Page 61 of Christmas Coffee

Nova

After giving my sister an ebook that was tawdry at best and completely, uh, naughty—her face turned fifty shades of red. She flips the pages of my phone, her eyes wide, like she’s been missing out on something. She glances at me, “You’ve done this?”

I’m sipping my mimosa and nearly choke. I put the cup down and scold her. “No! I don’t have twin sugar daddies with huge schlongs that do it every chance they get. Geeze, Tinselly—it’s a story.”

She blushes delicately and shrugs. “Just checking. You never know with you. It’s like you have a secret life or something.”

I bark a laugh, “Yeah, that’s not it.”

“Do you ever wish it was? I mean, if you had someone who could make everything instantly better and all you had to do was sleep with him, would you do it?” She’s not looking at me, instead she’s still reading the book with her eyes getting wider as she goes.

“I think you forgot who you’re talking to. I don’t take handouts.”

“It’s not a handout. You’d have worked for it.”

“Okay, in my hypothetical career as a hooker, I suppose I’d take on two men. Are you happy?” Tinselly looks up at me and my cheeks burn wildly.

“Oh my God! Did you ever do this?” She points at the screen.

The rest of the afternoon goes on like that. Somehow we start talking about lovers and positions when the doorbell rings. I hear his voice before I see his face. Celyn walks into the room with a toddler on his ankle. “Does this belong to someone?”

My nephew looks up at Celyn, grinning. Celyn continues, “I found him. He says I can keep him if I give him some glibber. Since I don’t have any of that, you’ll have to make do with this nice lady. Do you know her?” Celyn gestures toward Tinselly who he’s seen several times at the hut.

The little boy giggles, “That’s Mama.”

“Maybe she can provide you with your highly sought after glibber?” Celyn lifts the boy off his ankle and the toddler runs to Tinselly.

“Mommy says Santa loves glibber.” The little boy beams at Celyn, hands behind his back, swaying at the hips. His little blonde head is still wet from his bath and he’s wearing a red sweater with a Santa head plastered on the front. Black corduroys and shoes finish off the look. He’s ready for Grandma’s house tonight.

Tinselly’s eye twitches slightly and I laugh. I swat her arm and get up to tell Celyn hello. I wrap my arms around him and kiss his cheek. “Glad you got out of the Hottie Hut.”

Celyn waggles his eyebrows at me. “I’m glad you walked into the Hottie Hut.”

Tinselly holds my nephew on her hip and hands me back my phone. “Are you sure you won’t come?”

I shake my head and manage to keep the smile on my face. “One family meeting per day. I’ve filled my quota. Celyn, this is Tinselly. Tinselly, Celyn. We’re done here.”

Tinselly scowls. “You’ll come tomorrow night though, right?”

I wrap my arms around my sister and hug her tight. “I wouldn’t miss it.”