Home for the Holidays

Dominick

At precisely six, I knock on Ally’s door. She opens it part way and arches an eyebrow at me while saying, “Are you a crazy person?”

“Not the last time I checked.”

The door opens the rest of the way, “A crazy person would probably say that.”

I can’t stop myself from smiling, “True but I think you’re safe with me.”

“That’s something a serial killer would say too.”

I can’t stop myself from laughing. Getting myself under control, I reply, “You’d be a horrible choice if I were, considering I live right down the hall and am new to the building. I’m the first person the cops would look at.”

“True.” Ally studies me for a moment more, steps out, then closes and locks her door.

I study her. A warm winter coat, jeans and ankle boots, sensible. Scarf around her neck. Messy bun on top of her head. Minimal makeup. I’m liking it. After Jamie’s high maintenance, I could do with someone a little less self-absorbed.

She gives me another questioning look, then turns and leads the way down the stairs while asking, “Where are we going?”

“Lady’s choice.”

She waits until we are down the steps and heading out the door to ask, “Are you hungry for anything in particular?”

“Can’t say that I am. Like I said, lady’s choice.”

Ally starts down the block, “There’s a great brick oven pizza joint on the corner.”

“Dough Boys? Yeah, I was there last night. Good beer too.”

She pauses to look back at me again, “Anywhere else you’ve tried already?”

“No, just Dough Boys. I had groceries delivered today to fill up the fridge.”

Nodding, Ally continues down the block, “There’s another place I know, best burgers in town.”

Now I’m cynical as I retort, “The best?”

“Yes, though, you won’t believe it looking at the building.”

I pick up my stride so I’m right beside her, “Not too far away?”

“Only a couple of blocks. Do you have a car?”

“No, got rid of it a couple of years ago. My ex had a car if we needed one and I was living a short bus ride away from work. It was more expensive to keep than it was worth. You?”

“Same. Parking is hard to find. I just use a service when I really need a ride.”

I like her fast stride. Very easy to keep up with. Deciding to keep the conversation going, I ask, “So, what happened last night that I found you crying on the steps?”

Her steps slow briefly, and I almost regret bringing it up. She resumes her normal pace and answers, “Met a friend for dinner and spotted my now ex-boyfriend kissing another woman outside the restaurant.”

“Ouch, what a jerk.”

“I was thinking more like cheating, dirtbag prick.”

“I’ve never met the guy but agree with the assessment.”

She gives me a sideways glance, “What about you? You moved here because of a breakup, right?”

“How did you figure that out?”

“You've mentioned your ex a couple of times.”

“Oh, yeah.” I gather my wits and reply, “Jamie, we dated about a year, lived together for another two, a couple weeks ago, she informed me she was done, and I needed to get the hell out.”

“Lovely. No other explanation?”

“I didn’t bother to ask.”

“Your assessment of her?”

I give it some thought, then say, “She wasn’t a bad person. Maybe a little self-centered. Does it sound bad that I’m not heartbroken over it? Maybe the problem was me.”

“Maybe.”

She stops in front of a building that I would label as a dive bar and makes to open the door. I beat her to it and ask, “Here?”

She picks up on the skepticism in my tone. I receive a smile then she says, “Trust me.”

I follow her in and hear a loud booming voice with an Irish accent, “Ally, my girl. Where you been?”

“Hi Jack. Wasting time on a loser who was on a health food kick.”

The bartender, Jack, steps out from behind the bar and sizes me up. I’m not a small guy, can hold my own in a fight, but Jack makes me nervous as his gaze moves over me with disdain. The man is as large as his voice as he asks, “This one?”

“No, this is Dom, my new neighbor. He’s here for one of your world renown burgers.”

His entire demeanor changes as he smiles and throws a bar towel over his shoulder, “Well, welcome to the neighborhood.”

“Thanks, I think.”

I receive a wink then he asks, “Onion rings or fries?”

Ally answers before I can, “One of each.”

“Done.”

Jack disappears through a door I missed earlier, apparently to place our order, and I haven’t even seen a menu yet. I follow Ally across the bar as she holds up two fingers to another bartender. Approaching a booth on the far side of the room, she slips her coat off, tosses it into the booth, and slides in. I take my jacket off, slide into the other side, and hear, “You know, I don’t even know your last name.”

Setting my coat beside me, I reply, “It’s Butler. Dominick Butler. And yours?”

She smiles at me, “Alison Taylor.” The smile falls off her face, “Your idea is crazy. Why would you want to go visit people you have no connection to?”

“Well, you’d be helping me out, too. As I said this morning, I’d like to avoid the inquisition over my breakup.”

“What’s the big deal? Won’t you have to face it, eventually?”

I let out a sigh as the bartender delivers our drinks. I eye the beer, looks good. Picking it up, I take a sip, tastes even better. My hopes for dinner rise as I set the glass down.

“Well?”

“I’m hoping if I can avoid it long enough, the subject will drop. My mother was all, Jamie is the one.” I cross my arms in front of me on the table, “I don’t think she was.”

“Why?”

