Epilogue

“I’ve never celebrated Christmas. I haven’t celebrated a lot of holidays, actually. I thought since I liked your Thanksgiving, I might… branch out.”

“Oh yeah?” Livvie said excitedly. “That’s great, Sexy! Now I feel bad for not getting you a gift yet. We’ll have to do it up right if it’s your first Christmas. I figured you didn’t celebrate it, so I didn’t want to push the subject. If you weren’t into it, no reason for me to celebrate.”

I noticed the undercurrent of sadness in Livvie’s voice and suspected it had something to do with her lack of family. I was oddly tempted to ask about them. I didn’t much care for her mother, but I knew she had siblings and I didn’t know if she spoke to them or not. Then again, her having a relationship with her family didn’t necessarily bode well for me.

“You’ve already given me more than I’ve ever had. You wouldn’t want to spoil me, would you?” I flashed my most suggestive grin. Livvie looked at me sidelong.

“I wouldn’t dream of spoiling you. You’re a big enough pain as it is.”

“I’m sorry, I thought I was gentle.” I braced for the punch I knew I was coming. She can be such a violent little thing.

“Don’t be gross!” she admonished. It was difficult to take her seriously while she was laughing. “I wonder if there’s still time to get a tree. Usually people put them up after Thanksgiving, but there has to be a lot somewhere that sells them. I’ll ask Claudia. She usually knows where to go for stuff. I mean, I’ve learned a bunch since I’ve been here, but like, I’m not from here so I need help sometimes. Ha! This one time I got lost…” Livvie seemed completely engrossed in the art of one-sided conversation. I admit it, I tuned out a little. I thought I had learned the various sides to Livvie while in Mexico, but I was beginning to feel as though I’d only scratched the surface. I rather liked the idea of new discoveries—even when the discovery was that Livvie could be as much of a rambler as Claudia.

“I was thinking of something else entirely,” I broke in. Livvie halted, much to the chagrin of the pedestrians behind us trying to get upstream with the other salmon.

“What were you thinking?” She looked somewhat perturbed and I wasn’t sure why.

“What’s that face for?”

She shook her head and pasted on a saccharine smile.

“Nothing. Nothing. It’s just… what were you going to say?” She smiled a bit more genuinely.

“You were thinking something. Just tell me what it was.” I took a sip from my coffee. I’d never been much of a coffee drinker, but it was slowly growing on me. Livvie usually had some with her breakfast. She blew out a breath.

“I don’t know, I thought you might say something about… visiting friends of yours. Or something.”

“Wow,” I said. “You think I have friends? Friends I would want to spend holidays with, no less.” I had to laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of it.

“Well, not friends, but… you know people.” She lifted an ebony brow and tilted her head to the side with suspicion.

“I’ve left all that behind, Livvie. You know that,” I said evenly.

“I thought you were going to call me Sophia from now on.” She looked down at her shoe and kicked at an imaginary rock.

“That question wasn’t exactly meant for James, was it?” I kept my tone pleasant.

“You’re right. I’m sorry, James.” She stepped closer and playfully kicked at the tip of my shoe with her sneakered foot. “You forgive me? Do I still get my surprise?”

I chuckled because I had no other recourse. I had come to understand our relationship would be riddled with moments where the past sucked all the joy out of the present. My only hope was that with enough time, Livvie and I would build memories capable of trumping our beginning.

“Yes, on both counts. I’m much too excited about your gift to let you ruin it for us.”

Livvie looked up at me with a glare that quickly became a smile.

“It’s for both of us, eh? It’s not lingerie, is it? Because that’s more for you than it is me. I’m not saying I won’t wear it, but I’m going to insist I get other presents too.”

“You’re ridiculous.” I started walking and Livvie quickly fell into step next to me.

“You’re sexy,” she whispered as she dragged my arm across her shoulders. It made for awkward walking, but I didn’t mind.

