Jennifer Robins (6 page)

Because she had lain awake so long the night before, Rachel almost overslept, but her mother came up to her bedroom to wake her. “Sleepyhead, I thought for sure you’d be up before I was this morning. You must have been awfully tired to sleep in like this,” she said as she stood by the bedroom door watching Rachael sit up and rub the sleep from her eyes. “It’s not like you. I have breakfast on the stove. You better hurry or you’ll miss the streetcar. You have less than an hour.”

Rachael slipped out of bed and rushed to the closet. “I won’t need breakfast; I can wait to eat at lunch time. Besides, I’m not even hungry.”

The rush was on to get to the corner and not miss her ride into town. She had wanted to take an earlier train so she could stop at the department store in hopes someone would open the door and let her in, but not this late. She would have just enough time to get to work.

Refreshing cold air hit her the second she stepped outside the door. At least it wasn’t snowing, she thought as she went down the stairs and started on her journey to the corner of her street to wait for her ride.

Standing there, she wondered if Stan had his accident right there at her stop. If so he had been very close to getting to her place. Shame it had to happen.

She sat by a window gazing out into space while thinking of what she’d say to him when she got there at the lunch hour.
What if he’s not there? Or, what if he’s too busy and can’t talk?
She shook her head to rid her mind of those thoughts.

When she stepped out to the street and made her way to the sidewalk, the department store was about to open and a crowd of people stood near the door. It beckoned to her to come in, but a little voice inside said,
You’ll be late for work and lose your job.
Off she went on her way to the market, and she didn’t look back.

Her work that day consisted of packaging cheese of all kinds into one pound portions. This part of the market place handled all kinds of dairy products, including eggs, milk, lard, and butter. She liked working there because it always smelled so good and every once in awhile, she was allowed to have a little taste of one of the cheeses. What a nice day to be there after having no breakfast and nothing planned for lunch. Maybe this would be a lucky day after all.

When the lunch hour bell rang, she hurried out and headed for the department store. Her heart was beating fast as she practically ran. She had to stop once and slow down. Anticipation mounted when she arrived at the front doors and went inside.

With Christmas only a few days away, the store was full of last-minute shoppers in search of lower prices the store often offered at the final days of the upcoming holiday. Rachael pushed her way past all the people and hurried to the stairs to the second floor.

At the top of the wide staircase, she stood a moment to gather some composure before rushing to the manager’s office to ask where Stan could be located. Unfortunately, the man was not there.

She took inventory of the area to try and determine where he might be. She was so sure he would be working on this floor.

“Rachael.” She heard her name called and turned around to see Stan coming toward her.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him limping along, with one of his feet wrapped with a large, tan bandage. “Stan,” she yelled, and ran to him. “I’m so happy I found you. I heard about your accident and was worried about you. Are you all right?”

“Yeah,
yeah
, I’m okay. I’m surprised to see you here. I wanted to come looking for you but I had to be here for my first day on the job. My brother stopped me from coming to your house yesterday because the doctor wanted me to stay off this foot for a few days.” He had a beam of happiness written all over his face. “Come with me to the office where I’m working. We can sit and talk there. Did you have lunch?” he asked as he escorted her to a room at the end of the hall.

“I had some cheese at work,” she told him. “What about you?”

“I’m not hungry right now; you’re all the lunch I need.” He pulled up a chair from the side of the room and placed it in front of the desk. “Here ya’ go.” He then scurried around to sit in the chair behind the desk. “I know you only have an hour and I will need to get back to work also, but I’m glad to see you, Rachael. I was worried about what you thought when I didn’t show up Saturday.”

She settled in the chair and sat forward. “I
was
worried, all right. My Dad said maybe the bad weather held you up. I was afraid it was because you really didn’t want to see me again.”

“Not at all, I’d never even think that. I wanted to see you so bad, I jumped off that streetcar in a hurry to get to your house and that’s when I fell.”

Rachael lowered her head. “I’m glad… Oh dear, not that you fell, that you wanted to see me again.” She sat back and smiled.

“Listen Rachael, when I left the paper company on Friday, they gave me my week’s pay and I thought you might want to go to see a movie. There’s a good one this week at the Starlight Theater.”

“I haven’t been to a movie in so long. I’d love to go, but are you sure you can afford it?”

“Of course I can. There’s this new movie out, called,
A Christmas Carol
. Which reminds me . . . the store is having a Christmas party tomorrow for all the employees and we can invite a spouse or friend. Want to come?”

“I’d like that. What time?”

They’re going to close the store at six and we’ll have the party until ten. Do you have to work tomorrow?”

“No, I’m off after today until after Christmas. I can be here.”

“I’d come and get you but they want me here to set things up. Maybe you can help. I’ll ask if you can come in earlier. I think it will be all right. And we can have some fun getting ready for the party together. Would you like that?”

“Yes, I would. I can see if my dad can bring me here. He said something last night about getting home early tomorrow. So you think about four?”

“Yeah, four would be good.” Stan stood and walked around the desk. “Come on, I’ll see you to the door. I know you have to get back to work and so do I. After tomorrow, we’ll have to see about that movie I’d like to take you to.”

