Last Minute Christmas Shopping

Chapter 2 (of 2)

Maemi pulled out a silky black skirt and slipped it on. She flattened out the crimson ruffle on it’s hem gave a delighted twirl. Mai reached back into her closet and took a matching red and black blouse.

As she was inspecting her reflection, Kori came in from the other room. She could see the excitement in Mai’s eyes, and it filled her with joy to see her enjoying her gift. “This is really your first date, isn’t it?”

Mai thought for a second. “Yeah, I guess it is.” She confirmed. “I’m really excited, I hope I like this guy. . .”

“Oh, I think you will. . .” Kori began, a sly smile creeping across her face. She crossed the room over to Mai’s bed and sat down

Maemi eyed her sister suspiciosly, then inquired, “What do you know?”

“Oh, nothing. . .”She vaguely stated as she rolled her eyes. “So where do you want to go? He just said he was going to pick you up, not where you would go.”

The smirk, the suspiciously vague statement. . .it all added up. Kori was hiding something. Mai inched her stocking feet until she was only a few feet away from her sister and the perfect solution came into her head. “ Kori, what is the guy’s name?”

Her sister began to laugh hysterically, but shortly ended it. “Ahem. . .Would you believe me if I said I didn’t know?”

Mai grabbed a bag off of the bed-side table and hurled it at her sister. Kori cringed and smirked, then laughed at her sister again. “What If I said I didn’t want to tell you?” Kori raised her hands to her face to block any other flying object that were hurled her way and said, “I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

“Fine. Don’t tell me.” Mai sneered as she walked walked back to her closet and got on her knees to search for a suitable pair of shoes.

---

Aden slumped over on a chair encompassed by complete silence, elbows rested on his thighs and his hands together between his knees. He lifted his azure gaze to the window as he watched the snow fall on the city.

The man sat back in his chair and adjusted his suit jacket, the closed his eyes and rocked his head back.

“It’s just a coincidence.” He said to himself. “Just because her name is Maemi and she has a sister doesn’t mean she’s. . .” What was she? His friend from 7th grade?

He pushed away his contemplation, and finally stood up. He grabbed a ring of keys from the table and gave a short laugh at his pathetic situation then left the room for his blind date.

“I can’t believe I offered to pick her up, you can’t get anywhere in a car in Manhatten. . .” He whispered to himself as he headed out to the New York traffic.

---

Mai found the perfect final accessory, a small handbag in which she tucked some money, a hair brush, tic tacs, and a tube of chap-stick, and she stoop up tall and ready for her date.

Her sister rose from the bed and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like finally before she began to speak alloud. “You look great Mai.” Her sister twirled in the mirror again and just a second later they heard a buzz, signaling that there was someone waiting downstairs for them.

“Are you ready?” Kori asked.

“Yeah. . .Just a little nervous. Let’s go.”

---

Aden checked the address, and rang the button again, his mind riddled with misgivings. “Why am I here?” He asked himself. “To go on a blind date. With some random girl’s sister. Who I possibly know from 7th grade. Why is this beginning to sound like some crazy dream to me. . .” He looked at the flowers in his hand, a dozen hand picked yellow roses, as the door in front of him creaked open.

Maemi walked out and he couldn’t help but stare. She was draped from head to toe in a silky ebony outfit, the top fold over in a style similar to that of a Japanese kimono and the accents done in a deep crimson. It was sleeveless and the bottom of it came to a soft point right in the center. She wore a black skirt that came to just below her knee and gleamed in the pale night light, forming a romantic sillouette as it twirled around her as she walked.

“Aden?!” Mai exclaimed, a look of shock crossing her face.

“It is you!” Aden said as he ran up and hugged her. All his feelings for her came rushing back and his heart began to flutter. “I thought it was more than just a coincidence that her sister’s name was Mai.” Aden pointed to Kori.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.” Mai said as her cheeks took a little color and she looked at the ground.

“You look beautiful.” Aden complimented. He dashed toward his car, a slick black convertible, and opened the door.

Mai turned a slightly uneasy glance at her sister, but walked forward to get in the car with her first love.

---

“It’s been like. . .9 years since I saw you, right?” Aden asked, his heart nearly jumping out of his throat.

“Right.” Mai mumbled, a little flustered. She watched out the window as the streets of Manhatten passed her by. “So where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see. . .” Aden said, a sly grin crossing his face.

---

(December 21, 2005)

“And then he took me out to this beautiful Italian restaurant.” Mai continued. “I can’t remember the name, but the food was amazing. After dinner we went dancing. You were right, Kor, I’m really happy I went on that date.”

Kori raised an eyebrow and smiled. “I think I’m starting to wish I asked him out.” She began with a smirk. “So how do you explain that present your clutching so tightly?” She pointed to a box in her sister’s hand.

“Oh this?” Mai held it up. “Just before I got out of the car he handed me this and said, ‘Don’t open this ‘till christmas, okay?’ I nodded and he kissed me.”

