Christmas All Around Us ; The Perfect Time for Love ; Playing for Keeps

by Carla Kincaid

  "Are you still performing?" she asked making Julie the focus of the next topic. "I'll never forget seeing you in that dance concert at Reynolds Auditorium our senior year. You're such an incredible dancer."

  Julie felt both surprise and embarrassment at Lisa's question. Surprise, that the woman had ever seen her dance -- more-less remembering the performance -- and embarrassed because she had to admit that she hadn't done any professional dancing in years.

  "I mostly focus on teaching now," Julie said. "Finding work as a professional dancer was a little more challenging than I had imagined back in college."

  "Yeah, I can understand that. I guess it's a pretty competitive field," Lisa said. "But just so you know, you were really great back then."

  Julie tried to keep from blushing. "I'm sorry, Lisa. I just find it hard to believe that you even noticed me when we were in college. To be honest, I was a little shocked that you remembered my name when we bumped into each other at Christmas Village. I wasn't exactly popular like you in college and I didn't think you knew who I was."

  Lisa sat back in her chair with a strange look on her face. "You're joking, right? I know we didn't exactly hang out together in school but I always wished we had." Lisa lowered her voice a little. "In fact, I had to confess to my wife when I told her about meeting you for brunch that I had a little crush on you back then."

  Julie shook her head as if she'd misunderstood what Lisa just said. "You had a crush on me? I'm sorry, but I find that a little hard to believe," Julie said with a laugh.

  "I don't know why?" Lisa replied. "I took that stupid Intro to Pottery Throwing class just to try to get to know you. I could tell you were kind of shy but I thought maybe if we had a class together we might have a chance at being friends."

  "But you were dating Connie Taylor!" Julie said still in disbelief.

  Lisa let out a snort that caused both women to look around for the stern maître d'. "No, Connie Taylor and I were never a couple," Lisa continued. "Although, I think Connie may have spread a few rumors that we were."

  Julie just sat there staring at Lisa. How could she have gotten it all so wrong back then?

  "I guess it just wasn't meant to be," Lisa said with a smile. "But you should know for the record -- I was interested."

  The waiter brought the food to the table and Julie did her best to enjoy the meal and the conversation but her mind kept flashing back to what Lisa said about their time in college. Finally, after the waiter cleared their plates, Lisa circled back to the subject.

  "Julie, I hope I'm not out of line in saying this," Lisa looked across the table at Julie as if she was trying to read her mind before continuing. "You're a really beautiful, smart and talented woman. And I get the impression that you still don't know that."

  Julie felt her body temperature rise and she let her eyes drop down as she futzed with the napkin in her lap.

  "I'm happily married, so I'm not trying to hit on you or anything but I just feel like you need to know you're a catch. And any woman with any sense would be lucky to have you in her life."

  Julie twisted her napkin into knots as she listened to Lisa's words. Lisa wasn't saying anything Sarah hadn't said to Julie a hundred times but it was different coming from someone who'd once seen Julie as more than just a friend.

  "Thanks, Lisa," Julie managed to say in a voice just above a whisper.

  While they waited for the check, the two women made idle chatter about Lisa's plans while she was in town and then once the meal was paid for they headed outside.

  "Thanks for brunch," Julie said. "And thanks for what you said. It means a lot to me to hear that."

  They hugged goodbye and promised to get together again in the near future.

  Julie took her time driving home through the freshly plowed streets. The slow speed required gave her time to think. Julie couldn't help but draw parallels between what she'd felt about Lisa in college and what she felt about Rachel today. In both cases, she couldn't accept that the woman she was attracted to could possibly be attracted to her. In both cases, she'd felt like she wasn't really good enough for the object of her affection and because of that wouldn't let herself truly accept the possibility of a relationship.

  For the first time, Julie had to come to grips with the role she played in not having the romantic life she wanted. Why was she unwilling to believe Rachel when she said it was Katie who kissed her and not the other way around? It was like deep down inside she'd been waiting for things to fall apart -- and finally, they had.

  ❤️❤️❤️

  Rachel trudged through the snow following the sound of the bark. At first, she thought she might be going in the wrong direction because after walking almost a block the sound seemed to disappear. Then just as she was about to turn around and head in the other direction she saw Simon a few houses ahead of her.

  "Simon!" she called out in relief as she rushed toward the dog.

  Simon was perched in the front seat of the bright red sleigh sitting next to the man with the boldly illuminated house.

  "Well, hello there!" He greeted. "You must be looking for my little helper here." The man tussled Simon's coat and then smiled as the dog jumped out of the sleigh and ran toward Rachel. He had a small bell around his collar now and it tinkled as he scurried through the snow.

