Mistletoe & Molly 

by sloanranger

Part 2

Freddy and me are leaving the movies arm in arm and walking up the street to get something to eat. As usual, Mr. Ambrogio has his Christmas trees set up on the corner lot for sale. They smell wonderful. "How late you going to stay open, Mr. Ambrogio?" Freddy says.

Mr. Ambrogio props himself up with the tree in his left hand and strokes his long thick mustache with the other. "Oh, 'bout another 15 a'minutes I stay open, I 'tink." Mr. Ambrogio is Italian.

"Can you make that about an hour so Molly and me can get something to eat?"

"Oh, Freddy, are we going to get a tree?" I say. And I'm positively grinning with delight.

Mr. Ambrogio looks from Freddy to me and back to Freddy. "Sure, he says. "But don't be too long. My Anna - Mrs Ambrogio, she donna' like I should'a be late for supper."

He gives a knowing look to Freddy. Mr. Ambrogio has five children and Mrs. Ambrogio is expecting. Freddy nods and we head off to Joe's Fat Burgers.

Freddy takes my arm again and says: "So did you like the picture show, Molly?"

"Sort of. Clark Gable wasn't very nice to Scarlett."

"Well, gee, can you blame him? She was mooning over that Ashley Wilkes for almost the whole movie."

"She couldn't help it, Freddy, they were childhood sweethearts. You can't blame her for being loyal. Besides, she just didn't realize how crazy she was about Rhett."

"I don't know, maybe. You haven't got any old boyfriends around have you, Moll?"

"Nooo...why?"

"'Cause I'm your boyfriend; aren't I, Molly?"

"Wasn't Scarlet beautiful, Freddy? It's no wonder she had all those guys around her at the picnic."

"Not as pretty as you, Molly."

"Oh, Freddy," and I squeeze into his arm tight. " 'Course you're my boyfriend."

So we find a booth at Joe's Fat Burgers. Its warm coming in from the cold outside and Freddy helps me take my coat off. Joe brings menus and me a coke and Freddy, coffee.

I look around and see even Joe has a tiny tree on the end of the counter. "Our first Christmas, Freddy. Don't you just love Christmas?"

I love Christmas. We knew each other last Christmas, but we weren't officially dating yet. He was still dating that Muriel Potts.

"Are you hungry, Molly?" Freddy says, hoping to divert any recollection or talk of Muriel.

"Ummm," I nod, not wanting to break the mood. "Are you going to eat something?"

"Sure," he says. Honestly, I think Freddy could eat a hamburger an hour after he had Thanksgiving dinner. Joe comes over with his order pad. "Hi, guys, usual?" He says, looking from me to Freddy and back again.

Freddy looks up: "Hamburger, Moll?" I nod, yes.

"With mustard pickles and...."Lot of onions," Joe joins in, "and fries with Thousand Island dressing."

"Right," Freddy continues and I'll have a BLT and fries." Me and Joe don't say anything, we just look at him.

"What," Freddy says after a pause. "I can't change my order once in a while?"

I give him a no-big-deal-shrug, and Joe leaves to get our food.

"So, Molly," he says and gives me a sleepy smile that makes me warm all over. "Tell me about this guy."

Freddy's got this thing where he lowers his lids and they half cover his eyes. Drives me nuts.

I know what he's talking about but I say: "What guy?"

"The one who was going to fill in for me. You know, the one who was going to take you to the movies." I don't say anything but I giggle and give him a sly grin.

He knows I'm teasing. He says: "What do you want for Christmas, Molly?"

And I say: "You're not supposed to ask me that."

"Geez, Moll. How am I gonna know if you don't tell me?"

I just look at him and he can see I'm miffed all of a sudden. "If you're my boyfriend, Freddy, you're supposed to know me well enough that you don't have to ask."

So we eat mostly in silence. "You could at least give me a clue," he grumbles.

We stop by the tree lot after we leave Joe's and with the help of Mr. Ambrogio, pick out a perfect tree. It's not too big, but it's going to look real pretty on my parlor table.

Freddy gives me a kiss at my door but he doesn't come in.

(To be continued).