Merry Christopher

  Merry Christopher

  Violet Theron

  Copyright © 2019 Violet Theron

  Cover Photo Credit: Deposit Photo

  Cover Design: Canva

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  Chapter 1

  Holly

  It’s six p.m. and everything in town is already closed. I saunter down the empty sidewalk as I glance into the empty shop windows. It is so different from New York City, where I grew up, where businesses never close and people never sleep. I pull the collars of my wool coat closer to my face and shiver. It is already early December, and it hasn’t snowed yet. Unlike the gray, slushy snow you get in Manhattan, the snow in the little town of Silverbrook is pristine and clean. I would love a white Christmas this year.

  I am slowly making my way to my friend Ashley’s place, to get together to study for our final tomorrow. I met Ashley when I first moved to Silverbrook more than four years ago. I had just left New York and came here to this little one-horse town with one gas station and two bars. My purple highlights and piercings would not be unusual in New York, but here, in the land of autumn apple picks and summer pool parties, I stuck out like a sore thumb.

  Ashley was one of the first people who started talking to me. She followed me everywhere and invited me to everything. At first, I was wary of her small-town friendliness. It was too much for me. Then I started enjoying myself at these small-town family get-togethers and other people started talking to me, too. Slowly, I have put down roots in this little town.

  I originally came here because of the solid nursing program and the low cost of living. Also, because my family would never ever find me here. My initial plan was to get my degree and then move to another state to find a job, but I feel like home here now. To stay close by, I even got a job in the next town over and saw Ashley every week. When she decided to go back to school for her master’s, I did the same as well. Moving from school to school while I was growing up, I have never had a best friend like her before. You can say that we’re inseparable. Well, almost.

  “Holly, come on in!” Ashley’s boyfriend, Hugh, waves me into their warm, inviting home.

  I thank him for taking my coat and I playfully tap him on the upper arm. “I see that you haven’t been working out, old man.”

  He chuckles and gives me a fake angry scowl. “Now, now. Don’t make fun of the elderly.” He hugs me warmly.

  When they first started dating two years ago, I was a little annoyed that I have to share Ashley. Now, we have also become close friends. It is nice to hang around someone who hasn’t lived here their whole lives and has seen the world. Hugh can also take my biting sense of humor better than others. We often make fun of each other in pointed ways that make Ashley’s eyes widen in horror.

  “Ash is in the kitchen.” He pats me warmly on the back as I walk into their place. It is a spacious two-bedroom with a balcony. It isn’t as large as Ashley’s parents’ house or Hugh’s brother’s, but it is well-decorated with Christmas decorations. There are embroidered stockings hanging from the fireplace, pots of red poinsettias on the tables, and of course, a beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the corner.

  I take a deep breath and smell gingerbread cookies. I have never had a traditional family holiday until I started spending the holidays with Ashley and her family, the Coltons. My mom was never for cooking and holiday times were usually wrought with anger and guilt. I drop on the couch and extend my arms for a leisurely stretch.

  “Holly! My mom gave us some Christmas cookies! Here, try one.” Ashley shoves a plateful of red and green cookies under my nose. I have to force myself to take just one. I am always watching my weight and trying out different diets. But nothing seems to work. I sigh and compare my thick waistline with Ashley’s tiny waist.

  I pull out my pharmacology textbook. “Have you looked at the quizzes?” I ask with my mouth full of cookies. “Oh man, these cookies are so good! They are orgasmic!” I scream in my characteristic jest.

  Ashley blushes at my choice of words and steals a look toward the kitchen. I look up and spot a large figure hovering furtively in the kitchen doorway. “Oh. Hi, Chris.” I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.

  Christopher is Ashley’s older brother and the oldest of the three Colton children. Their middle sister, Jennifer, is married to Hugh’s brother Hunter. Their family tree gives me a bit of a headache. My family is so small by comparison. Chris owns and manages the only bookstore in town and he is a writer. I think he is the smartest and coolest person I know.

