Page 45 of Stocking Stuffers
She shouldn’t be sad about that. She wanted him to let her go, but part of her rebelled. Some soft, gooey piece of her heart wanted to spend the perfect Christmas with this man who loved the holiday in a way she’d never understand.
But she wanted safety more. Wanted her heart intact. Wanted to muddle through another holiday season without being heartbroken.
“Bye, Perry.”
He shook his head, as if he was trying to wake himself up, but his eyes were already closing.
“Give me a second, and I’ll walk you out. To say goodbye.”
“No. I want to remember you like this. Warm and rosy and half-asleep. Beautiful. I don’t want to drag it out.”
His body seemed to slump back on the bed, though he hadn’t moved. Maybe it was more of an emotional reaction that she could read in every line of his being.
She patted his leg awkwardly when he didn’t say anything. Then she grabbed her bag and moved toward the bathroom door.
“It was nice to meet you,” he said.
Such simple words. Meaningless really and cold. Formal. Not full of the emotion she’d seen from him for two days, and it hurt. Hurt worse than she ever could have imagined, which was ironic since heartache was what she’d so wanted to avoid.
“Yep. You too.”
She snuck back into her room. She needed to pack her shit and then get the hell out of this Christmas nightmare. Her Lady Robin’s bags were easily reassembled. She’d left the Fancy Fleshstroker, the P-Spot Pulse, the Shake and Shimmy Cock Ring, and the Chained Melody Clamps with Perry. She put her red velvet cocktail dress back on, along with the thigh highs for a tad more warmth. It felt like a walk of shame, but she’d walk it with as much confidence and sass as possible.
After making her bed, she took one last look around the room. She wasn’t sad to be leaving. She wasn’t going to miss this room with its extravagant Christmas decorations, but a strange emptiness was pushing against her ribs. It was a physical weight in her chest, a pain she wasn’t sure what to do with.
She deposited the clothes she’d borrowed from Valerie through a laundry chute and dragged her sorry self and her roller bags downstairs.
Valerie was bopping around the kitchen, making donuts in a FryDaddy and putting muffins in the oven.
“Hey, you!” Valerie said when she spotted her, rushing over to give her a hug. “You seem all ready to depart.”
“Good morning.”
“The ice is already melting off the driveway, and we salted and sanded it, which should help. I think you’d be fine to leave at any time in the next hour or so.”
“Have you heard about road conditions back into the city?”
“I saw on the news this morning that the interstate is open.” Valerie whisked a cream mixture in a bowl as she talked. Evidently both Winters siblings could multitask. “It will be slow going, especially on the city streets, but the crews have been clearing roads since around three this morning. You should be fine, if you avoid the big hills. And you have my number and Perry’s so if you run into any trouble, please call us. Perry’s big-ass SUV could make it to you in a jiff.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Yeah, there was no way in hell Sasha was going to call Perry after their awkward goodbye.
“You have to at least have an apple cider donut before you leave. Fresh out of the fryer.”
“Sure.”
Sasha would never turn down a donut. Valerie handed her a piping-hot donut sprinkled in powdered sugar, and Sasha took a big bite.
As Sasha was chewing, Valerie said, “So what’s the deal with you and my brother?”
“Hmmm?” Sasha tried to swallow, but the yeasty dough stuck in her throat.
“Just wondering if we’d be seeing you again. You know we have the Winterberry Christmas Couples’ Soiree. It’s very romantic.”
Sasha finally got the lump of donut choked down.
“Oh, well, I don’t think so.”
