A little holiday fantasy
I’m a couple of days late with this, but it’s still December, soooo… I was doing some file cleanup on my computer and ran across this story I wrote several years ago and never publicized — not sure why. I thought some of you might get a kick out of it. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! đ
MY Kind of Christmas
It was Christmas Day; actually, to me, it was December twenty-fifth, a day like any other. Christmas meant nothing to me and I was spending it alone, which didnât bother me in the least. I didnât believe in all that sugarplum crap anyway. I was bundled up in comfy sweats with the heater on, had plenty of chocolate, and the TV, books or internet if I got bored. I was content in my grumpiness.
I was watching the TV Land marathon of classic Christmas shows. Oh, crap. They were just starting that insipid Brady Bunch episode where Carol loses her voice before she has to sing in the Christmas choir. Picking up the remote, I was poised to change channels when the doorbell rang. Who could that be? Had to be a mistake. I ignored it, but the bell rang again, more insistently. I lowered the volume, got up and shuffled to the door, looking out the peephole. Whoever it was, he/she was standing outside of view. Irritably, I yanked open the door.
WTF? There stood a tall, handsome man, dressed in a Santa suit. Who was playing tricks on me? I squinted at him. âUh⊠can I help you?â He smiled at me, although it was more like a smirk. âNope. Iâm here to help you.â
I stared at him. âOhhhhkay. Who are you?â âSilly woman,â he replied. âIâm Santa Claus, who else?â
Oh, good grief. Apparently, the local nuthouse had an escapee. I started to slam the door, but strangely, it wouldnât budge, no matter how hard I pushed on it. âDonât believe me, huh?â he taunted.
I was getting nervous now. âNo, I donât,â I snapped, looking him up and down. âYou donât look anything like Santa Claus, except for that stupid suit. Youâre not fat.â
He made a face. âEver hear of Jenny Craig? I needed to lighten the load on the reindeer. Blitzen was getting a hernia and Rudolphâs face was as red as his nose. My cholesterol was off the charts. I figured it was time to ditch the fruitcake and pick up the celery sticks.â
This was ridiculous. âOkay, whereâs your beard?â I challenged.
âOh, that,â he said, sticking his hand in his pocket and then withdrawing it, something white and fluffy in his fist. He slipped a fake beard over his face and then hooked it behind his ears. âHappy now?â
âItâs fake?â I blurted. âOf course it is,â he replied impatiently, pulling it off. âI could never grow a real beard like this. Besides, this damn thing itches; I take it off whenever I can. Are you going to let me in, or what?â
âNo! I have no idea who you are, but youâre creeping me out. Who do you think youâre kidding? If you were Santa, youâd come down the chimney. And why are you here, instead of delivering presents to all the boys and girls in the world?â
He rolled his eyes and leaned against the doorjamb. âUh⊠you live in an apartment. No chimney. And itâs Christmas Day. I delivered all the presents last night. Donât you know anything?â
That did it; I tried once again to slam the door, but it still wouldnât move. He shook his head at me. âYou know, youâre trying my patience. I suggest you let me in. And turn that TV off; itâs rude to have it on when you have company.â Then he waved his hand, and the TV went black. I stared at the blank screen in shock. Numbly, I moved aside, and he stepped into my apartment, closing the now-unstuck door behind him.
âThatâs better,â he said, walking over to my recliner and settling into it. âGot any eggnog?â
I stood in the middle of my living room, gawking at him. Clearly, I was dreaming. âNo, I do not have any eggnog,â I said rudely. âThatâs not on Jenny Craig, anyway.â
âYouâre right, itâs not. Okay, how about a Diet Coke?â
What the hell was going on here? âSorry, fresh out of that too,â I answered, my voice dripping with sarcasm. âBut I guess you could whip some up yourself if you want it, no?â
âDonât mind if I do,â he smiled, and once again waved his hand. Within a second, he was sipping from a tall, frosty glass of bubbling soda. Bobbing at the top, instead of a slice of lemon, was a bright red maraschino cherry. My legs suddenly felt weak and I sat down abruptly. âWhatâwhat are you doing here?â
He started to put his drink down on the coffee table, hesitated, then snapped his fingers. Once a coaster appeared, he placed the glass on it and sat back. âSimple, my dear. You donât believe in me, and I canât have you going around implying to anyone who will listen to you that Iâm not real. Youâre such a Grinch, you donât deserve any presents, but I thought Iâd pop by and grant you one wish. Then perhaps youâll get a little Christmas spirit infused into that cranky system of yours, finally.â
Oh yeah, right. Some sleight-of-hand tricks were one thing, but if he expected me to buy this, heâd been dipping into the rum balls once too often. Before I could say a word, though, he scowled at me. âI did not have any rum balls, young lady. Theyâre not on Jenny Craig either. Donât be so disrespectful.â
My heart pounded; I was getting truly scared now. Apparently he could read that as well, because his face softened. âThereâs no reason to be scared; Iâm not here for any other reason except to give you something you want. Now come on, spit it out. I want to go home; I was up all night and Iâm dead tired. What do you want? A few million dollars? A fully furnished and soundproofed townhouse, mortgage free? A portrait that ages while you donât? What?â
I shrugged and looked away. âI donât want any of that,â I muttered.
