The Author's Friends (4 page)

“What’s my best girl thinking about?” Richard snuck up behind Dana as she gazed out the kitchen window.

“Well, I’m nowhere near ready for this holiday, hence my twitching eye.”  Dana got up from her chair and headed for the coffee pot with an empty mug.

Richard wrapped his protective arms around her.  “Our first Christmas together will be perfect, Sugar Pop.  Remember that stress is not good for any part of your body, especially this one.” He lovingly patted her behind.

“Uh-oh, did you just call me? Sugar Pop?” Dana nervously looked over her shoulder to see the grin on his face.

“It might be fun for you to spend today relaxing as my little girl.  Six-year-olds generally don’t have much to think about when it comes to the Christmas holiday - except for maybe what Santa is going to bring them.  It will do you good not to worry about shopping, cooking and baking for a day.”

“Can you believe I’m this stressed out?  Carla’s parents are the ones hosting both Christmas Eve and Christmas day at their house.  I’m only helping to bring a few things, and my gift list isn’t all that large.  What’s wrong with me?”

“You’re human, sugar, just like everyone else,” he said, hugging Dana as she turned to him. 

Most people obsess over whether they’ve done enough for this holiday, and usually end up overdoing it.  But the truth is, Christmas isn’t supposed to be about food, gifts and decorations.  It’s supposed to be about love, kindness and the spirit of giving yourself; which you do all year round for everyone you know.  So let me give
you
something today … the day off from worrying.” Richard kissed her gently on the forehead.

“Okay, but I have a request.” Dana slid out of his grasp and bit a fingernail.

“And that is?”

“No spankings today, okay?”

Richard’s arms slowly folded across his chest as he laughed.  “I don’t think that promise is possible, sweetie.  Besides, wouldn’t you want to be on your best behavior, since Santa’s visit is just around the corner?”

“Are you saying you would snitch on me?” she asked with hands on her hips.

Richard grabbed her by the waist, turned her around and gave her bottom a playful swat.  “Santa hears and sees everything, you know that. Now run upstairs like my good girl and get dressed, so we can have some fun together.”

Dana ascended the steps thinking about what was hanging in her closet that would put her in a younger mood.  Not able to make a decision, she finally sat down on the floor in her bra and panties to play with Floyd.  Fifteen minutes later, Richard walked into her room and laughed.

“I was starting to think you changed your mind about spending the day with me.  Now I see that you just ran into a wardrobe snag.”

“I’m still thinking about what will make me feel younger,” she mumbled, sitting next to Floyd on the floor.

“This isn’t exactly the time of year you should be lying around without clothes on, unless of course I’m involved.  So why don’t I make some choices for you?”

She nodded as Richard picked out a red cotton turtleneck and blue jeans with a green cardigan sweater.

“Where are we going, Daddy?”

“I thought we’d go downtown.  All the department stores have their windows decorated, which we haven’t seen yet, and I need to buy a few gifts for the ladies in my office.  Of course, we’ll look to see where Santa is making an appearance, and when you get hungry there’s plenty of places in the neighborhood to stop for a cheeseburger and French fries.  How does that sound for an itinerary?”

Richard helped Dana with the last button on her cardigan sweater, as she gave the list some thought.

“No one ever took me downtown at Christmas time, but I’ve always wanted to go.”  She smiled and hugged Richard tight.  Immediately, she pulled back to look him in the eyes.  “Wait a minute … you don’t really expect me to sit on Santa’s lap, do you?”

“I most certainly do, young lady.  A spot on my desk has already been saved for the framed picture.” He touched the tip of her nose and smiled.

“Please tell me you’re joking,” she pleaded.

“Come on, Dana.  Plenty of women sit on Santa’s lap.  It’s probably going to be the highlight of his day. Just make sure your list is ‘kid friendly’.”

*****

“Michael, you’re absolutely filled with wonderful ideas today.”  Carla hung onto his arm walking through her favorite department store.

“You mentioned how much you loved shopping downtown at Christmas time when you were a kid.  Is it just as much fun walking around the store with me?” Michael asked as he pulled her close and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“You’re helping me achieve a double pleasure this afternoon,” she said, nuzzling her face next to his.  “The Campbell kids used to come shopping with our mom and then have lunch in the Tick-Tock Shop.  They made the best cheeseburgers and fries. Of course, we washed them down with a large Coke.  Oh look, Michael! There’s a sign that Santa is sitting upstairs waiting to have his picture taken with the kids.  Let’s go up and watch them sit on his lap.” Carla pointed at the sign and pulled him toward the escalator laughing.

“Okay, but how about a stop at the accessory counter first?  Beside a Christmas bonus, I think a beautiful pair of leather gloves would be perfect for my receptionist, Sarah.  What do you think?”