  "Where have you been?" Rachel asked Simon with such relief she almost wanted to cry.

  "When I came outside this morning to change a burnout bulb, there he was sitting in the driver's seat," the man said with a laugh. "I gave him that little bell in case he tried to sneak away before his owners came to find him."

  "I'm not his owner," Rachel began explaining. "I'm just house-sitting for them and Simon here got out because a tree branch knocked down part of the fence in their backyard."

  "Yeah, that wind was something fierce last night. I hope it doesn't stir back up on Monday. It will make my job on Christmas Eve a lot more difficult."

  Rachel looked up at the man and tried not to let her facial expression betray what was spinning around in her mind. Did this guy actually think he was Santa Claus and had a "job" to do the night before Christmas?

  "I promised the local carolers that I'd take them around the neighborhood in my sleigh," he said with a smile. "Those reindeer up front are just for decoration." He pointed to the plastic antlered creatures in front of the sleigh. "This puppy's got a car engine underneath and a steering wheel under this." He lifted a decorative cover to reveal the steering wheel he was referring to.

  "Wow! That's pretty cool," Rachel said feeling both impressed by the man's ingenuity and relieved that he wasn't crazy.

  "Feel free to come back and go for a spin if you're around on Monday night."

  Rachel smiled. "Thanks for the offer but I won't be in town." Long before the carolers started singing, Rachel planned to be on her way to California.

  "Okay. Maybe next year," he said enthusiastically. "By the way, did you ever get that wish list off to Santa?"

  A slight frown washed over Rachel's face. She flashed back to the man's previous words about Santa's ability to read hearts. She believed even less now than she had then that Santa had the ability to deliver what her heart wanted for Christmas or any other time of year.

  "Oh, I see. You don't think it's possible," the man said with a wink. "Some people just have to be proven wrong, don't they boy?" The man bent down and patted Simon on the head. "Just promise you'll come back and tell me when your present arrives," he said with a wink. "If I'm wrong." He paused as if he was thinking of an appropriate price for his error. "If I'm wrong, next year I won't put up a single light on my house."

  Rachel looked at the man and then at his elaborately decorated home. Maybe he was crazy after all? She certainly didn't expect him to hold up his part of the bargain but there was no harm in humoring the friendly neighborhood Christmas nut.

  "Okay. You've got a deal," she said with a sarcastic smile before tugging at Simon's leash.

  "I hope you enjoy yo
ur Christmas!" the man yelled after her.

  When Rachel got back to Gail's house she busied herself straightening up in preparation for the family's return. She was tempted to give Simon a bath -- since even after a good brushing his coat still seemed to have remnants from his outdoor adventure stuck in it -- but Rachel thought that task might be a little too much for her. Instead, she searched around online until she found a mobile groomer and gratefully paid the extra cost for a same-day appointment.

  By the time Rachel heard Gail's car in the driveway everything and everyone was clean and tidy.

  "Simon!" Misty squealed as she came bolting through the door.

  "Hey, Claire. Hey, Gail," Rachel greeted her friends.

  "Hmm, something looks different around here?" Claire said with a laugh obviously referring to the large blue bow around Simon's neck.

  "Yeah, well, let's just say we went for an unplanned walk and needed professional attention afterward," Rachel said with a laugh.

  "Oh, I thought maybe you were trying out a new career," Gail teased. "I hear pet groomers make good money."

  "I can attest to the fact that they get paid well but still not as good as lawyers," Rachel replied. "And speaking of getting paid. I'd better head home to pack. I'm flying out of here on Monday afternoon."

  "Oh, no. Misty was hoping you were going to join us for Christmas dinner," Claire whispered so Misty didn't hear the disappointing news.

  "Sorry. Maybe another time," Rachel replied.

  "Well, thanks again for taking care of my girls while I was gone." Claire reached over and gently touched Gail's hand.

  "It was my pleasure," Rachel said. "I really had a good time." It was almost an honest statement, Rachel thought. Everything she'd experienced specifically related to Misty had been wonderful. "Is it still cool for me to leave my car here while I'm gone?" Rachel asked changing the subject.

  "Absolutely," Gail replied. "You've got good insurance right?" she asked with a wink. "I might want to give the Lexus a spin while you're gone."

  "Oh, I can guarantee that won't be happening," Claire said as she walked back into the room. "The only wheels you'll be driving for the next two weeks are the two attached to the walker the hospital is having delivered tomorrow."

