Tobi had been working there for about a month -and he and I growing closer -when December came around.
On December 22nd, a Tuesday, the last day we had at work before Christmas break, and I asked Tobi if he wanted to come to my place on Christmas for a party I was throwing.
He said, "Well, my mom's living with me." I pushed my arms through the sleeves of my parka.
"If you wanna come, you can bring her, too. Formal dress." I pulled on my hat and gloves.
"Okay. Thanks. I'll see what she wants to do." I tied the scarf around my neck.
"No problem." I put my bag across my body. "Have a merry Christmas."
He gave me a little smile. "You, too."
TOBIAS EATON
I watched as she walked out to her car, unlocking it and stomping her feet to warm them up. The little puff on the top of her hat bounced as she grabbed the ice scraper and cleared off her windshield. I watched as she struggled to reach the top of the SUV. I threw my coat on and ran outside.
"Tobi!" she gasped, jumping as I took the scraper from her. She sighed. "Thank you. I can never reach up there."
"That's because you're tiny, shortstack." I smiled down at her, relishing in the use of my muscles.
"Whatever, string bean." She poked my ribcage. I noticed that her porcelain-like skin already had a cold blush. I handed her the ice scraper.
"Thank you," she said, putting it in a bag she had and into the trunk.
"What's the bag for?" I asked.
"So it doesn't get my floorboards all wet."
"That makes sense." She leaned against the car frame.
"That's why I do it. Need a ride?"
I smiled. "Do you mind?"
"Yes, I offered and I mind," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
When she pulled up in front of my building, she joked, "Want me to walk you to your door, princess?"
I laughed. "No, thanks. But thank you for the ride."
"No problem."
She ran her hands over the steering wheel. "No work tomorrow," I reminded her, desperately wanting to stay in the car.
"Yup." She looked away, out the window, then said, much quieter, "Hayes loved the snow."
I felt a deep sadness, for her and myself and Tris. "Tris didn't. She liked the summer. Gave her sunburns, though." I glanced at her. "You, too, probably."
She gave me a little smile, then nodded. "Yeah. I'm too pale."
"No...it looks good on you. It makes your eyes stand out, and red looks good on you."
I looked away, realizing what I'd said. My cheeks got warm.
She coverered my hand with hers on the center console. "Thank you. I better get home. My dog's going to be hungry."
I smiled at her. "Thanks again." I opened the door.
When I was about to close it, she said, "Tobi? If...if you need anything...you know where to find me, okay?" She rubbed the back of her neck.
I nodded. "You, too."
On Christmas, we arrived at Kollyn's house. When she answered the door, she smiled brightly, said to my mother, "Hi! You must be Evelyn! Tobi's told me so much about you." She wrapped my mother in her arms, and my mother tensed for a moment before hugging back. "Come on in!"
She hugged me, and she smelled like toasted vanilla and brown sugar. "Hi," she said.
"I have something for you."
She smiled up at me, her hand lingering on my arm. "I have something for you, too. Come on."
She took me around people, greeting lots of them, taking a cookie and handing it to me; as we walked through her apartment, I saw a big pine tree with lights and stockings hanging on her fire place. She picked up a little package from the kitchen drawer. She then led me into a small room with a washer and a dryer and a countertop with neatly stacked clothes on it. She boosted herself up onto the counter so she was at my height.
I pulled a little silver box out of my pocket. "This is for you," I whispered. In the little room, with her so close, in the near-darkness, it felt more appropiate to speak quietly. I didn't want to shatter how peaceful it was.
She smiled and ripped it open carefully, with excitement. When she saw the swan pendant, her eyes lit up. "Put it on me?" she asked, smiling.
She leaned her head down and I fastened it, brushing the wispy hairs on the back of her neck away. "I love it," she whispered, fingering it.
"Now your turn," she said with a smile.
I slid my finger under the folds of the wrapping paper on the box and tugged it open, gently. She didn't laugh at me like Tris would have when I sat the box on her lap to fold the paper. I noticed that she was biting her lip, siting on her hands in what seemed like anticipation. I was confused as to why she was so excited; I'd already given her her gift.
When I opened the lid to the box, my jaw dropped. It was a watch with a black face and a gold bezel. The straps were brown leather and aside from showing the time, it showed the date, the altitude, and a small dial for the seconds. I slid it on my wrist and attached it. When I looked up, she was beaming. "Do you like it?" she sounded so excited; so eager to know.
"Of course. I love it. It's perfect."
She put her hands on my shoulders and leaned me closer. "'Cause you're always asking about the damn time."
Her blue eyes looked so deep in the near-dark; her skin glowed; her long, dark eyelashes beat slowly each time. She was so beautiful.
When I kissed her for the first time, it was beautiful. So different from Tris; she was tender and loving, caring and concerned; she didn't have Tris's outer shell so thick.
Pulling back, I saw that her cheeks were flushed. She giggled and pulled a tissue from the box, wiping some of her lip color from mine. I smiled and took the tissue, wiping where I could still feel it.
"Let's get back to the party," she whispered.
When it was time to go, after I had mingled and ate and listened to old cheery Christmas music, I found her talking to Christina in the corner and walked up to her. My heart thudded. I didn't know why I was nervous. I shouldn't have been nervous. I was never nervous around Tris, but her death had made me a different man.
I wrapped my arms around her from behind when I came up to her. She jumped, then looked up at me and laughed. "I'm leaving, shortstack," I said, smiling down at her.
"Okay, string bean. Feel free to swing by any time. Do you want to take some food home?" She pulled away so she could put her hands on my chest and look at me. "Take some of the ham home. I won't be able to fit it all in my refridgerator, anyway."
"I don't have anything to take it home in."
"Not a problem." Christana had wandered off. "Come on."
I leaned against the counter as she dug around in a cabinet on the floor. She reached her whole arm in before pulling out a plastic container with 4 sections and piling food into it. "Here you go," she said, smiling at me.
"Thanks. You didn't have to do that."
"Yeah, well, all you ever eat for lunch is turkey sandwiches, so I thought I could spice it up a little."
"Spice it you did."
"Good."
She hugged me. "See you on Monday."
"See ya."
In the car, Evelyn said, "So, you two are a thing?"
I laughed. "Yes, we are."
"That's good. She's short."
"Yes, she is."
She was silent for a moment. "I'd thought you go after someone who looked like Tris."
I tensed. "Well, I didn't."
She smiled. "I'm glad. She's very beautiful and has very nice tastes in watches."