Eight Dates: A Romance by Lori L. Lake

Author:Lori L. Lake [Lake, Lori L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Lesbian Romance
Publisher: Launch Point Press
Published: 2014-06-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

MONDAY MORNING, ON THE heels of receiving the delivery of only one computer, the mail carrier knocked on the door. Not one but three packages. Yippee. I quickly discovered that one was for the guy in apartment 202 and handed it back, but the other two were for me. My Aunt Peggy, my mom’s sister, sent me a flat present wrapped in cheerful Santa bear paper and a holiday card. I opened the card and read her kind words but decided to save opening the gift for Christmas morning.

The other item was from my father—or, more accurately, from his wife, Ingrid. Every year she sent me a blouse or a turtleneck or sweater. She had good taste in clothes and made her purchases from stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom, but I was just a little too butch for cashmere or scalloped necklines.

Ingrid always included a gift receipt, and every year I returned the item and bought something else. Last year I remembered I’d gotten three flannel shirts in the exchange. In fact, I looked at the shirt I was wearing and chuckled when I realized I had one of them on.

I opened the cardboard box and pulled out the present. The gift label was addressed To Skylar with love from Dad, Ingrid, Connor & William. She had beautiful handwriting. She seemed like a nice person. But she wasn’t my mother, and the gift wasn’t really from my father at all. What had he done to facilitate the purchase and delivery of the present? Did he even know what she’d gotten and sent? He knew I was a lesbian and not particularly femmy. Why didn’t he ever suggest a different style of clothing or some other outdoorsy item? He should know that much about me, but apparently he didn’t communicate that to Ingrid.

Every year I sent the boys money or gift cards in a box that contained See’s chocolates for my dad and stepmom, and that was it. Sort of empty, if you ask me, so every year I wondered why we bothered.

I slit the shiny, thick red-and-gold wrapping paper, opened the box, and shifted the tissue paper. The blouse inside was cobalt blue and gorgeous. I lifted it out. Long-sleeved, dense material, and such a deep beautiful color. But no way would I be able to get my shoulders in. As I held it in the air I realized it’d fit Rebecca. This amazing blue would highlight her dark hair and eyes. Did I dare give it to her? I wasn’t much of a re-gifter…but this was too perfect not to share with her. I decided to take a chance that she’d like it. I would rewrap it later.

I checked the time. Rebecca had to open the motel office at ten, so I had about fifteen minutes before she came by with Maya. I hid the blouse and tidied up the living room. I’d seen Maya briefly the day before, and she’d been excited about spending the day with me.

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