Christmas Chickadee

All I had to do was allow myself to be caught. I smiled to myself—I wasn't going to be hard to catch. This woman wasn't going to play hard to get. I wanted him to kiss me the first time and when he did I was going to give him something he would want again and again. Naughty me! I was going to get something I would want again and again too. The thought warmed me deep down and I was glad I was already in the shower.

I had a little shopping to do as I was short on milk and fresh vegetables for making a salad. I had just finished getting what I needed when I noticed one of the store employees heading towards the back door with a dismantled Christmas display. It had a large, red oversized bow with its associated ribbon that he had just taken off of a large cardboard cutout of Mrs Claus.

"Are you going to throw that bow and ribbon out?"

"Yes, we're done with the display now that Christmas is over. Why would you like it?"

"Yes, I think I can put it to good use."

"It's all yours if you can use it, I'd rather give to you than toss it out."

I collected them and put them into the car. As soon as I got home I went to my computer and made up a Christmas type card with special instructions. I looked it over with a smile. Andy was going to get a late Christmas gift after all. I thought it would work. I got up the next morning, had a quick breakfast, and decided to exercise to get it in for the day.

After I showered and shaved my legs, I used moisturizer on my legs to make sure they were smooth and soft, then trimmed my nails, and added clear gloss. I decided to trim my pubic hair to make sure it wasn't too long where I didn't want it. I slipped into my most comfortable jeans, a colorful blouse and a light plain blue sweater to set everything off. I decided to put my long hair into a pony tail for shopping and while helping put the food together. I made sure to put what I needed to put my hair up into a bun into my overnight bag. I wanted to look a little more sophisticated for the party. I was satisfied now that my garment bag, overnight bag, and a small bag containing my binoculars, notebook, bird field guide were ready.

I was sure Andy would think I only had my birding stuff in the bag, so I placed my matching red satin panties and lacey bra into the very bottom of that bag where there was no chance he would see them. I smiled to myself, I was ready come what may. I was waiting when Andy pulled into the parking space right on time. I locked the door and walked briskly to his car before he could get out to help me in. I knew he would attempt it and wasn't disappointed to see his door open as I approached, then close when he saw it wouldn't do any good. Such a gentleman! I opened the door, placed my bags into the back seat, and settled into the front seat with a smile.

"Good morning, Andy."

"Good morning. You look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning."

"I am. You know this is the last day of the year so I'm hoping to see a few good birds yet today to end it. Then get a good start tomorrow for a new year."

"Good! I topped off the bird feeders first thing this morning so they should be busy all day long."

"You have bird feeders! You never told me that."

"You know if you checked eBird more often you might notice what's being seen locally. I try to get in at least one checklist each day."

.

"Andy, I don't even know where your house is located. I only know you live in one. But you're right. I tend to put my own observations in and not spend a lot of time looking at anything but the county summary."

"Sorry. I guess I'm a little forgetful about what I've told you and what I haven't. I think you'll like the house."

We pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store and walked in. At first, I wasn't sure what it was we were going to pick up as I didn't know what was on the menu. Andy told me the plan as we walked towards the store. The plan was to serve cold cuts with a variety of salty snacks, and drinks—basically finger food. He already had wine and spirits to serve so we would concentrate on getting fresh vegetables, crackers, cheeses, and a supply of pickles, dips, and meats. When he produced a list of what we needed I was more than impressed. When I looked over the list it was thorough. When I asked about soda he smiled.

"I have what both of us like. Plus hot chocolate."

We picked up a shopping cart and Andy pushed it along as we wandered the produce section. We picked up a selection of prepackaged melon slices and a large plate of chilled ready to serve shrimp. I selected celery, broccoli, three kinds of leafy lettuce, bean sprouts, and some sweet baby carrots. Andy picked up a head of cauliflower and went to put it into the cart. When I saw it I took it back out and showed him where it wasn't in good shape. I selected a better looking specimen and put it into the cart. He looked at me with a smile.

