The Eyes
“Oh, yeah, that look,” Kirsten said. “It is so incredible. So addictive.”
“What’s addictive about Jack,” I teased.
“Shut up.”
“What look are you talking about?” Carter asked, totally clueless.
“You know, that look,” I said.
“That look a man gives a woman,” Kirsten explained. “There’s this look in his eyes that says just everything. Have you ever seen My Favorite Wife? That scene when Cary Grant first sees Irene Dunne — “
Kirsten and I sighed.
“So I just have to perfect that look and any girl’s mine?” Carter asked.
“Don’t do it,” I said. “It’d be too cruel.”
“Too, too cruel,” Kirsten echoed. “You just can’t fake that sort of thing. Totally immoral.”
“My Favorite Wife? I’m renting that when I get back,” Carter said.
“When are you leaving?” I asked. It was finally Christmas and everyone was taking off. Carter to see his dad in San Diego, Kirsten to see friends in New York. I was losing Rafe to South Africa. His dad had just bought a vineyard. No Rafe for almost three weeks.
“Tonight,” Carter replied.
“And you?” I asked Kirsten.
“Saturday.”
“So are you all packed and ready?” I asked Carter.
“No,” Carter said. “I guess I should go up and pack.”
“Probably a good idea. I’ll go up with you,” I said. “See you, Kirsten.”
We rode the elevator up. Carter got his keys out and said, “Hey, have a good Christmas” before slipping into his apartment.
“Wait. I’ve got something I need to give you,” I said.
I opened my door and invited Carter in. I gave him his Christmas present.
“I know we said no presents but this isn’t really a present. It’s a scarf I knitted in knitting class. I just thought it’d go really good with your new coat.”
Carter opened the present and stretched the scarf out.
“Susanna — I don’t know what to say.”
“Here — “
I put the scarf around his neck.
“Could be a little longer,” I said. “Here, give it back to me and I’ll add half a foot more.”
“No.” He stopped me from taking the scarf. “It’s perfect as it is. Don’t touch it.”
“It’ll be better with half a foot more,” I insisted, pulling on the scarf.
“You’re not going to get this back.”
“What? You’re afraid I’ll keep it?”
“Yeah. This is my first present from Susanna Yu and I’m not going to let it out of my sight.”
“I knew giving you a present was a bad idea.”
Carter gave me a hug and said, “Merry Christmas.”
I hadn’t expected him to be so moved. It was just a silly scarf. In the most beautiful sea green color. Merino wool. Knitted at a rate of five inches per hour. Carter had really dense, dark hair and the green color was a fantastic match. The green made his black eyelashes really pop too. Better coordinated and Carter could look as good as a black-and-white movie star. He had all those jagged edges that look so sexy in black-and-white. Not that he’d be happy with girls chasing him. He liked to do the chasing. The more impossible, the better.
Excerpt from So Easy To Love, available at Amazon, iBookStore, Kobo, B&N, etc.
