A Christmas Present

Have a new story for the Holidays. Hope that you like it and that you will comment. The comments are so important. Happy Holidays.

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When I heard the seatbelt warning ping, I opened my eyes and pulled on the belt, making sure that I was buckled in. The stewardess smiled at me as she walked to the back of the plane checking that everyone was secure.

I put my head back and closed my eyes again, I probably won't open them again until I felt the wheels hit the tarmac. I don't mind flying but I do get a little edgy when we are landing. Had a bad experience a number of years ago and can't seem to shake it. But, it doesn't stop me from flying.

I must have dozed off, because I was jolted awake when the plane touched down. I was tired, but feeling better than I usually do after such a long flight.

I'm George Hawkins, Jr. I'm in my early thirties and stand a little over six foot one, I weigh about one eighty five and I'm in rather good shape. I constantly work out. I'm a civil engineer working for a large multi-national construction company. My job has me flying all over the world and spending months and almost years at a time away from home. And if I didn't work out I would probably pack on the pounds. But, even with all of that work and making really good money, this job hasn't been good for my personal life.

My ex-wife, Jeannette couldn't stand being alone so much and she found someone closer to home, who was there for her. That was about two and a half years ago and I guess that I'm still a bit gun shy as I haven't really dated at all since the divorce was finalized. But to be honest, I haven't had many opportunities to meet any available women.

I've just spent the last nine months in Tajikistan, a small ex-Soviet Union country in central Asia working as the chief project engineer on a hydro-electric dam in the middle of nowhere. About two hundred and fifty miles from a city of any size. But it was the best place to put the dam and so that's where we were building it.

I have been traveling for the last two days. I left Tajikistan from Dashanbe Airport on Tajik Air. It was a rather modern plane and the flight wasn't all that bad. I flew into Kabul airport and thankfully only spent an hour before taking off on a Delta flight to Vienna.

We took off from Vienna last night and were arriving in New York at 11:00 am local time. When we finally arrived at the gate, I got my carryon bag (that's all I ever take) and headed into the JFK terminal.

I haven't been in New York in over two years. Although I was born, bred and buttered here, I've relocated to Chicago, a city I fell in love with before I got married. Jeannette was from Chicago and when we divorced I got an apartment in a co-op there.

I think that I have spent all of two months there since the divorce. As I said, I travel a lot. I'm not sure why I keep the apartment. I guess that it if sort of an anchor. It gives me a sense of belonging, its home. Anyway the company pays the maintenance and keeps it clean.

As I walked through the terminal toward the taxi stand, I called my Mother on my cell, she lives just north of the city. I wasn't going to stay there, I had reservations at a hotel in Manhattan and I intended to get to my hotel room and sleep for a day or two, as I didn't have to be in the office for another two or three days. The home office is in Chicago.

She answered, "Georgie, I knew that you would be home for Christmas. I told everyone that you would be here and no one believed me."

I laughed, "Mom, I told you that I would try to be here. You know that I can't make any promises."

"Well you're here and that's all that matters. I will have Sharon pick you up around three. That will give you plenty of time to get settled in that hotel room, shower, shave and get dressed. You don't have to get all fancy just a pair of slacks and a jacket."

"Mom, what are you talking about? All I'm going to do is shower and get into bed and sleep. I have been travelling for the last two days and I am going to bed. I will see you tomorrow."

"George! (I knew that I was in trouble) Sharon will be picking you up at three and take you to Aunt Mildred's."

I moaned, "Aunt Mildred's? Oh shit, its Christmas Eve isn't it..."

"Yes George, its Christmas Eve. And you haven't been to Aunt Mildred's since...oh God...I don't know. I think that the last time you were there, you were still with Jeannette. So Sharon will pick you up and bring you there. I'm coming down with Uncle Milt, but he is staying with Barb and the kids tonight, so Sharon will be bringing me home. You can come too if you want, but you will have to sleep on the couch. Or you can get a cab and spent the night in that hotel."

I had forgotten, it was Christmas Eve and this was the night that Aunt Mildred pulled out all of the stops. She had the whole family over, about a thousand friends and probably strangers that she met on the street that day. Everyone would be staying for dinner and dessert, etc. etc. etc.

