I didn’t feel like going into work. I stood in front of my mirror. I stuck mistletoe on it. When would it be my turn?

The gold chain of my necklace caught my eye. I picked it up and it shimmered like diamonds discovered for the first time. I picked up my phone and searched for Evangelical’s store number. Someone had to remember this piece and the man who bought it.

‘Hello, Evangelical jewelry store, how may I help you?’

There were only five Evangelical stores in the country and the closest one to us was in Texas.

‘Hi… I have a necklace that came from your store.’ I walked to the kitchen to start the coffee machine.

‘Oh no is something wrong with it?’ The lady gasped.

‘No, it’s beautiful, but I don’t know who sent it to me. The delivery guys said they didn’t meet the person who dropped it off.’

A few seconds of silence followed at the other end. ‘That’s odd… I’m sorry Ms. We don’t give out our client’s information, even if we could there is the slim possibility he paid with cash.’

‘Is there really nothing you can do? It’s such a gorgeous necklace and I have no one to thank for it.’ I hoped that would pull her in...

‘I don’t— Okay how about you email me a picture of the item and I’ll confirm if it came from our store or not. Not every item in the franchise stores are the same. I might be able to help you after all.’

I breathed a sigh of relief, it wasn’t a name, but it was a clue. If he bought it in Texas, he was likely recently there or was from there. Who did I know was from Texas? Nothing ran through my mind at that moment.

Danny and Lula were coming over for dinner tomorrow night and I barely had enough rice or spices to do anything. I hadn’t gone grocery shopping in a while. I couldn’t wait to have Danny home. He’d travelled so much this year I hadn’t seen him as much as I used to. I slipped into a light brown fur coat and flat pumps. I captured my hair into a fuzzy ponytail and grabbed my handbag. That was when my phone rang. It was Donna.

‘Hurry up Jenna it’s an emergency.’ She hung up.

‘Wait what?’

I dropped my bag and darted out of the house, letting the front door bang shut. I didn’t anticipate the snow. My shoe caught in the icy fluff and I fell right in. I picked myself up and ran across Donna’s yard. I didn’t expect the ice on the stairs and slipped and landed on my ass in the snow.

As quickly as I could I tiptoed up the stairs, falling off balance on the last step. I banged my fist against the door.

‘Open up Donna!’

The door swag open and I stormed in.

‘Donna?’ I whirled and found Russell laughing by the door. Donna walked in from the kitchen with a can of soda in her hand.

‘Had time to go diving in the snow?’ Donna chuckled.

‘Donna, you said it was an emergency.’ I wined. My shoes were soaking wet and my coat was drenched, only the dress I wore inside survived.

Donna’s laugh persisted, ‘It is. I made dinner for six and they won’t be here for a couple days.’

‘What? It’s not even five yet.’ I rubbed my face. ‘Donna I thought I thought you were sick again.’

He winked at Russell, ‘I told you she was a keeper. Russ be a dear and help Jenna out of her clothes.’

Russell motioned for me to follow him. Donna’s house was almost identical to mine expect she had an extra bedroom and bathroom. My toes were frozen without a doubt and the shaking had started.

He led me to the laundry room. It had a washing machine and a drier and piles of clean laundry. I wriggled out of my damp fur coat.

He frowned at it. It was very good quality obviously it was fake fur, but it was strong.

‘Where were you going in this?’

‘To the grocery store.’

‘You were going to the grocery store in a designer fur coat?’

‘It is freezing out there! If you must know I bought it half price during a clearing sale.’

Russ chuckled and dumped the coat in the drier. He told me to kick off my shoes and handed me a pair of pink bunny slippers.

‘Are these yours?’

I could tell he was hiding a smile. He narrowed his eyes at me and shook his head. He handed me a blue fleece and cordially asked me to join him in the kitchen for hot chocolate.

Donna told me stories about Russell when he was a kid about how he used to terrorize all his nannies. I learned Donna had three children and had been married for close to thirty years before her husband died. I also learn Donna had been a mechanic and an airplane hostess before opening a restaurant she left to her daughter Britney. Russell eventually got fed up of us laughing at him and escaped to the kitchen to check on his chicken.

I thought I’d check on him. When Danny went into the kitchen I had to follow with an extinguisher. I remembered that thanksgiving with his family. His mother was so pissed her turkey was as black as charcoal. The fire alarm wasn’t going off so Russell had to be doing something right.

