Yuletide Bride (2 page)

Mary nodded her agreement and looked over to John. John seemed just as shaken as Ava. He watched her with interest, and then focused back on Mary. “Thank you for visiting with us, Mary. It was very nice to meet you.”

“It was nice to meet you, too,” Mary said. James walked toward the door with his grandmother on his arm and looked back, mouthing his retort, “Don’t leave.”

Mary grimaced and sat at the table. A waiter placed a plate of turkey and mashed potatoes was placed in front of her, and the man with the teeth came over and asked her if she had any floss.

****

James walked into the dining room and watched as Mary poked at the turkey with her fork.  He shook his head, walked over to her and took a seat. This time, in front of her where he could see her eyes. “Did you have fun?”

Startled, Mary looked up from her plate at James. “What?”

“Did you enjoy poking fun at my grandmother?” His voice seemed on edge and he knew that Mary could tell he wasn’t happy with her. And by the looks of her, she didn’t look all that happy herself.

“I’m sorry about that, James. It’s just that I—”

“This isn’t investigative journalism, Mary. This is an article about the Christmas Festival! Why would you do that?  She’s ninety-one years old!”

Mary swallowed. “I know, and I’m sorry. I just…I just got excited that’s all.”

James took a deep breath. “About what?”

“Huh?”

“What did you get excited about?”

“Well, I’ve been trying to prove that the whole festival isn’t on the up and up. People call it fate and destiny. And people like me, well, we know it’s not true.”

James couldn’t help but look at her. She acted as though she was old and done with the whole romance thing, but James saw the way she reacted to the story of their meeting, and she was far from unaffected. “Who says it isn’t fate?”James argued.

Mary snorted. “Who says? Nobody in this town. Apparently, I am the only one in this town who knows this is a sham, other than your grandmother, and James Tomlin.”

James reached over and put his hand on hers. Mary gasped and looked down. James knew why…he could feel electricity in their touch. He didn’t move his hand. “You don’t believe in love, Mary?”

Mary was looking into his eyes when her phone rang. Cursing silently, she looked down at the Caller ID. “Sorry, I have to take this.” She removed her hand from his and pulled the phone up to her ear. “This is Mary.”

****

“Mary, this is your mother.”

“I know, Mom,” she said, and rolled her eyes.

“Mary, I’ve been thinking…you should put your name in that jar. I know you are dead against it, but my friend Frieda from the hair salon, told me that while she was drinking tea this morning she saw a wreath in the tea leaves, and she got to thinking of Christmas, and every time she thinks of Christmas she thinks of the baby Jesus…”

Mary couldn’t believe she’d interrupted holding hands with Mr. Gorgeous to listen to this. “And?”

“Well,” her mother continued, “when she thinks of the baby Jesus, she of course thinks of Jesus’s mother, Mary.”

“And this means…what?” Mary asked.

“Well, it means that you should enter your name into that damn jar.  You can’t not see it, Mary. Frieda said—”

“I know, Mother,” Mary said looking from James to the ceiling. “Frieda had some tea, looked at the leaves, saw the baby Jesus and now all of a sudden I am the Yuletide Bride. Is that about right?”

James looked up into her eyes and grinned. Mary rolled her eyes and put her finger to her head, twirling it in a motion, to indicate that her mother could be a candidate for the loony bin.

“Yes, that’s right,” her mother confirmed.

“Sounds great. I’ll get right on that.”

“I’m serious, Mary,” her mother said.

“Mom, when you go to the salon next, do you think you could ask her if she see’s any children in my future?”

“Well, I guess I could, dear. I’m so happy that you are going to put your name in that jar.”

“Yeah, me, too, Mom.”

After she hung up the phone, James watched her curiously for a few minutes before he said, “So, you are going to enter your name, huh?”

“No, that was just for my mother’s benefit.”

“Really? You mean that you don’t believe in the magic?” James asked, and smiled at the face she was giving him. It was somewhere between a pucker, and a frown. He laughed.

“What?”

“Your face just now.”

“Aw, thanks,” she muttered miserably.

“No, it’s cute.”

“It is?” she asked, surprised.

“Don’t get too excited about it, though, Mary. You aren’t putting your name in the jar.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” she asked, not understanding the significance.

“Well, it means don’t read anything into me thinking you are cute, I could be married twenty days from now. My name will be in that jar.”

