True Love Ch. 09

"Look at you cleaning the whole room." Sam came out of the bathroom putting a pearl earring in her ear. She was dressed in a pair of skinny dark blue jeans. She had on a pair of knee high brown leather boots and a white long-sleeved shirt with a small flowery design around the shoulder. "Feeling better?" I could see the concern on her face, but also the confidence that I was going to be alright.

"Never better." Her confidence gave me confidence and the whole episode passed from my head. "Aren't you going to wear a jacket? It's pretty chilly outside."

"Of course!" She beamed before going to grab her favorite jacket.

It was a jacket that I hated. It was a jacket that she had been wearing since junior high. The old ragged thing barely reached her waist and was filled with holes from wear and tear. The jacket was white, but had the slightest yellow tinge to it now. The right sleeve had a large faded purple Kool-Aid stain on it that no amount of bleach was able to pull out for some reason. She had gone through a phase sophomore year where she would wear glitter all the time and to this day, whenever she would wear it, I would somehow find glitter on myself for the next few weeks. The only saving grace was that it was a very warm jacket and not many occasions arose to wear a jacket like that in south Texas. Unfortunately, today was a day cold enough to warrant its wear.

"Don't give me that look. It's the warmest jacket I have!" She saw the face I made as I watched her put it on.

"You have a letterman like me though?"

"What? Go out with both of us wearing the same jacket? That's so corny, besides, it goes with this outfit."

"If you say so." I gave up. "Ready sweetie?" She hooked her arm in mine and gave me a big kiss.

"Ready."

-----

We arrived at the mall after only a short drive. The mall was only about fifteen minutes away from the dorm. It was actually fairly convenient. When we got out of the car we could see that it was going to be a busy day at the mall. There were cars everywhere. Parking the car was a nightmare and it seemed like we were a mile from the entrance by the time we found a spot.

Sam huddled next to me and cradled my arm as we made our way inside. I enjoyed the comfort of her proximity, but the back of my mind screamed thinking of the glitter I would find on myself later. Once inside the mall I saw pretty much everything I expected to see. There was quite possibly several thousand people shuffling about, many of them fellow students. There was an abundance of Christmas decorations and cheery holiday music playing through the speakers.

"I love the mall at this time of the year, don't you?" She was still cradling my arm as we made our way to the center of the mall.

"What, all the people doing their last minute..." I looked over at Sam and saw that she was giving me that look that told me I was being a Grinch. "I love it, it's magical." My voice changed from grumpy to mock-cheery in an instant.

To tell the truth, I actually didn't mind Christmas. I just couldn't stand crowds. I hated when people acted like animals trying to get the best deals. I preferred the gentle cozy up by the fire kind of Christmas moments. Then there was Sam. She ate this whole season up. She wanted the music to never end. She loved the bright lights and colors. It spoke to her inner sense of wonder and if she had it her way things would be like this twenty-four-seven, three-six-five.

My Grinch-like behavior started happening when the stress did, back in high school. Sam kept me in check though. She would tell me that I couldn't act like that in public. She made me conscious of my environment and that I was a public figure now. She had told me that my every action would be scrutinized and analyzed. A simple remark would no longer be a simple remark, but it would now be a political statement or stab at society. I argued with her at first, but I knew she was right. All you had to do was throw on a TV to see that any remotely negative comment, made by a person of any kind of fame, was news worthy. She insisted that I couldn't hate crowds if at some point I would be playing for crowds of thousands. I would have to smile and be charming to the public if I wanted them to love me. Like with everything, she was the voice of reason in my life and she was always right.

As we walked and took in the entire atmosphere we had found our way to the center of the mall, the food court. We maneuvered around the crowd that had gathered around Santa and found a table to sit at. Sam sat across from myself and just smiled. She was still shifting her eyes about, taking in every single ornament and display.

"So what are you trying to get today?" I asked, drawing her attention.

"Can't tell you." She gave me a cute sly smile. "It's a surprise."

"Is that so?" She nodded at me, silently saying 'yes' to my question. Her hands were gripping the sides of the table and I could see she was eager to start shopping. "You wanna go to one side and me the other? Meet back here in an hour or so?"

