Hot Chocolate with a Sprinkling of Love
Disclaimer: The usual
A/N: Sorry for the that evil cliffhanger but my favorite shows can do it, so can I! Hope you enjoy the rest of the story. Thank you so much to reviewers!
xoxoxoxoxo
Chapter 12
Same day
"Merry Christmas Eve, Lucy!" Myles greeted Lucy when she opened her door. "You're looking especially radiant this splendid evening."
"Thank you, Mr. Leland," she smiled. "And you're looking quite dapper. Is that a new coat?" she asked admiring the well-fitted camel colored woolen garment.
"A early gift from my mother," he confirmed. "She thought my old one looked…well, old. She did not want me to be seen about town with a worn article of clothing. She said it would create 'talk'. I, for one, could not care less. However, as you can see, Mother prevailed."
Lucy laughed. "I guess no matter what age you are, a mother is always concerned with her child's appearance."
"Especially if you are the mother of this particular Leland," he said dryly. "Lucy? What's wrong?" he asked at her sudden change of expression.
"Would she approve of my appearance?" she asked hesitantly.
Promptly, he pulled her into an embrace. "Oh, definitely," he responded. "Let me tell you a little secret about Mother."
She looked at him expectantly.
"Beneath that cool, reserved exterior beats the heart of a woman who is happy when her children are happy."
"And are you happy?"
"Definitely." He bent down to kiss her. "Are you?"
"Oh, definitely!"
"Good!" He swooped down for one more kiss. "Now, to make my Mother happy, we need to leave. Ready?"
"As soon as I get my almost-new coat," she replied opening the tiny entryway closet.
"Let me help you."
Myles was adjusting the coat on her shoulders when the phone rang. "One sec," she told him. "It might be Sue. Hello?"
"Lucy, I'm glad I caught you before you left," said the voice on the other end.
"Sue? Is that you? Is anything wrong? You sound….funny." Lucy's forehead creased in worry at the strained tone of her friend's voice.
"No…yes. I mean…I'm not feeling well so I decided to keep my germs to myself. I'm not going to your grandmother's. Please give her my apologies and wish your family a Merry Christmas for me."
"Oh, no! You can't mean that!" her friend cried.
Myles came to stand next to Lucy, concern evident on his face.
"Myles and I are coming over right now."
"No! Don't," was the immediate response. "I…I think…I know I'm coming down with something. All I need is some rest and I'll be fine."
"Are you sure? It's right on the way to my grandmother's," said Lucy. "It wouldn't be a problem to check on you."
"Thanks but I just need to rest," she emphasized. "I'll see you on Tuesday. Merry Christmas, Lucy, and Myles, too."
"Merry Christmas, Sue." A look of unease appeared on Lucy's face.
"I take it Sue is incapacitated?" asked Myles when his date returned the phone to its cradle.
"She said she's not feeling well," she responded doubtfully. "But she was fine when I saw her on Friday."
"So you're thinking it's more than a mere cold."
"She sounded…different."
"Different? How?"
"It's hard to explain. She sounded..you know when you're trying to sound like everything's okay but it's really not? I'm worried."
"What do you think happened?"
"I don't know what could have happened between Friday and today. She was supposed to go to a party last night with Dan."
"Dan? Dan is in the picture?" Myles parroted in confusion. "What happened to Bobby?"
"He went to Vermont. An annual guy thing. He left Thursday night so he's not in the picture."
"Shall we drop by Sue's place?" suggested Myles.
A look of relief appeared. "You don't mind?"
"Of course not." He took a step closer to Lucy and put his arms around her. "You know, Miss Dotson, one of the qualities that drew me to you is your concern for your friends and family. I hope one day I'll be included in that circle."
"Well, you don't have to hope any longer," she assured him. "You are definitely in that elite group."
"Good. That's just where I want to be." He kissed her. "C'mon. Let's go check on Sue."
xoxoxoxoxo
Clad in pajamas, Sue sat on her couch sipping hot chocolate in the darkness, the only illumination from the lights on the Christmas tree. It was Christmas Eve and never had she felt less like celebrating the holiday.
