Chapter 26
Matt
It’s late when we get back to the city.
Penny swore she was okay to drive, but I figured she had to be emotionally exhausted from our day, so I happily got behind the wheel.
As I merge onto FDR Drive, I peek over at her where she’s still peacefully asleep in the passenger seat.
I rub my thumb gently across her cheek.
“Hey,” I whisper. “You up?”
“You shouldn’t ask ‘you up’ unless you’re looking for action,” she croaks, her eyes still closed.
I laugh.
She opens her eyes and smiles at me. “Thanks for driving. Sorry, I fell asleep.”
“You can be my passenger princess anytime, lady,” I say. “Take you back to your place?”
“I thought we were going to decorate your tree?”
“You still up for that?” I ask hopefully.
“Absolutely. Take me home, sir.”
Never were sweeter words spoken.
“Welcome to Chateau Barbera,” I say as I plunk my very first Christmas tree into its stand with a flourish.
“So you did have a tree stand,” she says.
“Yup. It’s been standing in the corner, along with that box of cheap ass ornaments and string lights, for the past month. All they were waiting for was a tree.”
I bend down and tighten the screws around the trunk.
“For a guy who’s never had his own Christmas tree, you certainly know what to do with it,” she says.
“I’ve gotten some practice at Eugene’s family parties over the years.”
We stand back and admire the still bare, but beautiful tree.
Penny Whitaker is in my apartment.
Dreams really do come true.
“Thank you for the gentle push to make this happen.” I take her hand. “I needed it.”
“Thank you for… everything you did tonight.” She squeezes my hand and repeats my words, “I needed it.”
“Did I go overboard with the ‘Have the Christmas you deserve’ line?” I blurt. “Because I’ve been having considerable regrets over that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, it felt very mob boss of me.”
She laughs. “I don’t know what kind of mafia movies you’re watching, but… no. I thought it was just right. The way you stood up for me, Matt?” Her voice cracks slightly. “Well. It meant a lot.”
“I got your back, girl,” I say. “Whenever you need me.”
There’s no Missile Ho above us right now, but everything in me wants to kiss this woman.
Just as I’m about to lean in, she drops my hand and says, “So… should we decorate your tree?”
“Hell yeah, we should.” I drag the cardboard box filled with lights and ornaments directly in front of us. The tea kettle squeals from across the room. “I believe I promised you a hot chocolate, did I not?”
“You certainly did.” She smiles.
“Coming right up, miss.”
While I pour hot water into two big mugs filled with hot chocolate mix, Penny winds our first string of lights around the tree.
“I love the smell of a real tree,” she says. “As a kid, we had fake trees in every room.”
“Hold the phone.” I bring our mugs over and place them on my coffee table to cool. “You had trees in every room?”
“Not every room. But the big ones, yeah. The dining room, the living room, the sitting room, the parlor…”
“How is a parlor room different from a sitting room? Or a living room for that matter?” I laugh and wrap the next string of lights around the tree.
“Fuck if I know,” she laughs with me. “Point is, we had a lot of rooms and a lot of fake trees in my house. But Christmas at my great-aunt Betsy’s house was more relaxed and fun.
That’s where my parents would leave Banks and me when they went on their holiday trip every year.
She always got one small real tree from the Christmas tree farm.
Same place I took you to tonight. She let me pick it out and saw it down. ”
“I thought you seemed skilled with that saw,” I say.
“Lots of practice. Scared you, huh?” She nudges me.
“Oh, big time. I don’t call you Pennywise for nothing.”
I’m struck by how domestic this all feels. Penny is here in my apartment. Us poking fun at each other. Decorating my Christmas tree together.
It feels like we’re a real couple.
“Alright, last string of lights.” I grab them and plug them in. “Then we can start hanging these truly exquisite ornaments from the dollar store.” I joke and hold up a tin filled with glittery red and green Styrofoam balls.
“Oh! I almost forgot!” Penny runs to her purse. “I have something for you.”
“Penny Whitaker, did you get me a present?” I tease. “Christmas is still over a week away.”
“Sort of,” she says. “But don’t get too excited. It’s just a little something from Mother of Junk.”
“Did you spend your Penny workout money on me?” I ask as I finish wrapping the last of the lights around the tree.
“Maybe.” She approaches me with a hand hidden behind her back.
God, she looks gorgeous. Her cheeks are all pink. Her eyes are glassy with mischief.
“I was wondering why you wouldn’t let me see what you got,” I say.
“Sit down and close your eyes,” she commands.
“Oh, it’s like that, is it?”
“It is,” she says with a shy smile.
Your wish is my command, Penny.
I don’t say that, of course, but I do sit down and close my eyes as requested.
I feel the energy shift as she sits on the floor directly in front of me, her knees touching mine.
“Now what?” I ask.
“Hold your hand out,” she says.
I do, and she places something gently on my palm.
I move the object around, trying to figure out what it is. “What is this?”
“You can open your eyes.”
The second it registers, I crack up.
“It’s a spicy nectarine ornament,” she says.
“Of course it is!”
The little round-ish object is a peachy color… with tiny jalapeno peppers hand-painted on it?
“DID YOU CRAFT FOR ME!?” I yell.
“Alright, simmer down, Barbera,” she says.
“Yes, I crafted for you, but only because this started out as some kind of apple figurine. I needed to change the red color to orangey-peachish. Then I didn’t think you’d get the joke unless I added the spicy peppers on it too.
And, of course, I needed to affix a ribbon to it so you could actually use it as an ornament and hang it on the tree. ”
“I fucking love it,” I say, looking deep into her bottomless brown eyes.
“I’m glad.” She beams. “We’re not done, though. There are two more.”
I close my eyes again, feeling like the luckiest guy in the world right now.
She places another ornament in my hand. “It’s a little dude?” I guess.
She laughs. “A little fireman dude, yes.”
I open my eyes to find a tiny fireman wearing a mini Bossfit Brooklyn T-shirt, which Penny apparently painted on as well.
“I love it!” I say. “But… I don’t get it.”
“You don’t get it?”
I wince. “Sorry, I don’t.”
“It’s you as a fireman, because you put out crotch fires.”
I laugh my ass off at that. “Do I put out crotch fires? Or do I get them started?”
“Gross, Barbera.” She gives me a playful shove. “Alright, last one.”
I close my eyes for a final time, and she places one more ornament on my palm.
I open my eyes. “A miniature six-pack of beer with mini-Santa hats on each can?”
“Because of ‘Santa Has a Six-Pack!’” she says. “I have to say, I hated myself for loving that ridiculous performance.”
“What can I say, baby? When you got it, you’ve got it,” I boast and attempt a repeat performance of some of my best moves from that audition.
“I think we’ve seen enough, sir.” Penny uses a classic audition phrase that actors hear way too often and places a hand on my chest.
I place my hand over hers, and the mood shifts dramatically.
“You like your gifts?” she asks softly.
“I love my gifts,” I say. “Thank you for thinking of me.”
“Can I confess something?” she whispers.
She scoots closer to me on the hardwood floor and wraps her legs around me.
“I’m listening.” I wrap my arms around her back and pull her even closer.
“I’m never not thinking of you, Matt.”
Yup, dreams are coming true.
“Same, sweetheart,” I say, my heart pounding. “You’re all I want. All I think about. And for the record, I want you so bad right now I can’t see straight.”
“So take me,” she breathes.
Merry fucking Christmas to me.