The Beauty Underneath

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Tickets

I smiled. “I helped placing the dice,” I said, nodding on the dice that was hanging on the mirror on the front. “So, yeah, I was part of this plan.”

“It’s a wonderful dice, Erin,” he said and kissed me. “This is the best gift anyone could give me. Apart from you, of course.”

“You should really start learning how to drive so that you could drive me anywhere I would like,” I said.

“If you like, Winston, I could teach you the basics now,” Simon spoke up. “I don’t have anything to do today.”

Winston turned to me. “Is it okay if I’m going to stay here with Simon while you go and give your gifts to your friends?”

I nodded. “Sure. It’s fine.”

“You’re the best,” he said and kissed me once more.

He went to the driver’s seat and Simon on the passenger’s seat. Simon began the lecture and Josephine came to me with a large smile. “He really loves my gift.”

“It was so thoughtful of you to buy him that.”

“He wanted it. And I guess he really wants to have a car to drive you wherever you like. He loves you a lot, you know.”

I watched him fondly. “I know.”

***

I was in Jennifer’s house delivering her gift when Hugh went in the living room. He had a startled expression on his face as he saw me. “Erin! You’re here,” he said.

“I’m here,” I said, smiling. “Merry Christmas! I have your gift in my bag.”

“I have yours, too,” he said. Then he turned to Jennifer and placed a small box on her hand. “Merry Christmas, Jennifer.”

Jennifer was grinning the whole time as she opened the small box. Then she gave out a small gasp. “Tiffany’s necklace! Aww, thank you so much Hugh!”

Hugh and I exchanged gifts. I received a book about Broadway (really, was I that obsessed with Broadway?) He got a shirt from me.

“Thanks,” he said, smiling but it was a distracted smile.

“Is something wrong?” I asked, frowning. “You’re acting different.”

“I’m just nervous. Just nervous.”

Jennifer cocked her head on the side. “Nervous? Why?”

“I talked to Howard last night about something and… I said I wanted to wait but then he kept saying that I have to ask now because what if the chance would just fade away.”

We were quiet for a moment and then I looked at Jennifer and then to Hugh. “I really have a different thought when you said that.”

Jennifer nodded her agreement. “Me too.”

“What are you talking about?” Hugh asked, with a frown.

“I’m talking about how you are talking with your guy friend on Christmas Eve about something,” I said. “I think this is really the right time when you say you have feelings for Howard but you can’t be together because he has a girlfriend called Charlotte a.k.a. tough badass girl?”

Hugh gave me a look. “I’m not gay and I definitely don’t like Howard that way.”

“Then what are you talking about with him?”

“I was asking for his thoughts, his suggestions, his opinions…”

“About what?” Jennifer asked.