What a New Year's Eve

by R. E. Laurel

  “Jasper. How have you been?” She jumped as he grasped her hands in his to hold in a rather tight grip.

  “I’m doing wonderfully.”

  There’s the wonderful word again, she thought.

  “I’m happy to hear that.” She slipped her hands from his grip.

  “Let’s go get a cup of coffee and get caught up. How does that sound?”

  “Really, I just got off of a long tiring shift...”

  “Then that’s what you need. Coffee and a doughnut. I won’t take no for an answer,” he quickly added when she opened her mouth to protest.

  Damn, she thought.

  “Perhaps another time,” she began as she felt her arm tugged on to pull her into the direction of the Coffee Bakery House down the street. “Well okay,” she relented thinking best to get this over with.

  Carefully they stepped on the layer of freshly fallen snow, hearing the ice cracking beneath their steps as they tried not to slip on ice hidden beneath. She thought he held her arm tighter than needed and when she tried to pull away she swore his gripped only tightened. They made their way across the slushy street to the Coffee shop.

  She was led to a corner booth near the windows. They removed their coats to hang onto hooks on the end of the high wood booth seat. He sat down, looking up at her as she paused.

  “Have a seat.” He gestured to the seat opposite him.

  Thank god for that, she thought, instead of having to sit down next to him. Sliding into her seat, she gave him a grin as he stared at her.

  “So Jasper, I hear you live in New York City now.”

  “Yes, I do. Wonderful job, wonderful apartment, wonderful paycheck.”

  “That’s just wonderful. Have you met anyone special?”

  “None as special as you. How sweet of you to mention. Did I mention that I have met someone special?”

  “Mother did mention that to me, but hearts can be broken.”

  “Not with this one. I really care about him a lot more than anyone else.” As she spoke the words she realized that she possibly spoke the truth.

  “That isn’t going to prevent me from asking you out.”

  “I’m sorry but the answer is no,” Maren sternly replied, becoming quiet as the waitress placed cups of coffee in front of them. “Oh!” she jumped at the sudden vibration of her cell phone against her purse. Reaching inside to remove it, she said, “I hate to be rude, but I need to get this.”

  By the time she had it out, the call went to voicemail. Seeing his now familiar number she chose to listen to his message all under the thoughtful watchful eyes of Jasper. Her smile slowly faded as she listened to Victor’s message,

  “Hey, gorgeous. I hope you got the flowers. I missed you today. I’m sorry but I can’t see you this evening. Work issues popped up. We had a hectic Black Friday and things are a mess. Talk to you later.”

  Maren’s grin returned as she looked at Jasper.

  “Bad news?”

  “No, more like disappointing news. I need to go,” she announced while thinking, this isn’t right to be here with another man. She stood, he remained seated watching her. No chivalry in his ass, she thought. Roughly tugging her coat into place, she thanked him again before leaving.

  She couldn’t stand when someone bragged about themselves in such a manner. It repulsed her plus he showed nothing about common courtesy between a man and woman. Her body shook with the repulse she felt. Relieved to be away from him, she stepped onto the sidewalk. Glancing to the sun struggling to peek through the gray clouds, she removed a pair of sunglasses from her purse to shield her eyes. Slipping on the dark rectangular shaped shades she proceeded to walk the sidewalk glancing at the storefronts each beautifully decorated to highlight what they sold. After a short time, she decided to get home to Mr. Whiskers who would no doubt be meowing his hunger as soon as she would enter the house.

  ***

  It was after seven in the evening and Victor was still sitting behind his desk at the office trying to decipher just where the errors began and how it caused the domino effect to happen. He buried his face in his hands and released a long, drawn-out sigh. Reaching for his supper, he took a bite of his hamburger while he studied the receipts. Somehow, somewhere there were mixed up prices on quite a few clothing items. Prices were entirely too low than what the guides showed they should be. He needed to find out if it came from the main company or if an employee misread the form.

  “Really. Eighty percent off of three-piece suit, women’s boots and ladies gold chains. Whoever heard of that?” he rumbled. His gaze fell onto a stack of receipts needed to be gone over and find the many write-offs. “Father isn’t going to be very happy about this one.”

  “Mr. Neal, Mr. Burton is on the line,” his receptionist’s voice came through the intercom.

  He reached out, hitting the blinking light button.

  “Victor my man! I called your cell but it went to voicemail. What are you doing?”

  “I’m working. Where are you?”

  “On my way home. Should be able to work Monday,” Stan announced.

  “Good. How was the drinking?”

  “Couldn’t have been better. How are things going?”

  “Well, I’m still working. We had an error on the order forms and three items went to eighty percent off instead of fifty percent.”

  “Ouch. High priced items?”

  “Yes. Good thing the sale ads never advertised them.”

  “If it’s on the forms it came from corporate.”

  “There are quite a few receipts. I have the accountant starting to decipher the stack and more is coming in. We just got the sale signs changed but Christ, it’s been all day long before it was caught.”

  “The old man isn’t going to be pleased, that’s for certain,” Stan added.

  “Oh well, he can pay the difference to the companies involved.”

