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Mew called the concierge and said they were ready for dinner.
For two full hours, the French restaurant inside the hotel brought up a succulent, full-course Christmas dinner. Although a waiter and sommelier popped in and out, Gulf felt like he could relax and enjoy his time with Mew more than if they had been downstairs in the restaurant overflowing with other couple.
Finally, dessert came.
"Mew, what are you doing on New Year?" Gulf asked, bringing a glass of the fine dessert wine accompanied their ice cream to his lips.
Only five days remained until the New Year's pine decorations would be put up. To finish the contract with Jefferson, Mew was scheduled to go to America for 10-days. Gulf figured that Mew might want to relax and visit his relatives, but he had no idea whether Mew even had any family at all.
"You'll probably go see your family, right?" he asked.
A slightly pinched look came over Mew's face, and Gulf immediately regretted his careless question. "Ah, sorry..."
"No, I should apologize."
"What?"
"The truth is, I won't be here during New Year. My mother is marrying a guy who works in France, so the ceremony and reception will be in Paris. Even though we have time off, I won't be able to spend it with you. I'm sorry for choosing my mother over you..."
"No," Gulf said, shaking his head fiercely. He was unused to being treated so well by a lover and didn't want to make Mew feel bad. "Your mother's wedding is a happy occasion. Of course you want to go!"
"It's not that happy. This will be her third marriage."
"Third?"
"Yeah," Mew laughed, shrugging. "She's my mother and I don't necessarily agree with how she lives her life, but I'm her only child so I have to act happy for her no matter how many times she gets married."
Gulf was surprised to hear that Mew's mother had been married so many times, but he was more concerned with how much he had learned about Mew in the last few minutes. Whether because of divorce or death, Mew had no father and no siblings. And while he clearly didn't want to go to Paris to celebrate his mother's wedding, the fact that he was going anyway said a lot.
'Mew is an only child,' Gulf mused. He hadn't imagined that he and Mew would have that in common. It seemed somehow like a wonderful treasure, and he wasn't at all bothered that between Paris and New York, they would be apart for more than two weeks.
"I kept bragging that I'd show you what a decent man was like but then I'm leaving you alone for two weeks," Mew said. "Pretty awful, huh?"
"No, not at all!"
Mew smiled at Gulf's seriousness.
"To make it up to you, I'll have to give you two weeks worth of pleasure tonight."
Gulf's dessert spoon fell from his hand to the plate with a loud clang. He shivered, wondering if the waiter, who was standing close by offering a milk pitcher for coffee had heard.
"I...uh...have to go to the bathroom." Gulf said, more flustered than he should be. Although he knew that doing so would only make him look more suspicious, he stood and dashed into the bathroom.
"Argh...what am I doing?" Gulf chided himself in the large dresser mirror. Even if he wasn't capable of giving a sensible answer, why couldn't he at least act like an adult and pretend that nothing was wrong? He turned on the faucet and used the water that burst forth from it to cool his cheeks that were reddened by shame and confusion.
'I've really done it now.'
Since they were already drinking coffee, the waiters would probably stop coming in and out of the room soon. But Gulf was far too humiliated to leave the bathroom and face them. He knew he was acting childish, but he needed a bit more time.
The bathroom door slowly opened and Gulf saw Mew's form reflected in the dresser mirror.
"Mew!" he said, looking back in surprise.
"They all left," Mew said.
"Oh..." Gulf replied, ashamed anew by his immature actions.
"I wasn't interested in coffee, so I was hoping that they'd leave soon"
"Mew..."
"There's a time and a place for propriety, isn't there?" Mew said, grinning mischievously.
Gulf was happy to note that some of his embarrassment had drained away.
'Mew is so kind,' he thought. Being treated with so much consideration and gentleness made him almost burst with joy. As if in a trance, Gulf submitted to Mew's embrace.
"It seems we're all alone," Mew whispered sweetly into Gulf's ear.
Gulf had never such a wonderful, blissful christmas.
TBC