Christmas Past, Christmas Present Ch. 01

This chapter was originally written as a complete story for the Literotica Winter Holidays Contest. Following a suggestion by SisterJezabel, I decided to explore a bit more in Chapter 2 to tell the rest of the story.

This is a romance, with Chapter 1 written largely from an introspective standpoint of the female protagonist trying to come out of her shell and deal with a troubled past so she can begin to focus on the future. Chapter 2 presents another side and extends the story to a more complete ending.

The "current" year in the story is one where the coronavirus isn't an issue.

Thanks for reading and for your feedback through any votes, comments, favorites, or follows!

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Chapter 1:

Saturday, December 14, seven years ago...

"Sweetheart? Are you ready? We need to go!"

She sighed, trying to calm herself while hurriedly putting the finishing touches on her makeup. Paula Levesque had looked forward to Jean-Louis' company Christmas party—Winter Holiday Party, as the company termed it—for several weeks. He'd been with the firm for almost four months following their move to the South, so this would be a good opportunity to meet more of his co-workers and their spouses. With Paula being a technical writer and working from her home office, mostly for her old company back in Montreal, she was excited about the chance to make new friends.

Their kids, Ronnie and Judy, had adjusted reasonably well to the move and the plan was for them to spend the night with some of their new school friends. This would give the couple their first whole night alone since the move and Paula looked forward to making the most of it.

Unfortunately, money was still very tight following the events of the spring and summer, so she'd found a suitable dress at the local consignment shop; with the three dresses she'd sold, the dress had cost her less than $15 out-of-pocket. Costume jewelry from a nearby thrift shop cost a few more dollars, and she used her craft kit to modify it to be appropriately festive. She'd wanted to purchase a new pair of shoes for the party, but her old ones weren't too bad so she'd polished them rather than buying new.

There was, however, one area where she decided to splurge a bit. With the money she'd saved and the proceeds from a couple of extra freelance jobs she'd picked up, Paula had ordered a sexy new lingerie set (that had been on sale) that should really excite her husband when he saw it later in the evening. The luxurious fabric against her skin was already doing that for her and would, she knew, keep her filled with anticipation throughout the evening for what was to come later that night.

"Hold on, Dear! I'm almost ready," she called. That, she hoped, would hold him off for a few minutes and allow her to relax as she finished.

In truth, she needed that moment to calm herself. After such good preliminary planning, the day hadn't gone well. Jean-Louis, preparing for the Holiday Marathon the following weekend, left early that morning for his last long-distance run before the actual race, so she'd agreed, after some begging on his part, to let Ronnie to back her car out of the garage while she was trying to get Judy ready for a quick trip to the store.

With his new learner's permit in his pocket, Ronnie was excited to have any opportunity to drive, even if it was only out of the garage and a few feet down the driveway. As a result, he backed her Altima out of the garage and promptly hit the trash can he'd forgotten to put away. The racket and his plaintive wail of "Mom!" just seconds later brought her running, with Judy trailing close behind to see how much trouble her big brother was in.

He was okay and there wasn't even a dent in the car, but the scratches on the bumper would be there for at least as long as she owned the car. The plastic trash can, on the other hand, was broken and would have to be replaced. After the fussing and apologies were over, Paula had hugged her son (to Judy's chagrin), told him she was glad he was okay, and then gone back upstairs to cool off for a few minutes.

"How do you scratch a car with a plastic trash can?" she'd groused to herself after her kids were well out of hearing range. "I guess that's what I get for not being in the car with him like I was supposed to be." Reasonably calm once more, she called to her daughter, who'd disappeared again, "Judy, let's go! Now!"

Jean-Louis arrived home from his run just as they pulled back into the driveway following their errand; he wore a pained expression on his face. Seeing this, Paula jumped out to check on him. "Jean-Louis, are you okay?"

He'd laughed and waved her off. "Sweaty! Yuck! Stay back! No, I'm fine. I think I pulled a muscle in my back while stretching and didn't notice it until later when I was running. I was pushing myself pretty hard this morning, but I'm going to do it, Paula! I'm going to break 4:20, just under 10 minutes per mile! Right now, though, I'm going to get a shower and lie down for a bit. Say, what happened to the trash can?"

