Chapter 2 #2
“When are you going to start believing me? If you look like a fool, then I’m going to look like a fool. I’m always going to be by your side.”
We skate for a while before we are so tired and cold we can’t skate anymore.
She wasn’t too bad. Eventually she let go of the bar, but she wouldn’t move more than an inch away from it.
She’s adorable in her red pea coat and white accessories.
Afterward, we sit on the benches and I help her take off her skates.
She is so relaxed she forgets about someone we know seeing us.
She lets me put my arms around her to keep her warm while we stand watching people skate.
“You okay?” I say to her.
“Yeah. I love it out here, all the lights, the decorations, people happy. The only thing that’s missing is the Christmas tree, which will go up in about two weeks.”
“It’s nice, festive. Gives you that holiday feeling.”
“That’s why I love this time of year.”
“I know you do, but I haven’t heard you talk about the holidays or your birthday. Why is that?”
“I don’t know.”
“You used to get ready for Christmas before Thanksgiving, with your arsenal of decorations. It was like Christmas threw up in your house.”
“My mother wasn’t too happy about all my decorations taking over her house. My dad would tell her to leave me alone because it was only once a year. He would say, ‘tis the season to be festive.’ My dad.”
“What happened this year? I would think you would go all out, being home again.”
“My mother and Sophie can handle it. They did fine without me. I’m sure the house will be nicely decorated under my mother’s instructions. Too many cooks in the kitchen is never good.”
I kiss the top of her head, and we go inside the café to get a cup of hot chocolate and a table.
“One year when I was a little girl, my father came to my school to pick me up early. I asked him where we were going, and he said anywhere I wanted, that it was my special day.”
“Why was it special?”
“As you know, my birthday is on Christmas Day, and he never got to spend much time with me because it was a busy day, with my mother’s Christmas dinner and the parties they went to after we all had dinner together.
We went ice skating right here. It’s amazing how big things seem when you’re a little kid.
I loved everything about it. The Christmas tree was my favorite part, of course. ”
“Of course.” I put my cup on the table and watch her move the hot cup in her hands.
“We skated for hours. I was freezing, but I didn’t care; I was having so much fun with my daddy.
He held my hand the whole time. He told me he had a special surprise for me when we were finished.
He took me to Radio City to see Disney on Ice.
I loved every minute of it. That was one of the best birthday memories I have.
Me and my daddy. Sometimes I wish I could be a little girl again.
Christmas through the eyes of a kid is wonderful.
I guess soon you’ll know what that’s like? ”
I look down at the table and run my fingers over hers. “Maybe.” I look back up at her, and she pulls her hand away from me to take a sip of her chocolate.
Putting her cup down she asks, “Ready to go?”
“I’m going to go to the bathroom before we leave,” I tell her.
I end up staying in the bathroom longer than I thought—on the phone.
When I get back, I see her talking to some guy.
She’s laughing at whatever he said and he’s smiling like an idiot.
I walk up and look at her, ignoring the dude sitting in my spot. “Are you ready?”
“Nick, this is Ryan.”
I barely look at him when he gets up out of my seat, smiling. I nod my head toward him. “Hey.”
“Hey, it’s nice to meet you. Nick, is it?” He extends his hand, and I ignore it. His smile falters and he puts his hand down.
Cat sees the look on my face and the whatever-look on his. She knows that’s the only word I’m going to say to this guy.
“It was nice to meet you, Ryan, see you later.” She gets up, standing next to me.
“Maybe I’ll see you again?” Douche says, looking at her.
This guy is pissing me off. I turn my head and look at him. “Trust me, you won’t,” I say in my calmest voice, grabbing Cat’s hand and leading her out the door, leaving him to look at our backs.
“What the hell, Nick?”
“What the hell were you doing, talking to that guy? What was with all the smiling and laughing? I go to the bathroom and you decide to entertain a random stranger like you’re at a private dinner party for two.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“I was sitting there by myself for almost twenty minutes. I told him I was waiting for my friend to come back. He wasn’t trying to pick me up.”
