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“Or do you just not care any longer because you’re totally falling for a girl you have at home?” Gus asks, taking a drink and winking to the imaginary girl behind me.
I look at the wall behind him for a few moments, studying the beer signs and autographed pictures of minor celebrities that have visited the bar. “I’m not falling for her. She’s nice, and she’s my partner for another six weeks or so. I should be respectful.”
“Like you’ve been so respectful before. The others didn’t get such chivalry.” He chews on a bar pretzel from the bowl between us and turns his attention back to me. “What’d you get her for Christmas?”
“Nothing yet. I’ll probably get her what I get all of them.”
“You’re getting Savannah a gift certificate for a massage?”
“What’s wrong with that? Most of the women suck me off for it on Christmas morning. It’s a pleasant Christmas experience for everyone involved. Besides, she’s in school and has that new job. She’ll appreciate a stress-free massage.”
He scoffs and looks away. “I’d thought you’d get her something more personal. She seems different than the other women.”
Don’t I know it.
I take another cigarette out of the pack and light it, blowing the first smoke out of my nostrils and watching the smoke curl. “You think she needs something more personal?” I ask.
He holds up his hands like he’s being robbed. “Hey, not up to me. Go ahead and get her what you get all of them. She may be different, but your contract with her isn’t, right? I mean, she’ll end up the same as 2017 in another few weeks anyway. The bitch was right about that. Maybe you’ll run into Savannah in a few years and share a lovely kiss in an alley while crossing your fingers a new cuff doesn’t find you.”
December 25 – Savannah
“I didn’t expect this,” I mumble, my eyes wide. Samples of different coffees and a bowl of peppermint creamer sits on a wooden tray next to a stack of scones. “Is this for me?”
“Yep,” he says. “I wanted to get you something for breakfast this morning, and you wouldn’t give me any ideas. It was either this spread or my homemade burnt toast.”
He holds his own mug of coffee and leans against the couch. The Christmas tree we cut down and decorated together glistens with the colorful lights Wilder insisted on. We argued about white lights versus colored, and he won when he mentioned that colored lights are a happy memory from his childhood. I couldn’t take that from him. He’s so boy-like at Christmas, and it makes my heart happy to see him in the Christmas spirit.
It's like he’s a different person the last few days. Kinder. Calmer. Gentler.
“I got you something else,” he says, ruffling around in his hoodie pocket before bringing out a small box. He holds it out to me, and I walk over to take the gift, my mouth dry. “I hope you like it.”
I quickly take the bow off the box and make short work of the snowman wrapping paper. Thoughts of him hiding a present in the guest room and wrapping it out of my view make my heart swell. Wilder practically bounces on his toes as he watches me, unblinking and sipping his coffee to hide the fact that he’s anxious about me liking whatever’s in the container.
The box is a typical jewelry store box, black velvet on the outside, and I run my hand over the top of it, mildly terrified of what’s inside. I know it’s not an engagement ring since we’re breaking up in fifty-two days and three hours, but I’m nervous he spent a lot of money or time picking it out.
I inhale when I open the box and see a necklace that’s simple platinum with my birth stone in the center. It’s simple, elegant, and something I’d wear every day. It matches everything, won’t ask questions of future relationships when they wonder who gave it to me, but it’ll remind me of him.
It’s also the first piece of jewelry anyone has ever given me.
I stare a moment, and he sighs, probably thinking I don’t like it. Nothing could be further from the truth.
He wisely sets his steaming coffee down on the nearby table, probably remembering the last time I attacked him in an emotional state. He puts his arms out for me at the last second, and I fall into them. “I love it,” I whisper into his chest. “It’s perfect.”
I could stay buried in his shirt until March. He smells like coffee and whipped peppermint cream he probably added to one of the coffees. But there’s also the hint of Wilder. His personal smell that I’ll never be able to erase from my mind. Fuck, am I like a dog that will never forget a scent?
“Are you sure? We can take it back and get you something else. I wanted it to be something you could wear anywhere. Do you really like it?”
“Yes,” I say, pulling back from his chest and cupping his face. “Thank you.”
“I also wanted you to feel special because you are special to me,” he says, pressing a kiss against my forehead. “I’ve never purchased jewelry before.”
Tears prick my eyes. “Never?”
He shakes his head and tilts my chin, even though I’m already looking at him. “You are a special woman, Savannah Smart. I know I’m not boyfriend material, but you are girlfriend material. You’ll find someone someday when you’re ready. He’ll be perfect for you, and there won’t be a contract. But always know that our time together was important.”
“I got you something, too,” I say, pulling away from him. This is getting too emotional, and I need to step away from him before I fruitlessly profess my undying love.
“What is it?”
