Like a Fairytale
Jamie’s eyes were still painful. She had been crying all night and had not slept at all. She was so angry to have fallen for the blonde so easily. She did not even know her, had not even kissed her, and did not even understand how this girl could have that power over her. Jamie secretly hoped that the blonde would come to the pub today, or even just call her, text her. She did not care how, she just wanted to hear her voice.
She needed to.
This day more than ever. It has been a year since her girlfriend left her at the altar. An entire year had passed since the day she felt shattered to pieces and that her life seemed meaningless. And maybe that was the reason she was clinging on to Dani. Maybe it was not love after all. Maybe Dani just reminded her of her ex.
But how could she? They were the exact opposite. While Jamie did not know much about Dani, she felt, deep inside her bones, that she was a lot different than her ex. Way different than all the girls she had ever dated, to be honest.
And when she turned on her phone, she got four messages:
2:13pm
- Want to grab a cup of coffee sometime? V.
Ignored.
2:07pm
- Hey Jamie D, you sure you don’t need a hand? X
- Thanks Owen, I’ll manage. Don’t worry, no one wants to get drunk in a pub on Christmas Eve. ;) I had a blast last night, thank you both. X Jamie
Liar.
10:18am
- Have I done something wrong? Trish
Brilliant. I thought she wasn’t the clingy type. Ignored.
5:43am
- I miss oyuuu, can you kidneyap me?
Well that’s interesting.
She knew straight away this unknown number was Dani’s. Not only because it was a drunken text, but because even with those few words she could hear her saying them, with that sweet voice of hers. And she felt instantly happy. Those tears she cried last night vanished in the blink of an eye. She simply could not control her feelings around that woman.
So, she decided to call her. She did not have to wait too long before she could hear Dani’s voice at the other end of the line. With her soft, husky voice, she said:
“Hello?”
“Hi Dani, it’s uh… It’s Jamie.”
“Hi!” she answered with an enthusiastic tone.
“Hi.” Jamie answered, surprised but delighted to notice that Dani was still in a very good mood despite her hangover. “So… When shall I kidnap you?”
“Uh?”
Dani tried to compose herself. She was clearly still in bed because Jamie could hear her rummaging through her bedsheets.
“Oh my God!” Dani gasped.
Jamie loved how embarrassed she sounded. Dani probably just remembered or read the text addressed to Jamie a few hours ago.
“I’m so sorryyyy!”
“It’s quite flattering, really.”
A silence.
“Look I know it’s Christmas Eve and you probably already have plans, but-”
“I don’t.” Dani cut her off. “I’m free if you are too.”
“I’m opening the pub in an hour or so, but I’ll be closing earlier tonight, so we could-”
“Ok, I’ll meet you there.”
And she hung up. Jamie had a contented grin on her face, happy to hear that Dani was eager to come and see her. Or maybe it was because she wanted to end things. But end what exactly? They were not even friends in fact, since they barely knew each other. So that must have been the first option: Dani probably wanted to get to know Jamie a bit better. And Jamie secretly hoped that Dani wanted to be more than just friends.
She did not want to feel that way towards the blonde, but she simply could not help it. All night she tried to avoid thinking about her. All night she kept on rethinking about how perfect Dani was. She blamed herself for it: the exact same thing happened to Jamie a few years back and she was determined not to suffer like this ever again.
But here she was, getting all dressed up with her favourite clothes. She tried to fix her messy hair and even put some make-up on. It definitely felt like a date in Jamie’s heart, but she knew she should not think of it that way. Especially not after a whole night crying with a broken heart. She knew the risk better than anyone else and knew she should build walls to avoid being a wreck all over again.
The bartender was hanging some Christmas lights when Dani entered the pub. The blonde woman’s eyes light up when she discovered the place was getting all Christmassy with a charming vintage look. Dani did not say a word though, too busy watching the bartender trying to hook the last part of the fairy light on the wall. Jamie was a petite woman, but of good stature that made her look a lot more impressive than she was.
“Bloody hell…” Jamie mumbled when she dropped the hook.
Right when she looked to the ground, the bartender saw Dani looking at her. She wondered since when the blonde woman had been standing there.
“How long have you been staring at me?” she teased.
