CHAPTER EIGHT
New York City - Ed's apartment
December 16, 2000
8:00 AM
Ed slept in until eight o'clock. He'd needed the extra hour to recover from the VERY late Thursday evening he'd spent with Carol. He smiled, remembering it. He showered quickly, then dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and sneakers. Then he walked over to his closet. Reviewing his available shirts, he instinctively grabbed a clean baseball jersey with the number six on the front.
He went to the kitchen, where he prepared himself a quick breakfast of eggs, toast, and coffee. It wasn't long before he was feeling like his old self again. No. He was feeling better ... much better, than he had in weeks.
And he knew *exactly* why.
He glanced at his watch. It was still too early to go pick up Carol for their shopping trip. So, he puttered around the apartment for another hour. Then he'd remembered that he'd originally planned to play racquetball with Jerry that morning. He picked up the phone and called his friend - hoping that he could catch him before he left home.
"Hello?" Jerry answered.
"Jerry, it's me, Ed."
"Hey Ed. What's up?"
"I know we were supposed to play racquetball today but ..."
Jerry didn't even let him finish, "... but you have OTHER plans. I already know."
"You already know? How do you already know? I just made the plans yesterday afternoon." But he already had a pretty good idea how Jerry had found out - Deloris.
"Uh, it's after 9:30 AM, don't you think you should be getting on your way. You have to get across town to pick up Carol and it's Saturday and traffic's going to be a bit slow - what with all the people out doing their holiday shopping."
"Jerry ... is there ANYONE at Farmer & Sheehan that Deloris hasn't told something about me and Carol to?"
"I don't think she's managed to speak to window washers on the 31st floor, yet," came Jerry's reply.
Ed sighed. His secretary's talents at espionage were clearly wasted at Farmer & Sheehan. She was obviously much more suited to working someplace like the CIA. He made a mental note to himself to take it up with her on Monday. Right after he handed her the flowers he intended to buy her as a thank-you for taking care of his racquetball game with Jerry.
"Thanks Jerry. Look I gotta run, now. I'll talk to you Monday, okay?"
"Check, go get 'em chief!"
Ed stopped. He debated how or even if he should reply to Jerry's last comment. Then he decided against it. He really didn't want to know if Deloris had started an office pool about him and Carol. "Right, okay. Bye." was all he really felt safe in saying.
Ed stood there for a moment. It wasn't that he wasn't attracted to Carol. Because he was. At first, he tried to dismiss the feelings as the leftover remnants of the infatuation with Carol that he'd had in high school. But it was more than that. Much more. He knew there was something special about her. That she brought out something in him that he hadn't seen in a long time. Something that had been missing in him, since even before he and Liz had divorced.
He looked down at the phone. He thought about calling his best friend, Mike Burton and talking to him about it - but decided he'd wait till tomorrow. As Jerry had said, he *really* had to get going if he was going to be on time.
***
New York City - Room 426, the DoubleTree Hotel
December 16, 2000
8:00 AM
Carol slowly climbed out of her bed. She'd been up late writing last night and hadn't gotten to sleep til almost 1:00 AM. She fumbled around her hotel room for a few moments, then went into the bathroom for a quick shower.
As she walked back into her bedroom, she decided that given the amount of time she and Ed would be walking around the city, that jeans and sneakers were the best choice. She grabbed a t-shirt and her blue sweatshirt (the one with gold trim) from the dresser.
For breakfast, she figured she'd just run down to the bagel shop across the street from the hotel. She had seen the bill for her self-indulgent breakfast and lunch yesterday and knew that she couldn't afford a repeat of that. 'I definitely have to watch my funds more closely,' Carol thought. 'I don't have money to burn!'
She finished her make-up and then stepped back to look at herself in the mirror. 'Well,' she thought surveying her choice of attire, 'doesn't this look frumpy.' She considered changing into something else - she'd even started back towards the bedroom. When she stopped.
She was just going out with Ed. She didn't have to try to impress him. She smiled contentedly. For some reason, knowing that comforted her.
At the bagel shop, Carol ordered a large bran muffin and some coffee. As she ate, she watched as crowds of New Yorkers bustled about on their weekend and holiday plans. Even though she'd been in the city for several days now, she still found it hard to believe the city was home to *so* many people. It wasn't at all like Stuckeyville.
She suppressed a slight twinge of homesickness. Then ate the last bit of her muffin and checked her watch. If she hurried, she had just enough time to get back to her room and get cleaned up before Ed was supposed to meet her. She ran back across the street to her hotel.
Carol had just finished brushing her teeth and was passing the time with a little TV-channel surfing, when she thought she heard a knock at her door. She walked to the door, and looked out through the peephole into the hallway.
She chuckled slightly.
Ed was in the hallway, pacing back and forth. After about a minute and a half, he took a deep breath, and walked back over to her door. He raised his hand as if to knock, then paused. Stopped. Then turned and went back to pacing. He repeated this pattern several times over the next five minutes.
All while Carol watched, more than a little amused.
Finally, when she didn't think she could contain her laughter any more, Carol opened the door - just as Ed was raising his hand to make another attempt at knocking. Ed looked at Carol, quizzically, it didn't take much to guess why she was chuckling - she'd been watching him the whole time.
He quickly bent down and picked up a plant that he had set down on the floor just to the left of the door and presented it to Carol. "Uh, this is for you," He said. No doubt hoping to stifle any embarrassing questions about why he was wearing a path in the hotel's carpeting.
"Um, thank you," Carol said tentatively.
"You're welcome," Ed said with a smile.
Finally, Carol asked, "Ed, why did you just give me a plant."
Ed's smile fell. "Don't you like it?"
"Oh, no, no," Carol said quickly, "I like it. I like it a lot. It's just that I don't understand why you gave it to me."
"Oh," Ed said, sounding relieved. "Well, as I was heading over I passed a flower shop. I thought about getting you flowers. But then I thought, 'Come on, Ed, she doesn't have anywhere she can put flowers. Its not like a hotel room comes equipped with a vase for their guests to put flowers in.' Then I thought about silk flowers, but they would still look better in a vase. Same problem. So I got you a plant."
Carol did her best to follow Ed's logic, but gave up. Whatever his thinking, it was still a sweet gesture. As he finished, she nodded and said, "And a very nice plant it is. Thank you." She walked over and placed it carefully on the coffee table in the main room. She looked back at Ed, who smiled, obviously pleased.
"Ready to go?" Ed asked.
"Yeah," Carol replied and grabbed her coat. They walked out of her hotel room and took the elevator downstairs - not saying much, just sneaking glances at one another and smiling.
As they walked across the lobby, Carol rummaged through her purse and pulled out a piece of paper.
"What's that," Ed asked.
"Hm, oh," Carol said, "it's my shopping list. Unlike some people (a meaningful glance at Ed) I have almost all of my Christmas shopping done. I just wanted to pick up a little something for everyone on my list. Something from my trip to New York."
"Ah," Ed said. "I have my list too."
"Oh yeah," Carol said, "let me see it!"
"Can't," Ed replied.
"Why not?" Carol said.
"Because," Ed said tapping his index finger against his temple, "it's all up here."
"Oh, that's right," Carol says with a smile, "you like to live dangerously!"
Ed glared at her humorously. They walked outside, then he directed them south.
"So," Ed said, "who's on your list."
"Let's see," Carol said, "I've got my father, my sister Stella, Molly, Mike, Nancy, and Sarah."
Ed craned his neck to look at the list, "Hmm?"
"What?" Carol asked, holding the list against her chest.
"Oh, nothing," Ed said, sounding disappointed.
"Come on, Ed," Carol persisted. "What?"
"Well," Ed said, "I see my name isn't on your little list, is it?"
"Uh, no," Carol said non-plussed. "No, it's not."
Ed suddenly brightened and said, "Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to content myself with being the star of your latest novel. So have you given any thoughts as to who will play me?"
"What?"
"In the movie."
"What movie?"
"The MOVIE," he explained. "The movie based on your novel. You remember the romantic thriller, starring your's truly." He smiled.
"Ed. The novel isn't even finished yet."
"So? My dear Carol, as a talented young writer you should endeavor to learn more about the intricacies of the entertainment business. A hot property like your novel will get eaten up in seconds by those Hollywood movie types. You need to start thinking in advance."
"How can you be so sure that my novel's going to be a ... what did you call it? A 'hot property'?"
"Well as I see it. Your novel has two things going for it."
"And those would be?"
Ed stopped walking for a second, he turned and look serenely in Carol's eyes and said "Well ... One, it has you for a writer."
Carol blushed, "And the other?"
"I'm in it," Ed said matter-of-factly. Then dodged as Carol playfully tried to hit him.
