A Christmas Story

"But you're interested."

I looked over at Steve.

He shrugged "Well that is a start, even though he may be still carrying a torch for his former partner you're interested."

I drank the rest of my juice and dropped the empty bottle into the receptacle basket. "Look, are you going to show me what I'll need to know or what?"

"Better than that, you're working third back up tonight." Steve tapped my middle with his empty bottle than hooked shot it into the basket. "And if you're nice to me I might let you keep the tips you make."

Chapter 3

Somebody stole my Sunday. I remember having it when I got home around 6:00 in the morning. I went to the bed and the rest of the day was stolen. When I finally came to my senses, it was Monday morning, and I was running so late. I didn't have time to think about grabbing a snack, make lunch or even getting a sip of coffee. My needs must have shown big time to my assistant. He quietly placed a Starbuck's Grande coffee, a scone and a fruit cup on my desk without me having to ask him for it. With a glance of gratitude, I gulped the coffee down, inhaled the scone and by 11:00, the fruit cup was just a memory. My goal was to work until 1:00, and then order lunch, but by noon, my stomach told me it was not waiting any longer it wanted something to eat right then. So I went over to the Soup House where it seemed everyone including Santa Claus decided to have soup that day. Finally, my order came. Quickly I lifted cup of hot soup to my mouth and promptly burned my lips. I watched as the soup drizzled down the front of my shirt. I was wiping the soup off, when I heard my name and looked up to see Carl standing there.

"Hey Carl," even I could hear the squeak in my voice. I pretended to clear my throat. "What are you doing down in the South Mall, should you be up on the State Campus?" I tried acting nonchalant, but my beating heart was nearly breaking my ribs.

"Oh I'm down to learn about the vault. Annie wants me to become familiar with the surroundings."

"That's sounds like Annie," I answered still trying to sound casual. She'll assign vault duty to anyone, because she does not like having that duty."

"I got that impression from the way she talked." Carl answered. He was still standing and it looked like he was waiting for an invitation at least that is what I hoping. "Would you like to join me for lunch?"

Carl looked at his watch, "I've already had lunch, but if you don't mind the company, I'll spend the last part of my lunch hour with you."

"I would like that very much." My heart grew wings and I felt I could soar up to the ceiling. Once he sat down, he pushed his glasses back up on his nose, and I felt giddy. We began talking and before long, Carl's cell was beeping.

"Oh, oh he said I'm being paged. Got to go," he said. "This was nice. Say, are you doing anything tonight, would you like to go to dinner and continue our conversation?"

My plans had been going home and catch up on some missed sleep, but this was an offer I could not turn down? "Sure. What time?" I hope I didn't sound too eager.

"They probably won't let me out of the vault until after 4:30."

I don't get off work until 5:30.'" I said feeling that our time different may be enough of a reason for Carl to cancel.

"Good," he said. That will give me enough time to check out the Military Tribute in the South Mall. Are you familiar with it?" Slowly I shook my head, "It in the center of the mall."

"Okay, meet me there and since you work down here you should be familiar with place we can eat at," he said smiling. "Sounds like a plan to me." I replied.

He pushed his glasses back up on his nose. Then turned and walked away.

Now why did I feel I had just hit the lottery?

When I arrived to the Military Tribute, Carl was standing there just looking at the statue of the soldiers. Finally, he noticed me. I could tell by the expression on his face it had touched him. "This is a nice tribute to our fallen soldiers. I lost my brother in Dessert Storm War of the nineties. I was three when he was killed" He said quietly.

"Wow, big age difference between you two."

"Yeah, he had just turned twenty." he chuckled. You could say he was the reason why my parent had to get married. And I guess you could say I was the reason why my parents separated. I don't remember much about Bryan. But after he was killed, the mantel over the fireplace in the house became a shrine to him. I would watch my father dust and polish the pictures of him in his football, basketball and track uniforms. He paid special attention to the one of Bryan in his cap and gown taken with my parents. But the one taken of him in his military uniform was my father's pride and joy. My father look at that picture and told me; Bryan died as a man should die, serving his country." Carl had a strange faraway look on his face. "When I told my mother what she had always suspected, she told me to pack my bags. I thought she was kicking me out. But when I came out of my bedroom, she was standing there with her suitcase also. She called us a cab and we went to the bus station. She brought two bus tickets and told me we would be staying with my Aunt Grace. On the way there, she told me this time she was not just going to sitting around and allowing my father to get another one of her sons killed to just to prove he was a man."

His words stunned me. I reached up and touched his shoulder. When he looked over at me I wanted to protected him and keep him safe from any harm. Did I see the glistening of tears? "Hey why don't we go see a comedy before dinner?

The movie was just what we needed to see. Carl apologized for ruining the mood earlier. I told him it was alright. Instead of dinner, we decided to end the evening with a light snack. Since neither of us cared for meat, we ended up in Blue Daisy, a vegan diner.

"Well I've told you my family secret Carl began; you want to tell me about yours."

I shrugged my shoulder, "Not much to tell. My mother was sort of a wild child and I was the results of a one night stand with some guy whose name she does not remember. The McKay's were a well to do rich prominent Pennsylvania family Needless to say this caused quite a family scandal and they told her it would be better for all if she went away to have me and put me up for adoption. When she told them she would not do that, they disowned her. So she went to live with her Aunt Jamie in Vermont. Aunt Jamie had also been disowned by the family because she was living with a black man. His name was Paul Fletcher thus my name Fletcher Jamie McKay."

"Wow, after what I've been through, there is nothing my child could do which would stop me from loving them."

"Oh you plan on having a family?" I asked.

"I would like to, Carl answered. There are a lot of children out there either through foster care or adoption waiting to be loved and taken care of. Whether I have a partner or not, I defiantly want children in my future." What do you see in your future? He asked looking at me.

I looked back over at him and just smiled. But in both my head and my heart answered, "You."