All I Want for Christmas (13 page)

“Yes, but I won’t complain about more
compliments from you,” Carlos replied softly once the kiss
ended.

“Come with me, daddy…”

Nedra tugged him to his feet and started down
the hall to her bedroom. She felt resistance and glanced over her
shoulder. Carlos pulled his sweater over his head and took off his
slacks in record time. He yanked her to him and put a hand under
her blouse. Nedra gasped as his large thumb rubbed her nipple hard.
He kissed her.

“What’s wrong with right here?” he whispered,
his lips still pressing against hers.

He lovingly undressed Nedra, still whispering
everything he liked about her curves and the way she smelled. Her
senses whirled out of control as his body pressed against hers.
Within seconds he lifted her and set her on the edge of the sofa
back. As he entered her, Nedra cried out. Their lovemaking started
out in frenzy as they tore at each other, hungrily. No tender,
taking their time this night. Instead, they clung to each other as
though they’d been apart for weeks. In sync, they reached the
blissful moment that left them both moaning and trembling. Nedra
panted as they both grew still.

“I hope your neighbors don’t complain to the
management. I might have gotten a little loud for a minute.” Carlos
shuddered and lifted Nedra from the sofa.

“Fortunately, we have great sound proofing,”
she gasped.

They padded down the hallway to her bedroom
and climbed beneath the bed covers.

“Good to know,” Carlo mumbled, his eyes
closing as he nuzzled Nedra’s hair. “I love that shampoo.”

“Green apple and ginger,” she replied. Then
she snapped out of her daze. “Shouldn’t you check in with your
folks to see if everything is okay?”

“Nope, they’re fine. Besides, they’ll call my
cell if they need me.” He shifted to fit his body against hers.

Nedra caressed his cheek with a finger.
“Honey?”

“Umm?” His eyes were still closed.

“Thanks for being so open and honest with me,
for sharing your life. I love that you trust me.” Nedra smiled at
him.

Carlos opened his eyes and looked at her for
a few seconds. “I’m in love with you, Nedra. Believe me?”

She laughed as tears slid down her face.
Nedra couldn’t speak at first. She kissed him with a desire that
had nothing to do with sex; her heart beating hard enough to
disturb the neighbors in spite of the sound proofing. He rested his
head on her breasts and Nedra kissed the top of his head.

“Yes, I do. I love you back, Carlos
Jacobs.”

****

Wednesday morning, Carlos left Nedra’s
apartment and stopped by his place briefly to change clothes. He
wouldn’t dare to pick up his daughter wearing the same shirt and
pants as he’d worn the night before. His mother would definitely
give him ‘the look’ and Carly would most likely question him in
front of the rest of the family. She was like her mother, always
ready to say what was on her mind, whenever and wherever.

Once he’d changed into a dark blue sweater
and jeans, Carlos headed over to the upscale neighborhood where his
parents lived. Once he’d parked his Accura, he headed into the
house and made for the kitchen. His mother was sitting at the long,
marble-topped breakfast bar, nursing a mug of hot cocoa. She stared
into the cup with a frown, as though searching for a solution to a
problem.

“Good morning,” said Carlos. He walked over
and kissed her right cheek, before sitting down on a stool.

Yvonne looked up after a few moments. She
drained her cup and walked over to the double kitchen sink. “How
was your evening the other night with Ms. Wallace and Carly?”

Carlos suppressed a sigh at the interrogation
he knew was coming. “I’m sure you heard the details from Carly
already, Mother.”

“I want the adult perspective. Carly hasn’t
made up her mind yet what she thinks of your new lady friend.”
Yvonne meticulously washed and dried the mug, and placed it on a
decorative wooden rack, which held five more matching mugs.

“We got along just fine as a matter of fact.
We had ice cream and Carly asked a few questions. I’m sure she’ll
have more when we get together next time.” Carlos grabbed a ceramic
mug, went to the fancy brew machine, and filled half of it. Leaning
against the counter, he waited.

“I see. You have an itinerary already.”
Yvonne wiped her hands on a large paper towel as she gazed at
him.

“We’re going to the Christmas Village, across
the river in New Roads, Saturday night. Carly will get a big kick
out of it and so will Nedra. She’s like a little girl herself when
it comes to Christmas lights and decorations.” Carlos smiled and
sipped the rich liquid.

