Unholy Nights: A Twisted Christmas Anthology (49 page)

"I think so. It's not much, but it's my most prized possession. My husband got them for me on our first anniversary. He had this whole thing planned. We'd just found out that we were having a baby and he bought it for me because he said I'd made him the happiest man in the world." My heart panged at the memory. I reached inside my purse and pulled out my beloved jewelry. I held them out like an offering.

Ulrich came to me and gently removed the watch from my grasp to set it beside him on the table. He took the earrings from my hands and slipped some glasses from his breast pocket onto his nose. My heart hammered the whole time he bent over the glass countertop of the checkout register examining them. He flipped the switch of a curved lamp and directed the beam towards his makeshift worktable.

He studied them for a moment. "Darling girl, I apologize, but I don't think these will be enough to trade for the watch."

I took deep, grasping breaths that in no way steadied my heart or alleviated the sick feeling in my stomach. "No," I whispered. "Please, there has to be something we can work out."

"I'm sorry," Petra said, even though her voice clearly didn't show it. "Is there anything else you have to offer?"

"Please, this is the perfect gift for my husband. It would mean so much to him. To me. We haven't been having the best time and although I these earrings don't seem like much I'd do anything for it. Please." When my voice broke I looked away and tried wipe away the frustrated tear that cascaded down my cheek.

There was a long moment of silence that I bore with quivering lips, determined not to break down. I don't know when it happened but suddenly this was about more than just a gift. It was a last chance. It was everything. With my head bowed and hands grasping at each other, I waited.

Just when I thought that there was no hope left, Ulrich spoke. "We like our gifts to go to people that would cherish them."

My head shot up as the beginnings of optimism stirred in my chest.

I glanced back at Petra who had a small smile on her lips. Instead of softening her face it somehow made her severe features stand out in contrast. Ulrich flipped over and under and back again. He set them on the counter and the action rung with finality. I swear the sound of it was amplified a thousand fold, then berated myself for my overactive imagination.

After touching the delicate stones with a weathered hand, Ulrich removed his glasses and sighed. He rubbed the bridge of his nose as Petra moved to his side. They shared a look.

"Are you sure you want to do this, girl?" He studied my face intently. "If you understand that with sales like this we maintain a strict "no returns, exchanges or refunds" policy, then perhaps we can make a bargain."

"Y-yes. Yes!" I could barely contain my excitement. "I wouldn't return this for the world."

"Our business brings more to us than just the money," Petra began, "we work hard at what we do. We come to hold the things we sell very dear to our hearts. In return, all we ask from our customers is that they love the pieces as much as we do."

I nodded enthusiastically. "Oh we will. My husband is going to be so excited. He's an antiques fiend. He'd love this place and everything in it, but most especially that watch." I couldn't have planned the subsequent tears if I tried. 

Ulrich retrieved it from where he'd set it under the counter. I felt like I was going to explode with excitement. He held it out to me and I was almost afraid to reach for it, like he'd snatch it back and laugh in my face. A few moments later he was still holding the watch aloft and I slowly reached out to take it from him. It fell into my hand with a satisfying heaviness. I clutched it to my chest and smiled to myself.

Spencer was going to just die. If he didn't kill me for what I'd given up for him first.

Four

My hand holding the eye shadow brush shook with nervousness, hindering my ability to apply the pal gray shade to my lids. As if it wasn't hard enough that it'd been far too long since I'd actually done up my eyes, I basically needed an infusion of tequila to steady my hands to do it. You'd think that being married would have killed the nervous stomachs, but here I was, about to have dinner with my husband and feeling like we were going on our first date.

It was half past six and I was getting ready to take the last bus into town. I stood in the closet for a good half hour, the wisps of steam from my dash in the bathroom curled around me as I perused my selection. Which, I was embarrassed to admit, absolutely included way too many pairs of yoga pants. I dug in the back recesses and pulled out a dress I hadn't worn since before I met Spencer. Post baby it had gotten lost while I sorted out my baby weight and I guess I'd never regained the confidence to wear it once I had gotten back in shape. A far cry from the confident, driven career woman I'd been before I'd gotten married. I may shop a lot, but the things I wore rarely ever made it out of the glossy department store bags.