"I wasn't sure if it was really that good or not. Thanks. The one you selected looks better now that I know what to look for."

The crackers and breads were next in the deli section. We finished in the meat section. I saw him inspecting the labels on the packaged luncheon meats. He looked at me with a frown.

"It takes time to find something that doesn't have nitrates or nitrites in them."

I took him by the hand and led him to a brand I knew was made without using preservatives. I specifically selected them for my own use so knew what we needed. I handed him a package to inspect and after he had he placed it into the cart he turned to me with a smile.

"You know, I'm glad I have you along."

We looked at the shopping list together one last time as we stood next to the cart. Our hands touching as we inspected it—I felt myself warm with his touch and when I looked up he was looking at me softly. Then we walked down the aisle side by side barely touching as he pushed the cart. The shopping cart was full as we went to the check out. We were waiting in line when he suddenly looked at me.

"Dana, I just remembered something I don't have on the list. I'll be right back."

The young woman behind us moved aside as he excused himself and brushed past her. She looked at me with a smile. Then after a minute as I looked for him she asked.

"Your boyfriend, I assume?"

"We just started dating. So not exactly."

"But you'd like him to be right?"

I smiled and before I could answer Andy was back with three bouquets of fresh cut flowers in his hands. I looked at her and simply nodded. She smiled knowingly.

We loaded the groceries and flowers into the car and headed towards an area where there were several lakes. I expected we wouldn't get far enough to see them though as I knew it represented a pretty ritzy area. It took fifteen minutes on the main road before we pulled off onto a small dirt road I hadn't even noticed before despite the number of times I had driven this same route. We passed one house amid the trees just off the main road, then the road narrowed at an old stone pillar with a house number on it, a mailbox standing off to the side.

It was over a tenth of a mile before I saw a brownish colored structure in the distance. I suspected a small cabin, but as we drew closer I saw it was a modern looking house with two stories. This was no small cabin! We pulled into an open area in front of the garage and Andy pushed a button on a remote attached to his sunshade. I watched as the garage door opened into a two and a half car garage. We pulled into a well-lit, clean garage. I was too shocked to say anything. It was nothing like I had expected to see back in the woods. The garage door closed behind us as we got out of the car. He looked at me with a smile.

"Welcome to my humble abode. I'll start getting the groceries out if you catch the door."

I stepped to the door, opened it, and looked inside the mudroom. The kitchen, visible beyond, was large, modern, and clean. I was still standing open jawed when Andy walked in with two large paper bags and placed them on a counter top. I stepped back out the door, went to the car and collected the single bag that remained, then returned inside. Andy took the bag from my arms and we proceeded to put the groceries into a large refrigerator and onto the counter.

After we finished he smiled, "Why don't we get your good clothes and bags from the car and we can put them in the bedroom. Then I can show you around the house before we go for a walk."

We got my garment and overnight bag, and shoulder bag and returned to the kitchen. The kitchen opened into a large great room filled with windows on one side, two large skylights, with smaller windows on the opposite wall. There was a large gas fireplace with two large sofas arranged in front with two oversized leather chairs with end tables. The entire room was painted off white with recessed lighting in the ceiling. The floor was hardwood with large patterned rugs under the sofas and chairs. It was like something out of a magazine. I was stunned when I looked out the window to see not only busy bird feeders, but a frozen lake. The house was set back into the hillside overlooking the lake without any sign of another house along the shoreline.

I followed Andy to one side of the room and into a short hallway. As we walked Andy pointed out each room. The first room held his home office. The second was a small library with two chairs and a beautiful wooden table, the walls filled with built-in well-filled bookcases. Finally, we arrived at the end of the hall and entered the master bedroom. It was fabulous! It held a queen sized bed, a large dresser with mirror, another smaller dresser, and two chairs. The room was painted in a light green that blended into a lighter shade of green on the ceiling. The room had windows on two sides and double doors that led to a small balcony that overlooked the lake.

"Dana, we should hang your clothes in the closet."