“Yes, I know. It’s a curse. Anyway, I was hoping you could take the week of Christmas off from work. I want to take you to Paris.” I pulled her close and placed a kiss on the top of her head. The pink fuzz from her hat stuck to my lips. I lifted my arm from her shoulders and picked it off.

From the corner of my eye, I observed an older man watching me and Livvie. I wouldn’t have noticed him, except he was alone and without shopping bags—or anything in his hands at all. He caught me watching and tilted his head in greeting before turning to look at a window display. I warily pulled my attention back toward Livvie. The old man wasn’t anyone I knew and he hardly looked dangerous. I had left the world of intrigue behind. Old men were only old men.

“Paris? You are so damn sweet when you want to be. I’ve already been to Paris though—last year.” She bounced as she walked happily. “I can probably get the time off work, though. It’s late for requests, but Giovanni is pretty good about that kind of thing. I’m a student, so I don’t think he expects too much out of me.”

“Giovanni—is he handsome?” She seemed surrounded by men sometimes: Reed, Marco, Rubio, and now Giovanni.

“Only in that tall, dark, and foreign kind of way. Not my cuppa, really.” She grinned.

“Asshole.” I swatted her ass as we walked. People were beginning to stare at us while we walked. I thought of the old man and started to feel better about him watching us. It was more than possible that Livvie and I were simply drawing attention to ourselves. Some people even seemed to enjoy our antics. “Anyway, I know you’ve been to Paris before. I read about it in that email you sent to your friend.”

“Don’t remind me,” Livvie said.

“I am reminding you. It didn’t seem like you had very much fun while you were in Paris. You were lonely and some bastard stole your wallet. I thought we could go together and make new memories. I’ve never really played the tourist before. It could be fun. What do you think?” I took several swallows of coffee, pleased it had sufficiently cooled.

Livvie’s eyes told me all I needed to know. They were bright and excited.

“I think… you’re amazing, James. No one makes me as happy as you do.” She hooked her arm in mine and rested her head on my arm. She let out a little sigh of contentment that warmed me better than the coffee.

“It’s settled then. I’ll make all the arrangements. We’ll stay at the best hotel and eat at the best restaurants. We’ll see all the best things and have the best sex.” I was shockingly giddy. I’d never been the type before. I tried not to overthink it despite the niggling worry always running in the background of my thoughts that warned me how dangerous happiness could be.

“And I’ll be with the best boyfriend ever!” Livvie did a little hop and spilled coffee onto her mitt and sleeve. “Ah, boo! My glove is all wet. Oh well, at least it didn’t burn my hand.”

We stopped at the next trash bin and tossed the coffee. Livvie stood still as I wiped her off as best I could with my gloved hands. Once finished, I pulled off my gloves and put them in the garbage along with hers.

“That’s the first time you’ve called me your boyfriend,” I mentioned softly. “We’ll buy new gloves in that shop over there.” I pointed. “It wouldn’t hurt to find some outfits for Paris. I rather like the idea of you in lingerie.” I bent down and kissed her lips. Livvie took it upon herself to deepen our affections by cupping the back of my head and pressing her lips once, twice, three times against my own until I opened my mouth to her tongue.

Livvie’s kisses had gone from shy to ravenous during the course of our relationship. I was surprised to discover my growing taste for Livvie’s forwardness. She’d had such a demure nature in the past and I’d loved to play The Wolf to her Little Red Riding Hood. I hoisted her up into my arms and she wrapped her legs around my waist. A mother hurried her children past and called us disgusting. I grabbed Livvie’s ass and squeezed before I pulled away from the kiss and set her down. I tugged my coat down.

“I’d only kiss my boyfriend like that,” she panted and giggled. I gave her one more kiss and managed to keep it chaste.

“I accept. These lips officially belong to me, and mine they will remain. If I find them anywhere near another man, he better be kin to you.” I was entirely serious.

“You manage to say the most romantic things in the creepiest way possible. If I didn’t know you, I’d be scared of you,” she said with a smile and a wink.

“Oh, I’m still scary.”

“Not to me,” she whispered. I felt a little pinch in my chest.