Gio flicked the switch on the radio. He could not bear hearing Mariah Carey telling him he was all she wanted for Christmas one more time. He sighed as silence engulfed the deli and started busying himself with tidying the containers behind the counter. It was 4.30pm on Christmas Eve, just half an hour before he could escape to the safeness of his Christmas-free apartment. It wasn't that he didn't like Christmas, not at all, it was in fact one of his favourite times of the year. Well, it had been. This year was different. Walking around the city, couples seemed to bombard him with their closeness and love for each other. Shops seemed to show him only the gifts that someone would buy a lover. Songs, for goodness sake had started to address him personally! And besides, the next morning would see him having to put on a brave face and indulge himself in his mother's Christmas feast. He was, however, looking forward to giving Antonella her gift, he did love his sneaky little sister. Lost in his own thoughts, the sound of the bell as the door opened pulled him partly back to his senses. Without turning to face the customer he said 'Hey, you just made it in time! What can I get you?'
'Uh oh erm a Festive Turkey baguette please'
'Coming right up, would you like cranberry sauce on that?' He continued.
'Can you make that sundried tomatoes instead?'
His face dropped. No it couldn't be! Surely not? Was she really there? In a daze, he slowly turned round to face the person that had made the request. His heart was racing, a sensation that he had kind of forgotten these past few months. There, standing before him on the opposite side of the counter was Betty, a bashful smile on her face. She was really there.
'Five preferably' she continued.
The sight of her in her lilac duffle coat, pink earmuffs and her rosy cheeks from the cold sent a shiver down his spine. He blinked just to make sure that she was still there when he opened his eyes again. She was, she was there, she was real, not just an apparition, one that had plagued many of his dreams.
He mustered the courage to speak. 'Betty..wha..what are you doing here?'
'Well', her voice was flustered, a nervousness built within her, 'I really felt like a sandwich, and you know, I remembered this really great deli just around the corner from my apartment. My stomach has been speaking to me recently, it was telling me it missed it's daily sandwich fix. And to tell you the truth…' she paused. 'I miss you'.
Gio was speechless. Two months ago he had walked out of her life, regrettably, the day of the crazy happenings at Coney Island. He had heard nothing of her, not one word, and he had resigned himself to the fact that on that hazy October afternoon, he had seen the last of Betty Suarez. And that had torn him apart, perhaps even more so than the day when she had broke his heart by not going to Rome with him. To hear those words now, the ones that he had imagined her saying over and over in his head was surreal.
God, pick yourself up man. Don't let her do this to you.
'Betty, please. I, uh, you, well' Seeing her again had thrown him. He had so much he wanted to say. 'Betty, I'll get you your sandwich. But then I think you should go.' He watched her face, a slight hint of moisture formed in her beautiful eyes. He felt a pang of sadness hit his stomach.
'Gio please. Please come sit down with me. I need to explain.'
Slowly moving around the counter, he felt that he owed it to himself to hear what Betty had to say. Taking a chair, he sat at a table, Betty following, a small tree ornament their only barrier. Silence fell, she started.
'Gio, I miss you. And I know that I hurt you. That day at my apartment when you told me that I broke your heart and my cell rang' He winced at the memory.
'Ever since then, when you left that day, the sense that I had caused pain to someone special to me has haunted me. I have dreamt your words, over and over again and I wake up in a cold sweat. Gio, I' her voice cracked. 'I had an epiphany, a moment of total clarity' Was she mocking his own words?
'I love you'.
He couldn't bring himself to speak. He gulped. Did she really just say that? He couldn't form the words, he couldn't express himself. He needed a stiff drink!
'Well, anyway, erm…I have this for you' She placed a neatly wrapped box on the table, glanced one more time at the man she loved, and walked out of the deli into the cold evening air.
Reaching across the table, he looked at the tag. 'Gio, Love B x'
He started to attentively unwrap the box, lifting the lid, inside was a layer of gold tissue paper. Slowly unravelling that, something metallic glistened under the deli's lights. He was holding in his hands a small silver plaque inscribed with the words:
'Gio's Deli. (An engraving of a smiling pickle) The best sandwiches in New York'
-The eater, Betty Suarez.
A smiled curled at the corners of his lips. And then a sense of longing filled his heart. Reaching for the deli door, he made his way outside, running along the pavements. The air was cold and damp, but he could not feel it through his sweater, the intensity of his love was burning throughout his whole entire being.
There she was. He passed a band playing Christmas carols.
'Betty!! Wait'
She turned to face him, tears swelling in her eyes. She looked down at the plaque still firmly in his grasp.
'I thought it'd look good outside.' were her only words.
'Betty I love it. I'm sorry for not saying anything inside. You surprised me. Do you know how long I've wanted to hear you say that?'
She smiled. He wiped a tear from her face.
'B, I'm sorry, I didn't get you a gift'
'Gio, all I want for Christmas if you.' Her words were sincere, she really meant them. All that she could possibly want was standing right in front of her.
Gio chuckled. 'Does that mean I don't have to give Mariah a call now?'
'What?' Betty's eyes widened.
He continued, 'you know, she was saying to me, only about an hour ago in the deli that 'all I want for Christmas is yoooooo-ooouuu baby' he sang the last few words, a playful look in his eyes.
Betty hit is arm, the way she had done on so many occasions in the past, a full grown smile plastered on her face. He pretended to be hurt.
'Why do you always do that to me, B?' She threw him a side way glance.
'Shut up and kiss me!' Her voice was strong and demanding, he couldn't do anything but comply as he engulfed her in his arms.
As their lips met, the whole of the past year washed over them both, a sense of longing, happiness, love and contentment binding them together. As they pulled apart, they stared into each other's eyes, both sets sparkling with joy. The band's joyful melody set the scene for their perfect reunion.
Gio smiled, this year's Christmas was going to be his best ever, he could tell.
Stretching out his arm he said 'Shall we?' and this time Betty smiled, entwined her fingers in his, and replied 'yes certainly'. As they made their way back to the deli hand in hand, small delicate snowflakes started to fall, covering the streets of New York with a blanket of love.