Coffee Shop Magic

The small pellets of ice stung her face and the wind blew as only a prairie wind could. It tugged at the hem of her long, down coat and chilled her thighs. She glanced at the Christmas shoppers as they scurried, head down, across the mall parking lot to the safety of their cars. "Victoria, what are you doing out on a night like this?" she asked herself. The answer came quickly with a car, which slowly turned the corner by the coffee shop and proceeded towards her. She strode purposefully to the curb only to turn on her heels and head quickly towards the coffee shop when she realized that it was an unmarked police car.

It was then that she saw him huddled under a green sleeping bag by the alley entrance next to the coffee shop. Beside him was a small shopping buggy containing a green garbage bag. Its secured end flapped nosily in the wind. He looked straight at her. She lowered her head against the blustery weather and quickened her pace.

His voice penetrated the wind. "Help an old man out on cold night. Everyone needs some holiday gift-wrap and ribbon." In spite of the urge to keep moving, she stopped. Glancing down, she found a pair of brilliant blue eyes and a ruddy-faced smile looking up at her. In his mitten-covered hand, he held a package of ribbon. A movement from beneath the edge of the sleeping bag caught her eye. The small head of a black and white dog poked out. "We just need a little bit for a..."

The loud honking of a car horn and a gruff voice interrupted. "All right you two move along! We don't need your type here. Now get going!"

Victoria looked over her shoulder and replied in her sweetest voice, "We will be moving right along, officer" She extended her hand towards the seated man and continued, "My friend and I were just about to have a cup of coffee. Would you like to join us?" The sounds of a slamming car door and spinning tires answered the question as the taillights of the car disappeared down the block. "And Merry Christmas to you too..." Victoria called out.

"Were you really serious about the coffee?" inquired the old man.

They sat in the coffee shop by the entrance door, shielded from the view of the servers and other patrons by the garbage and tray return bin. The bundle buggy was nestled by the table. Victoria surreptitiously slipped small bits of sausage roll to the opening of the blanket at the top of the buggy. Eager licks and a pair of sparkling brown eyes greeted each hand movement. Victoria enjoyed the attention. A raspy cough drew her awareness to the old man. His hands cradled the mug of hot coffee. "Thank you for your kindness. Panda and I appreciate your generosity. We were getting a little cold and..." his voice trailed off. He looked down and bit his lip. He was dressed in a faded red parka and his red toque lay on the table by his coffee cup. White hair tied back in a pony tale and a neatly trimmed white beard shaped his ruddy face. He pursed his lips into a tense smile. "We've been down on our luck the past little while. Panda and I really appreciate your kindness." He reached out and gently touched her hand as it returned from the corner of the buggy to the almost empty sausage roll plate. The contact sent a shiver through her body. "My name is Kristoff, but most people just call me Kris and you have met Panda." A friendly smile now spread across his face. It warmed her spirit.

"I'm Victoria, but everyone around here just calls me Vicki." Over an hour of conversation followed supplemented by another round of coffee and sausage rolls. When they left the coffee shop, frozen sleet covered the sidewalks. Vicki's spike heeled boots were not designed for those conditions. Kris offered to walk her home. Together they gingerly covered the short distance to her three-storey apartment building. In the foyer, Kris held her large purse while Vicki's cold fingers fumbled with her keys. A blast of wind and sleet against the doors brought an invitation for Kris and Panda to sleep on Vicki's couch. Kris pointed to the signs in the window, "No Solicitors and No Dogs." Vicki just shrugged and pulled the shopping buggy into the lobby while Kris took Panda back out into the blustery winter night to do her business. When he returned to the lobby, Kris found Vicki in a strained conversation with a short, austere woman, who turned out to be the building superintendent.

"I don't give a damn what the weather is like, Ms McCarthy, you know the rules. No dogs allowed!" However, before the conversation could continue, the lights flickered and then went out. "Shit! This is all I need right now! I don't even have a flashlight. How am I to..." sputtered the older woman.