Carla agreed and they walked across the aisle to continue their shopping excursion.  After Michael’s purchase, he quickly looked at his watch.  “It’s almost time for lunch, sweetie.  Let’s go upstairs to see Santa, and then we’ll head over to the Tick Tock Shop.  I can’t wait to stir up some of those fun childhood holiday memories of yours.”

Holding hands, they rode the escalator up a short distance to the spacious mezzanine in search of Santa and his elves.  It didn’t take much time to spot a crowd in the corner where Santa sat, along with a professional photographer standing by to take pictures of the kiddies who were all dressed up for the occasion.  Inching their way closer to the holiday excitement, Carla thought she saw a familiar face among the crowd.

“Is that Richard talking to the photographer, Michael?”  Carla innocently asked.

“Oh my God, Dana is sitting on Santa’s lap!” Michael exclaimed as he pointed to the corner.

“Excuse me. Pardon me,” they both uttered as they made their way through a sea of anxious, tired parents holding the hands of their excited children. Finally, they reached their destination with a bird’s eye view of Dana telling Santa what she wanted for Christmas, as the photographer snapped a few poses. 

“Wait Dana, I want to take a picture, too,” Carla said as she pulled her smart phone from her handbag.  “This will be the perfect screensaver.”  She giggled as she took several pictures in a row, hoping that one would turn out.

Dana shyly turned her head to the side.  “I think my friends are waiting for me.  It was very nice to meet you, Santa.  You were just as nice as I always dreamed you would be.”

“Well, it was very nice to meet you too, Dana.” Santa winked at Richard.

As she descended the podium holding Richard’s hand, smiling faces were all around.  “What did you ask Santa for?” a little boy who was next in line innocently asked.

Dana stooped to whisper in his ear.  “I didn’t ask him for anything.  I already have everything I could ever want.” Dana beamed as Richard, Carla and Michael put their arms around her. 

“Do you guys want to join us for lunch?” Carla asked taking Dana’s hand.

“If I was a betting man, I’d say we’re heading for a cheeseburger, French fries and a Coke at the Tick Tock Shop.” Michael elbowed Richard.

“If you can get my Dana to actually eat, then lunch will be on me,” Richard said taking her by the hand.

“Didn’t Santa say he’d be watching you, Dana?” Michael whispered in her ear.

With arms crossed, Dana stomped her foot as they entered the restaurant.

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you, princess.  Remember our agreement today?” Richard arched his eyebrow.

“She does throw a phenomenal tantrum,” Carla reminded Michael.

Dana looked towards the ceiling and then recalled the time that Richard spanked her in the mall.  “Let’s eat … I’m starved,” she said waving her hand to follow the hostess.

Michael looked down at his watch.  “Carla, are you almost ready?  We’re due at your parent’s house in about twenty minutes.” 

Carla walked down the stairs muttering.  “Why didn’t we stay in Hawaii for the holidays?  I loved being in our own little corner of the world without all the hassles of everyday living.”

“Sweetie, you’ve lived here most of your life.  Is the cold weather getting to you, or are you really just concerned with me meeting your family?  I thought I cleaned up pretty well,” Michael joked, running his fingers through his short, brown wavy hair.

“What girl doesn’t get a little nervous when she brings home the man in her life for the first time?” Carla asked straightening his shirt collar.  “And just for the record, you always look handsome, my tall, dark, sexy man.” She looked him up and down approvingly as she spoke. “Not to change the subject, but you know I told my brothers about our lifestyle.  I’d like to tell my parents, but I’m concerned they won’t be as accepting.”

Michael smiled patiently, holding her wrapin his hands.

“Always the gentleman, aren’t you?” She carefully slipped into her cinnamon wool cape.

“I’m not the least bit uneasy about meeting your parents.  Remember, it’s my job to know how to get along with people,” he joked.  “Carla, if you decide to share information of how we live, then we’ll do our best to deal with their reaction when it happens.  In the meantime, don’t you think we should arrive before Richard and Dana?”

She smiled and took a deep breath.  “Are you kidding?  My parents adore them; those two are like part of the family.”

The drive wasn’t long, and they arrived just a couple minutes after they’d been expected.  Christmas lights lit up the outside of the small two-story house, and fragrant woodsmoke smoke rose out of the chimney.  Before they even reached the front door, Carla’s parents opened it, displaying wide grins.  Hugs and handshakes ensued as Carla introduced Michael to her parents, Bill and Esther. 

“I guess we’re the last to arrive. Sorry about that.” Carla pointed to Richard’s car parked across the street.

“Don’t worry. Everyone is scattered around the living room and kitchen just getting warmed up for the evening.”  Esther’s eyes shone as she motioned for them to come on in.

