This explained Declan’s absence at the club. This explained why he stood in the background while Poppy danced in those pictures online. I was wrong. I had the whole scenario in my head backwards. Declan posed with those fans off to the side because they recognized him. He was there to appease his girlfriend while she stood in the middle of the action, a wild moving centerpiece pulsating to the energetic beats of her favorite music. Declan preferred low key, relaxing tunes.
“H-H-H-e-e-e-y.”
Declan interrupted my train of thought, breaking apart the puzzle I was piecing together in my head. His hands lifted to the top of my sweater. He ran his fingers against the collar. He swiped his fingers back and forth against the woven ribbing.
Startled by his forward behavior, I flinched. My eyes bugged out at his uninhibited touch.
“S-S-S-o-o-o-ry,” he stammered.
Declan removed his hand, and backed up a couple steps. “H-H-H-e-e-e-y,” he disregarded the incident, and started the conversation again. “D-d-d-i-i-i-d ya-ya-ou na-na-na-know B-a-a-a-t-m-a-a-a-n h-a-a-a-s b-b-b-e-e-e-n around f-f-f-f-o-r o-o-o-ver s-s-s-s-s-enty-f-f-f-ive y-y-y-ears?”
“No, I didn’t.” Trying to fit in, I gave Declan my undivided attention. I put an interested mask over my face.
“Ya-ya-yeah, h-e-e-e’s m-m-m-y f-f-f-avorite. I-I-I l-o-o-o-ve every th-th-ing B-a-a-a-t-m-a-a-a-n. The c-c-comics, the sh-sh-o-o-o-ws, m-m-m-ovies, e-e-e-very th-i-i-ing, really. Wh-a-a-a-t ch-a-a-a-racter d-d-d-o ya-ya-ou l-i-i-i-ke?”
“Um,” I bit my lip. I clicked my tongue thinking of one. I appreciated superheroes, but music was my gig. I struggled to come up with a good answer for him. “I don’t know, the Green Goblin, I guess?”
“N-N-N-o-o-o,” Declan’s face jiggled as his eyes moved up into his head. “Th-a-a-a-t’s n-o-o-o-t even the s-s-s-a-a-ame c-c-c-comic. I wa-wa-w-a-a-a-s t-t-t-alking about B-a-a-a-t-m-a-a-a-n.”
“I like Catwoman.”
Poppy cut in, and swung into Declan’s arms. She brought a string of popcorn with her, and wrapped it around his neck. Her bright red lips kissed the top of his nose. Declan lifted her off the ground with ease, and twirled her around until her legs flew, airborne, like a ballroom dancing duo. She landed safely on the ground. They hugged and giggled.
“I-I-I thought ya-ya-ou l-i-i-i-ked P-P-P-oison I-I-I-I-vy.”
“I do, but tonight, I am the cat, slinking through the darkness in the light of the moon, dancing to the eerie songs of the fiddle at midnight.”
She imitated the sound of the fiddle. She grabbed Declan by the arm and dosey-doed as if she were doing a spontaneous square dance.
She swung her body into Denver. They hooked arms. As they rounded the corner, Denver separated from Poppy, and swung into me, hooking my arm, and dancing in a circle. She twirled into her brother, which left Poppy. I jigged over to Poppy, and she smiled, reciprocating, and willingly hooked arms with me. We danced the jig with glee. I even swung myself into Declan. We all laughed, out of breath, as I danced around with him.
“Time for dinner.”
Debbie appeared from around the corner, calling to us sweetly. Her cheeks shone, sheer and flawless. She wore a stylish, frilly apron around her waist. She sipped wine from a thin stemmed glass.
“H-H-H-i-i-i-gh f-f-f-i-i-i-ve d-u-u-u-de,” Declan turned to me and raised his palm.
I slapped his hand, and patted him firmly on the back. Caught up in the moment, I really felt connected to the Davies’ family, with their sweet dispositions, and warm hospitality.
I followed the others out of the family room. I suddenly halted. The mirth drained from my body, going from warm and fuzzy to cold and prickly. Guilt replaced my holiday buzz. It choked me up. It saddened me. What was I doing here?
Debbie stopped as well. She turned around and faced me. “Come on, dear. This way.” She smiled and held out her arm for me to go ahead of her. She epitomized the polite hostess.