Mary’s confusion ebbed, and for some reason her heart felt like it stopped beating. James Rochester the Second believed in fate, and she didn’t.

Chapter Three

Mary couldn’t stop thinking about James. It wasn’t her fault. The guy was a walking sex symbol. Everything about him screamed, love me, lick me, want me. She couldn’t help it, she wanted to do all three of those things.

She walked to her refrigerator, pulled out a carafe of orange juice and a carton of eggs. Just as she opened the container, her phone rang.

Mary didn’t recognize the phone number so she waited for it to go to voicemail. When she heard the beep that indicated a message, she opened up her phone and pushed the green button. And then something odd happened. James called, and he left a message.

“This is James,” he said, when she called him back.

“Hi, James,” she said, trying not to sound too excited. “I just got your voicemail.”

“Yeah,” he said. She could hear the smile in his voice and she sighed. “I thought maybe we could go out to dinner tonight.”

Oh my God
. “Yes, that would be good. I am actually pretty hungry—.”

“Yeah, me, too. After my lecture to you this afternoon, I had to go back to work and sit in on proceedings until just now.”

“Proceedings?”

“I’m a divorce lawyer,” James said.

Mary snorted. “Ah.”

“So,” he said, laughing as she held out the h. “What’s your address?”

“For what?”

“I’m going to pick you up.”

“P–pick me up?”

“Well, isn’t that what men do when they take a lady out on a date?”

Mary’s heart fluttered in her chest. That’s exactly what men did. “Yes.”

“Well?”

“It’s 555 Hartford Court Road.”

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

You have no idea.
“Not at all.”

“I’ll see you in twenty minutes.”

And before she could argue that she needed more time, he hung up.

Exactly twenty minutes later, Mary heard a knock at her door. Before she answered it, however, she looked into the mirror in the entryway. She took a deep breath, and then looked into the peep hole. The man was a god. She thanked God, once again, and opened the door.

“Hi,” James said, leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek. Her skin burned from the contact. She reached up to touch her face and he leaned in, “You smell nice,” he said.

“Uh, thanks,” she replied, and stepped back farther into the room. “Would you like a cup of coffee or something?”

James looked as though he might take her up on it, but he must have changed his mind. “How about we get going, and then later if you feel like having a cup, I’ll come up.” James’s eyes twinkled on the last part of his sentence and he held out his hand. “Come on, I know a great place on the lower east side.”

Mary nodded.

Forty minutes later they sat in a booth at one of the smallest restaurants she’d ever been in. “Delgrassios.”

“This place has the best manicotti that I have ever tasted. You will love it,” James said, looking at the menu. “I used to come here all of the time.”

“Used to?”

“Oh, I forgot that you’re a reporter,” James said, smiling. “I used to come here a lot, but then I made partner at the law firm, and can barely find time to eat, let alone go out for pleasure.”  He looked at Mary, and then looked up to where their waitress waited at the foot of the table.

“Why, is that James Rochester?” the woman asked in mock shock.

James laughed. “Jessie.”  He stood up and crushed the woman in an embrace.

  Mary guessed the waitress must be a little older than her. She was tall, with beautiful reddish-brown hair and a nice face.

“Jessie, this is Mary,” James said, gesturing to her. Jessie looked down and smiled.

“Very nice to meet you, Mary,” she said, shaking her head at James.
“I certainly can’t believe that you are here. I haven’t seen you in ages. How are your parents?  ”

“Good, good. Mom’s busy decorating the new place, and Dad stays busy teeing up.”

Mary watched them carry on their conversation. She felt like a third wheel. James must have noticed because his face flushed.

“Mary, I’m sorry.  Where are my manners?  My parents retired a few years ago, and now they live in the Hamptons. My mom spends all of dad’s retirement, and my dad spends his time ignoring her and playing golf.”

Mary looked outraged.

“They have been happily married for forty-some years, Mary. I was just kidding about the ignoring part.”

Mary smiled. “Oh.”

“Mary, James has a sick personality. We go way back. In fact, his sister is my best friend. And I have wanted to marry his brother half of my life.”

James looked taken aback by that comment. “Still?”

Jessie looked down at her hands. “Still. But you know how Jonathon is. Still living the high life. Hey, you never know. Maybe my name will be picked from the jar this Christmas!” Jessie said excitably.