  "You're no fun," Gail said with a sarcastic pout.

  "Whatever you say, Dear." Claire kissed Gail on the forehead tenderly completely ignoring her spouses protruding lip.

  Watching the affection between her friends was getting to be more than Rachel could handle at the moment.

  "I'll see you all on Monday," she said moving quickly toward the door.

  "Let me walk you to your car," Gail said. She reached for her crutches to stand up again.

  Rachel knew Gail probably wanted an update on things with Julie. She'd given Gail the short version of everything that happened at the gala so her friend knew there was more to her eager departure to California than Rachel wanted to admit.

  "Absolutely, not," Rachel said shaking her head. "I'm not going to let you walk outside where you could slip and break a hip. I'm okay. I'll call you later," Rachel said avoiding a conversation that could cause nothing but pain.

  Chapter 14

  By Sunday afternoon Julie's parent's house was almost as packed as it was going to be the following night for the Christmas Eve party. In every room there were clusters of Julie's relatives wrapping gifts to take to the homeless shelter, hand painting Christmas tree ornaments for the kids in foster care or making personalized cards to be distributed to anyone who needed a little holiday cheer. These were some of the family traditions Julie had grown up with.

  As she wandered through the house, Julie pretended to be in her normal holiday spirit but the truth was there was nothing normal about this holiday season. Julie waved off her cousin Liz's invitation to paint some reindeer shaped ornaments and headed into the kitchen where her mother was preparing the food for tomorrow's party.

  "Perfect timing!" Mrs. Peterson announced as her daughter slid onto a stool at the counter. She handed Julie a bowl of pecans and a nutcracker.

  Without explanation, Julie began shelling the nuts for the homemade pecan pies her mother was going to make later that evening.

  "How was the gala?" Mrs. Peterson asked innocently as Julie picked up a nut and put it between the teeth of the nutcracker.

  At the thought of the gala, Julie squeezed down so hard that the pecan crumbled into little pieces. Fortunately, her mother didn't notice the mistake and Julie managed to crack the shell of the next nut without destroying the meat inside.

  "Did you take any pictures?" Mrs. Peterson continued. "I'd love to see that red dress on you. Who was it you went with again?"

  As her mother's rapid-fire questions flowed through the air, Julie kept her eyes focused on the pecans to avoid looking directly at her mom.

  "It was great," she said trying to think of some details to share without mentioning everything that happened between her and Rachel. "My first certificate for dance lessons was so popular at the silent auction that the director asked me to donate a second one."

  "Oh, Honey! That's fabulous! I've always thought you were such a great dance teacher. You're so patient with your students -- both the children and the adults."

  Julie let out a long sigh. She knew one adult student who probably didn't think she was very patient -- at least not off the dance floor.

  "Mom, can I ask you something?" Julie said after a long pause.

  "Sure, Honey. What is it?"

  Julie set the bowl of pecans aside and looked up at her mother. Mrs. Peterson was a beautiful woman and from the stories Julie's father told about when the two of them were in college, she was outgoing and popular. For a moment those facts made Julie hesitate in asking her question.

  "What is it, Julie?" Mrs. Peterson asked again.

  Julie looked up at her mother who had stepped close enough to where Julie was sitting at the kitchen island to put her hand on her daughter's arm. She could tell her mother sensed something was wrong and the tenderness she saw in her mother's eyes gave Julie the courage to ask her question.

  "Mom, before you and Dad got married did you ever shy away from dating a guy because you felt like you weren't good enough for him?"

  Julie saw her mother's eyebrows raise with concern for her daughter but before she spoke she took a deep breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, and seemed to mentally leave the room. When Mrs. Peterson opened her eyes again, she slid onto a stool next to Julie.

  "Not just any guy," Mrs. Peterson confessed. "After your father and I had been dating for a while I kind of knew he was getting close to asking me to marry him." Mrs. Peterson looked into Julie's eyes before speaking again. "I almost broke up with him before he could pop the question."

  "Really?" Julie said with genuine surprise. In all the stories she'd heard about her parent's courtship she'd never heard anything about them almost breaking up.

  "Yep," Her mother said glancing over her shoulder to make sure there were no family members within earshot of their conversation. "And your father doesn't even know it."

  Julie's eyes grew even larger at this piece of news.

  "Ever since I was a little girl, people told me how pretty I was." Mrs. Peterson said, shaking her head as if the memory was a bad one. "I know they meant well and compliments about my looks were nice but by the time I got to college all the attention people put on my outer-self seemed superficial. In college, people were being judged by how smart they were not just because they were attractive."