A Very Merry Christmas Indeed

A strange idea crossed her mind but she shook it off and returned to work. She was determined to leave for the holidays without anything left on her to-do list.

Annie updated the school website to include their new student of the year. She added the upcoming sports schedule for January. She brought the secretary a form to fax. The minutes went by slowly. She couldn't get it out of her mind.

She finally gave in to her curiosity and picked up her phone. After ensuring it wasn't connected to the school's Wi-Fi, she searched on her web browser, "Sell feet pics."

The first page of the search was full of websites and forums where people sold or posted feet pics. There were links to pages and videos of people describing how to make money by selling feet pics. Annie tried to avoid any sites that had nudity or anything too scandalous as she looked through them.

Finally finding one that seemed to fit what she was looking for, she clicked on it and scrolled through the pages looking at the posts of feet in various positions. She read some of the comments complimenting the women who had posted pictures. A yearning to feel that attractive, to be wanted, filled her.

Annie thought momentarily, tempted in a way she had never been before. It felt like she was watching someone else filling out her information to make an account as if she had no control over herself. She used her personal email that she knew Jeff wouldn't see. She filled out the essential information for herself. She was tempted to lie about some of the information like her age, weight, etc, but something seemed to push her to put in her real information. After all, none of it was identifiable.

Once she finished making the account, she sat silently, looking at her phone. She wondered if this was something she could really do. Would people even bother to look at her pictures? If they did, there was no telling if they would react positively.

Her feet slipped from her flats and she removed her no-show socks. She looked over her feet. The nails had been done several weeks earlier but no longer looked fresh. She didn't think they were anything special, or at all sexual, for that matter.

Annie took a deep breath and tried to mimic some of the pictures the other women had posted. She took some from up close, others from further away. She tried turning her foot toward the light and even used her phone's portrait mode to be a little more artistic. She felt incredibly foolish as she took a couple of pictures.

This is crazy, Annie thought as she tried to get an angle she liked. What was she doing? She sat back in her chair with a huff. The mother of two wasn't sure what had come over her but the temptation had passed a little. She closed the tab for the website and started to put her shoes back on.

Annie knew she had just been frustrated lately with the lack of physical attention. Her love language had always been physical touch. Her desperation this morning exemplified how much of an effect it had on her. Her porcelain cheeks blushed, embarrassed that she had seriously considered posting pictures of her feet for strangers on the internet.

She decided to put it out of her mind and get back to work. There was too much to do and too little time before the holidays.

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Annie woke up to a cold bed. She couldn't remember Jeff leaving earlier in the morning but he was gone. He must have had another early morning down at the hardware store. It was still dark out and the twins weren't even up yet. She picked up her phone and scrolled through social media, looking at reels for a few minutes as she prepared to get up.

Climbing out of bed, she slipped off her pajamas and turned on the shower. She stepped under the showerhead and let the scalding hot water run down her body. She could feel her muscles relax as the bathroom filled with steam.

She planned to go into town today and look for some small gifts for Jeff and the boys. She also needed to go to a mall in the town a county over to shop for her mother-in-law but she might save that for a different day. She worked shampoo into her hair as she relished the heat of the shower.

They had already made plans to spend time in the upcoming week with both of their families but she had also made sure they reserved some nights for them to stay home. She had wanted to have a chance to watch some Christmas movies with the boys. That was always one of her favorite memories growing up with her parents.

She made a mental list of the movies she wanted to watch as she shaved her legs carefully. No other holiday had movies like Christmas. No matter how many times you watched them, they never got old. Finishing up in the shower, she dried herself off before moving on to her hair and makeup.

She put on blue jeans with a thick sweater. Because of the cold weather, she paired this with her black leather boots that came to just below her knees. She zipped the boots up and did one last check in the mirror. Even in the thick winter clothing, her slender physique was apparent and her long raven hair falling down over her shoulders made her look more exotic than she really was. She turned to go, pleased with how she looked for the day.

She gathered up the twins and dropped them off at her parent's for a few hours with plans to finish her Christmas shopping. Annie made her way into town, driving slowly to look at the Christmas decorations. Some had giant inflatables that had been popular for the last few years, while others had more traditional lights but almost every house had something.

They would have to bring the twins to look at the lights this week, she thought. Looking at the Christmas decorations was another tradition she had always loved.

As her car passed by the hardware store she looked to see if she could catch a glimpse of Jeff. Hardy's Hardware. She had to admit that Hardy was a great name for someone who started a hardware store but her favorite part was the smaller lettering underneath that read, and sons. She didn't see Jeff but the store looked busy which was good.

She turned onto Main Street. All of the shops were festively decorated, with twinkling lights along the rooflines and in the windows. Every street light had a wreath on it and she could see the Christmas tree in Main Street Square in the distance. It looked like the kind of picturesque town you would see in magazines and was one reason the holidays were so special growing up here.

However, her attention turned back to driving as the shoppers were out in full force. The sidewalks were crowded as families and individuals went from store to store. Annie turned into a parking lot and was able to find a spot quickly enough. It was only a short walk to the shops. The brisk air felt rejuvenating and she watched the fog each time she breathed out, making sure to savor the feeling. There was nothing better than the holidays.