“Is she now? How sweet,” Yvonne said in a dry
tone.

Carlos sipped again. “Okay, let’s get it over
with.”

Yvonne gave him a poker-faced look. “What are
you talking about?”

“You have something on your mind about Nedra
and Carly. So let’s just get to it while we’re alone.”

Yvonne crossed to a bar stool and sat down.
“Not that it’s any of my business. You’re grown and have the right
to parent my grandchild how you choose.”

“Yes, indeed.”

His mother squinted at him. “But you said
yourself that Nedra might not be in your life for long. I
understand you weren’t expecting them to meet so fast. We have
Chanté to thank for that.”

“Chanté loves acting on impulse, usually to
meet her own needs,” Carlos replied.

“I see she hasn’t changed much.” Yvonne’s
frown deepened at the thought of her former daughter-in-law. “But,
back to the subject. Maybe you shouldn’t have them spend so much
holiday time together. Carly is at a critical age. You wouldn’t
want her to start forming an attachment only to have the woman
disappear.”

Carlos raised an eyebrow at her mother. “I
don’t think Carly will be traumatized if we break up later. But not
to worry, Mother, Nedra is not going to disappear anytime
soon.”

Yvonne lifted her chin. “Things are getting
serious so soon? You hardly know her, son.”

“We’re spending time together to get to know
each other. Besides, Nedra is exactly who I thought she’d be;
smart, classy and unselfish. She was pretty good with Carly, too.”
Carlos smiled at his mother.

Yvonne didn’t smile back. “I see.”

“You’re supposed to say, ‘That’s wonderful
son. I’m glad you’re happy’.”

His mother looked at him intently. “I’m up
for re-election in another two years. I’m also working on getting a
federal judgeship appointment. Do you know what that means?”

“Yes, I do.” Carlos gazed out of the bay
window over the kitchen sink. The weather outside was crisp, with a
clear blue sky and sunshine. His mother longed for the prestige of
being on the federal bench.

“I want to preside over cases with national
implications. Getting a spot on the Appeals Court might be out of
reach. Rodney Davidson and his crew have blocked me, but I still
have a chance at one of the district judgeships. At least two of
the current judges are talking about retiring in another year or
two.”

Carlos glanced at his mother. Her eyes
gleamed at the prospect of moving closer to her goal. He didn’t
need to ask how she knew about two federal judges considering
retirement. Yvonne Elliot Jacobs had contacts in a lot of places.
She helped lawyers and recent law-school graduates to get jobs with
that in mind.

“Sounds great, Mother,” he said, looking back
out at the lovely weather. He pushed himself away from the counter
and started for the sink.

“Just leave the mug there. I’ll wash it,” his
mother said.

“Thanks. I’ll get Carly and…”

“Carlos, I can’t afford any kind of bad
publicity, not with what’s at stake. I’ve worked hard to get where
I am. Davidson would be dancing in the streets downtown if he could
use anything against me and the mayor.” Yvonne’s contralto voice
went deeper as she made her point.

“Nedra and I are building trust, and getting
closer. I don’t want to keep any secrets from her,” Carlos said
quietly.

“Every relationship is based on at least a
few little lies,” Yvonne replied. “I don’t want you to start
feeling all sentimental and put my career goals at risk. Getting a
federal nod is a delicate situation. One whisper of even the
appearance of wrongdoing…”

Carlos crossed his arms. “Nedra wouldn’t
discuss anything shared between us.”

“Really? You have a track record of getting
bored quickly and moving on to the next woman. Nedra will then have
a way to get back at you for dumping her,” Yvonne said,
standing.

Carlos sighed. How could he
explain a set of emotions he’d never experienced before? He saw
Nedra in his future. Still he tried. “Okay, I know you’re
skeptical. I’ve had a few girlfriends before, but this feels
different. No, it
is
different.”

“She works for Rod Davidson, Carlos,” his
mother hissed, as though that fact should be enough to make him
understand.

He looked at his mother steadily. “We’re not
going to keep having this discussion. Nedra wouldn’t tell her boss,
even if she became angry with me. She’s just not that kind of
woman.”

“At least wait a few months. Get to know her
better before you start confessing your every mistake.” Yvonne took
a step towards him. “Do it for me.”

Carlos let out a long sigh. “Fine, and I’ll
let you know when I do tell Nedra about the diversion program and
my community service.”