“I uh… I, I, I… I was not… staring.”
Of course, she was. Jamie knew it, but she found it incredibly cute that Dani was trying to lie about it anyway. She then got off the ladder and noticed that the blonde was holding cups of coffee.
“You Yanks and your coffee.” She scoffed.
“You might like it.” Dani tried. “Besides I’m not sure I could swallow any alcoholic beverage today.”
“Is that so?” Jamie giggled. “How’s your night been?”
“It’s been ok.” She said, handing Jamie a cup. “Ok well, it was a disaster.”
“Cheers.” Jamie answered with a shy smile.
Then there was a long pause. Both had a sip of coffee, and Jamie did not even pretend to like it because just the smell revolted her. The silence, however, was not uncomfortable though. Dani would glance several times at the bartender, and Jamie would wonder how surreal the whole situation actually was.
This was the first time in months they were having a proper conversation. It was the first time they ever had a proper conversation in fact. A conversation that Jamie had imagined a thousand times. In the last couple of hours, she even practiced a speech to herself, in which she would try to flirt with Dani.
Before she could even try to speak first, the blonde woman stated:
“I don’t like how we’ve left it.”
Jamie was rather surprised, to say the least. She did not get what Dani actually meant, so she just answered by a question:
“And how did we leave it?”
“Wrong. And I wanted to… I wanted to start doing something right. So, I thought I’d start with coffee.”
“You sure about that?” Jamie teased. “About wanting to start something I mean. Not about the coffee, ‘cause it’s shite.”
Dani laughed and blushed.
“I mean… Yeah. I don’t have that many friends here in New York, and I thought we could hang out?”
Friends. Of course, she wanted to be friends. What else could she even want from Jamie anyway?
“Hang out?” she asked.
“And maybe get to know each other?” Dani suggested.
Jamie raised an eyebrow. What did the blonde even mean by that? Right when she was about to say something, Jamie was saved by the bell: a customer entered, already quite drunk by the look of his walk. She kept staring at the blonde for a few more minutes before addressing a few words to the man who just came in:
“Hey pal’, what can I get ya?”
The man was rude, but harmless. Jamie was used to this kind of customers: drunk by 5pm, a very strong smell of cologne and an improper joke here and then. But Jamie did not mind anymore. She had a perfect blonde in front of her, who apparently wanted to get to know her, so nothing in the world could ruin her current happiness.
As requested, she brought him a draft-beer and a whiskey. She then went back to the table where she left Dani and said:
“All yours now. What’s your poison?”
“Anything that’s alcohol-free, really.” Dani answered with a shy laugh, still embarrassed by the previous night.
“Of course.” Jamie answered with a slight grin. “Why did you get shit-faced yesterday?”
The blonde tried to make an excuse about her with an empty stomach, because she did not have time to have dinner, and also about her mixing red wine and champagne. Still grinning and used to hearing fake excuses on hangovers, Jamie was making what she called the “hangover-cocktail”: after a few years working in a pub, she had to make sure her hangovered-clients would come back the next day and drink beers, rather sooner than later.
“This should cure your hangover pretty fast.”
“I saw you pouring some brandy.”
“You’re quite the observer, aren’t you? Yes, milady, I did put some brandy into your drink. Now have a sip and tell me what you think.”
“It looks like a Bloody Mary to me.” Dani pouted, smelling the drink.
“Tomato juice, sunflower oil, lemon juice, hot pepper, salt, and yes, a wee bit of brandy. Looks like a Bloody Mary but is not a Bloody Mary. Drink it, you won’t be disappointed.”
Normally, Jamie would have been annoyed by such behaviour. But not this time, not with Dani anyway. Surprisingly, she even found herself thinking at how cute the blonde actually was. And when Dani took the first sip, she was pleased to see the blonde with a big smile.
“Shall I assume you like it?”
“It’s perfect, thank you.” she admitted. “So… Why did you come to my party last night?”
“What d’you mean, your party?” Jamie asked, confused.
“The annual Christmas party is always at my place. I thought you… I mean, I thought that’s why you came.”
“I… wasn’t aware of that.”
Both stared at each other in an awkward silence.
“That’s embarrassing.” Dani said, standing up. “I should go.”
