by Ali Parker
"He's cute."
"Thanks." She put her phone away. "He's also more energetic than a Jack Russell terrier."
I laughed. "Yeah, but can he jump as high?"
Madlyn giggled. "Almost. I spend most of the morning chasing him around the house, trying to convince him that clothing is a requirement outside the house. Then I fight traffic to get him to daycare with just enough time to fight traffic to the office. I'm lucky if I can remember to bring my lunch more than half of the time."
She trailed off, her face tightening. It was apparent that she'd realized the topic was a bit heavier than she'd intended. Time for me to lighten it back up.
"Good thing you've got a coworker with some leftover roast beef."
She nodded. "It's not bad. Thanks."
I inclined my head in acknowledgment. "And your son isn't the only one with a grudge against the establishment about clothing restrictions."
She smiled. I loved her smile. "Don't tell me, you're not a fan of them either?"
I laughed. "Actually, I was thinking of my nephew. He's my older brother's son, and he just turned five. He's notorious for taking off all his clothes right before he's supposed to leave the house. Usually it's when he's on the way to visit the aunt he doesn't like."
Nodding along, she chuckled. "I know how your older brother feels." Catching sight of the clock, she took another bite of her sandwich. "I wish I could get out of work with a similar tactic."
I knew that she meant losing her clothes in order to not have to leave the house, but the image of her actually getting naked made the words tumble out of my mouth before I could stop them. "If you showed up to work in your birthday suit, there'd be a full-scale riot."
Her cheeks flushed the most becoming shade of pink and my heart started to beat harder. I wondered if I'd gone over the line, then I noticed the small but satisfied smile on her face. The compliment had pleased her.
She changed the subject, asking me for my roast beef recipe, and we stayed on safer topics for the remainder of lunch. When it was time to return to my desk, I felt a wave of disappointment flow over me.
Throwing away the refuse, I walked out of the break room with her. Not wanting the conversation to end, I asked a question that had been on mind for the past couple days. "So, have you bought your Secret Santa gift yet?"
Madlyn paused, shaking her head. "Haven't had a chance. Besides, I just don't know what to get my person." Blinking up at me with those beautiful eyes, she grinned. "Got any suggestions?"
I scratched my chin. "Well, it really depends on the person."
"You know that information has to remain Top Secret or Becca will haunt me for the rest of my days."
I laughed. "True." I shrugged, not sure how to respond to such a leading question. Sure, I could tell her to wrap herself in a bow and it would be the only gift any man would need, but I doubted that was the answer she was looking for.
"Still, you're a young guy--"
"Not that young."
Madlyn laughed. "Okay, you're a red-blooded American male aged 18 to 39, which just happens to be the demographic I'm looking at. What sort of gift would you be expecting from this kind of exchange?"
The question was simple enough, but my answer was horribly complicated. If I were to be honest and tell Madlyn what sort of sexy singles gift I'd want from her, I would probably be forced to resign due to the inevitable sexual harassment suit that would follow my suggestion.
"Maybe try something humorous," I said, hating the way my voice came out too high and reedy. "Don't take it too seriously. I'm sure the guy will appreciate whatever you think up."
She stared into my eyes for a moment and it was like a spark of electricity arced between our bodies. I felt it, but in that second, I wondered if she felt it too.
"Thanks for the advice, Connor" she said quietly, putting her hand on my arm for a moment. Then she headed in the direction of her desk. I waited a beat, trying to get my pulse rate under control. Goddamn that woman turns me on.
The way my name sounded on her lips made me want to pick her up and carry her to the closest room where I would lock the door and make love to her for the rest of the afternoon.
Instead I returned to my desk and sat in my chair, staring into my screen while trying to banish the dirty thoughts I was having. My phone pinged and I pulled it out. It was another message from John.
His meme game was on point. This one had the text "The face you make when you see your best friend talking to their crush." A celebrity's face with a shit eating grin over folded hands completed the image.
I shook my head, then sent him the middle finger emoji.
Chapter 8
Madlyn
It was Thursday night. That meant that tomorrow was the office holiday party. And I still didn't have a stupid Secret Santa gift.
The sitter Becca had recommended was busy most of the week. I should have considered how lucrative the season was for babysitters and called her earlier. Luckily, she'd made room in her schedule to watch Bennie tomorrow night so I could attend the party.
Still, that meant I had no one to watch him tonight so I could shop. And so far, I hadn't been able to think of a damn thing to buy.
Becca had suggested checking out that new adult shop, but there was no way on God's green earth I was taking Bennie there. Besides, I had no idea what to buy Connor from one of those stores.
Sure, I knew what I'd get him if we'd been dating. It would have been a gift for both of us, but if I was reading the situation right, he wouldn't have any complaints when I walked into his bedroom wearing black lace garters, silk thigh-high stockings with the seam that ran down the back, a tiny black lace thong, and a black corset to complete the outfit.
Unfortunately, I wasn't going to be anywhere near Connor's bedroom. As disheartening as the thought was, I had to keep reminding myself it was true.
