Holiday Wishes

Wow, it certainly has been a while since I posted something.

I wrote the following at the request of a reader. She asked for a story for Christmas. Normally, it takes a couple of weeks for me to write and run through several drafts before I feel it is ready but she wanted it on time to reach on Christmas. What's a guy to do? I wrote it and it made her emailbox in time.

I would like to thank the few readers who have written me regarding my old stories. Good or bad reviews mean a lot to me. I would also like to thank Literotica for keeping my stories up and available to those who go looking.

May the pleasures that find you be the ones you seek and enjoy.

Vic

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Maureen walks down the street. The night is not as cold as one would expect this time of year. It is not to mean it is not cold. When the wind picks up, there is definitely a 'bite' in the air. She sighs to herself, wondering why she had ever agreed to come tonight. It was "girls' night out" from the office and it was sort of a tradition. Still, Maureen wanted nothing more than to go home and take a nice hot bath. Why did she agree to come here anyway?

* * *

It is a yearly thing at the office when it draws near the end of the year. The management calls it a "Holiday Lunch" but everyone thought of it as a cheap way to pay for a Holiday gathering but still keep the employees working in the office. They still have the big "Holiday Party" but that usually turns out good for two groups. One, the network predators who want to get ahead in the company. Or two, those that just want to get trashed at the company's expense. Nothing wrong with that and the added bonus of a free lunch on the company made it even better.

The lunch, as usual, is nothing special. Everyone ordered something and someone, usually the senior manager's assistant, orders the food from some almost fancy place. When the food arrives, it is all sorted in the conference room. This is also where the managers pass out their "presents" for their staff. Usually a card and if the staff is lucky, some check or gift card.

Maureen always laughs at this. The company gives out bonuses, on good years. Depending on how good these gifts are, one can usually tell whether or not there will be a bonus at the end of the year.

Almost everyone takes their food back to their offices. This way they can secretly cry or be happy with their cards while they continue with their work. Everyone wants to finish early and head home whether it is good news or bad.

Maureen and the other girls had finished their work. All their items completed for the year and the books have been properly closed.

They stayed in the conference room to talk about everything. It usually led to the usual subjects, especially at this time of year.

"So, Maureen, what are you hoping for this Holiday season?" Annie asks.

All heads turn to Maureen. She could see a few grins.

"Well..." Maureen starts, drawing it out.

Jenny pipes up, "A man?"

The others laugh at the question.

Maureen is single. She has been single for a while and all of them know it. Sure, they've tried setting her up with single men but it is difficult. Well, they say she is picky but it is not a bad thing when she is looking for the right man, right?

"You're single so you must be looking for THE one!" Julie says, pointing at Maureen.

There were a few groans but there were more laughing.

"Perhaps." Maureen says, "My dating life has been a little dry lately."

"Like the rest of us single girls." Annie follows up quickly.

Maureen could see that a few heads were nodding.

"I don't know. I'm not sure that is what I need right now though. It has been a while. But I do love that excitement, the feeling when someone likes me. At the same time, though, it makes me cringe." Maureen admits.

"Why would the fact that someone likes you make you cringe?" Julie asks.

Maureen shrugs and says, "Well, I know it will eventually end."

Annie frowns and asks, "Isn't kind of a depressing line of thought? What makes you think it will end?"

Maureen almost snorts but says, "Well, given my dating history, it is the usual pattern. Nothing has gone right with any of my last few dates."

"Maybe it is the type of guys you are dating." Susan comments.

Maureen nods, "Maybe."

Annie says, "Okay, so you're looking for a short term deal."

She thought about it. Was it a bad idea? Maybe Maureen the woman should not aim so high as to catch "the" one. Although, she thought, it would be nice. But...

Maureen nods again, "Maybe."

Annie then says, "So, for fun, let's say you get to ask Santa for a man this Christmas. What would you want in a man for a little bit?"

Maureen almost chuckles but she thinks about it for a second.

"I think I have come to the conclusion that THE one may not be just around the corner." she says looking at all the girls.

A few, thinking about it in their own terms, grumbles and disagrees with her.