The day had gotten worse at about 2:30 when Mrs. Shaw called. "Mrs. Levesque, I'm so sorry to do this but we're going to have to postpone the girls' sleepover. We were coming home from the mall a little while ago and Alecia said she didn't feel well. She has a fever and has already thrown up once. Stomach flu, I think. Oh, no! Sorry! Gotta' go, she's starting again!"

Mrs. Shaw had already dropped the line before Paula could even say she understood and wish her well, so Paula spent the next two hours searching for a "sitting partner" for her busy 10-year- old. The girl believed herself to be too old and independent to have a babysitter but Paula knew she was too young, rambunctious, and inquisitive to stay home alone. Therefore, Paula had made call after call until she finally found the mother of another of Judy's classmates available and willing to swap an overnight stay.

As she was doing this, Jean-Louis had supervised Ronnie's drive to his friend Gary's house, where he'd be spending the evening. When Jean-Louis got back home, she told him of the change in plans, how much trouble it had been, and how she was now running quite late.

Jean-Louis picked up on the frustration on her face as well as in her voice, so he stepped forward, slipped his arms around her, and pulled her close. Holding her, he said, "Sweetheart, thanks for all you've done today. I'm sorry it was such a rough day for you, but we'll make up for it this evening, okay?"

"Promise?" she asked as she slipped her hand between them, rubbing him. A mischievous look covered her face but he slowly shook his head.

"Later. I promise. We can't be late though. They introduce the new employees during the reception so we've been warned to be on time. That means you need to get ready. I'll get Judy something to eat and take her—where am I taking her?—while you get dressed."

She'd crinkled her mouth at him. "Spoilsport. Later it is, I guess. And for Judy, Mrs. Yancey's address is on the counter for you. It's not too far. Just remember, this is a sleepover for her; don't call Mrs. Yancey a sitter or Judy won't speak to either of us for a week."

"Promise?" he'd asked hopefully, but her disapproving frown led to his grin, revealing that he was teasing. A quick kiss had followed and he was off, but not before she'd patted his butt as he turned away, leading him to an even wider grin back at her. "Later!"

Yes, it had been a tough day, but that was behind them now and Paula smiled at the thought of what "later" would mean that evening as she put the last of her cosmetics back in their places. Looking up, she'd examined herself in the mirror, checking out her handiwork. At 39, she'd successfully hidden most of the fine lines and little blemishes that had appeared—as much from worry as from age, she suspected—in recent years, and, even more so in recent months, and now it was finally time to have fun.

Special occasions like this had been few and far between for years. Jean-Louis' company in Montreal had been having trouble for a while, but corporate management had promised employees that they had things under control and that they were taking corrective action. Their measures, however, were a surprise, with a leveraged buyout helping the owners and the major downsizing that followed devastating most of the employees.

Jean-Louis, a senior manager on track for a divisional VP position, had been one of the many upper middle-management employees let go, along with so many of the rank-and-file. He'd gotten his MBA on nights and weekends some years earlier, but it didn't seem to matter and he'd been out of work for months as he searched, first in Montreal, then across Canada, and finally in the U.S. He'd eventually found a new job in North Carolina, leading them to head back to the U.S. to live for the first time since they'd graduated from college in Pennsylvania, where they'd met nearly nineteen years before. They really liked their new home and the Winston-Salem area in general, but money was still tight and it would be months before they could pay off the rest of the credit cards they'd used to cover necessary expenses while Jean-Louis was looking for the new job.

She heard him behind her as she stood up from the makeup table.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed as he slipped his arms around her, looking over her shoulder at her in the mirror.

"If you mess up my makeup, you won't still be thinking that," she said with a laugh. She turned toward him in his arms and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I'm ready to go if you are. And, rawrrrr, looking at you in your tux, I'd say you're ready."

"Thanks, Sweetheart, just one more thing," he said. "Paula, thanks for standing with me through the troubles of the past two years and especially earlier this year. I know it was rough, a lot worse than I ever imagined, but we've turned a corner and it's getting better." He winced as he reached in his pocket.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Damn pulled muscle. I'll tell you now, though, it won't keep me out of that run next weekend."

"I bet a good back rub later tonight would help," she said with a playful look.

"Make it a naked, full-body massage? With that coconut oil-stuff that you like?" His eyebrows arched hopefully, leading her to nod.

"I think that could be arranged," but her expression turned to a frown when he pulled a small box from his pocket. "Jean-Louis? What is that?"

