Merry Christmas #3
“Thank you, Officer. Sorry to take up your time tonight. Hope you two get some time to enjoy your holiday.”
“You as well, Sir. The Miss can keep the blanket.”
“Thanks,” Simo replied and watched the officers' retreat toward their squad car, leaving Jessie to glance his way in utter embarrassment. Simo patted the concrete railing and slowly Jessie made her way over and leaned back against it.
“Sorry…” she mumbled quietly.
Simo nodded. “Where can I drive you?”
Jessie sighed wistfully and looked up at the cold, starry night. “I remember that little red truck of yours… I wish we could go back to that time when you drove me in it to Eleni’s apartment.”
Simo nodded. “Yeah… seems like ages ago.”
“Yeah.” Jessie nodded.
“Where are your shoes?”
“The ocean…”
“You walked all the way here?”
“Think I ran some of it…”
“Jessie…”
“Simo, stop. It’s ok… don’t worry, I wasn’t going to swim out into the deep, that’s not the way I go.”
“Ah… good.” After what seemed like several minutes, Simo broke the silence. “Are you hungry?”
“Ha! Everything is closed. You cooking?” Jessie smirked.
Simo paused for a long moment. “Ah… sure.”
She turned to him, green eyes wide. “Really?”
“Sure.” Simo gestured to his car down the way.
The ride to Simo’s condo was in silence. When Simo pulled into his garage, he texted Theo of Jessie’s status.
“I’ve never been to your house…” Jessie muttered.
“It’s not much,” Simo replied as he got out and waited for Jessie at the door.
Jessie followed Simo inside and noted Simo’s decor was very manly and functional. Simo pointed down the hall as he entered the kitchen. “Bathroom and shower. Robe on the back of the door is clean. Take your time.”
“Thanks,” Jessie replied, as she headed to the guest bathroom and ran the shower.
The water was hot and felt good as it finally brought some warmth to her bones.
She looked down and noticed her nails were chipped and her feet needed a good pampering.
Suddenly, she felt embarrassed about Simo seeing her this way.
Then her heart hurt again, thinking of him.
She wished she could turn off her feelings like Simo seemed to be able to do.
Hell, she thought, the pain from being tortured on that hellhole of a ship seemed better compared to what her heart felt like right now.
She took in several deep breaths and calmed herself like her mother taught her.
With what Simo had in the bathroom, she set out to make herself as presentable as possible.
When she was done, she padded quietly into the kitchen doorway in the oversized bathrobe.
Simo was busy cooking something that smelled delicious; it smelled of oregano and so good that her belly began rumbling.
“Have a seat at the counter. There’s Ouzo,” Simo said without turning around.
“Thanks,” Jessie mumbled. She sat down and picked up the shot glass of Ouzo.
She could literally feel the boundary that Simo had set.
It was like an invisible fence and she knew she was lucky that she was even here…
then the thought of Simo making love to Lilly here was suddenly almost overwhelming.
Again, like her mother had taught her in the forest outside of Moscow, she quietly began taking silent deep breaths.
She repeated to herself that she was here with Simo and no one else. She should be content with that.
Simo surprised her by placing a big Greek salad in front of her, followed by a platter of steak kebabs on skewers with onions, green peppers, and tomatoes.
“Hot. Don’t touch,” he warned.
She watched as he finished cutting up feta cheese and put Greek olives on the plate. Setting that in front of her, along with dinner plates and utensils, he then reached inside the oven and pulled out a pile of toasted pita bread. He went to his refrigerator and came back with A1 Sauce.
She was more surprised when he came around the counter, pulled up a chair next to her, sat down, and began dishing up her dinner.
“Sorry. No yogurt for tzatziki sauce. A1 works if you like it.”
“Oh… ok,” she replied and decided to simply enjoy the fact that the man she loved was being nice… and even cooked for her.
Even though their Christmas dinner was held in near silence, Jessie enjoyed every second with Simo so close. The ache in her heart had even subsided. She knew it was only temporary, but she would take what respite she could.
She watched Simo finish off his third ‘souvlaki’, as he called his pita-wrapped kebabs, and wipe his mouth with his napkin. “I can get the cleanup,” Jessie offered as she began to get up off her chair. His hand on her arm sent tingles through her body as she stopped in her tracks.
“You are my guest. Sit,” he said, poured her another Ouzo, then got up and began clearing their dishes.
She watched him as he efficiently cleaned up. She poured herself a fourth Ouzo and met his eyes as he turned to look at her.
She couldn’t stop the words in time as they spilled from her lips. “Why so nice?”
Simo quickly replied, “You were having a bad day.”
“Maybe I should have more?” she ventured.
“Ha…” he said and stared at her in silence for a few moments.
“What?”
“It would not look good if you stayed in the guest room… and my lock on my bedroom door is cheap.”
“Cheap or expensive… not a problem for me.” She smiled coyly.
“Yeah…”
Jessie knew she had pushed it as far as she could. She gave him a sweet smile. “Thank you for making this the best Christmas I’ve had in years. I can…”
“What?”
“What?” Jessie said back.
“This was your best Christmas?”
She shrugged. “Um… yeah. You forget my parents were assassinated? My insane grandmother, who really wasn’t my grandmother, raised me? So yes, this ended up being very nice and I don’t want to ruin it.”
“Oh, I forgot. Ah…”
She could tell that he was softening and maybe that invisible boundary was beginning to dissipate.
With all her heart she wanted to crash through what was left of that fence and leap into his arms, but something was telling her no.
She remembered what Eleni, of all people, had told her about Simo.
“Simo. I… would do anything to stay, but you are right. I would be tempted…” She sighed as if the weight of the world were crushing her heart.
“…can you take me home instead of calling a taxi?”
“Sure,” he said quietly and pointed at her bare feet. “I’ll get something for your feet.”
“Ok…” Jessie watched him leave for the guest room and return with slippers.
“Oh, God, those aren’t…” she said in near panic.
“New and unused,” he said and handed them to her.
“Sorry.” She sighed, put them on, and followed him out to his car. Once inside, she couldn’t help but ask, “If they don’t belong to anybody, why do you have women’s slippers in your house?”
Simo shrugged as he pulled out of the garage. “One day my mother will visit. I should be prepared, no?”
“Oh, yes.”
The ride to Becky’s was quiet. Jessie was perplexed when Simo turned off his car, turned to her, and met her eyes.
“What?” she muttered.
“I am… sorry.”
“For what?”
“I… was not nice.”
“Yeah… well, you could have at least said something about that shot I made at Joel’s office.”
“What?”
“It’s nothing.” Jessie began to beg off.
“Oh… I did not say anything to you about it?”
“Uh, no. Not a single word.”
Simo sighed. “It was a very good shot. Chen said it was a miracle shot, even. It made an impression on those malakas. Thank you for having my back, and thank you for the gift.”
Jessie’s mouth came open, but no words came out for several moments. “I… uh, well, you are very welcome, Boss-man.”
Becky, standing in her doorway, caught their attention.
“Will you be ok?”
Jessie nodded and gave him a smile. “I think so… thank you for dinner. Merry Christmas, Simo.” She opened her door and, before she got out, she couldn’t help herself and briefly touched his stubbled cheek with her fingertips.
“Good night, Boss-man.” She closed the door, ran up, and met Becky’s huge embrace.
Simo saw Becky’s wave. He started his car and headed home to his empty condo, his cheek tingling warmly all the way home.