A Christmas Noelle

This is my entry into the

Literotica Winter Holidays Story Contest 2024

. Although the holiday season is normally thought of as a joyous time, and a time for family, for others it's a time to grieve the loss of family; still others look at it as a time to put past hurts behind them and to look forward to a better day. And no matter which holiday you observe - Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or something else - I hope you have a joyous season.

I hope you enjoy my story. Please be sure to vote and, if the spirit moves you, leave a note letting me know how you liked my story. Remember, most of us on Literotica are amateur writers doing our best to get our stories told. Happy Holidays!

Noelle Davis loved Christmas. She loved the lights, the decorations, the joyous feelings most people had; she loved giving presents (and getting them as well). She simply loved that time of year. It didn't hurt that her birthday was Christmas Eve, hence her name. It also helped that her parents made sure they celebrated both her birthday and Christmas with different presents - not 'one big one' for both holidays. She just loved Christmas. Unfortunately, she hated December. Her entire life, every bad thing in her life had happened in December.

In high school, her first boyfriend dumped her the week before the annual Winter Formal, held the week before Christmas. In college, her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her on New Year's Eve, claiming he had fallen in love with someone else. What stung the most about that was Noelle was certain he was going to propose to her that night.

Several years later her mother had taken ill right after Thanksgiving, collapsing in their dining room one evening. Her dad rushed her to the hospital, only to find out she had cancer that had spread throughout her body; she was gone within weeks. Her dad was so heartbroken that one year later, on the anniversary of his wife's death, he laid down for a nap and never woke up. The only thing the coroner could think of was that he died of a broken heart.

Her latest feud with December came this past year. The Monday after Thanksgiving Noelle was attending her usual Monday morning staff meeting with the rest of the senior staff at Central States Bank, where she lead the Commercial Lending department. When the meeting ended, the bank president asked her to stay for a moment. Once everyone left the conference room, Noelle sat across the table from the president and the head of HR.

"Noelle, you've been with us for quite some time, correct?"

"Yes I have. I was hired part-time when I was 16 as a receptionist and two years later I was promoted to teller. I worked here all through college, working my way up to where I am today."

"And I have to say, you've done a wonderful job in your position, consistently being one of the more profitable areas of the company."

"Thanks, Bill. But why do I have the feeling that a 'however' is coming next?"

Bill gave her a sad smile, and continued.

"As you know, we've recently merged with WestCoast Bank Corp, and the powers within the merger have begun to make some staffing decisions. They decided that because of the merger, the new company no longer needs two completely staffed departments - marketing, IT, commercial lending, residential lending - everything has gone under scrutiny. This morning I received the final determination of which departments at Central States will be impacted, and unfortunately, your department is one of them. As of Friday, December 2, your department will cease to exist. I'm so sorry to tell you this, especially this time of year."

Hearing that news, Noelle couldn't believe it. Another December has screwed her over.

"You're kidding. We're all getting fired now, right before Christmas? Great - Merry Christmas, everyone. You're out of a job."

"I'm sorry, Noelle. I fought for you and your department, but I was outvoted. But there is some good news with this. The new board of directors has proposed a generous severance package for everyone."

Jan Smith, the head of HR, slid a piece of paper across the table to Noelle.

"Noelle, this really is a good deal they're offering. For every year of employment you will receive one months salary. Health insurance will continue to be paid for up to one full year, or unless another job with health benefits is secured. The company will stop their contributions to your 401-K, but you'll have access to it incase you want to move it elsewhere. This proposal is for you and everyone in your department. We'll have contracts written up for everybody by 11 this morning."

"So who's going to tell my people the good news, Bill?"

"I will if you want me to. If you want to, you can as well. Or you can have Jan do it. Your choice."

Noel sat looking at the paper in front of her, trying to decide how to inform her staff. She was close to each one of them, so she decided to tell them herself.

"I'll do it myself. Can I use the conference room so I can tell them all at once, in private?"

"Absolutely. I'll have Jan draw up the contracts and have them to you once they're finished. You can bring your staff in here at 11 to let them know.