"Hey, I may have someone for you. Someone in the tech department!" Susan says.

Maureen shakes her head. They know she is not a fan of being set up, especially after the disasters of the last few attempts.

"It is not like I need a man." Maureen states and continues, "I am not one of those women who think the whole world revolves around a perfect relationship."

As Maureen says this, she looks around at the faces of the other women. She hopes she has not insulted anyone. The women around here seem so intent on being in that relationship. Even those that are already in a relationship speak about it as if it is the greatest thing in the world. A drug that does not have a side affect is what they make it sound like.

Yes, it would be great to be in one but until then Maureen is not going to curse the heavens for not supplying one. She will find something but for now, what would be good to fill the time?

"What? You don't want to find the one?" Julie asks, barely hiding the incredulousness of the thought.

"Don't be silly, of course I would love to find the one. I just think I need a break from the search for a bit." Maureen says, "You know. Have some fun for a little bit. Make some good memories."

Annie laughs, "Okay, what would be good for now?"

Maureen thinks about the question. What does she miss most about being in a relationship that would be good right now?

She smiles and says, "Good sex."

The other women laugh, none of them disagreeing with the thought.

"Trust me, honey that does not last." Shauna says.

The other women burst out again. Shauna is known for complaining about the short amount of pleasure men give her. It always seems, at least to Maureen, that Shauna would need a man who is hooked up to the Energizer bunny and go all month long.

Maureen laughs too but says, "I guess, for me, a good thing to have for the Holidays is a man who is good to me."

Smiling at each of the women, she continues, "Someone that I find attractive."

She puts up a finger and says, "Someone who thinks I am attractive."

Maureen then taps the table with her finger and finishes, "This someone should want to play and tease -- not to mention, good in bed."

Shauna nods and adds, "And, last long enough for you to have a few good orgasms!"

The women laugh and some of them were even clapping at the addition. Maureen could see that Shauna was serious. She thought about it and while she had never had any trouble with sex, she had rarely been "wow'd" by it. Maybe it is the men she had been with. Maybe it is her.

Annie, still chuckling, says to Maureen, "So, you are asking Santa for a good lay?"

She smiles in return and answer, "You know, I guess yeah. I am asking Santa for that."

Susan raises her drink and says, "Okay, back to work. Tonight, we have our night out and hopefully Santa will show up with our presents. You will be there tonight, right Maureen?"

They all look at Maureen. She is not a big fan of going out. She would rather go home.

"Hey, it won't come true if you don't go out with us tonight to toast the wish!" Julie says.

Maureen smiles, "Okay. I'll be there. I wouldn't want to make it too difficult for Santa to deliver my present."

* * *

Next year, Maureen will be telling someone the story that she met Chris at a bar. Perhaps it is the strangest way to meet someone, Maureen is not sure. Not that meeting someone at a bar is strange but it is the way it happened that is strange. Odd really.

* * *

The weather report said it would be cold but it did not say anything about it being so windy. Maureen had just about had enough of her scarf dancing in the wind and deciding on covering her face. Of course this happens just as she reaches for the door handle.

"Mmph!" she hears herself saying as if the scarf has the strength of weight to hurt her face.

Maureen wrestles the scarf down and tucks it into her coat as she swings the door open. The door moves quite easily as she steps through. Maureen never realized how noisy the wind can be until that moment. The sound changed from the blowing wind to the sound of music and the hum of people talking in the bar. Both were quite loud and annoying to Maureen's ear.

However, the temperature change feels nice but a bit immediate to Maureen.

Maureen reaches to undo her coat and tangled scarf. She looks around and finds her coworkers and friends sitting near the back of the bar. Maureen heads towards them as she opens her coat. It is then that she feels something hit her left hand.

"Ow!" a male voice says.

Maureen turns to look left. The back of her hand had just hit a man in the back of the head when she had swung her arm out to take off her coat. She could not believe she did not see him.

"I am so sorry!" Maureen exclaims as she pulls her hand away.

Eight other men sat at this table, they are all laughing at the individual she had hit. The victim of her fist turns towards Maureen while rubbing the back of his head. He looks at her.

Maureen leans over and says, "Are you okay? I am so sorry about hitting you!"