Lucy and Myles had stopped by and both had tried their best to persuade her to join them. She had refused adamantly repeating she wasn't feeling well and didn't want to expose anyone to her germs. Her friends had left, reluctant to leave her alone but not knowing what else to do. Sue was thankful Lucy hadn't asked the mountain of questions she knew her friend wanted to ask but considerately hadn't. She didn't have any answers.
Neither did she have any tears. When she'd returned to her apartment, she'd waited for them to fall but none came. Her misery was too deep. She'd spent a sleepless night tossing and turning thinking about Dan…thinking about Bobby.
She was sad about Dan but it wouldn't have been fair to accept his proposal not with her doubts. She liked and respected him too much. It was with genuine regret that she had watched him leave. Better for him to find someone who would appreciate the wonderful person he was. She would miss him.
As for Bobby, she would more than miss him. Life would not be the same without him.
Tears blurred her vision—she wanted Bobby. She wanted his arms around her, his lips on hers. She wanted to be with him every minute of every day. Life was brighter and sweeter with Bobby. Their talks, the shared laughter, the moments when words weren't necessary. They all disappeared the instant he walked out of her apartment and out of her life. Her heart ached knowing Bobby had left believing she was going to marry Dan.
Now that he walked out of her life she'd have to change jobs, she decided. She couldn't bear the thought of running into him in the elevator…in the lobby. She wouldn't be able to face him. Much as she loved working at Wishing Star, she'd start looking for a new job first thing after Christmas.
She stood up to put her cup in the sink when she noticed the light flashing on her phone. Who would be calling her at this time of night? Maybe her parents to wish her a Merry Christmas, she thought. She was tempted to let it go but she found herself reaching for the phone.
"Hello?"
"Sue? It's Bobby," scrolled by her TDD.
"Bobby?" she uttered in disbelief.
"I need to talk to you."
"Talk to me? Now?"
"Now."
"Where are you?"
"Here."
"You're here?"
"I'm on your doorstep. Buzz me in."
Dumbfounded, her finger punched in the entry code. Walking to the door, she yanked it open and waited for the one person she'd thought had disappeared from her life to appear. The seconds crawled by. Had he really called? she wondered. At last, the doors of the elevator pulled apart with agonizing slowness.
Their eyes met.
"You're supposed to be in Vermont," she said when he finally stood in front of her.
"I was but I came back," he explained. "You were all I could think of. I had to talk to you."
She stared at him still unable to believe her eyes that he was close enough for her to touch.
"May I come in?"
Without a word, she stepped aside to let him. Closing the door, she followed him into the living room. She bent down to turn on a lamp and replace the phone. She straightened, her eyes glued to his face.
Nervously, Bobby looked at Sue. He didn't know what to say, how to begin. Nervously, he rubbed the back of his neck when his eyes fell on her left hand. Slowly, he reached for it and gently lifted it up.
"No ring? What happened to the engagement?" he asked in astonishment at her bare finger.
"No ring, no engagement."
"Why?" He still couldn't believe Sue wasn't marrying Dan.
"I couldn't."
"Why not?" It was beginning to dawn on Bobby that maybe his return wasn't fruitless. Perhaps he hadn't lost Sue to another man.
"It wouldn't have been fair to Dan."
"Why?" The intensity of his gaze took her breath away.
"I never believed in love at first sight," she began slowly.
Bobby waited for her next words.
"Until I met you."
His heart soared. Gathering her in his arms, he crushed her with a passionate embrace.
"I love you, Sue," he said softly holding her at arm's length so she could clearly see his lips, "I fell in love with you the moment you looked at me wondering who this stranger was that wanted to buy you a cup of hot chocolate. That first day when I lost you for those few minutes in the store, I knew my life would never be the same unless you were by my side."
"I love you, Bobby," she said simply. "I don't know exactly when it happened. Maybe it was when you found out I was deaf and it didn't matter. Or maybe the way you looked so relieved when you thought you'd lost me. Or how cute you looked asking me to the Hudsons' party. All I know is that when you kissed me, I knew my life had changed—forever."
"Marry me?"
"Yes."
xoxoxoxoxo
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