Kori’s eyes (and smirk) widened. “He kissed you?”

Maemi blushed, realizing that this was the first her sister was hearing of the kiss. “Yeah.” She quickly lifted the box to her head to look at it.

Kori pushed it down so that she could see into her sister’s eyes. “So are you gonna call him?”

Mai looked at Kori with childish eyes. “Should I? Is it too soon? Am I supposed to wait for him to call me? What is the standard date ettiquate, I don’t know.”

Kori gave a patronizing chuckle at her sister’s naiveté. “Go ahead and call him. It seems like you both had a great time, I don’t think he’ll mind if you call.”

“Alright,” Mai said and she turned toward her sister with a smirk. She walked menacingly toward Kori and pushed her out the door. “I need to do this alone.” With that, she locked the door and ran back to the bed. She sat down and picked up the phone, then quickly dialed Aden’s number. Mai listened as she twirled the cord on her finger. The phone rang three times before a man finally picked up.

“Hello.” His voice was deeper and rougher than Aden’s, but not threatening.

“Um. .hi,” Mai began nervously. “Can I talk to Aden?”

Casually, he said, “No, sorry you missed him by about three hours.”

“What do you mean?” Mai questioned. Maybe he could be at work, she considered

“He’s on his way back to California. Who is this?”

“I’m Mai, his date from last night. California, why is he going there?”

“You mean he didn’t tell you?” The man said. Then he sighed in a friendly, yet slightly frustrated tone. “Man, I’m gonna kill him. He came up from California a few days ago on business, then stayed an extra four days with so we could catch up. I can’t believe he gave you my number. . .Anyway, he’s gonna be back in California in a couple of hours, I could give you his home number if you want. .”

“No, no that’s alright. Thanks anyway.”

Mai slowly hung up the phone, walked with lethargy over to the door, and opened it to find her sister standing directly in front of her, holding the cordless phone at her side.

“I’m so sorry Mai. . .”

“You were listening on the other line?” Mai said, though she seemed unconcerned. She moped over to the bed, her eyes half lidded, and sat on the edge, hanging her head.

Kori blushed. “Oh, yea. . .uh, sorry about that.” She sat down next to her sister. “Why didn’t you accept his phone number?” Kori asked.

“Well, he didn’t tell me that he didn’t live in Manhatten or leave me a correct number to call him by, so I kind of. . “ Here Mai’s voice cracked and her eyes began to tear. “feel like he doesn’t want me to find him.”

“That’s silly, Mai.” Her sister reassured. “Maybe he just. . .forgot to give you the number.”

“I don’t think so.” Mai sighed. “I need to go for a walk.” Suddenly she stood up. She grabbed the present and walked out the door. “I’ll be back later.”

Mai went down the elevator and looked at the gift drive. “He doesn’t care about me why should I care about him?” She looked at the box in her hands. “Or some stupid present.” She set the box on the gift drive table and left the building.

Maemi decided to go to the movie, bought the tickets to the soonest one and got a soda. She sat in the very last row, all alone.

She sat through about half of it before she realized it was pointless. She couldn’t concentrate, and she realized that she wasn’t even sure what movie she was watching, as she constantly glanced at her movie ticket to check. Though it was hopeless. She couldn’t stop thinking about him.

On her way back home she was crying, and her teary eyes and mourning mind demanded that she stop at the gift drive. Mai stared at the present and just couldn’t leave. She took the box and sat down next to the table.

Carefully, the girl ripped away the shiny red and green striped paper and tore away at the bow. Beneath lie a white box and she opened it, finding only a note, written in scrawly handwriting on blue lined paper.

“Dear Mai,

Please, don’t be mad at me, but by the time you read this, I will be home in California. I hope you don’t find out somewhere else sooner, but if you do, I’m sorry.

I also apologize if this note seems rushed, I’m writing it on the bar of the club we went to while you’re in the bathroom.

The real reason I am writing this letter is this one: I only agreed to go on a date when your sister asked my to was because I don’t live in New York. I normally would not have done something like this, but I figured, ’if I don’t like this girl, I don’t ever have to see her again because I’ll be in California’. But things changed when I found out that it was you I would be dating. When I moved to California nine years ago, I always regretted not telling you how I felt and thought I would never get the chance to fix it. But I fell in love with you, again tonight and I don’t want to lose you again.

So now I’ll leave it up to you. If you feel the same way about me, then call me. If you don’t. . .well, you know. 193-3032.

Hoping to hear from you, Aden.”

Shocked, Mai put the paper to the ground, but didn’t let it go. She shifted to her knees and cried. But this time, the tears were of joy. It was a last minute Christmas gift gone perfect, and now her first and only love was within her reach at last.

“Sometimes you can find the best gifts while Last Minute Christmas Shopping.”

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So there you go. You made it through my first story that I ever finished writing. Such an accomplishment. Review and let me know what you think.