"And Noelle? Please let them know I fought for them as much as I could. I'm just sorry I couldn't do more."

And now here it was, one year later. Noelle had been working a series of temp jobs, trying to find something she enjoyed. She was lucky, though. Because her parents had been successful in their jobs, and invested well, she had more than enough money to live on. She also inherited their mortgage-free house, which they had built several years earlier. So when her phone rang one morning with the caller ID showing her friend Jessica's business, she wondered what temp job she had in mind for her.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Noelle. Please hold for Jessica."

While listening to the seasonal music playing while on hold did nothing for Noelle's mood, the sound of her friend's voice brought a smile to her face.

"Good morning, Noelle. How's my best friend doing today?"

"Morning, Jess. I'm fine. And by the sound of your voice, I gather you have a job for me that I probably won't like."

"No, no. This one's right up your alley. I know how much you love Christmas, so this is just perfect for you. You'll be surrounded by everything Christmas, and you only need to be yourself. Plus, it only runs though Christmas Eve, so we can celebrate your birthday any way you want."

By now Noelle was laughing at her friend's hard sell tactics.

"Ok, you've got me intrigued. What job could be so perfect for me?"

"Remember growing up how much we loved to go to the mall to visit Santa? And how you always wanted to be one of his elves?"

"Yeah, when we were little kids. Are you telling me the job is being one of the elves at Santa's Village? Aren't I a bit too tall and a lot too old for a gig like this?"

"Hey, if Will Farrell can pull off being a tall elf, so can you. Besides, you'd be much cuter than him in an elf costume. And who loves Christmas more than you? Noelle, this is a part you were born to play. How about it?"

Noel was quiet for a while, contemplating this new, unusual job offer. It would be fun, seeing the smiling faces of the kids visiting Santa. She did love Christmas. And she knew she would totally rock the elf costume.

"Ok, I'll do it. What's the next step?"

"Yay! I knew you'd agree. All you have to do is meet with the mall manager tomorrow and he'll fill you in on all the details. I've got you set up with him at 11:30 at Santa's Village.

"Thanks, Noelle. I just know you'll love this."

*****

The next morning, Noelle was meeting with the mall manager.

"I have to say, Ms. Davis, when Jessica told me she found someone last minute for this position, I was expecting someone a bit... "

"Younger? I realize I may not be your typical elf, but I can guarantee you won't find anyone who loves Christmas more than me."

"Jessica told me the same thing. And seeing how it's so late in the season, I really have no choice. Welcome aboard."

"Thank you. So how does this work?"

"We'll provide you the costume, but since you're taller than our usual elves, you might need to make some adjustments. You need to provide your own green tights, and if you go down the mall to Eileen's Boutique, she can help you with that. I might also suggest you find some shorts to wear under your costume, as it is already quite short. Your first shift will be Black Friday, so please be here no later than 8:00 am. The mall opens earlier than that, but we don't open Santa's Village until 10:00. That will give you time to get things ready and get briefed on your duties. Any questions for me right now?"

"Just one. What happened that you needed to find someone for this gig so last minute?"

"We had someone hired - a young lady who had done this for several years. Unfortunately, she found a random patch of ice, fell, and sprained her ankle; her doctor told her to stay off it for at least three weeks."

"That's strange. We haven't had any snow yet."

"I know. Funny how things work sometimes. Any other questions?"

"Not right now."

"Wonderful. I'll see you Friday morning. And welcome aboard."

After a visit to Eileen's to get several pairs of tights and some color-coordinated shorts to wear under her 'very' short elf costume, Noelle headed home to call Jessica to give her the good news.

"Hey, girlfriend. How did the interview go?"

"Well, starting Friday, I'll be the tallest elf at Santa's Village."

"And the best looking one, as well. With those long legs of yours, you'll have all the dads drooling over you. I'd be surprised if you don't end up with numerous offers for dates."

"Great. Just what I need - a bunch of desperate fathers trying to hook up with someone other than their wives. No thanks, Jess."

