Friends For the Holidays

Richie & Libby

Libby had had her Christmas tree up for several days now, but she was still adding things to it a few at a time. When she'd moved into the house, the first two things to go up were her bed and the tree. She'd always loved Christmas, but she'd decided that moving so close to the holiday was the last thing she ever wanted to do again!

It was a couple of days before Christmas now and she was mostly ready. Abby was coming by tomorrow, so that they could exchange gifts. She'd sent her brother a Christmas package in Japan, where he worked at the company their father had started. Her mother and sister-- As far as Libby knew, those two stayed either too drunk or too high to even realize when Christmas arrived, but she'd sent them something anyway. She always felt an obligation to do so.

Sitting down on the sofa with her diet soda, she looked at the gifts still under the tree. Her eyes fell on Richie's present. She hoped he would come by. After that dinner at his new house on Saturday though, she wasn't sure. Things hadn't gone so well, what with her feeling on edge and sad seeing Richie and Nonnie together. And then, there'd been Nonnie's reaction to her talking and joking with Richie the way they always had. Libby hoped it hadn't angered him too much. She honestly hadn't meant any harm or any hostility to the other woman. It was just hard to know what to say or do around her.

Sighing, Libby leaned back, watching the lights on the tree. She had no idea how long she'd been sitting there staring at it when the doorbell rang.

Richie turned the gift over in his hands, Nonnie helped him pick out something for her, an antique locket on a chain, it was a nice gift he thought and hoped she’d like it. He wasn’t much for Christmas shopping since he didn’t really celebrate the reason for the season. He’d bought for Miss Peeg and Millie since she’d helped him out at the boarding house for so long.

Richie hadn’t seen Libby since the dinner. He pulled up in the drive of her house and looked it over from the outside. It was okay, good find. He picked up the nicely wrapped gift and went up and rang her door bell.

Thinking it was probably Abby or Frank, Libby opened the door with a smile. "Richie!" She was startled to see him. "Come in!"

“Happy holidays,” he greeted and handed her the gift, “Good looking house you got here Libby.” He stepped inside and looked around.

"Thanks!" She beamed at him, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. "For the gift and the compliment. I think it'll look a lot better once I get the painting done and a few other things done. Do you want a tour?"

He let her kiss him briefly but pulled away, “yeah, I’ll have the tour.” He smiled. “Looks like you’ve already been working.

She looked at him a little strangely when he pulled away. "Oh, I've been working some on it. Here and there, when I have time. Moving during the holidays wasn't the best idea. So many things to do all the time. Cal's giving me a week off for Christmas and I hope to get a lot more done then."

She led the way through the entire house, showing him the kitchen, the bedrooms which were unfurnished right now, except her own, and ending up in the den with the Christmas tree. Shaking the package he'd handed her, she said, "Hmmm, I wonder what this can be! Yours is under the tree there. The little flat one. Good things come in small packages, you know?" She grinned at him.

"What do you think of this big flat-screen TV?" She pointed above the fireplace. "I splurged on it, but it's really great for watching movies, rugby, ball games! It's almost like being right in the middle of the game yourself!"

“Yeah I know I got one too, good for you. I like your house, Libby you did good kid.” He reached under her tree and picked up the package.

"Well-" She grinned at him. "Open it!"

“Now? Okay you gotta open yours too,” Richie began tearing paper off the flat package. He looked up at her and grinned, “where did you find this?”

"Oh, it's not so hard to find one." She was smiling at him. "It's just hard to convince the owner to give it up. Those Babe Ruth New York Yankee baseball cards are prized possessions. Glad you like it."

“Something to add to my collection, thanks Libby.” Richie gave her a brief friendly kiss on the cheek.

"You're very welcome," Libby told him, ripping the paper off her own package. Seeing the locket, she lifted it out of the box with a smile. "It's beautiful, Richie." She held it up to her neck

“I thought that looked like something you would wear, want me to put it on for you?”

"Oh, yes." She handed it to him and turned, lifting her hair off her neck. "Thank you, Richie"

Richie fastened the clasp suddenly very aware of her he stepped back and put his hands in his pockets. “So ah what are ya doin’ Christmas Day?”

"Probably spending it right here." Libby's eyes were still on the locket, admiring it. She knew just whose picture to put inside it.

“Maybe you should ah, get up with Abby or something. I’m picking up Michael at the airport and then going to Nonnie’s for dinner with her Uncle Stephen.”

She smiled at him. "That sounds nice. It'll be a good day for you, especially with Michael here."

"Abby's spending Christmas with Alex Ross. My brother's in Japan, you know, and he's only taking off Christmas Day. Too long a trip for either one of us, just for that one day."

