Chapter 18 #2
Even though it was past the middle of December, Evelyn’s penthouse remained Christmas-less.
There was no garland on the fireplace. No tree twinkling in the corner of her living room.
All signs that it was the festive season were nonexistent.
Unlike her office, which had been transformed into a winter wonderland by Maggie.
She’d been surrounded by Christmas cheer for weeks now—the decorations at Crawford’s, the magical evening at the Christmas market with Alyssa, the party at the warehouse with its fairy lights and festive warmth.
She could appreciate it in those spaces, could even enjoy it, but bringing it into her home felt like a step too far.
No matter how hard she tried, Evelyn couldn’t muster the enthusiasm for the holiday season in her own space.
Everything just reminded her of her mum and how many things had changed.
Even though she was an adult, Evelyn, her mum and dad always shared Christmas together.
Roslyn hadn’t cared that Evelyn was a grown woman.
She’d still made the time magical, just like when Evelyn was a small child.
Home was where the absence felt sharpest—even though this penthouse wasn’t where she’d grown up, wasn’t where the majority of family Christmases had been spent, the memories followed her anyway.
Here, she’d have to face the empty chair at the table, the missing voice singing carols off-key, the lack of elaborate gingerbread houses taking up half the kitchen counter.
So the penthouse stayed bare. Neutral. Safe.
Those times were just memories now, though. Christmas was too hard without her mum, so Evelyn chose to skip it—and that was why she stood in her white and chrome penthouse with nary a bauble in sight.
Shaking her head, Evelyn set off to unpack the mountain of supplies shipped over for Bugs’ stay.
“Now, I know you have dog kibble, but how about we have a treat?”
Evelyn took Bug’s puppy eyes as a yes. Taking out two steaks from the fridge, Evelyn set about cooking them a feast of meat and maple-roasted vegetables.
“No one can complain, Bug. I’ve given you protein and veggies.” She mumbled to him. Bug hadn’t left Evelyn’s side since getting home.
With a glass of red wine poured and a bottle of dog beer emptied into a bowl, the duo sat in the living room to eat. For the first time since Evelyn’s mum had passed, she didn’t feel completely alone.
Richard had tried his best, but he was grieving, too. Maggie tried to be there for her, but the woman had her own life to deal with. And Mindy…well, Evelyn should have known that was doomed from the start because Mindy never made her feel supported, not in the way she needed.
For three years, Evelyn had been lonely. But the little dog, quietly munching on his steak, had turned that around in a matter of hours. Since the first time he absconded to her office, Evelyn felt that want of companionship sated.
There were no conversations to be had, just Bug’s presence.
Evelyn was amazed at how intuitive he was.
As if he could see all her feelings and know what she needed.
Whether that was a break from work, in which case Bug would literally bug her until she stopped and petted him.
Or when she was frustrated and Bug would whine at the window in her office until she joined him for a few calming minutes.
“Want to meet someone, Bug?” Maybe the third glass of wine was a mistake. Evelyn always got sentimental and emotional after too much vino.
Not waiting for the dog to answer—because she wasn’t that sozzled—Evelyn took out her photo albums from a box at the bottom of her wardrobe.
Bug wandered over to her as she sat on the floor, her back against the sofa. “This is my mum,” she mumbled.
The creak of the cover revealed how little the album had been opened. As with Christmas, staring at Roslyn’s smiling face was just too painful at times.
“She was the best. I miss her.”
Over the space of an hour, Evelyn showed Bug her family pictures.
The pup sat diligently by her side and even though she knew it wasn’t possible, Evelyn let herself believe he was looking at the photos, taking in everything she had to say.
It felt good to talk about her mum. Sure, she wished she could do that with her dad, but Richard always shut the conversation down.
Hot tears streaked down Evelyn’s face as she combed through the photos for a second time. Bug sidled up and leaned against her chest. “I miss her so much.”
Bug abruptly got to his feet and dashed off toward Evelyn’s bedroom.
Wiping her face, Evelyn stood to investigate.
The silence was worrying. The jingle of bells stopped Evelyn in her tracks.
Bug appeared moments later with a Christmas tree decoration in his mouth.
Stunned, Evelyn watched him walk back to the living room and drop the decoration at her feet.
