Revving Up the Holidays (5 page)

He wrote several emails to colleagues and answered a few
others. His stomach growled, but he ignored his hunger as another thought came
to him and he typed a note in his calendar. He often did this to examine at a
later time.

The chimes on his cell phone brought his attention to the
late hour. Nearly the entire morning had slipped by while he worked.

He cringed at the word “Mom” on the phone’s display. “Hi,
Mom.”

“Hi, yourself. I thought you were going to come over and we
would visit The Grove together.”

“Sorry, I got caught up with work.”

“You’re on vacation.”

He ignored her comment. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

There was a long pause. “Fine. You can take me to lunch
before we see the model homes.”

He agreed quickly, hung up the phone and closed his
computer.

When he arrived at his childhood home, his mother was already
standing in the driveway with her fists on her hips. He ignored her glare, got
out and opened the car door for her. He expected more commentary on his car but
she kept her peace.

After a quick lunch at a local deli, they went to The Grove.
The senior housing development had perfectly groomed shrubs and mums blooming
in newly mulched flowerbeds. It was nothing like the eclectic neighborhood
where he’d grown up. All the houses looked alike. Some were bigger than others
and some had screened-in porches or four-season rooms, but they were all some
variation of the same house.

They drove around the grounds for a few minutes. Some houses
were decorated for Hanukkah but most had their Christmas lights up. Those made
him think of Giada and the incredible night he’d spent with her. Her condo
hadn’t had any decorations for the coming Christmas holiday. He tucked that
information away and drove around to the club house.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“It’s very neat.”

“They have people to mow the yards. I can plant flowers if I
want, but if not they will weed my beds and prune the bushes. Nothing for me to
do on the outside.”

“That will be good, Mom.”

“Drive around to the front again. I want to show you the
model I’m buying.”

As he walked through the cookie-cutter home, he thought
about all the character in the house his parents had turned into a home. He
couldn’t help himself. “Why do you want to move here?”

“You don’t like it?” She sounded disappointed.

“I didn’t say that. This is a nice little house. It’s just so
different than what you’re used to. Are you sure you’ll be happy here?”

She stood behind the marble countertops in the kitchen of
the model home and placed her hands flat on the top. “I like the simplicity of
the place. I’m sixty-two years old. Too old to mow a lawn and I have no
interest in gardening. I can’t take care of that big house anymore, and without
your father I have no desire to do any of it. Here, I can join a bridge club if
I want. They take trips shopping and to the movies. They have a club for
everything here. I think it will be a nice change.”

It might have been the most sensible thing he’d ever heard
his mother say. “I think it’s the perfect place for you, Mom. I’m glad you’re
moving here. I think Dad would be happy to know you are safe and happy in a
nice little house and I know he’d be glad that it’s a gated community.”

She nodded. “That’s what I think too.”

He’d never seen his mother vulnerable before. She was always
overbearing and willful. This was a different side of Barbara Backman. Maybe
this was the side that his father knew and was why he adored her so much.

They walked out to the car. “Why did you keep my old
motorcycle?”

“I didn’t. I gave it to Mark.” She got into the low sports
car. This time she remembered to grumble about it being a silly vehicle.

Isaac slid in. “But you kept it for years before that. You
could have sold the thing when I left for college.”

She turned toward him. “You might have wanted it. Plus, I
thought you’d come home at some point.”

His gut tightened. He forced himself to continue. “But then
I didn’t come home. You still kept it.”

She huffed and looked out the windshield. Her turned-down
mouth and narrowed eyes told him that the conversation was over, so he started
the car.

They pulled away from the curb.

Her voice was stern. “A mother can hope that one day her son
might come back.”

His throat tightened. She’d waited for him and he never did
come home. This forced vacation was the longest he’d been home since high
school. He reached across the stick shift and took her hand, noting the silky
thinness of her skin. “Thank you,” he said.

She gave his hand a squeeze and released it. He thought he
saw her dab at her eyes out of the corner of his.

They continued in silence for a few minutes. “Mark gave me
the bike. I’m fixing it up. I have to pick up a few parts. Do you want to come
along?”

