Kelly Jamieson: All I Want for Christmas

"Everything got done? Your work is finished?"

She nodded. “Barring any unforeseen disasters, we're all set.” She glanced at the table next door. “Are you sitting there?"

He nodded.

"Oh, great.” She smiled brightly and took a big sip of her wine, managing to not spill any, to his great disappointment.

"I should get a drink,” he murmured. “What are you having? White wine?"

She nodded and started to say something but, before she could, he turned and made his way to the bar. He'd buy her a drink. That was a nice, friendly thing to do.

Dex had bought her a drink. Whoa. She accepted it from him, saying, because she felt she should, “You didn't need to do that."

He shrugged. “I know. It's Christmas. And you put a lot of work into the evening. You should enjoy."

"I intend to,” she said, finishing one glass of wine and setting it down on the table. She took a sip from the glass he'd just handed her. She saw Kayla eying them.

"Did you get your shopping done last night?” he inquired.

She sighed. “Not all of it. I'm not having very good luck with my gifts this year."

He looked interested so she told him about all the stuff she'd ordered and how it hadn't arrived and how she had nothing except a big fat credit card bill. He laughed as she told the story, making her feel mildly better about things.

"And tomorrow's Christmas Eve, which is when the family exchanges presents, and I've got crappy gifts for some people and nothing for others.” She sighed. “And I've got a million things to do at work so I don't know when I'm going to have time to shop."

"Work can wait,” he said.

She looked at him in surprise. “I thought you were a workaholic.” She sipped her wine.

He grinned. “I am. Normally. But it's Christmas. Christmas and family come before work."

She considered that. “I'm glad you have your priorities straight,” she told him thoughtfully. “What about you? Do you spend Christmas with family?"

"Yup. This year it's my turn to host Christmas. My family won't get here until Christmas day though."

"Where are they coming from?"

"My parents live in Minneapolis. They're driving, and my two brothers are flying in from New York."

"Are you cooking Christmas dinner?” she asked with some amusement, picturing him in a frilly apron holding a wooden spoon. Then suddenly in her fantasy, he was naked beneath the apron, and his shoulders and chest were sleek and bare and really ... hot. She took a breath, quickly sipped more wine.

"Well, sort of,” he said, grinning. “I've kind of got the meal being catered."

"Kind of?"

"Okay, it is. Actually, this hotel is doing it. They do the whole dinner for you and deliver it to your home."

"Wow. That's the way to do it. My mom will be slaving in the kitchen for days."

He nodded. “Mine would, too, if we were at her place. But since it's my Christmas, we do things my way. And the food is really good here."

"Yes, it is. Let's hope tonight is as good as usual."

They stood there talking, almost close enough to touch, and suddenly Erin realized Dex was looking at her mouth. Looking very intently at her mouth. She touched a finger to the corner of her lips.

"Is my lipstick smeared?” she asked hesitantly.

He quickly shook his head. “No,” he said, his voice a bit hoarse. “It's perfect.” He cleared his throat. “You look beautiful, by the way."

"Um, thanks."

This was like the Twilight Zone. Dex Mitchell, the man of her dreams and hot fantasies, was standing with her, complimenting her, talking to her about family, and looking at her mouth as if he wanted to kiss her. Everything inside her melted and pooled in a low puddle of lust deep inside her, making her ache and burn. Even as she watched his face, she could swear his eyes darkened with something ... arousal? Definitely heat. Was that for her?

Oh, God. She needed to fan herself. It was suddenly very warm in the room. Or maybe it was the three glasses of wine she'd had on an empty stomach. Warm and pleasantly dizzy, she smiled back at Dex, unable to resist looking at his mouth, too. Firm lips, nicely shaped, curved in a smile, and she inadvertently took a tiny step nearer to him.

At that moment, the CEO of the company took the microphone on the dais to announce that dinner would be served shortly and everyone should take their seats.

With a smile that looked regretful, Dex said, “Enjoy your dinner."

"You, too.” He pulled out her chair for her, and she slid into it, allowing him to push it in under her in a surprisingly graceful move. For once, she wasn't spilling things or tripping over herself. Dex took his seat at the table next to her, behind her where she couldn't see him, although if they both pulled their chairs back they'd be practically sitting side by side.

"What was that all about?” Kayla hissed in her ear.

Erin smiled and sipped more wine. “Just chatting."

"You saw him last night?"

"At the mall."

"Erin, he's hot for you,” Kayla insisted with a soft little laugh. “Did you see how he was looking at you?"

Oh, yeah, she'd seen all right, and the heat in his gaze melted her. She let a server place a salad plate in front of her. “Yes,” she whispered back to her friend when the server had moved away. “What should I do?"

"Go for it, honey,” Kayla advised, picking up her salad fork. “He's yummylicious."

Erin laughed at the silly word and played with her salad.

Everybody was in a happy holiday mood, and there was a lot of laughter around the table throughout dinner. Delicious food and the bottles of wine on each table compliments of management added to the holiday cheer. Jazzy Christmas music played in the background as they ate and talked and laughed.

Erin was conscious of Dex sitting right behind her the whole time. In the break between dinner and dessert, she and Kayla decided to go to the ladies’ room (together of course), and she pushed her chair back and found herself right beside Dex. He smiled and held her chair for her as she got up.

"Thanks.” She could feel his eyes on her as she and Kayla walked across the carpeted room to the exit.

Once out of the ballroom and his sight, she fell against the wall, letting her head thunk back. “God, Kayla!” she moaned, leaning there. “I can't believe this."

Her friend laughed and pulled her upright, leading her down the hall to the ladies’ room. “Get a grip, girl. Has it been that long since you flirted with a guy?"

"Yes,” Erin groaned.

The washroom was the nicest one she'd ever been in. Each stall was huge, with its own red velvet chair and tiny vanity with a mirror. She collapsed onto the velvet chair and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She took out the shiny red lipstick and touched up her mouth, removed a tiny speck of mascara from one cheek. Eyes dark and shiny, her face glowed with excitement—and maybe from all the wine she'd drunk.

"If you want him, go for it,” Kayla advised from the other side of the wall.

Erin's mouth curved into a smile. “Why not?” she murmured.

Dex barely touched his dessert, waiting for Erin to return from the ladies’ room. As she made her way back to the table, she stopped numerous times to talk to various people from work. Before she'd even made it back to the table, some of the execs were giving their speeches, mercifully keeping them short and sweet. They drew for a few door prizes, creating a buzz in the air as people claimed their winnings, then the lights were lowered, and the dancing started.

Several couples immediately took to the dance floor while others just stood up and started mingling.

"So who's going to be the talk of the office tomorrow?” Marty, one of the accountants, asked with a smirk.