Annual Winter Holidays Contest 2024
Thanks to @THBGato for editing and making this a better story.
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She was the loveliest thing I had ever seen. Wavy golden locks fell over her shoulders down to the middle of her back, her cheeks rosy from the warmth of the gas heater by her sofa that worked against the chill of the huge dome over her head. The twinkling Christmas lights on the oversized tree reflected in her green eyes and her cute nose crinkled with a smile on her perfect cupid's bow lips, as she read something funny in her book.
Stylish. Poised. Sexy as hell. So fucking se...
"
Excusez-moi? Excusez-moi mademoiselle!"
I snapped back to reality. The lady in front of me looked miffed.
"Excuse me miss, I ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a Tikimaka cocktail a while ago?"
"
Désolée
madame, it is coming right away."
Malik gave me the stink eye and I cursed inwardly. Making the guest wait long enough to complain was not supposed to happen in the Hotel-Dieu de Lyon. Ever.
The old hospital turned five-star hotel was a formidable building on the right bank of the Rhône, a grand institution of hospitality in the food capital of France.
I had worked hard to be hired here and was working even harder to be accepted by my French coworkers, who were less than impressed by an upstart English girl rubbing elbows with them in the finest hotel bar in France.
"You are lucky that the
maître d'
isn't here,
Julie
," pronouncing my name with that seductive French swirl on the first letter, "you are out of focus tonight."
I winced at his comment. It was true. I wasn't focusing.
I put down the pineapple juice and reached for the Schweppes Agrumes to top off the Tikimaka.
"Shut up Malik, take care of your own table."
He gave a characteristic irritated shrug and took his tray out to table four, behind the huge Christmas tree under the high dome that gave the once voted 'Best Hotel Bar in the World' its name - Le Dôme. I picked up my own tray and tried to look effortless as I navigated around the huge presents wrapped in red and gold towards my dissatisfied customer.
"
Voilà madame, je suis désolée pour l'attente
." I hoped she would perk up at the dish of Christmas chocolates I added on the house.
I didn't wait for a thank you, but slid away quietly, leaving her and her companion to sip their drinks and hopefully forget about the below standard service.
I tried to get my head focused. I didn't know what had gotten into me tonight.
Well. That wasn't true. I knew exactly what had gotten into me. A pair of green eyes. Golden hair. Magnificent tits. Delicious lips.
I glanced her way. She was sipping her rosé champagne from the tulip glass she had specifically asked for. I wondered if I should be impressed or not. People who asked for tulip glasses usually either knew something about champagne or were just superficial snobs.
I didn't think she was superficial. The way she held her glass and the fact that she had asked for the Philipponnat Royale Reserve and not any old rosé told me she knew her stuff.
"Table six is waiting,
Julie!
"
Malik could be a pain in the ass. At least he was better than Jaques, who still treated me like a toddler after seven months in this job. He didn't consider my four years at London Edition and the Blue Bar at the Berkeley as worthy experience on the job ("I don't care about any English bars Julie;
c'est la France
") so he still treated me as a novice.
It didn't help that I had proved immune to his early advances, something he had a problem getting his head around that first month. That is, until he found out I didn't go for men at all, and he could just blame it on
les putains de lesbiennes
and not his own failure as a prospective lover. It didn't improve his attitude towards me though.
I gritted my teeth at Malik and went to take six's order. That took me right past her in the sofa at seven.
She was facetiming someone quietly, with earbuds in, so I only heard her side of the conversation.
"...It's amazing here darling, just look at this hotel..." she turned the phone around to show the bar area, "...I feel like royalty here."
I couldn't help but smirk at that, as the elderly gentleman at six pointed at one of our signature cocktails in the menu. Many of the guests thought this grand building had once been a palace rather than a hospital. It certainly looked the part.
"...I know it feels a bit strange. But I'll be home on Boxing Day sweetie, I so look forward to seeing you."
"
Certainement monsieur, merci beaucoup,
" I said, taking his menu and moving past her towards the bar.
"...Wait a minute sweetie...
Mademoiselle
? Excuse me, miss?"
I turned and faced that gorgeous golden-haired goddess, trying my best not to stare. Her smile was out in force, melting my insides, turning my muscles to jelly. Her impossibly green eyes twinkled. My knees threatened to quit and move to the country. I tried to claw back control over my body and look professional.