“To the motorcycle shop? No. You can take me home. I have
things to do this afternoon. You can come and visit me tomorrow.”

“Yes ma’am.” He smiled at how her voice had returned to the
gruffness to which he was accustomed.

The entire day had been a series of one embarrassing moment
after another. As Giada had stepped out of her car in the university parking
lot, she’d been met by Sadie. Isaac’s sister had wanted a full explanation
about where her brother had been the night before.

Giada’s blush and stutter had been enough to make her friend
laugh and drop the subject. But then she had insisted Giada come to dinner. She
must have declined the offer a dozen times. Still, she found herself taking the
walk of shame from the house to the shop where she’d been sent to inform Isaac
that dinner would be ready soon and he should get cleaned up.

Of course he was going to think she was some kind of
desperate stalker. He probably would have been content to stay away, go back to
New York and tuck the memory of their night together into a box of pleasant
interludes.

He didn’t see her in the doorway. She watched his hand slide
down the length of the bike’s frame and remembered how his hand had caressed
her hips and waist. The wheels and handlebars were back in place and the chrome
sparkled in the overhead light.

“You’ve done a lot of work.”

His smile when he looked up made her think that maybe she
had nothing else to be embarrassed about. He didn’t look as if he was a man
who’d gotten what he wanted from a woman and was moving on to his next
conquest. If the way his face lit up was an indicator, he was genuinely happy
to see her. “I have a long way to go.”

She stepped closer, looking at the mess that used to be a
motorcycle. She didn’t want to say anything negative. “Well, it’s shiny.”

He chuckled as he got off his knees. “She’s cleaning up
nicely.”

Rounding the sea of parts while wiping his hands on a rag,
he moved toward her. His fingers were covered with black smudges. Did he know
how sexy he was? Could he see how much she wanted him just from watching him
toy with the motorcycle parts?

She had left her suit jacket in the car. He looked at her
white blouse and then at his hands. When he reached her, he leaned down and let
his lips drift over hers. His tongue slid along the crease, and she willingly
opened for him.

He pulled back slightly, but when he spoke his lips were
still touching hers. “I’m dying to touch you, but then Sadie will know what
we’ve been doing.”

Giada laughed. “She would love that.”

He pulled away and she saw the slight cringe. “Did she give
you a hard time at work today?”

She shrugged. “A little teasing and she practically dragged
me here for dinner.”

His mouth drew down. He moved as if he was going to touch
her arm but then didn’t. “You didn’t want to come?”

“I don’t want you to think I’m one of those women who would
entrap a man with sex. We had a good time last night, but you don’t owe me
anything.” She wished her heart would slow down. Wished she wasn’t already
crazy about him. She folded her arms so he wouldn’t see how much her hands
shook.

He ran his knuckles along the line of her jaw. “I don’t
think that. I was going to call you later. I could never think anything
negative about you. I’m glad you’re here.”

She would have sighed if she could have stood any more
humiliation in the same day. She kept her relief to herself and just nodded.
Her cheeks warmed. She imagined the blush on her face told him more than she
wanted to expose.

He looked out the open door. “The sun’s going down. We
better get inside so the kids can light the menorahs.”

Daniel and Abigail bounded across the kitchen toward the
back door as soon as Isaac breached the threshold. He lifted them, one in each
arm, ignoring grease that still stained his hands. They both prattled on about
lighting the candles and getting gifts. Little Daniel mostly echoed what his
older sister said.

Isaac laughed happily at the pair and waited a few seconds
for the thrashing to wind down. “I’m here now. Let me wash my hands and then
we’ll get down to business.”

He went to the sink and washed.

While her brother waited for Isaac, Abigail took Giada’s
hand. “Come on, Gigi. It’s time.”

Giada didn’t resist being pulled into the dining room where
Mark and Sadie waited near the sideboard. A large silver tray held two of the
Hanukkah candelabras.

“Oh good. I thought I was going to have to go and fetch the
two of you.”

Giada felt her cheeks warm once again.