“Um, just one moment.”
“Everything all right?” she asked.
“What’s wrong, Dexx?” Denver skipped over to ask. She touched my shoulder.
I shuddered. “Er, just out of breath from our dance is all. You don’t get much exercise mixing music,” I managed with a smile.
“Oh, good,” she sighed, relieved.
Catching my breath, I walked behind mother and daughter, back to the enormous kitchen.
“Hope you don’t mind eating in here tonight, dear,” Debbie chimed in. “We are going to be a little less formal.”
“No, not at all,” I responded turning up the volume on my polite manners.
Poppy and the Davies family stood before their chairs which surrounded a grand table meant for twelve. My lips formed a silent wow as I surveyed the copious amount of food-covered platters that sat in the middle of the table. Steam poured off the dishes, creating a delicious, hazy spa sauna. My mouth salivated from the intense smell. I lifted my arm to my lips to prevent the drool from dripping.
“Dexx, you are our honored guest,” Dereck said in a firm voice. With such a handsome face, it was as if Declan looked at his reflection in a mirror that had fast-forwarded a few decades. “Please, choose your seat first.”
“Really? Um, me? Most families have their own ‘spots.’ I will sit where you put me. I don’t want to disrupt the balance.”
“Why, young man, it’s our pleasure to have you in our home. So, please, go ahead, be seated first.”
I timidly chose a spot in the center, and took a seat. Denver took the chair across from me. Her brother plopped down next to her which meant Poppy would be by my side. She gracefully pulled out her chair. She smiled so sweetly at me, my heart pounded from excitement and hunger.
Debbie and Dereck took up the heads of each side of the table, the hosts being the heads of the company. They both stood up, lifted their crystal goblets in the air, and blew each other a kiss. “Cheers! Clink! Clink!” they wished each other loudly and laughed.
I could seriously get used to their crazy happiness. The rhythmic atmosphere in this household was quite contagious. A sickness worthy of catching. It was a potion meant to be bottled and shared with the world.
“Dig in,” they announced.
Even the most spectacular meals at my own home paled in comparison to this get up. Honestly, I’d never even been to a restaurant this spectacular. I helped myself to a lightly crusted chicken stuffed with asparagus. I placed a heap of buttery, escalloped potatoes on my plate, then struggled deciding between the cheesy broccoli and the steamed veggies. So, I helped myself to both. I selected a hot roll with a dollop of cinnamon-honey butter. I heaped a pile of creamy corn in the corner of my plate, and tossed a handful of green and black olives onto a smaller plate of Caesar salad.
I dug into my food, and didn’t lift my eyes until I took a bite of each dish. The chicken melted in my mouth. My belly filled up with a warm deliciousness. Remembering my manners, I paused to dab my lips with the napkin, and slowed down. There was no race toward the clean plate club finish line.
While Poppy’s plate resembled mine, piled up high to the ceiling, Declan picked sparingly at his food. He had mostly steamed vegetables, a small piece of grilled chicken, and one small scoop of brown rice. It occurred to me that Poppy had mentioned his special dietary needs. Declan ate his food slowly, carefully chewing, looking dreamily at Poppy in between small bites. She returned his gaze.
Lifting her goblet of ice water, she tipped it his way. “Cheers! Clink! Clink,” she mouthed silently.
She turned to me and asked, “Isn’t this food good? Declan’s mom made it all herself. She’s such a talented cook.”
“Don’t forget to save room for later, my dears,” Debbie winked as she bit a long piece of asparagus she held daintily between her slender fingers.
“What’s later?”
I asked.
“You’ll see,” Denver clapped. Her eyes sparkled.
As the meal wound down, Denver and Declan rushed around to help put away the dishes, clean up the table, and wrap up the leftover food.
“W-W-W-e-e-e d-d-d-o-o-o-n’t w-w-w-a-a-a-ste around h-h-h-e-e-e-re,” Declan announced to me as he applied plastic wrap to a plate of chicken.
“He’s right,” Denver affirmed, “we make an effort to consume our leftovers. Wasting food misuses our limited resources. It’s an awful shame to squander when so many people have so little.”
“I could live off your leftovers for a week. Dinner was so delicious.”