  “So here is the question of all questions. Are you and Maren officially dating? Seems whenever I would call, that’s who you are with.”

  Victor leaned back in his chair, swiveling it as a grin curved his lips at the mere mention of her name.

  “It is just a tad on the complicated side.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, I’m just taking things slow with her. Getting to know her more. Let me tell you this, she is a fabulous woman, lady. Hello? Stan are you still there?”

  “I’m sorry, is this Victor Neal? The man who loves and leaves them. The one who would take a lady to bed the first time they met and then tell them thanks but no thanks, goodbye?”

  Victor cringed at the very raw description of the kind of man that he was. Then on that eventful day, his gaze fell on Maren Wilson as she diligently worked. Her smooth moves, her feminine figure, her hair; eyes; smile and laughter, they all pulled him in from across the room. Yeah, yeah, he knew how storytime that sounded but it happened to him. He couldn’t explain it but he felt the change in him almost immediately. Hell, the first time he laid his eyes on her she was unlike anyone else he knew.

  Victor expelled a sigh before answering, “It’s me. Can’t explain it, though. Hell, even I can’t figure this out but she speaks to me, in my heart, she speaks to me.”

  “No shit. When I return I’ll have to get you out with the ladies and maybe we can shake this feeling from you,” Stan suggested.

  “Thanks but no thanks. I will take you up on a drink, though.”

  “You got it. I’ll let you go, I can tell you’re busy.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  Victor hung up the phone and thought about this interest he had with Maren. Picking up his cell phone, he went to his photos. During the time they spent together, he managed to sneak a few of her without her knowledge and loved them. Going to the folder with her name he looked at her again smelling one of the bouquets he bought for her. Another of her hanging lingerie on a rack and a few of her on Thanksgiving day sneaking a cookie, leaning on the island as she talked with her mother and sister in law and
another at her house as she stared at the television watching that damn movie she had a fixation on.

  He chuckled at the many memories these few pictures evoked. At the knock on his door, he looked up to see Merle, the accountant peer around. He had his shirt unbutton and his glasses slid to the crown of his head and tired eyes looked at him.

  “Come in, Merle. What did you find?”

  Merle entered, taking the chair opposite Victor. He placed more receipts on the desk between them.

  “How many more before we changed the signs?” Victor wondered, eying the small stack with disdain.

  “We lucked out. Only fifteen more. I haven’t gotten the final tally figured out yet. I just wanted you to know this is all we have.”

  “That’s good. No one to blame but the head. That’s good too. I just wish I didn’t get rid of those management positions. They would have questioned such a markdown. Lesson learned.”

  “You sure got that right.”

  “Go on home. I have to stick around anyway and help lock up.” He yawned, wishing he were in an old turn of the century stick home sitting on a comfortable couch drinking coffee, eating cookies and watching a certain lady as she watched a movie.

  His message on his phone chimed the tune of Pretty Woman. Picking it up he read the message from Maren.

  Hey, I received the flowers. Really, you don’t need to buy me any and also, Miss Gorgeous Wilson? LOL. You should have seen the face of the delivery man and the customers! Just wanted you to know I miss you. Don’t work too hard.

  CHAPTER 17

  Saturday came and went and Maren hadn’t seen or heard from Victor. She spent the late afternoon at the Youth Center helping Rachel begin decorating for Christmas. The shop opened Sunday afternoon and was as busy as it had been on the previous days and she was thankful for the commotion of the customers helping to keep her mind from not receiving a call from him.

  Despite keeping herself busy their last moments together plagued her as she replayed in her mind just what she could have done differently. Damn, perhaps she really did scare him away? But what did she do wrong? Scowling, she paused with her chore of straightening sweatshirts on a rack as she tried to think of what she possibly did that turned him off.

  “It was that damn word of think,” she whispered.

  “Maren? Such a look on your face,” Belinda interrupted the frozen stance of her friend.

  Maren blinked, surprised at the sudden appearance of tears in her eyes. “I don’t know what happened.”

  “What?”

  “He hasn’t called me or even texted me.”

  Belinda released a sigh, “Is that all.”

  “What do you mean is that all. It’s a lot when he’s always calling or texting to say hi and last night and all day I get not a sound. It’s frightening.”

  “We’re done for the day. Let's get out of here and talk.”

  They went to the Coffee Bake Shoppe and got a corner booth. After getting settled, Belinda ordered a glazed doughnut with her coffee. Maren only wanted a Hot Chocolate. As they waited, Belinda began.

  “Remember, we used to work there and how busy it could be. Dear Lord many times you were stuck there all day if someone called off and you couldn’t find a replacement. How tired were you on those days?”

  “I was very tired. Also, many times I’d have to take care of the locking of the building after making sure the day's earnings were taken care of.”

  “Exactly, so see, that’s probably what he’s doing. And, Stan is still off on vacation as he always does this time of year.” Belinda reminded, smiling at the waitress as she placed their order on the table.

  “Thank you,” Maren spoke through a frown.

  “So why are you still frowning?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I miss him. Isn’t that ironic?” Maren put her elbow on the edge of the table to place her chin in her hand as she brought the cup to her lips to take a sip.