Carol laughed. "Okay, Ed you win. You're not on my list, but only because I already had something in mind for you for Christmas."
Ed paused. "Carol I was only kidding, I really don't expect you to get me something for Christmas. We just met the other day and ..." He started walking again, glancing to his side at Carol, and thought 'If only she knew what I REALLY wanted for Christmas!'
"Well, I'm still going to get you something," she replied, with a tone that said the matter was no longer open to debate.
They continued walking for several more minutes. Carol looped her arm into his. Ed smiled contentedly, enjoying the nearness of her.
"So," Ed said, "how did things go last night with your publisher?"
"Yech!" Carol said in disgust.
"That doesn't sound good," Ed replied, "what happened? Didn't he like your book ideas?"
"My 'book ideas' were the last thing on his mind" Carol explained. "Victor Knight, the president of the publishing agency, is a ... well, the best description would be 'pig'. He was more interested in the contents of my blouse than he was in the contents of my book."
"Geez, Carol. I'm sorry." Carol looked up at Ed, she could see that he meant it, too.
"I should have listened to my gut and asked you if you wanted me to come along," Ed admitted after a long silence.
Carol shuddered, remembering that at the time, she'd had the *exact* same thought and then again, during dinner she had wished that Ed had been there with her. She wondered how differently the evening would have gone had he been there with her, or how he might have reacted if he'd walked in and caught Victor trying some of his 'get cozy' tactics on her. The image of Ed defending her honor and popping Victor in the mouth had a certain guilty appeal, she decided.
"Carol?" Ed asked.
"Hmmmm?"
"What's so funny?"
"Hmmm? Oh nothing specific." Carol said, half-lying. "I'm just enjoying the company. Do you have a plan in mind for shopping, or are we going to just wander around?"
"Yes," Ed said, smiling back.
"Yes what?" Carol said. "Yes, you have a plan or yes, we're going to wander."
"Both," Ed said with a smile. "I have a list (he tapped his temple again) of places that I would like to definitely go to, but as for the rest ... Well, we'll leave that up to fate."
"You have that much faith in 'Fate', do you?"
"Let's just say that lately, she's been very kind," Ed replied.
Carol blushed and continued walking beside him.
They spent the next two hours, wandering in and out of shops along Broadway. Until they'd reached the Neiman Marcus several blocks south of Carol's hotel. Ed told Carol he had some gift ideas for his mother and Deloris that he wanted to check out.
As they walked through the store, they talked quietly on a number of different topics: how things were in Stuckeyville - what had changed, what hadn't; Carol's work; Ed's work; their families. Neither realized that they were telling each other things about their work and families that they had never shared with anyone else.
By the time they left Neiman Marcus, Ed had picked out a trio of scarves in bold prints for Deloris - who, as he explained to Carol, was a clothes horse with bold style. Carol looked over at the scarves and almost fainted at the price, but Ed had simply handed over his credit card. 'Well,' Carol thought, 'he is a big city lawyer.'
Ed also asked Carol to help him pick out a sweater for his mother. At first, Carol had playfully balked at the offer - asking Ed why she thought she would be a good model for a fifty-year-old woman. But, she quickly relented when Ed had told her that he'd asked because he thought she had a good fashion sense. So she helped him pick out a lovely red and white sweater.
As he was paying for the purchase at the sales counter, Carol questioned him as to whether the sweater was a wise choice considering his parents now lived in Florida, but he replied that his mother was always cold - didn't matter whether she was in Florida or Ohio.
After they left Neiman Marcus, the pair continued south along Broadway and then turned west onto 34th Street. They had only walked a short distance before they ran into the crowd of people clustered around the window displays at Macy's. Carol and Ed spent a few minutes watching the holiday displays of people in Victorian outfits acting out various Christmas scenes. Carol laughed when Ed stood next to one of the displays - that of a group of carolers - and matched one of them pose for pose.
Carol then suggested they go inside for a bit to warm up and look around. What began as a brief respite from the cold, quickly turned into an earnest shopping trip as the two moved from floor to floor.
Finally, they ended up at the jewelry counter. Carol stopped, wondering if she could find something for Molly or Stella. As she looked at one case, she gave a little gasp.
"Are you okay?" Ed asked.
"That pendant," Carol replied. "It's identical to the one my mother used to have. I remember she used to love it - wore it all the time. My father gave it to her when I was born."
"What happened to it?"
"It was ... lost", Carol choked, her eyes tearing up, ".... when my mom was at the hospital that last time." She wiped away a sniffle, refusing to look away from the pendant and the memory it evoked in her.
Ed looked down at Carol and smiled sadly. Even after all these years it still hurt her to think about her mother's death.
Carol looked over at Ed and - again - saw the compassion, the concern for her, in those blue eyes. For a moment, it even looked to her like his eyes were tearing up, as well.
Then Ed raised a hand, getting the attention of one of the sales women - an older woman with dark hair and a little too much make-up. She came over and said, "Yes, sir. May I help you?"
"Yes," Ed said with a smile, "could we see this pendant please?" Ed pointed at the pendant Carol had previously indicated.
"Of course," the woman said. She took a key out of her jacket pocket, opened the display case and removed the pendant. Then she laid a swash of black felt across the top of the display case (to prevent scratching) and placed the pendant on it.
Carol's hand reached out, tentatively, towards the pendant. It was almost as if she thought it would disappear if she touched it. She stroked the chain for a moment, before moving down to the pendant itself. It was a stylized heart made of gold, with diamond chips down the right side. It was a very simple pendant, but very elegant and beautiful.
'Just like Carol,' Ed thought.
Ed lifted it up, startling Carol who had been in a deep reverie. He lifted the pendant over her head, unclasped the chain and draped it around her neck. He re-clasped the chain as the saleswoman turned a small mirror so Carol could see herself wearing the pendant.
When she saw herself in the mirror, Carol's eyes misted up. Her father had always told her how much she resembled her late mother, but Carol had never really believed him. Now, looking at her reflection in the sales counter mirror, she understood. Wearing that pendant, she felt like her mother was standing next to her. The tears she'd been trying so hard to hold back, came fully now.
Carol lifted the heart in her hand and lowered her head to look at it. As she did so, she glanced at the price tag. Her eyes closed sadly as she knew she would never be able to afford it. She removed the pendant and handed it back to the sales woman - who, after witnessing Carol's reaction seemed to almost be in tears herself.
"Thank you, its lovely. But, I don't think so," Carol managed to say.
As they were moving away from the glass displays, Ed asked, "Carol? What's the matter? For a moment, while you were wearing that pendant you seemed very happy. What happened?"
"Yes, I did," Carol said, "but did you see the price?! I couldn't afford something like that!"
Ed was about to offer to buy the pendant for her, but stopped. 'No,' he thought, 'Carol would never agree to it.'
****
They stayed at Macy's a while longer. Carol, Ed saw, pretended to be over the emotion of the events at the jewelry counter. They went to several other departments, where Carol found a couple of small gifts for her father, Nancy and Molly. Ed found something for Nancy as well.
As they were walking out of the store, Ed told Carol, that he knew of a little café not far away where they could get lunch. Carol nodded. All that walking had given her an appetite.
As they strolled down the street to the café, Ed noticed some mistletoe hanging from an awning of a nearby store. He smiled to himself, knowing that they would have to pass under it to get to the café.
Just as they walked under the awning, Ed stopped suddenly. So suddenly that Carol who had kept walking, had almost been jerked backwards.
"Ed? Is there something wrong?"
"Nope." Ed replied and quickly placed a very sweet, very chaste kiss on her right cheek.
"What," Carol said, her throat not working, "What was that for?"
"Because," Ed said, "you're standing under mistletoe."
Carol pretended to be angry with him. "You ... You ... You kissed me because we happened to walk under some mistletoe?" But it wasn't that she was bothered by the kiss. In fact, since the moment at the jewelry counter when she saw how Ed had looked at her, she'd wanted him to kiss her ... to hold her.
But that. THAT wasn't even a real kiss! 'Wait,' she thought, 'why am I so worked up over this?'
"Carol," Ed began,"...it's a Christmas tradition that goes back hundreds of years. And while you my dear Ms. Vessey (she smiled inwardly as he said the word 'dear') may wish to flaunt the cherished beliefs of our forefathers... I, Edward Jeremy Stevens, will not. Therefore I had no choice but to kiss you."
"No choice, huh?" Carol asked, thoroughly amused.
"None whatsoever." Ed replied, "You're not mad are you?"
Carol simply smiled back and said, "No Ed, its okay. You just surprised me, that's all."
"Oh," Ed said, "sorry."