âYou really are hard to please,â he grumbled. âDammit, itâs warm in here.â He unbuttoned his suit jacket, opening it to reveal a rather chiseled torso. I couldnât help staring; I was beginning to feel a bit warm myself. After all, I couldnât remember the last time someone came downâor upâmy chimney, if you get my drift. Suddenly I wished I was wearing something a little less⊠unsexy. He caught me ogling. âDonât even think about it, little girl. Letâs have itâtell me something you want. The reindeer are double-parked on this insanely crowded street of yours.â
I looked him straight in the eye. âOkay, if youâre really Santa Claus, this is what I want. Itâs not for me; itâs for my friend Bill. I want him to not have lost his job. I want it to all be a bad dream, and heâll wake up from it and everything will be as it was, and heâll have a wonderful holiday with his family.â
He stared at me. âThatâs what you want? Thatâs it? You can have anything, and thatâs what youâre gonna wish for?â Squirming under his gaze, I nodded my head and looked down. Iâd been very worried about my friend, and wanted things to be better for him. He had a wife and three children.
He continued to watch me for a long beat, his eyes searching. Then he spoke.
âWell. I can see Iâm going to have to adjust my assessment of you, Erica.â (He knew my name?) âThatâs a remarkably unselfish and generous wish. You sure?â Once again, I nodded, and he shrugged. âOkay, then.â He closed his eyes for a moment, waved his hands around a bit, then clapped them together. âItâs done.â
âIt is?â I said skeptically. âHow do I know?â
He stood and buttoned his jacket, his face impatient once again. âWell, youâll just have to take my word for it, wonât you? Trust me, itâs done. Your friend is home celebrating Christmas with his family without a care in the world. His job has been reinstated and he got a promotion. Good thing, since that highfalutin private school his kids go to is expensive. And Iâll tell you what elseâI wasnât going to do this, but you know, Iâm feeling extra generous today. Iâm giving you another wish, just for you. What would you like?â
Oh, my. I didnât see that coming. From his body language, I could tell I didnât have much time to think about it. As I stood there watching this hunk in my living room, I realized just how long it had been since, well, pretty much everything. Underneath my sloppy clothes, I felt some long-forgotten sensations stirring. Lust. Desire. A craving to be anywhere else but here, be anyone else but me, just for a little while. Anything I wanted, huh? Right then, I knew exactly what I wanted.
âHmmm⊠okay, but I donât know if you can do this. I want to suspend time for twenty-four hours. I want everyone out there to just freeze, for everything to stand still. And during those twenty-four hours, I want to be with you in a luxury five-star hotel, where we can do whatever we want, no distractions, no one calling or needing us. Thatâs my wish.â
He stared at me once again. âThatâs it? You flatter me, my dear. All right, are you ready?â
âReally?â I stammered. âYou can, just like that? Youâll do it? But youâre married⊠no judgments?â
âOh, please,â he scoffed. âIâve been around for hundreds of years and been in millions of homes. You think Mrs. Claus has been my one-and-only, all this time? Some of those grateful moms rewarded me with more than milk and cookies, you know.â I clapped my hand over my mouth, stifling giggles. âHey!â he added, giving me a stern look. âYou keep that to yourself, now. I have a reputation to maintain. Now shut your eyes.â
âWait a minute!â I pled. âHow is this going to work? How will I get back into my life when the time is up?â
âOh, for heavenâs sake,â he said irritably, with a dismissive gesture. âYou think youâre dealing with some amateur here? Donât worry about it. When the twenty-four hours are up, youâll end up back here. Simple as that, with no one the wiser but you. It will be the same day and time as it is now.â
âButââ I said, but he cut me off. âEnough with the questions, or Iâll leave you with a lump of coal. Shut. Your. Eyes.â I obeyed him. I felt a sensation of being airborne, with a whooshing sound in my ears. Fighting the temptation to see what was going on, I kept my eyes closed tightly until I felt myself settle. A delicate scent filled my nostrils, and slowly, I opened my eyes. And gasped.