"Ok, but don't be surprised if you get the offers despite your attitude. Gotta run - talk later."

Noelle spent Thanksgiving with Jess and her family - her mom and dad, two older brothers with their wives and children, her husband and her daughter. All in all, it was a loud, raucous day filled with laughter, food, football, and a great time.

As she said her goodbyes, Jess' family all gave her hugs. They had known Noelle her entire life, and she was treated as just another member of the family. They all promised to stop by and see her at the mall, along with their kids. Jessica walked her out to her car and gave her another hug.

"Thanks for doing the elf gig, Noelle. I was really in a bind to find someone so quickly."

"You're welcome, Jess. I only hope I can do it alright."

"You? You're going to be great. And I, for one, can't wait to see you in your costume. My brothers have a bet going - how long will it take for someone to hit on you."

"Great. Are you in on it as well?"

"Absolutely. But I'm not telling you any more than that. And remember - you were born for this job. Have fun... talk to you later."

The next morning Noelle was up early to have breakfast and get ready. Black Friday was one of the year's biggest shopping days, so she knew she'd be busy all day. Stepping out of the shower, she appraised her body. She knew men checked her out even though she didn't think highly of her looks.

But if you were to ask anyone else, they would say Noelle had a rocking body. She was tall and had long, lean, and toned legs. A flat stomach led up to her breasts - a 'rack' she was very proud of, as they stood proudly from her chest with no sag. As she ran her hands over them, her nipples, which were very sensitive, began to enlarge. Her hair was long - almost to her mid-back - red, and helped set off her pale skin, which was sprinkled with freckles. Add in her green eyes, and she was the stereotypical Scottish lass. All she was missing was a sprig of heather in her hair and she could've stepped out of the pages of Scotland Today.

She quickly dressed in her elf costume and re-appraised herself in the mirror.

"Damn, I do look good. This costume makes my legs look longer than they are and is tight enough to show off my tits. Maybe Jess was right - maybe I will have someone ask me out."

Finishing her bagel, Noelle grabbed her travel mug full of coffee and got ready to leave, having no idea what lay ahead.

*****

Shortly before 8:00, Noelle entered the storage area which was the dressing room for those working at Santa's Village and met some of the others who she'd be working with. First was Amy Pierce, who would be a fellow elf. Amy was 25, bubbly, blonde, a single mom, and very pretty. Noelle was sure Amy would get the lion's share of attention from men.

David O'Brien was the photographer. He owned his own very successful studio, so he was able to volunteer his time taking pictures for those who came to see Santa, while he left one of his assistants in charge of the studio. He was tall, good looking with deep blue eyes and a smile that Amy referred to as 'panty- dropping'. Even so, Noelle thought she could see something else behind those eyes, a look she knew so well herself.

Finally, Santa was Christopher Sorenson. Chris was married to the love of his life, Marie, now for over 40 years. They had three children - two sons who served in the Marines like Chris had, and one daughter, Sarah, who was a combat pilot in the Air Force. For years the three had kidded her that she joined the wrong branch of service. But that had ended several years back, when all three were stationed in the Middle East. Mike and Jeff's units were under heavy fire when their air support showed up. Mike had just radioed co-ordinates to the fighters when he was shocked to hear the answer - 'Roger. Stripper One out'. It was his little sister, who had earned her nickname years earlier after she so closely buzzed the house of the guy who had just dumped her that she 'stripped the paint off'. Moments later the targeted buildings exploded. As the fighters flew off to return to their base, Mike could hear her laughing over the radio.

"I guess this means you and Jeff are buying the beer next time we meet up. Take care, big bro. Stripper One, out."

Needless to say, both marines took lots of flak once it was learned it was their little sister who saved their asses, and their father took great joy in retelling the story to his new friends in Santa's Village. And the best part - all three were going to be home for Christmas this year.

The next few days were busy ones, as people flooded the mall to start their Christmas shopping. Because of that, nobody had much time to chat with anyone else. But Monday night was slow, as the forecast called for heavy rain turning to snow, leaving the elves and Santa time to chat.

