Christmas to Christmas

Eric smiled back, enjoying the warmth of her touch on his arm. "You're welcome, Anna -- I am in the Christmas spirit as well, and I have you to thank!"

They began sharing a little about their lives with each other. Eric explained why he was alone that Christmas. Anna was there because she and her roommates had to work in the morning at 7:00 a.m., so they all decided to spend the night at home before heading off to see their families tomorrow after work.

Eric asked, "Where do you work?"

She replied, "I work at the long term care facility in town. I'm a med aide -- my main job is to dispense medicine for the residents, although I have to do other things as well."

It suddenly dawned on Eric where he recognized her. "You mean the facility right across the street from the school? That's where I've seen you before! I knew I recognized you, but I couldn't remember where. I teach vocal music at that school, and I bring elementary kids over to sing all the time! We were just there last week!"

Anna had a look of surprise on her face as Eric explained what he did. "Oh my gosh, I thought you looked familiar as well, but I couldn't remember where I had seen you! But now I remember -- we love it when you bring your kids over to sing. It really brightens the day of the residents to see the eager little faces and hear the joy in their voices!"

They smiled at each other as Eric prepared to play another song. He looked at his phone and saw that his next break was in five minutes. He had been chatting with Anna for over 40 minutes, but the time had just flown by.

He turned to Anna again, and asked, "It's almost time for my next break. Are you staying until midnight?"

Her smile disappeared, as she replied, "No, we were planning on leaving at 11:00, since we all have to be at work by 6:45 in the morning. Tell you what -- when your break comes, I will take you over and introduce you to Kim and Janice, and see if we can stay for the last hour."

Eric wanted to play another slow song for the last number before the break, so he started in with "Chestnut Roasting O'er an Open fire." He looked over at Anna again, and said, "You know, I really enjoy playing the piano for events like this, but sometimes I wish someone else was playing, because I can see you and me out on the dance floor, dancing together on these slow songs."

Anna looked back down at the floor, then back up to his eyes. "But if you were here to dance, then we wouldn't be dancing, because I probably would have turned you down, just like I did to that guy earlier."

The song finished, and it was break time for Eric again. Anna said to him, "Follow me," and they headed back to the corner table. By this time, both Kim and Janice had returned to their table after dancing. When Anna and Eric arrived, it was Anna who took over.

"Kim, Janice, I want you to meet Eric. He's the piano player for the evening. He also teaches vocal music at the school across the street from care facility. He's the one who brings those adorable little elementary kids to sing for the residents."

Kim and Janice stood up and shook hands with Eric. "It's wonderful that you bring your kids to sing. Anna had mentioned earlier that she thought you looked familiar, but we just told her that her eyes were playing tricks on her in the darkened room! It's so nice to meet you, Eric. Has Anna been bothering you while you are playing?"

"Not at all," Eric replied. "In fact, the great conversation with her has made the time much more enjoyable. I thought I was going to be miserable tonight since my family all left me to go other places, but I'm finding that this has been one ofthe best Christmas Eve's of my life."

Anna smiled, and said to the girls, "Eric wants to ask you something!"

He snapped his head back at Anna, her smile morphing into a grin. He didn't remember this being part of the plan, but if she felt her roommates would be more agreeable to her staying the last hour if he asked them, he would certainly do it.

So he said, "We are having such a good time talking that Anna was hoping you would stay until the party is over. I know you have to get up early for work tomorrow. If you would agree to this, I would make it up to you."

Kim and Janice looked at each other and smiled. It was Janice who answered his question. "Tell you what, Eric -- since you want Anna to stay for another hour, and since your family has left you all alone for Christmas, I have a plan that will benefit all of us. We will stay another hour with Anna on one condition -- that you come to the care center at 11:00 in the morning and play Christmas carols while the residents each their Christmas lunch. Deal?"

Anna nearly jumped up and down next to him. Again, she put a hand on his arm as she pleaded with him. "Oh yes, Eric -- that would be so wonderful. The residents would enjoy that so much! Will you do it?"

Eric smiled back at her enthusiasm, and turning to Janice, said, "Yes, I'll do it. It will be fun. And..." he turned back to Anna to complete his sentence, "...it will give me another chance to see you again!"