“Truth be told, things fizzled out a while ago, but I didn’t really think about it. I was comfortable, if not blissfully happy. Didn’t see a reason to rock the boat.”

“Kind of a sad reason to stay in a relationship.”

“Perhaps. What about you?”

Ally also releases a sigh as she sits back against the booth, “I was hopeful Ian was the one. We had more in common than we disagreed about. He was a little distant lately, but I chalked it up to him having to work late so often. Sadly, I didn’t think to ask what or who he was working on.”

“So, we’re both a couple of sad people.”

“Perhaps.”

She eyes me again, “You seriously want to do this?”

I smile at her, “Yes, like I said this morning, we don’t have to introduce each other as the new significant other. Just a couple of neighbors who didn’t want to be alone over the holiday.”

“We should probably know something about each other.”

“Might be helpful.”

“Are you sure you’re not a serial killer or something?”

I break out laughing. I can’t help it. I’m really liking this woman. Shaking my head at her, I reply, “You’re safe with me.”

“Ok, top five things I should know about you.”

“Five?”

At her nod, I give it some thought then say, “Project manager for Nielson downtown, gym junkie. I love sports, pretty much all sports, movies, and hanging with my cat, Oscar.”

“You have a cat?”

“Yes. Should have known things wouldn’t work out with Jamie, she hated him.”

“Who doesn’t love cats?”

“Someone who is a dog lover.”

“I like both equally.”

“Good to know.”

“How old is your cat?

I dig out my phone and show her a picture of Oscar, “He’s five now and rules the roost. I only exist to satisfy his every desire.”

Ally laughs as she stares at the photo, “Sounds like a cat. He almost looks like Grumpy Cat. Adorable.”

I put the phone back in my pocket, “Except, Oscar doesn’t frown all the time.”

Jack appears at our table with two baskets. He sets them in front of us, says, “Enjoy,” and walks away.

I eye the burger while wondering how the hell I’m going to get it in my mouth. Two large patties with melted cheese sliding down the sides, crisp bacon showing from under the top of the bun along with lettuce, onion, and tomato. Damn.

“Do you want the onion rings, the fries, or a bit of both?”

I finally check out the rest of the basket. Huge perfectly fried onion rings in the basket in front of me. I check out the fries in Ally’s basket. Those look outstanding, too. “How about a bit of both?”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

Ally slides the basket toward me and says, “Take what you want,” while reaching into my basket for some of the onion rings.

I take about half her fries to match the half of the onion rings she took. Picking up the burger, I smash down the top as much as possible, then open my mouth wide while digging in. Sweet Jesus.

“Best burger ever, right?”

“God yeah,” I mutter past my mouthful of food. This place is so going on my list of favorite joints.

Neither of us speaks as we work on our dinner. She leaves half the burger in her basket and picks up a fry.

“Done already?”

“I get a couple of meals off this. Way too much food.”

I’ll have no problem polishing mine off. Since she is done, I ask, “What’s the top five things I should know about you?”

As I continue working on my burger, she settles against the back of the booth before replying, “Staff accountant at Irving’s and Todd. I love movies, books, music, and eating.”

I try not to laugh with a mouthful of food. Swallowing, I push out, “Eating?”

“Yes, I love trying new places and new types of food.” She arches an eyebrow at me, “Eating is a hobby.”

I pop an onion ring in my mouth and chew it before replying, “I suppose.”

Ally sighs, “I should have known it wouldn’t work with Ian. He was a picky eater and only wanted healthy food. He would never go for something like a cheeseburger.”

“Dude is messed up.”

“Agreed.” She picks up her beer and sips at it.

“Actually,” she adds while setting the beer down, “I’d love to do some traveling and try foods in different countries. A pizza here isn’t the same as pizza in other places.”

“No, I’ve read about what other countries use for toppings. Don’t know that I would want to brave some of them.”

“That’s why you always have a backup plan in case the food is horrible.”

“Not a problem here.”

“Told you so,” she rubs in with a smile then asks, “What kind of movies do you like?”

I pop another onion ring in my mouth before answering, “Pretty much anything. Action, comedy, horror, drama. Just not soupy romance. You?”

“Same. Though, I still love Gone with the Wind.”

“I’ve never seen it.”

“Wow.”

I chuckle at her incredulous tone before taking another bite of my burger.

“How can you go through life without seeing a classic like that?”

“There are lots of classics,” I retort, “Now, Casablanca is a fantastic classic.”

“Haven’t seen that one.”

“Perhaps that could be our next outing if you’re interested. The theater downtown shows classic movies on Sunday afternoons.”

Ally gives me a half smile, “I haven’t been to that one. Might be fun. Especially if they have good popcorn.”

“Are you a popcorn critic?”

“Yes, I’ll have you know that the flavor of the popcorn is as important as the comfort of the seats at a theater. The Odyssey theater, over by the mall, they show movies that will be out on video soon, or already are, but the popcorn is awesome. Well worth the trip even if it’s a movie I’ve already seen. The State Theater, they have the latest movies, but their popcorn is expensive, and it sucks. They keep it in a warmer and it tastes like cardboard.”

