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The company Christmas party was that Friday night and I’d asked Kit to go with me. He and Brandon had recently broken up after the asshole had accused Kit of cheating on him, with me of all people. Of course no such thing had occurred, but Brandon wouldn’t believe it. Kit told me he’d raged and yelled until he was blue in the face and then left, never to be seen again. After a month of no answers from his texts, Kit threw out what few belongings he had left at his house and called it even.
I’m ashamed to admit that I reveled in that first week after their breakup. Kit spent almost every waking moment at my house, ranting about how ridiculous Brandon had gotten and how stupid he was. How he wouldn’t let Kit even open a door for himself and had even asked him to stop driving because it might be ‘too dangerous’. Kit, being the independent type, had ignored all his requests, even going out of his way to prove he was self-sufficient. It hadn’t taken much longer for their relationship to sour completely as Brandon began getting more and more insane.
I listened as Kit carried on about him. I held him when he cried, I hugged him when he needed it, and I let him sleep next to me when he didn’t want to be alone. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I enjoyed it more than I should have. I’d missed the days of having him around, spending time together like we were kids again. I loved making breakfast for him in the mornings while he sat groggily at the table in an oversized hoodie with his hair sticking in odd directions. It was exactly what I wanted. But I knew it had to end eventually, and it did when he finally went back home. With Brandon gone, we saw each other more often again, and I tried to be content with that.
As the Christmas party drew near, my boss made it clear that the party was mandatory and would be considered working hours for the day. There was only one catch: there would be an open bar. I hadn’t told anyone at work about my past as an alcoholic and frankly, I didn’t want them to know. So I asked Kit along as my plus-one and chaperone.
On top of that, one of the secretaries, Cheryl, seemed to have taken a shine to me. I’d kept up with the exercise and diet regimen Kit had given me and I’d trimmed down a lot. I’d never be the old me again, but I didn’t look half bad. Apparently she had noticed. She started coyly at first, batting her eyes at me and making extra trips into my office when I wasn’t out at a job site, always asking me if I needed a refill on something while leaning on my desk. Her shirts seemed to be cut lower each time I saw her. It was getting more and more obvious what she was trying to say, and I was getting up the courage to take the bait.
Kit came over to my place around four and we headed out for the party. I worked in the next town over, so it wasn’t too far to drive. It had started to snow lightly that day while the sun still peeked through the clouds, leaving the roads lightly dusted. As the sun sank lower, the clouds grew thicker and darker, the threat of a larger storm on the horizon. I hoped the drive home wouldn’t be too bad as the flakes grew bigger and fell in clusters.
Inside the office, it was a completely different story. Over the past day, everything that would stand still had been draped in garland and multi-colored lights. Ornaments and tinsel were everywhere, catching the colored light and spreading it about the room like mini disco balls. The room was already full of people holding glasses and chatting happily while old Christmas tunes played in the background from an unseen speaker system.
When I hung up my coat, the first thing that caught my eye was the bar with it’s many brightly-colored glass bottles interwoven with lights staring back at me. Kit saw my eyes lock onto it and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Just breathe,” he said softly, “and remember: you don’t need it and it doesn’t control you.”
I sighed loudly, placing the hanger with my jacket in the closet. I could already smell the booze in the air; the coconut rum, the caramels, the juniper... I took a deep breath to steady myself. Taking Kit’s jacket, I stayed facing the closet for an extra moment, trying to gather my thoughts.
“Okay... this is gonna be fine. You don’t need it, you don’t even want it. You got this,” I whispered to myself.
“Do you want me to get you something?” Kit asked, “Just to get you started?”
“Yeah... yeah I think that might be best,” I replied, tearing my eyes away from the bar once more.
Kit nodded to me and began weaving his way through the crowd. Just as he disappeared, I saw Cheryl break through a small group of people, her arm laced with the owner of the company. She was wearing a sleeveless black dress that hugged her form, showing off the curves of her body. A long slit ran up the side almost to the top of her thigh, revealing the smooth skin beneath as she walked. As she drew closer I noticed there were tiny Christmas bulbs dangling from her ears and her dark hair was wound up on top of her head in a braid woven with what looked like silver wire. She was stunning and a large smile grew across her face as she saw me.
“Ryan!” she called out, waving to me as she dragged the boss across the room. She let go of him and pulled me into a hug before I could react.
“It’s so good to see you!”
“I... you saw me yesterday Cheryl,” I stuttered, laughing a little.
“Glad you could make it Ryan,” my boss said, holding out a hand. I could already smell the whiskey on his breath.
I grasped it firmly and shook it in return, “I wouldn’t miss it Mr. Chambers.”
At that moment Kit came back and handed me a cocktail glass filled with a pinkish, bubbly liquid and a few cherries. I knew it was a Shirley Temple before I even tasted it.
“I don’t think I know you, young man,” Mr. Chambers declared, holding out his hand to Kit. “Is this your plus-one?”
