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Ian put the warm mug against his cheek.
“You’re still cold?” Emily asked. “Look at you, your ears are still bright red.”
Ian rubbed his ears to warm them. His hair flipped back behind his shoulders, uncovering the left side of his neck.
Emily squinted at the exposed skin.
“What is that on your neck?” she asked.
Paul felt the blood rush to his cheeks, and he hoped the women in the room would not notice his blushing.
“It’s a hickey!” Marlee said. “He has a hickey on his neck!”
Ian put his hand over the side of his neck and instinctively turned to Paul. “I do?” he asked. Paul nodded. (Subtext: “Yeah, sorry.”)
“I didn’t know that,” Ian said, still looking at Paul. (Subtext: “Why didn’t you tell me there was a hickey on my neck before I left the house?”)
“You have a new girlfriend?” Julie leaned forward, her eyes wide.
“What’s her name?” asked Emily. “You should bring her here so we can meet her.”
“Yes, we want to meet her!” Julie said.
“I… I don’t have a new girlfriend,” Ian said.
“We won’t tell anybody,” Emily said. “Is it somebody in the church?”
“It’s… it’s not like that,” he said. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“How’d you get the hickey, then?” Marlee asked.
Ian turned to Paul again, his face pleading for a rescue.
“Come on,” Paul said to the women. “He obviously doesn’t want to talk about it. It’s none of our business.”
Talk then turned to holiday plans, what relatives people were visiting, who was doing the cooking, how much everyone had to get done before Christmas and how unlikely any of them were to actually get it done in time.
“I still have no idea what I’m getting Jim,” Julie said. “He’s so hard to shop for. He doesn’t collect anything. He doesn’t have any hobbies. I have no idea what he wants.”
“I know what I want to get Paul,” Ian said. “I have it all picked out in my head. Is anyone going to the mall soon? Maybe someone could give me a ride?”
“I can take you,” Julie said. “I have to go anyway. What about tomorrow after work?”
“Great! I’ll buy you dinner,” Ian said. “Do you like Mexican? There’s a place near the mall that has the best margaritas anywhere.”
“Margaritas?” There was a little scold in Paul’s voice.
“Just because I can’t drink them doesn’t mean she can’t,” Ian said. “I have all this hard-earned knowledge. I need to put it to some use. I wish I could figure out how to make a living at it. It’s the only thing I’m an expert in.”
“That can’t be true,” Emily said.
“It’s not,” Paul said. “I’ve been trying to convince him to go back to school. I’d help you.”
“You should,” Julie said.
“I don’t know,” Ian said. “Maybe. I’d have to know what I want to do first.”
“Actually,” Julie said, “maybe you can help me with my New Year’s party. Maybe you know where the best prices are on wine and stuff.”
