The snow flakes covered the silent city - and the earth seemed to stand still when the chiming of bells became audible through the frosty night air. Patricia was standing at the window, watching the icy crystals paint mysterious patterns on the window sill while her hot breath fogged her vision of the tar and feathered outside. For her the wintry white cover that faked a sheen of innocence to the world was not the feathers falling from the beds of heavenly eiderdown, but a shroud. She had lost her girlish dreams and hopes long ago, her believes in fairy tales and magic mystery - and now ... now she lived from the dark desires in the male hearts.
"Men..." she smirked, "they were all the same. Pretending to be so strong, so right, so politically correct .. so full of themselves - men." And on evenings like this they were home with their families or parents, playing the role model of the caring husbands and fathers ... but after the holidays they would be back to lick her boots and crawl at her feet; after all they had bought this little "freedom" with the precious jewels and expensive toys that had been paid for by credit card, wrapped up by the stressed sales staff without much care and even less affection and that were decorated with cards printed by computers or written by trustworthy secretaries. Patricia took another sip of the heavy red wine in the exclusive goblet. The heavy scent of fruit and oak barrels lingered in her mouth long after the liquid was gone, taking away for a few moments the taste of the bitterness she felt tonight. For her there were no presents to unwrap, no Christmas carols to be sung.
There it was again, the soft chimes that reminded her of silver bells and memories so faint she couldn't grasp them - Patricia stared into the black sky but all she saw was the reflection of her own eyes in the black mirror of the window. Silver bells - a bitter laugh escaped her throat before she took another draft from her goblet - all the "chimes" she usually heard were the rustles of chains ... With a sigh she turned away from the forlorn world outside, away from her staring eyes that seemed to have too many unanswered questions for a lonely night ... and so she didn't see the shadow that passed over her house.
Patricia was just flipping through the TV- guide when she heard the chimes again - but this time it was a clear and close sound, conjuring, with a burning intensity now, the image of a horse-drawn sleigh before her inner eye. While she was still analysing this for her completely unusual mental image she saw her living room door swing open silently, and with a gasp, almost swallowing her wine down the wrong way she watched a huge bearded figure step into her den - a sight she never thought to see, dressed in red and white as if just climbed out of a child's picture book: Santa Claus!
In a fit of hysteria she couldn't help but break into a girlish giggle - so unlike her usual tight self control and composure. "Must be the wine" she thought, "or just the season .. yeah, with all the advertising you are bound to see things! That's it!" But when she deftly turned away and raised the glass to her lips again to wash down the slight trace of fear together with the growing anger about the rude intrusion, the blurred reflection of red and white in the window wouldn't vanish. So with a determined look on her face and a rather aggressive more then defensive stance she turned back again to face the uninvited guest.
"Who are you, and what do you think you are doing here? I never work without appointment and I sure am not going to make an exception on a holiday! " But where her average visitor would already flinch and start to stammer, this guy just didn't fit her usual clientele! On the contrary - his grey eyes, that seemed ancient and too young for his looks at the same time met hers without ever wandering off, indicating a strength that put forward a rare challenge for Patricia. Again she addressed him: "So again - who are you - how did you get in here - and what do you want?"
Before she could muster all the rage and frustration she felt, she was cut short by a deep and vibrant voice that seemed strangely unsuitable for the roundish and grey haired man in the ridiculous Santa-outfit. His deep voice seemed to fill her living room, and as if his words caused the air to stir the flames in her fireplace started to dance as he spoke: "Now Patricia - what do you think who I am? It can't be too hard to guess, right?" He took a few more steps into the room, seemingly filling it with his presence: "I am Santa Claus - Father Christmas!"
Her mind reeled - Patricia was slightly torn between bursting into laughter about this practical joke someone was obviously playing on her or starting to scream for apartment security to help her get rid of this insane intruder ... but another look in his eyes made her relax. He didn't seem dangerous, there was no violence in his stance and he even smiled, a smile that not only curled the lips hidden in his fluffy white long beard but a smile that reached his eyes.
In the end Patricia's curiosity got the better of her - after all, he seemed nice enough and she didn't really fancy spending the evening alone. "So - you are Santa Clause, huh? Sure ... Father Christmas, yeah! Looking for little naughty girls, are you? Well, you sure found one!"
"Ho ho ho - now, now, you better slow it down young Lady! I have not come to have some ... rather dubious fun with you ... but to make you ..."
"Ohh wait wait wait! What do you mean - dubious fun?? You don't have a clue what you are talking about!" Patricia's eyes had taken on a dangerous sparkle in the dim lit room ... strange as it may seem, she took a peculiar pride in her profession. She had spent long hours studying not only the physical aspects of dominating men but the psychological impact of humiliation and the little naughty mind games her customers so much enjoyed - she was an expert at what she was doing ... and, as she admitted on a side note to herself, she enjoyed it most of the time.
The Santa-dude was stunned by her agitated reaction and for a moment a trace of insecurity seemed to be visible in his eyes - only a flicker, a hint - but enough for a professional like Patricia to see! With a guttural chuckle she stepped closer and circled him, her hand seemingly by coincidence but firmly resting on his shoulder while she whispered close to the mass of his curly white hair that peeked out from under his red and white fur trimmed cap:" Now - how about you try for yourself before judging ... Wasn't that what you came for after all? Didn't you come for a taste of ... this?" And with those last whispers she took a step back and let her black velvety bathrobe slowly slide from her shoulders.