****
They finished walking the rest of the way to the café and went inside. The interior of the café was simply lovely. The walls were a warm, golden oak. Thick curtains of deep burgundy brocade were spaced along the wall. Lighting - very romantic mood lighting - was provided by the elegant, brushed gold wall sconces. In general, the tables were small - most of them for two persons only - and set with in matching colors to the walls (a warm, golden tablecloth overlaid by a burgundy square). Fresh flowers and votive candles adorned every table.
Once again, Carol found herself impressed by Ed's choice of restaurants. A waitress conducted them to a quiet, but not secluded, table near the back, and they ordered lunch.
When their food arrived Carol inquired how Ed had first found this place. After a long pause, he smiled and confessed that he'd never actually been inside the café before now, but that he'd driven by it a dozen times in the last few weeks and finally decided today would be the day to try it. Ed left out the part of his explanation where he knew that the café was terribly romantic and that the only reason he hadn't been inside before now was that he'd been waiting for just the right person to share it with.
After a few more minutes, the conversation turned to their failed relationships.
Carol spoke more about her relationship with Nick, how it had seemed at first a fairy tale thing. Being with a famous author like Nick was exciting for her. But, after a while, she had heard all of his stories - which he never stopped telling by the way - and she began to feel like there was something missing from the relationship.
With a look at Ed she said, "Alright. More than something. Everything. Everything was missing."
It pained Carol to have to admit that the seven years she'd been with Nick had been wasted time. She looked across the table at Ed, who simply placed his hand over hers and looked at her with such incredible empathy she thought she might cry.
For his part, Ed spoke more about the reasons behind his failed marriage to Liz. The long hours at Farmer & Sheehan trying to make a name for himself, a nagging feeling that he was spending too much time trying to be someone he wasn't, and a recurring doubt that Liz wasn't the one he was meant to be with.
With a sigh, Ed said, "In a way, its all my fault. I compromised."
"What do you mean?" Carol asked.
"For as long as I can remember, I had this image of the woman I'd spend the rest of my life with. I knew Liz didn't fit it completely and I compromised. You can't compromise on the girl."
"So," Carol said, "what is this ideal woman like?"
Ed just looked at Carol and didn't answer. She had the feeling that Ed was trying to tell her something, but didn't want to push the matter.
"How did you two meet," Carol asked, "Was it love at first sight?"
"No," Ed said, "That's only happened to me once."
Before Carol could ask about that, Ed continued on, "No, we went to college together. I saw her in the student union one day and decided to ask her out."
"And she said yes?"
"What do you mean? Of course, she said yes!" Ed said feigning insult. "I think we've already established that I'm a very handsome guy. In fact now that I think about it - I've decided that I think Tom Hanks should play me in the movie."
Carol laughed, "I didn't mean it THAT way, Ed. I mean did she say yes right away or did she say no because she had a boyfriend or something..." Carol winced, she'd hoped that didn't make Ed think about finding Liz in bed with a mailman. Not THE mailman, she reminded herself, a mailman. Ed was always very specific on that one point.
They finished lunch and Ed paid the tab. 'Again,' Carol thought. 'He's not letting me pay for anything except for my Christmas gifts!'
As soon as they stepped outside the café, Ed pointed east and said, "This way a little bit." They walked, Carol's left arm curled around Ed's right. She found herself wanting to just kind of lean into him, but wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not. 'Oh, what the hell,' she thought, and placed her head against his shoulder as they continued walking along the street.
Ed looked down at her and smiled. He was glad that Carol's head was against his RIGHT shoulder - otherwise, she'd probably hear his heart beating like a jackhammer.
Ed and Carol walked along until they reached 38th Street and turned right, heading towards the Lord & Taylor. Carol absorbed everything she saw as they walked. When Ed noted her intense interest in everything around her, she told him it was so that she could accurately portray it in a book but she really wanted to remember because of the almost overwhelming joy she was finding in her moments with Ed.
The streets were surprisingly clean of snow (Ed explained that the city hauled most of it away for dumping into the Hudson). However, a few scattered patches lined the streets. Festive decorations of every kind (Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa) hung from stores, apartments, and office buildings. The air was crisp and clean - Ed laughed and told her that was because it was winter. The angle of the sun made everything glitter. Carol started to feel like she was in a fairy tale story, with Ed the knight in shining armor next to her. She sighed quietly in contentment.
When they finally got to the Lord & Taylor, they joined the small crowd of people gathered outside the store and watched the window display - a series of vignettes from Santa's workshop at the North Pole: Elves making toys, Santa's reindeer, Santa and Mrs. Claus looking over the list and making little Naughty/Nice notes.
"So," Carol asked as they were looking at the last scene, "Does Santa have you on his 'naughty' or his 'nice' list?"
"It depends ..."
"On what ..."
"On whether or not you keep resting your head against my shoulder," Ed replied, wiggling his eyebrows for added emphasis.
Carol laughed.
They finally went inside and did some more shopping. Carol got something for Stella while Ed picked up something for Jerry Pender and his family as well as for his father.
After they finished in Lord & Taylor, Ed hailed a cab. As soon as they got in, Ed told the driver, "FAO Schwartz, please." A few harrowing minutes later - 'Good God!' Carol thought, 'they do ALL drive like this!' - the cab pulled up in front of FAO Schwartz, the famous toy store just south of Central Park.
Once inside, Carol was amazed at the sheer size of the store and her mouth dropped open when she saw the Barbie section. 'Section, hell!' Carol thought. 'I've died and gone to Barbie HEAVEN! No wonder Mom and Dad never wanted to come in here when Dad brought us along with him to New York on business - they NEVER would have been able to get us out of the store. Stell and I would have wanted to stay and play with EVERYTHING!'
Ed and Carol wandered around. They split up with plans to meet back in 20 minutes by the gigantic teddy bear. "By his right foot," Ed cautioned. "This bear is so big that we could be standing on opposite sides of him and never know it."
After 20 minutes, they found one another again and Carol laughed when Ed showed her the gag present he'd bought for Mike Burton - the new Operation- Brain Surgery Game by Milton Bradley. And over Carol's objections, Ed had bought her a rare collector's edition Barbie that had been designed by Vera Wang.
Then they both found something for little Sarah Burton.
It was close to 5:30 PM, when they finally walked out of FAO Shwartz, the sun was dipping below the horizon. The temperature, not that high to begin with, had already started to drop. They both decided they'd had enough shopping for one day.
As they were waiting to hail down a cab, Ed turned to Carol and asked, "Do you want to see Rockefeller Center. Its really pretty this time of the year. They go all out on the decorations and there's the Christmas tree, and the heraldic angels lining the ice skating rink. I think you'd like it!"
"Um, yeah," Carol said hesitantly and looked at the packages she and Ed - well, mostly Ed - were carrying.
Ed saw her glance and said, "Mm, good point. Wait ... We can drop them off at my apartment. It just so happens that it's on the way to Rockefeller Center."
"Sounds like a plan," Carol said with a smile. And then thought if it had been anyone else - she'd have turned them down flat suspecting they'd just wanted to get her alone in their apartment. But Ed was different, she'd only known him a few days and even if he did have an ulterior motive behind his suggestion, she trusted him enough to know with absolute certainty that he'd still conduct himself as a gentleman.
Besides, it wasn't like the thought of getting him alone in an apartment hadn't occurred to HER either.
The cab ride down Fifth Avenue was mercifully short and within moments they were standing outside an apartment complex on the corner of Fifth and 52nd Street.
"Well," Ed said and pointed up. "There I am."
They walked into the lobby of the building. The doorman, who looked to be in his early 60s, said, "Merry Christmas, Mr. Stevens."
"Merry Christmas, Henry," Ed returned. "How are Mary-Margaret and the twins?" Carol gave a polite wave.
Henry had full head of silver hair and a kind face. He was also a tall man, about six foot four. Although, no longer trim, it was obvious that in his youth he must have been an athlete. He looked at Carol, "My daughter and her kids," he offered as an explanation, his brown eyes twinkling with pride. Carol nodded. Then he turned back to Ed and said, "Just fine, sir. Just fine. Do you and the lady need some help with your packages? I could call one of the other lads to give you a hand?" He started reaching for his walkie-talkie.
"No, Henry I think we can manage. Thank you anyway. You make sure you get one of the younger guys to relieve you tonight, I don't want to hear about you standing outside till all hours of the night again."
"No sir, I won't." Henry looked over at Carol and then pointed at Ed, "He's such a worry wort. He is."
Ed and Carol walked into the lobby and took the elevator up to the 10th floor. On the way, Ed told Carol about how, a few years earlier, Henry had stopped a woman from being mugged and was something of a local hero in the building. Carol smiled, comforted by the fact that for every creep like Victor Knight, there were at least two decent guys like Ed and Henry.
