A Very Merry Christmas Indeed

It was a cold December morning but Annie was warm and cozy under the covers. She stretched out under the soft sheets as she blinked her eyes. The sun was barely starting to come through the blinds. She snuggled back against her husband's large frame. Her butt pressed up against his crotch as she wiggled into him hoping to feel him get hard. Neither of them had to get up yet and she was in the mood for a quickie before leaving the bed's warmth.

Annie and Jeff had become a couple nearly a decade earlier. Annie had moved back to her small hometown to accept a teaching job at the local middle school after she finished her degree at the state university. She had always been pretty shy and had been bookish in high school. She had trouble making friends in the bigger city and missed her parents and the charm of the small tight-knit community. So when she had the opportunity to move back she didn't hesitate. Her parents had also been thrilled to have her back, especially because she stayed with them while she saved up some money after college.

Jeff had been a few years ahead of her in high school. He had been the captain of the football team and the life of the party back then. They hadn't interacted much at the time because they were in entirely different social circles even within the small town. He was big, burly, and handsome, and every girl in town seemed to have a crush on him. After high school he had worked at his dad's hardware store in town and

When she moved back to town, a friend she had reconnected with at church set her up with Jeff for a blind date because she thought they would be cute together. At least, this is what Annie had thought at the time. Annie was shocked when she found out who the date was and was sure there must be a mistake. Her apprehension had quickly been subdued when she had spent time with him. Despite his rugged appearance, he was kind, gentle, and clearly very charmed with her. She had been swept off of her feet immediately.

Jeff tells it differently though. He insists that he had seen her come in and sit a few pews up from him one Sunday, catching his eye right away. Right after the service he had asked around to try to find out more about the beautiful woman he didn't recognize. Annie did have to admit she had changed since she had graduated high school. She had been a late bloomer. In college, her bust had filled out and she had gotten into fitness as a way to burn off stress after hours of studying. She had also found her sense of style and figured out the right way to do her makeup for her porcelain skin color. Her long raven hair, which had always been messy in high school, was now one of her best features. Once Jeff had figured out who she was he begged one of her friends to set them up. The rest was history.

They had a whirlwind romance fit for a Hallmark movie. Dates out to the local diner for milkshakes and long days relaxing on Jeff's boat on the river. He had charmed her parents easily and his younger sisters welcomed her into the family like she was one of them. After six months of dating he proposed on a warm summer night where they had spent the evening watching the stars from the bed of his pickup truck. Her parents weren't surprised since Jeff had asked for her father's blessing beforehand. The two families were thrilled and wedding planning had started immediately.

Six months later, they were married in a big ceremony on his dad's property with half the town in attendance. His sisters were bridesmaids along with her oldest friends. Jeff had never been more handsome as he waited for her in his blue suit at the end of the aisle. Her father had cried as the pastor had pronounced them married. It was everything she could have ever wanted and more.

They were both very traditional in most ways, and they hadn't wasted much time before they had started trying to start a family. By the time Annie was twenty-five she was pregnant. A couple of months later, an ultrasound confirmed she was going to have twins. It was a surprise, to be sure, but twins ran in Jeff's family, and they were thrilled to welcome George and Jacob.

They had decided to stop having kids after they were blessed with the twins on their first attempt and Jeff had had a vasectomy since she had felt terrible with any attempts at using birth control.

The boys were almost impossible to tell apart when they were little but now they were starting to have at least some subtle differences. They had just turned seven and were full of energy. The boys were so rambunctious it was a full-time job just trying to keep up with them. Thankfully they lived near both of their parents who were more than happy to watch their grandchildren anytime they needed.

Annie had been excited to return to work after having them but it had been a point of contention in their marriage. Jeff was very traditional and felt she should stay home with the kids like his mom did. She had ended up getting what she wanted since the second income really helped. On top of that, last year, she was promoted from teaching in the classroom to assistant principal of the middle school which came with a nice raise.

