by Ann Corbett
“Well I would only be next door, maybe you and Phillip could come across and help move some of the furniture around – I am pretty sure that Nancy will want to clear a lot of the downstairs, to make room for everyone, and so maybe we could all spend the day, or the afternoon together?”
“I guess so,” Nick sighed in resignation. “And it would give Phillip a chance to meet a few people before hand, so that not everyone will be a stranger on the day.”
**
Christmas was racing towards them, and it was just three more work days until they closed up the offices and broke up for the Christmas holiday week – and a bit.
Tonight it was the works party, and Sadie had put her party frock in the conference room, along with all the other ladies.
Nick had allowed a couple of full length mirrors to be lugged into there as well, and had told the female staff that they could all make use of the room, when they wanted to dress for the staff party.
It was to be a sit down meal at the high class restaurant just across the road, and then there was disco in the basement afterwards, along with an open bar.
Sadie, pulled on her little red dress, and her white trimmed cape, and then dusted on a liberal makeup with lots of glitter, sprayed over her body, face and hair.
The spray was very popular with the rest of the staff too, and Sadie was thankful that she had thought to bring a second can of the stuff.
It was a delightful evening, as she sat beside Nick, and despite his concerns about them going public about their relationship, he favoured her openly, much to the delight of the rest of the workforce.
He was a good boss, and a good guy, and they all knew that all he needed now was a good wife.
Everyone who met her, liked Sadie a lot, and they all approved of his apparent choice, and showed it openly to them both. Nick grinned almost boyishly as Sadie blushed shyly at this unaccustomed attention from him and the rest of the work force.
Nick stood up suddenly and the people at the table all fell silent.
“Well, thank you folks, for all of the hard work that you have all put in this year,” he said sincerely. “I really hope that you have all enjoyed the meal, and Mr Rogers – our waiter for this evening has just told me that the disco downstairs is about to get started.” There was murmur, and people began to fidget in their seats. “It’s an open bar down there for your convenience, but I beg you all to be sensible, and to make sure that you are all able to get home safely, at the end of the night.”
He grinned again. “Now go down there and have a good time, and I will see you all down there shortly – or on Monday morning bright and early.”
*
He talked quietly with some of his staff, and made sure that there were enough designated drivers, or taxis on hand to get everyone home safe.
Then he led Sadie down to the basement party, where they spent the next two hours dancing, either lively energetic bouncing around, or soft and clingy smooches.
By the time that they left the restaurant, Sadie was hot and glowing, and absolutely shattered, but she was not too tired to enjoy the refreshing shower that she and Nick shared at his home, and indeed it revived her so much, that his energetic lovemaking merely completed the evening for her.
On the whole, her life was just about as perfect as she could get it... just about.
**
Work finished on the day before Christmas Eve, and everyone left in high jovial spirits.
Nick made sure that he saw every last member of his staff off for the holidays, with a small gaily wrapped present – a token of his appreciation for all of their hard work.
He started on the ground floor, and worked his way to the top floor, but missed out the third floor where his office, and Sadie and Marcy were situated, and a couple of other small offices were there as well. He saved Marcy and Sadie for very last, since they were the closest to his own office, and Marcy gave him a warm hug in exchange for her gift, and then turned to Sadie.
“Have a great Christmas, Sadie, and I’ll see you in the New Year!”
She held out a large bulky looking gift, which Sadie took with a smile, and placed carefully on her desk.
“You too, Marcy, have lots of fun, and parties!” she handed her a large flat package, containing the pretty silk scarf that Sadie had seen and decided was perfect for her workmate.
The two of them exchanged a hug, and a peck on the cheek, and then with a sly little smile Marcy grabbed her handbag, and coat.
“I suspect the two of you would like a minute or two to yourselves so I will be off now!”
She sailed from the room with a last wave, and a loud, “Happy Christmas!”
Nick held out his very last gift to Sadie, a small package that had a bright red ribbon tied around it and a bow on top.
“This is just a little something to thank you for your dedication this past year... it really is appreciated.”
“Thank you,” she smiled shyly, as she took the gift, knowing that like everyone else’s it would be a small box of soaps, or quality chocolates.
Nick had a lot of staff on his payroll now, and to individually choose and wrap gifts for each of them would have taken up far too much of his valuable time.
But they were a genuine token of his respect and gratitude for the work that they all did for him, and they all accepted the gifts with that same sentiment.
“Right! Now that the work thing is done, and we are finished for the year!” Nick said with a little sigh of relief. “Come here and give me a kiss... please.”
She laughed as she put the gift on the desk, beside Marcy’s.
“Absolutely!”
Chapter Twenty One
(A Sprinkle of tinsel to hide the intent)
Conclusion
Nick picked Phillip up early on Christmas Eve morning, and took him back to his house.
“This will be your room, you have your own bathroom through that door... so if you just want to put your bag there...”
