Lucky 13

by Cat Gardiner

  “I’m not ready to move on from Liz. I trust your first opinion. She’s the woman for me.”

  “Look who knows so much. Trust me. Ve’ll kibitz over a little chow mein. Chinese is tradition, after all.”

  “Tonight? It’s Christmas Eve?”

  Again, Sadie sighed with a deep expulsion into the phone, unleashing her genetically gifted, perfectly honed guilt trip.

  “Vhat you can’t take a little old Jewish lady to dinner? Vhat happened to that mensch I read all about? S-Aright, I’ll spend the night alone, not like I’ll miss anything special at the Chinese. I’ll just stay at home, vatch re-runs of Lon k-Iland Housevives and vait for my son and that vife of his to never call vhile I eat the crumbs from Saturday’s leftover challah. Vatch you gonna do, go door to door singink Bing Crosby?”

  Apart from going up to his aunt’s townhome, he had absolutely nothing to do. Including Georgiana, everyone, except for the guys at the fire house were already committed to other engagements and for a change, the last place he wanted to be was at the station. He looked at his watch, feeling extremely guilty. Sadie was a master at that, and he felt the weight of her talent. “How’s eight o’clock?”

  “Oy vey, you young people. I go to sleep at eight o’clock. Make it seven and bring Sadala one of those fruit cakes from Zabars to thank her for all she’s done for you.”

  Darcy chuckled. “See you at seven then. I’ll come pick you up and then we’ll go to Café Shanghai Deluxe.”

  “Such a mensch you are. Don’t forget to vear your scarf and something on your keppe. The weatherman says snow, and I don’t vant you to get sick for your special Christmas vith the love of your life.”

  After disconnecting the call, he stood staring at the photographs on the mantle, wistfully smiling, remembering what it was like to be a complete family during this time of year. It was ironic that these were the photos that more than likely put into play the events of Friday’s heartbreak. “I will win her back,” he said aloud.

  The doorbell rang, snapping him from his hopeful thoughts of family with Elizabeth, children, laughter and a lifetime of happiness.

  The building’s concierge, stood at the threshold wearing a finely tailored, grey suit. He held in his hand an envelope. “Merry Christmas, Mr. Darcy.”

  “Merry Christmas, Mr. Andrews.”

  “This was delivered by messenger for you.”

  “Thank you.” He took the white, greeting card sized envelope from his extended hand. “I’ll catch up with you again before I leave this evening. Will you be around?”

  “Yes sir. Thank you.” Andrews always looked forward to his Christmas bonus from Mr. Darcy of the penthouse.

  Darcy carefully opened the envelope and slid out a beautiful, generic messaged, Christmas card. A seated Santa surrounded by children at his feet, held a long list in his hands. Tucked within the fold of the card lay a handwritten donation check in the amount of two thousand dollars made out to the FD Burn Foundation. It was from Elizabeth and her personal inscription read.

  Dear Will,

  Your valor and year-round Christmas spirit inspires me to want to make a difference in the lives of others. Please accept this check as a sign of my admiration of you and appreciation for the beautiful dance last night. Merry Christmas. May all your wishes come true.

  Love,

  Elizabeth

  Reading between the lines of her words and her generosity to the Foundation – for him, this was the opening of the door to Elizabeth’s heart. His thoughts fired a mile a minute. She signed the card ‘love’. Is that just the closing of the note or the opening of her heart? The dance – clearly it meant something to her. She donated to the Foundation for me. She’s reaching out to me.

  Without delay, he picked up his cell phone and called her.

  It went to voicemail, but damn, it was good to hear her sexy voice.

  He texted: Pls Call Me Recvd card We need to talk.

  If not for Sadie’s masterful ability to deliver guilt, his giving of his word, and his earnest desire to enjoy Sadie’s company, a pleasant experience in its own right, Darcy would definitely have cancelled their dinner arrangement.

  His smile was filled with hope as he held tightly onto the Christmas card.

