I hope you enjoy this Winter Holiday Contest entry. Please remember to vote, and if you have time, please leave a comment, too. Maddie
*~*~*~*
He wasn't sure when his feelings for Annalise had changed, but changed they had. His very anger at his best friend's flirtatious manner with her proved it. Steve was just being Steve, Gray reminded himself.
He first saw Annalise in grade school. She had dropped her books and some older boys were teasing her. She was about the age of his sister, so Gray had stepped in and helped the little fourth grader and told the boys to get lost. That was the day their relationship began; the day he became her protector. He was an eighth-grade jock, playing baseball and basketball. It was her first day at this new and scary school. Her coppery-red, curly hair cascaded around her head to fall nearly to her shoulders. She was a skinny little thing—cute in a baby way—with a few freckles across her nose.
A few days later Gray's parents introduced themselves to the new family on the block and Gray spotted Annie, that same little red-headed girl from school, peeking at him from behind her mother. After that, Gray and Annie saw a lot of one another, especially since she became his sister's best friend. Living right next door, their parents became friends, too. There were cook-outs and pool parties, birthdays and church gatherings. And, of course, school functions. Their friendship had ups and downs over the years.
As he watched Steve flirt with Annie, a myriad of memories, fleeting yet poignant, invaded his thoughts. His safeguarding of Annie and his own little sister, Grace, who became Annie's first same-age friend before they became best friends, of the two girls giggling, growing, and of their sweet innocence. Annie and Grace's friendship continued even today, sixteen years later. He remembered when he entered high school and they were still grade-schoolers unworthy of his attention...unless it was to tease or protect. They entered high school when he was a senior and still a jock, star basketball player, co-captain of the team. His baseball team went to state playoffs that year
As a high school freshman, Annie had filled out since that first meeting, but still a skinny, gangly kid. Looking back, he remembered how she was about in the middle of her class along with Grace. Girls not yet shapely but not looking like fifth-graders anymore, either. He became their protector again. Everyone knew not to mess with his little sister or her best friend.
Then he went to college on an athletic scholarship, a big man on campus by his second year as a guard on the basketball team. His parents would come to his home games with Gracie and Annie. When he came home for semester break or for the holidays, he would see Annie with Gracie. They had grown to lovely teenagers. Unmarked, for the most part, in that dreaded acne stage, beginning to develop some tits and curvy little asses.
But he never paid much attention to his little nymph; he had better fish to fry. He and Steve, friends since kindergarten, often double-dated with girls closer to their own age. And both Gracie and Annie dated boys their age. That never bothered him...then. He smiled now as he remembered the lectures he gave them about who they could and couldn't date and how they rolled their eyes.
He glanced over at Annalise again. No gangly teenager now. She had grown into a beautiful young woman. Her red hair had darkened to a deeper shade, but still curly. He remembered a time when his 'carrot stick', a nickname he once teasingly called her, and his sister tried to straighten Annie's wayward curls...but they always came back within a few days. Finally, she quit trying and lived with the abundance of ringlets. That was okay by him because he liked those curls. He liked to pull them and see her glare at him.
An hour before, he had watched Grace and Annalise 'help' Santa hand out presents to the children. Two lovely elves dressed in red and green. He smiled when he saw Santa pull the elves on his lap and ask them what
they
wanted for Christmas. Grace had laughed, but Annie leaned in and whispered into Santa's ear. Santa patted her hand and Gray heard him say he would see what he could do.
Steve was still standing with Annie and now moved his hand to her back. Gray could feel his temper spiking. Hell, he had better get himself under control. Grace was here and she had been urging him to ask Annie out. He always resisted. She was like another sister, he told Grace. She didn't seem like a sister now. Grace would have a field day with his reaction to his friend putting moves on Annie.
Gray looked around to give himself a chance to get back in control of his hormones before he went over to beat the shit out of Steve. The place was decorated to the hilt. Little white lights were blinking in all the windows. Garland was strung on the mantel and up the stair railing with little lights and bright red apples, succulent oranges—hell, he'd better not think 'suck' anything—and gold balls with gold and green leaves. And the abundance of food tested the sturdiness of the buffet table. A wine fountain was flanked by Christmas punch and nuts and mints. Christmas music drifted in from the next room where the dancing had already started. The South Shore Country Club knew how to throw a party. Christmas was only two days away.
He saw his parents in deep discussion with friends that included Annie's parents. Annie's dad should go over and knock Steve's head off. Damn, what was he thinking? Annie was 26 now and living in her own apartment near the interior design studio where she worked. Her parents would probably be glad to see her with a man. He even heard his mom and hers discussing Annie and Grace not long ago. "It's time for those girls to settle down and marry," they said.
"Hey, big brother, what are you doing over here by yourself? Lucy's been asking around for you." Gracie's smile was mischievous.
Gray wondered what his little sister was up to now.
"I saw her. It's over," he said, "been over forever."
"Maybe she doesn't know it or doesn't want it to be over. Maybe if you looked like you were hooking up with someone else, she'd get the message."
"Maybe."
"Come on," Gracie said linking her arm with Gray's. "Let's go see what Annie and Steve are talking about."
*~*~*~*
Grace held out her hand and Steve put a $5 bill in it, then leaned in. Grace was trapped when he placed his forearm on the wall next to her head. He leaned in so close that Grace could feel the heat radiating off his body.
"I didn't believe you, minx, when you said Gray wanted Annalise. But when you bet me, I knew it was my chance to have something I've wanted for a long while, too."
Grace was breathing hard. "What do you want, Steve? I said we'd bet $5."
"And I said, win or lose, you would owe me. Remember, minx? I'm here to collect."
Before she could respond, his mouth covered hers. When his tongue swept across the seam of her lips demanding, no polite request, but demanding to be let in, she opened her mouth without thinking. Before she knew what was happening, he maneuvered her farther into the shadows.
When he lifted his head, she was flushed and breathing hard. There was a confused look in her eyes. He chuckled.
"Let's go."
"Go? Go where?"
"To tell your mom and dad I'm taking you home. You've developed a slight stomach ache. You're okay and don't want to interrupt their evening. I've volunteered to take you home."
"But I was going to stay with them tonight."
