"No, it really doesn't." He agreed. "Tilly, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me to a movie and maybe grab a burger or something to eat afterward."
“What, no caviar and champagne? No steaks and lobsters?” I teased.
“No. I think we’ll save that for our honeymoon.”
“Really, you’re that sure of yourself?”
“No. I’m that sure of us.”
The Perfect Gift
Blurb
She’s my sister’s Best Friend
And I want to give her something…BIG!
I am a billionaire businessman with an empire to run
Women were just an after thought in my life
Until that hot Christmas Eve
When I fell for those amazing curves of hers
It was supposed to be just for one night
After a long gap I see her again at my sister’s wedding
She’s still HOT as ever but avoiding me
I guess she is hiding something
Don’t worry son! Daddy’s gonna win back your Mommy!
Chapter 1: Dex
As the small symmetrical icy crystals floated gingerly from the sky and landed on the lawns of Central Park, I felt a sadness swell inside my chest. It was Christmas Eve, a time I relished when I was growing up. My parents always decorated the house to match the festive nature of the city with garlands, lights, and the smell of cinnamon and pine. They threw big lavish parties at their sky-high penthouse in Canton Commons. The wealthiest families in New York would put aside their high natured snobbery to bring gifts, food, and merry greetings to share with everyone else. As children, my sister Natalie and I would run around the house with the other children, playing with our toys and soaking up the feeling of Christmas. It had always been my favorite time of the year.
Years later, I found myself staring at the lights twinkling in the park, people walking hand in hand through the Christmas Eve snow, and carolers wishing people well, all the while feeling nothing but the silence of a now mostly empty home. After my parents died, the holidays stopped feeling like a magical time. There were no more parties, no more crackling fires, and the decorations sat in storage boxes, hoping one day to be picked up and used again. My sister loved Christmas and tried to keep the spirit alive but it was too much for one person. With me running the company now, I didn’t have time for such frivolous things as holiday parties. It almost felt like my parents took the holidays with them when they passed.
Neither Natalie nor I had a family of our own, so we either spent the holidays with each other or I went to work and left her to her own devices. This year, with my pending travels approaching I decided not to work on Christmas Eve. I tried not to be the scrooge, so I gave my employees off on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Usually, I ended up spending that time alone in the office, eating Chinese food and watching A Christmas Story while going over financial reports. Everything was settled this year since I was going to be leaving soon and so there I sat, reminiscing and staring out at the city. It was cold outside, colder than any Christmas I remembered and even inside the penthouse, I kept my sweater on to fight the chill. I could hear Natalie down the hall, getting ready for something, though I thought she would be spending the evening here in the penthouse.
I pulled up the number to the local Chinese delivery place and figured I’d order us some food for the night. I didn’t know what Natalie liked to eat anymore, so I sat waiting for her to come out of her room. The fact that she could always keep a cheery attitude during the holidays comforted me. I looked up as she walked quickly down the hall and pulled her coat from the closet. She put on the wool pea coat and turned back, surprised to see me still sitting in the living room.
“Oh,” she said, slightly startled. “Dex, what are you doing here? I thought
you were going to be working like you do every year.”
“Since I’m leaving in a couple of days, I figured I’d break that habit and spend Christmas Eve here with you,” I replied, watching her face twitch nervously. “You look like you're going somewhere.”
“Yeah. I, uh, I was going to go spend Christmas with a friend,” she said, walking over and sitting down on the arm of the chair. I could tell the quieteness of the house was really starting to get to her and I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the idea of spending Christmas Eve alone. “I should have mentioned it. I’m just so used to you always being at work that I honestly didn’t even think to say anything.”
I shook my head, trying not to make her feel guilty. After all, she was right, I didn’t even take weekends off anymore. The last time I had any time off was for her birthday and I didn’t really take off, I just left the office at five instead of midnight. Natalie had gotten used to living her own life, without any real family to spend time with. Part of me wanted to tell her not to worry about it but the other part of me wanted to ask her to stay and hang out.
“Why don’t I do this,” she said. “I’ll call and make sure it’s okay and we can just go together.”
I nodded and smiled, deciding that spending the holidays with people I didn’t know was better than being alone. I watched as she walked back in the hallway and called her friend. She talked for a few minutes and then hung up, bouncing cheerily out to the living room and waving me over. I grabbed the bottle of hazelnut liqueur I bought for tonight and we walked down to the garage where my car sat waiting.