On Santa's lap - S01 E10

3 months ago

On Santa's lap - S01 E10

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 10

There were many things you notice when you were close to a person.

So close you could smell the cake they ate moments ago, chocolate with the light trace of hazelnuts, and their cologne, or that could be their natural smell. In this case a spicy musk smell that reminded me of my dad's after shave lotion. But of course you couldn't forget the other senses.

Touch.

And it was weird how there was a difference between a friend hugging you, a stranger and someone completely different. Intimacy, a word so foreign. And I wasn't sure in which category Nik fit in, with his arms resting a bit too low on my back, his thumb rubbing circles on my spine line.

There were few places in your body that made your stomach churn, the spot between your neck and shoulder, just before your ankle, the side of your waist, and the spine, especially when the touch was feather like.

Was it there?

Was it not?

And the way his hard body was pressed into mine, I wasn't sure where to place my hands. Against his chest? Or beside him on the counter top, because I had to steady myself, and they ended up landing against his firm stomach.

And what about sound? Well I was pretty sure the only thing that I could hear was my own heart racing against my rib cage, and then the ever so soft breathing noise coming from Nik, that was if I really concentrated, and I wasn't.

Sight was technically next in the five senses, and looking up to stare into his green eyes was probably the next mistake I did. I wasn't sure if it was the lighting in my kitchen, but his eyes looked darker than they did a millisecond before.

And the lucky last, taste. I did the sinful mistake of allowed my eyes to curve over his well structured nose, past the slight stubble growing over his mouth and onto the perfectly carved lips.

And all of this happened in the seconds my body went from the side of the kitchen and onto his warm body, his arms coming to steady me, with the tea towel between his hands like a belt that didn't allow me to push away.

It was weird that in simple seconds you could feel so much, or think so much, and in another second everything went back to normal, or half normal.

Rachel's loud snoring made me jump, break the hold he had on me and take a step back clearing my throat.

"Sorry, I slipped,"

And why the hell was I apologizing? He was the one who started it!

And just like that the spell was broken, because there was no way that- whatever happened - would happen without a spell.

"I should get going,"

"Yep, you should,"

"Please tell me there is more to life than this,"

Mike looked over the counter top meeting my gaze as I was cleaning the last of the tables.

"I don't know babe, as you get older, like me, this is pretty much it,"

I groaned as I flicked the napkin out and walked back, "So my life is going to be like this, boring," I muttered as I went back behind the counter.

"No," Mike said as he stopped stacking the glass, "It's only going to be like this if you let it. Hell Eva you have a degree, and you are starting your first job, real job in January and you're going to be working for the best firms in the country. And you're going to have the 9-5 desk job, and while that sound painfully boring to me, having a table that looks over the city, you love that. So your life is on it's track."

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

"I guess," I shrugged as I restocked the alcohol bottles, it was Christmas Eve, it was going to be literally empty.

"We're not opening tomorrow, did Ash tell you?"

"Yeah she messaged me," I said. Three days since Nik messaged me as well. Wait, why the hell was I thinking about Nik.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was our worst, while New Years meant everyone was crammed in here, those two days we barely had over fifty customers, and it just wasn't worth the music, electricity and gas to open to cater for a small group.

"Do you have any plans for Christmas?"

"Sort of," I lied as he cleaned down the counter top and locked the tills. We finished cleaning everything up, even if we were going only for one day and a bit, we still wanted it to be perfect so on Boxing day we could come back and open up fresh.

We get busy on Boxing days, all the husbands who ditched their wives shopping for the crazy sales swamped into here.

"Maybe I should quit and open a bakery," I laughed but Mike didn't find it too funny. Okay then, I'll just laugh at my own jokes. Besides I was okay at baking, not that good. Some of the art I see people create makes me scared to even eat it, I was just better than average and way under-skilled compared to them.

I baked as a hobby and for birthdays.

Finishing up I went back to get my stuff, shrugging on the light jacket over my summer dress and grabbing by bag, "See you in a few days,"

"Bye Mike," I replied giving him a quick hug and leaving through my normal spot. When I looked up seeing a figure standing there, my heart, weirdly, skipped a beat. But as I neared closed the figure wasn't as tall as my usual companion nor as muscular.

"What do you want Gavin?" I asked irritated as he walked towards me. Why was he still hanging around me after he dumped me.

"What are you doing for Christmas tonight and tomorrow,"

I raised an eyebrow, "Hi to you too," Not that I said that anyways, "For someone who dated me for a few months, you should know I don't celebrate Christmas," I said slightly irritated. I walked down the escalator, it was funny to see people last minute shopping, really last minutes as they rushed in and out of stores to find that one perfect gift.

Surprisingly it was a lot more men shopping today than women.

"No I remember, I was just asking anyway,"

Sure you were, he walked beside me on the footpath.

"Why don't you hang out with me?"

That made me do a double take at the man standing beside me and I looked at him confused, "You dumped me remember?"

Hazel eyes looked at me before looking away, "I know," he said running his hand through his dirty blonde hair, "I was just thinking..."

I don't think he was.

"Come to lunch with my family tomorrow," he suddenly stopped in front of me making me loose my footing and since I was walking beside the kerb slip on the surface and hit my head against the road the same time a stupid bicycle just dodged me.

I think I just saw death.

"Shit Eva! Are you okay,"

Thank god it was the bicycle lane next to the footpath, if that was a car. I winced, I would have definitely died. I felt his hands on my shoulders as he pulled me up.

"Sorry I didn't mean to startle you," He grabbed a handkerchief out of his pocket pressing it against my forehead, I didn't realise it was bleeding till the sting came and I winced.

"It's fine," I said through gritted teeth, "Look I need to get home,"

"Why?" he said narrowing his eyes, "Are you meeting someone,"

"Totally," I lied but I don't think he got my sarcastic tone as he pulled his hand back away from me, taking his stupid handkerchief with him so now I could feel the blood trailing down.

"Is it him?"

"Who? Look I am not going to come to Christmas lunch to your parent's house. Gavin you dumped me remember. This relationship isn't going anywhere" I started walking again.

Shit my head hurts.

"Right," He nodded as he walked down the rest of the street with me till my apartment, "Bye Gavin,"

"See you later,"

No, its bye you fool. For someone who didn't want to see me again, he was pretty bad at that.