  Shanghai Café Deluxe was crowded with Jewish and Asian locals from the Lower East Side neighborhoods who made it a tradition to eat Chinese food on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Darcy couldn't help recollecting the scene in A Christmas Story when Ralphie and his family ate Christmas dinner at the local Chinese restaurant. That movie and all things associated with it were permanently etched in his mind, forever associated with Elizabeth.

  He smiled as he watched Sadie sitting across from him in the over-sized wooden booth. She was thoroughly enjoying her won-ton dumpling soup. With each loud slurp she took, he chuckled, knowing that she was deliberately doing it to make him laugh. Sadie was too refined to fress, eat like an animal, as she called it.

  This was the second time he had been to the café with her. The first was when they met over dim sum to review his Shidduch Profile and discuss his likes and dislikes in women. At the time, he didn’t know she already had a particular woman in mind for him. It had perplexed him that she would make a match for a non-Jew and when he asked, she simply shrugged. “You think my talents are only reserved for nice Jewish men? Ach. You vant a match made in heaven, you come to Sadie. I know just vhat kind of girl you need. Vith that face …” she had grinned and reached across the table, brazenly squeezing her pink manicured fingers around his bicep. “… and these muscles. I’ll have you married in no time. Three months, mark my vords.”

  Reminiscent of that afternoon two weeks ago, they sat discussing his shadchan match. In between slurps she declared, “This new one Fitzvilliam, vhat a punim. Oy, she’ll make a nice vife. I told her all about you and she’s on her vay here now. She’s interested in the whole package – from soup to nuts.”

  He amicably smiled, trying not to hurt her feelings given all the hard work she had put into his shadchan match. “I don’t think so, Sadie. My heart is already lost to Liz. I just don’t think I can meet someone else until I know exactly where she and I stand. I think she’s thinking about things, and coming around. She sent me a Christmas card.”

  Across from him, Sadie resisted the urge to smile. Instead, she put another spoon full of soup in her mouth, slurping extra loud.

  “I’ve got to give her a chance. I know Liz is the one, but I know she just needs time. I don’t know – time to heal, time to reflect on what we could have together.”

  Sadie rolled her eyes, put her soupspoon down with a clank then shuffled through some papers in her huge, embroidered knitting bag. She mumbled, “Love is like butter - You spread it around and everything tastes better ...” She removed a completed profile questionnaire. “S-aright, you don’t believe me. Let me kvell a bissell at vhat a fine match I made for you.”

  After placing her white bubble glasses on, she read Elizabeth’s profile aloud.

  “ ‘Looking for a man who his kind’ – that’s you; ‘looking for a man who is charitable to everyone he meets’; eh … vhat I tell you? ‘Looking for a man who is athletic, cultured and vith a sense of humor’. Eh? Now this girl is just vhat you vant: professional, sensitive, independent, organized, beautiful, humorous, spirited AND she vants a man who’ll love her unconditionally.”

  Darcy chuckled. “She sounds just like Liz.”

  Sadie raised an eyebrow and gave Darcy a knowing, self-satisfied smirk with a single head nod.

  Lost in the restaurant’s din, the bell above the glass entrance door jingled, signaling his date’s arrival. Hidden behind the colorfully lit Christmas tree and the maitre d’, Darcy didn’t see who entered.

  The newly arrived patron stopped and spoke to the hostess and within seconds, the overhead music in the restaurant changed.

  “What are you saying?”

  “Vhat I’m saying is this match is your bashert. She told me so
and requested this date especially. She now knows vhat she vants, and you’re vhat she vants and not for some just cockamamie date, but forever. She’s a new girl because she finally got rid of her Meshuggeneh lists.”

  Before Darcy could respond, Sadie withdrew from her bag a small, rectangle box wrapped in pretty blue Hanukkah paper and slid it across the table. “You’ll make good use of this.”

  “What is it?”

  “You’ll open it with your date under your Christmas tree and thank me later.”

  “Thank you, Sadie. But are you saying that Liz is …”

  Suddenly, Sadie’s gaze was drawn toward the front of the restaurant. Darcy’s head turned to follow her lead. He watched as Elizabeth walked down the long aisle through the restaurant, straight toward their table at the rear.