  “Hi, Holly.” He stares for a moment at me with his bright blue eyes, and then he lowers his head and explains shyly, “I’m just here to drop off the cookies. I’ll be going now. Don’t want to interrupt your studies.” He scratches his brown head and looks at me again with his gentle blue eyes.

  Without knowing Chris, you’d think he is a professional boxer or a bodyguard just from looking at him. He towers over most men with rippling muscles, yet as far as I know, he never goes to the gym. He prefers to spend his time reading and writing. He is very handsome with dark brown hair and soulful blue eyes. He is also surprisingly shy and unaware of how good-looking he is. Most of the time, he puts on his glasses and huddles behind the counter at the bookstore and reads all day without needing to speak to anyone, completely oblivious of the hordes of young girls giggling and blushing at him in the store. Meanwhile, I am loud and the complete opposite of him. I am not intellectual at all and kind of eccentric, especially compared to the rest of the population in this small town.

  “It’s okay if you want to hang around,” Ashley says to her brother. “I’m sure Holly won’t mind.” She pats me on the knee and smiles.

  “It’s okay, I guess.” I roll my eyes and shrug. “Can I borrow your last week’s notes?” I scratch under my nose ring and quickly change the subject.

  You can’t tell by the way I ignore Chris, but I’m hopelessly and desperately in love with him. Maybe it’s because of his gentle manners, or his boy-next-door good looks, or the fact that he is smart and kind.

  I remember my first Christmas here. Ashley has invited me to spend it with her family. It is the first time I’ve ever had a real Christmas. The Coltons drink eggnog and wear matching ugly sweaters and sing carols late into the night. Mrs. Colton even had a stocking for me with my name on it to hang over the mantlepiece. She filled it with candies and lip glosses from the dollar store. They were nothing compared to the expensive jewelry and electronics my dad used to give me, but I cherish them more than anything in the world. After a long evening of eating delicious food without any guilt and hanging out with Ashley’s warm and funny family, I took my leave. The second I walked out of their front door, tears streamed down my face. So this is what it feels like to be surrounded by people who love you, I thought.

  Right at that moment, Chris opened the door with an armful of leftover food that his mom made him bring to me. He stopped in his tracks when he saw my face. Without a word, he put the food down and wrapped his big arms around me. I’m a big girl but he completely enveloped me with his warm embrace. He held me tight as I bawled my eyes out like a little kid.

  He never asked me what was wrong, and he never brought it up again. But after that, I started to pay attention to him. He is the hardest of the Colton siblings to get to know, being the only boy and the quietest. Slowly, I realize that he is deeply insightful and quite interesting. He often keeps quiet and listens a lot when other people are talking, but when he does speak, his words really pack a punch. Of course, he is also a very loving sibling and a devoted friend. I have never met anyone as perfect as him.
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  But I don’t think he will ever feel about me the same way. I’ll always be that weird girl that his little sister befriended who always shows up to all of his family gatherings. Even though the Coltons are so warm and welcoming, in some ways, I always feel like I’m on the outside looking in. I feel like a hungry passer-by looking at the happy diners through the restaurant windows. I long to be one of them, but at the same time, I am always on the outside.

  In fact, I don’t think I’m the girl for him. Chris deserves someone thin and beautiful, who also had a happy childhood and came from a big, happy family.

  Not someone like me.

  Christopher

  “Hey, would you guys like to stay for dinner?” Ashley asks me and Holly after they are done studying. I have been reading and writing quietly while they chatted about fashion and gossiped about people in town, anything but actually study.

  “Sure,” I answer.