She was stunned by the way he talked to her as if he’d known her for years. He limped along at her side, but before they left the room, she turned to him and said, “You don’t have to see me to the door, Stan. Better keep off that foot as much as possible. I can see myself out.”

He paused. “All right, I guess you’re right. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He touched her shoulder and moved closer to her as though he might kiss her, but then shook his head and stepped back. Rachael lowered her head in disappointment.

Rachael went along to finish out her workday at the market. In spite of the snow, she had a light, happy step to her gait. Her boss gave her a funny grin when he saw her.

He came up to her. “What ever it is that makes you so happy, it’s a nice change from what you were this morning.”

She nodded.

“There’s been a change for this afternoon and you will be working in produce the rest of the day.”

“Okay, I like it there. I’ll go over right now.”

“Good, and Rachael, Merry Christmas.”

The afternoon went by at a rapid pace and before she knew it, it was time to go home. Tony Samoni, the Italian produce boss, came up to her with a bottle of wine in his hand. “You take this wine home for Christmas.” He took a brown paper bag from the table and slid the bottle into it.

“You don’t need to give me anything, Tony,” Rachael told him.

“You take...wine good for you, it make-a you blood good. Here.” He handed her the bag. “And Merry Christmas to you and family.”

All the next morning Rachael wrestled with the time while trying to keep busy so it would pass quickly. Her father had told her he’d get her to the store by four o'clock. He must know how excited she was about spending the evening with Stan. It was all he'd heard from her since he’d arrived home. Her dad had told her he wanted to meet this boy who had made his daughter so cheerful she was driving him crazy.

At three-thirty, Rachael began nagging her father to get his jacket on so they could be on their way. She was already wearing her coat, scarf, boots, and gloves, and stood by the front door, egging him on while he took his jacket out of the closet.

“All right, let’s go,” he said as he put it on.

Parking downtown was always a problem, especially at that time of day. They had to take a space across from the department store next to the skating rink. Rachael hurried him across the street to the doors of the building where she would spend the next few hours with someone she really liked.

Stan was waiting for her right by the doors. She saw him standing there watching as people were coming in and going out. When their gazes met, he quickly opened the door for her and her father.

“You made it. I had a break so I came down here to keep an eye out for you.”

She introduced her father and the men shook hands. “Nice to meet you sir,” Stan said.

“It’s good to meet you too. I’ve heard some nice things about you.” Rachael watched her father size him up a bit while Stan continued talking to her.

“I have a display to put together upstairs near the lunchroom. My boss said it was all right for you to come early and help out.”

Andrew turned to his daughter. “I’ll leave you now, but I’ll be back at ten to pick you up.”

“All right, Dad, thanks.”

Boxes of holiday hats, garland, and paper cups sat on the floor next to the lunch room waiting to be unpacked. Stan picked one of the boxes up. “Let’s start with this one. These cups can be put on the tables. I’ll set the box in there.” He started for the lunchroom with Rachael on his heels.

It didn’t take long to empty the box and fill the tables with stacks of paper cups. They went from one box to another, setting everything in its place and stringing the garland across the side wall. Only one small box remained to be addressed.

Stan brought it in and set it on the counter.

Rachael spoke up. “You know, Christmas is in three days. What are your plans for the holiday?”

“I have none.”

“What about your brother and any other family?”

“Richard is going to his girlfriend’s and there is no other family. My parents died two years ago in a car accident.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. How awful.”

“I’ve never quite gotten over it, but I’ve learned to accept it. Richard has a little more of a problem with it during the holidays. That’s why he goes off with this girl he’s been seeing for the past five years. I don’t know why they don’t get married, but it’s the way he wants it.”

He opened the box and suddenly it tipped over and the contents fell on the floor. Fresh mistletoe lay at their feet. He looked down and started to laugh. “Of all the things.”

They stood face to face, straddling the dozens of little Christmas bouquets lying at their feet, and stared down at them. Stan raised his gaze to meet hers. “I guess we’re supposed to hang these somewhere. You know, for the under-the-mistletoe thing.”

She started to back away from him, but he wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her closer. His face was right up to hers, his eyes fixed on hers, and his lips close to hers. “I wonder if the same rule goes for being
over
the mistletoe.”

She could smell his clean spicy aftershave. Tingles ran up her back and her pulse quickened. When his mouth met her parted lips, her heart raced with desire. She brought her arms up around his neck. He whispered softly in her ear. “I love you, Rachael.”

He kissed her again, then stood back. “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. I shouldn’t have been so aggressive, but I just couldn’t help myself. I meant what I said, Rachael. I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Rachael didn’t know what to say, and she could hardly catch her breath. Strange feelings swam through her like a rushing river.
Is this what love feels like
?

Her silence had him stepping back. He bent down and gathered up the mistletoe and placed it back in the box. “I think I’ll ask what they want me to do with these,” he said and turned away from her.

“Don’t apologize for what just happened, Stan. I wanted you to kiss me and I’m not sorry.”

A happy grin spread across his face. “I’m glad. Come on, let’s finish decorating so the party can begin.”