Mary cringed.
That damned jar.

James laughed. “Mary is reporting on the festival this year, Jess,” he said with mischief in his eyes.

Jessie turned and looked at Mary. “I bet you are thrilled!”

“Oh, yeah, very excited.”

As soon as the waitress left, the date began and Mary couldn’t remember ever having such a great time. James was smart, attractive and funny. His jokes were similar to hers and they liked the same kind of music as well as movies. It wasn’t until the lights began to flicker that she realized the restaurant was closing around them.

“Sorry, you two, but it’s closing time!” Jessie said with a smile. “It was great to meet you, Mary, and James, you need to bring her back soon. Don’t wait so long next time.”

James smiled as he stood, grabbing Mary’s hand in his, “I won’t, and Jess, be patient with my brother. He’ll come around.”

Jessie’s smile fell, “Well, I guess you never know.”

James patted her on the shoulder, “No, you never do, do you?”

After they’d walked a block to his car, James pulled out his car keys and opened the passenger door for her first. Mary acted as though it was one of the most romantic and chivalrous things a guy had ever done for her. She was so surprised that she nearly ran into his arm.

“Sorry, excuse me,” she said.

James laughed, and waited for her to get in then closed the door. As he walked around to his door he couldn’t believe how well they got along. James couldn’t help but think of what his grandmother said earlier about fate and their destinies. When he opened the door, Mary shuddered.

“Let’s get this thing warmed up. It’s freezing out here!”

Mary nodded, teeth chattering.

James rubbed his hands together, and the friction must have heated up his palms. He placed them on her shoulders then ran them down her arms. Just the movement alone made the heat stir in her body. She could feel the heat in her cheeks, and then down her arms, her breasts and in her tummy. She was starting to get really warm. She looked up, and then was completely lost by the look in his eyes. His beautiful chocolate brown gaze nearly took her breath away.

“Mary,” he uttered before his lips came crashing down on hers. It was pure bliss. Bliss wrapped up in a wonderfully soft package.

James’s hands framed her face, then caressed her neck, and pulled her in deeper. She moaned, and he deepened their contact, brushing his tongue against hers in an erotic motion. She felt as if she would melt right there.

It could have been five minutes or five hours, before they heard a horn impatiently honk at them. There they were making out in the car while another car waited for their parking spot. James’s shoulders went up and then he sighed. “I guess we should go.”

“I guess we should,” Mary said quietly. She couldn’t believe that kiss. She had never experienced anything like it in her entire life, and she didn’t know what to think.

James pulled the car out onto the road and they headed back to Mary’s apartment. The drive didn’t take long, and before she knew it, they stopped beneath her apartment building.

“You don’t have to walk me to the door, James,” Mary said, as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

James turned in time for her to get out. She practically sprinted toward the door. “Mary!” James yelled.

She turned just before she got to the entrance of her building.

“Yeah?”

“Tomorrow, dinner at eight?”

Mary’s heart continued its frantic pace.
Dinner at eight…
“Sounds perfect,” she said, then disappeared behind the door.

****

The next morning, Mary’s somewhat blissful week took a turn for the worse. She felt nauseous. And she didn’t know why, but she suspected Delgrasios. Her stomach felt like it had a piece of lead stuck in it. She sat on the floor, draped over the toilet like a doily on a piano. She   felt pathetic, and certainly looked it. Ugh.

****

Across town, James sat in his office going through case files.

“You look happy,” Jennifer, the office manager said, as she walked in and put a manila folder on James’s desk.

“I am.”

“Did Mr. and Mrs. Elliot finally call it off?” she asked.

James knew she meant the divorce proceedings of the century. It was a shame really. Mrs. Elliot found ‘evidence’ that her husband was cheating, and Mr. Elliot swore that she’d found absolutely nothing. James believed him. He’d never seen a couple so much in love before and the whole thing made him ill. “No, unfortunately not. She still intends to go ahead with the divorce and wants over half of the estate, including a public apology.”

“Will she get it?”

“For what?  He isn’t guilty.”

“You really believe him?” Jennifer seemed surprised.

“I do. The sad thing is, that neither one of them wants this divorce. It’s like trying to see through fog with those two. I can’t convince her to look at the situation in a different way, and he is shattered. I hate to play the marriage counselor.”