  Awestruck and stunned, he held his breath at her approach, which seemed as though it was in slow motion. It was her. She was his bashert. His heart beat rapidly, not believing his own eyes.

  Her gentle smile grew wider, matching his. She looked beautiful in her favorite cobalt blue coat, swinging open to reveal a brilliant red sweater dress that almost matched the rosiness of her flushed, chilled cheeks. Cascading locks, tortoise-framed eyeglasses, and Russian Red lipstick completed the vision of perfection. Closing the distance, she beamed from ear to ear with eyes aglow, focused directly on him. In her hand, she held a single, red rose, confirming what his heart had known. She had sent them – and she held the thirteenth.

  Darcy instantly became aware of the song piped throughout the restaurant. Mariah Carey sang their song, “All I Want for Christmas.”

  He chuckled at his matchmaker’s satisfied grin. “Sadie, you’re something else.”

  “Yes I am, Fitzvilliam, yes I am.” She rose, removing her pink wool coat trimmed with a silver grey, faux fox collar from the coat hook at the edge of the booth. Patting his cheek, she leaned over to him. “Mazel Tov! You can thank me on Thursday for your Christmas gifts. Oy … I always vondered how your Santa Claus felt. Now I know.”

  He slid from the booth, towering over the sweet woman who had taken up space in his heart. Now standing beside Elizabeth, he clandestinely slipped his hand into hers then kissed Sadie’s cheek. “Thank you and what a Christmas gift she is.”

  “Ah, go on you two! You’ll get me all verklempt. I’ll vait for the vedding invitation.” She winked at Elizabeth then left the restaurant.

  Darcy couldn’t help himself. Surrounded by curious diners, he cupped Elizabeth’s chilled cheeks and tenderly kissed her lips with so much feeling he was sure there couldn’t be any possible misunderstanding of either his intentions or his love for her.

  “Merry Christmas, Liz.”

  Their eyes stayed locked as she breathlessly responded, “Merry Christmas, Will.” She handed him the rose with a smile that lit the restaurant.

  Grateful for another opportunity to kiss her, his lips lingered as his free hand slid upward through her long hair. Their mouths separated but their heavy pants comingled when he whispered, “Thank you.”

  The emotion he conveyed in those two words, told Elizabeth all she needed to know. He still loved her and she was forgiven.

  After helping her to remove and hang up her coat, Darcy slid into the booth beside her, their legs touching, hands immediately entwining and resting on the table between their bodies. Both were afraid to break the spell of awe-filled wonder.

  In a curious sense of astonishment, he turned to face her full on, furrowing his brow. “You asked Sadie to meet with me tonight? You arranged for all this?”

  She looked down shyly. “I did. I … I’m so sorry about everything. I was wrong about so many things, Will, and I’ve been such a fool, so blind. I just – I wanted to spend Christmas Eve with you and tell you how I honestly feel about you. If you can’t tell someone you love them at Christmas, then when can you?”

  Darcy gently touched her chin, turning her face toward him. He smoothed her hair back from her face as he looked down into those sparkling eyes he loved so much, asking with a sense of unbelievable awe, “You love me?”

  “Yes, Will Darcy, I love you.

  He grinned. “Say it again.”

  “I. Love. You. I love your determination. I love your generous heart. I love the close relationship you share with Georgie and Rick, and I love that you give of yourself completely to the things you are passionate about and I know I feel blessed and honored to be counted among them.”

  Smoothing the pad of her thumb over the side of his lips she added, “I love your smile and the way you make me feel every time I’m in your company, and I love and appreciate all you have done to make this a memorable Christmas for me. You’re a good man with the best and most honorable character.”

  There, sitting in the middle of a Chinese restaurant on the Lower East Side, she kissed him with delicious, luscious intensity, leaving him thunderstruck.

  Before he could say anything in reply she added, “Now what about that blonde?”

  “What blonde? Didn’t you know I was bitten by a Black Widow three weeks ago when she made me hers? What about Lucas and his Pulitzer?”