With that, Anna looked down at her feet again, although all at the table were pretty sure it was done so that they wouldn't see her blush. Janice smiled back at Eric and said, "Great! Come a few minutes before 11:00. I'll make sure the piano is ready to go in the dining room. Dinner usually takes about an hour. They're going to love hearing you play!"

Eric looked at his phone to see that he only had about five minutes left on this last break. "I need to go refill my drink before I have to get started again." He headed to the bar, but Anna stopped him.

"Kim and I can go get it for you. What are you drinking?"

"Lemonade. Just tell Joe at the bar that you are getting it for me, and you won't have to pay for it. Thanks, Anna!"

Anna smiled, grabbed Kim's arm, and the pair headed to the bar. Eric started to turn to walk back to the stage when he felt Janice tap him on the shoulder.

Eric turned to look at her. She said, "Got a minute before you head back up there? I just wanted you to know that this is the happiest I've seen Anna in a long time. I don't know what you are talking about up there, but the smile I've seen on her face in wonderful!"

Eric smiled, and said, "It's easy to have fun with Anna -- she seems to be a warm and caring person."

Janice nodded. "But I want to let you know that Anna has been hurt bad, and she is still in the middle of the recovery process, one that could last for a while yet. I'll let her tell you the details in her own time, but for now, take it easy with her. Don't press for things most guys want from girls. If you're willing to be supportive of her without being pushy, you'll have a chance to get yourself a wonderful girl."

She then drew Eric in close, and said softly into his ear, "But if you hurt her, there will be many of her friends who have stuck with her through these difficult times that will be more than willing to hurt you back. Got it?"

Eric swallowed, and said, "Don't worry, I have no desire to hurt her."

"Good! Eric, I'm half joking, but also half serious. Please be nice to her and let her take the time necessary to build up this relationship. I know it's early, but I can tell that you two really like each other. Now, you'd better get back to the stage so Anna can bring your lemonade to you."

With that, Janice returned to the table to sit once again. Eric went straight to the stage, getting there about 30 seconds before Anna. She handed his lemonade to him, and then stood there patiently, as if waiting for Eric to say something, which he realized he hadn't done yet.

"Will you stay up with me through this last set? I'd love to have your company for another hour."

Anna nodded, and took her place on the extra chair next to the piano. As Eric began playing, he couldn't help but feel drawn to Anna. Her smile, and the ease at which they sat and chatted with each other, made it easy for him to enjoy their time together. Yet he was a little curious -- and perhaps nervous as well -- at the "warning" Janice had given him. He couldn't imagine what difficult times she had experienced -- maybe a death of a parent, or perhaps a medical condition. Whatever it was, he was more than willing to do what he could to help her through her rough time.

The final hour of the party went quickly. As he was playing his last song, Anna gracefully put her hand on his left shoulder. Once again, Eric could feel the warmth of her touch. He looked at her and she smiled for him -- it was a sight that he was getting used to more and more as the evening progressed. She wasn't runway model beautiful, but her face lit up when she smiled, and Eric was becoming smitten rather rapidly.

Finally, he played the last note of the last song, and those who were still here gave him an ovation. He stood up to grab his music satchel, just as Kim and Janice came over to be with Anna. He put on his jacket, and then slung his satchel up over his left shoulder. He stepped over closer to Anna, who reached out and took his right hand into hers.

"Thank you, Eric, for a great time this evening. I wasn't looking forward to this at all, and in fact, I really didn't want to come. But Janice and Kim made me, and now I'm so glad they did!"

"No, Anna -- thank you. Once you came over to visit with me, I quickly forgot about being stranded alone for Christmas. I needed that, and you provided it for me. I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the care center, okay?

Anna nodded." Yes, a little before 11:00 a.m. I'm really looking forward to it!"

Eric looked at Kim and Janice. "It was nice meeting you also, and I guess I'll see you again tomorrow as well."

He turned to head to the door, but stopped when he heard Anna call out, "Wait, Eric -- can I get your phone number?"