“That will do, Sadie. It’s not nice to embarrass your guest
and you won’t succeed in humiliating me.”

It was his sister’s turn to blush. “Sorry, Gigi.”

With their father’s help, the kids said the prayers in
Hebrew and lit five candles with one. They then placed that one in the center
of the candelabra they called a menorah. Isaac had told her what the prayers
meant and she loved the way the short ceremony brought the family together. One
generation passed the tradition down to the next. Her heart ached for her
parents and all those small traditions they used to have.

Taking a step back, she had time to mask her sorrow before
the family turned around. If they noticed that her smile was manufactured, they
didn’t comment.

Abigail received a coloring book and Daniel a Hot Wheels car.

“You can play with your gifts after dinner.” Sadie’s words
were followed by groans of disappointment before she carted them off to wash
their hands.

They sat down and Sadie immediately apologized. “I’m sorry
we’re having potato pancakes again. I needed something fried and they’re
Isaac’s favorite.”

“They’re delicious,” Giada said. “Why do you need something
fried?”

Mark replied, “It’s a Hanukkah tradition to have fried
foods. The oil represents the miracle of the oil lasting eight days.”

He took a big bite of potato.

Sadie watched him and frowned. “It’s the only time Mark gets
fried foods.”

“The rest of the year everything is healthy.” He observed
his wife’s narrowing eyes and pinched mouth. He added, “Mind you, I do half the
cooking. We eat very well, but the fried food is a treat.”

Placated, Sadie grinned back at her husband.

Isaac’s hand slid along Giada’s thigh under the table. Her
heart raced at his touch and she found herself at a loss for words to add to
the conversation. In fact, she’d completely lost track of what her friends were
saying.

Mark and Sadie managed to fill any awkward silence by
regaling them with stories of the children’s antics.

After dinner the children ran for their gifts and Mark
opened another bottle of wine. He stood with his glass. “I hate to do it, but I
have work to finish up.”

Giada thought she saw something cross Isaac’s face. He
looked ashamed for an instant. Then he looked at her and smiled. She returned
the expression. “Go do your work, Mark. I’ve got to get home anyway.”

“Oh, don’t go,” Sadie said.

“I have to. I have things to do. Tomorrow I’m giving my last
final at eight a.m.”

Sadie nodded. “Isaac, will you walk Gigi to her car? I’m
going to play with Abigail and Daniel before putting them to bed.”

Isaac gave his sister a look that might have been some kind
of silent sibling communication. Whatever he was telling her was not at all
pleasant. Sadie kissed Giada’s cheek, said good night and walked out of the
dining room.

A moment later Isaac said, “Come with me.”

“Where?”

He leaned down so that his lips almost touched her ear. “I
need to touch you. It’s killing me.”

Her pussy clenched as his words traveled directly to her
clit. She took his hand and followed him through the kitchen and out the back
door. “Where are we going?”

“To the shop.”

“Won’t your sister and brother-in-law notice that my car is
still at the curb?”

“Probably.”

She tugged his hand. “Isaac.”

“I don’t care who knows that we’re together, Giada. Are you
embarrassed to be with me?”

His hesitation betrayed a chink in his confidence. They were
only a step away from the shop door and she closed the distance and tugged him
inside. Once the door was closed and the overhead lights on, she pushed him
against the wall and kissed him hard but quickly. “I am not embarrassed to be
with you, Isaac. I’m a bit uncomfortable with the idea that everyone knows that
after one date, we made love. It would be easier if your sister, who I work
with and have known all my life, didn’t know that you slept in my bed last
night.”

One side of his mouth turned up. “Only Sadie and Mark know,
and judging by the invitation for dinner tonight, I’d say they approve.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Okay, so tell me the point.”

A dozen things ran through her mind. Most of them had to do
with the fact that they were just having a fling and their relationship
couldn’t go anywhere. A few thoughts about how the entire thing was just some
childhood crush gone awry.

He waited silently while she searched for something she was
willing to share with him. When nothing came to her, she looked down and saw
that she had inadvertently backed away from him, leaving space while he’d kept
his hands firmly on her hips.

