Page 19 of Once Upon a December
“Yeah, I should get going.” Felix rubbed a hand through his dark hair.
“Okay. I’ll see you tonight?”
“Yeah. Just call me when you get home and we’ll figure it out.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Gibson kissed him again quickly and then pulled back and cursed at the ringing phone, “Julian has horrible timing.”
Felix chuckled a little, “He truly does.”
“I better grab it before he has a heart attack that I didn’t answer.” Gibson kissed him one last time, “Call me later?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Have a good day, babe. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Gibson went to retrieve his phone, leaving Felix alone in his kitchen. It took fifteen minutes to get Julian off the line and when he finally hung up and went back into the other room, the kitchen was deserted. The sink was empty and when he checked the dishwasher he saw that Felix had stacked their plates and cups inside already but he hadn’t turned it on like he usually did. Gibson flipped the switch to lock the machine and start the cycle and then stared out the front window that looked out over his yard and driveway.
It was weird that his driveway looked empty even with his Audi sitting in its usual spot. He’d gotten accustomed to seeing the pale blue Prius sitting beside it. Such an odd pair of cars, just like, to an outsider, he and Felix might look like an odd pair too he supposed. But it worked.
It was only another ten minutes later, when he was standing under the hot water in his shower, that he realized Felix had never told him that he loved him too.
Chapter Nine
Felix stared at the beautiful set up and felt a sweeping sense of disappointment. He’d done a good job. Hell, he’d done a great job. This party would go down in the record books as the one party planners the city over tried to beat. It was first class everything. From the twinkling white lights overhead to the sparkling hardwood dance floor, it was a winter wonderland of elegance and warmth. He should have felt nothing but pride and accomplishment standing amidst the product of his own hard work, but he didn’t.
He missed Gibson.
Gibson should have been here to see this, to take part in this. Gibson had worked just as hard as he had to ensure this party was a success. He’d added so many little touches that nobody else here would know were because of Gibson’s thoughtful nature and impeccable eye for design. Gibson should have been standing beside him, taking the thanks and congratulations of his employees for another great year of hard work, but instead Gibson was at home, alone, just the way he liked it.
Felix sighed and sipped at his sparkling water. He hadn’t seen Gibson in almost two days. Not since that morning in Gibson’s kitchen when he’d wrongfully assumed that he’d made some sort of progress with helping the man to move on from his haunted past and been shot down like an enemy over combatant waters. It wasn’t that he was avoiding his boyfriend. He swore he wasn’t. He’d just been busy and so had Gibson and it had been… easier… just to let it go. He figured after the party was over and all of the holiday decorations were tucked away, he and Gibson would both be in a lot better moods.
At least he hoped so.
Felix knew that Gibson had a traumatic past. Gibson opening up and talking to him about it was one of things that had convinced Felix that Gibson wanted a relationship between them to work as much as he did. He’d thought since they were together that this Christmas he would be able to help Gibson start making new memories, better memories, but he’d underestimated just how much Gibson hated the holidays.
“Stop scowling. You’re scaring the guests.”
Felix glanced up at his assistant who hadn’t left his side all night. Beau gave him a smile to show that he was at least slightly kidding and Felix forced himself to try and relax. Beau was right of course. They’d put too much time and energy into this party to be standing in the corner scowling, yet here he was doing exactly that.
Normally at one of his parties he’d be circling the room, making sure every person was taken care of. He’d be checking on the caterers and the wait staff. He’d straighten tablecloths and piles of napkins. He’d let the host drag him around like an ornament to be shown off so that they could heap praise upon his work and he could give out cards with the hopes of garnering some referrals.
Only the host wasn’t here to drag him around, which just reminded Felix of why he was in such a bad mood.
He loved parties. He loved planning them and putting them on and attending them. He loved Christmas. Combining the two was one of his greatest joys in the world, but he just couldn’t muster the usual cheer tonight.
“I thought you said he wasn’t coming.” Beau’s voice drew him out of his thoughts.
“Sorry, what?”
“I thought you said he wasn’t coming.” His assistant blinked at him from behind his glasses, “Isn’t that him over there?”
Felix’s stupid, silly, hopeful heart leapt in his chest even as his eyes searched the crowd. Maybe it was possible Gibson had changed his mind. Maybe he’d decided to come to the party to be with Felix after all. Maybe… His heart sank to his soles of his feet when his eyes caught on the man that Beau must have been talking about.
It wasn’t Gibson but the resemblance was uncanny.
The man was tall though not as broad-shouldered as Gibson. His black tuxedo fit him to perfection and showed off his long legs and thin hips. He had the same coppery colored hair but it was cut short all over. His face bore the same Grecian angles as Gibson’s with those high cheekbones and cut from granite jawline, but his nose wasn’t as sharp and his eyes, though they appeared to be the same silvery blue from this distance, twinkled with a lightness that Felix wasn’t sure Gibson had ever possessed.