I was lying on a beautiful four-poster bed, made up with satin sheets and strewn with red rose petals. Looking around, I could see that I was indeed in a luxuriously appointed hotel room. There were flowers, fruit, chocolates and a bottle of champagne sitting next to a bucket. I looked down at myself, then jumped up and ran to a full-length mirror. My sweats were gone, replaced by a sexy, lacy black nightie with a matching lace thong. My face was flawlessly made up and my hair was perfect. I had high heels on, but my legs were bare. Oh, God! I reached down and swept my hand up one leg, then sighed in relief. Good old Santa had taken care of everythingâeven my legs were shaved. I peeked underneath the nightie. Well, now. Heâd seen to the landscaping too.
The door opened and Santa walked in, carrying a small bag of ice. His red suit was gone; he wore dress slacks and a crisp shirt and tie, no jacket, and looked impeccable and delicious. Jolly old fat man, my ass. âThere you are,â he smiled, going over to place the champagne in the bucket and dumping the ice around it, and then crossing over to me. âMmmmm⊠look at you. You clean up well. Or should I say, I cleaned you up well.â Immediately we were enveloped in each otherâs arms, and his mouth sought mine. For a guy who was centuries old, he was a damn good kisser.
âWell, hello to you too,â I murmured against his lips. âMerry Christmas.â He pulled back a bit and looked at me in amusement.
âWhat was that? Did I just hear âMerry Christmasâ from you, Miss Grinch?â he laughed. I squirmed a little. Okay, so Iâd been a wee bit cranky the past month or so, cursing the holiday and wishing it would be over and done with. âWhy the change in attitude?â
Of course, he knew damn well why, so I didnât bother explaining. I was going to enjoy every minute of this fantasy. âI dunnoâdoes it matter? Iâm here, arenât I?â
His eyes swept me from head to foot, hungrily. âIndeed you are.â He crossed his arms. âBut donât you think we should address your behavior over the past few weeks before we move on to fully enjoying our stay here?â Nervously, my eyes skittered away from him and fell on his toy bag, on the floor by the dresser. I got the feeling there werenât any Legos or Barbie dolls in there.
Still unable to look at him, I shifted from foot to foot, knowing I was getting excited despite myself. âAhh, come on, SantaâŠâ I mumbled.
âCome on, what?â he said, his tone taunting me. âDonât you think you deserve to be punished, at least a little bit?â I was silent, and he added, âI didnât hear an answer from you. Answer me when I ask you a question, please.â âOkay, okay,â I snapped, suddenly feeling very⊠unclothed. âMaybe a littleâŠâ
âYeah, maybe a little.â He stared at me a while longer, then turned toward his toy bag. As I stood and watched, he pulled out a strap, a small paddle and a flogger. And then, to my shock, several lengths of rope. âWhatâwhat is that for?â I sputtered.
He didnât answer me, just glanced toward the four-poster bed, and then I understood. Oh, my. I bit my lip, speechless, and shivered, even though it was comfortably warm in the room. He gestured to the bed. âTake off your clothes, please, and then lie on the bed, face-down and spread-eagled.â With my hands trembling, I pulled the nightie over my head, then took off the thong. âYou can leave the shoes on,â he said. âThey look hot.â
I assumed the position on the bed, my arms and legs stretching toward the four corners. Deftly, Santa tied my wrists and my ankles to the posts, snug but not too tight. The ropes felt soft and did not chafe my skin. I continued to shiver, half with trepidation and half with arousal. I was completely vulnerable, open to him. I heard him moving around, and shifted my head to the side to look at him. He was unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves, and he caught my eye and held it. My face burned and I looked away.