It was tradition and Mom would never go against tradition. Anyway Mildred was her favorite sister, they were twins and I think Mom looked forward to this all year. I was stuck...I had to go...I had no choice.

Under my breath is mumbled, "Oh Christ." Then I said, "Okay Mom, I'll be ready when Sharon gets to the hotel."

"I heard that...you had better clean up your act before you get to Mildred's. There will be children there, you know."

"Yea, okay Mom, I'll be good, don't worry."

"See that you are, Georgie. See you later. I love you, Georgie" And she hung up.

My dream of having a drink and catching some Zs, evaporated like the morning dew. I was going to spend the night with relatives, answering questions about my life, why I do what I do, what happened between Jeanette and me...(she was such a nice girl,) why I haven't married again and a million other questions that were nobody's business. It wasn't going to be a fun time.

Sharon is my older sister, she is married and has two children. He husband, Steven took off a couple of months ago. He said that he had to find himself, probably with another woman. She hasn't brought herself around to getting a separation from him. I think that she is hoping that he will come back and they will get together again. Who knows?

I grabbed a cab and got to the Hilton in no time. I guess that the Christmas Eve traffic hadn't started or I was in the reverse commute. I checked into the hotel, picked up some things I had sent there and went to my room, showered, shaved and dressed. I took longer to get ready than I thought, because before I could pour myself a drink, Sharon called my cell to tell me that the three of them were waiting out in front of the hotel and I had better get down there as quick as possible, because she didn't want to get a parking ticket.

Before I left Tajikistan, I had ordered a whole bunch of presents on line and had them delivered to the hotel so I was ready for Christmas.

I went right down, threw a couple of big bags of presents in the trunk and got in the car. I got in the back seat because, "Uncle Georgie has to sit with me," my ten year old niece, Greta decreed. Anyway her brother Pete wasn't about to give up his shotgun seat.

The trip out to Nassau County took quite a bit longer than the trip in from JFK. So I was able to hear all about my sister's life, with and without Stephen, my niece's life and my nephew, Pete's misdeeds (But it wasn't my fault), before we arrived at Aunt Mildred's.

Aunt Mildred's was packed, Mom and Uncle Milt were already there and commented on how long it took us to get there. I had given up trying to explain anything years ago and just said, "Traffic."

Even before I could get through being hugged and kissed by various relatives and friends, Uncle Milt grabbed me to have a "heart to heart." Mom looked and smiled. Obviously she and Uncle Milt had talked about this. He started to lead me into the den saying, "George, we have to talk."

Just about the time Uncle Milt got me cornered, I heard a woman say, "Well Cuz, looks like you are trying to avoid me, are you?" I was spun around, hugged and she continued, "Come on we have a whole lot of catching up to do. You can have him later Unca Milt. Cause I got Georgie now."

I was saved by my cousin Anne, Aunt Mildred's daughter. Anne is a little over a year older than me, a little younger than Sharon. She is a tall girl, she's not fat but rather pleasingly plump. She slims down when she has a significant other, but when they break up she puts on the pounds.

But either way, I loved her. We were, as she says, Buddies. She's about five nine with reddish blonde hair. Her breasts are on the smallish side, but I tell her that they are perfect for her body and I truly think so. When we were young, she would complain that they were too small. I would vehemently disagree and she would argue with me. But, later she would ask, "Do you really think so?" And of course I would say yes, then she would smile and the subject would be dropped.

We had become rather close when we were teenagers (actually that's when I fell in love with her). Sort of us against the family. We would sit together at all the family get-togethers and make fun of our relatives.

When we were younger, it seemed that Anne always had a boyfriend. She was very popular in high school and college. She got engaged in her senior year of college and was to get married right after graduation. But it wasn't to be, her fiancé was killed in a car accident, shortly before the wedding.

His death sort of destroyed Anne. For the first time, she put on weight and she just seemed to have given up on living. At the time I was a junior in college. I took it upon myself to get her out of her funk and spent my Christmas Vacation with her. I did my best trying to get her back to living. It sort of worked, I guess that I started the process and others finished it, because by the time I got home for the summer, she was back, sort of. She was never really the same, but she put up a good front.

