Home for Christmas (13 page)

“Oh, Savannah,” she uttered with
dismay. “You have
people
for that.”

“I know,” she quickly interjected.
“It was just … for old times’ sake.”

Courtney was silent as she mulled
over the news. “You know that Austin has a lot of women …”

“I know,” Savannah uttered again,
quickly turning toward the sink, gulping down a last sip of coffee before
pouring the remains down the sink. “Nothing’s going on,” she said while her
face grew pink.

“What about Robert?” Courtney asked
quietly, waiting patiently for Savannah to answer.

“I don’t know Courtney,” she signed
with exasperation. “He didn’t exactly make a beeline to come and find me when
he came home from
wherever
he was, now did he?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to
relay exactly which country Robert had last been in, but caught herself in
time. That wasn’t the issue, she knew. With a deep breath, she was able to
withstand the temptation to defend him once again. They’d known each other
their entire lives; her, Savannah and Robert. But somehow, things were
different.
Robert
was different, now, after having spent the last
several months working overseas. He’d become more independent, more … interesting.
And she had no right to be thinking that way … he was just, Robert. Not
her
Robert. Just, Robert.

“Are you at the house all day?” she
asked, changing the subject, recognizing the conversational stalemate they were
entering and successfully interrupting her own inner relational struggle. The
tension in the room quickly dissipating, to which each was grateful.

“I am. I’ve got a decorating crew
coming at 6:30; they’ll put up all the trees and things, and a lighting crew
coming shortly after. If all goes well, we’ll have a Christmas house by end of
day and that will give me just enough time to race back and get ready for the
happy hour engagement.”

“Why don’t you just take your
things and get ready there?” Courtney asked, reaching for a red Cappuccino mug
and pouring Savannah’s steaming brew into it. “It would save time and I’ve a
feeling you’ll be cutting it short as it is.”

“I guess I could. Do you think it
would be inappropriate?” Savannah asked hesitantly while loading her multiple
electronic chargers into the side pocket of her briefcase. 

Courtney laughed. “Really?
Inappropriate? How big is that house, Savannah? How many people will be there …
all day? Think of them as chaperones,” she replied sarcastically. “Besides, I
doubt Austin will even darken the door of that house all day. I have meetings
with him that will take up much of the day and I’m sure he has other
appointments as well. The real question is … why are you all concerned about
that today? How many were in the house last night? Did you need a chaperone
then?” she asked over her shoulder as she made her way back down the hall
toward her bedroom.

Savannah’s face once again turned a
deep shade of pink – utterly grateful that Courtney hadn’t been there to witness
the tale-telling sign. She could be such a difficult person sometimes, Savannah
muttered to herself. Downright uncomfortable. There were no questions deemed
off-limits, no topic too “sensitive.” With her, it was all on the table … or
else. It wasn’t always her business to know everything, she continued, griping
to herself.

Taking a deep breath and letting it
out slowly, a trick she learned in middle school when dealing with this
particular friend, Savannah walked back down the hall toward her temporary
bedroom. She felt like stomping, but she would never give Courtney the
satisfaction. That she would
know
she’d stomped, Savannah was positive.
Courtney somehow
knew
everything.

It didn’t take long to put the
clothing she’d set aside for the evening into a garment bag and pack a satchel
with personal items she’d need later before the event at Austin’s office. She’d
been in a little bit of a quandary as what to wear. Austin’s office was
notoriously casual and that was where the evening would begin. They would
continue to a restaurant on the top floor of his building for happy hour. That
was a little dressier.  She knew the crowd; they were more apt to dress up
more than down. She strove for the middle, classic and understated.

She was a little edgy, she had to
admit. Yesterday’s events, while they would live in her memory forever, were
somehow uncomfortable and precipitous in the light of day. Where did she and
Austin stand? What were they thinking? Where was it all leading? How did she
now act around him?

Too many questions, she chastised
herself, trying to pass off the events of yesterday … the kiss,
kisses,
to be precise, as a simple case of getting caught up in the Christmas spirit.
They each had life-changing events on the horizon. He; an IPO that was catching
a lot of media attention; and she, a move across the country, and a new start.
A start that she was resigned to rather than excited for. There wasn’t room for
anything else, for either of them.

