I took the long way home, trying to rid myself of the gloomy fatigue that had found me after the letter had arrived the day before, a mood that had stayed with me through the night. It was after nine when I arrived. Carolyn still slept, though she had rolled over to her other side. In her arms lay Thomas with his four furry paws pointed toward the ceiling. It was an adorable scene. Carolyn twitched. The comforter was askew and her entire left leg showed to her crotch.

I sat on the bed beside her and stroked her cheek with the back of my hand. She opened her eyes and looked at me.

“Hey you,” she said.

“Merry Christmas.”

“Mmmmm. Is it Christmas already?”

“It doesn’t have to be.”

“I love Christmas.”

“Then merry Christmas,” I said and placed upon her chest the gift I had gotten the day before. It was a square box, slightly bigger than a deck of cards, wrapped in a sheet of newspaper.

“Aww, you bought me a gift?”

“Of course I did.”

She sat up, began tearing away the paper. Beneath the wrapping was a wooden box, and within it lay a gold ankle bracelet embellished with a dangling heart charm. She held it up in her hand and twisted it in the light.

“I love it,” she said.

“I was hoping you would.” I took it from her. “Which ankle?” She held up her right and I clasped the bracelet around it. It fit perfectly.

“Thank you so much,” she said and kissed me. She climbed out of bed and stood in the center of the room with her legs shoulder-width apart. The ankle bracelet was the only thing she was wearing.

“I’m sorry,” I said, “am I supposed to be looking at the bracelet right now?”

“You can look at whatever you want.”

I did. Her blonde hair was disheveled in a sultry way, sliding down the sides of her face and falling past her shoulders. She had a tremendous body, slender and firm, her breasts a buoyant B cup, a thin line of pubic hair she kept trimmed in a vertical strip. And those eyes. No matter how long I looked at every other part of her, my gaze always returned to her eyes.

“Come here, you,” I said, lifting my hand out and beckoning her.

“Come where, over there? And what makes you think you can have me that easily?”

“Because I rule.”

“You’re at least going to have to let me give you your gift first.”

“You’re gift enough, darling.”

“Oh shush, you already know you’re getting laid.”

“Enough said.”

She lifted from beneath her pile of clothes what I could already tell was a book wrapped in green and red paper. When she handed it over I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me. She fell forward and I began kissing her neck.

“No,” she laughed, playfully pushing me away.