Harry
I loved Christmas in the city. There were lights everywhere. The big tree was up outside Rockefeller Center with millions of twinkling lights and decorations. The city was always the most festive when it was the holiday season and it made me feel happy. I had so many past Christmas memories that made me feel joyful and like I was on top of the world. One of my favorite memories of Christmas was when Sarah and I had gone down to FAO Schwarz and camped outside waiting for some new toy she’d wanted when she was ten. I can’t even remember what it was. I just remember how excited we were to be standing there waiting. It didn’t even matter that she was a girl and I was a guy. We’d been best friends and gender had never seemed to interfere with our friendship. She’d always been there for me. I’d always been there for her. She’d always done what I wanted to do, and we had so many shared memories. Our friendship made me happy, and I knew I was lucky that we had grown into adults and were still as close as we’d been when we were kids. Sarah was the best friend that any guy could ever ask for. And she’d proven it yet again by buying three awesome presents for my three girlfriends though technically, I didn’t consider them girlfriends. I just considered them women I was casually dating because they accompanied me to functions. I hadn’t even slept with any of them because I didn’t want any of them expecting more from me. But that was fine by me. I didn’t want or need a girlfriend right now. I reached Sarah’s building and I walked into the lobby, looking around at the decorations in amusement. There was a table with a manager to the right of the front desk and a huge Christmas tree with a twinkling star at the top.
“Hey there Mr. Huntington, how are you doing?” the security guard greeted me with a wave. He recognized me as I was at Sarah’s place almost as much as I was at my own.
“Hey, I’m good, Billy. How are you?”
“Good, it’s a nice quiet night. I’m always happy when it’s quiet.”
“Yeah, it’s a beautiful night. I love the decorations you put up. I’m just going up to see Sarah, is that okay?”
“Sure. You don’t have to let me know, Mr. Huntington. I know you’ve got your own key. Go on up.”
“Thanks, Billy. I’ll see you later.” I headed over to the elevator. I knew Sarah didn’t love me just letting myself into the apartment, but she was used to it by now. I mean, we were like family. What was the point of me calling to let her know I was there? I had her key for a reason. I took the elevator up, got out, and walked to the door. I unlocked the door and walked into the apartment. I could hear the TV coming from Sarah’s room. I was surprised that she was in her bedroom already. Normally, she watched TV in her living room.
“Sarah, what are you doing?” I made my way into her bedroom and jumped in shock when a small green monster popped out of her bathroom with a toothbrush in hand. “Are you planning on stabbing me with your Oral-B?” I laughed as her avocado green face tried to glare at me. Instead, it just turned her face from a smooth green to a cracked green. “Are you trying to be the Jolly Green Giant, the Hulk, or the Wicked Witch of the West?” I grunted as she hit me in the shoulder.
“You scared me,” she croaked out. “You can’t just come into my apartment like this.” She shook her head. “Boundaries, Harry.”
“Boundaries? What are boundaries between friends?” I grinned at her. “Though, I really do think you should have told me that you were moonlighting as a witch.”
“It’s an avocado and mud mask.” She growled and I couldn’t help but laugh at the way the mask cracked into a thousand different lines. “I’m purifying my skin.”
“If you say so.” I looked around her bedroom. “So what are you watching?”
“Nothing in particular.” She shook her head. “Was just getting settled for the night.”
“Oh okay, where are the presents? I’m excited to see what you got.”
“You can’t open them, Harry.” She spoke quickly and I wondered why she sounded so agitated. She was most probably jealous that I’d gotten these three women gifts and nothing for her as yet. “I spent hours wrapping them and I’m not going to have you opening them and ruining all my hard work.”
“You spent hours wrapping them?” I raised an eyebrow at her as my tone dropped. “Really now?”
I stared at her and had a feeling she was blushing underneath her green mask. It was weird, but I actually found her quite attractive looking so disheveled. I wasn’t sure what had come over me, but as I studied her appearance, I could feel myself warming. She had on a pair of boy shorts that exposed her long legs and a black Korn T-shirt that she’d stolen from me when we were younger. I could tell that she didn’t have on a bra, but I was trying hard not to stare at her breasts. I withheld a sigh. I was going to have to find a proper girlfriend soon. I couldn’t spend my days fantasizing about Sarah.