“Why thank you, Dexx,” Debbie chimed in. “We should have you over for dinner more often.”
“Really?” I asked surprised.
“Now, please get ready. The other guests are almost here.”
Debbie took over the rest of the cleaning in the kitchen and shooed us away.
“Guests?” I turned to Denver. I thought she told me tonight was casual. “Is this one of the surprises?”
“Yup! Our neighbors are heading over soon. My dad cleared the ice this morning. We are going for a nighttime stroll around the ice, accompanied by some amazing desserts. It’s pretty much a yearly Davies tradition around here.”
Astounded, I didn’t know what to ask first. This family seemed to incorporate a ton of ‘traditions,’ packing their holiday with a nonstop adventure that only Santa Claus himself could magically pull off.
Denver wasn’t kidding about making dreams come true. I also hadn’t realized they lived on a lake. This estate wrapped around such a large piece of property. I only had a mere glimpse of a fraction of the land, as the sun sunk and the dusk set in, when my mom had dropped me off, which honestly already felt like a lifetime ago. And, I had only been here for a few hours.
“A stroll around the ice?” I finally mustered. “Do you mean ice skating? I didn’t pack correctly. Er, perhaps I should sit this one out.”
“Nonsensicalness. Declan’s got so much stuff. We’ll find you what you need. Um, what do you need? Skates? A hat? Gloves? A scarf? A warmer sweater? Declan’s the kind of guy who would give you the sweater off his back, you know?”
“I can see that,” I agreed.
Her brother seemed super selfless and very giving. Another notch on his list of marvelous assets I would struggle to match, even though he was . . . he seemed to have some kind of . . . um . . . not sure what he had.
Denver rolled her eyes, equally resentful, for some odd reason, of her generous brother. Why was she so unhappy about his giving spirit? “I’ll never be able to live up to him.”
“What?” Me neither, but what was her deal?
“He’s such a dork! Come on, let’s find you something to wear.”
Denver plied me with cozy fabric. She wrapped a soft woolen scarf around my neck, then topped my head with a woven cap. She stuffed my hands into thick mittens, and lent me a pair of skates.
“Have you ever skated before?” she asked.
“Of course, but, I’m more of a snowboarding man, myself.”
Denver clutched my mittened hand. She led me out their sliding glass door onto a wooden deck. Free of snow and ice, glowing lights in the shapes of snowflakes laced across the top of the trellises with a thatched wood ceiling. The lights hung artfully over our heads. A hot fire blazed from a brick fire pit surrounded by wicker furniture topped with thick cushions. Teetering, we made our way down the steps. Metal blades clinked underneath our feet. We ambled through the thick powder, and into the snow covered woods.
Evergreen trees coated in sugar, the white frosting formed a canopy over our heads. The bright moon casted light through the snow-laden branches. The moon created eerie shadows, spooky yet enchanting. Our blades crunched over the brittle snow. Flakes toppled on our heads giving Denver a shimmery crown of iridescent diamonds under the star filled sky.
“So beautiful,” I blurt out in awe, “er, I mean your lot, the land, I mean, the night, all of it.”
I stammered, missing the art of eloquence in my words. Denver did that to me, she took the right words away from my head, erased them, leaving me a tongue-tied idiot!
“Thank you, I guess. It’s really my parents’ doing, the land, not the sky, I mean purchasing it, the woods already existed.”
Denver quickly turned red. She looked away.
We walked through the woods. An intense, bright light caught my eye. It blinded my vision. I lifted my hands to block it. Behind my fingers a large ice arena glittered in the distance. I squinted my eyes, scrunching up my face to get a better look. Denver led me to the clearance.
“Wow!” I gawked.
My vision cleared. We stood in front of a remarkable lake with a crystal clear frozen surface. Stadium lights flooded the darkness. An area on the ice was sectioned off by red velvet ropes, designating the boundaries of our skating rink. It reminded of the ropes at the mall, penning in the giggling girls who sought out the amazing Declan. More red ropes for Declan. Oh how he always created a spectacle of magnificence.
Several ice sculptures surrounded this winter wonderland. Expertly cut glass statues made of ice. I recognized all of the classic holiday shapes, Santa, his reindeer, and bow-topped presents.