Annie made her way through some of the local shops. At the bookstore she found a book for George's stocking. It was a story about a frog going on an adventure and she knew that Jeff reading it would bring it to life. She bought some chocolate for both of the boys at the candy shop. A small rubber ball that bounced higher than any she had ever seen was something that she knew they would love as well. She wasn't in the mood to drive out to the mall so she decided to keep looking through some of the stores along the main street.

She stopped at a small boutique clothing store owned by her friend Susan. She had known Susan since they were little. They had grown up together in school and went to church together though they were not close friends when they were younger. She had welcomed Annie into her friend group when she had moved back to town and had also been the one who had set her up with Jeff.

"Merry Christmas!" Annie greeted Susan when she stepped out of the cold. Susan and her husband had kids about the same age as the twins. Susan was fair-skinned with bright red hair, a large bust, and wide hips with an affable personality. Annie absolutely adored her.

"Merry Christmas, Annie! Doing some last-minute shopping?" she asked, putting aside the magazine she had been looking at.

"I was, but then I wanted to stop in and do a little shopping for myself," Annie said with a laugh.

"Well, always happy to have you. All of the new arrivals are on the racks over there. Just let me know if you need any help. There are quite a few things that I knew would look great on you," she said, pointing out a few of the clothing racks.

"Thanks, Susan," Annie said before looking through some of the clothes. She wouldn't mind finding a few things to wear for some of their upcoming events. After picking out a skirt and a couple of dresses, Annie returned to Susan.

"Oh, great choices. Those will look great on you," Susan said as she inspected the items. "Jeff is going to go crazy for you in these," she added with a wink as she led Annie to the dressing room to try them on.

"I don't know about that," Annie said, trying to brush the compliment aside. Susan let her into the dressing room and left her to try them on.

Annie slipped out of her sweater and jeans before trying on the clothes she had picked out. She took her time, trying to see if they were flattering on her.

One of the dresses would be perfect for church. It was a dark green, long, and flowing. The skirt would be nice to have too. The other dress was a little too short for her taste, coming up several inches above her knees. She liked how it made her legs look but it wasn't becoming for a mother and wife to be wearing in public.

As she looked at her figure in the new clothes, she wondered what people really thought about how she looked. Annie caught herself. Was she really that desperate for validation? Jeff said she looked great. Most people complimented her regularly, but what else were they supposed to say? She knew she couldn't get an objective opinion from them. Besides, Jeff didn't have the same 'can't keep his hands off of you' energy he had when they were younger. If anything that was the most objective answer she could get.

She sighed, still frustrated with their lack of lovemaking lately.

Her eyes fell down her legs and to the floor. Her boots were still off. She felt the temptation rearing its head again. She went back and forth, thinking about how Jeff would react if he found out. It might be crazy but it was harmless, she thought. I mean, after all, it was just pictures of her feet.

She awkwardly tried several angles with her phone and finally took a picture that she thought looked decent. Like Jeff, she didn't think that there was much sexual about feet, which she rationalized made it not a big deal to post on the internet. She tried not to think about how other people might find it sexual.

She selected the picture and uploaded it. A moment later, her post appeared on the forum wall. Annie held her breath as she waited, refreshing the page every few seconds. Nothing yet. She refreshed again. Nothing. She felt a pang of disappointment.

Putting her phone down she changed out of the dress and back into her jeans and sweater. She zipped her boots up and decided to check her phone again. The anticipation was killing her. One like, she saw. Okay, it's something at least, she told herself. You just have to give it some time.

"Found everything you need?" Susan asked her as she walked up to the counter. She took the skirt and dress to fold them and ring her up.

"Yeah, you always have such cute stuff," she answered. Susan checked her out as they talked about the holidays and upcoming plans.

"I can't wait for Thursday. It's been too long since we've all gotten together," Susan said. Annie knew she was right. Everyone had been so busy the last couple of months that she had only seen Susan a couple of times and Alice once. Beth had been dating a guy that was taking up most of her time. Alice had had a lot to say about that.

"Too long," Annie said. "We can't let it go this long." Susan came around the counter and hugged Annie.

"It's so good to see you. Thanks for stopping by," Susan said as she handed Annie the bag of clothes.

"I'll see you in a few days at lunch," Annie told her as she stepped out into the cold.

She took her time walking back to her car, the crunch of the snow under her boots and the cold air heightening her senses. The picture she had posted kept barging into her thoughts. It was so out of character for her to post something like that that it made her feel like a hussy. She was usually careful even about what she posted on social media and had a rule that she wouldn't ever post pictures of herself in a swimsuit. She had always dressed pretty conservatively, considering her upbringing, and she had only grown more conservative after they had gotten married. She felt very guilty about posting online but honestly, she doubted it would even get any attention.

She tried to put it out of her mind and to enjoy the rest of the day out and about.

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Annie entered the kitchen and set her bag from the boutique on the counter. There were a couple of hours before she needed to pick the twins up from her parent's house and she figured she would use the time for some personal relaxation.

