shirt,
extremely conscious of Carl’s eyes on me. He didn’t look away once
as I pushed the buttons through their holes with trembling fingers.
When I slipped it off my shoulders, he took it from me and waited
as I put on his shirt. The sleeves were too long, and I fumbled
with trying to roll them up.
“Let me.” Carl tossed my smelly shirt to the
side and stepped closer. He neatly folded back the shirtsleeves,
first one, and then the other. His eyes locked on mine. “What
happened?” he murmured as he stroked my cheekbone with his thumb,
right beneath the new red mark. I opened my mouth to respond when I
caught movement behind him. Ashley was standing in the doorway.
“Oh no,” I said, and Carl’s head whipped up.
He took in my expression, followed my gaze over his shoulder, and
watched Ashley stalk away.
“I’ll explain to him,” Carl said. “You finish
getting dressed and return to the party.”
“Explain what?” I asked hoarsely, feeling
like the world had tumbled away beneath my feet. Anything Carl
could say would only sound like an excuse, wouldn’t it? Trying to
hide what we were doing, even though there was nothing wrong with
it. But Carl had already left me standing there like an oaf. I
pulled the sweater over my head, pushing those sleeves back too. I
decided to quickly dump the sour-smelling clothes in my trunk
before returning to the party.
I didn’t bother putting on my coat, but when
I stepped outside I saw a huddled figure leaning against my SUV. What the hell? I slowed my gait, even though it was
freezing. His breath puffed in great big clouds, just like mine,
and every few seconds he shuddered. Was this a homeless guy? When I
neared the car he looked up, and even though I could only see a
pair of eyes peeking out between a hat and a scarf, I instantly
knew him.
“David?”
“Greg, finally. What took you so long?”
“Huh? What do you mean? Were you waiting for
me?”
“Yes, I sent you a text twenty minutes ago.”
He stamped his feet and stuffed his hands in his armpits. “Can we
go inside?”
“Inside? What for?”
I thought he rolled his eyes but I couldn’t
tell in the dark. “Because I need to tell you something and I’ve
been freezing my ass off long enough.”
I glanced behind me. Faint Christmas music
spilled from the cafeteria and I could see shapes moving against
the brightly lit windows. “Um, yeah, I guess. I just need to get
rid of these.” I popped my trunk and tossed the clothes inside.
“What happened? That sweater is too big for
you.”
“Doesn’t matter. Come on in.” I turned and
pressed my wallet against the lock. The door beeped and unlocked
and I held it for him, but I stopped right inside the hallway. I
didn’t want him anywhere near the party. “What were you going to do
if I didn’t show up?”
“It’s not like you ever stay long at these
things.” He waved a hand at me to prove his point.
“I’m not leaving yet,” I said belligerently,
despite the fact that leaving was exactly what I’d wanted to do
fifteen minutes ago. “Not that it isn’t nice to see you or
anything, but why are you here?” Now that he was where he wanted to
be, David seemed to deflate. He took off his gloves, stuffed them
in the hat he pulled off his head, and unwrapped the scarf from
around his neck.
“I came to give you this.” He held out a
wrapped package.
“What?” I stared at it. Why was he giving me
a Christmas gift? “I didn’t get you anything.”
“That’s not what this is about. Just open it,
please.”
My hands trembled when I reached for the
gift. I removed the paper carefully, and pulled out an engraved hip
flask.
To Greg.
With love,
David.
“I don’t understand. I mean, it’s beautiful,
but… why?” It was really nice. I loved the heft of the silver and
dark-green leather bound flask. It couldn’t have come cheap.
David pushed his fingers through his thick
blond hair. “I wanted to leave it on your desk the other day
extremely conscious of Carl’s eyes on me. He didn’t look away once
as I pushed the buttons through their holes with trembling fingers.
When I slipped it off my shoulders, he took it from me and waited
as I put on his shirt. The sleeves were too long, and I fumbled
with trying to roll them up.
“Let me.” Carl tossed my smelly shirt to the
side and stepped closer. He neatly folded back the shirtsleeves,
first one, and then the other. His eyes locked on mine. “What
happened?” he murmured as he stroked my cheekbone with his thumb,
right beneath the new red mark. I opened my mouth to respond when I
caught movement behind him. Ashley was standing in the doorway.
“Oh no,” I said, and Carl’s head whipped up.
He took in my expression, followed my gaze over his shoulder, and
watched Ashley stalk away.
“I’ll explain to him,” Carl said. “You finish
getting dressed and return to the party.”
“Explain what?” I asked hoarsely, feeling
like the world had tumbled away beneath my feet. Anything Carl
could say would only sound like an excuse, wouldn’t it? Trying to
hide what we were doing, even though there was nothing wrong with
it. But Carl had already left me standing there like an oaf. I
pulled the sweater over my head, pushing those sleeves back too. I
decided to quickly dump the sour-smelling clothes in my trunk
before returning to the party.
I didn’t bother putting on my coat, but when
I stepped outside I saw a huddled figure leaning against my SUV. What the hell? I slowed my gait, even though it was
freezing. His breath puffed in great big clouds, just like mine,
and every few seconds he shuddered. Was this a homeless guy? When I
neared the car he looked up, and even though I could only see a
pair of eyes peeking out between a hat and a scarf, I instantly
knew him.
“David?”
“Greg, finally. What took you so long?”
“Huh? What do you mean? Were you waiting for
me?”
“Yes, I sent you a text twenty minutes ago.”
He stamped his feet and stuffed his hands in his armpits. “Can we
go inside?”
“Inside? What for?”
I thought he rolled his eyes but I couldn’t
tell in the dark. “Because I need to tell you something and I’ve
been freezing my ass off long enough.”
I glanced behind me. Faint Christmas music
spilled from the cafeteria and I could see shapes moving against
the brightly lit windows. “Um, yeah, I guess. I just need to get
rid of these.” I popped my trunk and tossed the clothes inside.
“What happened? That sweater is too big for
you.”
“Doesn’t matter. Come on in.” I turned and
pressed my wallet against the lock. The door beeped and unlocked
and I held it for him, but I stopped right inside the hallway. I
didn’t want him anywhere near the party. “What were you going to do
if I didn’t show up?”
“It’s not like you ever stay long at these
things.” He waved a hand at me to prove his point.
“I’m not leaving yet,” I said belligerently,
despite the fact that leaving was exactly what I’d wanted to do
fifteen minutes ago. “Not that it isn’t nice to see you or
anything, but why are you here?” Now that he was where he wanted to
be, David seemed to deflate. He took off his gloves, stuffed them
in the hat he pulled off his head, and unwrapped the scarf from
around his neck.
“I came to give you this.” He held out a
wrapped package.
“What?” I stared at it. Why was he giving me
a Christmas gift? “I didn’t get you anything.”
“That’s not what this is about. Just open it,
please.”
My hands trembled when I reached for the
gift. I removed the paper carefully, and pulled out an engraved hip
flask.
To Greg.
With love,
David.
“I don’t understand. I mean, it’s beautiful,
but… why?” It was really nice. I loved the heft of the silver and
dark-green leather bound flask. It couldn’t have come cheap.
David pushed his fingers through his thick
blond hair. “I wanted to leave it on your desk the other day
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