In Charles Dickens' novella, A Christmas Carol, the ghost of Christmas past reminds Scrooge of his life before his money and his loneliness. The memories are so distressing he begs the ghost to take him back to the present. Unlike Scrooge, in December of 2005 Joy Southwick found that a ghost from her past made her present very, very stimulating.
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There was a nip in the air as the wind shook oversized ornaments on the giant Christmas tree welcoming shoppers to Highland Galleria. The mall outside New Haven Connecticut had built a temporary ice rink in one of the parking lots and bundled-up skaters glided along to the sounds of holiday music.
Joy Southwick walked briskly through the chill enjoying the seasonal sights and sounds. She took the loose change from her coat pocket and dropped it in the kettle of the bell ringer as he opened the door for her.
The mall was as busy as you would expect on the evening of December 22nd. Every store, restaurant, and kiosk was buzzing with activity. People were scrambling to get their shopping done before the big day. Joy grinned to herself, at least she wasn't the only procrastinator in town.
Joy had only a few gifts to buy and knew exactly where to get them. With expert efficiency, she maneuvered around men staring at lists, women pushing strollers and the winding line to see Santa Clause. She cut through stores to avoid crowded laneways and paid in cash rather than waiting for overloaded credit card systems. Before long she was finished and headed out.
On her way to the exit, she passed the lingerie store. She paused to look at the lavish window display of perfectly shaped mannequins. One was wearing a dark red Cami, the other had on a deep green, lacy bra with matching panties. The image easily inspired a daydream of a cold winter's night filled with hot sex. A night like that would be fantastic, she thought to herself.
"Joy?"
The calling of her name snapped her back to reality. The voice was familiar but she couldn't place it. She turned towards the speaker and was met with the smiling blast from the past, "Carol!"
The two women closed the gap between them and hugged deeply. The bags they were carrying made the embrace physically awkward but the surprise and happiness of each was evident. "Wow," Carol said. "It's so great to see you."
"It sure is stranger." Joy exclaimed. "How long's it been?"
"Too long."
"Since graduation, I think. We saw each other almost every day for four years then you disappeared. It was like you walked across the stage and became a ghost."
Carol was smiling as she bobbed her head side to side, "I know. I know. That's how I am. I get so busy with the life in front of me that I lose track of everything else. I got a job at Hamill Bank in Cincinnati right after school and just went all in. I lost track of all my college friends. I'm so bad."
"Ah don't worry about it, it happens. Is the bank working out for you? Do you like it?"
"Yeah, actually that's why I'm here. I got a big promotion and I'm moving to London at the beginning of the year."
"London! Wow, that's amazing. Good for you."
"Thanks, it's so exciting. I packed up my stuff and shipped it out last week. Now I'm spending the holidays with mom and dad, then away I go."
Carol smiled and let their eye contact linger. Joy was happy to let it as she thought about how Carol hadn't changed a bit. Her hair, makeup, and clothes always had a keen sense of style. Some used to say that she could've been on the cover of a magazine, but Joy always thought she was more likely the inspiration for the magazine.
Throughout university, Joy had crushed on Carol. Carol, however, never guessed it was more than friendship. They were the same age and both Business Management majors so they logged a lot of time together. Between classes, studying, and partying they became friends but never anything more than that. After graduation, they went their separate ways and the crush became a memory.
"How are you? What've you been up to?" Carol questioned not breaking her warm inviting smile.
"Doing ok. My life hasn't changed much," Joy frowned. "Still living at home. Still working at the furniture store."
"But you liked that business right?"
Impressed with Carol's memory, a grin returned to Joy's face, "Yes I do. But it's not London."
"Oh please work is work, no matter where it is. Sure it sounds exciting but ask me in a couple of months. I'll probably be terribly lonely and want to be home with my parents."
Joy knew Carol was exaggerating. Carol was tall, smart, and outgoing. She was comfortable anywhere and with anyone. She would have no problem in a city like London. But the blonde's effort to make her feel good about herself was appreciated.
The two friends chatted for a few more minutes as busy shoppers walked around them. Joy shifted her bags from one arm to the other before saying, "Well Carol have a great Christmas, and don't get lost in all that London fog."
Carol nodded. "Take care of yourself, Joy. It's been great seeing you again."
Each woman turned to head off in different directions. Carol stopped, spun, and grabbed Joy's left elbow, "Wait."
"Oh," Joy yelped in surprise.
"Do you want to have dinner tomorrow?"
"Sure, yes. Yes definitely," Joy responded quickly. "But I won't get out of work until 8:15."