“Well that’s something at least.” Yvonne
waved a hand.

“I’m going to take Carly to the office with
me, and then we’ll go Christmas shopping,” he added, heading out of
the kitchen.

“Oh, I didn’t mention it,” Yvonne said
casually. “Carly went with your father and the other kids for
breakfast, and to shop for your present. Why not come back after
work to get her?” She took the mug that Carlos had used and went to
the sink.

Played smoothly, he thought, watching his
mother. He realized that Yvonne purposely failed to mention that
Carly wasn’t even in the house so she could have a little chat.
Carlos let out a gruff laugh and pulled out his car keys. “I’ll be
back around five o’clock.”

“Sounds good, son. Have a good day.” Yvonne
smiled and offered her cheek.

Carlos shook his head and gave her a dutiful
peck. “I’m sure you’ll end up on the federal bench, Judge
Jacobs.”

Carlos left and drove towards his Mid-City
shop first, his mother’s words still running through his head.

****

Nedra heard the tinkle of her smartphone,
signaling a text from Carlos. He had accepted her invitation to
cook dinner tonight, as she’d known he would. The fixings for
oven-fried chicken and creamy cheese pasta were waiting in her
kitchen, and she planned to stop by a deli downtown to get some
fresh-baked French bread on her way home.

“Well, well. Judging by the big smile on your
face, I’m guessing you’re having a good day.” Gaylynn plopped down
in one of the chairs in Nedra’s office. “Glad somebody is happy. My
supervisor is on the warpath over some mistakes. Thankfully, I
didn’t make them, but we’re all suffering.”

“Too bad she doesn’t have
the Christmas spirit.” Nedra adjusted a small angel on the corner
of her desk until she was satisfied with its position. She hummed a
few bars of
Jingle
Bells
. “Tis the season to spread love and
joy.”

“Well, I have to say that in her position I’d
be in a bad mood, too, but she’ll get over it,” Gaylynn replied and
then watched Nedra for few seconds. “At least it’s Wednesday; hump
day. Getting closer to a long weekend. That big ol’ smile isn’t
because you’ve got the holiday spirit. I think it’s because you had
certain fine man in you, and not long ago.”

“Don’t be crude,” Nedra tossed back, but kept
smiling. “I’m in a great mood because I love Christmas.”

“Uh-huh,” Gaylynn snorted. “So what’s new
with the happy couple?”

“Well, we’re going to the Christmas Village
in New Roads Saturday. Carlos’ little girl is in town and…”

“Oh-oh.” Gaylynn shook her head.

Nedra frowned at her sister. “What’s that
supposed to mean?”

“You’re going to play the wicked stepmother.
Probably would be better if he had a boy child. Girls hate sharing
daddy with strange women. I know my baby, Misha, would give a
stepmother the blues. She ain’t sharing Pierre with anybody. I’m
lucky she lets me be with him.” Gaylynn laughed.

“Carlos and I are still in the ‘getting to
know you’ phase. But it’s sweet of him to include me in his plans
with Carly.” Nedra smiled at the memory of seeing them
together.

“Cute name. Now don’t try to play your little
sis, Nedra. You’ve got a ‘seriously in love’ glow about you. Based
on him making all these plans for the holidays with you, I’m
guessing you bagged the infamous Carlos Jacobs. Players do settle
down.” Gaylynn winked at her.

Nedra shrugged. “You know, I don’t doubt that
Carlos has been a player when it comes to women. He’s so fine and
runs a successful business.”

“You got that right. He has what women want:
looks, money, and connections. We haven’t talked about the bedroom
yet.” Gaylynn wiggled her eyebrows at Nedra.

“No. Don’t even ask.” Nedra squinted
back.

Gaylynn gave a dramatic sigh. “Dang, that
tells me enough. The man is good. Girl can’t even find the
words.”

Nedra laughed at her sister. “Hush.”

“I’m happy for you. The Wallace girls deserve
some happiness. Despite what Mama says, Pierre loves the family
thing. In fact, we’re shopping for our wedding rings,” said
Gaylynn, grinning.

“What?” Nedra sprang to her feet, rushed
around her desk and hugged Gaylynn tight. “This is like the best
Christmas gift ever. Misha is going to be the prettiest little
flower girl.”