"Christmas is All Around"
Chapter 11


Monday evening, January 5.

-

"Oh shit, I'm going to be late!" Clementine leapt down the stairs, ducked into the laundry room, then reemerging to remount up the stairs. But now she had an evening dress thrown over her shoulder. "And where the fuck is my fucking trench coat?" she dashed into her room, the door hitting the frame and bounced back to open back up. "Oh for the love of– Pete!" she yelped, just before tripping and falling, luckily, face down onto her bed. "Bugger!" she growled, quickly getting up and speed walking into her closet.


A black car pulled up outside the Warwick household; two men seated up front and one, David, in the back. David got out of the car, knocking on the front passenger window to call their attention.

"I'll just go inside to get her. Won't be a moment," he assured them, hopping up onto the stoop with a slight spring in his step.

He went to rap his knuckles on the crimson red door, but pause when he spotted a folded piece of paper tucked securely under the centered doorknob. He opened it up, the note reading: The door is open, come right in. I'll be upstairs. Love, Clementine.

He smiled, pocked the note, then pushed open the door, and shut it behind him.

"Clementine?" he called. There was no answer. He then pursued an investigation of the premises.


"Oh Christ, NO!" she yelled, dropping the eyelash curler, and fanning herself with her hand. "Why am I even using this contraption? My sweet Lord!" she demanded of herself. "At least I got both done."

She lifted up the hem of her dress, hopping up and down on one foot as she went about to put on her shoes. "Why do I even want to bother with heels?" she groaned. But she knew exactly why she was bothering in the least; this made her smile, but it immediately faded as she teetered over and fell onto the floor. "Fuck!"

David looked up the stairs upon hearing the loud thump on the second floor.

"Clementine?" he called up, moving towards the base of the stairs. The response was the sound of shuffling, obscene cursing, and finally a door slamming. "Do you want me to come up there?"

"No, no!" her voice called down to him, her body unseen. Then, she slowly came walking down the hall and came to pause at the top of the stairs.

She wore a long black halter evening dress, a silk shawl draped over her shoulders, a small handbag with a skinny silver chain clutched in her hands, and flares of bright emerald green eye shadow around her contrastingly dark brown eyes. Going with the green facial theme, she also wore a silver diadem around her head with a small emerald gem at its center; her hair was now put up, held in position by a black clip, but let two stands fall and hang on either sides of her face.

"What are those?" were the first words that came from his mouth since he first saw her.

"Shoes?" she smiled. Her shoes were a pair of black leather, thick-heeled, lace-up combat boots with silver chains in place of normal laces. "They're my favourite," she said. He just stood there beaming back at her.

"They're… interesting?" he chuckled.

"You're so supportive, luv," she blew him a kiss as she came down the staircase. "Well… shall we?" she asked, curtsying playfully.


"Why is everyone looking at me like that? They're making me feel like a fucking alien?"

"Those boots aren't exactly helping, darling."

"Oh, I don't care. I don't! They're all just jealous, of course."

"And what else could it be?"

"You're just the epitome of hilarity, aren't you?"

The two exchanged hushed conversations in between the others with various political couples and big shots. But amidst them all, only one person sent a fiery twinge through Clementine's veins; for there stood Natalie, going around the room holding out a tray of food. David noticed her right off obviously, but held back the urge to walk over to her.

"You go off and mingle, David. I'll do some of that over here for a while," she said through clenched teeth; he didn't seem to notice her agitated demeanor.

He obliged her request, immediately making his way over toward Natalie. This sent Clementine's blood boiling over from jealousy. Instead of mingling like she'd said, she navigated her way through the crowd till she got close enough to David and Natalie without being seen but still able to hear when was being said.

"Long time no see, eh?" he said casually, chuckling with a fairly nervous hint to his voice. Clementine clenched her fists as he spoke, as if she were going to leap forth at that moment to belt him a few.

"It's nice to see you, David," Natalie smiled, looking to be very happy that he was talking to her. But Clementine wasn't at all happy.

"You making your rounds tonight?" he asked.

"Yes, kinda roped into it, I suppose," Natalie giggled, a faint pink blush rising over her cheeks. "But now it doesn't seem so bad, now that you're here." she added shyly. That did it!

"Come along, Casanova," Clementine swept over the two and whisked David off towards the exit. She caught a glimpse of David looking back for Natalie, but jerked him up in front of her and shoved him out the door. "Driver!" she yelled across the car park, enforcing this with a loud high-pitched whistle.


The drive back to Clementine's flat was a quiet one, with the exception for the low music from the radio up front. David was zoned out staring out the window, while Clementine sat with arms crossed over her chest and staring down at the carpeted flooring of the car. Once they reached the flat, David went around to open the door for her and went ahead up to the stoop while Clementine whispered something to the driver before going up to him with key in hand. When the car began to drive off, David looked a little worried.

"Where's he going?" he asked her.

"Calm down and come one inside," she said, turning the key in the lock and pushed open the door for them to enter the flat.

"Why did we leave so soon?" he inquired cautiously. "Not that I'm not grateful," he added.

"I was getting sick of all the funny looks from all those stuff-shirts," she said, motioning for him to follow her up the staircase.

They went to her room, where she told him to have a seat on the bed and wait till she changed. While she was hidden behind the closet's curtains, David began pondering what anything anyone had said would have unsettled her so that she would want to leave immediately. That didn't seem like her. But then again, they hadn't been together for that long. He got up from the bed and ambled over to the dresser where an impressive sound system sat. With curiosity, he rummaged through the wide selection of CD's and records. He picked an unmarked one, popped it in the player, then went back over to the bed and lay down on his back. When the music began, as if on cue, she emerged; she now donned a pair of dark purple sleeper-pants and a black tank top. Her hair was still up, but now in a high ponytail held with a bright red ribbon.

"I see you helped yourself," she said, walking over and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. They looked back at one another. "If you think this is going to change my mood—" she began, but was cut off by David's kiss. He broke away for a moment, to see her reaction, and began lip-syncing George Harrison's "Beautiful Girl".

She giggled lightly at his over-exaggerated expressions, bowing her head so that her forehead was now touching his.

"You're a moron," she said, trying her best to fake a serious tone. This didn't faze him. She slowly descended into a composed demeanor, staring steadily into his eyes. "Do you love me?" she asked, shifting her position so that she was now lying on her left side beside him, her head propped up by her hand.

He answered, slowly, with another kiss and pulled her closer to him. She ran her fingers through his chestnut hair, which was currently streaked with a light amount of hair gel; for some reason, it was funny to her that he used hair gel. His hands traveled down her body, pausing at her hips, then cautiously proceeding down over her buttocks and resting themselves there. She was unsure if he was thinking what she thought he was, but she didn't really let it bother her too much… that is, until his hands went on the move again.

She broke the kiss and lifted her head a little ways back, giving him a look of surprise; she hadn't expected such eagerness for "exploration" on his part.

"Now look, you, I'm not one of those girls you can paw as you please. I'm a lady, and I expect to be treated like one," she shook a finger at him, trying to put on an air of earnestness.

"Absolutely, luv," he agreed.

She then rested her face down against his chest, trying to stifle her laughter. Lifting her head again, she rolled to the left of him and lay down at his side; she snuggled close, resting her left arm over him.

"You'd never hurt me… would you, David?" she asked. He paused for a moment.

"Well, I wouldn't pull a club on you. Unless you deserved it, mind you," he said. She shook her head.

"I'm serious," she insisted, lifting herself up to look him right in the eyes.

"Of course I wouldn't," he assured her, gently pressing her back down onto the bed.

"Just be careful there, all right?" she warned.