Tied Up with Tinsel

'Library's closing in five minutes,' Stuart called out, using his authoritarian tone for good effect.

I cursed under my breath and glanced at the clock on the nearby wall as if it might refute Stuart's announcement, of course it only confirmed the truth. Fuck! Where had the time gone? I looked at the half constructed Christmas tree before me and realised that I'd failed miserably in my plan to get the damn thing up by closing time. I'd planned to get the tree up and decorated before the library closed and I'd given myself an hour to do it. I reckoned thirty minutes to construct the damn thing and another 30 minutes to decorate it. Unfortunately I hadn't reckoned on a few other things, like how busy the library was on the weekend before Christmas, like the public network system crashing and having to try a get the bloody thing working again, then having to help an elderly customer find some obscure book on pre-roman London. Every time I went back to the job of doing the tree I'd get diverted by something, and now time had finally beaten me.

As usual the last call before closing stirred the customers into a hive of activity, most of them thronging round the desk and the self service machines, others at the printer queuing to collect the their printouts. Stuart and Jasmine, a library assistant, rapidly dealt with the customers, while Kadisha, the children's librarian, tidied up around the library and checked the windows were securely shut prior to closing. I suspected checking the windows was a waste of time given how cold it was lately, but it was standard closing up procedure.

I turned my attention back to the half constructed tree toying with the idea of giving up. It was one of those ones where all the branches came separately and had to be inserted into holes in the trunk in the correct order so when complete it resembled a pear-like shaped tree. I gave a dejected sigh, and resolved to get some more done. Tomorrow would be Saturday and I wouldn't be in, which meant the staff tomorrow would have to finish the job I'd started, and that chaffed at my pride -- I like to finish what I begin.

'Still not got it up yet, Jon?' Kadisha commented from behind me.

I twisted round, which wasn't easy kneeling on the floor, and looked up at her. She had an armful of books, a wry smile on her lips and a raised eyebrow.

'Most observant of you, Kadisha,' I returned, ignoring the double entendre.

'You been putting that tree up for an hour now. Personally I think it would have been quicker to grow the damn thing,' her smile widened, and I could see the pleasure she was getting from teasing me. Kadisha was a wonderfully warm person with a surprisingly wicked sharp sense of humour tempered with a slightly flirtatious nature. She'd lived in London her whole adult life, but it seemed the soft twang of her Kenyan accent was completely undiminished. Thick long dreadlocks framed an oval face with playful dark eyes and an easy smile. Her skin was coffee brown and her body's curvaceous form was always enhanced by the tight fitting clothes she wore.

'Well, Kadisha, if I had some help perhaps,' I nodded at pile of branches on the floor around me.

Kadisha laughed playfully, 'I recall offering to help earlier, but oh no, "I'll be fine" you said, "it'll be all done by closing time" you said "it's a thirty minute job."

'Well, it is a thirty minute job if you don't get interrupted by customers and computers crashing and God knows what else,' I retorted, sensing I was losing this battle.

'Jon, you know how busy we get on Friday afternoon, you should have started way earlier.'

'I know, I know, and as soon as I invent a time machine I'll get it done much earlier.'

'I suppose I'll have to finish it tomorrow morning. What is it with you men? I never met a man who couldn't make putting up a Christmas such an ordeal. A woman would just get it done, no fuss.'

'Hey, no sexism in the work place.'

Kadisha grinned and began to but the books she held back on the shelves, 'Well, Jon, I leave you to it, I'm sure you'll get the tree up -- in time for next Christmas maybe.'

'Library's closing now,' Stuart called out. Most of the customers had left and Stuart was cashing up with Jasmine. Standing up I scrutinised the branches and picking one up checked the colour tab on it to ensure it was the right length for the upper middle part of the tree and inserted it in the corresponding hole. I found the next one and did the same. I could probably get it finished in another ten minutes.

'Hey, Jon,' Stuart called over, shrugging on his jacket. ' Down tools, kiddo, it's home time.'

Jasmine and Kadisha had disappeared into the staff room to get their coats.

'It's okay, Stuart, You guys get going, I wanna finish this off. I'll lock up after.'

'You sure?'

'Yeah, if I leave this for Kadisha to finish tomorrow she'll chew my ass off come Monday.'

'Fair point,' Stuart grinned. 'Well, don't be at it all night.'

'Ten minutes tops,' I assured him with mock confidence.

'He gave a doubtful grin, 'whatever, dude. See you Monday.'