“What? No!” the bartender replied, gently grabbing her arm.
It happened again: Jamie felt an electric shock passing through her body, as if their body connected with the touch of their skin.
“Stay.” Jamie offered, removing her hand.
“Look… I thought you showed up last night because you, somehow, found out where I lived and-”
“Wait. You live here?!”
Jamie was genuinely surprised. The house was not only as big as a castle, it was also filled with expensive furniture and a well-maintained garden. The night before, Jamie did not really care about the place per se, she just assumed some rich kid threw a Christmas party in their parents’ home.
“Well technically, it’s… my parent’s. But they basically never come home, so…” Dani admitted. “Especially not during Christmas holidays. They’re what we could call workaholics, I guess… That’s the reason I’d rather have a giant Christmas party at my place and get drunk instead of waiting for them to come home.”
“Dani, I’m sorry.”
And she truly meant it. She knew just how miserable loneliness could feel. She knew better than anyone else how difficult it was to face family holidays alone. She wanted to hold her in her arms and tell her it would be ok. But it was too soon, way too soon. She did not even know her last name, nor did she even know if the girl was single again. She was sure of one thing though: you have to feel pretty lonely to spend time with someone you barely know on Christmas Eve.
“It’s fine, I’m fine.” Dani said, tears in her eyes. “I’m just a little overwhelmed at the moment, I suppose.”
“The boyfriend?” Dani tried.
She had to. She desperately wanted to know whether there was one or not anymore. She saw Dani blinking and hesitating. Of course, Jamie would have preferred if the girl in front of her just denied it all and said that she was not with him anymore, but she just patiently waited for her to answer.
“We’re going through a rough patch.” Dani explained. “We’ve broken up. Or I’ve broken up, I guess.”
“It’s not the same thing.” Jamie stated, puzzled. “What happened?”
Then the blonde paused for a few seconds, fidgeting and shivering. The bartender could swear she even saw tears in Dani’s eyes. Something was off, and Jamie did not want to push her, she did not want to make her feel uncomfortable, because whatever that was, Dani surely did not want to talk about it just yet.
Instead, she thought about doing something she never did with anyone for a very long time: sharing some of her complex life story.
“I don’t like Christmas either.” Jamie said, changing the subject. “Never been a huge fan of the whole Father Christmas excitement anyway. As a child, I thought he was actually quite scary… It might have been the beard, or maybe the fact that I’ve discovered who Father Christmas really was when I’ve noticed he smelled exactly the same as my dad: Irish whiskey. Anyway, my brother Denny told me dad was Father Christmas when I was around three or four.”
“Oh no.” Dani simply said, with a sad tone.
“Ten years later, my dad found out that my mum, Louise, was screwing some bloke from work and the Christmas dinner we should have had, turned into a raging fight between them. So much that my brother and I eventually had to call the police, because dad had begun hitting her. Hard.”
“Jamie…” Dani softly said, a hand stroking the bartender’s forearm.
Jamie stopped talking because she felt out of her depth. Then she simply glanced at the hand of Dani over hers and managed to summon the courage to keep on telling her story.
“After a few days, Denny and I got separated: he was old enough to choose with whom he wanted to live so he chose my dad -I don’t bloody know why-, and I had to stay with my mum. Never spoke to my dad ever since he left.”
“What about your brother?”
Jamie stared into space for a few seconds, with a sorrowful and vacant look, but was brought back to reality by the old drunk customer:
“Give me another one, would you?” he asked, raising his empty glass.
“Straight away.” Jamie said, removing her hand from Dani’s.
A heavy deafening silence echoed the pub, and one could only hear the sound of the beer filling the customer’s glass. The bartender could not help but feel slightly uncomfortable by it, hence why she chose to put some music on and randomly put a Christmas playlist.
“Sorry about that.” Jamie said, back to the table where she left the blonde.
“It’s fine.”
Dani did not know whether Jamie was sorry because she had to take the customer’s order or because she had just told her one of the most tragic stories she ever heard. She was glad though, that the bartender opened up to her.
And for the next hour they talked about Christmas clichés due to the awful playlist Jamie had chosen. It felt easy, being around Dani and talking to her. It was almost second nature to Jamie, as if she had always known her.