In the decade since then, her weight has been see sawing, thin when she has someone and heavy when she is alone, which lately seems to be most of the time. I have the impression that Anne never really gets serious with anyone anymore, she will be with them for a while and then find a reason to break up.

She looked a bit on the heavy side now but I took her in my arms and hugged her. She whispered, "Saved you from a fate worse than death, didn't I?"

"Owe you big time, Cuz."

She was giggling as we walked back into the living room hand in hand. Anne said to everyone, "Look who I found. The prodigal son has returned and he is mine tonight. So if anyone wants to pry into his private life...too bad. Tonight he is just mine. Ya'll have to wait until next year."

Sharon started to laugh and said, "Georgie baby, you owe Anne big time." Then she added, "Make sure you get paid, Anne."

Anne giggled as she took me into the living room and we sat on the couch and talked. As usual Anne did most of the talking. Telling me about her work, travels and a bit of her love life, which was as she put it "Sorta on hold." I didn't mind sitting there listening, I really didn't feel like talking about anything. We weren't there too long because soon after sitting down we were called for dinner.

Dinner was a wonderful event, the screaming and arguing, the throwing of food and that was at the adult table. I leaned over to Anne and in a stage whisper said, "Ya know, I almost wish that I had a kid, that way I could sit with the kids at their table and enjoy my meal."

Anne giggled and said, "Well Cuz, if we started now, we could be sitting at the kids table next year, what do ya think?"

I almost spit out my mouthful of potatoes and looked at Anne. She gave me the most innocent smile and said, "Just think, a peaceful dinner next Christmas Eve."

I composed myself, swallowed and with a big grin said, "Don't think that one day of peace is worth three hundred and sixty four days of noisy dinners."

She giggled, "Killjoy."

I shook my head and laughed. Anne has a way of saying the most shocking things with such an innocent face that it makes you wonder if you heard her right. But, even though I have been hearing this stuff for so long and I know exactly what she's doing, it never ceases to surprise me for a moment.

I then put my arm around her shoulders and pulled her close and whispered to her, "One of these days, Annie, I'm gonna take you up on that, and then what are you going to do?"

She just gave me a smug grin and said on a soft, breathless voice, "Probably have the best time of my life."

I laughed and said, "Yea me too."

She looked me in the eyes and said, "Ya think?"

At that point Mom started in on me as to where I was going to spend the night. I told her that I had no intention of sleeping on the couch or in a sleeping bag on the floor at her place. I was going to go back to my hotel and get a good night's sleep, in a real bed.

Anne jumped in and told Mom, "Don't worry Aunt Helen, I'll see that Georgie gets to the hotel safely and that he is tucked in his bed before Santa comes."

Anne lives in Manhattan, she has a really nice condo apartment on the Upper East Side. It's expensive but she is a research Chemist for a big drug company and they pay her a damn good salary.

She held up her glass and went on, "See I'm only drinking seltzer so I can safely drive." She turned to me and putting her hand on my cheek said, "You will be safe with me, Georgie."

I smiled and in a whisper said, "Liar."

She returned the smile and answered, "Come into my parlor."

"Said the spider to the fly," I said with a grin.

"I promise I won't bite...too hard." She said with that oh so innocent look.

That's the way the rest of the evening went, talking to relatives and friends and making comments to each other under our breath.

Finally, Sharon started to pack up the kids and Mom. Mom started in again about me staying at her place. Naturally, I declined and said that I would take the train up to her place sometime tomorrow.

Then Anne said, "Tell you what Aunt Helen, if you invite me for dinner, I will bring our Georgie up to your place tomorrow."

Mom beamed, "Oh Anne, would you? And of course you will stay for dinner. That will be wonderful, it'll be Sharon and the kids, Uncle Milt, Barb, Jack and their better halves and kids. You'll have a great time. Anyway your Mom will be at Debbie's with Mack and his family. It will probably be a lot more peaceful with us."

I groaned peaceful? With that houseful, yea right. I shuttered thinking about the great time and I felt a little guilty about getting Anne involved in it. But then I thought, "Hell she was the one who asked to come to dinner, so it's all her own fault."