A crowd of people already populated the glittering ice. They twirled and swirled on their shiny blades in intimate clusters. They fashioned themselves with colorful puffer jackets, woolen hats, and fuzzy gloves. Smoked poured out of their smiling lips as they conversed with one another.
“Hey!” they all cheered us as we worked our way to the bottom. “You made it!”
Denver and I waved.
“Hi, hi. Everyone, this is Dexx.” Denver greeted the joyous crowd.
“Hey, Dexx, welcome,” they greeted me in unison.
“Dexx, these are my neighbors.” She addressed the crowd and nodded.
Neighbors, I wondered, where could they possibly live? This estate seemed to go on forever. I hadn’t even noticed other houses on my way here.
“I’m super bad at names, so, just, um, smile and nod, and I’ll figure it out later,” Denver whispered, putting her mouth near my ear.
A big, enthusiastic laugh escaped my mouth. I mimicked Denver, nodding my head. We turned and cracked up at each other with fake laughter which soon transformed into genuine laughter.
“You crack me up, kid,” I chuckled.
“Really?” she sang.
Denver pushed my body out onto the ice. She sped toward me, skating a circle eight around me before I could react and catch up to her. Music started playing from speakers above, mounted at the top of a light covered pole. Christmas Canon echoed into the frosty night. Couples paired up on the ice.
An excited Declan skated over to us with Poppy by his side. She laced her hands in his. His cheeks shone a cheery red from the chill. A wide smile spread over his face from ear to ear. He dropped Poppy’s hand. He raised his hands to his chest and flapped them ecstatically. His knees wobbled. Declan practically bounced, up and down on his skates.
“Th-i-i-i-s-s-s i-i-i-s-s-s m-m-m-y f-f-f-a-a-a-vorite s-s-s-o-o-o-ng.” He clapped his hands eagerly. Declan bowed, ever the gentleman, the same way I saw him do to all of the ladies at the mall. “P-o-o-o-ppy, w-w-w-w-ould ya-ya-ou h-h-h-ave th-i-i-i-s d-d-d-a-a-a-nce?”
“It’s his favorite song,” Poppy repeated. She giggled then skated off into the distance with her boyfriend, Mr. Charming Model.
“Shall we?” I offered Denver my arm.
She curtseyed, and giggled too. Arm and arm we turned around the ice, gliding to the beautiful music. We teased each other, and laughed. We watched the other couples glide in box steps. They twirled each other around the ice.
The moon casted a shadowy silhouette. Dark figures mov
ed about in front of the pale orb. They were merry puppets in hats and scarves who put on a show for the man of the moon, enjoying the night before Christmas Eve. A light dusting of snow sprinkled the tops of our heads. It covered us with powdered sugar and magic. The stars gazed upon the festive marionettes.
“These sick tunes are quite inspirational.” I turned to Denver, keeping my mind deep in the music.
“Hmm, brainstorming some hot new mixes?”
“The Davies family brings out some powerful, powerful energy in others.”
“It must be the moon.”
“It must be the girl.”
I couldn’t help it. The words just fell from my lips. My bravery turned up on high volume, free from my inner edit button. Maybe it was the light of the moon, the crisp air on my skin, the mesmerizing woman in front of me. I smiled. I crept closer to Denver.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra played in the background. Denver’s face fell closer and closer to mine. The melody built. My heart beat rapidly to the frantic music. It wished us a merry Christmas. I took a breath. My lips opened.
Denver gasped. She cleared her throat, and backed up. Her skates glided backwards. They carried her away from our moment.
“Ahem, um, sorry, I think . . . I need to help my mom set up dessert. Please excuse me a moment.”
Disappointed, I took Declan’s lead, and bowed at Denver politely. I hoped to be just as much of a gentleman as her brother.
“Of course.” I puffed steamy breath from my lips. It made a smoky cloud in front of my face.
I let the chill from the wind cool me down, and set my head back down on earth. A shiver passed down my spine. It reminded me how frigidly low the temperature reached during a typical Michigan winter. On occasion, Alaska has been warmer. I rubbed my arms for warmth.
Poppy skated alone on the ice. She wiped at her runny nose. She pushed herself over to where I stood.
Poppies for Christmas Page 13
