Saving Noel

Benjamin

Benjamin stared at the ball of wires and bulbs in his hands. How on earth had this managed to become so tangled while sitting in a box for an entire year? He couldn't have put it up like this- no, he was a careful person. Then again, he'd taken these down right after New Years- right after the pipes had burst in the back kitchen. It had been the first in a string of disasters that would plague them for all of 2018.

    Shoving the lights beneath his arm, he began to climb the ladder, determined to get them untangled and hung up before Gerrie threatened to quit. About halfway up, he paused and looked through the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the patron who'd lingered after the morning rush was over. He'd thought she was quite pretty the moment he saw her, but when she took off her knitted hat, auburn hair tumbled down about her shoulders, adding warmth to her white face and stealing his breath.

    He considered what Gerrie had said earlier, about why he was single, and as the hours passed, he found himself studying the young woman. She sipped her latte slowly, her eyes shutting with each drink, her pink tongue darting out to clean any of the sweet liquid from her lips- all the signs pointed to a woman who was relishing her drink.

    When the shop had been crowded, she'd hunched over her table, hands wrapped around her cup. Her eyes never settled on one person. It was only after the last seated customer left, that she relaxed, her long, lean form unfurling in her seat.

    Gerrie had stepped outside and expressed concern. They'd both spent enough time watching people to recognize signs of distress or abuse. The woman wasn't wearing too much makeup, glasses, or a scarf so there were no marks she was attempting to conceal- not unless she was with a smart SOB- but she was hiding something. He looked down at the lights and sighed. It was really none of their business, whatever it was.

    Benjamin went up another rung. He heard the jingle of the front door opening but didn't bother to see if it was someone coming or going- he thought he detected a spot in the knot that would unravel the entire string of lights. All it would take was one distraction, and he'd never be able to find it again. Someone spoke behind him. Then, the ladder wobbled beneath a touch.

    Sighing, he looked down, nearly choking when he met a pair of timid green eyes. The sunlight streamed across her skin, giving her an ethereal glow, and he found himself turning to see her better. "Hello." Hello? Hello, that's all you've got?

    Her look of sweet bafflement turned to terror. "Be careful!"

    But her warning was too late. The strand he'd managed to separate from the main knot wrapped around the bottom of his shoe, pulling him backwards. She stumbled back, her arms out wide as if to catch him, but at the last second, he grabbed one of the rungs, slowing his descent and keeping him from falling flat on his back.

    "Oh my gosh," she gasped, red gloves covering her generous mouth. "Thank goodness you hadn't climbed all the way up."

    Her voice was smooth and rich, like a perfectly pulled shot of espresso. Gerrie is right- I'm coffee obsessed. I'm even comparing women to coffee. Benji boy, you've got to get out more.

"Are you okay? Did you bump your head coming down?"

"What? No. Why?" he stuttered, earning a smirk from the woman in front of him.

"I was talking to you for a good minute, and you were off in la la land."

"Sorry, guess I was just in shock. Not everyday you fall of a ladder. Well, actually, this is the
third time this year."

"And Gerrie let you climb up there?"

"She didn't have much choice in her condition, but that's definitely why I typically stay on the ground," he replied, surprising himself by chuckling. "Did you need something? I hope the coffee was to your liking."