  ***

  Victor had been up late at the store and finally went home and then spoke with his father about the incident. Not surprising, that conversation didn’t go over well and then to add insult to the injury, he had to mention that perhaps getting rid of seasoned employees wasn’t such a grand idea. The argument ensued for thirty more minutes until Victor stated that it was all done with and nothing else could be done to rectify the problem. Those words that he thought would finalize any more discussion brought on a few more percussions that he had to endure for another thirty minutes.

  As his father rattled off more condescending words that he was half listening to, he checked the time to find it after midnight. Damn, too late to drive to Concord Hamlet.

  “Father. Father! It’s done. We’ll take a loss but nothing extravagant I’m certain. I have my accountant working on receipts to see how well the store did and then how much of a loss we had on those items. I’m sure we’ll still manage to come out ahead!” The irritation evident, he couldn’t help but raise his voice. He’s been schooled in business and has been around it practically all of his life and he remains to get talked down by his father.

  “Then, what about your other stores?”

  Victor smirked at the better than you tone of voice. “They were also hit but was also caught early in the day. The reports will be coming in by Monday.”

  “It seems you have things taken control of.”

  “Of course, I do.”

  “With the business out of the way, how are things going with the girl?”

  “Her name is Maren and it’s going fine, father.” Victor hated his parents prying into his business. It appeared like they actually cared and he knew better than to believe that for one moment. The reality of now they were only having small talk. He abhorred small talk. Time to end it. “I’ve been really busy and tired. Goodnight.” He ended.

  “Of course. Have a good night.”

  Relieved that conversation was out of the way he stood to grab a shower before going to bed. Despite the lateness of the hour, he laid awake to stare at the darkened ceiling as once again thoughts of Maren haunted him.

  “The hell with it,” he muttered. Rolling onto his side he grabbed his phone and dialed her number.

  “Huhlo?”

  He grinned at the sexy raspiness of her sleepy voice.

  “Hey, gorgeous. Sorry if I woke you.”

  “Victor.” Maren snuggled deeper beneath the covers, still half- asleep.

  He could hear her smile in her voice. “Damn, babe but you sound sexy.”

  “I’m sure that I do,” she replied.

  “I’m sorry I haven’t called you. I’ve been swamped at work,” he explained.

  “That’s what Belinda and I figured. Miss you,” she whispered.

  “I miss you. I’ll be seeing you later today,” he chuckled.

  “Can’t wait.” She released a yawn.

  “What are you wearing?” He wondered as he pictured her half-asleep huddled deep beneath blankets and wearing a barely anything lingerie.

  “Nothing,” she lied through a giggle.

  “For some reason, I find that hard to believe.”

  “I want you to think of me.”

  “I always am. And now I’m wearing a smile.”

  “Good. I’m glad I accomplished that.”

  “Goodnight, gorgeous.”

  “Goodnight.”

  He ended the call, still tried to figure out what has happened to him? How the hell can meeting one little lady make such a drastic change in a man? One time he happily partied with the gang and picking out which one to take to his bed whenever he wanted to but this time, he turned the party down. He laid awake his hands behind his head as he thought about an answer to that question but none came except for the L word. Love? That soon, that fast?

  “Hmm,” he murmured.

  Despite the tossing and turning he did, he was up early. Stan was supposed to arrive overnight and they were going to go to lunch. The text he received from Stan told him that he was already late
for their lunch date. He slipped into a pair of jeans and tugged on a black sweater before getting his coat and luggage as he walked out the door.

  Stan waved an arm, motioning to Victor as he waited for him to arrive at a local high-end restaurant.

  “Hey, how were the Bahamas?” Victor asked, removing his coat to place next to him on the booth seat before sliding across from Stan.

  “Wild and warmer than here.” He laughed.

  “I ordered a beer and food,” Stan said as they decided to have lunch and drinks so they could catch up on events from the past week. While Victor told about the mess up on Black Friday, Stan released a long groan.

  “And, that is why I’m so damn happy you have returned from your week of debauchery,” Victor added.

  “Jesus Christ. How did the old man take that news?”

  “That mess up was under his watch and you know his ego. He didn’t take it very well, especially when I had to remind him who was running the company now. Even though he still has some say in a few areas. they’re my babies now.” He laughed, raising his glass of beer to tap onto Stan’s raised glass of the dark brew.

  “I can only imagine how that conversation went,” Stan chuckled.

  “So, Merle will be keeping you informed on the details tomorrow. I’ll call in and check in to find out what he has finalized.”

  “Alright. So, are you keeping track of the snowstorm?”

  “Haven’t had time to do anything. I called Maren close to one this morning. I needed to hear her voice,” Victor confessed. “She’s so damn cute.” He added, thinking of their sparse conversation.

  Stan pursed his lips. He couldn’t believe the words coming from the king of the women. “You realize that you’re breaking many hearts out there.”

  “How so?”

  “By taking yourself off of the available list. You should have been there. Christ, they may have been walking around naked. Many only wore strings with tiny patches to barely cover themselves.”