She honestly feels bad for hitting him. With the way the back of her hand hurt, she guessed that she had hit him pretty hard.

A man stood up, looking at Maureen. He picks up his drink and raises it towards Maureen then points to the victim with his other hand.

"I think you have impeccable timing. We were about to smack him when you did us the favor of doing it in such an amusing fashion!" he almost tries to contain his laughter.

The rest of the table continues to laugh and the man she hit had even begun to chuckle.

The man takes a sip from his mug and says to Maureen, "I am Rudy."

Rudy goes around the table introducing the men. "This is Donald. Dash. Colin. Prance. Billy. Carl the Dancer. Kelly aka Cupid."

He then points to the victim and says, "He is Chris."

Chuckling once more, Chris raises his beer towards Maureen and says, "It is okay. The alcohol will numb the pain."

Chris takes a sip and the rest of the table guffaws. Rudy, still standing, starts to introduce the rest of the table.

Rudy introduces the rest of the table to Maureen but she really did not pay attention. She looks at Chris, more specifically, his eyes. There is a sparkle there that she could not put her finger on but it drew her attention. His chuckle is light, not forced or affected as most people do. She found him interesting. Oddly enough, it is not the usual features in which she found herself attracted to in a man. Maureen looks at his hand. She has found that some men can take their alcohol but the sign of erratic hand movements or gestures are a sure sign that they are well on their way to 'happy drunk land'. She only wonders because he seems quite happy. This is, in step with the rest of the table. Everyone seems to be enjoying their evening.

Maureen realizes that Rudy has finished introducing the rest of the table and her eyes were still on Chris.

"I am very sorry about that, Chris." Maureen says to Chris.

At that point, Rudy smiles at Maureen and offers, "Would you care to join us?"

"Rudy..." Chris says with a more serious tone.

"Thank you," Maureen interrupts, "But I am here to meet some friends.

Maureen points in their direction and, as if in the movies, the whole table of heads turns towards Maureen's friends. Her friends, she notes, were all staring in her direction. Maureen's pointing fingers nearly hits some other patron and she steps back. As she steps back, she bumps into Chris just as he takes another sip of his beer. This causes another round of laughter at the table.

She looks sheepishly at Chris who starts to chuckle once more.

"Thank you but I had better go before I knock Chris or someone else out."

The guys at the table say their good-byes as Maureen steps away. Her eyes wander back to Chris for a second and Maureen sees him lifting his glass in her direction and then winks at her.

Maureen found that she is smiling to herself as she reaches the table with her friends. They ask her what happened over by the table of men and she tells them.

"Is he cute?" Jenny asks as soon as Maureen finishes the story.

"Who is missing?" Maureen asks the girls, hoping to change the subject.

"Susan will be late. You didn't answer the question. Is he cute?" Annie asks.

"I don't know." Maureen answers.

"Aw, come on. You didn't look at the man you beat up?" Annie says in response.

Defensively, Maureen says, "I did not beat him up!" she pauses, "It was an accident."

All of the girls say, "Mm-hm." as if they did not believe her.

Maureen smiles sheepishly but her eyes turn towards the direction of Chris. She is surprised, almost shocked, to find that Chris is also looking in her direction. Maureen steadies her self and lets her logical mind go to work. Chris is definitely not her type. Usually, Maureen finds herself attracted to the brooder types or the "bad boys". Maureen sort of like the fact that Chris did not act like a jerk after being hit by her. She found herself smiling at him.

Maureen could see that Chris smiles at her when he saw her looking in his direction. It is not one of those sleazy smiles that some guys give women at bars. (Thank goodness.) No, it looks to Maureen like one of those smiles that two friends shared after a well planned joke or one of those acts two friends played out to shock or entertain friends.

Maureen's attention was brought back to her friends as they seem to burst out laughing at something. She turns to them and they're looking at her.

"I think he likes you." Annie says, thrusting her chin in the direction of Chris.

"I think he likes you for hitting him." Jenny laughs.

"Mm-hm." is the response from the rest of the table.

