Author's Note:
I'm tired of the paste and copy option for the previous author notes for this series, so here is the short version. . .I really like George Straight's song
She Let Herself Go
and I started a series with that title, but the woman in that story is extremely different from this character. So I hope you enjoy Dazzled by December . Her adventures will follow the path of George Straight's song, blending some locations with the cities or trips she takes. Please enjoy and leave a comment if you wish, as is my policy, only comments done respectfully stay. ~ Thanks ~ Red.
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December stretched her legs and rolled to the left, her hand reached for the man she'd been dreaming about and sighed. "It was a dream," she muttered and found herself longing to return to the blissful arms of Ridge. It had been almost two years since she'd spent two wonderful weeks with him on the cruise geared toward singles. She took a deep breath and slid her feet from bed, then sat on the edge. She reached for the water she'd poured the night before and drank the lukewarm liquid.
"I wonder," she whispered to herself and walked over to her closet, reached up and grabbed a photo album. She flicked through pages and eventually found several shots of Ridge and her, their arms often locked in passionate embraces. The Captain was in one shot, a Porter in another; an elderly couple had taken a few pictures for them. She didn't find what she was looking for though, the phone number of the man she'd dreamed of. With a frustrated growl, she stood up and put the pictures away, then headed to the kitchen for coffee. The phone rang, she picked it up, continuing to make her way to the aroma that was slowly beginning to take precedence over her dream.
"Whattcha up to today?" the voice on the phone asked after December answered.
"Hey Mary, not much. You?" She pulled a mug from the hook on the wall. She poured the drink and then added some cream and sugar as Mary explained she was heading to the beach with several friends, but they were one girl short of an even number and wanted to know if she'd tag along.
"You're not looking for a date for someone are you? Setting folks up?" December asked. Her chuckle was mirrored by her friend's, "yes."
"What's his name?" December asked.
"Bill; he's 34, an architect, divorced and a father of three, but his wife has the kids," Mary answered. "They have joint custody, but she's got them for the summer."
December laughed. "I'm not looking for love Mary, so don't expect anything, but I don't have any plans, so I know I'll enjoy hanging out with everyone. . . others from work are coming right?" she asked.
"Several and you'll have fun. We may take the boat out too," Mary suggested.
"Nice. Come by and pick me up and I'll be ready," December said and then agreed on a time. She hung up the phone and dragged a carton of yogurt from the fridge, quickly ate it and then headed to her bathroom for a morning shower.
The waters warmed her flesh, still cool from the lost heat of her blanket and comforter. Her eyes closed and she tried to capture Ridge's face in her mind. A groan of disappointment filled her and she stomped her foot in frustration, finished her shower and quickly dressed for the beach. She slipped on a one piece, a knit cover-up shirt and a pair of white shorts. She eyed the two-piece, wondering if she shouldn't show a little skin, then decided she'd keep wearing the "look, but don't touch" suit.
Time passed quickly and soon Mary was pulling up in front of December's house. She bounded down the Victorian home, now hers after she sold her lease on the New York apartment, and signed the papers to become a homeowner. "Looks like you've reached your cargo limit," December said as she squeezed into the backseat and sat next to Alex from Accounting.
"Yeah, I know. But Mark's bringing a few people too and I figured it was silly for us all to wander the beach looking for everyone and waste precious beach volleyball time," Mary said and then winked at the man next to her.
"December this is Bill. Bill that is December," Mary jerked her head back and then focused on pulling onto the road and heading to the beach.
"Nice to meet you," Bill said; December repeated the warm greeting. She smiled at him and noticed his green eyes and the way his grin widened when he caught her staring into them. She blushed and then turned away to stare at the window instead.
Eventually, conversations revolved among all the car's occupants. Most focused on work and how Bill, the newcomer to the group had met Mary. December listened with interest as she learned Mary was Bill's neighbor from eons ago when Bill was married. He took a job in the Charleston area and ran into Mary a few weeks ago. December added that she too had just moved to the area after making, what she hoped was the final job switch in two years.
Mary piped in. "You've been divorced for a couple years now haven't you?" she asked December.
"Yeah," December answered. She learned Bill had been divorced for five years, but he shared custody with the kids, who lived in a neighboring town. "Matt and I never had kids."
"Did you want too?" Bill asked.
The car grew quiet and December felt all eyes on her. She shrugged her shoulders and answered, "Someday, sure. I'm not even in my thirties yet, no rush."
"Yeah, cause thirty is sooo old," Bill said rolling his eyes. December laughed and pushed on his shoulder in mocked frustration.
They arrived at the beach the same time Mary's fiance Mark did and each person helped unload the trunks of both vehicles, freeing them of collapsible beach umbrellas, coolers, towels and beach chairs, along with recreation equipment. "How'd you get all this stuffed in these two cars?" someone asked. December wondered too, but said nothing, just enjoyed the view of Bill hoisting a cooler onto one shoulder and carrying another with his other hand.
"He's hot," Mary whispered, bringing December to a sudden blush.
She grinned and turned to her friend. "Yes he is," she answered, "very hot. You did well."
"See, and you thought I was going to hook you up with something horrid, didn't you?" Mary asked.
"Ha ha. . ." December grabbed a couple beach chairs and headed down the sand-covered boards that served as a path to the main part of the beach.
She helped others set up their belongings and then grabbed a cold can of lemonade from the cooler. "Hard drinker, I see," Bill said as he took a seat beside her on an outstretched blanket. He winked and took a swig of a cold beer.
