“You too,” he replied, watching as she slid on her coat and boots. He held the door for her as the women said goodbye, waving to each other before Daphne slipped out into the cold.
Doc looked after her, curious. “What was that about?”
“Nothing.” Carrie wasn’t in the habit of lying to her husband, but this time, this one time, she wanted to keep this to herself. At least, for a little while.
* * * *
“It’s about time you picked up the phone!” Carrie berated her friend over the wire, but she really felt like hugging her through it. “Where have you been for the past three days?”
“Home,” Daphne replied.
“I was getting ready to come make sure you were still alive,” Carrie scolded. “Why haven’t you picked up the phone? Did you get my messages?”
Of course she’d been worried about just this thing, that Daphne would be scared off, that it would ruin their friendship. And maybe it had, just the mention of it. The thought made Carrie feel physically ill. She’d been feeling that way for days.
“Yeah, I got them,” Daphne admitted. “I just… I guess I’ve just been feeling sorry for myself.”
Uh-oh. So this was it then.
“Why?”
“Oh I don’t know, because you’ve got Doc, and now you’ve got Wilson lusting after you, and you pretty much just get everything, and what do I get?” Daphne spat bitterly.
Wow.
“Wow.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.”
Carrie stared at the receiver for a moment. “What do you mean, I have Wilson lusting after me?”
“He came over here the other night and you were all he could talk about.”
“…What?”
“You heard me. You and your temporary tattoo. And it’s not that I blame him-you’re fucking gorgeous, and who wouldn’t lust after you? Hell, even I’ve thought about it. You know I have.”
“Daphne… stop.” Carrie really wished her friend was in front of her, that this conversation had taken place in person instead.
“What?”
She took a deep breath. “Listen, I called you for a reason.”
“What reason?”
Might as just well come out with it. “I wanted to invite you to Key West with me for Christmas.”
Daphne was quiet for a long time. “Are you serious?”
“I already bought the ticket so you better say yes.” She’d dipped into her own savings account, the one she’d had since before she and Doc were married.
“Wow.” That was all Daphne could seem to say. “Wow. I mean… wow.”
“Come on, it will be fun. Doc can’t come for a few days, he has to work. It will just be me and you. Well, and Doc’s parents. But we can go shopping and swimming and, hell, we can even swim with dolphins if you want, I don’t care-”
“Shut up,” Daphne replied, laughing. “You had me at shopping.”
“You’ll come?” Carrie’s heart swelled, filling her throat.
“Of course I’ll come! I told you I’d jump at the chance. I’m jumping! This is the best Christmas gift ever. I so need a break.”
Carrie smiled at the phone. “Me too.”
* * * *
“How many inches?” Carrie twisted the phone cord around her finger, glancing at Daphne sitting on the sofa in the living room. Her friend raised her eyebrows, grinning, and Carrie stifled a laugh. “Oh Nan, I’m so sorry. When do they think flights will be going out of Boston again?”
“So how many inches?” Daphne used her hands to denote the measurement. “Eight… ten…” The width between her hands got wider, and wider still. “Twelve?”
“Fifteen inches of snow is just crazy,” Carrie agreed, snickering at the shocked look on her friend’s face, the way her hands tried to take that huge measurement. “So they’re saying at least a day? Maybe two?”
“Did they get that kind of snow in Michigan?” Daphne called.
Carrie shook her head, answering Nan. “No, Doc said it was all rain when it went through. They got wet, but no snow… yep, he’ll be here… okay… and where is the Christmas tree stored?”
Daphne got up and wandered into the kitchen, pouring herself more wine while Nan peppered Carrie with more questions.
“Oh, Nan, it’s no problem, Daphne and I can decorate it before you all get here… yes, two boxes of presents were delivered yesterday, and we got another notice on the door to pick up some more today… oh, Daphne and I were shopping, so we were out… yes, the weather’s gorgeous… I know, I know… seventy-seven today…”
Carrie answered her mother-in-law, watching Daphne wander around the living room in her black bikini. They’d gone swimming after their shopping trip. Carrie’s hair was wet, her white bikini bottoms still damp.
“So?” Daphne looked at Carrie as she hung up the phone.”Looks like we’re decorating a Christmas tree?”
She nodded. “Looks that way.”
“Well, let’s get our tinsel on!”
The girls went into the storage closet under the stairs and got the artificial tree out, putting it together branch by branch. Nan’s taste in decorations tended toward the tasteful, so the lights were white and blue, as were all the ornaments. By the time they were stringing the white and silver garland, it was around dinner time.
“We’ll have it all decorated by the time Doc gets here,” Carrie said proudly, watching Daphne stretching to put the white star on the top of the tree. She was still in her bikini and it hugged her ass snugly, showing off her curves in all the right places.
“His flight comes in tonight?” Daphne stepped down from the stool and stood back, hands on her hips, red head cocked.
“Yep.”
Daphne picked up her glass of wine, taking a sip. They’d been drinking all afternoon. “Are we picking him up at the airport?”
“He’s taking a shuttle,” Carrie replied. “He doesn’t like me driving at night.”
“He’s so overprotective.” Her friend laughed, rolling her eyes. But then she smiled. “Must be nice.”
“Are you hungry?” Carrie asked. They’d gone shopping that morning to stock the refrigerator and it was full of food.
Daphne’s eyes lit up. “Do we have any of those little chocolate cashews?”
“Such a healthy dinner!” She got them from the top of the refrigerator, opening the canister and handing it over as she came into the living room.
Daphne popped one into her mouth, sucking happily. “God, these are so good.”
“It’s so weird.” Carrie looked up at the tree, shaking her head.
“I know,” Daphne agreed, laughing at the two of them decorating in bikinis. “It feels like Christmas in July.”
“I know what will make it feel like Christmas.”
Daphne watched Carrie as she stretched out on the white carpet. “What are you doing?”
“Come here.” She held a hand out, beckoning Daphne to join her as she wiggled her way under the Christmas tree.
“Weirdo.” Daphne snorted, but she got down on the floor, stretching out on her back beside her friend. The girls looked up through the branches at the white and blue lights reflecting off the silver and white garland. It was magical.
“Did you used to do this when you were a kid?” Daphne asked.
“Nah, Doc taught me,” Carrie said. “I was lucky if the foster family I was living with had a Christmas tree at all.”
“Damn, I thought my childhood sucked.” Daphne’s hand found hers and she squeezed. “At least my aunt always got me something for Christmas. Of course, she was a hoarder and agoraphobic, so we pretty much had a house full of presents all year round that she ordered from QVC that no one ever got. Except the mice.”
“Jeez.”
“Yeah, it was a fun childhood.” Daphne looked over at her and smiled. The lights shone on her skin, like blue and white tattoos. “But still probably more stable than yours, huh?”
“Probably, “Carrie admitted. She didn’t talk about her childhood much to anyone, even Doc.
“But you sure won the lottery when it came to a husband.”
“I did,” Carrie agreed, meeting her friend’s eyes. “I’m very blessed.”