“No, buddy, this isn’t a toy,” Evelyn chided, scooping the offending article back up. Striding into her room, Evelyn saw the box of stored Christmas paraphernalia lying open.
How in the world did he know this was here?
Returning the bells to their rightful place, Evelyn made her way back to the living room, only to witness Bug running past her again.
Out he came with a different Christmas decoration.
Dropping it in the same place as before, he sat and stared at her.
Huffing and growing frustrated, Evelyn returned the ornament.
“Stop it, Bug,” she whined when he repeated his breaking and entering of her Christmas stash.
Twenty minutes passed of them playing Bug’s game. Eventually, Evelyn slumped to the floor in the middle of the growing pile of Christmas decorations. Bug was quite content ferrying the items one by one from her room.
The doorbell rang, which caused Evelyn to frown. Who the hell was at her door at…nine-thirty in the evening? Grumbling the entire way to her front door, Evelyn ripped it open with a scowl.
“Whoa, what’s wrong with you?” a surprised-looking Alyssa asked.
“Alyssa?”
“That’s me. You okay?”
“What…why are you here?” The tone of her voice was snippy, causing Alyssa to raise her eyebrows.
“I just wanted to stop by and say hi. Sorry, I’ll go. See you tomorrow.”
Evelyn could have screamed at herself. Taking her frustration out on Alyssa wasn’t right. “No, Al, sorry wait. Come in.”
“Are you sure?
“Perfectly. Sorry, I’m just having a bit of an issue with Bug.”
“Bug? Is he okay?” Alyssa didn’t hesitate, stepping past Evelyn and heading to the living room. “Um…”
“Yeah.” Evelyn chuckled. Bug was sitting proudly in the middle of his Christmas decoration pile.
“I think I need some context.” Alyssa grinned.
Evelyn momentarily forgot how to breathe. That grin was a lesbian slayer. It had the power to render mere mortals incapable of thought and movement.
“Evie?”
Snapping her eyes away from Alyssa’s lips, Evelyn motioned them towards Bug. “He got all my decorations out. I tried to put them back, but he just kept going back to fetch them.”
“He’s a strange little guy.” Alyssa grinned, and then her face sobered. “Is that why you looked so pissed when you answered the door?”
Rubbing her forehead, Evelyn sighed. “I haven’t had any Christmas-related items on display in my house since my mum passed.
I had a couple of glasses of red this evening and showed Bug my photo album.
The next thing I know he’s toddled off and found all this.
We played a game of chase before I gave up and let him win. ”
“Ah, I see.” Alyssa wandered over to the open photo album, looking at Evelyn, silently asking for permission. Evelyn nodded, taking a seat next to Bug. “You look like her, you know.”
“Yeah, I take after her in nearly every way.” Evelyn smiled.
“Would she want you to shut out Christmas, Evie?”
A lone tear breached, tracking down Evelyn’s cheek. “No, she wouldn’t.”
“I can’t imagine how you feel, sweetie. I have my parents. They’re a little unusual, but they’re still with me. I don’t want you to think I’m interfering.”
“I don’t. It’s just hard spending this time alone.”
“But you’re not alone.”
Evelyn studied Alyssa’s face. There was an emotion present that Evelyn didn’t dare interpret. If she was wrong, she would blow up their friendship.
But what if I’m right?
Leaning in, Evelyn slipped her hand around Alyssa’s neck, hesitating to allow Alyssa to back out.
She didn’t. Closing her eyes, Evelyn inhaled Alyssa’s captivating scent.
Her senses came alive, and the surrounding atmosphere sparked as their lips gently brushed without quite connecting.
Alyssa’s breath caressed her mouth. Their noses brushed gently, and their eyes searching each other.
“Kiss me,” Alyssa whispered. Evelyn closed the last few millimetres of space.
From the moment Evelyn saw Alyssa, she knew those lips were going to be her undoing. Soft and plump, teasing yet forward.
Evelyn’s hand held Alyssa closer, her fingers massaged the nape of Alyssa’s neck, earning a whimper. Needing more, Evelyn softly stroked Alyssa’s bottom lip with her tongue. Her reward was to be taken wholly by Alyssa’s mouth.
Their lips clashed as the kiss heated. Tongues swirled, licked, and lavished. Alyssa brought her hands to Evelyn’s face, cradling her jaw. This was more than a kiss. This was the beginning of something spectacular.