“Yet. He was waiting to see what I looked like. He changed his mind after he saw me.”
“Oh my God, your ego. Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“I do not need one of those. I’ve had enough surprises to last me a lifetime.”
“You’ll like this surprise.”
She looks at me skeptically, but I know this will bring back good memories for herm and I was right—when we stand in front of the building, her face lights up with her pretty smile.
“I can’t believe this. You got us tickets to Disney on Ice?”
“After you told me about you and your father, I thought, why not recreate one of your favorite days? This way, when you think about it, I can be a part of it.”
“Are you sure you want to see it?”
“Of course I do, if it makes you happy and I’m the one who gets to put that smile on your face. Besides, I think Minnie is sexy as hell. I think I could give Mickey some competition.”
“Minnie would never leave Mickey for a guy whose head was bigger than his and getting bigger every day,” she says while elbowing me.
After the show, we go to a pizza shop not too far from my place. We decide to walk back home, and she lets me hold her hand all the way back. It feels good when you can openly show your affection for the person you care about.
“Thank you for today. I had fun.”
I open the door for her, and we take the elevator up, and I tug her against me.
“The day’s not over yet.” I hold her chin up and do what I’ve been dying to do since we left.
I kiss her bottom lip and run the tip of my tongue across it.
Damn, I love the way she tastes, and I love it when she returns my kisses the same way I give them to her.
My hands move down to the small of her back.
She moans when my tongue finds its way into her mouth.
I press her up against the elevator wall just when it stops and the doors slide open.
Pressing my arousal into her stomach, my hand goes down to her thighs underneath her coat.
I cup her ass and she puts her hands on the sides of my face and sucks my tongue deeper into her mouth.
“Cat, I’ve wanted to do this to you all fucking day!”
“Mmm…Hmm.”
She wraps her legs around my waist when I lift her up and step out of the elevator. My teeth graze the side of her neck. She opens her eyes and gleefully squeals, jumping down when she sees my apartment.
“Oh my God, Nick!”
“I told you the day wasn’t over yet. Surprise.” I put my hands around her stomach, with her back against me. My living room is covered in Christmas decorations from top to bottom, and everything except for the Christmas tree is decorated.
“How did you do this?”
She tries to wiggle out of my arms, but I hold on to her waist from behind.
“I made a few calls while we were out.”
“I didn’t see you make any calls.”
“When I went to the bathroom.”
“That’s what took you so long. I thought you fell into the toilet.”
“No.” I chuckle, resting my chin on top of her head.
“You did all of this for me?”
“Yes.”
“It’s so nice. A Christmas winter wonderland. Thank you.”
I turn her around and give her a kiss on her lips.
“But it’s not finished, Nick. Why isn’t the tree decorated?”
“I told them to save the best for last. That’s for us to decorate, and if you want you can change these decorations,” I say, looking around the room.
“No! They’re perfect. You are definitely going to get some tonight.”
“Oh, I already knew that,” I say, kissing her earlobe.
“Did you?”
“Yeah, that wasn’t a question in my mind.”
She playfully slaps my arm, smiling. “Get your ass over here and let’s decorate my tree.”
Letting her drag me, I say, “Yes, ma’am.”
When we’re finished and I help her put the star on top of the tree, we stand back looking at it. “What do you think?”
“Nick, it’s so pretty. I love it.”
“Good, now come here. I’ve never had sex under a Christmas tree.” I pull her down on top of me on the couch, her legs between mine. Just when things are starting to get good, her phone rings. I groan loudly at the interruption.
“Let it ring, they’ll call back when we’re finished.”
“Nick, I can’t, I have to get it.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do, let me just see who’s calling.”
She gets her coat off the arm of the couch and looks at her phone. “It’s Ava.”
“Great, let it go to voice mail. You can call her back later.”
“No.”
“You did not just do that?” I say, annoyed, watching her put the phone to her ear, looking at me apologetically.