A Merry Little Christmas (6 page)

Donnie reached for the sticker,
and
then looked at his brother as though he’d lost his mind.
S
urveying the array of ingredients on the long counter, he asked what Adam was preparing; Adam liked to cook, but
he
generally didn’t go for elaborate meals, and this one looked like it required everything but the kitchen sink.

“Alicia’s coming over and she’s making paella. If you behave yourself she might let you stay,” Adam replied. Alicia Fuentes was Adam’s business partner and best friend. They were both architects who not only designed new buildings, but had a passion for reclaiming neglected and abandoned structures. They had been friends since college and enjoyed an exceptionally close personal, as well as a working, relationship.

“So, Adam, when are you going to admit that Alicia is the only woman in the world for you? When are y’all gonna take it to the next level?” Donnie drawled.

Adam stroked his thick mustache with a forefinger and fixed his brother with an icy stare. He was an extremely private person when it came to his love life and he didn’t appreciate inquisition, even from a family member. “You’re my brother and I love you. I may even like you, but Alicia is not a topic for discussion now or ever. Got it?”

Donnie was saved from answering by three short chimes, which meant Alicia was at the door; they didn’t have to answer it, as she had her own key, just like Adam had a key to her place. In seconds a tall, shapely woman carrying two shopping bags joined the two men. Donnie took her coat while Adam divested her of the bags. “Hi, Donnie!” she said cheerfully. “Are you staying for dinner?” She accompanied the words with a brief kiss on his cheek.

“Yes, if I’m invited. I love anything you cook, Alicia, you know that.”
She’d learned to cook from her
African-Am
erican mother and Cuban father.  Thanks to them,
Alicia had a grasp of cooking that rivaled that of a Cordon Bleu trained chef. While watching Alicia wash her hands and Adam empty the shopping bags, Donnie remembered that Angelique hadn’t given him a gift from his sister; she had told him she’d planned to drop it off at his house, but, since he was being snippy, he could instead pick it up at the open house she and Paris were having the day after New Year’s.

Alicia looked up to find him with a dazed look on his face, and playfully snapped a dish towel at him.
“Hey, you.
If you eat, you work. Put on the Buena Vista Social Club CD and an apron. How are you at scrubbing mussels?”

Soon the lilting sounds of Cuban music filled the loft and the three of them were busy putting the savory paell
a together. All thoughts of spurn
ed engagements and feisty little women from Atlanta vanished and Donnie once again felt like himself. Unfortunately, the effect didn’t last very long.

***

Paris and Angelique observed New Year’s Eve very differently than most people; they had evolved a unique way of celebrating over the past few years. Neither one of them liked the idea of going out trying desperately to have a good time, so when Paris moved to Atlanta, she and Angelique began going to church to pray in the New Year with a quiet family worship service, and then spent the evening with family, usually at Bennie and Clay’s home. The next day would be an open house at Lillian and Bump’s house where everyone wandered in and out and the men congregated in front of the big-scr
een television for a football or
gy. This year would mark their first New Year’s in Detroit, but their plans were about the same.

“Paris, are you ready? We need to leave early so we can get a seat,” Angelique called out. She was ready to go, sitting in the kitchen watching CNN on the small television mounted under the cupboards. She was dressed exquisitely as always, and warmly, too, in a simple black skirt that buttoned all the way down one side, a pair of low-heeled black boots and a cashmere sweater in a luscious shade of raspberry pink that made her toffee skin glow. She wore a simple gold chain with a big pearl dangling from it, and matching pearl studs in her ears.

The only jewelry on her hands was a dainty gold ring with a small pearl, bordered by two tiny peridots, which were her birthstone. She also wore two slender bangle bracelets, a silver one on one wrist and a gold one on the other. The ring had been given to her as a child and she always wore it on special occasions; she never took the bracelets off. Her nails were short and neatly shaped with a clear polish as their only adornment; Angelique used her hands too much to fuss with elaborate manicures. Now her fingers anxiously stroked the soft leather of the cashmere-lined kid gloves that lay on the table with her scarf, gloves and purse. “Paris, what are you doing?” she called in exasperation.

It was ironic the way their roles had reversed over the years. A few years ago Paris would have been cooling her heels while Angelique took her own sweet time to make sure every hair was in place and her makeup was perfect. Paris would have had her customary quick shower, thrown on one of her oversize
d
outfits, pulled her hair into a ponytail and been ready to go while Angelique primped. It had never bothered Angelique one bit to keep people waiting, as she liked making an entrance too much to worry about being on time. But now it actually meant something to her to be on time. A.J. had taught her the importance of being reliable in business, and that meant always being prompt
.
Being prompt meant you took your job seriously and you respected the people with whom you were working. And it meant you respected yourself as well.

Paris appeared in the kitchen with an apology on her lips. “Sorry it took so long. Let’s go!” In short order the two women were on their way to the A.M.E. church they attended with the Cochrans. The midnight watch service was spiritually moving and uplifting, and also shorter than the one that took place on Sunday mornings. Afterward everyone went over to Andre’s house for a midnight buffet and a quiet family celebration. Andre and his twin brother, Alan, usually hosted the New Year’s festivities. There would be a traditional New Year’s dinner at Alan’s the next day, with the usual attention to the various bowl games.

Even Donnie was less grumpy after the religious service; at least he was until he caught a glimpse of Angelique. She was talking to his father and stepmother and looked good enough to eat. And, he noticed for the first time, she
had more booty than he realized;
he actually cocked
his head to one side and was staring at her high, tight derriere in the slim-fitting black skirt like he’d never seen a fanny before. Fortunately, only Adam caught him doing so. He had materialized next to Donnie and seemed vastly amused at the look in Donnie’s eyes.