I followed him as he opened a door and turned on a light. It was a beautiful walk-in closet with another door on the opposite side. I almost gasped. The closet hardly held anything. Only one side of it held his clothes and a few pairs of shoes. The rest was empty, as if it longed to be used. He opened the other door and I looked into what I could only consider the most beautiful master bathroom I had ever seen. All of the finishes were like something I had seen in a magazine or on a TV program. It was almost too much for me to take in. All of this, for a single man and we hadn't even looked at the other end of the house.

"You can use this bathroom to change your clothes later on. This is my bedroom and closet. Come, I'll show you the other bedrooms."

We walked back into the great room and entered the other hallway to three bedrooms. One of them furnished. The other two empty. All were carpeted and nicely painted. Each with a large closet, one with a private full bath, and two sharing a single full bathroom. The furnished bedroom had a double bed and dressers. It was unbelievable. This was a four bedroom, three bath home for a single man! It just didn't make sense to me. He certainly didn't need all of this room. I was amazed it was so clean. It was spotless. He must have been reading my mind.

"Yeah, I know it's too large for me. I have a housekeeper who comes in once a week to dust and vacuum. I don't spend enough time here to do it myself. I spend most of my time at the office or in the field. But I love this house and the property. Come, let me show you the downstairs then we can go for a walk."

We walked down stairs into a lovely family room. It had a large wide-screen TV, a gas log fireplace, large sofas, and another smaller set of bookcases and built in shelves with lights. There was a half bath tucked in too. When he turned on the lights they provided indirect lighting that gave the room a muted, relaxed feel. I noticed a section between the shelves where an entertainment center was located surrounded by rows of CDs and vinyl records. The room faced the lake, a set of bird feeders on a lower patio deck were visible through the large windows.

"This is where I spend some of my time. I have the entire house wired and I can use my laptop from any room in the house."

We went back upstairs. I could hardly say a word. I could never have guessed he lived this way. He never gave a hint. We walked out into the garage after putting on our coats to gather our binoculars where we had left them on the car seats.

I followed him outside and we walked down a path through the deciduous woodland that followed the shoreline. There were conifers in a small grove and a small stream with flowing water a short distance away. It was the kind of property I had always dreamed of owning. A place where you could relax with nature and not be bothered by the outside world. There was no audible hint of automobiles or other human activity I could detect. He looked at me with a grin.

"My grandparents originally purchased this land and they used it for tent camping. My parents spent a lot of time here with them while I was growing up. My parents never really cared for tent camping and decided to build a cottage on an all sports lake instead. My grandparents, so I was told, decided it should come to me someday.

Dana, I could never afford to buy a parcel this large in a natural state. The only way for me to afford to build the house was to sell that portion of the land we drove through to get here near the highway. So between my parents help and a smart real estate transaction I managed to save the best part of the entire parcel by selling off five acres zoned as commercial along the highway. I still own enough frontage along the highway to keep the driveway from being swallowed by additional development and all of the land around the lake."

"Andy, the house and the property are marvelous. It's all so beautiful. You're so lucky."

He looked at me with a hint of sadness in his eyes. There was something I didn't know. Then he took my hand and we started up the path towards the house. This was the first time he had ever reached for my hand to hold it. My heartbeat went up as I felt my hand in his. I was sure I wore a smile that filled my entire face. We walked for a minute before we heard a feeding flock of birds moving towards us.

We brought our binoculars into our eyes and watched as a group of chickadees, nuthatches, and kinglets came towards the conifers. We watched them and shared our smiles of enjoyment. The friendly chickadees calling loudly—chickadee-dee-dee-dee, as they clung to the tips of branches, the kinglets fluttered nimbly among the branches murmuring their 'seee...seeee...seeee' notes, then an occasional 'yank' of a nuthatch thrown in for good measure.

Andy turned to me and said reverently, "This is what makes this place special. That's why I chose to live here," he said quietly, almost as if he were in a church where reverence was expected.

