Last Christmas, Part One

Andrew John Porter, A.J. to everyone, bent down to unlock the jewelry display case holding the diamond jewelry for the tall, thin blond woman with the elegant chignon.


“A.J.,” his co-worker, Brian, whispered urgently from a couple display cases down.

“In a minute, with a customer,” A.J. said under his breath. He peered up from the display case and gave the woman his best smile. “This one?”

“The one next to that, thank you.”

A.J. closed his hand around the box of one carat diamond studs and placed them on the counter.

“This is really important,” Brian persisted.

A.J. glanced at Brian and mouthed, “In a minute.”

Overhead the music track played Christmas tunes. Actually the department store had been playing Christmas songs since before Thanksgiving. A.J. thought it might have been shortly after Halloween. Only two weeks remained until Christmas.

“Those earrings are nice, but do you think they are appropriate for a teenage girl?” the woman asked him.

He didn’t have the heart to tell her he had no clue what a teenage girl would like. He hadn’t ever even dated one when he was a teenager having always known he preferred guys. He was tempted to call Brian over to get his opinion since his friend and co-worker was straight and engaged, but well, he could manage to at least to pretend he had a clue.

“These are gorgeous, but perhaps a little too sophisticated for a younger girl,” A.J. said, placing the earrings back in the case and reaching for another smaller and less expensive pair of diamond studs. “May I suggest these?”

“A.J., you won’t believe who is here,” Brian spoke from behind another display case. He didn’t have a customer since it tended to be slower during the day on weekdays even during the holiday shopping scene.

“Santa Claus?” A.J. smiled at the woman. “What do you think?”

She turned them over and looked at the price, returning his smile. “Oh, I think these are perfect for my niece, A.J.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

“Shall I wrap them for you?”

“Oh, you do that?”

He winked. “I do. Red or green bow?”

“Red would be great. Thank you so much.” She handed him her credit card.

A.J. smiled. “Be right back.”

He stepped over to where they kept the wrapping paper. Brian, short with thinning brown hair, stood next to the drawer with the wrapping supplies.

“What are you doing?” he asked A.J.

“Making a sale.”

“You’re flirting with that woman. What’s the point of that?”

A.J. shrugged. “It helps make a sale. I’ve found most women respond to me.”

“Even though you aren’t remotely interested in them.” Brian shook his head. “It’s so unfair. They don’t look at me twice.”

“You’re engaged anyway. What did you want?”

Brian’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. Guess who is in the store?”

“The president.”

“Funny. Way worse for you.” Brian glanced around as though expecting someone to be listening to them. “Carter Thorne.”

A.J.’s turned cold, his stomach twisting. For a minute his head spun with the overwhelming memories.

Last Christmas…

“Wow, I guess I made a mistake coming here on Black Friday,” a tall suited drop dead gorgeous blond man said, leaning over A.J.’s jewelry counter.


A.J., who’d been running from one end of the counter to the other, stopped and stared at the god. “Um, yeah, it’s our busiest day.”


The man sighed. “I guess I have to wait through all these people to talk to you, huh?”


“Talk to me? You want to buy something?”


He grinned. “Just dinner for you. I’ve been watching you all morning. And I know that sounds kind of creepy, but it’s just you’re the most gorgeous guy I’ve seen in a long time. I’m praying you’re gay.”


“Well, yeah, I am.”


“Great, what are you doing after work? Carter Thorne, by the way.”


“A.J. Porter, and it’s Black Friday, I’m not ever going to be done today.” He laughed.


“Tomorrow night then?”


A.J. decided he’d have to be an idiot not to accept a date with this guy. “Sure.”

“A.J.?” Brian was waving his hand in front of A.J.’s face.

He shook his head. “Sorry, got lost in thought.” He took the price off the earrings and placed metallic green paper over the box and included the diamond certificate.

“Thinking about Carter Thorne?”

A.J. grimaced. “He was the worst mistake I ever made.”

“Why exactly did you break up?”

“Basically I had a brief and disastrous affair with an asshole. Carter had just broken up with his boyfriend and used me as his rebound I guess.” And A.J., thinking there was so much more between them, had given Carter his heart. He taped the wrapping paper on the package.

“Ouch,” Brian said, giving him a sympathetic look.

“Thanks for the warning. I’ll be sure to avoid him.” A.J. finished the bow on the package and quickly rang up the purchase. “I’m going to take my break now so hopefully he’ll have left the store by the time I’m done.”

He returned to the woman with her package. “Here you are, Mrs. Duncan.”

“Oh, it’s lovely. Thank you so much.”

“Have a good day.” A.J. waited for her to step away from his counter and then turning on his heels, he went through the partition in the jewelry counter and slipped into the aisle. Glancing to his left to watch for signs of Carter, he turned right and headed for the employee break room.

“A.J., wait!”

Ah, fuck, he recognized Carter’s voice calling him. He quickened his pace and rounded another corner and hurried down another aisle, hoping a customer wouldn’t stop him to ask directions. He could see the break room door, but he could also hear Carter pursuing him.

He could barely wrap his mind around what Carter could possibly want from him after the way things ended last Christmas. Hoping management was no where around, A.J. sprinted down an aisle and wrenched the door that said Employees Only open and closed it in Carter Thorne’s face.

 
Look for Part 2, on Thursday, December 09, 2010