Maureen laughs along with them. It is a funny concept that Susan brought up once. Men needed to be hit once in a while to be put in their places. Susan had told them some love being hit and sometimes prefer their women tell them what to do. Then again, Maureen thought, Susan is way too kinky than any of the other women here.

"Well." Annie says, "It is time for another round. Who wants something from the bar?"

Maureen glances back at Chris. He is laughing with his friends. She carefully looks at him as he lifts his drink for a sip. Maureen almost smiles excitedly to herself as she notices that Chris does not have a ring. It does not mean he is alone. It is also too dark for her to see if there is a 'light spot' where a ring could have been. Maureen has heard stories of guys going to bars and taking off their wedding bands in order to pick up women. She had always found that distasteful and is careful to keep an eye out for it.

Maureen hears her name being called and turns back to her friends and coworkers.

"Either go over and talk with him or pay attention." Annie says, "We know it has been a while since you have beaten down a man, but you cannot be that desperate!"

The rest of the table laughs and Maureen starts to protest but decides not to say anything. She knows the joking with her being the center of attention will become worse if she did.

Instead, Maureen asks innocently, "What?"

"She was asking if you needed a drink." Jenny says in order to save Maureen further embarrassment.

Maureen nods in Julie's direction in appreciation. She looks around at the different glasses on the table and decides on something light. It was the habit of the group to go for a round each. It depended on the occasion but usually, it is a round each until they all have had a round or it is time to go. Since someone else asked, it is not her turn.

Maureen gives her order and Annie nods.

Annie smiles and says to Maureen, "You want me to go ask him for his number?"

Annie winks at Maureen and nods towards Chris, "Or do you want me to go over and tell him to come kneel at your feet?"

The last part was a bit too loud for Maureen. Alarmed, Maureen looks up and quickly takes a glance at Chris to see if he had heard. Maureen reaches up and takes a swipe at Annie. It is not a serious swipe because Maureen knows it is in jest but, just the same, Maureen would rather Annie stop the tease now.

The others laugh.

"Oh no!" Annie says dramatically, still a little too loud for Maureen.

"I do not swing that way," Annie steps back, her hands to her heart, "No matter how hard you beat me!"

The women laugh harder just as her new "victim" spins and heads towards the bar to get the next round.

Throughout the next hour or so, the coworkers left Maureen alone about Chris. They had found another within the group to make fun of. Even when one or two of them would catch Maureen glancing over at Chris.

"Your turn." Jenny says to Maureen.

Realizing why Jenny had said that, Maureen turns to the group, "Okay, who wants a refill?"

No one really wanted something. "Looks like you're getting off easy." Jenny says.

Maureen smiles and nods. Only one refill request. She stands and turns toward the bar. It strikes her then as to how much time must have past. The bar was crowded, far more crowded than she had realized. Maureen glances over at the table Chris and his friends were sitting. Maureen wonders if they had left since she had last looked over.

A feeling of disappointment fills her as she found the chair Chris was sitting at empty. She looks over at the others at the table and a spark of hope comes to life as Rudy and the rest of them are still there. Perhaps he had gone out for some fresh air or had gone to the rest room.

Shrugging, Maureen heads towards the bar.

After what Maureen believes to be too much shoveling, pushing and dodging, she finally reaches the bar. She nods towards the bartender and glances around. Maureen sighs to herself. It is Friday night and she should have known better than to come out with the girls. Crowds are not much fun. They are less fun when she had to fight her way through them. It will probably be worse when she has to carry the drinks back to the table.

However, it is Friday. Maureen should be having fun. She did not really want another drink but figured that since she is supposed to be having fun, why not? The bartender took her order when he came over. It was then that Maureen realizes she may be a little buzzed. Not to mention that it felt a little too warm in the bar. Maybe it was the crowd and the crush of bodies. She shrugs to herself as the bartender came back a few minutes later with the drinks. Maureen paid, also giving the appropriate tip.

Taking a glass in each hand, she lifts them. Maureen realizes she had put a little too much 'spin' in her turn away from the bar. She tries to stand still and hopefully balance herself. However, Maureen's brain and logical center tells her that it is not happening. Her body almost mocks her as her legs start to give out underneath her.