"Give me these moments.
Give them back to me"
Anna let him fuck her from behind. He took her up against the wall. Her arms slightly raised, he pinned her there with his hands over hers. As they moved together, their fingers did a strange rhythmic dance. Sweat dripped down his naked back. When he came he pushed his face into her neck, and breathed his orgasm into her with loud growls.
He didn't stay for the obligatory coffee. She didn't mind.
"I'm worth so much more," she thought as she turned the shower taps wide open. She let it get steamy hot before she walked in under the surging downpour. She stood there for what seemed like hours, washing away his smell and his essence.
"Go back to your fucking wife," she mumbled into the soft warm towel she used to dry herself with. She sat down naked on the edge of the bed, fingers raking through the wet strands of dark hair.
The sweet tea that she swallowed down warmed her enough to endure the bitter winter's day. With her coat pulled tight against her body, hands stuffed into her pockets, she walked determinedly into the bookstore. She worked through the checklist in her mind:
The latest Stephen King for dad, and "Prozac nation" by Elizabeth Wurtzel for Linda... She's been talking about that one... I'll pick up a couple of romances for the ladies at the office... Harry Potter for the kids...
Her lips curved into a smile of satisfaction as the shop assistant wrapped the gifts, and put the colourful ribbons and bows around the red and green packages.
"That's my Christmas shopping over and done with," she said to no one in particular.
The shopping mall looked cheerful with the impressive Santa exhibition, and the colourful lights and wreaths that lined the usually bare walls. The stores were swarming with scores of people scurrying around for last minute gifts. Not quite ready to go home yet, she decided to walk in the direction of her favourite bakery.
Perhaps I'll have a French pastry before I go back home,
she thought as someone pushed a flyer into her hand.
I hate it when they do that! She cussed silently, interrupted from her idle daydream, and weaved through the crowds to the side of the mall. She folded the flyer, folded it again and then stuffed it into her pocket, ready for the bin when she got home.
She caught site of the girl who was giving out the flyers. She was wearing an emerald green elfin hat with a tiny little bell. Anna smiled as she watched the silver bell dance around the girl's shoulders as she kept thrusting pamphlets into unreceptive hands.
Wondering what the flyers were advertising, she took it out of her pocket, unfolded it, and read.
"What have you done for you lately?" was in big bold letters at the top. The rest of the flyer was a bad attempt at advertising the local CD store.
Let's see how effective this little advertising campaign of theirs is,
she smiled and made her way towards the CD store.
The flyer promoted the forbidden idea that although Christmas was all about giving gifts to loved ones, there was really no harm in giving yourself a special gift – after all, who else could be better qualified to choose something you liked?
Anna started flipping through the cd shelves looking for something appealing. She vaguely recognised the song playing in the store. She had heard it somewhere before. It was haunting, and she lost herself in the melody she thought she recognised the voice of Kate Bush. This would be her gift to herself, she thought, as she made her way to the front of the store. She met the emerald green eyes of the girl who had been giving out the flyers earlier. Smiling to herself, she wondered if the management was anal retentive enough to match up eye colour with Elfin hats.
"I'd like the cd that you're playing right now" she said to the green-eyed girl. The girl reached behind her and held up the cd cover. "It's Kate Bush she said, as she watched Anna's reaction.
"I've heard this song before, but I was sure it was sung by a man."
"Maxwell. He's famous for singing this particular track. I prefer Kate, though. Her voice is outstanding, and this song brings the best out of it."
