The Christmas House (33 page)

Michael was still sitting on the couch reading a book on decorating designs he found under an end table. Wearing nothing but the towel that barely covered her body, Sharon walked over to the couch and sat next to Michael, who was still engrossed in the book he was reading.

“Well, I feel much better now. Sorry it took so long,” she said.

“No problem. I was reading this book and ...
”,
he stopped as he just now noticed that Sharon was clad in only a small towel.

“Uh, where are the keys to the car?” he asked.

Sharon leaned over Michael’s lap and turned the lamp off.

“The car will be fine for tonight Michael, but I could be better.”

Michael sat perfectly still as he felt Sharon’s hands rub against his legs. He reached to turn the lamp back on but Sharon stopped his arm by grabbing his wrist. She took his hand and brought it to her mouth and started to lick his fingers sensually.

“I know we said we would just be friends Michael, but people do have needs. Sexual needs. It’s just a night of sex. You don’t have to marry me or even fall in love. I give you permission to use me as you desire. I don’t expect anything in return. I just need to feel your body next to mine,” she offered.

“I don’t think I can do this Sharon. I don’t think this is right,” he answered softly.

“What’s not right about two people sharing each other for the night
Michael.
Your single, I’m single. You said that you do find me attractive. Don’t I excite you?” she said as her hand glided across Michael’s lap and onto the crotch of his pants.

“Oh, well I guess I do excite you don’t I? And just with a gentle touch. Hmm, wonder what might happen if I could add a little visual stimulation for your mind as well?” she noted.

With that Sharon stood and untied the towel at her breasts. The towel fell away from her body revealing her shapely and naked body. Michael remained perfectly still and tried to control his natural urges but she reached for his hands and slowly placed them gently on her hips. She sighed as she finally felt his touch. Placing her hands over Michael’s, she slowly turned her body to the left while standing in place. He could now view her from every angle. As she completed a 180-degree turn, her hair flowed down the middle of her back and came to a point. Michael’s eyes followed the arrow down her entire body. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He became extremely aroused as she moved his hands up from her hips, over her stomach and onto her breasts.

Michael took his hands away in a flurry and exclaimed, “I can’t do this.”

Sharon said not a word. She methodically turned toward him and held his left hand. She tugged on his hand as she began to walk away and he followed her lead. As he walked behind her, he watched her body as it moved with fluidity down the hall. As she opened the second door on the right, Michael followed her inside the room filled with darkness. Michael couldn’t see well enough to identify his surroundings. As a match was lit and applied to the wick of a nearby candle, it was now obvious that they entered Sharon’s bedroom.

Michael
was
genuinely afraid and confused,
and
began to tremble slightly. He looked about the room and couldn’t help but notice that the furnishings were identical to that of the Victorian bedroom set that Sharon selected for the Festive Lane house a mere four hours earlier.

Sharon lay on the bed and struck a seductive pose as Michael watched the candlelight dance across her torso.

Gliding her hands slowly over her body she said, “C’mon Michael. I won’t bite; unless you’re into that kind of thing,” and she smiled.

Michael took one step closer to the bed and saw the light from the candle reflect in Sharon’s eyes. As he stared, he realized that something was wrong. There was something in her eyes that he just didn’t recognize. Something he never saw in Arianna’s eyes. He couldn’t figure out what it was, but then as he stared a moment longer, he realized what was missing. Sharon’s eyes didn’t have that special smarkle that was always present in Arianna’s eyes. Sharon’s eyes were void and empty. It sent a shiver down Michael’s spine and he stepped back.

“What’s wrong Michael? It’s just sex?” she said.

“That’s what’s wrong. I don’t have sex to just have sex. I make love. And to make love, I have to be in love. I don’t love you Sharon, and as you have stated you don’t love me. I think I better leave. Goodnight Miss White,” Michael replied as he turned and exited the bedroom.

“The spare
set of keys are
on the table near the front door. Thanks for you help, friend,” Sharon remarked in a sarcastic tone.

Michael took the keys from the end table near the door.

“I’ll call you when the car is ready. I’ll have one of the guys come pick you up.
Night.”
He closed the door as he left the apartment.

Sharon lied on her bed and cursed herself repeatedly. She leaned over the table next to the bed and turned on a lamp. She opened the drawer under the table and produced a small book. As she read the pages of the book, she stopped at one page and scanned it up and down. Picking up a nearby phone, she dialed as she read a number from the book.

“Hello?” said a male voice.

“Jimmy? Hi it’s Sharon.
You doing
anything right now?”

****************************************************

The Following Day

9:00 a.m.

148 Festive Lane

Michael took the spare set of keys for Sharon’s car and opened the driver’s side door. He reached down under the dash and pulled the lever that popped the hood. Back at the front of the car, he removed the dead battery and installed the new one he purchased earlier that morning. The removal and installation of the batteries took only a few minutes.

Michael got inside of the car and started it up immediately.

“That was the problem all right.”

A worker walked in front of the car and shouted to Michael, “Your lights are on.”

Michael reached to the dashboard of the car and shut the light switch off.

“No wonder the battery went dead.”

He shut the car off and got out. He closed the hood and picked up the old battery off of the cobblestone pavement.

“Guess I’ll throw this in the trunk.”

He opened the trunk with the spare key and placed the battery inside.

He noticed a new pair of jumper cables lying in the rear of the trunk.

“What a conniving woman!”