She picked up the book she had been reading off the nightstand and took it to the living room where she curled up under a blanket to start reading. The book was a rom-com detailing a couple that was obviously going to get together on their journey from enemies to lovers. The male lead was clearly already falling in love, while the female lead continued to try to hate him. There was no real suspense which is one of the reasons Annie loved these kinds of books.

The characters were always a perfect match for each other even if they didn't realize it. He would have a mysterious past that would reframe his flaws in a way that made them endearing and humanized them. She would admit her fear and insecurities and he would prove she could trust him. These kinds of stories always had a happy ending and they always ended before relationships became a slog or felt mundane.

It was that excitement of a new romance that she wanted with Jeff again. The ravenous craving for each other that had made them barely able to wait until their wedding night before they tore each other's clothes off. She could still remember struggling to stop when they were in the backseat of his truck on the side of a dirt road. His hands under her clothes, his lips on her skin. Now, it seemed that everything was routine. The passion was mostly gone unless they were on vacation, and even then it wasn't the irresistible, insatiable desire for each other that would make them pull over onto the side of the road.

She thought about the post she had made earlier. The excitement she felt was like what she had felt when they first started dating. The uncertainty, the novelty of it all. It was killing her not to check despite her best efforts to put it out of her mind. The phone was right there on the sofa beside her, after all...

Just a quick check, she decided.

She pulled up the post she had made. Twenty-two likes and four comments. Wow, she thought, surprised. It was a lot more than she had expected. She could feel her heart beating in her chest as she nervously clicked on the post, scrolling to the comments.

The first comment read, "Very sexy." Simple, but it flattered her. It wasn't a word Jeff had ever really used to describe her, though she also wasn't sure it applied to this picture of her feet. The effect was palpable on her, though. Just reading that someone had written it about her made her feel sexy. She laughed, feeling silly that such a simple thing could make her feel like that. It was like she was a schoolgirl getting her first compliment from a boy. She scrolled down.

"Wow," read the following comment. I guess that's good, Annie thought.

"What I would do to worship your feet," read the next comment. Wow, pretty intense. She wasn't sure how she felt about that one but they seemed to like the picture, she thought to herself.

The last comment was the one that got her attention. "This made me so hard. Show us more." Annie couldn't help but be flattered as she read that one. She doubted she had ever made any man hard other than Jeff. Was he serious? Could he really be hard from looking at her feet? She had to throw herself at Jeff lately, and even then, sometimes it didn't work. She reread the second part of the comment. Show us more.

A shiver went through her despite the almost scalding water. Now, that was a crazy idea.

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Kevin McCallister screamed, drawing a laugh from the whole family. The boys were lying all over Jeff, exhausted after wrestling with their dad earlier. They had finally settled down where they were to watch the movie. Home Alone had always been one of her favorite Christmas movies and she had been excited for the boys to watch it this year now that they were another year older.

Having time to herself earlier in the day had been nice but nothing could beat quality time with her family around the holidays. The magic of this time of year was genuinely alive with little kids and made everything so much more exciting. She remembered their expressions last year after baking cookies and finding them with bites taken out the next morning. It warmed her heart to watch the wonder in the twin's eyes.

This year, they had helped her pick out the Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. She hadn't been able to wait and had insisted to Jeff that they go right away. They had decorated it as a family. Jeff put on the lights and the kids helped her hang ornaments. Looking at it now, the tree looked perfect while the fireplace crackled nearby, their stockings hanging from the mantle. She hoped they would remember those kinds of things as fondly as she did when she thought back to Christmas with her parents.

Annie reached for the mug of hot cocoa on the coffee table in front of her but it was empty. She hadn't realized she had drunk so much of it already.

"Do you want any more cocoa?" she asked the room at large.

"YESSSS," both of the twins shouted in unison.

Jeff and Annie both laughed. He answered her, "No, I'm okay, just some for these two."

In the kitchen, she poured a packet of cocoa mix into her mug and filled it with milk. She placed it into the microwave and waited while it hummed. She took out her phone and scrolled through social media mindlessly. She could hear the movie in the other room. Her husband and kids were still watching the Christmas movie she had picked. Annie bit her lip, thinking, and she changed apps with another glance to make sure nobody was coming.

There were a couple more likes but no more comments. Annie's disappointment at that surprised her. It was only a picture of her feet, she thought. Honestly, it surprised her that people had taken the time to comment on the picture at all. She tapped her foot impatiently.

Show us more.

She hadn't been able to get it out of her mind. Annie looked down the hall to make sure nobody was coming. She pulled her sweatpants up to her mid-calf and took a few pictures from different angles making sure to get her arches in the picture. The microwave beeped as the timer ended. She opened the door, took out the hot cocoa, and prepared another mug.

This time, while she waited, she didn't hesitate to choose one of the pictures she liked and hit post. She waited, wondering if she would get the same kind of response. A minute later Annie returned to the living room with the second round for her and the kids.

She sat on the sofa and put her feet up, stretching out. The kids laughed hysterically as a character slipped on ice and fell.

Annie pulled her phone out while she drank her cocoa. Her angle on the sofa would give her privacy. She pulled up the forum where she had posted. It hadn't taken long for her to get a few comments this time.