VCard for Christmas

“You won’t mess up anything. No one here matters. Only me and you.” He leans down and kisses me just as Julie comes out of the ladies’ room. I pull apart quickly, but Lincoln doesn’t let me go far. He nods at Julie but then focuses completely on me. “Relax. We’re going to have some fun.”

He wraps my hand in his, and we walk back to the main room. Everyone is sitting down to eat, and Tom has put us at the table with him, Julie, and two of Tom’s brothers. Everyone is talking and having a good time. One of Tom’s brothers owns a restaurant in Jasper, and he’s asking about my cupcakes, so I tell him about the cupcake program that I did with restaurants back in Knoxville. And even though Lincoln has his hand on my thigh the whole time, he’s encouraging the conversation, even offering to take me into Jasper next week to bring some cupcakes to test.

The Sizemores serve a complete meal of ham, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, and rolls slathered in butter, and when it comes time for dessert, I have to pass. The food was so good.

“Try it,” Linc says, holding out a piece of cake on his fork.

I laugh and put my hand over my stomach. “I’m so full.”

He nods and leans forward. “This is from Red’s Diner in Whiskey Run. It’s famous for its cinnamon apple Blaze cake.”

I laugh. “Famous? Well, I can’t necessarily turn down famous cake.”

He puts the sliver of cake to my lips, and I eat it in one bite. I moan as the cinnamon, apples, and brown sugar hit my tastebuds. “Mmmmm.”

Linc smiles and he almost looks predatory as he stares back at me. He sets the fork down and scoots his chair back, holding his hand out to me as he stands up. “Dance with me?”

I look at the place in the middle of the room where they’ve set up a small dance floor. “No one’s dancing,” I tell him.

“I don’t care. I want to hold you in my arms.”

I rise up and put my hand in his. “I can’t very well say no when you ask like that.”

He goes to the center of the dance floor and then pulls me into his arms. “Thank you for coming with me tonight.”

I slide my hands up his chest to his shoulders. “I should be thanking you. I won’t starve this month since you’ve helped me get some business.”

“I wouldn’t let you starve.”

I lean in and rest my head on his chest. This feels so good. It just feels right. I need to remind myself that it’s not real. None of it is.

“I never did ask you where you got the wedding rings.”

I can feel his body tense, but it’s too late to take it back. Obviously, it’s not something he wants to talk about. “They were my parents’. When they passed, since I’m the oldest, I got their rings.”

I clench my eyes shut. “I’m so sorry, Lincoln. I shouldn’t have asked.”

He moves his hands from my waist to around my shoulders until it’s more like we’re hugging instead of dancing. “You can ask me anything, Avery. Anything at all.”

I lean my head back and rest my chin on his chest. “Okay, how old are you?”

“I’m thirty-five. How old are you?”

“Twenty-three.”

I wait to see if that bothers him, but he doesn’t hesitate. He just asks the next question. “So how come you are not with your parents or aunt and uncle for Christmas?”

I tilt my head to the side and lean my head against his chest. “My parents and I are not close. My brother passed away when I was younger, and we just never got over it. Sometimes it’s easier to just be apart, if that makes any sense. And my aunt and uncle are with their kids in Texas for the holidays.”

He tightens his hold on me. “I’m sorry about your brother.”

I nod and clench my eyes shut. We sway back and forth, and my hands move under his jacket and around to his back. I stroke up and down the thin material of his shirt, lost in thought.

“Avery, baby,” Linc says in a strangled voice.

“Yeah,” I answer him softly. Other couples are now on the dance floor, and we’re no longer the only ones.

“You may not want to do that.”

Confused, I look up at him. “Do what?”

He leans down and places a feathery kiss on the tip of my nose. “Touch me like that.”

I don’t stop. I press my nails into his back and move them up and down. “What, that?”

He moans low in my ear. “Yeah, that.”

I smile as his heart races under my cheek. “Why? It sounds like you might be enjoying it.”

It feels good to tease him, and I press my fingers harder into his back with big strokes.