  “I should get back.” Holly starts to pick up her things. “I still have a lot of studying to do.” My heart drops. I kind of hoped she would stay. That was the main reason I said yes. “Also, I don’t want to chip a tooth again.” She winks at my sister, as she swings her backpack over her shoulder. Holly is making fun of Ashley when last year, she brought a trayful of homemade peanut brittle to the hospital where she worked during the holidays. One of the little girls lost a baby tooth over the hard, sticky treat. Her mom swore that it was already loose, but Ashley was quite upset over the whole incident at first. Ashley wasn’t very confident about her cooking and was always beating herself up about it. Then Holly mercilessly made fun of her for a whole week, until even Ashley finally blew up and realized how silly the whole thing was. Now, it is no big deal at all and I’m grateful that she has an honest friend like Holly in her life who helps keep her head straight.

  Ashley grimaces playfully. “That only happened once! Please stay?” Ashley hugs her as she opens the door.

  Holly shakes her head. “I’ll see you tomorrow in class, okay?” She throws a quick look at me and then waves a hasty goodbye as she runs out the door with her purple-streaked hair trailing behind her.

  The three of us sit down at the dining table for a delicious dinner of chicken parmesan. I wolf down my food. I feel kind of awkward being the third wheel here. I’m sure Hugh would want me to get out of his way as soon as possible so he can spend time with Ashley alone. Even though Hugh’s brother, Hunter, is my best friend since forever, Hugh and I have never been close. I know he is a good guy and I’m glad he is dating my sister, but I can never tell what he thinks of me. He is a man of few words and even fewer smiles.

  “So how’s the bookstore going?” Ashley asks between big bites. She never has good table manners when around family.

  “Pretty good, I guess. Christmas season is coming up so a lot of people are buying gifts.” I pick at my chicken parm with my fork. Not that Ashley isn’t a good cook, I’m just not very hungry all of a sudden. I keep thinking about Holly’s sweet face and mouth-watering curves. Even under her thick winter clothes, I can imagine the peaks and valleys of her luscious body. Her full ass cheeks jiggle as she walks fast. The front of my jeans starts to feel tight and I quickly turn my attention back to my dinner.

  “Oh, that reminds me! I totally forgot to mail Cousin Josephine’s gifts!” Ashley slaps herself over the head. “Damn it, I have a test tomorrow so I can only mail it the day after, it won’t get there before Christmas.”

  “I can mail it for you on my way to work in the morning.” The post office is right next door to the bookstore. “It’s no problem.”

  “Thank you, Chris. Thank you so much!” Ashley plants several kisses on the top of my head. I am a little worried that her jealous boyfriend will toss me out if she continues any longer. She disappears into the bedroom.

  Out she comes with about fifteen packages of various sizes and bulk. I almost choke on my food. “What? Are these all for Josephine?”

  Ashley rolls her eyes. “Of course not, only ten of these are. Oh, don’t be confused. She has four kids so of course, everyone gets their own present, and there’s her husband to think of.”

  “But that only accounts for six of them!” I know that math isn’t Ashley’s strong suit, but this is ridiculous.

  “Well, I also packed some treats for the kids, candies, and cookies. The other five packages are for the other cousins.” We have a big extended family and to be honest, I haven’t stayed in close touch with any of them. My mom and sisters are the ones who keep everyone in the loop and do all the Christmas shopping for everyone. I tend to just sit back and reap the benefits of receiving gifts. I guess it’s time that I pay my dues.

  “Fine.” I point a finger at her. “But you owe me.” Hugh raises an eyebrow at me that makes me immediately switch to a sheepish smile. “No, no. Of course not. What is family for, right?”

  I wolf down the rest of my food and leave with an armful of packages. As I drive home, I wonder if Holly had a nice dinner by herself. I think about the tiny apartment in which she lives alone.

  I also kick myself that I still haven’t asked her out yet. I have been sitting on the idea since I met her years ago, but she hasn’t given me any indication that she even remotely feels the same way about me. She is always too intimidatingly too cool for me. She never seems to stay in one place, both physically and metaphorically. I never know if she likes it here and wants to stay in this small town. I am always afraid that she will say no to me and then disappear from my life forever. Regardless, I hope that she will spend the holidays with my family again. I want her to be surrounded by love and happiness, just as she deserves to be.