When Jamie closed the pub around 8, she did not want this evening to end, so she suggested they could grab something to eat and walk around the city. For the first time in months, the bartender did not want this day to end, she even wanted to make it last, as long as possible. Whether Dani felt the same or not, Jamie at least hoped to keep the blonde as her friend. She enjoyed her company more than she should and more she ever thought she could, and she was so happy to spend this time with her.
They took a long stroll and managed to eat a giant Pretzel and drink some eggnog. Both were teasing each other about British and American traditions. Jamie was glad to learn Dani’s favourite movie was Mary Poppinsand decided to call her that the entire journey. She also learned that Dani was slightly younger than her. Two years actually. The surprising thing was that Dani loved kids. She wanted to become a teacher, but her parents never agreed on letting her follow this path. Instead, they paid for her studies at law school, which she still hates with passion.
They walked and talked so much that they eventually found themselves back to where it all began: right in front of the Moonflower. They both looked at each other like nervous teenagers scared to ask the other on a date. Jamie hated this situation, hated to feel so vulnerable around her and hated to be already so smitten. She could not help it though; this overwhelming feeling would not let go of her.
And maybe that was why she gathered all the courage that was left in her to press her lips against Dani’s. The blonde was a little taken aback, but she rapidly allowed Jamie to kiss her with more passion and envy. The kiss was perfect, as if their lips had always known how to dance together.
“You sure?” The bartender asked, pulling out.
“Yes.” Dani answered.
Dani was craving for more, asking for another kiss with her lips and Jamie obliged, with a slight grin.
“Thank fuck.” Jamie whispered between kisses.
They kissed for another minute and then the bartender said:
“Merry Christmas.”
“It is merry indeed.” Dani said, kissing her again and putting her hands around her waist.
“We should… call it a night.” She interrupted.
Jamie had to gather all her self-control to remain as calm as possible. She did not want to rush things with Dani. She felt it was already going too fast and she did not want to mess it up. Whatever it was.
“Oh.” The blonde simply said, disappointed. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, Poppins! Of course not.” Jamie said, keeping her closer. “I had a wonderful evening and-”
“Me too.” Dani interrupted with a huge smile, hoping this statement could help her spend some more time together.
“… and I don’t want rush things.” Jamie finished, smiling back at her. “So good night. Just… Good night. There are other nights, and there will be other nights.”
“You promise?”
They kissed passionately.
“Promise.” Jamie answered.
Dani was panting heavily, and the bartender could not resist but to kiss her again. The blonde was so perfectly sexy, and Jamie was aroused. Of course, she wanted to spend the night with her, and she wished this evening would never end. But she had to. She did not want to ruin this, because she was kissing the woman of her dream, and the woman of her dream was kissing her back.
After a few moments, Jamie called her a cab and promised to call her the next morning. She did not believe how cheesy this girl was making her feel but she did not really care anymore. She even waited for the blonde’s car to be out of sight before going back to her apartment. She shook her head because she thought she was being ridiculous. And at this precise moment, she wondered if she was being ridiculous because she started to feel something for her.
After a long and well-needed shower, Jamie immediately checked her phone.
00:06am
- Merry Xmas. Love, Mum.
That was such an original and personal message. Thanks mum. Delete.
00:14am
- Guess it’s a no then. Happy Christmas btw. V.
Ignored.
01:20am
- It took ages, but I’m finally home safe. Good night… Xxxx Dani
- I’ll be thinking of you, Poppins… ;) Jamie
- Don’t tease or you sure will have to kidneyap me! :p
Dani was beyond perfect: she was funny, touching, clever, beautiful, and Jamie almost did not believe the day she just had: she woke up sad and hangovered, thinking she would have to endure another painful Christmas, but ended up having the most beautiful day she ever had in a while, with a large grin and joyful memories in mind.
This bizarre evening felt unreal in Jamie’s heart. Almost like a fairytale. And she hoped this fairytale would never end. While remembering how cute and passionate Dani was when she told her about her favourite band, The Pogues, Jamie decided to listen to some of their songs before going to sleep.
I've got a feeling,
This year's for me and you.
So happy Christmas,
I love you baby.
I can see a better time
When all our dreams come true.