That surprised him. He didn't know if she would be willing to exchange phone numbers, given the news Janice had shared with him earlier. Anna got her phone out, and punched in the numbers as Eric recited to her. She smiled and said to Eric, "I'll send you a text when we get home, so you can have mine. See you, Eric -- and thanks again!"

Eric returned the smile and bid her goodbye for the night. He headed for the door again. He was pleased to see that a couple of inches of snow had fallen since he checked, adding to the Christmas spirit he was feeling. He had dreaded this holiday, but now he was feeling like it was his best Christmas ever.

He opened his car door and got in, starting the engine to try and get the defroster to dissolve the icy mix that was on his windshield. Through the thin layer of sleet and ice, he spotted Anna leaving the club with Kim and Janice in their car. He was curious to see where they lived, and if his windshield had been cleaned, it would have been easy to follow them.

But then he realized that despite the warm feelings he was had after spending the evening with Anna, he had to put thoughts like that away. He wasn't sure what the pain was from which she was recovering, but he realized that to help her, he needed to ignore any desire to push her too early into any kind of a steady relationship, even if it meant advancing the relationship at a slower pace than he would have liked.

And who was he trying to kid, he thought to himself. After all, his previous relationships were certainly not successful. Maybe they were just the wrong girls for him. Or maybe he just didn't know what to do, and they decided they'd be better off without him. That was probably it, he thought. He just wasn't experienced enough to have a successful relationship with the girls of today. But for some reason, Eric felt this one could be different -- perhaps it was Anna's smiles, or the way her face lit up whenever she was fully immersed in his music. Eric felt a confidence he never felt before. "Perhaps," he thought to himself, "This one might work after all."

The car was warm enough by now that the ice was nearly gone from his windshield. He backed out of his parking spot and pulled forward into the snowy night. He continued his thought process as he headed for his apartment. He had avoided what he felt might be his biggest hang-up to a successful relationship -- that being the "V-card" he still wore around his neck. His desire to throw that away was there -- perhaps stronger than ever, now. Being a 24-year-old virgin was no picnic.

He frowned slightly at this thought, as he also pondered this new relationship with Anna. Was this the girl that was finally going to make him a man? What was her experience? Would she be one that could figure out he had no experience whatsoever, and drop him like others had? Or would she be one who didn't think it was important that he was inexperienced?

Or was he just making too much of a non-issue? It certainly was an issue to him, but perhaps he was thinking too far ahead. He had only known her for less than four hours, after all. They had relaxed conversation with each other, and he knew he wanted to pursue a relationship with her. "What's the rush," he thought to himself. "Sit back and enjoy the trip!"

And so that's what he set out to do -- whatever progressed between him and Anna in the next few days and weeks would just happen at its own pace. His decision to relax was interrupted by his phone, chirping the arrival of a text message at the same time he pulled into the parking lot at his apartment complex. He found an empty parking place, turned off his car, and opened the message. It was from an unknown number, but he immediately knew who it was from.

"Hi, Eric, it's Anna. Here's your text message! I had a great time tonight, and I hope we can do it again soon. See you tomorrow!"

Eric's heart warmed as he read the message. He didn't know how far their relationship would go, but he knew he wanted to be a part of her life for a long time to come. He quickly tapped out a reply -- "I had a great time as well. Good night and sweet dreams!"

Valentine's Day

Eric stepped out of the front door of his apartment, trying to keep as much of the bitter cold wind off of his face as possible. The snow was a regular part of the landscape this far north in February. In fact, he remembered back to his first winter here last year, when the ground wasn't uncovered until the first week of April.

He was on his way to Anna's house, a first for their relationship. When she wasn't working, Anna preferred to be out with Eric in the presence of other people, usually Kim and Janice -- restaurants, movies, concerts, etc. All of that was fine with Eric. He didn't want to push either, remembering the warning Janice had given him at the Christmas Eve party at Joe's. He was still curious as to the hurt Anna had experienced, but the longer he was with her, the less of a factor it became. He was enjoying the company of his new friend, and didn't want to do anything that might push her away.