‘Need any help?’ I asked.

‘You cook?’

I hugged my second cup of hot chocolate.

‘Yeah, I love to cook.’

He leaned against the stove and something came to my attention.

‘Did you—’

He groaned, ‘Yes, Jenna I trimmed my beard.’

I grinned, ‘Did Donna—’

‘No, she didn’t shave it in my sleep. I did it willingly.’

He didn’t just trim his beard he got a haircut. His brown hair fell nicely behind his head. His beard was now a short manageable length. It wasn’t going off in every direction. I admired his chest and the curves of his arms. He made me feel tinier than I was.

‘What?’ I realized I missed what he was saying. Please tell me he didn’t catch me staring?

‘Your job? Where do you work?’ He folded his arms and his chest popped out. I needed to look somewhere else.

‘I own my own company with a friend of course.’ Wasn’t sure I could call Ben that anymore.

‘We produce skin care products and ceramics. JanCare. My mother’s name was Janet.’

He nodded, he relaxed visibly. ‘I’m sorry about your mother.’

I nodded, not wanting to think about it. ‘It’s totally fine it was a long time ago. What do you do?’

‘I’m in the tech department at work.’

‘Tech?’ I arched my brow. ‘Do you lift weights.’

He laughed and I felt instantly drawn in. He smiled with his eyes too.

‘I hate weights, I have to but I’d rather run and mix with the protein shakes.’

‘You run long distance?’ I asked.

‘Do you?’

I shrugged, ‘I did a 4K last year and it was the hardest day of my life, but it was worth it.’

He laughed again. His laughter made me want to laugh with him.

‘I’m guessing you just dived right into it. You’ve got to train first at least weeks ahead.’

‘Well I didn’t have weeks. I had a couple of hours. It was a charity race for the local orphanage.’

‘Did you come in last?’ He teased.

He doubted me too much.

‘No.’ I bit my lower lip, Russell’s challenged me. ‘I came second last. My best friend Danny came last and his girlfriend came ahead of me.’

He burst into the kind of laughter that had him clutching his belly. I couldn’t help join him.

‘Yeah, I know, I know.’

‘My, my, my I can’t tell you how sweet that sound is.’ Donna said, walking in.

She stood next to her son, a bright smile on her face. I was tempted to agree with her about Russell’s laugh. Russell cleared his throat, but his smile remained.

‘I came to check if my chicken wasn’t chard.’ Donna picked his cheek. I covered my mouth to hide my smile. Russell caught me.

We unloaded all the food to the dining table. It wouldn’t be this much food when Hayley came, but I’d be satisfied with just a small portion of family around.

‘Who else is coming for Christmas?’ I asked.

Other than chicken Donna made steak and salmon which Russell had. I had the steak I couldn’t resist a good medium rare steak. There were also salads and potatoes in various forms not forgetting the gravy. Sucks that the guests missed out on all this.

‘My sister and her husband and my cousin and his wife plus their little one.’ Russell said.

‘Oh, I didn’t know you were a grandma Donna.’ I teased.

‘I’d love to have more little creatures running rampart, but Britney isn’t having any of that.’

‘Well, she just got married. They want to settle down first.’ Russell said.

‘They’ve been dating for six years Russ. There’s someone in grade school with that age.’

I laughed and had to cover mouth, but I feared the food would spew out of my nose instead. Russ rolled his eyes and cut into his salmon.

‘Are you married Russ?’ I asked without thinking, I didn’t see a ring, but I couldn’t be sure.

He set his knife and fork down and looked at his mother before me.

‘Actually Russell here’s been single for a while now. Why don’t you two go on a date?’

My fork clattered against the plate. I looked at Russ who was stunned as I was then back at Donna.

‘I—’

‘Isn’t he handsome? Of course he is I made him.’ Donna said.

‘Mother—’

‘Come on, I’m sick and dying go on a date for my sake.’ She frowned.

‘You’re not dying you have a bacterial infection.’ Russ said through clenched teeth.

Donna turned to me. ‘Take him out Jenna. He’s going to be cooped up in here until he leaves. Do if for me, he’s driving me nuts.’

I looked at Russell’s clenched jaw then back at Donna’s pleading face. Oh geez.