"So, you're a mall Santa and your name is Chris. Is your last name Kringle?"

"No, Noelle, my last name is Sorenson. However, I do have distant relatives that live in Finland and Norway, so it's possible I have reindeer herders someplace in my family tree. So what about you? Why is someone as pretty and smart as you playing an elf part-time at the mall? Don't you have a boyfriend or husband or someone to go home to at night?"

Giving Chris a pained smile, Noelle told him her story - especially the part where December has screwed her over so many times.

"That's certainly good reason to keep December at bay. But what about a relationship? Don't you want to have someone special in your life?"

"Of course I do, but I've been so unlucky with boyfriends that I've decided to stop trying so hard and let something happen

to

me. Maybe Jessica is right - maybe I'll get some of these single dads to look my way."

"Look your way? Haven't you been looking all weekend? Every male, whether single or married, has peeked at you. Some have openly stared. And you never noticed?"

"I guess I was too busy to notice. But is this really the place to meet someone? Either they're married or divorced, and all have kids; and if they're married I certainly don't want their attention. And the divorced men I've known always seem to be bitter towards women or desperately trying to find one. So no, I really don't think this will be the place I'll meet the man of my dreams. Unless you want to introduce me to one of your sons."

Chris and Noelle laughed.

"I would, but I don't think their wives would like that much at all."

*****

The rest of the week became much busier, as the light snowfall put people into a holiday mood. The more the group worked together, the more they got to know each other. Noelle enjoyed working with all of them, other than David's assistant. She worked at his studio, and only grudgingly agreed to work with him at Santa's Village. She helped David sell the various picture packages to the parents, and worked the computer to print the pictures. She was efficient, but never seemed to get along with anyone other than David. She also refused to wear an elf costume, and when either Amy or Noelle spoke with David, daggers shot from her eyes to the two women. So one night during their dinner break, Amy and Noelle asked David about her.

"Yeah, that's Diane being Diane. She somehow thinks she has exclusive rights to me, when, in reality, those belong to her husband. She's been like this for several years, since..."

Instantly, both women saw the look of hurt fill David's face. Both wanted to know more, but were sensitive enough to let it drop. Suddenly, Chris joined them.

"Ok, elves, it's time to get back to work."

Shooting Chris a look of thanks, David got up and hurried back to his camera setup. Looking at the two women, Chris just shook his head and whispered 'don't ask'.

The rest of the week went by quickly, with most nights being very busy. By Saturday, everyone was looking forward to their Sunday day off, when other elves ran the village. As the week went on, Noelle found herself spending more of her break time with David, as they slowly got to know each other better. She told him about her family, her love of Christmas, and her dislike of December. He told her about his passion and love of photography, all about his studio, his own family and growing up, and about his college years. What he didn't talk about was anything personal since graduating college.

When they were finished with their Saturday shift, several others were planning to head to a local pub, but Noelle said she was too tired and begged off. David as well thanked them for the invitation, but said he needed to get home. Saying their goodnights, they left the mall via different exits - David had parked at the far side of the mall, and Noelle was closer, by the theatres.

The night was cold, so Noelle was happy to get into her car, knowing it would warm up quickly. However, when she went to start it, all she heard was a dreaded clicking sound.

"Son of a bitch, the mechanic said he fixed this. Start, damn it!"

But no matter how many times she tried, her car would not start, and Noelle began to cry.

At the same time, on the other side of the lot, David's phone chimed with a message.

'David, my car won't start and I'm stuck. Can you help me? I'm parked by the theatre. Noelle'.

Seeing her message, David sped around the now empty parking lot to where Noelle was parked. Just as she was going to call AAA, David knocked on her window, scaring her.

"David, you scared me. What are you doing here?"

"I got your message about your car not starting and I came to help."

"Message? I never sent you a message. In fact, I don't think I have your number saved in my phone."

Laughing, David showed her his phone with her message asking for help.

"Ok, that's really weird. But now that you're here, I'll take whatever help you can give me."