As he drove to her house, he thought back to that first night he had met her. He didn't agree to play at the Lonely Hearts party in hopes of finding a girlfriend, but fate apparently had other ideas. The chance meeting with her led to a wonderful evening of them being together on the stage as Eric entertained the party crowd looking to find happiness on an otherwise lonely Christmas Eve. He had certainly found happiness that night being with the shy brunette as he played the piano. In the weeks following, they had managed to go out together on a few occasions, when his daytime teaching schedule and her nighttime med aide work schedule would allow them a rare evening together.

Tonight would also be the first time the two were out just by themselves. He was taking Anna to a restaurant in town for some fine dining, followed by dancing with a live swing band. He had been looking forward to dancing with Anna since the thought first crossed his mind the night of the Christmas Eve party, and now he could finally focus on Anna.

He had thought back to his high school and college days, watching friends get ready for dates to dances he never went to. He remembered watching his friends buying flowers for their girls, so he had gone to a local florist and purchased a wrist corsage for Anna to wear tonight, hoping that it wasn't a silly high school fad that shouldn't be done for people his age. As he pulled into the driveway of the house she shared with Janice and Kim, he became a little nervous, wanting everything be just perfect for Anna tonight, especially in light of the words Janice had shared with him. He figured this was a big step in Anna's recovery from whatever it was that had hurt her, and he wanted to help her through that process in any way he could.

He parked and grabbed the corsage. The cold wind blasted him as he tucked it under his coat to keep it from freezing and wilting. He knocked on the door and was greeted by Kim, dressed in her work scrubs. While Anna had been able to get the night off, Kim and Janice weren't so lucky, so this truly was going to be a night for he and Anna alone together. Anna came down the stairs, and Eric was speechless. Anna had always dressed very casually when they went out with her friends, but tonight she had gone all out, and the result was stunning! Eric's nerves took another hit -- he had never been on a date with such a beautiful woman before, and now he felt pressured to live up to his end of the bargain.

Eric took a deep breath and stepped forward to the bottom of the stairs. As calmly as he could muster, he said, "Anna, you look amazing tonight! I brought you this wrist corsage -- would you like to wear it?"

Anna blushed and simply nodded her head yes. Eric fumbled with the clear plastic wrap enclosing the corsage, before finally freeing it and placing it on Anna's right wrist. He had no clue if that was the right wrist or not, but since she offered that hand, that's the hand he chose. Anna held the corsage up to her chest as Kim stepped back and took a picture of her. The smile on her face told Eric how pleased she was with his gesture, and he secretly hoped Kim would send him one of the pictures she was taking.

Anna walked to the hall closet to get her coat. Janice took that opportunity to walk over to Eric and say, "Remember, Eric -- be slow. You've been exactly what she has needed so far. Don't ruin the progress she has made by pushing her tonight."

Eric smiled and replied, "Don't worry -- she is in good hands. This is by far the best relationship I've ever had, and I'm not going to do anything to screw it up!"

Anna came back with her coat on, and the two of them headed back outside in the cold. Eric had purposely not worn his gloves, hoping that maybe they could hold hands in the car, and he was pleased to see that Anna had not worn any either. He walked her to the passenger door of his Taurus and helped her get seated before getting in on his own side. As he back out of the driveway, he reached over and took Anna's hand, relaxing a little when she squeezed his hand back.

There wasn't much conversation on the trip to the restaurant. They talked about the fact that Anna had not gotten a chance to see Eric's elementary students when they came to the care home earlier that day to sing love songs for Valentine's Day, since she had worked the night before and was sleeping. He described the look on the faces of the residents as they listened, and had noticed a few of them were singing along with the kids, something that made him think he should teach his kids more songs the residents might know so they could sing more often.

They arrived at the restaurant. It was valet parking, which embarrassed Eric a bit, since he figured most patrons would be driving better cars than his. They pulled up to the stand, and Eric took the keys out of the ignition and handed them to the attendant, before hurrying over to the other side of the car to help Anna out, but he realized there was an attendant on that side as well, and by the time he got to her, Anna was already out of the car. He held out his arm and she took it as they walked into the restaurant. Both checked their coats, although Anna opted to keep her handbag with her.