Carla introduced Michael to the rest of the family, including her brothers, David and Tom, their wives Michelle and Pat, and David’s two boys Matt and Peter.  Richard and Dana were already settled in the kitchen, helping out with the preparation of dinner. 

Bill casually walked over to Michael.  “Is there something I can get you Mike?” 

“I would love to have one of those.” Michael pointed at the can of Iron City Beer in Bill’s hand.  Bill smiled and turned towards the kitchen.

“You know how to endear yourself, don’t you?”  Carla whispered. 

“When in Rome … or Pittsburgh,” he retorted.

Just before dinner, Michael cornered Richard to get his take on how the evening was going.  “Based on what I’ve heard so far, you’re a big hit with the family.  Of course, Bill likes anyone who drinks Iron City Beer.”  Richard patted Michael on the back as they both laughed.

Esther bellowed from the kitchen that dinner was ready.  The dining room was pretty small, so they were elbow to elbow around the table.  To make room, grandma had fed the kids earlier.  Naturally, in anticipation of Santa Claus, their energy was boundless.

The dinner banter was about as normal as one would expect.  Tales of some of the unusual patrons of the bar dominated the conversation.  Every now and then someone would ask Michael for a professional opinion of why people did certain things.

“Dana, Carla tells me you are writing books aside from the articles you write for the newspaper.  What kind of books do you write, dear?  Is it something I would want to read?”  Esther inquired.

Dana fumbled for an answer.  Obviously, Carla didn’t mention what type of books she wrote.  While Dana wasn’t at all uncomfortable about the subject matter she penned, the lifestyles might prove somewhat prickly for this crowd.

“I write romance novels, sometimes with a bit of a twist.”

“Well, that does sound like something I might like.  I love to read romance with a little spice.  Do your books really have that?”  Esther asked innocently.

“You might say that, Mrs. Campbell.”

“Then I must get my hands on a copy.  Surely, you would appreciate a new customer.”

“My book aren’t sold as hard copies. They’re e-books. You have to have a device like a Kindle or a Nook to read them.”  Dana was desperately looking for a way out of the conversation, while Richard, Carla and Michael were all having quite a chuckle under their breath. 

“I’m a bit old fashioned and still read paperbacks,” Esther said, then smiled in Bill’s direction.  Maybe, I’ll ask Santa for one.”

Carla finally jumped in to stop the conversation once and for all.  “Mom, we’ll see what we can do.” 

Dana looked over and gave a silent look of appreciation.

“Dana, don’t you worry. We’ll get Esther whatever she needs, so she can read all of your books.  Make sure you leave her the titles.” Bill nodded as if he saved the day.

“I sure will,” Dana said through gritted teeth.

Michael changed the subject to the trip they’d taken to Hawaii, and Richard continued with all the details of the surprise wedding. Richard recounted the impromptu proposal, the wedding down at the beach, and big luau in celebration. 

Esther looked at Bill accusingly, “How come we never went to Hawaii?”  Naturally he shrugged and the rest of the family laughed.

Carla held Michael’s hand underneath the table.  Her fears of an uncomfortable evening had long since evaporated.  She should have known better.  Her family was as solid as they came and would never go out of their way to make anyone feel ill at ease. Just as Michael predicted, there had been nothing to worry about.  She pressed her head against his shoulder and then reached over and rested her hand on his lap.  Suddenly in a hurry to get home, Carla and Michael both yawned and expressed their weariness.  They cleared their dishes from the table and said their goodbyes with the promise to show up bright and early the next morning. 

“What’s your assessment of the evening?”  Michael looked at Carla briefly when they later stopped for a traffic light on the trip home.

“I think you fit in quite nicely with my family.  Dad thinks you’re definitely ‘beer buddy’ material.” 

“I don’t believe there’s a higher compliment from one who used to own a bar.”  He kept his eyes on the road and rubbed the nape of his neck.  “I hate to change the subject, but are you still intending to tell your parents about our lifestyle?”

“Yes, I just didn’t think Christmas Eve was the best time to get into that type of conversation,” she said crossing her eyes.

“This needs to be your decision, Carla.  There’s always the possibility that your parents might not be as understanding as David and Tom.  Of course,
we
know there are plenty of benefits.”

“I sensed that under the dining room table.” Carla shot him an impish grin.

“Maybe you
need a lesson in ‘there’s a time and place for everything’, young lady.” 

As Michael parked the car, Carla reached over and playfully pinched his cheek. “Please be advised,
we
have an early start tomorrow.  The Campbell kids are awake well before sunrise on Christmas morning.”

“Far be it for me to fool with a Campbell Christmas tradition.”

They casually walked into the house smiling, and then raced upstairs like a couple of hormone-fueled teenagers. 

“Do you want to undress me, or would you rather watch?”