The girls emerged from the staff room sharing some gossip, and the three of them filed out, Stuart informing them I was staying on. Kadisha, last to leave turned and called out, 'Well, Mr Christmas try and get finished in time or Santa will be pissed off.'

Jasmine burst into giggles, and before I could think of a witty put down, the door closed behind them. And I was listening to their receding footsteps and fading voices.

Resolving to find a way of winding up Kadisha next week, I momentarily abandoned my Christmas tree efforts to lock the front door. I turned off the front lights to discourage any late customers from thinking the building was still open, then headed into the staff room and switched on the kettle, I could do with a cup of coffee before finishing off my task. I scanned the weather report in the newspaper and noted that the temperature was set to drop severely tonight and heavy snowfall was expected all over south east England. The kettle came to a boil and just as I was pouring the water I heard knocking on the front door.

'We're closed.' I yelled out, stirring my coffee and adding a dollop of milk.

The knocking came again persistent, and impatient. Jesus, couldn't people see the library was closed? Morons.

'We are closed,' I yelled again.

There was silence and I figured they'd taken the hint.

Then they knocked again.

'Right,' I said, now in official pissed-off mode. I strode out of the staff room, ready to put them off ever using a library again and swiftly found my indignant wrath cut short. It was Kadisha.

I opened up. 'Forget something?' I asked.

She gave a grin, and pushed past me. 'I came back to give you a hand, Jon. God knows you need it, or you won't get home tonight. It's bloody freezing out there. Snow's on its way, and you know what the bus service is like at the first sign of a snowflake.'

'It won't take me that long,' I said locking the door again.

'Four hands are better than two as the priest said to the nun,' she quipped, pulling off her heavy knee length coat, and draping it over a kinder box.

'You can't blaspheme at Christmas time,' I said in mock disapproval.

'Baby, when you sinned as much as I have, you can blaspheme as much as you want, it won't make no difference to my sorry assed soul.'

'Well, Kadisha, when you put that like that . . .'

'C'mon Jon boy, let's get to it, I want to get home tonight before my tits freeze off,' Kadisha said, examining the remaining branches on the floor.

'Has anybody ever told you, Kadisha, that for a children's librarian, you have a rather uncouth manner.'

'Has anyone ever told you Jon, that sometimes you are an insufferable condescending so-and-so?'

'Only people who've met me.'

'Shall we get this thing up then?' she said, picking up a loose branch from the floor.

'The thing is called a Christmas tree,' I said in my best condescending tone.

'When it has branches, lights on and hanging shiny balls, then it's called a Christmas tree,' Kadisha returned with a smile, inserting the branch into one of the remaining holes in the trunk and giving me a tantalising glimpse of her ample cleavage.

'By shiny balls, I take it you mean decorations?' I said inserting another branch.

Kadisha's smile widened and she raised an eyebrow, 'Shiny balls are shiny balls, baby.'

'I bet you say that to all the boys,' I grinned back.

I was immediately rewarded with lash across my backside with the branch Kadisha held.

'Hey, that's bullying in the workplace,' I protested, dodging another blow.

'If you don't watch yourself it'll be your balls decorating that tree, shiny or not.'

'Look Kashisha, if you used those you'd unbalance the tree, the whole thing'd topple and crush some poor kiddie.'

'You wish, I'd probably have to use some kinda NASA-made magnifying glass to find them and use tweezers to put them on.'

I feigned a hurt expression, which prompted a burst of laughter from Kadisha.

'Let's get this damn tree done,' she said finally.

Between us we soon slotted the remaining branches into place and stood back to admire our work.

'Not bad, it's got a nice shape. Pretty good for an artificial tree,' Kadisha observed.

'Shame it can't be seen from outside the library. Maybe we should move to the other side, so it can be seen through the windows.'

'No, leave in the children's area, it's more for them anyway.'

I shrugged, too tired to argue the point. 'I suppose. Well, another job done, one more small victory. Let's hit the road before it gets covered in snow.'

'What about the Christmas tree lights?' Kadisha said.

'You're kidding, it's too late for that. I'll do them Monday.'

'No way mister, I'm not having our customers and their kiddies having to look at that bare neglected looking thing. Let's do this job properly.'

I opened my mouth to protest, then thought better of it, Kadisha wasn't one to argue with when she wanted things done her way, and I had to concede I kind of quite liked to see the tree with its lights on.

'Okay,' I said clearly surprising Kadisha, who no doubt at least expected at least a token resistance from me.