Just as they reached the door to his apartment, Ed stopped and turned back around to Carol. He lowered his eyes to her and said, "Carol, before we go in I have a confession to make..."
'Here it comes' thought Carol, expecting Ed to say that he was hoping to do more than just drop their packages off.
"I'd really like to show you the apartment, but since Saturday is my normal cleaning day and I have spent said day with you its ... Well, it's a pig sty. You might see my skivvies if you come in."
"Your skivvies?" Carol said, taken totally by surprise.
"Of course." Ed replied, "What? You were expecting me to confess to something else?"
"No. Of course, not. I would NEVER suggest that you ..." Carol said, defensively. Then realized that her phrasing gave everything away.
"You did! You thought the reason I asked you to come up here was so that you and I would ... That you would ..."
"See your skivvies?" Carol offered as an appropriate euphemism for more intimate relations. Then couldn't help laughing
"Exactly!" Ed tried to remain serious, but Carol's laugh was too infectious and he could no longer contain himself.
They stood in the hallway laughing for several minutes, their faces turning bright red. Finally, Ed stopped himself long enough to get his keys out of his jacket and unlock the door. "We'd better get inside before someone calls the Super" he told Carol.
As they walked in, Ed switched on the inside hallway light. Carol looked around, surprised. The hallway lead into a larger living/dining room combination. And while it wasn't spotless, it was no where close to the disaster area she'd imagined when Ed had made his 'confession'.
"I thought you said this place was a pig sty?" Carol asked.
"Yes, I did say that," Ed said with a smile.
Carol rolled her eyes and said, "Okay, just stash the loot there, chief!"
Ed went over to the dining room table, chuckling, and laid their packages neatly into two piles. Ed told her, "I'll give you the two dollar tour some other time. Let's go."
They headed back down stairs and continued down Fifth Avenue. The closer they got to Rockefeller Center, the more crowded it became. The huge Christmas tree, festooned with over 75,000 lights was a must-see for anyone visiting the city. Ed and Carol walked under the horn-blowing angels which lined the plaza leading up to the tree.
As they moved further into the plaza, Carol's head moved from left to right taking in the sights. They stood by a railing above the ice skating rink and she just absorbed the feeling ... the ambience of the place. When a chill wind whipped down the plaza, Carol snuggled up to Ed, who put his arm around her to help warm her.
After a little while, Ed looked down at people ice-skating and said, "Come on, let's go." He grabbed Carol's hand before she knew what was going on and headed down the stairs.
Carol suddenly realized that Ed was taking her to the rink!
'But, but...' she thought despairingly, 'I don't know HOW to ice skate!'
The look of dread on her face only worsened as she watched as Ed paid for time on the rink and rental skates.
They were halfway through lacing up their skates, when she decided to come clean, "Um, Ed?"
"Yeah, Carol," Ed said.
"I, uh ... I don't actually know how to skate," Carol said in a small voice.
"You're kidding, right?" Ed asked. But one look at Carol's face told him the answer.
"Oh," Ed continued. "No problem! Look its not that hard. I'll be right there. If you fall, I'll catch you, okay?"
Carol smiled, mostly because she really liked the unintended double meaning of Ed's last statement.
They moved slowly onto the ice, Carol clutching Ed's arm. Ed kept telling her to relax.
'Relax? Relax?!!!!' Carol thought. 'How can I 'relax' when my feet keep going in seventeen different directions!'
As Ed helped Carol around the rink, he alternated between steadying her and giving her pointers. As they reached the halfway point, they passed a man with a video camera taping his two kids as they spun around in twirls and skated backwards.
'Damn showoffs,' Carol thought. Then had a feeling of complete and utter dread as she realized that her skating skills might become fodder for some Funniest Videos show. 'Oh, great! I can see the caption now - No people were harmed during the making of this video - with the possible exception of the spastic blond English teacher from Ohio!'
As they completed their first circuit around, Carol had managed to avoid falling - barely - no less than 23 times (by Ed's count). True to his word, Ed had saved her every time. Even her two more spectacular attempts which had almost taken him down with her.
Carol was feeling very frustrated and embarrassed. She watched Ed, who glided across the ice as if he'd born on skates. "How come you're so good at this?" she glared.
Ed grinned. "I'm more graceful than most men," he offered.
Carol took a mock swipe at Ed for his smugness and started a wild gyration to maintain her balance. Ed slipped in and barely caught her before she completely lost her footing.
Carol sighed and said, "You're making a habit of saving me, MISTER Stevens."
"Don't read too much into it, MS. Vessey", he replied grinning, "I'm just protecting my professional reputation as a skating coach." As he finished his statement he skated backwards and out of arm's reach of Carol.
She started to take another swipe at him, but Ed held up his finger and said, "Ah, ah! Temper. Temper."
Ed continued to lead Carol in circuits around the ice. The longer they were there, the better Carol got. Their last circuit around Carol made it on her own and, except for a small wobble at the end, without mishap. Feeling more confident in her ability to do more on the ice than just fall down, she started to enjoy herself.
Carol took Ed's arm as they got off the ice. As they were taking their skates off, a rumble sounded from Carol's stomach. She looked embarrassed, but Ed just said, "I'm feeling a might 'peckish' myself. I know a place where we can stuff our faces with so much MSG that we'll see birds!"
With that, Ed took Carol to a little Chinese place about two blocks away where they did in fact, stuff themselves on steamed vegetable dumplings, shrimp with lobster sauce, and sweet and sour pork.
While they ate, the continued to talk, their topics ranging further and further a field: politics, religion, taxes, the growing popularity of reality shows, the proper condiment for a hot dog, their favorite breakfast food - both agreed that you just couldn't top waffles, etc. etc. etc.
They were so engrossed in each other's company that they hadn't realized how much time had passed or that now they were the only people still sitting in the restaurant! They decided to leave, Ed paid for dinner - again - much to Carol's growing consternation.
They stopped off at Ed's place to pick up Carol's packages, and then they took a cab - a surprisingly cautious one this time - back to Carol's hotel. Before either of them wanted to, they reached Carol's room.
This time is was Ed who kissed Carol, returning the kiss from Thursday night.
"I had a *really* wonderful time today, Ed," Carol said softly, earnestly.
"Yeah, me too," Ed said with a smile.
Carol looked into Ed's blue, blue eyes and felt barriers dropping one by one. She was about to ask Ed to come into her room, when Ed said, "I should let you get some sleep."
Ed's comment shook Carol out of the almost hypnotic trance she had been in. She was torn between relief at NOT asking Ed into her room and regret at NOT asking Ed into her room. 'What is wrong with me?' she thought. 'He's a great guy! Jump him before someone else does!' She was shocked at her own thoughts!
Finally Carol said, "No. I'm the one who should let YOU get some sleep. I was the one who suggested today and dragged you all over the city. You probably even hurt yourself trying to teach me how to skate."
"Carol," Ed said with a smile, "I really had a great time today. I wouldn't have changed any part of it."
"Even the time I almost fell and elbowed you in the ..." Carol asked.
"Well okay, maybe not THAT, but I'd gladly risk another injury for another day like today."
"Really?" Carol asked.
"Really." Ed said. "In fact, if you'd like to do some more sightseeing, we could go again tomorrow, if you're not too...?"
"Okay," Carol fired back, before Ed was even finished.
"Great," Ed said, pleasantly surprised by her acquiescence. "Let's say after lunch - one o'clock? I have a few errands to run in the morning and I want spend some more time with your contract - I'm about half way through."
"One o'clock it is, Mr. Stevens," Carol said with a large smile.
"Okay. Good night, Ms. Vessey," Ed said returning her adoption of formal titles.
"Good night, Ed." Carol said as she started to unlock her door.
Ed turned to walk away, when he heard Carol call his name. He turned around to find Carol still standing there at her door.
"You know," Carol said in a slightly husky voice, "You surprised me earlier under the mistletoe and I completely forgot."
"Forgot what?" Ed asked.
With a smile, Carol said, "To kiss you back, silly." And with that Carol stepped in towards Ed. Gazing softly into his blue eyes, she reached back around his neck and brought his face down to meet hers. As she did so, she tipped her head back and slightly to the right and brought her lips, slightly parted, to his. Reflexively, Ed's hands moved to Carol's waist. They kissed passionately for several moments - neither wanting the moment to end.
Finally they pulled away from one another. Carol, still gazing softly at Ed, backed slowly into her room, and closed the door quietly behind her.
Ed stood in the hallway for several minutes. It had taken him that long just to remember who he was and how to get home. Slowly, as if he was having trouble remembering how to make his legs move, he walked back towards the elevator.
Carol watched him go through the peephole in her door. When she was sure he had made it to the elevator, she turned and leaned back against the door.
"Now THAT is how you're supposed to kiss someone under the mistletoe!" she said softly.