I looked at him. There was still a touch of sadness in his voice. But he was smiling. It was as if he had endured the feeling for so long it was now simply a part of him. I reached for his hand, he took it and held it firmly as I spoke.

"How could you not feel good when a friendly, lovable, chickadee greets you that way? Even on the coldest winter days they warm you, make you feel like the world is friendly place. Not many living creatures can do that. Chickadees lift the spirit and make the world a wonderful place."

He gently squeezed my hand and smiled. "Come my chickadee, we have food to prepare."

We walked back in silence. I placed my arm in his. I knew what he meant, I felt my eyes start to water. It was man speak once again—I made him feel good in a special way. Why can't men just come out and tell a woman that? Damn it! Just kiss me and squeeze me. Tell me that way too!

We arrived at the house, removed our coats and hats, and placed them in the mud room closet. We worked on the small sandwiches and wraps. I made the wraps out of soft taco shells, adding different meats and cheeses, using toothpicks to hold them together. Then I worked on the relish tray while Andy set about putting all of the different chips and dips into dishes, then placing a variety of crackers onto the outside of large platters, then slicing the cheeses to place into the center.

I was standing at the counter looking into a cabinet for another serving dish when I felt Andy behind me. He reached over my shoulder and while doing so pressed his pelvis against my behind for a moment. Then he seemed to recognize what he had done as he pulled the platter out.

He looked at me with a frown, his voice apologetic, "Dana, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." I smiled as I turned to face him, after the thought of him taking me from behind had flashed through my mind along with a warm wave of arousal.

He handed the platter to me, "I thought maybe this is what you were looking for."

"Reading my mind now?"

He smiled, "I'm just glad you can't read mine right now."

"Oh, but I can," I cooed softly.

I saw his face go a little red. I was amused he could be so sensitive. But there was a noticeable bulge when I glanced down. I wasn't wrong, our contact was brief, but telling.

"Why am I so attracted to you?" he confessed quietly.

"I don't know. Should I fling myself at you before company comes?"

"He showed a small smile, "Dana, nothing has changed since the first day we met. I would catch you if you did. Though I think it would be very embarrassing for our company when they arrived to find us...well...deeply engaged."

"Then I guess maybe we should wait a while."

"Probably a good course of action," he said softly. "We should get all of this stuff put onto the dining room table. Then you need to get dressed. I'll follow after you. People should start arriving in less than an hour. We can finish putting out the napkins and silverware afterwards."

"Sounds like a good plan. See you in a little bit. I hope you like what I brought to wear."

I walked down the hall to the master bedroom and into the walk-in closet. I pulled my garment bag down and walked into the bedroom, then took my dress and slip out, laying them out on the bed. I went to get my overnight bag. I stripped down and glanced in the mirror. I smiled—exercise did make a difference. I dug my red bra and panties out of the bottom of the bag and put them on, glancing in the mirror again. I was very satisfied. I slipped into my form fitting dress, then I put my hair up in a messy bun. Finally, I added lip gloss and just a hint of light blue eyeliner. I had beautiful lashes and seldom used mascara. I checked myself in the mirror one final time. Then I pulled my gold necklace out of its box and put it on. Satisfied, I put my shoes on and walked into the great room where Andy was puttering around arranging the dishes to his liking on the table.

"Okay, your turn," I announced.

He looked up. Then, he just stood looking at me. He didn't say anything. He just stood looking.

"Andy, are you alright?" I asked softly.

"Dana, you're stunning. I mean...every time I think you can't look any better I find you can. You look like a dream in that dress and the necklace looks as if it was made only for you. I'm glad you like it enough to wear it."

I walked to him and put my arms around him. I was feeling so wonderful to get this kind of reaction from him. I pressed my boobs against him. I wanted him to feel them, to know I meant them placed there, not an accident, but intentionally.

"I like it when a man is appreciative. It makes me feel like he has good tastes in something more than just a necklace. You know my ego can always use a little boost."

I felt his arms come around me, "It's not your ego that has my attention right now."

I laughed, "Go get dressed. We can talk about that later."