“I’m really looking forward to spending some time with Michael and hoping he’ll come back and stay for the summer. Now that I’ve got a place for him,” He walked over looking at the ornaments on her tree. “Go into Coffs for the day or something, go to a movie…don’t sit here on your own.”

Richie glanced over at her thinking about what Nonnie had said about her having a thing for him. He hoped not, hoped it wasn’t true.

"I'll be okay. Don't worry about me, Richie." She watched him, standing there looking at her tree, his back to her. "It'd be great for Michael to spend the summer with you." She laughed a little. "Or would that be winter here? Either way, it'll be good for both of you."

Libby walked over to stand next to him by the tree. "The best times in my life were the ones I spent with my dad. That ornament there-" She pointed to a glass unicorn on one of the branches. "He brought me that one two years before he died. He knew I loved unicorns."

“Unicorns…what else do you love?” He immediately wished he hadn’t said it, where had that come from anyway. He took a breath not looking at her and turned away from the tree. He needed to get out of here…

She dropped her eyes quickly. You, she wished she could tell him, but she knew she couldn't do that. "Oh, mostly silly things I guess." Libby wasn't used to talking like this. "Puppies. Star Trek and Star Wars, but you already know that. Oh- I do love music boxes. I've got several of them and I buy a new one now and then." Smiling, she looked up at him again. "That feeling you get when your favorite team wins!"

“Yeah, I know that feeling…well I hope you have a good holiday Libby, I uh need to run.” He looked at her a moment and softly kissed her on the lips and then turned toward the door, he had to get out of there.

Libby touched her lips for a second, then said, "Richie- Wait a minute."

Richie turned, “Yeah?”

She looked at him for a moment. He seemed really anxious to leave. Why was that, she wondered.

Walking over to her desk in the den, Libby pulled open the middle drawer and took out an envelope. She held it out to him. "These are tickets for that rugby match I told you about. It's two days after Christmas. A guy I know who covers the sports beat for the newspaper in Coffs got them for me. There's two of them here. I got three, but I, uh- figured it would be best if I didn't go, so I gave the other one to Frank. If you wanna get in touch with him, ask him to go with you and Michael, he'd probably like that."

Richie looked at the tickets and back at her, “You shouldn’t have done this, Libby. I know how hard you work for your…Look” He looked away for a moment, “I got to tell you this, I think…I might be…well it’s Nonnie…it’s Nonnie.” He hoped she understood.

Had he read her mind? Apparently, he was telling her that Nonnie was the reason he had to leave.

"I know." She said it quietly.

Richie ran his hand through his hair, “I haven’t felt this way since…Toni…I don’t know where it’s going, Libby but I gotta give it a chance you know what I’m sayin’?”

"I know." Libby repeated the words. "You've told me that already." She was puzzled about why he felt he needed to repeat it.

“Just um don’t be making plans for me…okay?” he laid the tickets on the table by the door. “I’ll uh see ya around,” Richie turned and walked out of the door to his car.

Picking up the tickets, Libby ran after him, more puzzled than ever. "Richie! Making plans for you? I don't know what you mean! I thought I was just being nice, getting these for you and Michael." She saw Richie stop half way to his car.

Behind Richie's car, Frank Parker was just getting out of his. He was on his way to Coff's for a date and was dropping off a present to Libby.

“You shoulda asked me if it was okay.” He turned to Libby truly exasperated, how else could he say it. Oh shit here was Frank…all he needed today.

"Richie! Good to see you!" Frank was smiling at him. "What's goin' on, man?"

“I was just leaving, Frank.” Richie looked him in the eye.

"You got a problem with Libby?" Frank raised an eyebrow. They were both friends of his and he was concerned.

“No, Frank no problem.” Richie was ready to go.

"You puttin' an end to your friendship?" Frank had seen the look on Libby's face.

Richie held up his hands, “just trying to leave, Frank, nothing else.” He looked behind his car, Frank clearly blocked his exit. “You wanna move your vehicle?”

"Sure, Richie, I'll move." Frank said easily. "Just tell me one thing. You hurtin' Libby here? Somebody who's been a good friend to you?"

“Where are you comin’ from Frank? We just exchanged gifts. No I’m not trying to hurt anybody. Libby knows me, I’m just trying to get outta here, okay?”

"Frank." Libby walked up to them. "Just move your car." She looked at Richie. "Richie and I understand each other. We're still friends."

Her eyes on him were strong and steady. "I'm still here for him. Just like he would be for me if I needed him."

Richie was actually a little pissed at Frank, sticking his nose in his business. He waited while Frank moved his car and opened the door to his Rover, “See ya Libby,” he said and slid into the driver’s seat. He started the motor and looked at her again, he wasn’t sure what he felt...friend or something else. Had she been an affair? One thing he did know as he began backing out of her drive, friends and benefits did not work, it had to be one or the other at least with him.