New York City - Ed's apartment
December 16, 2000
8:00 AM
Ed slept in until eight o'clock. He'd needed the extra hour to recover from the VERY late Thursday evening he'd spent with Carol. He smiled, remembering it. He showered quickly, then dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and sneakers. Then he walked over to his closet. Reviewing his available shirts, he instinctively grabbed a clean baseball jersey with the number six on the front.
He went to the kitchen, where he prepared himself a quick breakfast of eggs, toast, and coffee. It wasn't long before he was feeling like his old self again. No. He was feeling better ... much better, than he had in weeks.
And he knew *exactly* why.
He glanced at his watch. It was still too early to go pick up Carol for their shopping trip. So, he puttered around the apartment for another hour. Then he'd remembered that he'd originally planned to play racquetball with Jerry that morning. He picked up the phone and called his friend - hoping that he could catch him before he left home.
"Hello?" Jerry answered.
"Jerry, it's me, Ed."
"Hey Ed. What's up?"
"I know we were supposed to play racquetball today but ..."
Jerry didn't even let him finish, "... but you have OTHER plans. I already know."
"You already know? How do you already know? I just made the plans yesterday afternoon." But he already had a pretty good idea how Jerry had found out - Deloris.
"Uh, it's after 9:30 AM, don't you think you should be getting on your way. You have to get across town to pick up Carol and it's Saturday and traffic's going to be a bit slow - what with all the people out doing their holiday shopping."
"Jerry ... is there ANYONE at Farmer & Sheehan that Deloris hasn't told something about me and Carol to?"
"I don't think she's managed to speak to window washers on the 31st floor, yet," came Jerry's reply.
Ed sighed. His secretary's talents at espionage were clearly wasted at Farmer & Sheehan. She was obviously much more suited to working someplace like the CIA. He made a mental note to himself to take it up with her on Monday. Right after he handed her the flowers he intended to buy her as a thank-you for taking care of his racquetball game with Jerry.
"Thanks Jerry. Look I gotta run, now. I'll talk to you Monday, okay?"
"Check, go get 'em chief!"
Ed stopped. He debated how or even if he should reply to Jerry's last comment. Then he decided against it. He really didn't want to know if Deloris had started an office pool about him and Carol. "Right, okay. Bye." was all he really felt safe in saying.
Ed stood there for a moment. It wasn't that he wasn't attracted to Carol. Because he was. At first, he tried to dismiss the feelings as the leftover remnants of the infatuation with Carol that he'd had in high school. But it was more than that. Much more. He knew there was something special about her. That she brought out something in him that he hadn't seen in a long time. Something that had been missing in him, since even before he and Liz had divorced.
He looked down at the phone. He thought about calling his best friend, Mike Burton and talking to him about it - but decided he'd wait till tomorrow. As Jerry had said, he *really* had to get going if he was going to be on time.
***
New York City - Room 426, the DoubleTree Hotel
December 16, 2000
8:00 AM
Carol slowly climbed out of her bed. She'd been up late writing last night and hadn't gotten to sleep til almost 1:00 AM. She fumbled around her hotel room for a few moments, then went into the bathroom for a quick shower.
As she walked back into her bedroom, she decided that given the amount of time she and Ed would be walking around the city, that jeans and sneakers were the best choice. She grabbed a t-shirt and her blue sweatshirt (the one with gold trim) from the dresser.
For breakfast, she figured she'd just run down to the bagel shop across the street from the hotel. She had seen the bill for her self-indulgent breakfast and lunch yesterday and knew that she couldn't afford a repeat of that. 'I definitely have to watch my funds more closely,' Carol thought. 'I don't have money to burn!'
She finished her make-up and then stepped back to look at herself in the mirror. 'Well,' she thought surveying her choice of attire, 'doesn't this look frumpy.' She considered changing into something else - she'd even started back towards the bedroom. When she stopped.
She was just going out with Ed. She didn't have to try to impress him. She smiled contentedly. For some reason, knowing that comforted her.
At the bagel shop, Carol ordered a large bran muffin and some coffee. As she ate, she watched as crowds of New Yorkers bustled about on their weekend and holiday plans. Even though she'd been in the city for several days now, she still found it hard to believe the city was home to *so* many people. It wasn't at all like Stuckeyville.
She suppressed a slight twinge of homesickness. Then ate the last bit of her muffin and checked her watch. If she hurried, she had just enough time to get back to her room and get cleaned up before Ed was supposed to meet her. She ran back across the street to her hotel.
Carol had just finished brushing her teeth and was passing the time with a little TV-channel surfing, when she thought she heard a knock at her door. She walked to the door, and looked out through the peephole into the hallway.
She chuckled slightly.
Ed was in the hallway, pacing back and forth. After about a minute and a half, he took a deep breath, and walked back over to her door. He raised his hand as if to knock, then paused. Stopped. Then turned and went back to pacing. He repeated this pattern several times over the next five minutes.
All while Carol watched, more than a little amused.
Finally, when she didn't think she could contain her laughter any more, Carol opened the door - just as Ed was raising his hand to make another attempt at knocking. Ed looked at Carol, quizzically, it didn't take much to guess why she was chuckling - she'd been watching him the whole time.
He quickly bent down and picked up a plant that he had set down on the floor just to the left of the door and presented it to Carol. "Uh, this is for you," He said. No doubt hoping to stifle any embarrassing questions about why he was wearing a path in the hotel's carpeting.
"Um, thank you," Carol said tentatively.
"You're welcome," Ed said with a smile.
Finally, Carol asked, "Ed, why did you just give me a plant."
Ed's smile fell. "Don't you like it?"
"Oh, no, no," Carol said quickly, "I like it. I like it a lot. It's just that I don't understand why you gave it to me."
"Oh," Ed said, sounding relieved. "Well, as I was heading over I passed a flower shop. I thought about getting you flowers. But then I thought, 'Come on, Ed, she doesn't have anywhere she can put flowers. Its not like a hotel room comes equipped with a vase for their guests to put flowers in.' Then I thought about silk flowers, but they would still look better in a vase. Same problem. So I got you a plant."
Carol did her best to follow Ed's logic, but gave up. Whatever his thinking, it was still a sweet gesture. As he finished, she nodded and said, "And a very nice plant it is. Thank you." She walked over and placed it carefully on the coffee table in the main room. She looked back at Ed, who smiled, obviously pleased.
"Ready to go?" Ed asked.
"Yeah," Carol replied and grabbed her coat. They walked out of her hotel room and took the elevator downstairs - not saying much, just sneaking glances at one another and smiling.
As they walked across the lobby, Carol rummaged through her purse and pulled out a piece of paper.
"What's that," Ed asked.
"Hm, oh," Carol said, "it's my shopping list. Unlike some people (a meaningful glance at Ed) I have almost all of my Christmas shopping done. I just wanted to pick up a little something for everyone on my list. Something from my trip to New York."
"Ah," Ed said. "I have my list too."
"Oh yeah," Carol said, "let me see it!"
"Can't," Ed replied.
"Why not?" Carol said.
"Because," Ed said tapping his index finger against his temple, "it's all up here."
"Oh, that's right," Carol says with a smile, "you like to live dangerously!"
Ed glared at her humorously. They walked outside, then he directed them south.
"So," Ed said, "who's on your list."
"Let's see," Carol said, "I've got my father, my sister Stella, Molly, Mike, Nancy, and Sarah."
Ed craned his neck to look at the list, "Hmm?"
"What?" Carol asked, holding the list against her chest.
"Oh, nothing," Ed said, sounding disappointed.
"Come on, Ed," Carol persisted. "What?"
"Well," Ed said, "I see my name isn't on your little list, is it?"
"Uh, no," Carol said non-plussed. "No, it's not."
Ed suddenly brightened and said, "Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to content myself with being the star of your latest novel. So have you given any thoughts as to who will play me?"
"What?"
"In the movie."
"What movie?"
"The MOVIE," he explained. "The movie based on your novel. You remember the romantic thriller, starring your's truly." He smiled.
"Ed. The novel isn't even finished yet."
"So? My dear Carol, as a talented young writer you should endeavor to learn more about the intricacies of the entertainment business. A hot property like your novel will get eaten up in seconds by those Hollywood movie types. You need to start thinking in advance."
"How can you be so sure that my novel's going to be a ... what did you call it? A 'hot property'?"
"Well as I see it. Your novel has two things going for it."
"And those would be?"
Ed stopped walking for a second, he turned and look serenely in Carol's eyes and said "Well ... One, it has you for a writer."
Carol blushed, "And the other?"
"I'm in it," Ed said matter-of-factly. Then dodged as Carol playfully tried to hit him.