I smile at her while I chew. I guess I’ve never thought about it. Finished with the burger, I eye the remaining fries and onion rings in my basket. As good as they are, I am way too full to finish them. I shove the basket back, “Man, that was great.”

Jack appears at our table with a to-go container for Ally and asks, “Anything else?”

“I’m good,” Ally says, then looks at me.

“I’m good as well.”

Jack holds out the ticket. I take it while pulling out my wallet, “My treat.”

Jack arches an eyebrow at me, “As it should be.”

I shake my head at him as Jack takes my credit card and walks away. Ally finishes putting her leftovers in the to-go box and closes it. “Ready?”

Jake returns with my card and a slip. I sign the slip, add a bit for tip, and reply, “Ready.”

We both pull our coats on, and I take Ally’s to-go container then lead the way out of the bar. As we walk down the street, Ally asks, “I still think this is a crazy idea.”

“Have you enjoyed your time with me tonight?”

She gives it some thought before replying, “Well, we ate more than we talked, but yes, I had fun.”

“Then, logically, we would enjoy spending more time together.”

“Logically, it’s a horrible idea to bounce from one relationship to another.”

“Ahh yes, the rebound romance theory.” I may regret saying this but feel the need to give her an out, “No worries. We can stay friends if that’s what you prefer.”

“I don’t really know what I want right now.”

“No pressure. Friends it is until you figure it out.”

As we approach our building, she says, “Are you sure you want to do this? You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. My family could be labeled as crazy. Especially my aunt, Sophie. She is a more than a little…eccentric.”

“There’s one in every family.” I press the door card against the lock and open the door to our apartment building, “Don’t worry, Ally. This could be fun.”

We walk up the steps together and stop outside her door. She unlocks it and turns back to me. I hand her the to-go box and ask, “What time do we leave tomorrow?”

“Dinner is at noon sharp, but we’re expected to be there by eleven. Takes a little over an hour on the buses.”

“No problem, I’ll be ready to go by nine.”

“Ok,” Ally looks up at me nervously.

I offer her a smile to put her at ease and take a step back, “Good night, Ally. See you in the morning.”

“Night.”

Once her door closes and locks, I head for my apartment. I can clear out a few more boxes before spending some time with Oscar and heading for bed.

Alison

Leaving my coat on the hook, I cross the room and settle on the couch with a sigh. I can’t decide if I’m disappointed that Dom didn’t try to kiss me or relieved. Maybe a little of both. He is good looking and fun to be with. But so was Ian at first. Time will tell. Digging my phone out, I press the quick dial shortcut for my mother. She picks up on the first ring, “Ally, honey, is something wrong?”

“Why does something have to be wrong for me to call you?”

Sarcasm drips in her tone, “You rarely call.”

Something I need to get better at. “I just called to tell you I’ll be bringing someone along tomorrow.”

“Who?”

“My new neighbor, Dominick. He is all alone tomorrow, so I asked if he would like to join us.”

Mom doesn’t need to know the truth.

“New neighbor? What do you know about him? For all you know, he could be a serial killer.”

It takes all of my willpower not to laugh, considering I asked Dom the same question multiple times. The smile falls off my face when she asks, “What happened to Ian?”

“We’re done.”

“Because he double-booked Thanksgiving?”

“No, because last night I caught him kissing another woman.”

“The snake. Why didn’t you call me last night?”

Time for a little truth that she will hopefully understand, “I was too drunk.”

“Alison, that man wasn’t worth getting drunk over. Sophie could sense he was unfit.”

Sophie would never use the term unfit. Something involving a few swear words is more likely.

“Mom, don’t start.”

“Well, what kind of man avoids his girlfriend’s family unless he doesn’t have honorable intentions? A total stranger is more willing to spend time with us than he was.”

Wow, my mother speaks like a person from the last century. At the mention of my neighbor, another thought comes to me. “Don’t you dare seat Dominick next to Sophie.”

“No promises, dear. I have to change my seating chart again. See you tomorrow.”

“Mom…”

I’m talking to dead space as my phone beeps at the end of the call. Setting the phone down, I flop back against the couch. Mom is totally going to seat Dominick next to Sophie. I debate warning him and decide against it. After all, this was his idea, and I already warned him about her. Rising, I head down the hall. A long hot bath followed by reading in bed sounds like a great way to spend the rest of the night.

Dominick

Stepping out of the shower, I towel off, then yank on the pair of pajama bottoms I left on the counter. Leaving the bathroom, I flop onto the bed. It’s been a long week. Oscar hops up on the bed and settles beside me. Hearing him purr, I reach over to scratch his ears.

While petting him, I debate calling my mother to tell her about my guest on Friday. It doesn’t take long for me to decide against it. Instead of avoiding the conversation on Friday, we would have it tonight. Am I being a coward? Maybe a little. Who needs the extra stress, though? Hopefully Mom will like Ally enough to forget about Jamie.

The thought of my new neighbor makes me smile. I really do like her. A lot. Can’t wait to see her tomorrow. We have things in common. I glance down at Oscar again. She likes cats, that’s a good sign. Maybe it’s too soon for her, but hey, I’ve got the time to wait.