Then he looked at the cables closer and saw the unmistakable identification mark on the red plastic handle of the positive lead. “M. Carter” was written in black marker.

“And a thief besides.”

Michael took the cables and shut the trunk of Sharon’s car. As he walked over to his pick up truck, Jimmy pulled up beside him in his car. Sharon was in the passengers’ seat.

“New cables Mike?” asked Jimmy.

“No, I borrowed them to a friend. They have just been returned,” Michael replied as he threw the cables into the bed of the truck.

Michael walked back over to Jimmy’s car. Bending down on the drivers’ side of the car, he looked inside to see that Sharon was ignoring him and looking straight ahead.

“So, I guess I don’t have to send anyone to go and pick you up. Your car is fixed. Here’s ten dollars change from the battery. It was on sale,” Michael said.

“Why don’t you just keep it for a job well done,” replied Sharon, who looked as if she hadn’t slept all night.

“A job well done?
Well, then I believe this belongs to you Jimmy”, Michael replied as he slipped the folded up bill into Jimmy’s shirt pocket and walked away.

Jimmy smiled.

“Man I must be living right. I spend the night with a beautiful woman and before I even get out of my car for work, I make ten bucks.”

Sharon opened the car door of Jimmy’s car and got out. She slammed the door shut and looked inside the open window.

“Well based on your performance of last night I’d say Michael over paid you by about nine dollars. Thanks for the lift Jimmy!”

As Sharon stormed back to her car, Jimmy yelled out his window, “Hey ten bucks to drive your ass over here is better than cab fare. I’ll take it!”

Sharon started her car and laid rubber as she pulled away from the curb. As her car drove out of sight, Michael walked over to Jimmy.

“So was she mad?”

“Big time.
Here’s your ten back,” he replied.

“Thanks Jimmy. Hey, and thanks for calling me last night after she called you.”

“No problem. She was going crazy. She was so frustrated! It was hilarious. Guess we should have told her I was gay huh?” Jimmy replied as they both walked back to the house.

Thanksgiving Day

148 Festive Lane

Lake Forest, IL

6:00 p.m.

It was exactly one year to the day that a gas leak explosion leveled the house on this site, killing five very special people. Michael spent the majority of the year building a new structure on the foundation of the old magical house. Unfortunately, all of the decorations that Michael and Arianna accumulated over the years were also destroyed in the fire. Michael purchased just a few items to signify his undying faith in the magic of Christmas.

Having moved out of his apartment and into the house a few weeks prior, Michael became depressed and weary from the memories of last year. Visiting the cemetery early this morning, he was overwhelmed with sadness, recalling the family and friends he lost so tragically. He no longer blamed himself for the accident, but still felt guilty to be alive when all that he loved was gone.

As Michael sat sipping coffee from a white ceramic mug, he thought of Christmas Eve that would once again be upon him in less than month. Would Arianna and the kids be coming home for the day? Would Martha and the rest of his family visit as they had for the previous 5 years?

The house was rebuilt as Martha requested, but his faith in love and God was still just
borderline
. Would he be allowed to share the love of family and friends again if his faith was not fully restored? These and other questions constantly filled Michael’s head with a roller coaster ride of emotion and uncertainty. He tried his best. His only recourse at this time was to wait and see what would happen at 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

As Michael set the coffee mug on a glass end table next to the black leather love seat, the telephone rang.

“Hello?”

“Mike,
its
Denny in LA. How are you?”

“Denny! Just fine,
how are you?”

“I’m doing pretty well. I wanted to call to see how you were doing today. Are you handling it okay?” asked Denny.

“Best as I can. I do miss them all very much. I have my fingers crossed that come Christmas Eve I will be with them once again,” Michael said.

“Well, that’s the other reason I was calling. I was thinking that it’s about time I came back home for Christmas. Would you mind if I spent the holiday with you?”

“Are you kidding? That would be great Denny. At least I could count on one guest being here for sure,” replied Michael.

“Okay then it’s settled. I will be flying into O’Hare at around 3:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. I’ll take a limousine to your house, so you don’t have to worry about picking me up at the airport. Once I get there, I’ll help you prepare for the evening.”

“Sounds great Denny.
(
Michael paused and then continues
) “You know, I am not totally convinced that they will show up this year. The house, although rebuilt, does not have the same warmth and character of the old house. I wonder if it has any magic at all. Having you here sure would make me feel a whole lot better about the outcome if it proves to be disappointing.”

“Have a little faith Michael. It will all work out. Trust me on this. You have put your heart and soul into rebuilding the house. They’ll show up. They just have to,” replied Denny.

“Well, I hope you’re right.”

“Listen I have to run over to my
folks
house for Thanksgiving dinner. It was nice talking to you again. I will see you in less than a month,” Denny said.

“Thanks for thinking of me. I look forward to seeing you on Christmas Eve.
Take care
buddy.”

As the line disconnected and he heard the dial tone, Michael set the receiver back in its cradle. Michael smiled to himself and thanked God for having Denny in his life. He realized that Denny was just as concerned about the outcome of Christmas Eve as he was. Denny wanted to be there for Michael just in case no one
else visited at Christmas.

As Michael sat in the living room, he watched the crowds of people walk up and down the block. The vague images of the figures cast faint shadows onto the street as they moved slowly from house to house. A light snow begun to fall covering the trees now
bare
of leaves, with a paper-thin layer of white. The Christmas card like view was serene as children marveled at the decorations of the homes down the street.