Carol laughed. "Okay, Ed you win. You're not on my list, but only because I already had something in mind for you for Christmas."
Ed paused. "Carol I was only kidding, I really don't expect you to get me something for Christmas. We just met the other day and ..." He started walking again, glancing to his side at Carol, and thought 'If only she knew what I REALLY wanted for Christmas!'
"Well, I'm still going to get you something," she replied, with a tone that said the matter was no longer open to debate.
They continued walking for several more minutes. Carol looped her arm into his. Ed smiled contentedly, enjoying the nearness of her.
"So," Ed said, "how did things go last night with your publisher?"
"Yech!" Carol said in disgust.
"That doesn't sound good," Ed replied, "what happened? Didn't he like your book ideas?"
"My 'book ideas' were the last thing on his mind" Carol explained. "Victor Knight, the president of the publishing agency, is a ... well, the best description would be 'pig'. He was more interested in the contents of my blouse than he was in the contents of my book."
"Geez, Carol. I'm sorry." Carol looked up at Ed, she could see that he meant it, too.
"I should have listened to my gut and asked you if you wanted me to come along," Ed admitted after a long silence.
Carol shuddered, remembering that at the time, she'd had the *exact* same thought and then again, during dinner she had wished that Ed had been there with her. She wondered how differently the evening would have gone had he been there with her, or how he might have reacted if he'd walked in and caught Victor trying some of his 'get cozy' tactics on her. The image of Ed defending her honor and popping Victor in the mouth had a certain guilty appeal, she decided.
"Carol?" Ed asked.
"Hmmmm?"
"What's so funny?"
"Hmmm? Oh nothing specific." Carol said, half-lying. "I'm just enjoying the company. Do you have a plan in mind for shopping, or are we going to just wander around?"
"Yes," Ed said, smiling back.
"Yes what?" Carol said. "Yes, you have a plan or yes, we're going to wander."
"Both," Ed said with a smile. "I have a list (he tapped his temple again) of places that I would like to definitely go to, but as for the rest ... Well, we'll leave that up to fate."
"You have that much faith in 'Fate', do you?"
"Let's just say that lately, she's been very kind," Ed replied.
Carol blushed and continued walking beside him.
They spent the next two hours, wandering in and out of shops along Broadway. Until they'd reached the Neiman Marcus several blocks south of Carol's hotel. Ed told Carol he had some gift ideas for his mother and Deloris that he wanted to check out.
As they walked through the store, they talked quietly on a number of different topics: how things were in Stuckeyville - what had changed, what hadn't; Carol's work; Ed's work; their families. Neither realized that they were telling each other things about their work and families that they had never shared with anyone else.
By the time they left Neiman Marcus, Ed had picked out a trio of scarves in bold prints for Deloris - who, as he explained to Carol, was a clothes horse with bold style. Carol looked over at the scarves and almost fainted at the price, but Ed had simply handed over his credit card. 'Well,' Carol thought, 'he is a big city lawyer.'
Ed also asked Carol to help him pick out a sweater for his mother. At first, Carol had playfully balked at the offer - asking Ed why she thought she would be a good model for a fifty-year-old woman. But, she quickly relented when Ed had told her that he'd asked because he thought she had a good fashion sense. So she helped him pick out a lovely red and white sweater.
As he was paying for the purchase at the sales counter, Carol questioned him as to whether the sweater was a wise choice considering his parents now lived in Florida, but he replied that his mother was always cold - didn't matter whether she was in Florida or Ohio.
After they left Neiman Marcus, the pair continued south along Broadway and then turned west onto 34th Street. They had only walked a short distance before they ran into the crowd of people clustered around the window displays at Macy's. Carol and Ed spent a few minutes watching the holiday displays of people in Victorian outfits acting out various Christmas scenes. Carol laughed when Ed stood next to one of the displays - that of a group of carolers - and matched one of them pose for pose.
Carol then suggested they go inside for a bit to warm up and look around. What began as a brief respite from the cold, quickly turned into an earnest shopping trip as the two moved from floor to floor.
Finally, they ended up at the jewelry counter. Carol stopped, wondering if she could find something for Molly or Stella. As she looked at one case, she gave a little gasp.
"Are you okay?" Ed asked.
"That pendant," Carol replied. "It's identical to the one my mother used to have. I remember she used to love it - wore it all the time. My father gave it to her when I was born."
"What happened to it?"
"It was ... lost", Carol choked, her eyes tearing up, ".... when my mom was at the hospital that last time." She wiped away a sniffle, refusing to look away from the pendant and the memory it evoked in her.
Ed looked down at Carol and smiled sadly. Even after all these years it still hurt her to think about her mother's death.
Carol looked over at Ed and - again - saw the compassion, the concern for her, in those blue eyes. For a moment, it even looked to her like his eyes were tearing up, as well.
Then Ed raised a hand, getting the attention of one of the sales women - an older woman with dark hair and a little too much make-up. She came over and said, "Yes, sir. May I help you?"
"Yes," Ed said with a smile, "could we see this pendant please?" Ed pointed at the pendant Carol had previously indicated.
"Of course," the woman said. She took a key out of her jacket pocket, opened the display case and removed the pendant. Then she laid a swash of black felt across the top of the display case (to prevent scratching) and placed the pendant on it.
Carol's hand reached out, tentatively, towards the pendant. It was almost as if she thought it would disappear if she touched it. She stroked the chain for a moment, before moving down to the pendant itself. It was a stylized heart made of gold, with diamond chips down the right side. It was a very simple pendant, but very elegant and beautiful.
'Just like Carol,' Ed thought.
Ed lifted it up, startling Carol who had been in a deep reverie. He lifted the pendant over her head, unclasped the chain and draped it around her neck. He re-clasped the chain as the saleswoman turned a small mirror so Carol could see herself wearing the pendant.
When she saw herself in the mirror, Carol's eyes misted up. Her father had always told her how much she resembled her late mother, but Carol had never really believed him. Now, looking at her reflection in the sales counter mirror, she understood. Wearing that pendant, she felt like her mother was standing next to her. The tears she'd been trying so hard to hold back, came fully now.
Carol lifted the heart in her hand and lowered her head to look at it. As she did so, she glanced at the price tag. Her eyes closed sadly as she knew she would never be able to afford it. She removed the pendant and handed it back to the sales woman - who, after witnessing Carol's reaction seemed to almost be in tears herself.
"Thank you, its lovely. But, I don't think so," Carol managed to say.
As they were moving away from the glass displays, Ed asked, "Carol? What's the matter? For a moment, while you were wearing that pendant you seemed very happy. What happened?"
"Yes, I did," Carol said, "but did you see the price?! I couldn't afford something like that!"
Ed was about to offer to buy the pendant for her, but stopped. 'No,' he thought, 'Carol would never agree to it.'
****
They stayed at Macy's a while longer. Carol, Ed saw, pretended to be over the emotion of the events at the jewelry counter. They went to several other departments, where Carol found a couple of small gifts for her father, Nancy and Molly. Ed found something for Nancy as well.
As they were walking out of the store, Ed told Carol, that he knew of a little café not far away where they could get lunch. Carol nodded. All that walking had given her an appetite.
As they strolled down the street to the café, Ed noticed some mistletoe hanging from an awning of a nearby store. He smiled to himself, knowing that they would have to pass under it to get to the café.
Just as they walked under the awning, Ed stopped suddenly. So suddenly that Carol who had kept walking, had almost been jerked backwards.
"Ed? Is there something wrong?"
"Nope." Ed replied and quickly placed a very sweet, very chaste kiss on her right cheek.
"What," Carol said, her throat not working, "What was that for?"
"Because," Ed said, "you're standing under mistletoe."
Carol pretended to be angry with him. "You ... You ... You kissed me because we happened to walk under some mistletoe?" But it wasn't that she was bothered by the kiss. In fact, since the moment at the jewelry counter when she saw how Ed had looked at her, she'd wanted him to kiss her ... to hold her.
But that. THAT wasn't even a real kiss! 'Wait,' she thought, 'why am I so worked up over this?'
"Carol," Ed began,"...it's a Christmas tradition that goes back hundreds of years. And while you my dear Ms. Vessey (she smiled inwardly as he said the word 'dear') may wish to flaunt the cherished beliefs of our forefathers... I, Edward Jeremy Stevens, will not. Therefore I had no choice but to kiss you."
"No choice, huh?" Carol asked, thoroughly amused.
"None whatsoever." Ed replied, "You're not mad are you?"
Carol simply smiled back and said, "No Ed, its okay. You just surprised me, that's all."
"Oh," Ed said, "sorry."