Jennifer came around the desk and put her hand on James’s shoulder. It was the second time in a week that she’d made such a gesture. If he hadn’t met Mary Simms, he’d consider marrying her. She was a sweet woman, easy on the eyes and she certainly had something about her that everyone liked. “Sorry. I know how much you hate it. Want to grab some lunch today? My treat,” she asked him.

James laughed. Jennifer made good money, but there was no way that he would ever let her pay for his meal, especially knowing the difference in their paychecks. “I’d love to, but I really can’t. I have so much work to get done, and I have to leave the office early. I brought a sack lunch today,” James said, then noticed her downward expression. “But I really appreciate the offer, Jennifer. Very sweet, thank you.”

Jennifer’s mouth pulled up into a half smile. “No problem. Well, I better head out myself. I need to type up some correspondence. Bye, James.”

“Bye, Jennifer,” James said, feeling awful for turning her down.

James worked the rest of the afternoon and a little later than he anticipated that evening. He couldn’t believe all the work on his desk, and all the calls he had to make. His caseload was heavy, and if felt as though it was even worse this time of year, which was sad really. Why would people want to divorce around Christmas? Thinking back to his own childhood, he wondered how parents could do that to a kid. He’d had a happy life, was loved and felt safe and secure. It was no wonder why James was older and still not married with kids. It wasn’t because he had a bad life, but because he knew so many couples out there that did. And when you had to see it firsthand every day, it became daunting.

****

Mary finally gave up and went into the ER. She’d felt sick for nearly nine hours and the nausea and chest pains hadn’t let up. By the time the doctor came in to give her an official diagnosis, she was dehydrated. The ER doctor prescribed bed rest and lots of fluids. In other words, forget the date with James.

“Acid reflux, that’s it?” Mary asked the doctor. He seemed really familiar, but she couldn’t place him.

“Yes, ma’am. Nothing too serious, but if you don’t watch your eating habits or pay attention to the signs you will be in a lot of pain again like you are today. You can do a lot of damage to your esophagus if you aren’t careful. What have you eaten lately, or better yet last night?”

“Well, I ate at Delgrasios.”

The doctor grimaced. “Well, that’ll do it. There’s a whole list of foods that you shouldn’t eat. They are triggers, so to speak. Pop, alcohol, anything spicy, fried foods, garlic, onions, citrus fruits, peppermint, tomatoes…”

“What am I supposed to eat then, grass?”

“Oh, and chocolate.”

Mary’s eyes widened and she gasped. “Wash your mouth out with soap!”

The doctor laughed as he marked something on his clipboard. “It’s not the end of the world, although, I do love fried chicken. I’ll put an order in for some blood work. I’d like to do a food allergy test, too. Maybe we can see if chocolate is one of your triggers.”

Mary looked relieved and the doctor laughed once more. “Until then, I have this nice little chalky drink for you. Guzzle it down and enjoy yourself. Maybe you can catch a Christmas special on TV. We do have the Lifetime Movie Network.”

Mary’s nose wrinkled in disgust just before the curtain ruffled.

James walked in.

“Are you okay?  Your friend Sara told me what happened.”

Mary put her head in her hand and sighed, wondering if it could be any worse.

“James Rochester. How are you?  How are Ava and John?”

James looked at Mary and then back to the doctor. “I’ve been great, Mel.”

“Mel?” Mary asked, wondering. “How do you two know each other?”

“I’m surprised you don’t know, Mary. This is Mel Turner. He and his wife Christine were married at the Magic of Christmas Festival three years ago.”

Mary sighed in disgust. They both turned to her.

“Mary is doing the article this year,” James remarked, with a grin. 

“I wondered when we might get interviewed. You picked one hell of a way to do it, though.” Dr. Turner smiled and looked at his clipboard once more. “My number is on the prescription pad that I’ll give you later. Call anytime and let me know when you want to interview us. Christine and I could meet up for dinner or brunch.”

Mary nodded her head, wanting to die from hospital gown embarrassment. James watched her closely as Dr. Turner left the room.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, turns out last night’s meal was my last.”

James’s face paled. “What?”

“Acid reflux.”

James let out a big breath of air. “Geeze, Mary, you scared the hell out of me.”

“Trust me, this wasn’t the best way to spend my day, either. I’ve been here since about 8:00 a.m.”