Jeff had long been the manager of the hardware store but he essentially ran it for his dad now with the help of his younger brother. Hardy's (his father) Hardware had been a staple of the town for forty years and the people of their small town were loyal, which gave them some security even with the chain stores that popped up everywhere.

Over the years, Jeff had been a devoted husband and they rarely fought. Things were almost perfect, except for one area. They had slowly fallen into a bit of a rut sexually.

Annie's religious upbringing and her reserved demeanor carried over into their sex life. She had held out while they dated as best she could. There had been moments of weakness but they had saved the ultimate deed for their wedding night. After they were married, their sex life was consistent if vanilla. Once or twice a week, Jeff would take her in missionary. If Annie were lucky, she would cum first but it didn't always happen. She didn't mind though. She still enjoyed being with him and how much he seemed to enjoy it.

Over the years, though, they had slowed down, which was natural. Jeff didn't have the same drive now that he was in his mid-thirties and Annie had gained some weight with her pregnancy. These contributed to the current status quo of sex about once every four to six weeks. Neither of them seemed to be perfectly happy with it but it was hard to break the routine after a while.

Around a year earlier, Annie had gotten her promotion and, with it, a significant amount of free time in the mornings without having to prep lesson plans. She had been determined to regain the confidence she had lost when she gained weight during pregnancy. Since then, she had gone back to exercising like she had in college and she had gradually gotten back to her pre-pregnancy weight for the first time in nearly eight years.

She was very pleased with the progress she had made. Her tummy had become flat, her legs toned, and her face looked several years younger than her age of thirty-two. Despite being in much better shape her confidence in her looks still felt like she was the bookish girl in high school. The other thing that had come with her getting back in shape was a steadily increasing sex drive. Unfortunately, her lack of confidence was reinforced by the lack of sex in her marriage. Despite some efforts, they couldn't seem to break out of their rut.

Annie wiggled against Jeff again with a little more force, trying to get his attention. She felt him start to stiffen against her as he shifted to get comfortable. Jeff had been working long hours and had been extra stressed since one of the chain hardware stores had opened in town. Hardy's was doing well but Jeff was feeling the pressure. She knew that stress was contributing to why he was so tired... and their sexual issues.

Jeff's hand found her hip as she put pressure against his shaft to keep stimulating him. He was slow to pick up on what she wanted. It had been a difficult adjustment when they had gotten married. To just be allowed to have sex suddenly. The guilt didn't go away when they had walked down the aisle. Even now, she wasn't comfortable being the one to make too obvious of an effort to initiate sex. She had spent such an extended portion of her life with anything sexual being sinful that it was hard to break from that and admit that she needed him so badly. It was supposed to be the man who wanted sex. Women weren't supposed to crave it.

It had been weeks since they last made love and she was craving him and the fullness that came with him being inside her. They had maybe fifteen or twenty minutes before the time he usually got up to get ready. She leaned back against her husband, trying to get him to take the hint and hurry. She turned her leg outward, subtly moving his hand from her hip down to her inner thigh between her legs.

Jeff let out a slight snore.

Annie sighed, knowing that she would have to wait and try again another time. At least it was almost the weekend.

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George and Jacob were running around the backyard, playing a game incomprehensible to anyone but them. Annie watched them through the glass door at the back of the house. They were both in thick jackets with hats and mittens. She could only tell them apart because she had dressed them in different colors.

Snow still covered the ground from a couple of days earlier. The boys seemed to be having a blast as they ran through it and occasionally stopped to make a snowball to throw.

Sundays had always been one of her favorite days since the hardware store was closed and Jeff would be home. After church Jeff usually watched some of the games while she cleaned the house. In the afternoon she would have some time to herself to reset before the next week of work.

Today, she had taken a long bath while she read a few chapters of a novel. She had just started dinner while keeping an eye on the boys outside.

George seemed to be winning whatever game they were playing but she didn't understand the rules. She smiled, content watching how happy they were.