****
They finished walking the rest of the way to the café and went inside. The interior of the café was simply lovely. The walls were a warm, golden oak. Thick curtains of deep burgundy brocade were spaced along the wall. Lighting - very romantic mood lighting - was provided by the elegant, brushed gold wall sconces. In general, the tables were small - most of them for two persons only - and set with in matching colors to the walls (a warm, golden tablecloth overlaid by a burgundy square). Fresh flowers and votive candles adorned every table.
Once again, Carol found herself impressed by Ed's choice of restaurants. A waitress conducted them to a quiet, but not secluded, table near the back, and they ordered lunch.
When their food arrived Carol inquired how Ed had first found this place. After a long pause, he smiled and confessed that he'd never actually been inside the café before now, but that he'd driven by it a dozen times in the last few weeks and finally decided today would be the day to try it. Ed left out the part of his explanation where he knew that the café was terribly romantic and that the only reason he hadn't been inside before now was that he'd been waiting for just the right person to share it with.
After a few more minutes, the conversation turned to their failed relationships.
Carol spoke more about her relationship with Nick, how it had seemed at first a fairy tale thing. Being with a famous author like Nick was exciting for her. But, after a while, she had heard all of his stories - which he never stopped telling by the way - and she began to feel like there was something missing from the relationship.
With a look at Ed she said, "Alright. More than something. Everything. Everything was missing."
It pained Carol to have to admit that the seven years she'd been with Nick had been wasted time. She looked across the table at Ed, who simply placed his hand over hers and looked at her with such incredible empathy she thought she might cry.
For his part, Ed spoke more about the reasons behind his failed marriage to Liz. The long hours at Farmer & Sheehan trying to make a name for himself, a nagging feeling that he was spending too much time trying to be someone he wasn't, and a recurring doubt that Liz wasn't the one he was meant to be with.
With a sigh, Ed said, "In a way, its all my fault. I compromised."
"What do you mean?" Carol asked.
"For as long as I can remember, I had this image of the woman I'd spend the rest of my life with. I knew Liz didn't fit it completely and I compromised. You can't compromise on the girl."
"So," Carol said, "what is this ideal woman like?"
Ed just looked at Carol and didn't answer. She had the feeling that Ed was trying to tell her something, but didn't want to push the matter.
"How did you two meet," Carol asked, "Was it love at first sight?"
"No," Ed said, "That's only happened to me once."
Before Carol could ask about that, Ed continued on, "No, we went to college together. I saw her in the student union one day and decided to ask her out."
"And she said yes?"
"What do you mean? Of course, she said yes!" Ed said feigning insult. "I think we've already established that I'm a very handsome guy. In fact now that I think about it - I've decided that I think Tom Hanks should play me in the movie."
Carol laughed, "I didn't mean it THAT way, Ed. I mean did she say yes right away or did she say no because she had a boyfriend or something..." Carol winced, she'd hoped that didn't make Ed think about finding Liz in bed with a mailman. Not THE mailman, she reminded herself, a mailman. Ed was always very specific on that one point.
They finished lunch and Ed paid the tab. 'Again,' Carol thought. 'He's not letting me pay for anything except for my Christmas gifts!'
As soon as they stepped outside the café, Ed pointed east and said, "This way a little bit." They walked, Carol's left arm curled around Ed's right. She found herself wanting to just kind of lean into him, but wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not. 'Oh, what the hell,' she thought, and placed her head against his shoulder as they continued walking along the street.
Ed looked down at her and smiled. He was glad that Carol's head was against his RIGHT shoulder - otherwise, she'd probably hear his heart beating like a jackhammer.
Ed and Carol walked along until they reached 38th Street and turned right, heading towards the Lord & Taylor. Carol absorbed everything she saw as they walked. When Ed noted her intense interest in everything around her, she told him it was so that she could accurately portray it in a book but she really wanted to remember because of the almost overwhelming joy she was finding in her moments with Ed.
The streets were surprisingly clean of snow (Ed explained that the city hauled most of it away for dumping into the Hudson). However, a few scattered patches lined the streets. Festive decorations of every kind (Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa) hung from stores, apartments, and office buildings. The air was crisp and clean - Ed laughed and told her that was because it was winter. The angle of the sun made everything glitter. Carol started to feel like she was in a fairy tale story, with Ed the knight in shining armor next to her. She sighed quietly in contentment.
When they finally got to the Lord & Taylor, they joined the small crowd of people gathered outside the store and watched the window display - a series of vignettes from Santa's workshop at the North Pole: Elves making toys, Santa's reindeer, Santa and Mrs. Claus looking over the list and making little Naughty/Nice notes.
"So," Carol asked as they were looking at the last scene, "Does Santa have you on his 'naughty' or his 'nice' list?"
"It depends ..."
"On what ..."
"On whether or not you keep resting your head against my shoulder," Ed replied, wiggling his eyebrows for added emphasis.
Carol laughed.
They finally went inside and did some more shopping. Carol got something for Stella while Ed picked up something for Jerry Pender and his family as well as for his father.
After they finished in Lord & Taylor, Ed hailed a cab. As soon as they got in, Ed told the driver, "FAO Schwartz, please." A few harrowing minutes later - 'Good God!' Carol thought, 'they do ALL drive like this!' - the cab pulled up in front of FAO Schwartz, the famous toy store just south of Central Park.
Once inside, Carol was amazed at the sheer size of the store and her mouth dropped open when she saw the Barbie section. 'Section, hell!' Carol thought. 'I've died and gone to Barbie HEAVEN! No wonder Mom and Dad never wanted to come in here when Dad brought us along with him to New York on business - they NEVER would have been able to get us out of the store. Stell and I would have wanted to stay and play with EVERYTHING!'
Ed and Carol wandered around. They split up with plans to meet back in 20 minutes by the gigantic teddy bear. "By his right foot," Ed cautioned. "This bear is so big that we could be standing on opposite sides of him and never know it."
After 20 minutes, they found one another again and Carol laughed when Ed showed her the gag present he'd bought for Mike Burton - the new Operation- Brain Surgery Game by Milton Bradley. And over Carol's objections, Ed had bought her a rare collector's edition Barbie that had been designed by Vera Wang.
Then they both found something for little Sarah Burton.
It was close to 5:30 PM, when they finally walked out of FAO Shwartz, the sun was dipping below the horizon. The temperature, not that high to begin with, had already started to drop. They both decided they'd had enough shopping for one day.
As they were waiting to hail down a cab, Ed turned to Carol and asked, "Do you want to see Rockefeller Center. Its really pretty this time of the year. They go all out on the decorations and there's the Christmas tree, and the heraldic angels lining the ice skating rink. I think you'd like it!"
"Um, yeah," Carol said hesitantly and looked at the packages she and Ed - well, mostly Ed - were carrying.
Ed saw her glance and said, "Mm, good point. Wait ... We can drop them off at my apartment. It just so happens that it's on the way to Rockefeller Center."
"Sounds like a plan," Carol said with a smile. And then thought if it had been anyone else - she'd have turned them down flat suspecting they'd just wanted to get her alone in their apartment. But Ed was different, she'd only known him a few days and even if he did have an ulterior motive behind his suggestion, she trusted him enough to know with absolute certainty that he'd still conduct himself as a gentleman.
Besides, it wasn't like the thought of getting him alone in an apartment hadn't occurred to HER either.
The cab ride down Fifth Avenue was mercifully short and within moments they were standing outside an apartment complex on the corner of Fifth and 52nd Street.
"Well," Ed said and pointed up. "There I am."
They walked into the lobby of the building. The doorman, who looked to be in his early 60s, said, "Merry Christmas, Mr. Stevens."
"Merry Christmas, Henry," Ed returned. "How are Mary-Margaret and the twins?" Carol gave a polite wave.
Henry had full head of silver hair and a kind face. He was also a tall man, about six foot four. Although, no longer trim, it was obvious that in his youth he must have been an athlete. He looked at Carol, "My daughter and her kids," he offered as an explanation, his brown eyes twinkling with pride. Carol nodded. Then he turned back to Ed and said, "Just fine, sir. Just fine. Do you and the lady need some help with your packages? I could call one of the other lads to give you a hand?" He started reaching for his walkie-talkie.
"No, Henry I think we can manage. Thank you anyway. You make sure you get one of the younger guys to relieve you tonight, I don't want to hear about you standing outside till all hours of the night again."
"No sir, I won't." Henry looked over at Carol and then pointed at Ed, "He's such a worry wort. He is."
Ed and Carol walked into the lobby and took the elevator up to the 10th floor. On the way, Ed told Carol about how, a few years earlier, Henry had stopped a woman from being mugged and was something of a local hero in the building. Carol smiled, comforted by the fact that for every creep like Victor Knight, there were at least two decent guys like Ed and Henry.
Just as they reached the door to his apartment, Ed stopped and turned back around to Carol. He lowered his eyes to her and said, "Carol, before we go in I have a confession to make..."