There was only one ripple in that
argument, however. Something that couldn’t be reasoned away, put on a shelf,
sequestered. There was a budding electrical current constantly running between
them. Each touch, each glance, a simple brush of their shoulders … would charge
the very air they breathed. Time then stood still … things became almost …
inevitable. Like a foregone conclusion that “this thing,” whatever
that
was, would indeed build to some kind of crescendo, some kind of conclusion. It
was the conclusion that scared her most. She couldn’t handle anymore
conclusions in her life. She was saturated with them. She needed beginnings,
not endings. Saying “goodbye” to her old life, her ancestral home, was all she
was capable of. There just couldn’t be other entanglements.

Slinging her satchel over her
shoulder, the garment bag draped over her arm, Savannah was grateful for one
lingering arm to accommodate her handbag and briefcase sitting next to the
door. It was cumbersome to say the least. Hoping her taxi had waited, as
promised, she made her way toward the elevator, elated when it swished open to
reveal an empty compartment.

Silence punctuated by a subdued
beep as the elevator passed each floor. Waiting gave nod to thoughts she’d
rather forget.

Courtney said he had …
women
.
What did that mean? Of course she knew how attractive he was, how successful …
how public he was becoming. That always drew female attention. Was it women, as
in plural, or woman, as in singular. Did she care? Yes. Should she? Absolutely
not.

What about Robert? It’s wasn’t as
if they had an “understanding.” Even really a commitment. They had just …
existed, together. It was everyone else’s assumption that made it somewhat a
fact. To be truthful, they’d never really discussed their relationship and its
parameters.

Sigh. Why did life have to be so
complicated? But thank goodness something was going right today. As the doorman
held the door, there sat her taxi cab, waiting as promised. She waved and
instantly began to feel better. Excited to spend her day creating magic.

It was magical. Stunning, actually.

With Austin’s approval, of course,
Savannah might call one of her editor friends at The Seattle Times, offering
content for one of their lifestyle pieces. It would be good press for Austin’s
purposes, and it would allow her old home one more year to shine like the
downtown Macy’s star.

She was exceptionally proud of what
the crew, under her direction, had accomplished. Seven live Christmas trees
were lit and decorated; seven mantles were staged with yards and yards of garland,
ribbon, ornaments, pinecones and lights; candles were arranged; packages were
wrapped and trimmed; the banisters were draped; sprigs of cedar and pine were
sprinkled liberally throughout the house. It was a work of art and she owed
extreme gratitude to the designers who’d rolled up their sleeves and created …
Christmas
… today. Each would receive a bonus from Austin’s company but they’d also
receive a personal gift from her. Today was personal … for her. For years, many
of them had worked with her in the stores; they knew of which they so
selflessly gave.

Blinking back misty tears, Savannah
dabbed at the corner of her eyes. The sky was threatening; daylight had long
since made its exit, yet the stormy skies only served to enhance the beauty of
the lights around her. She relished the Christmas splendor enveloping all her
senses; from sight to the smell of pine to even sound as soft strains of carols
could be heard wafting throughout the house via Austin’s new media system,
designed to give them all a little inspiration as they decorated.

It was a façade, really.

Savannah began to walk the main
floor public rooms, inspecting, reveling in their hard yet creative work. It
was satisfying beyond description, bringing life back to this dwelling. It was
as perfect as perfect could get, in her book anyway. Everything she loved about
Christmas was referenced here in this place. A hand-carved nativity graced the
top of the grand piano in the massive entry. Each figure stood a foot tall and
was intricately and beautifully created. It was hers, passed down by
generations of Wentworth women. It had its place of honor. It embodied
Christmas to Savannah. A private stamp on a house that had passed to a new
owner. No one but she would know its history.

Yet, with all of the surrounding
magic, there was still a feeling of pretension, of a façade. The magnificence
of Christmas was here, but the spirit was not. The house had a hollowness she
felt deep in her bones.  Her spirit was restless, and she wasn’t sure how
to fix it.

True, Austin slept here, when he
was in town. But other than those few nights, it was merely a shell. The walls
had become silent.

