24. Lee
Lee
Ifinished my makeup after changing my earrings twice, then leaned closer to the mirror to check the little wing I had spent entirely too long trying to copy from some girl on YouTube. It wasn’t perfect, but it was staying right where it was.
My hair was freshly done, long waves falling over my shoulders, and I had on the outfit I bought specifically for tonight.
My white sweater was covered in little Santa faces and tucked into a red sequin skirt that hugged everything it was supposed to hug.
The slit came high up one thigh, and I paired it with clear heels and a big red bow headband.
I looked like Christmas, but I was cute.
I held my hands up under the light and checked my nails one more time. I had stayed up the night before doing a full Christmas set on myself, long square tips with red glitter candy-cane stripes, white snowflakes, red French tips outlined in silver, and a couple sugar-glitter nails.
A few days earlier, I had been halfway through a client’s set when my phone buzzed beside my lamp. I glanced over and saw Van’s name on the screen.
You busy Saturday?
I finished shaping the nail in front of me before picking up my phone.
Why?
A picture came through of his work Christmas party invitation with the date, time, and location.
Need a plus one.
I looked at the invitation again.
You asking me?
A little while later, my phone buzzed.
Who else I send it to?
I smiled.
What I gotta wear?
Something nice.
That don’t help.
You gon make it complicated regardless ??
I rolled my eyes.
So basically wear what I want.
Pretty much.
Okay. I’ll go.
Bet.
Looking at myself now, I might’ve put a little more effort into something nice than Van expected. I was still checking myself in the mirror when my phone started ringing on the dresser. It was him.
I grabbed it. “You outside?”
“I got bad news,” he said before I could even grab my purse.
I rolled my eyes. “What you do?”
“Why I gotta do something?”
“Because you calling me talking about bad news.”
“My truck got a flat. AAA talking about it’ll be two hours before they get here.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah. The party’s gonna damn near be over by then.”
I walked out of the bedroom and grabbed my coat from the back of the sofa. “Van, I have a car.”
“I know, but…”
“Unless you came to your senses and decided you don’t wanna take the pregnant girl to your work party, we can take my car.”
“Lee, please. You like two minutes pregnant. Can’t even tell little nugget is in there.”
“Excuse you. My doctor said she is the size of a plum now.”
“She? You know what you’re having?”
“Not yet. I’m manifesting. I find out next month.”
He laughed. “Well, can you and Plum come pick me up?”
I shook my head, smiling. “Be outside. I’m leaving now.”
I hung up, grabbed my purse, and headed out.
I had peed right before I left my house. Van lived two minutes away, and somehow my bladder was already full again by the time I pulled into his driveway. Pregnancy was really starting to get on my nerves.
I knocked, and a few seconds later Van opened the door.
“Move. Where your bathroom?”
He laughed. “Damn, hello to you too.”
Before I could answer, Snoop pushed past him with his tail going crazy.
“Hey, handsome.”
I bent down to scratch behind his ears, and Van looked between me and his dog.
“You speak to my dog before me?”
“He happier to see me.”
Van smiled. “You’re lucky you look good tonight.”
I stood back up. “Where your bathroom at before me and Plum embarrass ourselves?”
“Down the hall. Second door on the left.”
I hurried down the hall, and on my way back I finally got a chance to look around. His house was clean. Like, really clean. His shoes were lined up near the door, the living room was straight, and there wasn’t random stuff piled everywhere. Even the blanket on the couch was folded.
“You always keep your house this clean?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I see you.”
Van frowned. “What?”
“Nothing. I just wasn’t expecting all this.”
“All what?”
“Your house actually being clean.”
“Why wouldn’t it be clean?”
“I don’t know. You a man.”
He shook his head while Snoop followed us toward the door. I stopped to rub the dog’s head one more time.
“I really love this dog.”
“He loves you too.”
“I think I want me one.”
Van looked at me. “A Doberman?”
“Absolutely not. I need something little.”
“So you want a purse dog.”
“Don’t call my future dog no purse dog. I want something small and fluffy. Something that can sleep in my bed.”
“You want a little spoiled dog.”
“Exactly.”
I gave Snoop one last scratch. “Bye, handsome.”
When we got outside, I pulled my keys from my purse and held them out to Van.
“You driving.”
He took them without arguing. “Come on.”
The party was already going when we got to the banquet room at Original Oyster House. Christmas lights ran around the room, with big red bows hanging here and there, and most of the tables were already full of Van’s coworkers and whoever they had brought with them.
Van put his hand against my back as we worked our way through the crowd.
We barely made it inside before a man walked up and dapped him up.
“Coleman, what’s up?”
“What’s good, Austin?”
Austin looked at me, then back at Van with a grin. “This your girl?”
Van glanced at me. “Nah. This is Lee. We’re friends.”
I looked at him.
We’re friends.
I didn’t know why hearing him say it like that made me smile, but I kept that part to myself.
Van was already talking to Austin again, and the farther we made it into the room, the more I realized damn near everybody knew him. We couldn’t make it across the place without somebody calling “Coleman,” stopping him to speak, or bringing up some work story I knew nothing about.
One of the older men standing near the bar looked between us.
“Damn, Coleman. You finally brought somebody to one of these things?”
“Don’t start, Mac.”
I turned toward Van. “Oh, so I’m special?”
He looked at me. “You already knew that.”
“Did I?”
“Coleman!”
Van glanced toward whoever was calling him. “Give me a second.”
“Go ahead.”
I got myself a cranberry Sprite from the bar while he stood across the room talking to three people at once. I had only taken a few sips before he started making his way back toward me.
“You hungry?”
“Always.”
We ate first, and afterward Van introduced me to so many people I stopped trying to remember everybody’s name.
Later, a slow song came on, and Van held his hand out to me.
I looked at it. “You dance?”
“Come find out.”
“That sounds like a setup.”
“Lee.”
I laughed and took his hand.
He led me over to where a few other couples were dancing and put one hand around my waist. I rested mine against his shoulder while we moved with everybody else.
After a few seconds, I looked up at him.
“Okay. You not terrible.”
“Thank you, I guess.”
“That was a compliment.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
I laughed and let him keep dancing.
Later, when we made it over to the dessert table, a woman Van had introduced me to earlier was standing there with her husband. She smiled when she saw us coming.
“So how long y’all been together?”
“We’re not together,” me and Van said at the exact same time.
I looked at him.
He looked at me.
“See,” I said. “Now we sound guilty.”
Van laughed. “Speak for yourself.”
A while later, people started saying their goodbyes, so me and Van headed toward the door.
“Hold up!” Mac called behind us. “Y’all under the mistletoe.”
I stopped and looked up.
“Oh, hell.”
Van looked above us too before turning toward me. “We can move.”
“Nah, too late,” Mac called. “Y’all gotta kiss now.”
I looked back at Van, and he was already watching me.
“You good?” he asked.
“Van, just kiss me.”
A smile spread across his face. “Aight.”
His hand settled around my waist before he leaned down and kissed me. His lips were just as soft as I remembered. The kiss didn’t last long, but it lasted long enough for me to remember exactly why I had wanted to do it again the first time.
When he pulled back, a few people around us started clapping and carrying on.
“Y’all are childish,” I said, looking away from them.
“Merry Christmas!” somebody yelled back.
Van was still standing there smiling at me.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Then quit looking at me like that.”
He laughed. “Come on before these people find something else for us to do.”
I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the door. Van followed me outside, still laughing, and we made it halfway across the parking lot before I realized I was still holding his hand. I looked down at our hands, then over at him, but neither one of us let go.