'Here it comes' thought Carol, expecting Ed to say that he was hoping to do more than just drop their packages off.
"I'd really like to show you the apartment, but since Saturday is my normal cleaning day and I have spent said day with you its ... Well, it's a pig sty. You might see my skivvies if you come in."
"Your skivvies?" Carol said, taken totally by surprise.
"Of course." Ed replied, "What? You were expecting me to confess to something else?"
"No. Of course, not. I would NEVER suggest that you ..." Carol said, defensively. Then realized that her phrasing gave everything away.
"You did! You thought the reason I asked you to come up here was so that you and I would ... That you would ..."
"See your skivvies?" Carol offered as an appropriate euphemism for more intimate relations. Then couldn't help laughing
"Exactly!" Ed tried to remain serious, but Carol's laugh was too infectious and he could no longer contain himself.
They stood in the hallway laughing for several minutes, their faces turning bright red. Finally, Ed stopped himself long enough to get his keys out of his jacket and unlock the door. "We'd better get inside before someone calls the Super" he told Carol.
As they walked in, Ed switched on the inside hallway light. Carol looked around, surprised. The hallway lead into a larger living/dining room combination. And while it wasn't spotless, it was no where close to the disaster area she'd imagined when Ed had made his 'confession'.
"I thought you said this place was a pig sty?" Carol asked.
"Yes, I did say that," Ed said with a smile.
Carol rolled her eyes and said, "Okay, just stash the loot there, chief!"
Ed went over to the dining room table, chuckling, and laid their packages neatly into two piles. Ed told her, "I'll give you the two dollar tour some other time. Let's go."
They headed back down stairs and continued down Fifth Avenue. The closer they got to Rockefeller Center, the more crowded it became. The huge Christmas tree, festooned with over 75,000 lights was a must-see for anyone visiting the city. Ed and Carol walked under the horn-blowing angels which lined the plaza leading up to the tree.
As they moved further into the plaza, Carol's head moved from left to right taking in the sights. They stood by a railing above the ice skating rink and she just absorbed the feeling ... the ambience of the place. When a chill wind whipped down the plaza, Carol snuggled up to Ed, who put his arm around her to help warm her.
After a little while, Ed looked down at people ice-skating and said, "Come on, let's go." He grabbed Carol's hand before she knew what was going on and headed down the stairs.
Carol suddenly realized that Ed was taking her to the rink!
'But, but...' she thought despairingly, 'I don't know HOW to ice skate!'
The look of dread on her face only worsened as she watched as Ed paid for time on the rink and rental skates.
They were halfway through lacing up their skates, when she decided to come clean, "Um, Ed?"
"Yeah, Carol," Ed said.
"I, uh ... I don't actually know how to skate," Carol said in a small voice.
"You're kidding, right?" Ed asked. But one look at Carol's face told him the answer.
"Oh," Ed continued. "No problem! Look its not that hard. I'll be right there. If you fall, I'll catch you, okay?"
Carol smiled, mostly because she really liked the unintended double meaning of Ed's last statement.
They moved slowly onto the ice, Carol clutching Ed's arm. Ed kept telling her to relax.
'Relax? Relax?!!!!' Carol thought. 'How can I 'relax' when my feet keep going in seventeen different directions!'
As Ed helped Carol around the rink, he alternated between steadying her and giving her pointers. As they reached the halfway point, they passed a man with a video camera taping his two kids as they spun around in twirls and skated backwards.
'Damn showoffs,' Carol thought. Then had a feeling of complete and utter dread as she realized that her skating skills might become fodder for some Funniest Videos show. 'Oh, great! I can see the caption now - No people were harmed during the making of this video - with the possible exception of the spastic blond English teacher from Ohio!'
As they completed their first circuit around, Carol had managed to avoid falling - barely - no less than 23 times (by Ed's count). True to his word, Ed had saved her every time. Even her two more spectacular attempts which had almost taken him down with her.
Carol was feeling very frustrated and embarrassed. She watched Ed, who glided across the ice as if he'd born on skates. "How come you're so good at this?" she glared.
Ed grinned. "I'm more graceful than most men," he offered.
Carol took a mock swipe at Ed for his smugness and started a wild gyration to maintain her balance. Ed slipped in and barely caught her before she completely lost her footing.
Carol sighed and said, "You're making a habit of saving me, MISTER Stevens."
"Don't read too much into it, MS. Vessey", he replied grinning, "I'm just protecting my professional reputation as a skating coach." As he finished his statement he skated backwards and out of arm's reach of Carol.
She started to take another swipe at him, but Ed held up his finger and said, "Ah, ah! Temper. Temper."
Ed continued to lead Carol in circuits around the ice. The longer they were there, the better Carol got. Their last circuit around Carol made it on her own and, except for a small wobble at the end, without mishap. Feeling more confident in her ability to do more on the ice than just fall down, she started to enjoy herself.
Carol took Ed's arm as they got off the ice. As they were taking their skates off, a rumble sounded from Carol's stomach. She looked embarrassed, but Ed just said, "I'm feeling a might 'peckish' myself. I know a place where we can stuff our faces with so much MSG that we'll see birds!"
With that, Ed took Carol to a little Chinese place about two blocks away where they did in fact, stuff themselves on steamed vegetable dumplings, shrimp with lobster sauce, and sweet and sour pork.
While they ate, the continued to talk, their topics ranging further and further a field: politics, religion, taxes, the growing popularity of reality shows, the proper condiment for a hot dog, their favorite breakfast food - both agreed that you just couldn't top waffles, etc. etc. etc.
They were so engrossed in each other's company that they hadn't realized how much time had passed or that now they were the only people still sitting in the restaurant! They decided to leave, Ed paid for dinner - again - much to Carol's growing consternation.
They stopped off at Ed's place to pick up Carol's packages, and then they took a cab - a surprisingly cautious one this time - back to Carol's hotel. Before either of them wanted to, they reached Carol's room.
This time is was Ed who kissed Carol, returning the kiss from Thursday night.
"I had a *really* wonderful time today, Ed," Carol said softly, earnestly.
"Yeah, me too," Ed said with a smile.
Carol looked into Ed's blue, blue eyes and felt barriers dropping one by one. She was about to ask Ed to come into her room, when Ed said, "I should let you get some sleep."
Ed's comment shook Carol out of the almost hypnotic trance she had been in. She was torn between relief at NOT asking Ed into her room and regret at NOT asking Ed into her room. 'What is wrong with me?' she thought. 'He's a great guy! Jump him before someone else does!' She was shocked at her own thoughts!
Finally Carol said, "No. I'm the one who should let YOU get some sleep. I was the one who suggested today and dragged you all over the city. You probably even hurt yourself trying to teach me how to skate."
"Carol," Ed said with a smile, "I really had a great time today. I wouldn't have changed any part of it."
"Even the time I almost fell and elbowed you in the ..." Carol asked.
"Well okay, maybe not THAT, but I'd gladly risk another injury for another day like today."
"Really?" Carol asked.
"Really." Ed said. "In fact, if you'd like to do some more sightseeing, we could go again tomorrow, if you're not too...?"
"Okay," Carol fired back, before Ed was even finished.
"Great," Ed said, pleasantly surprised by her acquiescence. "Let's say after lunch - one o'clock? I have a few errands to run in the morning and I want spend some more time with your contract - I'm about half way through."
"One o'clock it is, Mr. Stevens," Carol said with a large smile.
"Okay. Good night, Ms. Vessey," Ed said returning her adoption of formal titles.
"Good night, Ed." Carol said as she started to unlock her door.
Ed turned to walk away, when he heard Carol call his name. He turned around to find Carol still standing there at her door.
"You know," Carol said in a slightly husky voice, "You surprised me earlier under the mistletoe and I completely forgot."
"Forgot what?" Ed asked.
With a smile, Carol said, "To kiss you back, silly." And with that Carol stepped in towards Ed. Gazing softly into his blue eyes, she reached back around his neck and brought his face down to meet hers. As she did so, she tipped her head back and slightly to the right and brought her lips, slightly parted, to his. Reflexively, Ed's hands moved to Carol's waist. They kissed passionately for several moments - neither wanting the moment to end.
Finally they pulled away from one another. Carol, still gazing softly at Ed, backed slowly into her room, and closed the door quietly behind her.
Ed stood in the hallway for several minutes. It had taken him that long just to remember who he was and how to get home. Slowly, as if he was having trouble remembering how to make his legs move, he walked back towards the elevator.
Carol watched him go through the peephole in her door. When she was sure he had made it to the elevator, she turned and leaned back against the door.
"Now THAT is how you're supposed to kiss someone under the mistletoe!" she said softly.