The scoop neck and little cap sleeves were made of a soft black satin that cinched and flared at my waist. The hem stopped at mid thigh, though the cut made it appear shorter. I paired it with garters and thigh highs topped with lace that disappeared into the dress. I'd bought them a few months ago hoping to surprise Spencer, but one thing led to another and I hadn't remembered them until I came across them looking for the dress.

Probably presumptuous considering the current climate of our relationship. A girl can dream, I thought as I adjusted the thigh highs. I slipped into a pair of the heels he used to like, then uncapped a deep red lipstick that I'd never had an occasion to use. Paired with the smoky eyes I'd finally managed to stumble my way through and my hair in dark waves, the effect was alluring. Striking.

Or so I hoped.

There was no tried and true way to seduce your practically estranged husband.

The second ride to town was even more stressful than the first. I had no idea how Spencer would react to the present. It felt like everything depended on how to night would end. If we couldn't someone come back from tonight, then my hope for our future would drastically diminish.

I arrived at The Blue Room with minutes to spare. A hostess seated me at a table in the back and supplied me with a martini while I waited for Spencer to arrive. An hour later, I was thankful for both the low, intimate lighting and the top notch liquor that The Blue Room was famous for. 

I was working on my third martini when Spencer blew in the front door, finally. Bitterly, I noted that he looked damn good. It was like he knew how pissed off I would be so he dressed just how I liked to soften my fury. The arms of his long sleeved button up were rolled up to display the thick, corded muscles of his forearms. It was a fantastically cut shirt that accentuated the broad width of his shoulders. The top few buttons were undone and my mouth watered at the familiar sight of his tattoos.

I forced myself to calm down, but unfortunately I'd become a lightweight. So much so that get a few glasses in me and I was basically warm putty in my seat at the sight of him. I almost resented him for it. No one affected me the way he did. It had been that way since I met him. The rat bastard.

Enraged, I downed the dregs of the drink, stood, and gathered my coat. There's only so much a girl can take and being stood up on Christmas Eve was right at the top of the list.

As I walked passed a stunned Spencer to the door he stopped me by grabbing my arm. "Sera, wait—"

I whirled around. "No, Spence. Tonight was important to me. We were supposed to have some time together and you couldn't find it in your busy schedule to pencil in
your wife
. So, no thank you. I'm going home. I hope you enjoy your dinner."

"If you would have waited a damn minute, I would have been able to surprise you without you freaking out on me."

Stunned, I replied, "Surprise me?"

"Yes," Spencer answered while guiding me back to the table so that I was positioned in front of a low mirror. I watched our reflection as he adjusted me so that I was in front of him, his chest to my back. "I'm starting to think that you like fighting with me."

"Why would I like to fight with you?"

"I think it turns you on," he whispered in my ear. I shivered, though it was plenty warm in the restaurant.

"It does not," I retorted uselessly. The blush on my face belied my words.

He chuckled and placed his other hand on my hip. "We'll talk about that later."

"What's my surprise?" I asked.

"I'm getting to it, be patient."

I wracked my brain trying to come up with what he could have possibly gotten me. The standby gift was obviously a gift card to any one of my favorite stores, but I doubt that he would basically blindfold me just for that. He's gotten me plenty of gift cards before and there was never so much drama surrounding their reveal. Not to mention the resounding issue of money and our lack of it.

"I'm going to cover your eyes for a minute." I didn't protest though the action made me somewhat disoriented.

"What do you love more than anything in the world?" he whispered in my ear, his voice a low rumble.

"Coffee," I replied instantaneously.

"Aside from that."

"Sex, when I can get it, that is."

He growled. "I'm going to keep your present."

Earlier fight forgotten, I giggled. "Accessories!"

"I thought for a long time about what to get you for Christmas," he began. "And for a while there I thought I wouldn't be able to afford to get you much. Thankfully, I found the perfect thing. Feel free to scream and call me a genius if you must."