"What's for dinner?" Jeff asked as he came in from the living room.

"Steak, sweet potatoes, lima beans," she said, feeling him come up behind her and kiss her on the back of the head.

"Sounds amazing," he said, as if she hadn't made it a thousand times. "I can't believe we're only a few weeks from Christmas now."

"I know," she said, "it seems like we just started the school year and we're almost out for the holidays."

Jeff looked out the screen door over her shoulder. "They're growing up fast too. Won't be long before they know that you-know-who isn't real."

Annie laughed, "I'm not sure I'm ready for them to get that old just yet. It's so much fun watching how excited they are for Santa to come."

"Speaking of Santa, has he gotten all the presents yet?" Jeff asked. Typically Annie did the majority of Christmas shopping for the kids as well as for their parents. Jeff would usually help come up with the bigger gift ideas for the kids and help put them together. Last year, they had gotten a swing set and Jeff had been up half the night putting it together before the twins woke up.

"Not quite. I still need to find a few small gifts for the stockings and another gift for your mom," Annie answered. "It seems like things get more expensive every year. I tried to give us a budget this year and then had to go over it anyway to finish getting everything."

"Yeah, a lot of the items at the store have gotten a good bit more expensive this year," he told her. "I'm sure that's true for other stores too."

Annie stood in silence, watching the twins chase each other around the yard.

"I was reading an article the other day about someone making thousands of dollars a day selling things online that they bought in stores. Or maybe it was the other way around." Jeff said, a look of deep thought on his face as he tried to remember. "Honestly, I don't think I read it that closely."

"I feel like I see things like that all the time with people doing crazy stuff," she said as she walked over to check the timer on the counter.

"Oh yeah?" Jeff said absentmindedly.

"Yeah, like people even make money by selling pictures of their feet!" Annie said, recalling one of the more ridiculous things she had read about.

That got Jeff's attention. "What?" he asked.

"They sell pictures of their feet!" Annie reiterated.

"Why would anyone buy that?" Jeff asked, confused.

"It's like a fetish, Jeff. Some people are really into feet," she laughed at her husband's bewilderment.

His expression showed how horrified he was by that, "Seriously?!" he asked. "Why?"

"I don't know, I don't have a foot fetish," she said, loving his reaction to this revelation. Jeff had lived a sheltered life in this small conservative town and sometimes it showed.

"There are some weird people out there," he said, shaking his head.

Annie wanted to continue messing with her husband to enjoy his reaction. "What do you think about me selling some pictures of my feet online?" she asked him as seriously as she could muster. She still had a slight smile on her face as she held in her laughter.

"I mean, you have nice feet but I have a hard time believing that anyone would pay money to see them," he said, still doubting that it was something people actually did.

"I'm telling you, it's a thing!" Annie was animated as she tried to get Jeff to believe her.

The timer went off, and Annie went over to silence it before she took out the steaks and put the pan down on the countertop.

"Well, I'm sure people would love yours then," he said as he hugged her tightly. Annie wondered if that were true. She didn't know what an attractive foot looked like. She loved the feeling of his arms around her.

"I don't know about that," she said, hoping he would add more praise. The back door flung open before he could answer, though. The twins came in like a tornado through the kitchen.

"Boys!" Jeff said loud enough to get their attention. "Go clean up for dinner and then help your mom set the table."

The twins ran off to change, with Jeff following behind them to supervise. Annie's heart felt full as she looked at the snow-covered landscape out the window. Christmas would soon be here and nothing was better than the holidays.

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After dinner they watched TV and then put the boys to bed. Jeff climbed into bed while Annie washed her face. She had on a pair of thick flannel pajamas for the cold evening.

When she came out of the bathroom, Jeff had already closed his eyes and had his back to her side of the bed. The floor-standing mirror she used to get ready most days was against the wall by the dresser. She looked at herself in the dim light of the bedroom. The baggy flannel pajamas were markedly unsexy but she thought she still looked good all things considered. The

She slid under the covers and wrapped an arm around her husband, rubbing his chest.