She looked up into those magical eyes. “There’s no point.”

“Don’t say that. You obviously have concerns. Talk to me.”
He tried to draw her closer but she pulled away.

The idea that she was going to be heartbroken when Isaac
went back to New York swamped her. The previous night she’d only been thinking
about being intimate with a man she’d loved for most of her life. A day later,
the reality of her imminent disappointment became clear. Her chest ached and
she pressed her hand between her breasts, hoping to ease the pain. “I should
go.”

She was walking toward the door when his hand on her forearm
stopped her gently but firmly. “Giada, don’t go. Tell me why they call you
Gigi. I don’t remember that nickname in high school.”

The question was so out of context that she spun toward him
in surprise. She stuttered a moment. “When I came home last year and Sadie and
I renewed our friendship, Abigail couldn’t quite get Giada so she called me
Gigi. Mark and Sadie thought it was cute and now the entire family calls me
that. Well, except for you.”

His smile was bright. “My mother calls you Gigi?”

She nodded and couldn’t help laughing. It had shocked her
the first time Barbara had called her the nickname. But it had also made her
feel as if she was part of the family. For some reason, having an affair with
Isaac had made the evening awkward. Regret started to seep into a night that
had been wonderful. Pressure built behind her eyes. She had to get away from
him, away from that house.

Gathering as much courage as she could muster, she turned
toward him. “Isaac, I’m going home and you are staying here. We’re not going to
see each other again. I had the best night of my life with you and I wish you
the best of luck for the future, but this can only end badly for me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She looked at the ceiling for a second, hoping to find
inspiration to make him understand. Nothing appeared in the dark rafters. Tears
spilled down her cheeks. She wiped them away but more followed.

She looked back at his chiseled jaw and crooked nose. He was
beautiful and confused.

He reached up to wipe away her tears but she jerked away.
His eyes widened. “Tell me why you’re so upset, Giada. What did I do wrong?
I’ll make it right.”

Her own frustration bubbled to the surface. “I can’t have a
casual affair with you, Isaac. I’ve loved you for too long. Just let me go.”

Running for the door, she didn’t give him time to respond.
She was in her car and driving toward her condo before she had time to think
about what she’d just done. The man of her dreams had walked into her life
after fifteen years and she had just pushed him right back out of it.

Halfway home it hit her.
Oh my God, did I tell him that I
love him? I’m gonna die.

The rest of the drive was a fight to keep her tears from
blurring her vision and her shaking hands from driving her off the road. She
pulled into the parking lot, grabbed her keys and purse and ran for her door.
She couldn’t keep her hand still enough to get the key in the deadbolt. She’d
lost her mind. She had a doctorate for God’s sake, yet she couldn’t open her
front door. At that moment it occurred to her that he had tried to spare her.
He had tried to walk away the night before and she had practically thrown
herself at him. He’d been right. They should have kept some distance.

She hadn’t heard anyone approach. His hand closing over hers
caused a brief scream, before she realized who it was. Isaac took her keys and
opened the front door. He waited for her to enter then silently followed her
inside.

Her heart was in her throat. Mortification swamped her as
she dropped her purse on the small table in the foyer and made her way to the
couch, where she collapsed and put her head in her hands.

He sat down next to her but didn’t say anything for a long
time. “You shouldn’t drive when you’re that upset, Giada.”

She didn’t know if she was relieved or disappointed that he’d
only followed her to make sure she’d gotten home safely. She sat up straight
and dashed away the remaining tears. “You’re right. Thanks for checking on me.”
She couldn’t look at him. “I’m fine now. You can go home.”

“Why don’t you have any Christmas decorations?”

Once again, his incongruous question disarmed her. “I don’t
know. It’s just me here. Without my parents there doesn’t seem to be much point
in decorating for the holidays.”

He got up and walked around the living room. “Did you mean
it?”

“Yes.” The whispered word hardly sounded like her voice at
all. She could have lied and pretended she didn’t know what he was talking
about, but she did know.

“I never knew.” He looked everywhere but at her.