“Well, maybe not hours, but I spent a long time.” She glanced at her watch. “Shit, hold on, I need to wash my mask off.” She turned around and ran back into her bathroom. I followed behind her and leaned against the door as she turned on the faucet and started splashing her face with water for what seemed like hours. “Pass me a towel please,” she said as she glanced back at me, her face full of water. I grabbed her towel from the rack and handed it to her and she proceeded to pat her face dry. “Do you have to stare at me?” She looked back at me, her face finally looking normal, though her cheeks were a flushed pink color.
“Was I staring at you?” I shrugged as my eyes surveyed her face.
Since when did she get so pretty? I frowned as I stared at her. She headed toward me and stopped in front of me. She looked up at me, her big blue eyes glassy and amused as she studied my face. She had a half smile on her face that tugged on my heartstrings. She looked adorable. I really was lucky to have her for a best friend.
“Yes, you were looking at me like I was something you’d study at a museum.” She poked me in the stomach. “Come on, let me get the presents for you. I think your girlfriends are going to love the items I got.”
“They aren’t my girlfriends, you know that.” I protested as I followed her out of the bathroom, into the bedroom, and then down the hallway toward the living room.
“Whatever you say, Harry.” She bent down and picked up three neatly wrapped presents, all with cards attached and handed them to me. “These are for you, well for your women, all specially wrapped by me.”
“Thanks, these look awesome.” I held the presents in my hand and grinned at her. “Can I borrow a tote bag to carry them in, please?”
“Sure.” She nodded. “Let me get one for you. So, what are you doing tonight? Any hot dates?”
“The only hot date I had was you...or rather, maybe I should say green date.” I laughed. “You’ve washed off the most attractive part of you.”
“Harry, you’re an idiot.” She rolled her eyes and hit me in the shoulder. I grabbed her hand and squeezed; not too tightly, but hard enough to show her who was boss. “Ouch.” She growled as she attempted to pull her hand away from me. “That hurt.”
“No, it didn’t.” I laughed, looking down at her flashing blue eyes. “Don’t exaggerate, Sarah, it’s not your best quality.”
“Don’t be so pompous, Harry, that’s not your best quality.”
“True, my best quality is my devastating smile, followed by my handsome good looks, witty personality, and charismatic voice.” I laughed as she glared at me.
“No one would ever dare call you modest.” She shook her head and then yawned slightly.
“Is that your subtle way of trying to kick me out?”
“If I wanted to kick you out, I wouldn’t be subtle about it. I’d just tell you that you have to leave.”
“So are you telling me I have to leave?”
“Did I tell you that?”
“So you want to watch a movie?” I realized then that I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to go back to my cold apartment by myself. I wanted to stay here and snuggle and watch a film with Sarah, while we debated back and forth on if it would ever win an Oscar or Golden Globe. “I’ll order a pizza and ice cream.”
“Both?” She raised an eyebrow and grinned. “You must really want my company or something.”
“Or something.” I laughed and pulled out my phone. “Are we watching it here in the living room or in the bedroom?”
“Here.” She made a face. “The last time we ate pizza in my bed, I got grease stains all over my Egyptian cotton sheets and they were so expensive because—”
“They were eight hundred thread count,” I cut her off and continued her sentence. “I remember. You’ve complained about those ruined sheets for years now. It’s time to move on, Sarah.”
“I would move on, if you bought me a new set,” she growled at me.
“What, do you think I’m made of money or something?” I raised an eyebrow at her and we both laughed. This was one of the reasons I loved being around Sarah. We could always be ourselves in every situation and she was the one woman I knew who would love me and be by my side if I was rich or poor. “Come on, let me order the pizza.” I made my way over to the couch and took a seat. “Also, pass me the remote.” I grinned up at her. “I don’t want to have to get up and grab it.” I pointed over to the shelf in the corner, where I saw the remotes sitting. It was right there, but out of arm’s reach.
“You’re so lazy, Harry Huntington Parker.” Sarah shook her head. “I don’t know how any woman can put up with dating you for longer than a night.”
“A night is all I need.” I winked at her. “Trust me. After one night, they never want to leave.”
“Ugh.” She groaned and I laughed as I settled back into the couch, comfortable and happy, feeling at peace as I always did when I was with her.