love you too and I want us to work.”

  Sophie grins and thumps her on her shoulder, “Now, that’s my best friend, I’m proud of you. I am going to leave you both alone now, I really hope I don’t hear banging on my door with someone in tears on the other side. If that does happen, I swear I will come back here and split that lip again.”

  Lina raises her hands, “That’s harsh but understandable. I will behave.”

  Sophie turns to Ann and folds her arms, “And you, don’t run off until this is sorted, do you hear me?”

  Ann smirks, “I got off lightly.”

  Sophie quirks her eyebrow, “I will leave you standing out in the cold and you won’t have a phone to call anyone.”

  Ann laughs, “I have my phone right here.” She pats her pockets finding no phone. She looks at the grinning Sophie, “I left it in your house, didn’t I?”

  Sophie nods, “Yes, you did so you two stop acting like two kids in the playground and talk to each other.”

  She walks out of the warehouse leaving both Lina and Ann stunned. “Wow, you have a bully as a friend.”

  Lina laughs and grimaces in pain, “She thinks she is a hardass but she’s really a softy. She means well and only wants the best for the two of us.”

  Ann grins, “She does but for someone so petite she does have a feisty, scary side. I know she didn’t mean what she said…”

  “Oh, she meant that she will kick our ass if we don’t talk.”

  Ann shakes her head, “No way, well, alright then, I guess we should start talking.”

  They both sit and stare at each other, neither one talking, Ann starts to look around and smiles at all the toys in different states of completion. “Wow, you have been working so hard, I love all of the toys. How has it been working with my mother?”

  Lina grins, “She has been a dream to work with. I made her, her own little desk for her sewing machine. She is so particular and precise when it comes to colours for the clothes and what way the dolls should look like. I never knew that having someone else working alongside me could be so much fun. I am really enjoying myself. You know, I like this route of conversation, but I don’t think it is what we should be talking about.”

  Before Ann can say anything, else Sophie is back and sets Ann’s phone on the table in front of the two of them. “I thought this might come in handy for your talk.”

  She turns on her heel and leaves again without another word. Both Ann and Lina look at the phone and then each other, “What do we need this for?”

  Ann looks at Lina incredulously, “Seriously, I am going to look at my call list to see your call and what time it was so I can tell you where I was.”

  Lina blushes, “Oh, okay, that makes sense.” She looks sheepish and Ann can’t help but smile at her. She picks up her phone and scrolls through her call log. Once she spots Lina’s call, she growls and throws the phone against the wall behind Lina’s head making her duck.

  “That bitch! She answered my phone when I was in the bathroom of the restaurant. She had me convinced that she could be a decent human being. I should have listened to you and told her to take a run and jump when she asked me to go to dinner. I’m such a fool, she will never change, and now she has ruined the best thing to have happened to me in a long time.”

  The tears start to fall again, and she slumps back in her chair. Lina kneels in front of her and cradles her face in her hands. “She hasn’t ruined anything, we won’t let her do that to us. She fooled me too, I jumped to a conclusion with no evidence whatsoever. I just got so angry and jealous, I couldn’t deal with those feelings. The thought of you and her together, her touching you, I wanted to rip her head off her shoulders. Now, I still want to do it, but because she has caused you this hurt for nothing but her own personal gratification…”

  Lina stands up and grabs her jacket, “I’m going to talk to her right now.”

  Ann jumps up to stop her, “No, not now, we will deal with her together, right now all I want to do is make sure that we are okay.”

  Lina is still fired up but looking into Ann’s eyes melts her anger. She pulls her into her arms and kisses her softly. She winces again, Ann pulls back, “Are you okay, can you kiss me wit
h your lip like that? Does it hurt too much?”

  Lina smiles and kisses her again, “It’s worth it, just kiss me, I need to feel you, that’s what makes me feel better.”

  Ann takes the jacket off Lina and throws it on the floor nearby, “I’m going to show you just how much I love you and want you.”

  She kisses Lina and pushes her back towards the table. She swipes all the material off it and sets Lina on the table. She kisses her neck and gets the desired moan and encouragement. Ann rips the tee shirt from Lena’s body revealing her naked breasts. Lina’s nipples are already hard as she greedily kisses and massages each one of them.

  “I could have lost you, you could have left me for good, but you are here, you are with me. I am so very much in love with you, I could tell you just how much, but I would rather show you, have you feel my love, passion, and desire for you.”

  Lina can hear the sorrow and feel how much Ann had believed that she had lost her. She sits up and holds her close to her, “I’m here, she has not broken us, she caused us heartache, but we are here together.”

  Ann looks into Lina’s eyes and smiles, she rubs her finger gently over her lip, “I love you.”

  Lina grins, “I love you too.”

  Lina removes Ann’s clothes and admires her naked body before Ann pushes her back on the table again and takes off her jeans and underwear. She climbs up on top of Lina positioning herself so that her clit is rubbing against Lina’s. Lina groans and grabs Ann’s ass pushing her harder against her with every move they make. Both breathing hard, moaning louder moving faster together. Ann lowers her mouth and sucks one of Lina’s nipples into her mouth, twirling her tongue around it. Lina’s back arches her fingers tight in Ann’s hair holding her against her breast. Ann moves off Lina making her whimper, “Oh, please, don’t leave me.”

  Ann smiles, “I’m not, just wait.”

  Lina is about to ask but her eyes close when she feels Ann slide two fingers inside of her. “Oh my God, that feels so good.”

  Ann smirks and thrusts deeper and harder loving how Lina is responding to her. She feels Lina tighten around her fingers and with one final thrust Lina screams out, her body shaking with her release. Ann goes to slide her fingers out, but Lina stops her,