Christmas is almost here (how did that happen? Wasn’t it just Thanksgiving?). Do you make a list? Do you have any books on your list? I don’t put books on my wish list anymore, not after what happened a couple years ago (actually, we no longer make wish lists at all). My husband, who’d run out of ideas, asked me for a list of what I wanted so I thought long and hard and did as he asked. It wasn’t a long list (a pair of slippers, a sweater and something else I can’t remember now), but I very specifically asked for Sandra Brown’s Exclusive.
You must understand, I never expected my husband to actually look at the list and get me what I asked for so when a friend of mine finished reading said book, she loaned it to me (knowing what a huge Sandra Brown fan I am). I came home from work that day and immediately sat on the corner of the couch (my favorite place to cuddle up with a good story), opened the book and began to read. And I was enjoying myself. Until my husband came home.
“Whatcha readin’?” he asked.
I closed the cover and showed him.
In all the years we’d been married, I never saw that expression cross his face (and I haven’t seen it since).
“Where’d you get that?” he asked (with that suspicious look in his eye, thinking I’d gone out and bought it for myself).
“A friend lent it to me. Why?”
He was upset. More than upset. He was mad. “Why did you put it on your wish list if you were going to get it from a friend?” (That’s not how he said it, but this is a family friendly blog and I can’t put his actual words here.)
That’s when I knew, he’d followed my list to the letter and got me the book. I felt bad so I gave the book back to my friend and promised I wouldn’t read it until he gave it to me. Christmas morning, I unwrapped the book and spent most of the day reading. I was done by that night. The next day, he asked, “Where’s the book?”
“I finished it.”
Oh, the look on his face! And the things he said (again, I can’t repeat them here). Needless to say, my husband has never ever bought me another book. And I don’t think he ever will.
Do you have books on your wish list this year?
Happy Reading!
Marie
That is hilarious. Probably funny now, but not at the time.
ReplyDeletePutting books on the list is a difficult thing. If you truly are dying to read it, before the gift-giving event you will probably buy, borrow, rent, sneak, or many other things to read it. And if it turns out great, as your choice did, a gift-giver may expect you to get days or weeks of enjoyment out of it.
Love your story, Marie!