O Christmas Steele
Although Mr. Steele had been in L.A. for several years, this was the first year they had been together. Their first Christmas together
The weather in Southern California this time of year had been much different than any of the Christmases he had experienced as a child, where his hands had been shoved deep into his pockets and what little clothing he owned had been wrapped securely around his head and neck trying to keep out the bitter cold.
No, thanks to the Santa Ana winds causing an unseasonable heat-wave, it was unbearably hot. It was hard to feel the Christmas spirit when the mercury was pushing one hundred degrees. Laura's chestnut hair had been pulled back into a playful ponytail and she had bounced around in a tank-top and shorts like it was the Fourth-of-July.
He had tried to convince her to get an artificial tree, but there had been no talking to her about that. She had insisted on getting a real tree. And not just any real tree; it had to be a Scotch Pine.
A makeshift fence haphazardly placed on the pavement at the local Ralph's supermarket had turned an ordinary parking lot into a veritable Winter Wonderland. Twinkling Christmas lights had been strung around the perimeter, artificial snow had been spread all over the ground, Christmas music had been blaring from speakers and in a small fenced-in area, a pony wearing fake antlers had made a pitiful excuse for a reindeer.
The smell of fresh pine wafted around them as they strolled up and down through rows and rows of trees. Laura carefully examined tree after tree finding fault with each one. Too tall, too short, too bushy, not bushy enough. . . Mr. Steele wasn't sure if she'd ever find one she'd be happy with. He just wished she would choose a bloody tree so they could get out of the heat and back into some air-conditioning.
"It's just a tree, Laura," he remarked, not hiding his impatience at her lack of decisiveness.
"It's not just any tree. It's our first Christmas tree. It has to be perfect."
Although he felt like he had been completely out of his element, she had seemed right at home. She had been like a kid in a candy shop. Her enthusiasm had almostbeen contagious. Almost.
Just when he was sure they had looked at every tree in the lot, Laura stopped in her tracks.
"This is the one," she stated.
"Are you sure?" He smiled. There might be hope yet to salvage what was left of this weekend.
Mr. Steele paid the attendant, carried the prickly tree out of the lot and propped it up in the back seat of the Rabbit. Perhaps now they could move on to more exciting activities.
"What would you like to do now," he asked.
"Let's go home and decorate it."
He grimaced. That's not the activity he had in mind.
She smiled a devilish grin, moved closer to him and whispered, "Mr. Steele, do you know how exciting it is to make love beneath the glow of a Christmas tree?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"
Her eyes sparkled and her smile grew even wider and without answering she just turned away and climbed into the car.
Okay, maybe he was beginning to feel a bit of the Christmas spirit.