"
Oui madame?
"
"Could I get a refill of the Philipponnat please?"
"Of course,
madame
..." I managed.
"...and the
César Salade
with salmon please, plus the
Planche Charcuterie
for one?"
"Certainly
madame
." It looked like she was going to have her dinner here at the bar. That meant she would stay a bit longer.
I felt stupidly giddy about that, but it was very bad news for my concentration tonight.
"Thank you so much." The seductive rays of her beaming smile washed over me before she looked at her phone again, turning what little remained solid of my heart to wobbly goo. I got a glimpse of what looked like a girl in her early teens on the screen before I turned away.
I breathed out slowly as I walked away from her, trying to still my heartbeat. Her smart satin blouse had just enough buttons undone to evocatively reveal the top of her deep cleavage. Stylish, and very sexy.
"...Don't worry about me sweetie, I had a wonderful time at the Christmas market today, and I'm just relaxing now with a book. I'm fine, you just enjoy your Christmas with daddy, okay?"
Her voice faded as I got to the bar and put her order into the system. It seemed she was here alone on Christmas Eve. I knew that feeling.
It was my first Christmas in France but being perpetually single I had usually taken the evening shifts for Christmas week anyway for the last few years back home. I didn't mind. I wasn't very close with my parents anyway, and spending Christmas morning and New Years with them was enough holiday cheer for me. Besides, the Christmas shifts paid good money.
It was a bit different being alone in another country though. I couldn't help feeling a little lonely.
It looked like the goddess at table seven was feeling it as well.
I brought the gentleman at six his Panthéon and the Espresso Martini for his wife.
"Is granny coming to dinner with you and daddy tonight? That's nice. Give granny a big hug and a kiss from me darling."
I glanced at her crossed legs in the skintight designer jeans as I switched her empty glass of Philipponnat out for a full one. My eyes wandered to her exposed ankles, admiring how one brown suede ballet flat dangled absent mindedly on her toes as she talked into her phone, exposing most of her foot.
She was nearly too perfect. Stylish. Posh. Effortlessly sexy.
She bent her face down laughing softly at something in the conversation, stroking her hair from her face as she looked up again. Oh, that hair.
My own shoulder length dirty blonde was the only straight thing about me, now pulled up high in a waiter's ponytail. I tried to give it a bit of character with streaks of screaming pink highlights. It made me look a bit less mousy, hopefully a bit more interesting.
But that golden fleece, God I wanted that.
Mostly though, I wanted to feel it sliding over my naked body, tickling my nip...
Malik bumped my shoulder, passing behind me, and shook me out of that daydream.
"Seven's order is up
Julie
!"
Fuck.
I couldn't keep letting him catch me out like this. If he complained to Jaques it would be unpleasant.
I fetched her salad and charcuterie out of the kitchen elevator and raised the large tray high above my shoulder. This was France after all, a bit of flair in the service was always appreciated.
She looked at me smiling, as the tray came flowing down from my shoulder to her table.
"...I've got to go now sweetie; my food is here. Give daddy a hug from me, ok? Let's talk again tomorrow after you open presents. I love you too baby."
I finished putting down her plates and took the tray under my arm.
"Sorry about that, it was my daughter."
Her smile looked wistful, and her eyes seemed far away for a second.
I knew I shouldn't converse with the guests, but I just couldn't help myself.
"Oh, are you here alone for Christmas then?"
"Yes, she's spending Christmas at her father's house. I'll pick her up day after tomorrow."
She looked at me as if to explain.
"We're separated, but he takes very good care of her."
"Oh, you're single then?"
I caught myself sounding a bit too interested and happy about that. Her eyes lingered curiously on mine for a little longer than necessary. Shit. That was all I needed tonight, a guest complaining I was looking giddy about her divorce.
"Uhm, yes, since October. First Christmas on my own, since Sophie is staying with her dad. I thought I'd feel a little less lonely coming here, having a change of scenery. Not sure it's helping though."
My face burned.
"I'm sorry
madame
, I didn't mean to..."
"No, it's quite alright, don't worry about it. The city is quite beautiful though, I think I might come here again for summer holidays."
