Celebrating the New Year

Marianne pulled into a parking space behind her apartment building, jumped out from behind the wheel and took a deep breath. Ugh, I must have really gotten used to all that fresh crisp country air flavored only with a hint of wood smoke. This stuff smells awful.  The damp, acrid vapor entered her nostrils and left its pungent taste lingering on the back of her tongue. 

She shivered as a frigid north wind suddenly blasted around the corner of the building.  She grabbed her suitcase from the back seat and hurried to the entrance. Funny, she thought, straining back muscles protesting her lugging the overstuffed bag up the stairs to her second-floor apartment, how it always seems so much lighter going down!

Dropping her load outside her door, she fished the key from her purse.  It scraped its way into the keyhole and the lock clicked.  Chilled hinges protested the door’s opening.  She dragged the suitcase through the opening, closed the door and snapped the lock into place. I’ll unpack later, she thought, bumping up the thermostat.  Wonderful warm air flooded from the ceiling vents as she proceeded to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.  Walking past the cluttered desk, she noticed the red eye of the phone’s message machine blinking insistently.  “I’ll get to you later, too.  Right now I need to relax a bit.”

While the coffeepot gurgled and plopped droplets into the waiting pot, filling the kitchen with a warm inviting aroma, Marianne went into the bedroom to change into some warm, comfortable sweats.  Moments later she returned to the kitchen, splashed some hazelnut creamer into her cup and poured the aromatic brew on top.  “Hmmm,” she murmured, inhaling the sweet nutty fragrance that wafted into her nostrils.

She jumped as the phone jangled, reverberating off the walls.  It rung twice more before she settled into the desk chair and lifted the instrument to her ear.  “Hello?”

“Where have you been?”  Sue’s voice demanded.  “I’ve been calling and calling.  Don’t you ever pick up your messages?”

Marianne chuckled.  “Hold on a minute, Suze, you knew that I was spending Christmas with my folks.”

“I didn’t think you’d be gone this long!”

“Yeah, well, I just got back.  What’s up?”

“You remember my friend Jonathan?  Well, he’s having a New Year’s Eve party and he wants us to come!”

“I . . . I don’t know.  I was planning to just stay home and not do much of anything.”

“Oh, come on!  It’ll be tons of fun!”

“I don’t really feel much like a party.”

“But it’s still a few days away.  We’ll have time to go shopping and find some really great stuff.”

“Well, I don’t need to go shopping.  I bought a new dress when I was back home - at Mom's insistence.  I saw this one and just couldn’t resist.”

“Oh, what’s it like?”

“It’s this sort of a golden beige, that shimmers when the light strikes it.”

“Sounds terrific!  It’ll bring out those golden flecks in your eyes.  So you’ll go?”

Marianne laughed softly.  “Let’s just say I’ll think about it.” 

“Good!  I’ll pick you up about eight.”  The line disconnected.


Marianne slowly hung up the phone. I should have just told her, no. Now Sue’s sure I’m going and, if I try to get out of it, she’ll pester me to death.  I hate parties!

It was always the same; she hung around the punch bowl or sat on the sidelines filled with the cold, miserable ache of loneliness while all the others swirled gaily around her. I always feel like an island of misery in an ocean of happiness. She shivered at the prospect of going through it again.


On New Year’s Eve, Marianne was dressed and waiting, her stomach twisted into knots and every nerve ending of her body tingling with dread.  A knock at the door announced Sue’s arrival.  She grabbed her wrap and purse and yanked open the door.  “Okay, let’s get this over with.”

“Whoa,” Sue laughed.  “With that kind of enthusiasm, you’re sure to be the Belle of the Ball.”

“Just like I always am!”

“Oh, come on!  You look terrific!”

“Thanks,” Marianne said with a rueful smile.  “We’ll see if anyone else notices!”

They had no more than entered the hall when Sue was swept away to the dance floor; Marianne headed for the punch bowl.  She had just taken a sip of the sweet, yet tart, liquid when a voice near her ear said, “Happy New Year!”

She whirled around, feeling her soft golden-brown waves striking her cheek, and found herself looking into the most beautiful pair of blue-green eyes she’d ever seen.  “Happy New Year to you, too,” she responded in a breathless voice as she felt herself drowning in the depth of those eyes.

“I’m Jim,” he said, taking a cup of punch.

Inclining her head, she responded rather breathlessly, “Marianne”.

He nodded toward some small tables scattered about the room.  “Why don’t we sit down over there and get acquainted?”

Not trusting her voice with the strange tingling sensation coursing through her body, Marianne mutely nodded.  He gently took her elbow, guiding her through the milling partiers, and Marianne felt as if an electric current was passing through her arm where he touched her. What is going on here?

As she slid into the chair he held for her, Marianne looked up at him with a smile.  “So, are you a friend of Jonathan’s?”

He nodded.  “We went to both high school and college together.  After we graduated, we sort of went our separate ways.  I ran into Jon while I was in for the holidays and he insisted I come to his party.”

Marianne laughed softly.  “It doesn’t seem as if Jonathan takes ‘no’ for an answer.”

“That’s for sure.  So tell me about yourself.”

“Not much to tell.  I’m just a country girl who came to the Big City to make good.  So I now work at a bank just a few blocks from my apartment.  Pretty dull really.  What about you?  How do you put in your days?”

Marianne’s gaze never left his face as they chatted about their day-to-day lives. I feel as if I’ve known him for . . . forever!

Their drinks had long since been emptied when Jim smiled.  “How about a whirl around the dance floor?  No sense letting all this good music go to waste.”

A blush warming her cheeks, Marianne nodded her assent.  He took her hand and she rose, her entire body tingling with anticipation of feeling his arms around her.  His hand burning against her back, he guided her onto the floor.  When he embraced her, she felt as if her whole body had suddenly turned to jelly. I’ll trip over my own feet and make a complete fool of myself!

The thought had barely registered in her mind when her senses were overwhelmed by his spicy masculine scent, the soft woolen texture of his jacket beneath her fingers and the recessed mini-lights that swirled like stars in a night sky above her.  She felt as warm and cozy as if she were basking in the glow of an open flame on a cold snowy night.  His arms tightened around her and their bodies melded together like strawberries and cream. 

Feeling as if she were lolling on soft cushiony clouds, the hours flew past.  Marianne was rudely awakened from her heavenly reverie by the shouted countdown of the seconds up to the New Year’s arrival.

“Happy New Year!” everyone shouted at the stroke of midnight.  Jim bent down and softly kissed her.

“Happy New Year, Marianne,” he whispered.  “You know, it’s strange, but I feel as if I’d known you all of my life.”

Marianne felt her eyes widen in disbelief.  “I feel the same way,” she murmured.

“Look, I’ll be coming back this way in a couple of weeks.  Do you think . . . Would you have dinner with me?”

Her voice caught in her throat.  She nodded and drew in a deep breath.  “I’d like that.”

Just then Sue bounced up, her eyes glowing.  She glanced from Marianne to Jim and back again.  “So, are you glad you came?  Did you have a good time?”

Marianne felt a blush warm her cheeks and she glanced at Jim and smiled.  “Yes,” she said quietly.  “A very good time.”

She felt his arm tighten around her waist as he gave her a squeeze.  Indications are it’s going to be a very good New Year!


Word Count:  1422