"You read my mind darling." Her ruby lips met my cheek, leaving a distinct mark. "Remember to have fun Alex." And just like that she was gone, heading off into the crowd of people.

I wiped the smudge of lipstick off of my cheek with the back of my hand and headed off in the opposite direction towards a nice coat store.

-----

-Samantha Summers-

"God, how I love Christmas."

Christmas is by far my favorite holiday. The lights, the joy, the decorations, all of it! I wish Alex felt the same way, but I guess that's wishful thinking at best. I can remember every Christmas growing up. Alex never got anything he wanted from his parents. He wanted a bike one year and instead got a journal, a journal that he never even used.

Don't get me wrong, he was always grateful. He thanked his parents every year for the presents he did get. After all the gift exchanges, me and Alex would meet up at one house or the other and play. He wouldn't gripe or complain, but it was impossible not to see the twinge of disappointment in his eyes. It wasn't like his parents were hurting, but they just didn't believe in gifts meant for enjoyment. Gifts were meant to be for personal growth in the Winter's Household.

The wonderful thing about this was that, despite his upbringing, Alex is always kind, generous, and giving to everyone he meets. I think his hatred of productivity is just him trying to spite his parents. Looking at him now, across the food court, he's signing autographs for a few of the local kids who probably saw him on TV. He lights up around children. He always stops what he's doing to talk to fans. I love that about him.

Unfortunately, I can't watch him forever. I have shopping to do. The unfortunate thing is that I have no clue what to get Alex. Ever since the falling out with his parents he has not once mentioned a single thing that he would like. Usually I could work with a clue from conversations, but this whole year he's been tight lipped.

After wracking my brain for, what seemed like, half an hour I gave up. It's hopeless. I need some perspective. I walked around some more and stopped inside one of the many jewelry stores. This one was familiar though. Claire will know how to help me.

"Hey babe!" I yelled over to my best friend Claire. She was working behind the counter, wearing a rather expensive looking black suit with a pencil skirt. She didn't appear to be busy helping anyone for the moment and so I wedged myself in between two business looking gentlemen to talk face to face with her.

"Hey Sammy!" She leaned over the counter and we gave each other a kiss on the cheek. "What are you doing here?" Claire asked with all the excitement she could muster without disturbing the customers around the store.

"I need your help." I saw the momentary look of concern from her bright blue eyes and spoke quickly. "Alex. I have no clue what to get him this year."

"Are you serious? What makes you think I'd know?"

Claire was a classmate of mine and one of only a handful of real friends I had on campus. She was a lot shorter than me, standing around five feet tall. She had a high squeaky voice to go with her size that was absolutely adorable. She was working to get her medical doctorate, just like me, and so we hit it off right away.

"You're really smart Claire. You, me, and Alex hang out all the time. Do you remember him saying anything about something he wanted?" Claire and I were both leaning across the counter, meeting in the middle.

"He hasn't said anything to me. What does he usually ask for?"

"That's the thing Claire." I was looking down at Claire. Because of her height compared to mine and the position we were in, her rather large bosom was slightly exposed and accentuated by her jacket. "He usually just gets boring practical things. I want to give him something that will make his face light up."

"Hey, eyes up here." Claire had caught me staring and used her two fingers to pull my eyes up level with hers. "We've talked about this, control yourself." Claire knew about my lust and really helped me control my arousal problems. I pinched my wrist and looked up at her face. When she knew she had my attention she continued. "Have you tried this? Ask yourself, what does he like?"

"You don't think I've tried that?"

"Just..." She sighed and moved her hands in front of her in a moving forward motion. "Come on."

"Well, he likes Baseball."

"Go on." Her face was calm, but I could see the wheels turning behind her eyes.

"He likes to run and workout." I felt silly making this list. These were all things that were obvious. Alex already had equipment. He had running shoes. He had everything he needed. "This is silly Claire."

"Keep going, that's all surface shit."

"He likes poetry." Maybe I could get him a book on poetry? Would it make his face light up though? Would he love it? Probably not. "He likes music a lot." And get him what, Sam? A CD? Really? "This is pointless Claire!"