He moved away for a moment, using his one hand to keep my eyes covered, then returned after rustling in some paper—or at least that's what it sounded like. I could sense him in behind me, so close that I could smell the delicious mix of cologne and man.

"Hang on one sec and keep your eyes closed until I say to open them," he said. "If you open them, I'm afraid Santa may take your present away for being a naughty girl."

When he moved his hand away from my eyes, I kept them scrunched closed so that I wouldn't be tempted to peak and ruin my surprise. He was doing something behind me with the paper again and try as I might I couldn't discern exactly what he was unwrapping. It had to be something small if it were gift-wrapped and I couldn't recall having seen anything out of place when he walked in the restaurant.

I heard his footsteps move closer, then a hand moved my black hair from one shoulder to the other. My breath hitched in anticipation.

"I've been meaning to get something like this for you for a long time, but the opportunity never arose until recently. When I saw it, I knew that it was yours and I had to have it. Thankfully, I got a good deal on it."

Something thick, heavy and a little cold wound its way around my neck and I shivered a bit from the feeling. He fiddled with what had to be the clasp of a necklace behind me then moved around to my front to assess his work. After a few moments, he used the light trace of fingers to follow the lines of cool metal around my throat.

"Open your eyes," he whispered in my ear.

I gasped at the sight in the mirror before me. My hand immediately flew to my throat to clutch the most gorgeous necklace I'd ever seen. An innumerable amount of ropes wound themselves around my neck in a flattering disarray that was both wild and attractive. Comprised of pearls of all different sizes, diamonds, and thick chunks of silver, the piece had to have cost a fortune. I couldn't stop caressing it, shifting the strands to find new and even more beautiful facets.  I'd never seen anything like it.

"Spencer. Oh my God, where did you find this? It's gorgeous." I was barely able to talk above an amazed whisper.

His reflection smiled. "So you like it?"

I whirled to face him. "I
love
it. It's just my style."

"I know." He grinned. "I saw it and I thought it would match the earrings I got you perfectly."

I felt, but had no control over, the clash of emotions that made my smile fall. I turned to face the mirror again but this time I didn't see the beauty. Instead I saw guilt.

"Sera," Spencer said from behind me. "Don't you like it? It doesn't match, does it? Dammit, I thought they were almost identical. I'm no good at this jewelry shit. Unfortunately it was a one-time sale and can't be exchanged. Shit, I'm sorry."

"It's not that," I whispered.

He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me back into his chest again. "Then what is it? I swear if you don't like it I'll try to find you a way to get you whatever you want."

"No, I promise, I love it. It's perfect. I - I just—" but I couldn't get it out. Instead I went to my purse that was tucked underneath the table to retrieve the watch. Wordlessly, I held it out for him to take.

"O-kay." His eyebrows bunched in confusion. "Or don't tell me."

He ripped open the gift wrap and threw the errant paper and ribbon on the table beside him. I watched him pause before lifting the lid on the glossy white box. My heart beat wildly for one minute...two...until he lifted his eyes from the contents to look at me.

When he didn't say anything I blurted, "I traded the earrings for the watch. I couldn't afford to get you anything otherwise because I spent all the money on a shirt by accident. I couldn't bear to see you empty handed on Christmas. Please don't be mad. I want you to have it."

I bit my lip as I waited for him to reply. I didn't think he'd ask about the earrings and frankly I hadn't thought of what I was going to say to explain away the fact that I didn't have them. It was a tossup if he'd be mad that I gave them away or touched that I did it for him.

"Sera." I wrung my hands at the broken tone in his voice. I looked down at my feet. He hated it.

"Look at me," he said.

I couldn't.

"Look at me." When my eyes met his he said, "Baby, you didn't have to do that. You loved those earrings."

"I know." I watched as he opened the watch, adjusted the time, rolled it over in his hands. "But I wanted you to be happy on Christmas and that meant more to me. I saw it in the store and I just knew you'd love it. You do love it, right?"