I opened the small lights box and pulled out the bundle of multicoloured light cord and began to disentangle it. The tree was a little over six feet tall so I looped a section of the lights and tossed it over the highest branch, then began spreading the lights around the branches, I stopped when I caught sight of Kadisha's expression. Her arms folded, she was clearly unimpressed with my workmanship.

'What?' I said, in protest at her disdainful look.

'Jon, I've thrown rubbish in the bin with more care than your putting those lights on. Do the job right won't you?'

'Hey, I am, it's not easy to reach up there.'

'So get a chair, baby.'

'I think you should get a chair and do it, you'd do a better job clearly.'

'Uh uh, baby, this is a man's job -- electrics and all that.'

'Oh I see, all the liberal feminists disappear as soon as there's a job they'd rather get a man to do.'

'It's called division of labour, I'll be in charge of the decorations.'

'The shiny balls, right?' I said pulling up a chair.

'Don't start again with the shiny balls,' Kadisha grinned as I clambered onto the chair.

'Pass me the lights,' I said, giving a small shake of the head and secretly appreciating the angle to take in Kadisha's cleavage.

Kadisha lifted a length of the lights cord and passed it to me, as she did so her forearm brushed accidentally against my crotch. It was an accidental contact begging for some teasing remark, but for some reason I said nothing. I expected Kadisha to come out with something witty, but she too held back. As though it hadn't happened. The sudden momentary silence between us drew attention to the brief moment.

'Pass me some more,' I said after positioning what she'd given me, I looked down as she reached up some more, her arm almost touching my crotch again, and I caught her eyes. Something passed between us. It lasted only a second but it was undeniably there. A brief exchange, an emotional contact. Intimate. Suggestive.

'It looks better, definitely getting there,' Kadisha said, her gaze shifting to the lights on the upper branches.

'You, think so?' I said, noting her arm was still outstretched. I hesitated, unsure what to do if anything. I took the lights from her hand and in the movement her arm again brushed against my crotch, but this time it stayed there. My cock rapidly grew in size and rigidity, straining against the zipper of my jeans. I was sure Kadisha could feel it. Long seconds passed. A frozen tableau -- erotic chess players pondering their next move.

'I got it,' I said.

Kadisha released her hold on the lights she was handing me. 'I know,' she said, her voice practically a whisper.

Our eyes met, each of us searching the other, wary of moving too soon, frightened but also excited. Kadisha's eyes dark brown pools against the whites of her eyes, her eyelids dusted with purple eye shadow, a shade that enhanced her soft chocolate complexion.

I waited for long seconds for Kadisha to say something, reach out perhaps, but she didn't make a move her attention seemingly on the lights I'd arranged. I took in her full dark lips wet with lip gloss and fractionally parted creating a tiny opening somehow intensely erotic. Looking down further my eyes followed the sensuous dark curve of her neck, followed the line of the thin gold chain necklace she wore, then down to her cleavage, a sweeping black slit dividing the soft swell of her breasts that were partially exposed from her shirt's open top buttons.

The realisation came to me like a slap in the face. She knew I was eyeing her. She was pointedly looking at the tree lights I'd arranged so I could appraise her. It was Kadisha that was in control and I didn't mind one bit.

'I think I'm finished up here,' I said. Was that a quaver in my voice? I desperately wanted to come down from the chair, to hold Kadisha, to kiss her.

'No,' she said suddenly, freezing my movement. 'I think you need to shift those ones right at the top a bit, spread them out more.'

I looked at the lights she meant. They looked pretty spread out to me. I took them anyway, tweaking them a little, and stopped as I felt and heard the zipper on my jeans being pulled down. My eyes were fixed on the lights, my mind racing, my cock ready to explode.

I felt Kadisha's fingers on my jean's button. A moment of small struggle, then the button popped out. I felt the jeans noticeably loosen around my waist.

'You okay?' Kadisha asked, her voice gentle, full of affection with a trace of nervousness.

'Yeah, I'm good,' I said, my voice low, my eyes fixed like glue on the little Christmas tree lights in my fingers.

I felt Kadisha's fingers on the sides of my jeans. There was a gentle tugging sensation before they slid down, settling around my knees. The air was cool on my legs.

Kadisha's fingers returned immediately to my crotch, I felt her fingertips trace the length of my cock, traversing from the base of my balls to the tip of my cock, the material of my underpants only slightly muting the pleasurable sensation.