Jeff shifted as they found a comfortable position. She snuggled up tightly to him, thankful for how warm he was now that the weather had gotten cold. He was like a furnace under the covers. His size had been one of the most intimidating things about him when she first started dating him but it also made her feel incredibly safe.

He still seemed to be trying to go to sleep so she nuzzled his ear gently. "What, Annie?" he asked her without opening his eyes.

"I just thought maybe we could have some time alone to focus on each other," she said, trying to allude to what she wanted without explicitly saying it. Good girls don't ask for that.

"I'm so tired," he said, "and I have to get up early in the morning to meet a shipment that's coming in super early. Can we wait until tomorrow?"

"Fine," Annie said, colder than she had meant to. She could feel the frustration of being turned down and it had an immediate effect on her self-esteem.

She turned away from him and closed her eyes to go to sleep. Jeff sighed behind her and their rut continued.

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Annie sat quietly in the back of the small classroom, a notepad and pen in hand, as she observed the young teacher going through the math lesson. She could feel how antsy the kids were with Christmas break looming large. It was the last day of class before the break after all. There was a low hum of kids whispering and chairs squeaking as they shuffled impatiently waiting for the bell to ring. The teacher at the front of the class struggled to keep everyone focused but Annie noted that she was well-prepared and clearly explained the material. It was hard to find good teachers these days but this one was new, enthusiastic, and was already beloved by her students.

Despite trying to keep her attention on the lesson, Annie's mind drifted to Christmas and all she still had to do to prepare. First, she had to finalize several reports for work by the end of the calendar year. Then she had to finish getting presents, wrap them, and figure out when they would spend time with each side of the family.

Annie attempted to refocus on the evaluation at hand but the holiday preparations proved to be a persistent distraction. She went through her mental list of gifts she still had to get and about how few nights they had left to fit in some of her favorite movies with the kids.

The bell rang and Annie rose from her seat. The students poured into the hallway as their excited chattering filled the school. She smiled and briefly talked to the teacher, reassuring her that she was doing an excellent job before she made her exit.

Annie made her way through the bustling hallway. Lockers lined the walls with students grabbing books and items from them for their next classes. Colorful posters here and there announcing various school events were on several classroom doors as she wound her way through the crowds. It was the same middle school she had attended and it felt like little had changed.

She walked past the cafeteria where the aroma of lunch wafted through the air. It was pizza she could tell. The echoes of lockers closing, the shuffling of papers, and laughter from the kids filled her ears until she reached the seclusion of her office.

Annie sat at her desk and logged into her computer to dive into her overflowing inbox. She powered through for half an hour, sending emails to parents, teachers, and even a school board member who had questions about their academic performance for the year.

As her fingers gracefully moved over the keys, her thoughts drifted to her husband. She looked at the framed picture of the two of them on her desk. It was from their vacation over the summer and she was in the best shape she had been in years. The effect on Jeff had been palpable. It had been like they were on their honeymoon again and they had made love almost every night that week. After they got home though, things went back to normal.

Annie could feel how pent-up she was with sexual energy. She wondered if Jeff would be in the mood that evening after he had put her off the night before. Her mind replayed the last couple of days and the interactions with her husband.

She found herself thinking about a different conversation they had had in their kitchen. Annie had always thought that women posted on the internet for money or attention but now she wondered if some of it was for validation. Annie struggled because she felt attractive when she looked in the mirror but it didn't always feel that way from how her husband reacted to her.

She looked at herself in the picture on her desk again, liking how she looked but wondering why that wasn't enough to have Jeff chasing her the way he used to. I mean, for crying out loud, there were guys out there turned on by just feet! She pushed her chair back and put her feet up on a small ledge underneath the desk that she often used as a footrest. Her eyes lingered on her feet.