Chapter Four
It seemed as though the past two months had just flown by, and now it was December. Rafe had been focusing on teaching the kickboxing class to members at their gym, and Alison was wrapped up in adding festive touches to the house and keeping everything working like clockwork at Body & Soul.
This afternoon they had embarked on an all day shopping extravaganza. Alison sure was an avid shopper. Rafe never wanted to go into another mall for the rest of his life. They walked into the house and dumped all their shopping bags on the floor. Rafe took Alison's jacket off and pulled his own off, then hung them up in the closet behind the door.
She plopped onto the couch. "See Rafe? That was fun! Now we have gifts for everybody and everything was on sale!" Alison beamed.
Rafe joined her on the couch and took her hands in his; delicately kissing her fingers one by one. He had a hard time believing anyone could get that excited about shopping. Well, until today. "How can you do it? I mean, we went into eleven different stores, looking for one scarf. And then in the end, you decided to buy the scarf that you saw in the first store anyways!"
Alison was shocked at Rafe. Didn't he realize it was necessary to go into other stores first before making a purchase? She had to make sure she was getting the best deal possible.
"Can you believe it though?! Two weeks until Christmas!" Alison exclaimed. Christmas was without a doubt her favorite holiday. She loved everything about it. The holiday spirit, the snow, the food, and most of all, getting to spend every minute of it with the man she loved.
Rafe was reminded of Christmas from years past. Last Christmas had been filled with so much love and hope. He remembered the first Christmas they'd spent together. That year, things had seemed so uncertain. Alison was very much in love with Jamal, and Rafe wasn't even sure whether he'd be able to spend another moment with her, much less spend the rest of his life being her husband. Never in his wildest dreams did he envision this. She truly had given him everything he could ever want.
"Yeah, we don't even have a tree yet!" he laughed. Alison's head immediately began to fill with ideas, and a long list of things they had to buy and do by Christmas Eve. "You're totally right. Oh my God. we still have to buy all the food! I think we should probably like, decorate the gym and bake some cookies for our members. Then I was thinking this year we could have a small dinner with my mother and nana. Does that sound okay?" She hopped from the couch to get a notebook and pen from the coffee table where she scrolled down some ideas and ingredients they needed by Christmas.
He loved that about her; she could never keep still for one moment. Once she got an idea she tended to get a bit carried away with it.
"Wait, wait, wait." He took the pen and pad away from her and put it back on the coffee table.
"Rafe! What are you doing?"
"I just had something a little different in mind for Christmas Eve." He began.
Alison's lips curved into a wide smile. "Oh, is that so?"
"Yeah, well I was thinking, you remember how great last year was? Just the two of us. The beautiful tree all lit up, the fireplace. And you, looking amazing in that dress." The thought of it made him grin.
"You really liked that dress, didn't you?" she teased.
"It's my favorite." He replied, nuzzling her neck and kissing her earlobe. The feel of his skin against hers was making her dizzy. Alison was starting to lose focus. What were they talking about?
"Anyway, I thought maybe this year we could do the same thing. Just you and me, having a romantic evening. Sound good?"
"Hmm?" she replied, as Rafe rubbed her back. "Oh. Umm. Yeah, that sounds perfect."
"Then it's a date. Merry Christmas, angel."
Alison smiled and softly kissed him on the lips. "And a very Merry Christmas to you too. Hey, I'm just curious though. What are you getting me this year?" she giggled.
"Uh-uh." Rafe shook his head. She'd have to wait.
"Well, you are just full of surprises, aren't you Rafe?"
"What can I say? I've never been the predictable type." Rafe couldn't keep a straight face anymore, as they collapsed onto each other shaking with laughter.
Little did they know, a very unexpected visitor was lurking outside their door.
It seemed as though the past two months had just flown by, and now it was December. Rafe had been focusing on teaching the kickboxing class to members at their gym, and Alison was wrapped up in adding festive touches to the house and keeping everything working like clockwork at Body & Soul.
This afternoon they had embarked on an all day shopping extravaganza. Alison sure was an avid shopper. Rafe never wanted to go into another mall for the rest of his life. They walked into the house and dumped all their shopping bags on the floor. Rafe took Alison's jacket off and pulled his own off, then hung them up in the closet behind the door.
She plopped onto the couch. "See Rafe? That was fun! Now we have gifts for everybody and everything was on sale!" Alison beamed.
Rafe joined her on the couch and took her hands in his; delicately kissing her fingers one by one. He had a hard time believing anyone could get that excited about shopping. Well, until today. "How can you do it? I mean, we went into eleven different stores, looking for one scarf. And then in the end, you decided to buy the scarf that you saw in the first store anyways!"
Alison was shocked at Rafe. Didn't he realize it was necessary to go into other stores first before making a purchase? She had to make sure she was getting the best deal possible.
"Can you believe it though?! Two weeks until Christmas!" Alison exclaimed. Christmas was without a doubt her favorite holiday. She loved everything about it. The holiday spirit, the snow, the food, and most of all, getting to spend every minute of it with the man she loved.
Rafe was reminded of Christmas from years past. Last Christmas had been filled with so much love and hope. He remembered the first Christmas they'd spent together. That year, things had seemed so uncertain. Alison was very much in love with Jamal, and Rafe wasn't even sure whether he'd be able to spend another moment with her, much less spend the rest of his life being her husband. Never in his wildest dreams did he envision this. She truly had given him everything he could ever want.
"Yeah, we don't even have a tree yet!" he laughed. Alison's head immediately began to fill with ideas, and a long list of things they had to buy and do by Christmas Eve. "You're totally right. Oh my God. we still have to buy all the food! I think we should probably like, decorate the gym and bake some cookies for our members. Then I was thinking this year we could have a small dinner with my mother and nana. Does that sound okay?" She hopped from the couch to get a notebook and pen from the coffee table where she scrolled down some ideas and ingredients they needed by Christmas.
He loved that about her; she could never keep still for one moment. Once she got an idea she tended to get a bit carried away with it.
"Wait, wait, wait." He took the pen and pad away from her and put it back on the coffee table.
"Rafe! What are you doing?"
"I just had something a little different in mind for Christmas Eve." He began.
Alison's lips curved into a wide smile. "Oh, is that so?"
"Yeah, well I was thinking, you remember how great last year was? Just the two of us. The beautiful tree all lit up, the fireplace. And you, looking amazing in that dress." The thought of it made him grin.
"You really liked that dress, didn't you?" she teased.
"It's my favorite." He replied, nuzzling her neck and kissing her earlobe. The feel of his skin against hers was making her dizzy. Alison was starting to lose focus. What were they talking about?
"Anyway, I thought maybe this year we could do the same thing. Just you and me, having a romantic evening. Sound good?"
"Hmm?" she replied, as Rafe rubbed her back. "Oh. Umm. Yeah, that sounds perfect."
"Then it's a date. Merry Christmas, angel."
Alison smiled and softly kissed him on the lips. "And a very Merry Christmas to you too. Hey, I'm just curious though. What are you getting me this year?" she giggled.
"Uh-uh." Rafe shook his head. She'd have to wait.
"Well, you are just full of surprises, aren't you Rafe?"
"What can I say? I've never been the predictable type." Rafe couldn't keep a straight face anymore, as they collapsed onto each other shaking with laughter.
Little did they know, a very unexpected visitor was lurking outside their door.