Switching off lights as she
meandered through the rooms, Savannah caught a glimpse of herself in a hallway gilded
mirror. She was shimmering just as brightly as the Christmas trees and
garlands. Her father had always called her his, “Angel.” Tonight, with flecks
of gold glitter sparkling on her face and in her hair, he would call her his
“sparkling but
grubby
angel.” She smiled at the memory while the tears
welled again and she examined the damage while pulling her hair back into a
ponytail.

Consulting her watch, she hadn’t
realized the hour. She still had to straighten the kitchen and the desk that
had become her workspace before she could get cleaned up. She’d have to rush to
make it to Austin’s office before they all left. Thankfully, she could shower
and change here. Earlier, she had stowed her belongings in her old room. It
felt slightly weird, but oh so familiar. And truly …
very
nice. As if
the last weeks had never occurred. Yet a walk down the hall by Austin’s rooms
reminded her that all was not as it once was.

She’d been in his rooms earlier
today, spreading Christmas cheer. Not knowing his preferences, she’d not placed
a tree in his bedroom, although her parents had always had one. She had,
though, placed several natural decorative elements and decorated the mantle
with garland and pinecones, trying to keep a minimalistic and masculine feel,
yet Christmassy too.  If he wished, he could plug in the mantle garland
and the tiny white lights would give some holiday ambience to his space. She’d
left a yellow sticky note at eye-level on the mantle. “For some Christmas
cheer, plug in your lights. Outlet is behind the left velvet chair.” Smiling,
she was satisfied the note’s stickiness had remained intact.

Standing in the doorway to Austin’s
room, she glanced at his nightstand, so grateful he’d not asked about his Bible
and the photo of his mother again. The archivist had finished the restoration
and it was stunning. He now had one to preserve and one to display in a frame
she’d had made especially for the image with a spot alongside for the pressed
flower he’d kept all these years. She was hoping to give it to him as a
Christmas gift, if he didn’t become too insistent prior to the holiday.

The party was in full swing when
Savannah stepped off the elevator on Austin’s floor of his downtown Seattle
building. The lobby area outside his offices was filled with well-dressed,
young executive types interested in investing in up-and-coming companies,
primarily in the technology field. They were also Robert’s friends, colleagues
and partners. Courtney had put the event together, but Robert had supplied the
contacts.

Nodding to familiar faces and
making her way toward the back of the room as unobtrusively as possible,
Savannah realized almost instantaneously that she’d not thought through this
social engagement. It hadn’t dawned on her, for whatever reason, that she was in
a sort of tricky situation. Austin’s party with Robert’s contacts; add to the
mix that she had a relationship of sorts with each. How to define either one
beyond that was impossible. One she’d spent considerable time with lately, the
other, not in months and months.

It was exactly almost twenty-four
hours prior that Savannah was not only allowing Austin to kiss her, but she had
been a willing and even eager participant. What did it mean? She had no idea.
Other than it was a huge mistake. She had been completely out of her head, and
that also had been Austin’s fault.
“Let’s just go with the flow and see what
happens
,” he’d said in so many words. Well, she was just about to see what
was going to happen. She was going to have to see Robert for the first time in
months at
Austin’s
party. It was a horrible mess that she already
decided she’d extricate herself from as quickly as possible.

Gravitating toward a familiar group
of investors who were currently discussing the merits of crowd funding and
investments, Savannah eased into the group, hoping to blend into the
background. She could nod at a few people and subsequently make a speedy exit.

Taking a sip of her ginger ale,
surreptitiously glancing around the room to locate those she most wished to
avoid; Savannah almost choked as she spied Courtney bulldozing her way through
the crowd toward her. Avoiding eye contact, she tried to shuffle around to the
back of the group closer to an exit leading to …
somewhere
. She cared
little where it lead as long as it was out of here.

Praying hard, Savannah edged her
way to the doorway, but not quickly enough. Courtney grabbed her arm, but
instead of preventing her hasty exit, she actually accelerated it, ushering
them both into a currently empty stairwell.

“What took you so long?” Courtney
hissed.

“Excuse me?” Savannah uttered
coolly. I’ve been
working
… on your project, I might add.”

Courtney smiled gleefully. “I can
tell.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’re glowing.”

“What?”

“Glitter.”

“Great,” Savannah muttered pulling
a cosmetic mirror from her clutch. “I took a shower.”