Michael silently walked behind Carla and kissed the back of her neck.  His sturdy hands slowly unzipped her dress and reached around to caress her flat, smooth stomach with his fingertips.  He pulled her in close, purposely directing his warm breath near her ear. 

“You’re all mine,” he whispered.

She could feel his hardened length behind her and heard the jingle of his belt buckle coming undone as he moved her to the bed.

Carla slipped out of her dress and sat down to become eye level with his rising member.  “Please, I want to taste you, Michael.”

He nodded slowly, closing his eyes as she drew his thick, hard cock closer to her mouth.  While her wet tongue laved underneath his length from the base to tip, she quickly caught a flash of pleasure lighting up his handsome face.  As if she was licking frosting off of a cupcake, every inch of his soft skin was savored as she carefully cupping his balls in her hands.  He slid his fingers through her wavy hair, gently guiding her head toward him, enjoying every moment as she tugged and pulled on him with her hand, watching his skin tighten with every passing second.   But as she took his length farther into her mouth, he slowly shook his head no and carefully withdrew from her lips.  Hoping she hadn’t displeased him, she licked a small amount of pre-cum from the tip of his cock in appreciation and sighed.

Michael unfastened her bra, revealing sumptuous, pillow-soft breasts, and moved to the center of the bed, rolling Carla on top of him.  Her silky blonde hair barely tickled his chest as she began unbuttoning his shirt with one hand while carefully stroking his glistening length with the other.  He gently cradled her head and encouraged her to lick and suckle his nipples, but just as she got into a comfortable rhythm, she was flipped onto her back.

His lips curved upward as he gently parted her legs and noticed a large, wet stain on the outside of the dark cotton fabric.  “These are coming down right now,” he said in a low, quiet voice as he slowly removed her panties.  Brushing his penis up and down her smooth, bare pussy, he teased her in hopes that she would beg for more.

“Michael, I want you inside me.”

“Be a good girl,” he whispered.

Instead of diving in with his full length, he barely penetrated her velvety folds and then pulled back.  Carla fought to take on more, as Michael twisted and pinched her stiff nipples with his fingers.  She placed her hands around his warm neck and mewled from the acute sensations of pain and pleasure. 

“Please stop teasing me,” she begged.

His thick, taut shaft was slowly eased inside her slippery passage until penetration was absolute.  She responded and rocked her hips up and down in cadence with his movement.  Their need for conversation finally ended. 

Carla planted her hands firmly on his bottom and drew him closer, leaving no room between them.  Sensing she was about to crest, Michael tossed his head back as a deep groan emanated from his throat.  With eyes closed and a throbbing clit, she moaned in satisfaction while his hot semen pulsed like the beat of a drum until he was soft inside her.  Their breathing finally returned to normal as he gently rubbed his cheek onto hers and kissed the tip of her nose.

“Merry Christmas,” she purred.

*****

“Didn’t you say we needed to be on the road ‘bright and early’, Carla?” 

“How early is it?” She groaned as she nestled deeper into the covers.  “I was so comfortable; please come back to bed and snuggle.” 

“No way, baby doll, you made a promise.” 

“There are rules, even on Christmas morning?”

“Where did I put that hairbrush?” 

Carla leapt from the bed and raced off to the bathroom.  Fifteen minutes later, they were out the front door and driving to the Campbell household.

“Aunt Carla where have you been, we’ve been waiting for you!” Matt and Peter shouted in unison. 

Everyone had already gathered around the Christmas tree.  Carla ran off to the kitchen and returned with two cups of coffee.  The base of the tree was littered with presents.  A moment later the doorbell rang and Bill excused himself. 

“Sorry we’re a little late, but I had a tough time getting my wife out of bed this morning.  She stayed up late again doing some writing,” Richard said as he and Dana entered the room holding hands.

“You were working on Christmas Eve?” Bill asked in disbelief.

“Dana, don’t forget to get me the titles of your books,” Esther broke in.

“Not to worry Esther, I have it on my list of things to do.  Richard, may I have some coffee please?” Dana asked with a weary look on her face.

The kids tore into their stockings that miraculously had appeared overnight.  Then, in family tradition, Bill began to hand out the gifts one by one.  Predictably, most of them were for the kids.  Midway through the process, Bill handed a wrapped box to Carla. The card said it was from Michael. 

“How did that get into the stack?  I thought we had decided not to get anything for each other.”  Carla gave Michael a surprised look.

“Well, I suppose I broke my promise.  We can discuss my punishment later,” Michael whispered back. 

Carla’s hands shook as she carefully opened the small velvet box that held a beautifully handcrafted silver ring. 

“I had it made while we were in Hawaii by a local jeweler.  I hope you like it.”  Michael held her hand and slipped it on her finger. 

“Michael it’s beautiful. I’ll wear it forever.”  She leaned over and kissed him.