Gina Calanni - How To Bake The Perfect Christmas Cake

“Did you get your tickets yet?”

Crap. I need to get them. I pull up my airfare app and search through the fares. My eyes can’t bulge out any further. The prices have literally doubled since the last time I checked. Arghh. I shake my head. I shouldn’t have put this off, what a mistake. I scan all of the airports near me in Baltimore and Austin to see if I can come up with some crazy combo flight to save a few hundred dollars. All the prices are the same. Well, that’s fabulous. I rummage through my purse and grab my faded leather wallet and take out my credit card. Gulp. Good thing I’m getting a promotion. I shut down the app after sending an email confirmation to myself.

I type back to Megan: Yes, I fly in on the nineteenth. See you at the airport?

My phone shakes in my hand. Megan has filled up the text box with every possible happy face emoticon, along with a wine glass, party hat with streamers, Santa, Frosty, and a Christmas tree.

I grin as I type back with the plane emoticon and the two ballerina girls, this is the emoticon we use to represent ourselves. She immediately responds with a winking emoticon blowing a heart smooch.

The waitress returns to the table with two steaming dishes in her hands. “All right, please be careful, these plates are hot.” She sets them down and walks away. I giggle to myself, thinking about the hot plates skit on SNL. Jack is pacing on the deck and waving his hand around back and forth. I know he said to go ahead and eat and I’m starving but I think it would be rude to begin without him. I pick up my coffee and take a sip.

Who could he be talking to on a Saturday morning so furiously? I hope it’s not more bad news with Vintage Estates. He turns around and we make eye contact. I raise my eyebrows at him. He motions with his index finger in the air. Surely it won’t be longer than one more moment, I don’t think my stomach will make it. The cream in the coffee is barely enough to keep me from passing out. I glance back at the window and Jack is making his way towards me. I pat my tummy. Almost.

“Don’t you just love it when you come back to the table and find your food waiting for you?” Jack winks at me.

“I think you mean coming back from the bathroom, except in your case it would be the deck.” I raise my eyebrow to him. I can quote from Pulp Fiction any day of the week.

“Yes, sorry about that.” Jack rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

“Not more bad news?” I pick up my fork. I can’t wait any longer and these yammies are screaming my name and my stomach is quoting from Austin Powers .

“Unfortunately, yes.” Jack scoops up a bite of his pancakes and take a bite.

I’m on my fourth mouthful. I should slow down, I don’t want him to think I’m a pig. I place my fork down on my plate and pick up my coffee which is almost gone.

“Remember how I said Sherry had taken out a loan against Vintage Estates?” Jack takes another bite of his fluffy pancakes.

I nod my head.

“Well, apparently the loan Sherry signed for has a balloon payment due by the 28 thof this month.” He grabs his coffee and takes a sip. He eyes the waitress and motions for her to come to our table.

“The food is great, but could we please have another round of coffee?” He points at our cups.

“Sure thing.”

“Okay, so you have to pay a large amount on the 28 thor what?”

“Or, the bank owns Vintage Estates.”

My eyes practically drop on the floor. They are hurting from straining. “Are you serious?” I immediately wish I hadn’t said this as I know this is serious and Jack wouldn’t make this up.

Jack nods and takes another bite of his pancakes. The waitress returns with a pitcher of coffee and fills up our cups. We both thank her.

“What are you going to do? Do you have to leave?” My shoulders tense up.

“No, I’ll leave tomorrow as planned. I have a few options. I’ll meet with the bank and my lawyer on Monday. Let’s not talk about it anymore. I just want to enjoy my time with you.” Jack reaches for my hand and brushes his thumb over it.

“Okay, so other than that, how have things been?” I smile.

“Things are really good right now. I’m sitting across the table from a gorgeous woman and I’m eating the best pancakes I’ve ever had.” Jack squeezes my hand.

I inspect my almost empty plate and then beam back at Jack. “You’re quite the looker yourself, the hostess practically slipped in her drool.” I roll my eyes.

Jack laughs and motions for the server.

“More coffee?” She holds up a pitcher.

“Not for me, but the check please.”

She pats her apron and pulls out a white lined card. Jack reaches for his wallet and gives her his credit card.

“I’ll be right back.” She turns and walks away.

“Are you up for an adventure?” Jack flashes a grin at me.

“An adventure?” I crinkle my eyebrows and inspect my feet. I am wearing my boots and not heels. “Yes, I have the proper footwear.”

“Lauren, Lauren, Lauren, I told you don’t need proper footwear just a good partner.”

The waitress returns with a small black folder and hands it to Jack. He opens it up and signs his name.

“We’re not going dancing, are we?”

“Maybe, I’m always up for dancing.” Jack winks at me and stands up. He takes my hand and we wander out of the restaurant.

Chapter Four

“Are you ready?” Jack’s eyes flicker like a child on Christmas morning. I inspect our location, he refused to tell me where we were headed. The sign in front of the parking lot reads “Calandrino Christmas Tree Farm”.

“I’m ready, but for what?” I wrinkle my eyebrows at him.

“For our adventure in finding you a Christmas tree, I noticed your house was missing one.” Jack takes the key out of the ignition.

“You want to chop down a tree for my house?” I know I must sound like a dunce, but I’m trying to figure out exactly what Jack is wanting to do.

“Bingo! Smart and pretty, you’re the whole package, Lauren.” He taps my nose.

I stick my tongue out at him. He leans in and pulls my chin up and our lips meet. He kisses me softly and then hops out of the car. I grab my purse from the floor and Jack is already at my door. He opens it and I step out. The gravel crunches underneath my boot.

In front of us is a large wooden building with a white sign attached above the doorway with the farm’s name. There are several green and blue colored tractors and wagons lined up outside of the store. Jack leads us to the painted red door and opens it.

Inside the building is a winter wonderland of activity. There is a train circling on a shelf running along the tops of the walls, large candy canes hang from the ceiling, at least twenty different decorated Christmas trees are scattered throughout the place. In the back of the store is what appears to be a cookie shop with a sign reading “Decorate Your Own Cookie”, next to the cookie station is a hot cocoa motion machine. I blink my eyes several times, this place is like stimulation overload.

I can’t even imagine my niece and nephew Winter and River being in here, they would probably faint out of pure excitement.

Jack navigates our way through all of the displays and finds the register being operated by a teenager dressed as an elf. Behind him is a sign listing the types of trees and prices along with tree transportation options.

“Hi there, I’d like to rent a wagon.” He glances back at me and cocks his head. “Scratch that, let’s get a tractor.” Jack digs in his pocket and takes out his wallet.

“Do you want to be in a group or your own?” The elf asks.

“Our own.” Jack does not hesitate on this answer. He hands his card to the elf. I feel like maybe I should offer to pay since it’s a tree for my house, but this isn’t my idea so I stand like I’m frozen on ice.