“Why’d I have to come down? I thought we were going to watchDie Hard.”
“Die Hardisn’t a Christmas movie.” I scrunched my face in disdain.
“Yes, it is and the director confirmed it. It takes place during Christmas therefore it’s a holiday classic.”
“I guess I can’t contradict that logic.”
“BeforeDie Hard,I have a mini surprise for you.”
Belen narrowed her eyes. “I don’t like surprises.”
Kissing her on the top of her head, I reassured her, “You’ll like this one, trust me.” I took in a breath of air and then whistled loudly through my teeth. Belen looked at me like my nose was redder than Rudolph. “Wait for it.”
“For what exactly? It’s cold and I planned on giving you a mid-movie blow job.”
“I love intermission tongue play.” I bit my lip.
“I know you do. And I like it when you explo?—”
“Shh.” I held up a finger, silencing our conversation.
Belen leaned forward and listened to the faint chime of bells and the clop of heavy hoofs on the asphalt of her apartment parking lot. The bells and clops grew louder and were joined by carriage wheels. When the white horse came into view, Belen’s eyes took up half her face.
“Are you shitting me right now?”
“Nope, I thought we could take a carriage ride through the neighborhood.”
“Kris Kringle you are full of surprises.”
“Told you it was a good one.” The coachman tipped his page boy hat, signaling for us to join him in the backseat. I followed Belen up into the carriage and covered our legs with the plush blanket that was provided.
“All set?” the coachman asked.
“Yes, thank you.” The carriage lurched and then propelled forward. The coachman turned left, exiting the apartments. I’d given him a map of a nearby housing development in which we could ride with little to no traffic. Belen’s head was on a swivel as she took in her neighborhood with new eyes. Cars honked andpedestrians stopped and stared as we made our way down the street.
“How did you think of this?”
“It’s Christmas, horse-drawn carriages are kind of on theme.”
“I guess.” Her face sparked with excitement. “Maybe Pavilions could offer carriage rides next year. Of course, executive will make us charge but that could be a fun attraction to draw people to the mall.”
“You’re always working.”
“That’s because I never know when I’ll be inspired. Plus, we have to outdo ourselves each year. People want new ideas, and they crave nostalgia with a twist.”
“I like the way you think, Goodwin.”
“So you just woke up and decided to rent a carriage for the evening?”
“I woke up and thought how can I make Belen smile. And then I landed on this.”
“You did this all for me?”
“For you and Celeste.”
The corners of her mouth ticked upward and without notice I was rewarded with a kiss. The kind of kiss two people shared when they were alone or, at the very least drunk. A kiss that caused the world to wash away and made you feel like the main character. Belen’s lips were hungry, her tongue circling mine, her soft moans punctuating the bells attached to the horse’s reins.
When she released her claim on me, I was tipsy with lust. “I think it’s safe to say I’m in the running for boyfriend of the year.”