“That stuff is hard to get out,”
she whispered craning her head to glance first up the stairs and then down
trying to guarantee they wouldn’t be heard. Once satisfied she turned insistent
eyes on Savannah once again. “What’s going on between you and Austin?”

“Nothing’s going on … why?” she
asked suspiciously.

“You do remember that Robert is
here tonight?”

“Yes, of course I do. I have
nothing to hide. Why do you ask?”

“Because Austin is raving about you
tonight. It’s getting … uncomfortable.”

“For whom?”

“Well, it’s just weird. You need to
figure this out. This is a huge account for me and if the IPO goes as well as
expected, it will solidify my P.R. reputation. I
need
this to work,
Savannah,”

Her eyes softened as she looked at
her quirky friend. You would never know that she grew up in a very
conservative, old-money Seattle family; taking dance and charm lessons with
Savannah, having tea and even playing with dolls. She was edgy, straightforward
and über contemporary; cut-throat in her business. But as a friend, everything
you could ever ask for. She had certainly stepped up for Savannah when her
world had fallen to pieces.

Sighing, Savannah looked directly
into her friend’s eye. “I will not mess this up for you,” she promised. “It
hadn’t dawned on me, for
whatever reason
that I would have to confront
this situation. I honestly can’t define either relationship. I haven’t seen
Robert in months, and when he came back to town, I was not the first person he
called. Austin and I work well together. We’ve had a little fun, but that’s all
it is. I promise. Neither one of us have room for anything else or more,” she
finished laying a sincere hand on Courtney’s arm.

Courtney covered her friend’s hand
with an apologetic smile. “I know you won’t. I just got … concerned. Robert was
listening to Austin’s rave reviews of your work. It was an awkward moment. And
I care about how Robert feels. He deserves to know where he stands with you.”

“I was, uh, just leaving,” Savannah
said as Courtney put her hand on the door leading back into the party.

“No, you don’t. It’s time to put
these speculations to rest. You promised,” she said emphatically. Savannah
sighed as she allowed Courtney to literally almost push her back through the
door.

Austin had seen Savannah enter. In
fact, he knew the moment she stepped off the elevator. He felt her presence.
And in one sideways glance, he saw the strain in her eyes, the stiffness of her
shoulders. Others would never notice, but somehow he’d become accustomed to her
… ways. He’d seen the strange exit and subsequent entry by both Courtney and
Savannah. Amusement played over his features as he saw the determination of one
and the grudging reluctance of the latter. He knew they’d been friends for
awhile, but they made an unlikely pair.

Savannah tried to veer away from
Courtney’s determined path, small as Courtney was; it was amazing that she
could part a crowd like she did. But Courtney was too quick and immediately
snatched Savannah’s hand as she propelled her toward Robert.

Savannah almost gasped as she saw
Robert for the first time. He looked … so different than he had last winter,
like amazingly different. He never posted photos of himself on Facebook so she
hadn’t seen his transformation.

One of the things Savannah loved
about him was his steadiness, his predictability. He was solid. He was
conservative to the core; he wore the same kinds of clothes as she, ate the
same kinds of foods as she, he had a way about him that made it so comfortable
to be with him socially. They were, or
had been
, a perfectly matched
pair.  There was a reason everyone assumed they’d always be together.

Mesmerized by the change in him,
Savannah was rendered speechless as Courtney nearly shoved her into his
conversational circle. Blinking her eyes, she quickly noticed his hair that had
once been neatly trimmed and short … was now long and full, almost touching the
top of his collar. Gone were the familiar button down shirts and wool trousers.
Here he stood; charismatic and charming, not that he hadn’t always been; but it
was different somehow. He was … determined and confident, in a different way
than he’d been. Did she even know this man, standing loose-limbed and
incredibly tanned? He was gorgeous, model-like, but a stranger
nonetheless. 

“Savannah,” he said, interrupting
his conversation to give her a sideways hug and peck on the cheek. “You’re
looking beautiful as ever,” he said, not quite meeting her eye. Momentarily at
a loss for words, she simply smiled, allowing Courtney to move the rest of his
group toward a beverage table set up on the other side of the room.

“Robert,” she finally said while
they were temporarily alone. “You look … good,” she said inanely.

“A little different, huh?” he
agreed, smiling slyly. “It’s really more … me,” he teased, glancing around the
room.