Shippy

As they toasted, Martha looked at the blinking reindeer on the mantel, its nose kind of orange-like.

“To sportsmanship,” said Greg. He was tall and bearded, wore a red tie and a green beret.

“Friendship,” said Sara, who wore her plaid sweater with its wide red sleeves.

“Kinship,” said George, who looked a lot like Santa.

“Marksmanship,” said Clara, holding her long-haired Chihuahua, with its crooked glittered bow.

“Courtship,” said the man who came with Clara.

The fireplace hummed, though no flames rose and no heat was coming from it. The place smelled like peppermint and ginger.

Martha raised her glass like the others and thought about a cruise ship named Fairy, where she’d be the day after tomorrow, sitting on the deck in a bikini, drinking cocktails with one of her two lovers.

“Cruise ship!” Martha said.

Outside, snow was falling.

The dog barked, Santa laughed and someone said ho.

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