Chapter Three
"Merry Christmas, Marri!" Gwen called from my doorway. "Get up, come on!"
It was Christmas morning! I loved Christmas morning. It wasn't just the idea of getting presents, but it was almost as if for a few hours out of the year, people put their prejudices and hatred aside and were able to relax and celebrate together. I practically jumped out of bed and yanked on my robe.
I hurried down the stairs and was greeted by my parents, sister, and of course Andrew. I greeted them all with a hug and we dove into the presents. I got some new clothes and even some jewelry, a bunch of books and a couple new movies. I even got some gift certificates and cash from the extended family. All in all it was a good haul.
Andrew and I specifically gave each other only the more generic presents like CDs and clothes and were saving the more personal gifts for later. I'd already warned my mother of my plans for the night and since I'd incorporated my present for Gwen into my scheme, I knew no one would have any reason to balk at it.
After the traditional Christmas dinner of turkey and all the trimmings followed by various pies and cakes, we organized and picked up. Then Gwen and I went upstairs to get ready for our night.
"Are you sure you can afford this, Marri?" she asked, primping in front of the mirror.
"Positive. I can't wait to spend some time with you and meet your mystery man."
"But the hotel alone must have cost a fortune!"
I couldn't tell her I'd had Lawrence pull some strings to get me a great deal on a suite at a local resort that his brother conveniently managed, so I just shrugged. "Trust me on this, okay? It's all taken care of."
She was giddy. Hell, so was I. I really was excited to go out for a fancy dinner and dancing with my sister and her quasi-boyfriend. But I was absolutely thrilled to be able to spend the whole night in Andrew's arms again. Not to mention being able to make some noise and save the flesh on my palm.
Andrew joined us at the car and held the doors for both of us before climbing into the passenger's seat. I followed Gwen's directions across town to her "friend" Wayne's apartment. We picked him up and I was amazed at how cute they looked together. He was a totally freckled carrot-top who was barely two inches taller than she was, putting him right at my eye level. He immediately took her hand and kissed her cheek.
"Hi, I'm Wayne Jacobs. You must be Marri and Andrew," he said, sounding bouncy and sure of himself, just the way Gwen liked her dates. She beamed at me, clearly pleased with his easy banter.
It was a short ride to the restaurant and we ordered appetizers and drinks, the three of us still pretty full from dinner. Wayne ordered a pasta dish and soon we were all talking and joking like we'd known each other for years.
Once we'd eaten, we found our way to the dance floor and joined the other swaying couples. I was reminded of that first night with Andrew. All we needed was the fancy gown and tuxedo. He held me tightly to him and kissed my forehead.
"Gwen looks like she's having a good time," he said, nodding in her direction.
I glanced over and saw her in a heavy lip lock with Wayne. Her arms were wound around his neck and one of his hands pressed against the small of her back while the other twined itself in her hair. They were still revolving on the spot and I couldn't help giggling.
"I hope they don't tip over."
"Think they'd even notice?" he mused.
"Probably not."
"Are you having a good time?"
"Wonderful."
"Good." He kissed me tenderly and hugged me, he sighed and whispered, "So when can we get out of here?"
"Anxious are we?"
"That couch leaves a lot to be desired for comfort, trust me."
