A Taste of Pleasure (16 page)

This being a Friday, she thought about how nice it would be to sleep in and not race to the office every morning. She had enjoyed applying her exceptional skills and knowledge each workday, but she was certain she would enjoy early retirement just as much, if not more. She knew her grandmother's estate would keep her comfortable for the rest of her life. She also understood that Deacon would continue to work for a living, not only for income but for the sake of his pride. He would never consider joining her in early retirement. Even though she could take care of him, she wouldn't even suggest the idea
for fear of offending him, but she missed him and wished he could spend his days with her.

The day was terribly boring already, but her mind was working overtime to conjure up many tasks and activities to make her time without him eventful. She logged on to the laptop and started an agenda, a list of things she would accomplish before Deacon's return later next week:
haircut, manicure and pedicure, decorating, gift shopping, fun in the snow, time with friends.

She logged on to see what some of her friends were doing today, and to see if they had holiday plans scheduled for the upcoming week. After her recent interlude with Max, she had joined a social network, and before she knew it she had linked up with hundreds of her old friends from high school and college. She chatted with a few girls whom she had been close to years ago, including her good friend Jen. Finally, Paris got online. Together, the group chatted and everyone seemed to be in the same rut of boredom, and they were lacking holiday cheer.

“Let's have a party!” Paris suggested.

“Yes, how about my place next Friday night at eight o'clock?” London offered. “And be sure to bring your significant others!”

Everyone agreed and she was suddenly overcome with excitement. She knew that despite their busy holiday schedules, her friends would never miss a gala event put on by London Shelby, as it would certainly give their holiday spirits a boost.

“Do you have someone special, London?” Paris inquired.

“I sure do!” London replied, smiling to herself as she thought of Deacon. She couldn't wait to show him off to her friends and hoped that he could make it. She typed a quick email inviting him to the party. She knew that he would check emails while he was away and she hoped he would reply soon.
She then jumped on the phone to call her personal friend Jon, a master chef and culinary artist who owned a classy catering company. She knew he would drop everything to accommodate her party, even if it was last-minute.

“London! It's so good to hear from you, darling!” Jon was bursting with excitement to hear her voice. “Oh! A party, a holiday party! I have a full staff for the upcoming week and we can certainly be there for you, my dear.”

He was ecstatic and London could hear his fingers snapping as he called his staff to attention. He immediately lined up servers and a bartender, then reviewed menu choices with her. She selected grilled shrimp skewers, succulent lamb kebabs, roasted asparagus, vine-ripened tomatoes with pesto, along with a variety of other veggies, fruits, cheeses, snacks, and desserts. Jon had two large fondues that he offered to bring along, one for cheese for the appetizers and another for chocolate, which would be perfect with the fruits and desserts. He also suggested some fine aged wines from a local vineyard, along with eggnog and other warm, festive holiday drinks. He assured her that everything would be informal but classy, casual yet chic. She agreed to leave the rest up to his culinary expertise.

“Now, do you have a decorator helping you with the arrangements, London?” Jon asked.

“No, I was planning to handle that myself,” she replied.

“Oh dear, well, I must come and help you this week. How about Tuesday? I'll bring a few suggestions and I can have a Christmas tree delivered that day. Nothing like the fresh scent of a real tree for the holiday!”

“That sounds great. I haven't had a real tree since . . .” Her voice caught. “Well, since Grams was still here.”

“Oh, bless her soul, and yours. You're going to have a real
tree again this year, dear. It's going to be a fabulous holiday,” he squealed, his exhilaration radiating through the phone.

“Thank you so much, Jon. I can always count on you. I can't wait to see you Tuesday.”

London hung up and zipped around the house, tidying up, planning, and thinking about the decorations, the food, and Christmas. She loved Christmas, her favorite time of the year, which made her feel like a child again. Even at her age, she still listened for reindeer hooves on the rooftop until she fell asleep on Christmas Eve, and she visited Santa Claus every year. Normally, she would have done so the day after Thanksgiving, but she hadn't made it there yet this year. She made it a point to visit him by Christmas Eve next weekend at the latest.