"I think you're missing one obvious thing Sammy." I just stared at her. I was lost. "You Sam, he likes you."

"And what am I supposed to get him with that? Am I supposed to put a bow on myself and give him sex?" The businessmen who had drifted a little ways away from me took an interest in that and looked over at me. "We have sex all the time Claire. It wouldn't be special."

"Keep your voice down slut." She leaned over and slapped me on the shoulder playfully. "I'd like to keep this job!" Her slap was cute, her tiny hand had about as much force behind it as a child's would. "You're in a jewelry store. What about a piece of jewelry?"

"Why didn't you say that to begin with bitch?" I rubbed my shoulder hoping to concern her. "What do you suggest? What do women usually buy their men?"

"Quit it, you probably didn't even feel it." She was right. "To answer your question, watches and rings mostly. They come in, buy it, and sometimes get them engraved."

As she spoke the words I saw it. Sitting in the display case to the right of me was a case full of your classic men's watches. Big bulky pieces of metal with crystal faces, fancy bands, and some with jewels embedded in them. There were rows of rings meant for men. There were thick bands of various metals and stones. The thing I saw was different. It was plain. It was cast off to the side. The circular disk of silver.

"How much for that?"

-----

-Alexander Winters-

Getting around the mall was difficult to say the least. Once one person gathers around you, everyone else kind of does as well. It took me, what seemed like forever, to get through the last group, but now I had my first gift for Sam in hand and was on my way to grab a second one.

This is the year that I get Sam a new coat. I had seen her fuss over that coat of hers for years. No amount of bleach was able to best that sank in stain. No amount of washing able to eliminate the faded and aged yellow hue. She had spent years trying to fix it and gotten nowhere with it. I knew she was self-conscious when wearing it out in town, though she would never say it. She deserved to have a coat to wear that accentuated her beauty, instead of detracting from it.

The coat store was the largest store in the mall. It was more of a general apparel store, but insisted calling itself a coat factory. It took me a few minutes to find my way to the woman's apparel section. I looked through each rack of coats. There were so many. Some fleece. Some were leather. Some could barely even be called coats. Why can't women just wear a functionally warm coat?

"Can I help you? You look lost." One of the sales ladies must have seen me struggling and came over to help.

"No th..." I usually hated asking for help, but maybe a woman's perspective would help. "Actually sure. I'm looking for a coat for my girlfriend Sam." I noticed her tag. Trixie. I couldn't help but feel that she looked familiar.

"Well I would hope so. I don't think any of these coats would fit you." She laughed at her own joke and I the social pressure to laugh as well. "What kind of coat were you looking to get her?"

"I'm looking to get her a new winter coat." Perhaps I know her from English class?

"That narrows it down a little." She walked over towards a section of a few bulkier looking jackets and I followed. "What color were you thinking about?"

"Haven't thought about it..." Maybe the gym? "I'm sorry if this sounds weird, but do I know you? You look really familiar."

"Not weird. I get that a lot." The corners of her lips curled into a sly grin. I really hope she doesn't think I'm trying to hit on her. "What about black?" She walked over to a new section. Her hips swayed a little more than they had before. "Retains heat, stylish."

"That works." Pixie face, slender shoulders, thin waist, apple bottom. Think Alex. You definitely know her.

"Price range?" She was still wearing that sly grin. The grin people wear when they know something someone else doesn't. She could see me wracking my brain.

"Three hundred." She was weaving between racks, trailing her fingers over each piece of fabric. She was in constant motion.

"Big spender, Sam's a lucky girl." She emphasized 'girl'. She knew who I was and was just toying with me. Why would she toy with me? "For that price, there's nothing better than a Trench Coat." She walked around the corner of a rolling wall of clothes. A whole new set of coats came into view, hanging up on the wall. "Double breasted, ass length, concealable hood." It was a normal sales pitch, but it felt oddly sexual with the way she said it.

"If you say it's the best, it must be." I didn't feel comfortable around Trixie. The coat looked wonderful. It was as she described it. The buttons were large and sturdy. The fabric didn't look to be itchy and was, in fact, very soft to the touch. Behind the large collar was a fleece hood with a large area in the back designed to provide plenty of room for the woman's hair to fit in without messing up too much. You could even unfasten it if you didn't want it on there. It was perfect. "I'll take it."