“Stop staring, bro, you’re be
ginning
to drool,” Adam said slyly.

Busted.
There wasn’t anything Donnie could say when he’d obviously been caught doing exactly what Adam said he was doing. He narrowed his eyes at his brother and slunk off to the buffet table, but it wasn’t an escape because Angelique was there, busily filling two plates with food.
 
He watched her in silence for about two seconds,
then
commented on her gargantuan appetite.

“This is for Miss Martha and Mr. C,” Angelique said, without looking at him. “Older people don’t like to mess around with buffets, you should know that” She managed to take the two plates of food with napkins and utensils to where his father and stepmother waited, all without looking at him one time.

Suddenly Donnie’s appetite deserted him, while his thirst became unbearable. He went into the kitchen to find a huge glass, and was in the process of filling it with ice and water from the refrigerator’s dispenser when he detected the faint temptation of Angelique’s perfume. Sure enough, there she was behind him, holding two glasses and waiting for her turn at the water. And this time she was looking right at him.
 
He looked at her and could feel his face heating up, although for the life of him he couldn’t understand why. He gulped the water rapidly and would have filled the glass again, had Angelique not spoken.

“Adonis, you don’t look too happy,” she said frankly. “It’s not good luck to start the New Year with a bad disposition, you know.”

Donnie rolled the cold glass between his palms, trying to cool off the burst of warmth that had encompassed him. He eyed her warily as she set down her two glasses on the cupboard.

“It’s not? Well, I sure don’t want to have any bad luck,” he mumbled.
He looked at the water glass in his hand as though it were a relic from an alien civilization.
He’d seen one of these before;
he just couldn’t remember what it was for.
Angelique seemed to
know,
however, as she took it from his hand and set it on the cupboard with the ones she’d just discarded.

“I don’t want you to have any bad luck either, Adonis,” she said as she came closer to
him
.
“I want you to have a happy New Year.” And taking hold of the front of his cashmere sweater, she gently pulled him down to her level and kissed him softly and sweetly.

***

The
new year
dawned bright and cold. There was no snow to speak of, but in Michigan, you never knew about the weather. Angelique lived in hope that there would be a big snow, and soon. She found that the cold weather of her new home suited her and she was anxious for a huge snowfall; she’d never had the chance to really play in the snow. While Paris was relaxing in the
living room, Angelique was in her bedroom, rearranging her already fastidiously organized closet. She’d also taken everything out of her dresser drawers and put in new scented liners, dusted and polished all the furniture and put clean linens on the bed. She’d also done a couple of loads of laundry. Angelique didn’t believe in starting a new year with dirty clothes in the
house
 
Finally
, she stood in the middle of her bedroom and surveyed her surroundings. Everything was sparkling clean, the way she liked it. The rest of the house was immaculate as always, and everything was ready for the open house the next day. She walked over to the window and looked out; maybe a long walk would do her some good, blow some of the cobwebs away. She was in the same pensive pose when Paris’s voice came though her doorway.

“My goodness, woman, you’re like a machine! Come work some of that magic in my room, you know it needs it,” Paris said cheerfully.

Angelique followed Paris into her sunny bedroom and quickly hung up the few garments arrayed on the bed and the small slipper chair. Paris guiltily gathered up the magazines spread across the bed and put them on the small desk that sat in front of the large window in lieu of a dressing table. “These are like homework for me,” she confessed. “I read all of TDG’s publications and everybody else’s, too, just to stay current with the industry. Once my internship here is over I’ll be just about ready to assume a permanent position in Atlanta, and, I have to tell you, I’m not quite sure what I want to do. My bachelor’s degree is in journalism but that MBA in leadership is pulling me in another direction,” she continued as she rearranged the items on her desktop.

While Paris was talking, Angelique had stripped the bed, dispatched the linens to the hallway and fetched clean sheets from the linen closet. She was almost finished making the bed when she suddenly whirled around and looked at her cousin.

“Paris, I did something really stupid,” she said slowly. When Paris turned around to face her, she blurted it out in a rush. “I kissed Adonis last night.”

Instead of looking shocked, Paris immediately smiled with glee. “Girl, why are you wasting time with those stupid sheets? Tell me everything! Was it good? Did you like it? Did
he
like it? Where was it?”

Angelique spread the blanket and duvet over the bed and then flopped across it with a huge sigh. Paris sat down on the end of the bed and crossed her legs
yoga
style. She reached over and shook Angelique’s arm as she launched her inquisition again.

“Angel, d
on’t lay there like you’re dead;
you’d better tell me something! When did he kiss you and what was it like?”

Angelique moaned slightly and rolled over on her back before sitting up to face her.
“I
kissed
him,
Paris,” she said wearily. “Yes, I did. We were in the kitchen. He was drinking water and I was getting some ice water for Miss Martha and Mr. C and I have no idea, just no idea what made me do it.” Angelique’s eyes went soft and dreamy as she recalled the events of the night before. “He was just standing there looking grumpy and mad like he usually does when he’s
around me. And all of a sudden he started drinking that water and his Adam’s apple was moving up and down and his neck looked really sexy....” Her voice trailed off for a moment, and then she finished in a rush. “I just reached up and grabbed the front of his sweater and yanked him down and kissed him.
Just pounced on him.
Can you believe I did that?”

Paris made no attempt to hide her amusement. “Yeah, I can believe it! Why not? He’s tall and handsome and sexy, why not kiss him?”

“Paris, Adonis and I don’t even like each other! Yes, he’s cute, but I’ve never been the type to just walk around kissing
cute guys for no reason. I have no idea what came ove
r me,
”
s
he moaned. “He was just standing there looking lost and all of a sudden I’m all over him like a cheap suit. I can’t even begin to tell you how embarrassed I am about this. I’m never going to live this down.”