Since we weren't headed to the adult store, I had to find somewhere to shop for Connor's gift. The only place I could think to go was the big box store not far from home. It was huge, had everything from groceries to automotive parts, and was sure to have something I could use. Right?
I loaded Bennie into the car and we headed into the night. He liked looking at the Christmas lights on the houses in a nearby neighborhood, so we took a little detour to admire the displays. This had the unintended side effect of tiring him out before we even got to the store. By the time I got him secured in the cart, he was starting to get fussy.
I had no idea where to start, I just knew I had to make it relatively quick or I was going to have a cranky little boy on my hands. I started rushing up aisles at random, my eyes scanning the shelves for anything that might work.
Bennie started pointing at things, asking me to put them in the cart. I had to tell him no a couple times and I could see that things were deteriorating rapidly. Bringing a tired child to the store was a big enough mistake. Add in the fact that it was Christmastime and the store was crowded and stuffed to the gills with potential gifts for children and we were fast approaching a nuclear-meltdown-level event.
A bouquet of flowers caught my eyes. "Look, Bennie," I said, trying to pull his attention away from the display of animatronics dolls that resembled one of his favorite cartoon characters. "Your favorite flowers."
It was a display of tulips, and actually they were his grandmother's favorite flowers. I always bought her a bouquet when she visited town, and he thought they were called Two Lips flowers.
The distraction was short-lived, however, and his eyes returned to the dolls. I'd have to do something quick. My eyes still on the flowers, I wracked my brain for something suitable. Connor had said to try something humorous, and not to think too seriously about it. It sounded like good advice, but what kind of gift would fit the bill?
Suddenly, it hit me. The bouquet was the inspiration I'd been looking for. I wheeled the cart towards the pharmacy where I grabbed a couple of boxes of condoms. I tried to make an interesting selection, buying ones wit
h ribs and ones without, some in fancy colors, a few others promising to feel just like bare skin.
The thought of Connor's bare skin was making me start to sweat under my jacket.
Next, I hustled over to the crafting section, hunting up some wooden sticks, some cellophane, and ribbon. Bennie nearly lost it on our way to the registers, so I was forced to grab him a fire truck from the stack we were passing. I told him I'd be wrapping it and putting it under the tree, but I barely convinced myself of that.
On the way home, my adorable little boy passed out. I was relieved, knowing he'd be much easier to slip into bed, giving me time to put together my creation. When he was tucked under his blankets, thumb firmly in his mouth and his forehead kissed, I spread out my tools and purchases on the kitchen table.
I unboxed the condoms, not managing to hold back some adolescent giggles as I read the packaging. I meticulously taped a condom to the end of each wooden stick until I had twenty "flowers" for my bouquet. Tying a small length of ribbons around each stick, I used the scissors to curl them artfully.
Then I dug a small Mason jar out of my kitchen cabinet and placed the sticks inside, then carefully cut and arranged the cellophane around the "flowers" to fill out the bouquet. I spent the last few minutes constructing a festive bow to put around the Mason jar.
Standing up, I stretched, starting to feel tired. I went into the closet where I kept the gift bags and wrapping paper, and found a shiny silver bag that seemed large enough to contain the bouquet. I grabbed some tissue paper to pack around the jar and settled it inside the bag.
I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that I'd figured out something for the gift, something that skirted the line of suggestiveness, was good for a laugh, and that might even be useful for a young, and likely active, man like Connor.
I padded into the bedroom, exhausted. It had been a long week of agonizing over finding something right for the gift exchange. Now that I finally had, I thought I'd be able to rest easy. Boy, was I wrong.
I stared at the ceiling, wondering how things would go down the next day when I'd have to actually hand my gift over to Connor. Would he like it? Think it charming and creative? Maybe. Our senses of humor seemed to be on the same wavelength, so I thought I'd done a pretty good job 'thinking outside the box' on this one, as Bec wanted us to do.
I imagined him pulling it out, that slow smile spreading across his face, exposing the dimple that hid in his left cheek. And then my imagination ran away with me.
Is this for me, Fantasy Connor asked. When I replied that it was, he'd look me up and down, then wonder aloud who he'd have the pleasure of using his gift with.
Fantasy Madlyn, who was much bolder than her real-life counterpart would fix him with a seductive grin and give him the reply we both wanted. Why me, of course.
Connor was young, handsome and fit. I had no doubt that he might be able to use a fair number of those condoms in just one night. And oh, my good Lord, what a night that would be. Just thinking about it had me clenching my thighs together under the blanket.
I couldn’t help thinking about Connor’s hands on my body, about his mouth on mine. I imagined us spending an hour just kissing and touching, getting to know each other’s body.
Then again, if my current arousal was any indication, I likely wouldn’t have the patience to last an hour before I’d be begging for more. Maybe he’d kiss his way down his body, opening me to his questing tongue.
I let out a groan and flipped onto my stomach, punching my pillow in frustration. Dammit, Madlyn, stop thinking about him. You’re just making things worse!
My first marriage had started off full of passion and exploration, but things had fallen apart quickly when the real world outside of our love nest settled in. Differences that had once seemed quirky and cute had quickly spun into arguments that had lasted weeks.
