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“Very much so.”
He came over to me, his tie still undone, and pulled me into his arms. I was still in my gown and hadn’t yet finished dressing, waiting for my curling iron to heat up.
“I wish we could have a little afternoon delight before we go to your father’s.”
I shook my head and pressed my hands gently on his chest. “Too late now. You’re all gussied up.”
“I could bend you over the vanity and have my way with you…”
Drake bent down and kissed my neck, one had slipping beneath my robe to caress a breast. It sent a jolt of lust through me, but at the same time, my stomach was still off.
“Maybe when we come home,” I said and pushed him away.
“Still not feeling well?” he said and frowned, his expression changing to serious doctor mode.
“Just a bit off. I’m good enough to go tonight. I wouldn’t want to miss it.”
He nodded. “We won’t stay long.”
I smiled and went back to my hair. On his part, Drake sat on the edge of the claw foot tub and watched me finish.
“We’re bringing a gift over to open for each other, right?”
I nodded, my eyes on his in the mirror. “Yes. One present for each person there. It’s a tradition in the Polish community to open gifts on Christmas Eve. We used to do it when my mother was alive.”
Drake nodded. “I think my father was more suited to Festivus. The airing of grievances.” He laughed at that, and I smiled, recalling the Seinfeld episode.
“No airing of grievances tonight. My father would never hear of it. Christmas Eve is for happiness and joy.”
Drake smiled. “That sounds wonderful to me, a kid who never really got Christmas. I’ll be like a little kid again.”
I turned back to the mirror and curled another lock of hair, hoping that Drake was pleased with his tickets to Ethiopia to see his father’s grave.
Dinner at my father’s was perfect. The apartment on Park Avenue was decorated beautifully – Elaine really had a great eye for style even at Christmas. Choral music played over the sound system, and the smells wafting from the kitchen made my mouth water, so I knew I was definitely feeling better.
We sat around the table, my father at the head, Elaine at the other end, Heath, Christine, the kids and Drake and I around them. The meal was fabulous and everyone seemed really happy and excited for Christmas. The kids especially, particularly Colin, Heath’s oldest. At six, he was really knowledgeable about Christmas and was particularly pleased that we would be opening presents on Christmas Eve.
When dinner was finished, we made our way to the living room and the presents wrapped under the tree. Colin acted as Saint Nick’s elf and distributed the gifts to each person.
I watched excited as Drake took his gift. He waited to open until everyone had their gifts and then we all opened at the same time.
Drake turned to me, wanting to watch me open mine. “Go ahead,” he said, eagerly.
“You, too,” I said, wanting to watch him open his gift.
“Let’s do it at the same time,” he said. I nodded and together, we unwrapped each other’s gift.
Mine was a small white box wrapped in a gold ribbon. It had to be jewelry. When I removed the lid, I found a keychain inside with a single key and on the chain itself was a small plastic fob with a miniature photo of my drawing Knight and Lady.
I peered at it in wonder. “That’s my drawing.”
“The very one,
” Drake said, looking up from his gift. I’d wrapped the tickets inside a big box filled with tissue so he still hadn’t found them.
I held up the key. “What’s this for?”
“Your new studio.”
