“Relax, it’s a boxed mix and frosting from a jar,” I said.
“I know, baby, but you did a lot of work for this.” Nick’s arms circled my waist, bringing my forehead to his.
“I know someone who likes it when things are special.”
“Annie,” he whispered, his brow furrowing. “You’re the fucking best.”
When he kissed me in that moment, I felt overwhelmed with emotion. Here was a man who truly appreciated and respected me. And when I love someone, I give my all, desperately hoping they'll see me and love me back.
Not that I loved Nick. I couldn’t love Nick. But he saw me and I saw him, and he deserved to feel as special as he was.
He had me sit with my feet up while he did the dishes. Greg was all too happy to sit in my lap and stare at my tiny fake Christmas tree. I had Nick’s gifts wrapped under the tree, and Nick had set a rather large package next to it. We’d agreed to just get each other something small, but I feared he’d gone above and beyond.
When Nick entered the living room, he stopped and put a hand on his heart. “My two favorite people,” he said, referring to me and Greg. “Ready to open presents?”
“Yeah. Who first?”
“I want to go first,” he said, reaching for the brown package with red ribbon. He shook it like he was going to guess what was inside, joining me on the couch. Greg stood to help him tear the paper, thoroughly enjoying the process.
“I didn’t know Greg was a Christmas dog,” I said.
“Honestly, me either. I got him just after Christmas last year. It’s our first together.”
“Aw, we should make him an ornament,” I cooed.
Nick had enough of the paper peeled away to see what it was.“Annie, oh my gosh. This is so cool. I’ve heard about these.”
“You don’t already have it?” I asked.
“No. These are supposed to be really good magic books. Thank you so much.” He hugged me, holding my chin for a kiss. “Did you have to go somewhere crazy for it?”
“There was a nice magic shop near Bakersfield. The guy was happy to help me.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “I bet he was.”
I cocked my head at him, entertained. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
His hands captured my waist. “It means you’re a pretty woman and pretty women aren’t exactly a common occurrence in magic shops. You were probably the highlight of his week.”
“Ah, yes. There was some of that. Lucky for you, we committed to being exclusive. Otherwise, I might be in a box on stage somewhere waiting to be sawed in half.”
Nick chuckled. “Well, thanks for enduring that for me. Okay, open yours.”
He plucked the large box from next to the tree, depositing it in my lap.
“Will you help me, Greg?” I asked as I peeled away a corner of the paper. He snagged some of the paper in his teeth, tugging with me. I lifted the lid of the box to find a monogrammed duffel bag. It was a really nice designer canvas duffel with red letters for my initials.
“Oh, Nick,” I gasped. “That’s so sweet.”
He grinned. “I had them do red monogram so it’d match our red baggage tags.”
“Oh my God,” I chuckled, leaning into him for a hug. “This is seriously so thoughtful. You knew my other one busted.”
“It’s partially selfish. I wanted to make it easier for you to spend the night. Not that I don’t love your reusable grocery bags. They’re great, too. But I thought you should have something that matches our luggage. A little tribute to how we met, bumpingheads at baggage claim.”
I blushed. “Stop. You’re too cute.”
“Open it. There’s more inside.”