As soon as Sharon and Mom left, Anne and I packed up her car and said our goodbyes. We drove back to Manhattan, making good time, as it was still a bit early. Anne asked if we could go to her place first and unload. Her Mom, sister and brother had given her a load of presents and it would be a lot easier for the two of us to take them from the garage to her apartment.

She parked the car in the garage under her building, "Yea it was expensive to buy a space in the garage, but it's worth it. The parking around here is horrendous, and with the alternate side every weekday, it's a real pain."

We got out all the presents and brought them upstairs in one trip. Some of the presents had been opened, but there were some that were still wrapped. I had one for Anne that I didn't tell her about.

It was a lapis lazuli figurine of a young woman in long flowing robes holding a baby. I had it made in Dashanbe by the father of a friend I worked with on the dam. Dmitry is an engineer who works with the local government and we had become rather good friends. The workmanship was marvelous and the deep blue color matched Anne's eyes. It had been a bit expensive, but a lot cheaper than getting anything like it here in the states.

I was told that in certain areas, the figurine is usually given to ones wife on learning that she is pregnant with their first child. I wasn't sure if I would tell that to Anne. At least not right away.

I had seen one in Dmitry's home. He had his father make it for his wife, Nousafarin when she got pregnant. It was beautiful and I fell in love with it. They told me the history behind it and she told me that it was her most prized possession. Dmitry laughed and said, "I think that if it's a choice between saving me and the statuette, I'm lost."

Nousafarin giggled and said, "Don't worry, my love, I would save you after I saved our son, the statue, my clothes..." She went through a laundry list of things that had to be saved first.

I asked his father to make me one and told them that I would save it until I married and had a child. I had all intentions of giving it to Anne as soon as I .got home.

We made it up to her apartment in one trip. I have to say that Anne has a fantastic apartment. It is on the thirty second floor of her building and overlooks the East River. As she was putting some of the things away, I put the present under her tree and then sat on the loveseat in her living room, it faces a large picture window. I can sit in that loveseat all night just looking out over the river.

After a few minutes, some soft jazz came on and Anne sat down next to me. She held out a glass that had some amber liquid and ice cubes. I took the glass and smiled at her. She said, "You know that if I start drinking this, you will have to take the subway or a cab to the hotel. Or you could sleep on the day bed in the spare room."

I smiled at her, clinked glasses and said, "Drink up, looks like it's the day bed tonight."

"I was hoping that you would say that," she snickered. We both took a sip...well maybe it was a bit more than a sip, but then who's driving?

It seemed that we went through that first glass rather quickly. She got up and made us another. When she sat down and handed it to me she was closer than she had been.

I leaned over to her and said, "Are you trying to get me drunk so you can seduce me?"

She snuggled into me, "Georgie, if I'm going to seduce you...I definitely don't want you drunk."

I gave a small laugh and said, "Well if I'm going to be seduced, I definitely don't want to be drunk."

I looked at her, lowered my face to hers and softly kissed her lips. She smiled at me, "Now, who's trying to seduce who?"

"Does it matter?" I asked.

"Not at all."

Once again our lips met and what started as a soft loving kiss, quickly escalated into a fierce passionate open mouthed make out session. Our arms wrapped around each other, crushing our bodies together. Our tongues danced and wrestled, all the while exploring the other's mouth.

Our lips parted and I continued to kiss her cheek and jaw. I moved to her neck and the shoulder. Anne was holding me close, making small mewling sounds. I was very slow and soft with my kissing, like I was savoring a delicious treat. She was delicious and I wanted to taste her whole body.

She pulled a little away and put her forehead against mine. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "Georgie, just hold me. Hold me like you love me. I need to be held...just make believe that you love me."

I looked at her in the eyes and in a soft voice said, "I don't have to pretend that I love you, Anne."

She gave a sound that sounded like a sob and said, "Do you really mean that, Georgie. Do you love me?"

"Anne, I have loved you forever and I will love you forever, even when we loved others, I have loved you."

"Oh Georgie, I almost believe you."

Once again our lips joined, our tongues met and caressed. I pulled her into me and held her tight. My hands were running up and down her back as she was running her fingers through my hair.