And after Bennie arrived, the marriage had limped along for another year before the chasm between us was too wide to bridge any longer. I’d been hurt to realize he’d started seeing someone on the side. Hurt but not surprised.
Signing the divorce papers had left me with an overwhelming feeling of relief more than anything.
The last several years I’d concentrated fully on raising my son, putting him before everything else. My ex had offered very little in the way of support, and being a single mother in one of the world’s most expensive cities wasn’t easy. What man would want to walk into the middle of my mess?
Especially Connor. Was a 25-year-old really looking to be saddled with a family right out the gate? I doubted it.
Although I was pretty sure he was attracted to me, I mean, he had asked me out after all, I didn’t think he’d be interested in anything serious. And I couldn’t afford the luxury of anything that wasn’t serious.
That meant we’d never work.
No matter how sexy and funny and kind Connor was, he had to remain off limits.
Chapter 9
Connor
It was Friday, the big day of the holiday party. The whole office was abuzz, most talking about the Singles Secret Santa exchange. Although several people had replaced the word ‘single’ with other adjectives, like ‘sexy,’ ‘sultry,’ and ‘sensual.’
The gift bag with the items I’d selected was tucked under my desk, the feather partially bent in a way I hoped wouldn’t affect it before the unwrapping. My palms were already sweating, thinking of Madlyn opening her presents. What would she think? I couldn’t even begin to guess.
John stopped by mid-morning, gesturing to the bag with the hand holding his coffee mug. “What’s in there?”
“Can’t tell you,” I said, vigorously typing on my keyboard. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
John grunted. “Come on, don’t be ridiculous. You can tell me.”
“Sorry, old man. It’s against the code of the North Pole.”
“Spoil sport,” he said, sniggering. “I’ll tell you what I got my person.”
“Let me guess. Something prepackaged that you bought at the convenience store on the way in this morning when you remembered it was time for Secret Santa?”
John chuckled. “Guilty as charged. I hope Andrea in accounts likes candy bars, because she’s getting a whole bag of them.
“Shhh,” I said, putting my finger to my lip. “Don’t let Becca hear you revealing the name you drew. You’ll be banned for life.”
“I’m already on the naughty list,” he reminded me. “How much worse could it get?”
“I don’t want to find out.”
We both laughed, then John made his way back to his own desk.
If I’d thought it had been hard to concentrate all week, today was definitely the worst. I was counting down the minutes until I gave Madlyn my gift. How would she respond? Would I get another glimpse of that secret smile that had made my dick ache for the past couple of nights?
I hoped she wouldn’t take things the wrong way. Now that I knew Madlyn was the woman I was buying for, I wondered if I should have done things differently.
The thought of using those things with her had been a constant source of fantasy since I’d drawn her name. They’d tormented me with images of her at my mercy. I’d run the feather over her naked, flawless skin while she lay blindfolded and begging for my touch.
I closed my eyes and forced myself to count down from a hundred, trying to will my ever-present erection away.
That afternoon, I watched as the caterers rolled their carts towards the conference room. Those on the party committee were busy setting up decorations, but I could see that, like me, most of my coworkers were getting very little done. There was too much excitement in the air.
When five o’clock rolled around, Christmas music switched on, pouring out of the conference room. “Come on, everyone,” Becca announced from the conference room doorway. “Time to party!”
Folks finished up their work and started drifting towards the music. I shut down my computer and stood, debating whether to bring the gift ba
g with me into the party. I decided against it, figuring it was too unwieldy to carry around with me.
I wandered into the conference room, marveling at the spread on the big table inside. It was a buffet packed with roasted turkey, ham, sides, and several desserts. Liam Lewis certainly didn’t skimp when it came to showing us a good time. Some of my coworkers were already making plates.
My department head moved to the end of the table and raised his hands for attention. “I’d like to welcome you all to our holiday party. We hope you enjoy the festivities. And now, to start things off on a particularly happy note, I’d like to inform you that you’ll all be receiving your annual bonus tonight!”
There were cheers and applause from around the room. The manager pulled out a stack of envelopes and began making his way around the room, passing them out. “Liam especially would like to thank you all for your hard work and dedication this past year. Our quarterly profits are higher than ever, and we have you to thank. So enjoy your bonuses. You certainly earned them.”
I took the envelope he handed to me and smiled. It was my first bonus with the company, and the first one I’d ever received, actually. “One more thing,” our manager said, a big grin on his face. “I set up a makeshift bar at my desk. Please help yourself. Relax and enjoy the party!”
There were a couple whoops of excitement at that final announcement, and I wondered how long it would be until the party devolved into a bacchanalia of epic proportions.
Figuring I would beat the crowds, I headed towards the bar. There were several bottles of top shelf spirits arranged on the manager’s desk, along with multiple mixers and a large tub of ice.
I took a plastic cup and filled it with ice, then debated on which bottle of booze to crack open first. While I was considering my choice, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Turning around, I found Frieda standing behind me with a wide grin on her face.
