I hit him in the chest, and he frowned. “What’s that for?”
“You’re gonna make me mess up my makeup, Chris. Quit already.”
“I thought that was a good thing.”
“It was a great thing, baby, but I swear you’re about to have me over here bawling like Belle.”
“You’re still gon’ be beautiful to me. With or without makeup, gorgeous, your beauty is incomparable. So, it doesn’t matter.”
“Okay, not to be a big baby, but you said, ‘gifts’ with an ‘s’ a minute ago.”
He chuckled and shook his head. Turning around, he pointed behind him to one of the tables. He had set a couple of bags on the table when I was looking at the stockings.
“Those are yours. Go open them,” he instructed with a smack to my behind.
I sashayed to the bags, snatched them up, and immediately opened them. “Ooh, I love scented candles, especially this fragrance.” I cooed as I opened the candle from a popular candle store downtown. There were two candles in the bag, and both were the same scent. I set that bag aside and opened the next one. It was a lavender and gray throw pillow with a love letter etched on the face of the pillow.
I read it aloud. “Angel, I always knew you were meant for me. You were a precious gift to me, even as a friend. I never took your friendship for granted. When I lost it, life as I knew it would never be the same. The Lord took mercy on me and sent my Angel back to me. Your heart is a gift that I treasure and never take for granted. I will love you with all of my being. I love you, Angel. Forever Yours, Chris.”
If I hadn’t been on the verge of tears before, I was over the edge now. I cried my heart out at his tender words and his kind heart. He pulled me close to him and held me for a few minutes before I finally calmed down.
“So sorry. Operation makeup is officially ruined.” I laughed.
He laughed with me and wiped my eyes. “It’s okay. You’re still gorgeous to me.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
“Hey, you’ve got one more gift.”
“I do, don’t I?” I moved out of his arms and opened the third bag from the lingerie store, Leather & Lace. I pulled out a satin red lingerie set. It included a balconette bra, lace panties, a garter, and a red sheer robe trimmed in black fur.
“I figured I would have my very own Mrs. Claus for Christmas.”
“To be a Mrs., there has to be a ring and a proposal attached.”
“I know,” he replied with a wink. “Can you try it on at least?”
“I would love to do that, but what about the food?”
“What about it?”
“I know that once I put this on, the food will grow cold.”
“How hungry are you?”
I laughed. “Really? If you wanted me to come over for sex, all you had to do was say it.”
His eyebrows rose, and his smile dropped. “Baby, I wasn’t?—”
“I was just teasing you, Chris. Relax.”
“Well, you do have a point. I slaved in that kitchen after a long shift, so we do need to eat. We’ll save this little gift for later,” he stated, taking it from my hands and placing it back inside the bag.
I became excited when Christian walked to a closet and pulled out his guitar. “I haven’t heard you play that thing in forever.”
“Yeah, it’s my best friend. Soothes my soul.”
“You’re an old soul,” I replied and laughed.