He pointed towards the large double bed, and Phillip nodded and dumped the small holdall down on the floor next to it.
“This is my home, Cousin Phillip, and for the next few days, I want you to think of it as your home too.”
“Then could you call me Phil then, please, everyone else does.”
“Yes, of course, and I am Nick to my friends and loved ones.” Nick smiled warmly as he showed Phil quickly around the house, finishing in the kitchen.
“Now we’ve just got time for a coffee and a sandwich, and then we have been drafted in to help out next door!”
Phil was a shy young man, and obviously felt awkward as he traipsed around Nancy’s home. But Nancy soon put him at his ease, and when on one occasion she caught him staring out into her back garden she smiled ruefully.
“The patio is a bit of state isn’t it?” she sighed. “Honestly I meant to clean it up a bit but time just ran away with me.”
Phil turned to her eagerly. “I could go out there and tidy it up for you, give me a couple of clothes and some warm soapy water, a good sturdy brush, and maybe small trowel or something, and I could tidy the top soil on your border for you...”
Nancy laughed and she took his arm gently. “Oh what a treasure you are!”
*
It only took him an hour, and when Nancy and Sadie stepped out to see if he was ready for a hot drink, they found the patio furniture all gleaming and clean, and set to one side out for the way but on hand in the event that someone might have need of it
The ground was neatly brushed, and the general untidiness of her border looked tidy again.
Phil turned to them with bright eyes, and colour in his cheeks, from his exertions and the freshness of the air.
“Hot chocolate is being poured out even as we speak!” Sadie grinned at him, and he grinned back in delight.
“I have always loved hot chocolate!”
Belinda and Lindsey popped round just as Nancy was walking through the hallway; they had come to put th
eir gifts under the Christmas tree, said Belinda.
“We will be walking round tomorrow so we thought we could bring these over today?”
“Yes, that is a good idea,” Nancy said brightly. “And whilst you are here, have a quick drink with us.”
“Oh not for me,” Belinda shook her head regretfully; “I’m driving today.”
“Not alcohol, silly, not unless you really want one, we were all having hot chocolate.”
Belinda was a tall, quite plain girl, but she had the most beautiful brown eyes, and the thickest lashes that Sadie had ever seen.
She came out of the kitchen to see who had rung the doorbell, and rushed over to give each of her cousins a warm affectionate hug, and then they walked through to the kitchen, where Phil was sitting with his mug.
“Oh, I say;” Belinda whispered to Sadie, “Who is that young stud?”
Sadie looked up at her cousin in surprise, and saw the telltale blush and the brightness of her eyes.
“That is Phil, he’s Nick’s Cousin.”
“And who might Nick be?”
Sadie pointed discretely. “That is Nick over there...” and as the two women both sighed, Sadie added. “And he is with me!”
Nick has seen the gifts piling up under the tree, and so he waylaid Nancy briefly.
“Since everyone is doing the same thing, am I okay to bring mine over and put them there as well?”
“Yes, of course, do you need a hand with anything?”
He grinned. “No, I’ll take Phil with me, and we will be back shortly.”
The afternoon went by in a flash, and as order descended, Nick and Phil walked in carrying several gift bags between.
“Anywhere under the tree – if you can find a space!” Nancy called out brightly.
Sadie watched curiously as the two of them carefully began to place their gifts.
“You just wait until tomorrow young miss!” Nick ordered as he turned and saw her face.
“Aww, just one maybe?” she tried to wheedle.
Phil chuckled at her wistful expression, but Nick was firm and unrelenting.
The evening was almost dreamlike for Sadie, as she curled up on one of her sister’s sofas with Nick beside her.
Little Pete had spent the day with her mum and dad, to keep him out of the way, and the room with the Christmas tree, and all of the presents, was locked up tight now.
Nancy switched the television set on and put on a music channel, which was digging up every Christmas song, ever recorded.
Pete came running into the room, all excited because tonight Santa would be visiting him.
“So it’s bath and early to bed for you then, my little man!” Nancy said after he had done a circuit of the room, saying hello to everyone.
Sadie was pleased when her mum came and gave her and then Nick a warm hug.
She had spent a lot of time talking with Nancy and Rob, and had come to the conclusion that maybe Nick was one of the good guys and could be trusted with her daughter.
She also warmed a little more, when she spoke to Phil, who was eager to tell her how wonderful, his cousin had been to him.
The evening came to an end, and Phil, went ahead to unlock Nick’s front door, whilst Nick treated himself to one last long, lingering kiss with Sadie.
“Happy Christmas, Nick,” she whispered as the clock struck midnight.
“Happy Christmas, Sadie.”
He gave her a warm hug, before stepping away.
“I am pretty sure that Nancy and Rob will not thank us for wasting all their energy for heating.”
“No, I guess not.