'Kadisha . . . ' I began.

She immediately shushed me. 'Don't talk.'

I didn't. Instead I concentrated on not falling off the chair.

I inhaled sharply as I felt her gentle fingers hook the edge of my underpants, and ease them downwards, freeing my full erection. The air felt pleasurably cool on the taut skin of my cock. I waited for the touch of her fingers on my erection, but the touch didn't come. Instead I felt an increase of cool air wafting over my cock and I realised Kadisha was blowing the air over me. Her lips were undoubtedly close to my cock. I closed my eyes - then gasped.

The touch of Kadisha's soft lips on the swollen head of my cock was exquisite. It was a kiss, gentle, soft, affectionate and brief. She kissed my dome again, this time longer, the tip of her tongue exploring the small groove of my meatus, tasting the pre-come that know streamed freely.

I cried out when she engulfed the whole head of my cock in the soft pit of her mouth, her tongue sliding over my bursting organ. I swayed, Christ, don't let me lose my balance!

Her fingers were around my balls and she slowly released me from her mouth.

I exhaled heavily.

'Jon,' Kadisha said.

I breathed in deeply through my nostrils. No words came. Was this a dream? A delicious wet dream?

'Jon, you can look at me, baby. I ain't Medusa.'

Not Medusa? Christ, she'd definitely turned part of me to stone!

I opened my eyes, looked down at her upturned face beneath the length of my cock.

Her eyes were fixed on mine, pupils dilated. Her lips seemed fuller, shiny not with lip-gloss but with the effluence from my cock. She parted her lips, her mouth a deep inviting cavern, and she took me again this time more fully, deeper, her eyes on mine, hypnotic - lustful.

My hands reached down holding the sides of her head, fingers buried in her dark thick lush hair, using her to help me balance. Kadisha moved her head in a slow bobbing motion. The sensation was explosive and I fought the urge to ejaculate -- I wanted this to last longer, much longer.

Kadisha used her tongue to make a delicious groove for me to slide down, the soft velvet roof of her mouth caressing my gland as she took me deeper. I whimpered as the tip of my cock brushed against her tonsils. Her fingertips caressed my balls, then her full luscious lips, glided up over the length of my shaft to finish in a wet kiss sticky with my pre-come, only to drop her head, engulfing my cock again, her eyes on mine the whole time.

This time I could not hold back the flood. My cock spasmed in her mouth, my fingers clamped tighter on the sides of her face as I came. She gulped down the rush of ejaculation then another spurt filled her mouth. She drank me like a ravenous vampire. My cock's spasm lessened as I finished coming. I heard her gulp down my seed then she licked around the softening head of my cock, like a cat cleaning a saucer of milk.

She looked up into my eyes and I found myself utterly lost for words, my mind still trying to accept what had happened, and half expecting to wake up in my bed.

'You okay, honey?' Kadisha purred.

I nodded mutely.

'Shall we get tree finished?'

I cleared my throat, 'yeah right, I'll uh, just finish the lights.' I hurriedly fixed myself and did up my jeans.

'And the tinsel, tree's gotta have tinsel,' Kadisha said.

'It's in the back office -- Christmas decoration box -- it's labelled'

'Okay, you finish the lights, I'll get the tinsel,' she said, her voice low. She turned and disappeared into the office.

I gave a quick shake of my head to check I wasn't dreaming then climbing down off the chair, wound the lights around the tree the best I could given my state of mind. It took longer than I thought but once done I flicked them on at the switch socket and gave a small nod of satisfaction -- the tree looked good. Suddenly I realised Kadisha should have been back with the decorations by now.

I called her name.

Silence.

I listened carefully for any sound but there was nothing.

'Have you found it Kadisha?' I called.

No reply. Christ, was she even there had I imagined the whole experience?

I took a step towards the office and stopped dead.

The first thing I heard was the swish of tinsel, then Kadisha appeared from the office.

She was stark naked but had adorned herself with tinsel. Silver and gold lengths of tinsel were wrapped around each leg from her ankles to her knees like eighties leg warmers. Gold and red tinsel was wrapped around her waist in a belt-like manner, and draped around her neck and shoulders various colours of sparking tinsel hung, parted by the swell of her breasts. A smaller length of gold tinsel she had fashioned into a crown that perched on her head. She stood there before my gob-smacked frozen expression, her hand on hip, her chin tilted slightly up and her poise one of complete dignity, one eyebrow slightly raised in mock countenance.