The phone rang. London hoped for Deacon, but it was Paris.

“I know I'll be seeing you next weekend for the party, but I've got a couple days off this weekend. How about we spend some time together like the old days?” Paris proposed.

“That sounds like fun!” London went over her list with Paris and they were on the same page. They decided to spend the next morning cross-country skiing, followed by an afternoon at the spa, indulging themselves, and they would top the night off with cocktails and dancing at the club. Sunday, if they were up to it, they would enjoy some holiday shopping together.

Saturday was eventful and flew right by. London was thrilled to have Paris to pass the time with. It was Sunday already and their shopping excursion was delightful in the hustle and bustle of downtown. They focused on a few gifts, then splurged on sexy lingerie. They modeled for each other in the fitting rooms as they tried on each outfit. London finally decided upon the traditional red lace teddy for Christmas, and a racy black
ensemble for New Year's Eve. She insisted on treating Paris to some lavish purchases, and Paris reluctantly gave in.

Tarrytown was alive with the sounds and smells of the season. Roasted almonds and Brazilian coffee permeated the air, luring them in for a snack. Bells were ringing on the street corners and storefronts. With each Santa Claus she encountered, London would discreetly slip them a hundred-dollar bill, much to their surprise. She couldn't wait to sit on Santa's lap at Midtown Mall. She was certain he was the real deal. But they couldn't make it there today as Paris had to get going. London still planned to return to finalize her shopping on Christmas Eve. She had a special gift in mind for Deacon.

Before she knew it, Tuesday arrived. The Christmas tree was delivered and set up on the stand by two handsome, burly, cheerful men whom she tipped generously on their way out. Jon arrived just after with bundles of linens, holiday décor, and big ideas to help London spruce up the château for the big party. He was such a whirlwind when he entered the room and she was delighted to finally see him again. They went up to the attic together to retrieve Grams's decorations for the tree. As they carried the boxes down, London found herself emotional, teary-eyed, and missing her grandmother. The fragrance of the real pine tree really took her back in time. Jon noticed she was misty and hurried to the threshold of the family room to hang the mistletoe, then dragged her over and gave her a peck on the cheek to cheer her up. She giggled and cheered up as she chuckled to herself.
We're both lucky that Jon's gay because he's so handsome and adorable that I might enjoy more than decorating with him.
She snickered at the thought.

The two of them spent the day decorating and chatting. Between hanging ribbons, bows, ornaments, and glittery décor, she told him all about Deacon. It felt so good to share her
story with someone. Jon understood how London had been raised. He knew Grams well and knew of the wild lifestyles both women had led. He was glad to see London beginning to settle down with one man. Although he hadn't yet found his significant other, Jon was still playing the field.

Soon everything glistened with gold and silver everywhere. The decorations twinkled and warmth filled the house. They savored some divine chicken noodle soup and sandwiches together that Jon had brought along, and he whipped up some hot chocolate with whipped cream for a sweet treat afterward.

“Okay, young lady, bundle up, because we're heading outside to spice things up a little!” Jon said as he hustled London along. They started on the back deck, clearing snow from the outdoor stone fireplace and grill area, where he would be cooking for the party. Jon wanted the space to have some ambience, so he had brought along strings of white Christmas lights to drape around the deck and he planned to have the fires going inside and out that evening.

Then they made their way down into the yard, stringing more lights around several small pines scattered here and there, in front and back and up and down the driveway. When they were finally through they returned to the backyard, where Jon dropped into the snow and started making a snow angel. London laughed and joined in. After a few minutes, Jon got up and walked behind her, and to her surprise, a snowball landed on her chest, spraying snow into her face. She screamed and jumped up. The battle had begun as they packed snowballs and chased each other through the yard, dodging, throwing, and laughing until they both fell into the snow again, exhausted.

“Let's build a snowman before I go. Right here, where he will be visible from the deck,” Jon suggested.