"No worry, ma'am, I have a couple right here in my buggy," came Kris' quick reply. Through the darkness, came the sound of a crinkling garbage bag. After some rummaging, two white beams illuminated the lobby. Kris gently took the older woman by the arm and steered her down the hall. "Vicki and I will guide you back to your apartment." Vicki followed behind pulling the buggy and cradling the dog under her arm. She was amazed at how the crusty demeanor of Mrs. Stultz evaporated in the presence of Kris. At her door, he said softly, "Keep the light. You can give it back another time." As he closed the door behind her, he whispered, "Be safe, and sleep tight."

In the candle lit apartment, Vicki converted the sofa into a bed for Kris and Panda. As she did, she marveled at how clean and tidy the two were, compared to others who lived on the street. While Kris' clothes were not new, neither were they stained or torn. She felt his presence close to her. Vicki straightened, turned, and his hand brushed against her cheek. "You are a gentle angel," he mused. Vicki enjoyed the touch and kissed his finger.

The hot water of the shower beat against her buttocks. Kris' fingers, as they massaged her back, only increased the sensuous, tingling feeling. In the candlelight, he looked handsome and she enjoyed the sensation of his body against hers. While she could not really determine his age, Kris' was older than most of her clients. Yet, he awakened feelings within her that few others had. Vicki nuzzled against his wet chest. Her tongue traced aimless patterns while her fingers ran up and down his crack. His hardness pressed against her stomach.

The cool darkness of the bedroom was in sharp contrast to the heat, which raged through Vicki's squirming body. Thrilling waves of excitement spread out from the focus of Kris' tongue. It darted, probed, and danced over her clit. Her breath came in a series of short vocal pants as his fingers teased the engorged folds at the front of her vagina. She twisted in ecstasy once more. Vicki's hands reached out and pulled Kris' head hard against her. She squeezed him with her thighs. She shuddered, writhed, and slipped into oblivion.

Vickie awoke to sounds in the kitchen and the smell of bacon and eggs and coffee. Panda snuggled at Vicki's side and rolled onto her back to encourage a tummy tickling. Kris was soon at her bedside and bent forward to kiss her on the lips. As the kiss lingered, his hand snaked beneath the covers and moved sensuously up her legs to caress her wetness. Vicki gasped and giggled. "Nice to wake up to you and the little dog. I wish it could happen more often."

"Careful of what you wish for my dear," chided Kris gently and he kissed her again. "Requests like that have a way of coming true."

As Christmas approached, Vickie regularly looked for Kris and Panda on the street by the coffee shop. In her purse, she carried a small Christmas card with some money neatly folded within and a gift-wrapped package of dog biscuits. However, it was to no avail. Then late Christmas Eve, when she was slipping a customer in the apartment side door, she thought she caught the flash of a man in a red jacket entering her superintendent's door. She shook her head in amazement and the image was gone. Vicki chuckled at her vivid imagination and continued to guide her gentleman up the stairs.

Something cold was rubbing against her cheek. The smell of coffee and bacon dragged her in to wakefulness. To her surprise, Vicki found a found a small black and white dog on her pillow. "Kris! Kris!" she yelled as she grabbed the small bundle and bolted to the kitchen. On the table, she found a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon and a steaming cup of coffee. Piled neatly on one of the chairs beside the table was a bag of dog food, dish, leash, winter puppy jacket, and a card. It read simply, "Wish granted...Thank you for your generosity and kind thoughts...Merry Christmas, Kris."

As Vickie was returning from her first walk with her new charge, she saw her superintendent walking through the interior door of the foyer. Vickie froze. She waited for the back of the gruff old lady to disappear down the hallway before she entered. Turning her key in the pass door, Vickie noticed that the "No Dogs" sign had disappeared. Cautiously she approached the stairs, but the words, "Merry Christmas, Ms McCarthy," halted Vicki in her tracks. Slowly she turned to see Mrs. Stultz standing by her door with a tiny black and white puppy cradled in her arms.