Carol made a dismissive motion with her hand, "That's fine. My parents are raving about this place downtown called Crosby's. Have you heard of it?"
Joy smirked, "Yes I know it well. It's across from the store."
"Ok, perfect. That makes it convenient for you. Let's meet there at 8:15?"
"Sounds good."
"Great, see you then. I'm so happy I ran into you," Carol said. "But I have to get this shopping done."
"I get it, go, go," Joy said and watched Carol hurry to the next store. It was exciting to see her college crush again and having dinner with her would be a great Christmas gift to herself.
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The next day was a mix of emotions for Joy. She was happy to have run into a 'ghost' from her past, thrilled that the ghost was someone she'd always pined for, and excited that this might be considered an actual date. She did feel, however, some anxiety. What if Carol didn't consider it a date, maybe there was a reason she didn't keep in touch after college.
Joy worked hard not to let these emotions get to her. Carol had found her, Carol asked her to dinner; those were both positive signs. Even if it wasn't a date, dinner with an attractive woman was always a good time. Besides it was Christmas, a time to leave your worries behind and be merry.
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When Joy exited the furniture store she could see Carol standing in front of the restaurant. She was wearing an elegant solid red, winter, skirt coat with high-heeled black boots. Her hands were in the jacket pockets and the hood was up. Joy thought 'even all covered up this woman was attractive.'
Carol met Joy with a wide welcoming smile and friendly embrace, "Hey I'm so happy we were able to do this."
"Me too, come on let's get inside it's cold out here."
They stepped into the restaurant and were immediately taken with the ambiance. There was a large fireplace creating a cozy warmth and a full tree that added a scent of pine.
"They do it up right here don't they," Carol said.
"Yeah, they know the only way they can pull crowds away from the chain restaurants near the mall is to give a genuine Christmas experience."
"Well, I love it."
Soon the hostess sat them at a quiet spot near the fire. The red table cloth was offset with a green moss runner, black napkins, and white silverware rings. The menu had the usual fare but offered specials like Roasted Turkey with Lemon Parsley and Maple Glazed Ham. The traditional holiday setting was perfect for the two women to get reacquainted.
Both ordered a festive cocktail and clinked a toast to each other. Carol started the conversation, "This place is great. I can see why my parents like it so much. And that's your store across the street?"
"Yes, and our house is only a ten-minute walk so I don't even have a commute."
"Lucky you. I hate driving. Time wasted in the car, finding parking, paying for parking, it sucks. I'm envious of the simplicity of your life."
"Yeah, it's simply boring."
"What do you mean?"
"It's just, I have a plan and it's going fine. But I'm still living with my parents, I'm still working at their store. No nightlife, no love-life. Sometimes I think I made a bad plan."
Carol nodded her head in understanding and with an honest face asked, "Sure, sure. You've got me curious though. What's the plan?"
Joy was happy to answer. She never had a chance to talk about her life with someone who had any interest. "My parents are retiring at the end of next year. They don't want to sell the store, they want to give it to me. So after college, I started learning everything I could about running the business. That way I can be ready to take over."
"That sounds great to me. You'll be a woman business owner at 27. Pretty amazing," Carol encouraged.
"Thanks"
"No, I'm serious. And don't be worried about living at home. I'm sure you're saving a ton of money. I'll be broke paying London rent rates. Besides, it won't be long before you can afford a house."
"Well, that's part of my plan too. My parents own the building and I'll get it with the business. There's a poorly used storage space on the second floor. I'm going to take my savings and renovate that space into a loft then move in there."
"Owning a business and loft living in a building that you own. Joy, that's incredible."
"Thanks but it kinda sounds lame in comparison to being a manager in London."
"No, no, it sounds pretty awesome. The job is a job and London is just a place. You have a dream and a plan. You're going to do great. I always liked that about you, you were steady, not surprising, and that kept you out of trouble. Well except that time we took the bus back from Salem."
"Oh no, you remember that. I had the worst hangover of my life. We barely made it to the bus on time. I immediately ran to that tiny onboard bathroom and puked my guts out. My head was pounding so bad I felt like if I moved, even a little bit, I'd start puking again. So I spent the entire trip locked in that bathroom."
They laughed before Carol said, "Well, you're not the only one with a college puke story. Did I ever tell you about the first time I smoked pot? "
"No."
"Well there were four of us in the room, none of us had a lot of experience so I tried to show off and go first. On my first pull, I started coughing so hard that I threw up. The worst part was I puked all over the rest of the weed."
Both women began laughing so loud others turned to look at them.
"Oh no! They must've hated you"
"Oh yeah. A few never talked to me again."
"Really."