  “There’s nothing between us – nothing. I suppose, I went to the hockey game with him so that I could not only prove to myself that I’m no longer that insecure girl, but also to prove it to him. When I think back on that whole, long- ago relationship, I realize it helped me to become the woman I am today – the good and the bad, but I can change the bad.”

  “No more Honeybee?”

  “No more Honeybee. Pulitzers have nothing over Valor.”

  Will whispered into her ear, “I love you, Liz.” This time he kissed her fiercely, their burning mouths nearly sucking the life out of one another until the waiter stood at the end of the booth, clearing his throat.

  “Right. Excuse us.” He straightened, turning a myriad of red shades to match the décor.

  Elizabeth gathered herself with an embarrassed chuckle proclaiming, “I’ll have dim sum!” and Darcy proceeded to order exactly everything they'd eaten at the theater.

  “When did you know … about Sadie?” he asked as soon as the waiter departed.

  “Georgiana let it slip about your shadchan questionnaire.”

  “And when did you know you were in love with me? Was it somewhere between nicknaming me Mr. Grinch or Mr. December?”

  She giggled. “Yes, as a matter of fact it was. It was when you sat next to me at speed dating and explained to your date how you wanted to make your future wife happy. I was so nervous, I had butterflies, a feeling I hadn’t had around a man in a very long time, and truly, never anything quite like that. By the time you kissed me at bowling, I knew I was screwed.”

  “But you fought me every step of the way.”

  “What can I say? I was scared. I wasn’t expecting you and, at first, I wasn’t sure if you were really interested in me or just teasing me.”

  “Not interest in you? Do you know when I fell in love with you? It was the night I met you. As pissed off at me as you were after overhearing my insensitive insult, you still found the Christmas joy in your heart when they lit the tree. Your smile and exuberance undid me, and I wanted to hold onto you and your happiness forever. I don’t think I need to tell you why my holidays have been so difficult, but you should know, you changed all that. You brought me back from the brink of non-existence.”

  Elizabeth put her hand to his cheek. “You changed me too, and you’ve made me feel special – like I never felt before. Every hurt someone else had caused, you magically wiped away with your attention and your kindness. That night, Will … on our date - in your arms – I was the luckiest girl alive.”

  He murmured against her lips. “You are special, and I intend on making sure you always feel that way.” He kissed her again then breathlessly spoke, “It wasn’t luck that brought us together. It was fate.”

  Five visitors stood at the end of the booth smiling, smirking and grinning. Jane and Charlotte pinched one another as the
y beamed with joy.

  Charlie slapped Darcy’s shoulder, startling the lovers from their deeply intensifying kiss, and

  Charlotte snapped a picture half a second before the lover’s lips separated.

  Standing beside Georgiana, Rick laughed. “Well it’s about frickin’ time you two got together!”

  Elizabeth’s emerald eyes blinked wide in shock when she noticed Charlie put his arm around Jane’s waist, pulling her in close to him before everyone squeezed into the booth. “What? What happened … you guys made up? The wedding is back on?”

  Charlie grinned. “Yeah we made up - thanks to some good advice from the best of men. I had cold feed because Jane wasn’t acting quite like herself but rather more like … Well, it turns out the reason my Janie was acting like a lunatic wasn’t because … well … because of anything other than the fact that we’re going to have a baby! Hormones got the best of her.”

  Cheers of congratulations went up in their little section of the restaurant and Darcy was quick to signal the waiter for a bottle of champagne and whatever Jane wanted to drink.

  “A baby? Wow Janie, I didn’t see that coming,” exclaimed Charlotte. “What about your career? How the heck are you going to waddle down the runway?”

  “I’m not. I’m taking a long, long sabbatical. I want to focus on being a wife and mother. Of course, first I’ll have to have a huge argument with my mother over our decision, but given the examples of my two sisters, Lizzy and Mary who, by the way – surprise! - just packed her bags and left Meryton, I think I’m up for the challenge.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God! Go Mary!”

  Georgiana sat all smiles, witnessing the glow to Elizabeth’s cheeks and the lighthearted demeanor of her brother whose arm lay draped over the shoulders of the woman he loved. “So Liz, where are you spending your Christmas?”