The message was clear: my Scrooge-ish demeanor had been inappropriate. After a brief warm-up spanking with his hand, he used the paddle on my bottom and upper thighs, covering them thoroughly, increasing the intensity and tempo subtly but surely. I squirmed and writhed, jerked against the ropes, but they held me fast. âStop wriggling,â he chided. âI canât help it! It hurts!â came my muffled whine from the pillow. He paused, and I heard him snicker. âSo whatâs my line now?â I groaned and thumped my head against the soft bed in frustration. âYeah, yeah⊠itâs supposed to hurt,â I mumbled. Freaking know-it-all.
Then I felt him place the paddle between my widespread legs, up against my crotch. It was startling at first, but then I realized why it was thereâfor protection. It was to shield my genitalia from the strap he had just picked up, to avoid stray shots. Despite my pain, I smiled. Once again, I knew I was safe and cared for.
The strapping was intense, precise and stung fiercely. He didnât make me count, just told me to keep still. (Like I could move, anyway?) Then he finished me off with a flogging all over my back, bottom and legs. My blood thrummed under the strikes and I felt my body tingle and respond, heard moans escape from my throat. I closed my eyes and buried my face into the satiny comforter, knowing I was staining it with my arousal, and not caring in the least. This was so fucking hot. Who knew Santa Claus was so kinky?
At last, he stopped, and I heard him say, âAll right. Do you have something you want to say to me?â
âYes,â I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. âIâm sorry I was such a Grinch. Iâm sorry I didnât believe in Christmas. I didnât deserve my wish to come true, but Iâm really glad it did. Iâm going to look at the holidays differently from now on.â
âGood girl,â he said softly, caressing my heated flesh with gentle hands, his hand dipping teasingly between my legs, then kneading my back, caressing my hair. Slowly he untied me, and as I lay there, rotating my ankles and wrists, I watched him strip. (Guess what? Santa Claus has a tattoo of a mistletoe sprig on his right butt cheek.)
The next few hours were a blur of sex, kissing until our mouths were raw, employing every position known to Santa-kind. We played again, more sensually this time, until I was deliciously sensitized and sore. Screw sugarplums, whatever those are. Santaâs candy cane was far more satisfying.
And then speaking of sweets, we feasted on grapes, wonderfully sweet strawberries, rich chocolate truffles and champagne, with nary a doorstop fruitcake in sight. Even better, Santa proclaimed that since it was Christmas, none of the calories counted. Works for me.
As we settled down under the covers, spent, sleepy, sated with alcohol and sugar and sex, I glanced at the nightstand clock. Only six hours had gone by; still so much more time left. I sighed with contentment.
But alas, time passed, or it seemed to, anyway. âI have to get going home for Christmas dinner,â Santa said, yawning and stretching. âMrs. Claus said that if she saw roast goose and yams once more time, sheâd throw them against the wall, so I promised to bring home a pizza.â Once again, after we said our goodbyes, I was commanded to close my eyes. Again with the whooshing and swirling. I opened them and saw I was back in my living room and in my sweats. I turned on the TV, just in time to see Cindy Brady lisping to the department store Santa about how her mommy had âlarry gitis.â Taken aback, I looked at the time stamp on my phone. It was still the afternoon of Christmas Day; Santa had spoken the truth. No time had passed.
Mystified, I wandered into the bathroom and glanced in the mirror. My hair was its usual disheveled mop, and there wasnât a speck of makeup on my face. But what was different? Ah, yes⊠the tingling, tenderness and somewhat pleasant soreness in my nether regions. Pulling down my sweatpants, I took a peek at my butt. Wow. It certainly looked a lot like Christmas back there. You would even say it glowed. And there was no mistaking my stiff walk of (non)shame; Santa had filled a whole hell of a lot more than my stocking. Repeatedly. Still in a state of disbelief, I went back into my living room, and then did a double take. There, on my coffee table, still fizzing merrily, was the glass of Diet Coke.
Thanks, Santa. I believe in you now, albeit my image of you is far removed from your public one. Donât worry, I wonât tell anyone about your true being. Who would believe me, anyway? But from this Christmas forward, whenever I see one of your chubby impostors and hear them bellow âHo, ho, ho!â I will smile enigmatically and think to myself, âWhy yes, I certainly am.â