Page 16 of A Little Christmas 4: Teller
Briggs sat in the wooden rocking chair I’d rescued from the curb when Maizie’s neighbor died a month ago. The rest of my furniture was a gift from Maizie. Barrett had bought her new furniture after they got into their arrangement, as Maizie called it, and she’d given me her bed, couch, and card table and chairs when the new stuff had arrived.
I’d been sitting on the floor of my apartment, thinking about how important Maizie was to me. After our chance meeting at Leather & Lollipops, we exchanged phone numbers and met for coffee a few times.
Back then, I’d just moved back from Rhode Island and was trying to get my footing. I had the job at Hillsdale Dry Cleaners, and I’d been working in the crowded back room because I didn’t have a sewing machine at home. I’d pawned my old one to buy a train ticket back to Hillsdale.
After a brief discussion with my mother when I returned to Missouri, I’d realized there was no way I could stay with her, so I’d taken the rest of the money she’d given me for college and rented a room at a long-term-stay motel. With the money I earned at the dry cleaner’s, I bought a sewing machine and got myself the apartment one floor up from Maizie.
My best friend helped me get the job at Bloomfield’s, and when we went to O’Malley’s for lunch one day, I applied for a job. When they called Maizie, whose name and phone number I’d given as my contact information, I was over-the-moon happy. Without Maizie, I wasn’t sure where I’d be.
“Hello?”
I glanced up from where I was studying the Duplo blocks I’d been using to build a house for my invisible friends, Jack andBetsy Bergoins, to see Briggs glancing at the ceiling as he spoke quietly into the cell phone he was holding to his ear.
After the scorching kiss we’d shared, Briggs had sat in the chair while I went back to playing. I had to process what had happened between us, and he seemed to know it because he sat quietly, watching me play.
“Send the files to my hotel, and I’ll look them over tomorrow. Also, send my topcoat with them. I’m not coming back to the office. I’ll see you on Monday, Madeline. Thanks again. Happy Thanksgiving.” Briggs ended the call, and when he noticed me staring at him, he smiled.
“You okay? What are you building?” He moved off the rocker and onto the floor, leaning against the couch as he slid off his shoes and crossed his legs like a pretzel.
“A house for the Bergoins.” I picked up the two small dolls and handed them to him. “That’s Betsy and her husband Jack.”
“Hi, Betsy. Jack.” He gently placed them next to me and watched me put the blocks together for the walls.
“Is it okay if I stay for a while?” Briggs asked as he handed me a few green blocks to continue putting together the first floor of the house.
I wasn’t really in the mood to play anymore since Briggs had arrived. I had too many questions to ask to stay in little space, so I began cleaning up the blocks, carefully putting the portion of the house I’d already made on the table beside the couch.
“I’d rather talk to you than play. Can you give me a minute to shower and change? I’d like to talk to you, if you have the time.” I’d heard him say he wasn’t returning to the office, but that didn’t mean he had time to hang out with me before I went to work at two.
“Of course. Maybe we can get some lunch…? Wait, have you had breakfast?” He glanced toward the small kitchenette where I had a tiny fridge, a hot plate, and a sink. I had one plate and aset of flatware Mr. O’Malley had allowed me to take home after I moved into the apartment.
“I, uh, don’t usually eat breakfast. Just a cup of coffee. I’m sorry I can’t offer one to you. I didn’t get to the store last night— Well, you know that.”
I felt like a dope for saying that. I didn’t want him to think it was his fault. I’d jumped to some wrong conclusions, and I already felt like shit about that.
Briggs stretched out his legs and held out his hand. I crawled closer to him and sat on my knees next to him. He touched my face again. “I’ll do whatever you want, baby boy. We can go to brunch, or we can order some food and stay here.”
He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me onto his lap. “Do you like it here?”
Nobody with half a mind would like the rathole where I lived, but that wasn’t Briggs’s fault. “It’s a roof. I’ll get a better place in time. I can go to the store and get some coffee, or…” I saw the money sitting on the blanket where I’d been playing and suddenly remembered I needed to get it to the bank.
“How about this. I rode with Barrett over here. I need to have someone bring my car over, so I’ll call and do that while you shower and get dressed. I’ll take you to eat, to the bank, to the store, and then I’ll drop you at work and pick you up tonight. Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?” Briggs asked.
I glanced at my hands, twisting them nervously, and shook my head. I wasn’t sure why I felt ashamed that I had no plans for Thanksgiving. Holidays usually didn’t bother me.
“Okay then. Now you do.” He kissed the side of my head and pulled me to rest against his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. “Will you talk to me about this apartment? I realize it’s what your budget allows, but I want to buy this building— Hell, maybe I’ll buy them all and remodel them. I can make it an affordable community for those in need, but nobody should haveto live in a place that’s falling down around them just because it’s all they can afford.
“Half of the buildings I own are affordable housing communities. I use the profits from the commercial buildings to subsidize the housing units. I keep the rent low and include utilities, water, and trash pickup. It’s not as hard to do as many people make it out to be.” Briggs kissed the top of my head as I continued to listen.
Instantly, my brain said, “Nobody is that noble.He’s lying.” In my gut, however, I knew that wasn’t the case.
Briggs York was a compassionate, stable, kind man…a Daddy…and he wanted to be with me. With all my faults and all my insecurities, this man saw something in me he felt was worthy of his attention. I wouldn’t turn my back on the hand reaching out to me.
“Will I need to move out while you fix the place?” I asked, trying to figure out where the hell I’d go that was on the exact bus line I needed to get to all of my jobs.
“Let’s talk about that later. I need to do some digging into these buildings first. Now, go ahead and get ready. I’ve got some calls to make.” He patted my ass as I stood, sending a shiver down my spine.
He held out a hand, so I helped him up, giggling as he groaned. His knee popped, which had both of us laughing. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
