Chapter 7

Iris got comfortable in a long sky-blue dress first that she usually wore at home. Brushed her hair up in a ponytail and tied an apron around her waist and began with the dinner preparation.

She first started with turkey. Stuffed turkey with lemon, garlic, onions, thyme, bay leaves and brushed melted butter on the body, and slid it inside the oven on a large pan.

Meanwhile, she prepared Yorkshire pudding that her Gran had taught her, gravy, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes.

The oven dinged and the turkey was ready. She wore the red and white checked mittens and pulled out the pan slowly. She then kept Brussels for the roast in the oven. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of roast turkey. It got a beautiful golden color and crisp. She garnished the turkey on a large silver plate that her mother used during Christmas.

She took out the fancy crockery from the box which was on the top shelf. Her mother used all the fancy crockery and wine glasses for Christmas every year. After Christmas, she would keep that away in the box and won't let anyone touch it till next Christmas. Iris never used it again except for once or twice when she really missed her mother.

Now was a good time to use the crockery again. Everything was wrapped in the bubble wraps and the inside of the box had got cobwebs. She cleaned everything and washed all the crockery and wine glasses. Then she lit candles on the dining table and set the crockery. She lit the white light that she had decorated and one of the yellow lights in the living area. The living room looked perfect and festive.

She didn't even realize when it got dark. She checked her wall clock and it was 9:30 PM. It was almost time.

She quickly changed into the new scarlet dress. She noticed that the dress was a bit of body fitting.

"Holy Cow! Now, what should I do? This is so body-hugging. I can't wear such a dress in front of Hugh."

She started looking for something wearable in her wooden cupboard. But there were no dresses that would suit a Christmas Dinner.

She sighed. "This was supposed to be perfect." 

She had no choice but to wear a scarlet dress.

She kept looking at herself in the mirror. "It's not too bad. It just had to be a little loose from the waist."

She wore the tiny white stone earrings. She parted her hair from the middle and twisted the front strands of both the side and pinned them on the back of her skull.

That's how her mother used to wear her hair every Christmas. She wore her mother's favorite perfume. Iris never felt the need to buy or wear cosmetics. All she had was a gloss and one red lipstick that she kept in case she had to go somewhere for an occasion.

But she never went anywhere. She bought new red lipsticks every two years and would throw them out without using them. This was a good year. She was finally going to use it. She wore that red lipstick carefully, keeping it within the outline of her lips, and then glossed it with her lip gloss. She looked different.

For the first time, she admired herself while looking in the mirror. Her ocean-blue eyes blinked a couple of times nervously. Hugh was going to see her sometime.

It hadn't stopped snowing and got way too cold. Her legs below her knees were open. She took out one of the thick black stockings from her cupboard and wore it. Then looked at herself in the mirror again to see if the stockings suited the dress. And yes, they totally did. She complimented the dress with black ballet flats.

She heard a car pull over outside her window. She sat on her bed and tried to kill the butterflies in her stomach. She took deep breaths. Her doorbell rang.

She rose from the bed and walked slowly to get the door. Placed her fingers on the lock and exhaled. Then she twisted the lock and opened the door slowly. 

There he was. Wearing his captivating smile.

"Hello! Merry Christmas." He said. He was in the maroon cashmere sweater and faded blue jeans. He was holding a white gift bag in one hand and the black overcoat hung on the arm of the same hand. The other handheld a big paper bag. His brown hair slicked back and there were tiny snow particles on them.

Iris beamed. "Merry Christmas. Please come in, Hugh." She said.

He stepped inside while looking at her. "You look so beautiful." He said with those same intense eyes that made Iris's heart skip a beat every time.

She blushed. "Thank you! You look good too."

She returned the compliment skittishly. 

"Thank you! Do you mind taking me to your kitchen? This bag has some food items." He raised the brown paper bag in his left hand.

"Sure," Iris said and took the coat from his arm and hung it on the stand.

They walked inside the kitchen and Hugh placed the paper bag on the countertop. 

"This one's for you." He gave Iris the white gift bag.

"Hugh you didn't have to," Iris said.

"Please. It's Christmas." Hugh said. It was hard to refuse him when he looked at her with such intensity.

Iris grinned and took the bag. Hugh kept on staring at her. They stood in the kitchen and it was hard for Iris to look away from him. Her heart never stopped hammering inside her chest.

Hugh slowly stretched his hand towards Iris and held her arm.

The goosebumps raised on the back of her neck. 

He took the bag from her hand without looking away from her eyes and removed a white box.

"This is the Christmas light that you did not buy yesterday." He said.

Iris looked at the box and pulled her eyebrows together.

"I noticed your Christmas tree without the lights. I want you to have this. I got my old lights working somehow."

She shook her head. "Hugh, it's really not necessary."

"A Christmas tree should always have lights. Should I put it on the tree for you?"

Iris nodded and smiled. "Thank you!"

Hugh's smile was tightened into a hard line. He then took out a small box wrapped in green paper. "Open it. It's your gift."

Iris beamed and tore open the gift wrap. Inside was a small white box. She opened the box and there was a pair of round golden earnings.

"Hugh! They're beautiful." She exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Glad you liked them." He then removed a bottle of Sharpham Pinot Noir from the bag.

"Wine for the lady."

"This is all too much. You really shouldn't have bought all these."

"It's Christmas, Iris. You haven't really had a real Christmas after your mother and I haven't celebrated in three years. Let's make the best of it."

Iris sighed. "Okay! My bottle of merlot is finishing anyway." She said and kept the bottle on the shelf.

Hugh decorated the lights around the tree and lit them. The beautiful orange light blinked and filled the room with a beautiful bright color along with the other lights.

"We should probably start with our dinner," Iris said.

"Let me help you."

They set all the food on the table along with Hugh's beef roast and two pieces of Christmas cake that he brought.

Iris kept the bakery bought bread loaf in the middle.

"I like how you've decorated the table with candlelight. You're so traditional." Hugh said looking at the side face of Iris while she was placing the wine glasses.

She looked at up him and blushed. "Thank you. I was dying to have a real Christmas so just grabbed the opportunity and made everything look traditional."

Hugh grinned. "I'm honored to join a beautiful lady for this elegant Christmas dinner."

Iris exhaled nervously while keeping her eyes on the table. She wasn't used to receiving compliments. Especially from someone looking like a God roaming on the earth.