December

by Roger Noons

a glass of port wine.

‘It was when I read cleavage, good to perfect that I thought of you.’

    She frowned.

    ‘It’s a description of Turquoise, a blue-green mineral, prized as a gemstone and when you said your birthday is in December, I had to buy it.’

    ‘It’s beautiful.’

    ‘Shall I put it on you?’

    Grinning, she nodded. He walked around behind her, moved her hair onto one shoulder and lowered the pendant to an inch above the neckline of her dress. He fastened the clasp allowing his fingertips to brush the back of her neck.

    She shivered, jumped up and rushed to the mirror.

    ‘If you don’t like it, they will change—’

    ‘Jon, it’s beautiful, I’m sure I’ll not do it justice.’

    ‘But you will my darling. A beautiful object for a beautiful girl.’

Marie studied the pendant, smiled into her dressing table mirror. Apart from when he was away, representing King and Country, he had told her every day that she was beautiful. She would wear it tonight, she decided; her fiftieth birthday, their thirtieth wedding anniversary. She would give him her hand mirror so that he could see it as she wheeled him into the restaurant.