"Grab her size and I'll ring you up at the counter..." She was eerily bubbly in the face of my discomfort. "...Alex." The nail in the coffin. I didn't like her. I didn't like people toying with me. There's was nothing I could do about it though. I grabbed the coat and walked over to the register that she opened up. I felt a tinge of guilt getting to check out ahead of the twenty or so people waiting in line, but felt compelled to figure this out. "That'll be $270.61."

"Here you go, Trixie." She wasn't nearly as fazed as I was at the mention of my name. I handed her my debit card and she finished the transaction. I tapped my foot the entire time as she took her time placing the coat in the bag. She moved so casually as she placed the paper fluff in the bag to conceal the contents. Her every action seemed to be spiteful in contrast to the smile she carried on her face.

"Im sure 'Sam' will love it." She handed me my card back with the coat. "Have a nice day Alex." It's funny how a nice sentiment can come off as an attack.

-----

Sam and I continued to shop after we met back up. She had to continuously nudge me into smiling and to be merry. It was hard to shake off the encounter at the coat store, but eventually it slipped from my mind and I found it easier to let my smile show. It was impossible not to around Sam.

We grabbed a cup of pretzel bites from that pretzel place that seems to be in every single mall I've ever known. We each tried to figure out what the other got each other, but neither of us could guess correctly. Not that we cared though. The surprise and suspense was the best part.

After our meal, if you could call it that, we drove back to our dorm. We still had a few hours until the party started and so we decided to fit in a workout at the gym. It was nothing too stressful, light weights and high reps. Sam mostly stuck to yoga nowadays. She had found her ideal figure and worked hard to maintain it. Functional fitness was her priority. After our routines in the gym we both went to do some laps around the indoor track.

"So, when did you want to exchange gifts?" She huffed as we jogged at a steady pace. It was quite easy to maintain steady breathing at our slow speed.

"I thought we'd do it on Christmas? Isn't that what people usually do?" I asked, unsure of where her question was coming from.

"Yeah, I guess, but wouldn't it be more fun if we did it spontaneously?" She added as we continued the run, our cool down laps coming up soon. "I mean, wouldn't it be special if we formed our own traditions? What if we exchanged gifts randomly throughout the twelve days of Christmas? It's still in the span of the holiday and it adds to the surprise because you won't know when the gift is coming." Her logic made sense, at least it did to me.

"If that's what you wanna do love, I have no problem with it." I smiled warmly towards her and looked down at my watch. "Time." We both broke from our stride and started to walk.

"I'm so excited." Sam gasped as she slowed down. "Whew, that was a good little run." I looked her over as she calculated her pulse. She looked at me as I watched her, eyes showing her mind's calculation. "You have something on your mind, what's bothering you?"

"What?" How in the world does she do that?

"Talk to me love." She stopped walking and reached out to hold onto my arm. The contact was warm and reassuring. "You know you can tell me anything."

"I know..." And that was true, I did know.

I could tell Sam anything. She was my safety-net. I was scared though. I hadn't even wanted to bring that girl up. She acted so sinister. What if I brought her up and Sam told me something I didn't want to hear? The mind can go to a dark place when you are in a relationship. It can imagine all sorts of things and tear you apart. I knew I had to tell her. What would go through Sam's mind if I didn't? As I was trying to process everything Sam was leading me to bench in the hall outside of the track. She sat us down and turned her body towards me and never broke eye contact. She had a way of making grown men feel like children sometimes.

"It's okay, whatever it is." Her eyes were watering up slightly, but she didn't look sad. Her face was flat as she waited for me to speak.

"At the mall." I paused, gripping the wood at the edge of the bench in my fingers. My hands were growing slick from nerves. "I spoke to a girl in one of the stores." Her breath caught and her eyes wavered for a second before nodding her head, telling me to continue. "I could have sworn I recognized her, but I couldn't place how I did." My voice was steady, but I kept pausing while trying to think of the right words. "It seemed like she knew about you and me."