  Chapter 2

  Christopher

  This is the last time I ever do anything for my youngest sister, I bitterly remind myself after my fourth trip into the post office from my car. Why does she send a gift to everyone under the sun? Carol, the post office lady, rolls her eyes with a laugh as I hand her the last batch.

  “This is the last of them, I swear.”

  She smiles with a shrug and starts to weigh and then put postages on them one by one.

  “Excuse me, can you tell me which way is Covent Garden?” It is an apartment complex on the other side of town. A lot of students and single people live there, including Holly. GPS doesn’t always take you there correctly. Only the locals know the directions.

  The man asking doesn’t look like he is from around here. He is wearing a nice dark coat over a suit and a tie. As he glances down and checks the time, I see a shiny watch on his wrist. His hair is well-coiffed and there is a hint of expensive cologne in the air.

  “Um, take Willow and then turn left on Main Street. Go straight until you see a bunch of buildings with green roofs and you’re there.”

  “Great,” he answers curtly and walks out. Both Carol and I crank our necks as we watch him hop into his shiny jag and speeds off.

  “City slickers.” Carol shakes her head sadly. “No manners at all. No pleases or thank-yous,” she huffs.

  The stranger disappears as quickly out of my mind as he did in real life, but Carol keeps talking about him.

  “Did you see that coat? I bet it’s real cashmere. That’s a couple of thousand dollars at least. You saw his watch? My father-in-law has a picture of one up in his den, that’s a Philippe Patek. One of those is worth more than my car. Ugh, rich people.” She shakes her head as I nod absent-mindedly.

  Carol gives me the receipt for all the packages and I head off to work. The nice thing about being in a small town is that everything is close together. The bookstore I own is right next door. I unlock the doors and get started on my day. The holiday season is usually the busiest for me when people buy gifts. Even so, the margins are razor-thin and I can’t afford to hire help. When Ashley was younger, she would come in and help. But now it’s just me.

  I first started working here while I was a student studying English with dreams of becoming a big-shot writer. The next Hemingway. I bought the place from the
previous owners for a song, because, well frankly, who wants to own a brick-and-mortar store in the digital age? I don’t make much money but the business is steady and I have plenty of down times to work on my writing. However, my one finished book never got published and I find myself losing motivation every day.

  Being a big financial success isn’t high on my list, but I would like to live on my own and have a family someday. Mom and Dad have been amazingly patient, but at some point, a guy needs to move out, especially since his two little sisters are both out on their own. It is hard to afford my own place on my current income. Sometimes, I wonder if I should give it all up and get a regular job somewhere, but my parents always say that I have to live my own life at my own pace.

  I pull out my notepad from under the counter and start jotting down my thoughts. It is still early in the morning that there aren’t any customers coming in yet. I like to use the quiet time to work on my writing. The morning lull lasts until eleven or so, until a bunch of university students come in and take up half of the tables.

  “Hey, Chris,” one of my regulars, a tall, brunette college student, leans over the counter and starts talking to me. She is wearing a low-cut top and her plunging cleavage is accentuated by the way she squishes her boobs together with her arms. She often asks me for help to look up books for school, even though I know very well that she can buy most of those things online.

  “Here’s the economics book you wanted.” I hand her a heavy hard-copy book. I seriously doubt she has the brainpower to read and understand this.

  “Thanks!” She quickly pecks me on the cheek before I can step away from her. A fog of her heavy perfume hangs in the air as I hold my breath.

  With a polite smile, I turn away from her to help the lunchtime crowd that just waltzed in to shop for Christmas gifts. I don’t really like her but we live in a small town. I just pretend that nothing has happened and hope that she will take the hint. I stay busy until two in the afternoon. By the time I look up at the clock, I realize that I totally forgot to eat lunch. The tall brunette and her giggling friends are long gone. I pull out the “Be Right Back” sign on the door and stroll into town for a bite to eat.