“How about you build the man, and I'll build the woman?” London replied.

“Sounds perfect.” He grinned.

They set to work rolling and packing the snow, building their snow couple together as London reminisced. She told Jon a story of doing this very same thing with Grams back when she was just twelve years old. Grams built the snowman, and she built the snowwoman. Grams had been chatting about things unknown to London that afternoon, trying to explain the birds and the bees to her. When London turned around, she noticed that Grams had put male parts on her snowman. They laughed hysterically and proceeded to add the female parts to the snowwoman together.

“Let's keep our snow couple PG-rated today, okay, Jon?” London laughed.

“Or I was thinking we could just have two snowmen to be politically correct.” Jon chuckled with one hand on his hip.

They finished off their snow couple with hats, scarves, buttons, carrot noses, a pipe for the snowman, and a red poinsettia flower for the snowwoman. They were masterpieces. They had such a great day together, and London was glad she'd had this time without Deacon to spend some time with friends. As evening set in and the sun was quickly fading, Jon said good-bye. London hugged him and thanked him for his help, not just with the decorations, but also with her spirits. Along with the house, he had brightened her soul with his lust for life and she looked forward to seeing him again at the party.

The rest of the week disappeared, and before she knew it, it was Friday. She had been up early and worked hard all day to finalize the details for the big event. She hadn't yet heard from Deacon, but remained hopeful that he would be able to make it to the party. The night was still young and she decided to
take a short nap. It would be a long evening and she wanted to feel refreshed. She set her alarm, closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Deacon appeared and he was at his cottage, where they first made love. He was standing by the railing on a deck, overlooking a stream and a vast forest. She walked over to him and their lips met. She felt warmth simmering inside her, taking over her body. The stillness of the trees, the crisp cool air, and the quiet moon and stars accentuated their heartbeats as he led her into the front room of the rustic log cabin.

Beep, beep, beep . . .

Damn
, she thought as she awoke to her alarm.
I wanted to know what happened next.
She was groggy as she looked around the room. Shadows spilled over the back of the house as the moonlight lit up the rustling trees.
The party! And Deacon?
She ran to the computer and there was a message from him.
SEE YOU AT 9:00
. She was thrilled. She jumped into the shower, quickly toweled off, and dressed in a long black velvet skirt with a glittery silver belt and a white sheer blouse with stand-up collar and enlarged full long sleeves.

She welcomed Jon and the catering staff, and soon the place was buzzing with commotion to prepare for the guests. She sampled some wines with Jon and nibbled at the snack table, chatting with all the delicious servers Jon had arranged. They were all so young and handsome in their crisp white shirts and black ties, informal yet classy as he had promised. The intercom announced the arrival of the first guests as they parked in the circular drive in front of the château. London greeted Paris and her date at the door.

“Party time!” Paris declared as she shimmied around the room with a bottle of champagne that she had brought as a gift for London. Paris was stunning and elegant, model material at
five-foot-eight with a svelte figure, haunting green eyes to match her emerald green velvet sheath dress, plus a golden tan and light auburn hair. She was such a fun friend and London loved her. They had been out of touch for a while and she had missed her. It was good to have her back, and no party would be fun without her.

Jen arrived, gorgeous as well in a red full-skirt dress. She had a Swedish kind of look with long blond hair, crystal blue eyes, a perfect complexion, full lips, and a toned, racy physique. Jen joined in, dancing around with Paris and dragging London in as well. Together, the three of them could have been the new
Charlie's Angels
girls.

Other cars started filing into the drive and soon the place was hopping with action. The fireplace blazed in the background while partiers drank as fast as the bartender could serve them. The music was jamming and had everyone in the room on their feet. Some people took the fun outside, gathering on the deck with Jon and another chef around the stone fireplace and grill, which did the dual service of cooking the kebabs and knocking the chill off those waiting to eat. Those who couldn't wait enjoyed roasting marshmallows and almonds and dipping them into the chocolate fondue.