“Yes!” I replied, pulling the sweet drink away from my lips. “This is Jonathan.”
He shook Kit’s hand and pulled his own back. “Are you two... uh... together?”
“What? No!” I scoffed.
“Absolutely not,” Kit said at the same time.
“He’s a childhood friend,” I added quickly.
“Good! Glad to hear it!” Mr. Chambers replied. “Would be pretty odd to have fairies working in the construction business wouldn’t it? Seems a bit too manly for them! Might make our customers a bit worried their homes weren’t built to code!”
He and Cheryl laughed in unison at what he thought was a clever joke. I chuckled half heartedly, noticing Kit fake a smile and take a large swig of his drink.
As the owner recovered, he looked back to us and held his glass up, “Well, enjoy the party and drink as much as you like! Carry on, children!”
Cheryl walked forward and took my arm, pressing it against the bare skin of her cleavage, “Ryan, there’s some people I want you to meet!”
I turned back to Kit who still looked a bit perturbed. He waved me on.
“Go on! I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.”
I mouthed ‘sorry’ at him as she drug me away into the crowd leaving him to his own devices.
***
The night slipped by in a tornado of conversation and introductions. There were many people at the party I had never actually worked with or even seen, but Cheryl seemed to know them all. She introduced me to everyone in sight, clinging to me the entire time. I’d lost sight of Kit, but I never seemed to find a chance to slip away and find him.
The room grew hot as the drinks flowed and people chatted the night away, all while music softly played in the background on a long loop of Christmas classics. I’d managed to snag a bottle of soda water as we passed the bar, sipping on it as Cheryl made the rounds. The conversations were sterile and unimportant, but she seemed to be enjoying herself. I found myself losing focus in the heat, feeling the sweat begin to run down my back under my black dress shirt.
After a particularly long and boring conversation about drywall prices, Cheryl pulled me aside. “Will you walk me to the restroom?” she asked, bringing herself too close to my ear.
“I... guess I can,” I replied. She knew where it was, she had worked there longer than me.
“Thanks,” she said quickly, ignoring my hesitation.
She grabbed me by the wrist and led me out the side door to the hallway. At least half the lights had been turned off and it was darker than usual with only the dim street light coming through the windows. Outside I could see the snow piling up on the roofs of cars, like a fluffy cotton blanket. The large flakes were still falling steadily, slowly silencing the world around us. Cheryl continued to lead me down the hallway, but took a left before the bathrooms, heading for the stairs.
“They’re right-” I began.
“I like the upstairs ones better,” she said, cutting me off.
When we came to the top of the stairs we turned right down the hallway in the darkness. She stopped in front of the conference room and tested the door handle. It turned easily in her grasp and she pulled me inside, shutting the door quietly behind her and flipping the lock. Spinning around she reached up and pulled my face down, colliding her lips with mine.
I felt myself freeze up for a moment as I tasted the vodka on her tongue. I pulled myself away quickly.
“Are you okay?” she asked, looking up at me. “Is something wrong?”
“I... no... I’m fine,” I lied, pressing my fingers to my lips.
“Are you sure?” she purred looking up at me, the silver threads in her hair catching the light outside.
She looked beautiful staring up at me with those blue eyes that seemed to shimmer as they caught the dim light. I felt a small sensation in the pit of my stomach, like a jolt of electricity. She ran her hands over my back and across my chest, making my skin break out in goosebumps at her touch.
“I’m sure,” I breathed back, grabbing her chin and bringing her lips to mine once again.
Before I knew it, she had undone my belt and pushed me backwards, onto the black leather couch that was against the conference room wall. I watched as she quickly pulled down her underwear and climbed on top of me, straddling my legs. My pants had grown tight and I was relieved when she finally undid the zipper and plunged her face downwards.
***
I found Kit sometime later, sitting in a corner by himself. He looked bored as hell and was overjoyed to hear me tell him I was ready to go. As we trudged through the parking lot and got into the snow covered SUV, he turned to me.
“So...” he said coyly, “where did you two disappear to?”
“What? I was there the whole time,” I lied, blushing in the darkness as I started the car.
“Ryan,” he laughed, “I saw you walk out the door with that brunette, I’m not an idiot. She meant business. Plus, there’s lipstick on your neck.”
“I... I guess y-you know th-then,” I stuttered, not daring to look at him.
“We’re both adults. It’s not a big deal!” he chuckled. “I’m happy for you, really! It’s about time you got out and had some fun! And with the boss’s daughter too!”
“What do you mean the boss’s daughter?” I asked, forgetting my embarrassment for shock.
“Do you mean to tell me,” he was giggling like a fool at that point, “that you’ve never read the nameplate on her desk?”
“I-I guess not,” I laughed nervously. “This... could be bad.”
“Hey,” Kit said, laying a hand on my thigh. “It’s just sex, it’s not a big deal. It’s not like you have to marry her or anything.”