“I’ll see you later then. Phil is coming a bit earlier, to do something for Nancy in her garden, but I will be round about mid morning.”
“See you later then,” she whispered huskily.
She stood and watched as he strolled around to his own home; she stood thinking of the last time she had done that. It had been freezing then, and she has watched through the spy hole.
Now in typical British weather, the temperature had crept up to almost double figures, even though the days had been cloudy and grey.
She thought about how far the two of them had come in their relationship, but there was still a little way to go, she thought wistfully.
Just a couple more tiny steps, to complete the journey of their relationship...
**
“Hi!” everyone called out cheerfully, “And a merry Christmas to you!”
Nick, grinned as he stepped into the busy room, “Merry Christmas to you all too!” he returned the greeting.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Nancy asked from behind him, and Nick turned to her.
“I was hoping to have a quiet word with Sadie,” he said holding out the gaily wrapped package. “I wanted to give this to her.”
Nancy looked at him in surprise. He had already placed several gifts under the tree yesterday afternoon.
She smiled suddenly. “She's just in the kitchen, why don't you go and say good morning to her?”
“Great… thanks!”
Sadie was peeling potatoes when he stepped into the kitchen, and she turned around expecting to speak to Nancy, only to see Nick standing there, with his hands behind his back.
“Nance…” she began.”Oh… it's you… good morning Nick, and happy Christmas to you... again,” she cut up the last potato and dropped it into the saucepan of water.
“There,” she sighed as she dried her hands and turned back to face him.
He was standing awfully close, now and the twinkle in his eyes was very… exciting to see.
“Happy Christmas, Sadie,” Nick said solemnly as he held out the parcel to her.
Her face lit up with excitement. “Is that for me, can I open it now?” she squealed.
Nick laughed. “I was rather hoping that you would open it now, yes.”
She tore off the gay wrapping, and put the box down on the table so that she could lift the lid.
“Oh,” she whispered in surprise, at the sight of the deep blue and furry slippers sitting in the box. They were really lovely, and obviously expensive, and absolutely the last thing that she had expected. There was a little card on top, with Nick's scrawl on it.
It read simply.
'Because a beautiful woman should only ever wear beautiful things!”
There was a little sprinkle of tinsel lying across them.
“Well my slippers have seen better days!” she laughed lightly as she kicked off her flat and comfortable shoes.
“Yes, I remember,” Nick chuckled.
She pulled the tinsel out of the way, so that she could take the slippers out of the box, but as she did, something else came flying out with it, to tumble to the ground.
“What's that?” she asked as she crouched down quickly to scoop the object up.
She opened her hand as she stood back up, and saw the little jewellery box for the first time.
She sucked in a breath, and looked up at Nick, who was looking more than a bit apprehensive.
“Open it!” he ordered huskily.
She flicked open the box automatically. “Oh!” she whispered tearfully as she looked at the beautiful sapphire and diamond ring.
“I know that I might be rushing you a bit…” Nick whispered. “And please feel free to tell me to take a hike, but I just can't wait for you any longer, I have to know, Sadie… it's already been too long…”
Sadie looked up at him again as she heard the pure anguish in his voice.
“You are the love of my life, Sadie… will you marry me?”
The tear trickled down her cheek, as she stared up at him, memorising his face, his clothes; she just loved the smell of him, the smell of his soap and his aftershave, mixed in with his own musky scent. She breathed in deeply, as she sealed these thoughts and feelings forever in her mind and heart, the way that he looked at her at this moment in time.
Then she nodded. “Yes,” she whispered, “oh yes… of course… yes, I
will marry you!”
She didn't need to say anything else then, as he pulled her against him to kiss her in the warmest, softest, most passionate kiss she had ever received.
And they were still locked in each other's arms when Nancy came looking for them.
“Sadie,” she said absently, “haven't you finished those potatoes yet?”
She came to a halt as she saw the two of them, with torn wrapping paper everywhere, and a box sitting on her kitchen table.
“What did he get you?” she knew that she should retreat and give the couple some privacy – but she just could not contain her curiosity.
She stepped closer and the two of them moved away so that she could see.
“What?” she saw the slippers and felt a real sense of disappointment; she had had such hopes with Nick, but slippers weren't exactly the most romantic of gifts – no matter how nice they might look!
She looked at her glowing sister then, who held out her hand.
“He got me this as well,” she whispered emotionally.
And that was the first time that Nancy saw the glittering engagement ring on Sadie's finger, with a little sprinkle of tinsel still wrapped around her hand.
“Oh now that is just perfect!” Nancy exclaimed as she beamed at the two of them.
The End
You did... sort of save me that day. When you looked at me the way that you did, it crystallized everything for me, it made me see what I wanted from my life, and if I couldn’t have that then I didn’t want anything.
He frowned with concern at the implication. “What do you mean by that!”
She sighed. “I mean of course, who I wanted in my life... I meant you.”