"Open it, Sweetheart."

Her mouth dropped open as she did and saw the diamond ring inside. It was a simple solitaire-type ring, but the stone was much bigger than her own, a little rock that was all they could afford when they'd married.

"We'll have to go to the jeweler and get you a new setting next week," he said, but she was shaking her head.

"No! No!"

"It's okay, Sweetheart. It's yours."

"No! We can't afford this! You have to take it back." Tears were running down her face, ruining her makeup as she gently pounded on his chest. "No, Jean-Louis, we can't—"

He put two fingers to her lips and pulled her close to him. "Put it on. Please. We have to be going or we're going to be late."

***

Later that same evening...

They didn't say a word on the way home from the party. Paula stared at the ring on her finger, sparkling as successive street lights flashed across it through the car's windows. It really was a beautiful diamond and, if circumstances had been different, she'd have cherished it as the thoughtful gift Jean-Louis intended. Unfortunately, bills were due—and overdue in some cases—and there wasn't enough left at the end of each month to allow them to afford such an extravagance.

Jean-Louis had, after a good deal of her complaining, explained that he was getting a bonus, but when he told her the amount, she struck back, telling him that it wouldn't even pay off the credit cards, particularly with the interest that continued to be tacked on each month.

"We have to get that paid off or we're never going to be out of debt," she fussed. "That's what we agreed and that's what makes sense. This doesn't; it'll add years to the amount of time it takes to get those paid off and it'll affect the kids' college prospects and our retirement. Can't you see that?"

"Yes, but...."

The argument had continued and had overshadowed the party; they'd met a few people and Paula had a single glass of wine that didn't help relax her in the least. Jean-Louis' back was hurting, too; she saw him wince several more times during the evening, so she finally complained of a headache, which allowed them to leave early. The silence in the car, with only the sounds of the engine, the tires on the pavement, and the wind, clashed with her attitude, so frustrated she almost wanted to scream. Still, those lights on the ring, the resulting sparkles, were really beautiful and she enjoyed them even as she dreaded taking it back.

When they got home, Jean-Louis dropped his tux coat on a chair and went upstairs without speaking. Paula stood watching, getting angrier by the second, as she watched him go. She straightened it and hung it on the chair.

"What's that man thinking? A dry-cleaning bill to press an otherwise clean coat is all we need. And now, he's just gone? Shit!"

She rarely cursed, but this was too much after all their talk about how they looked forward to this evening and how they wanted to make love all night. She burst into the room staring daggers at him. "Jean-Louis, we planned this for weeks and after all the hell I went through today to make it happen, you better fuck me like there's no tomorrow." She waved her hand, showing that the ring, the source of their fight, was still on her finger and she looked at him expectantly as if waiting.

Jean-Louis was propped up on the bed in an awkward position to ease his muscle ache, but as she fussed at him, his blank expression turned to a grin and he slowly nodded in reply. This was how they sometimes solved their problems in their early days before children forced them to resort to other, quieter measures. Playfully fierce, aggressive sex followed by a loving cool-off period and the inevitable, necessary compromise, whatever it was.

"Get over here, woman!"

When she neared the bed, he grabbed her hand and pulled, jerking her down on the bed where she landed on her back with a surprised little scream. He grimaced as he shoved her legs up, pushing the dress up out of the way, and dived down into her now-exposed crotch, kissing the inside of both thighs before his mouth covered the narrow strip of the thong right at the pubis. There, he mouthed her mound and clitoris, rubbing it vigorously with his lips and tongue a few times as Paula arched her back and head, running her fingers through his hair, pushing him into her. His tongue swept the edge of the panty a few times, as if teasing her about what was to come.

Paula didn't need the teasing. She started to squirm as the cloth rubbed over her, exciting her and getting wetter by the second from his efforts and her own desire. Her breath shortened as he did it before he finally gave up on moving the cloth with his tongue and jerked the cloth to the side with his fingers, exposing her fully. His tongue finally lashed the top of her pussy and her clit as two fingers plunged into her.

She moaned as he worked her, drawing her closer and closer until she cried out, driving her over the edge into her orgasm. She pushed his head away, unable to take more, as she tried to regain control. Jean-Louis didn't stop, though, using her denial to her treasure to undo the top of her dress to reach other goodies. He pulled it down and pushed her breasts out the top of her new bra where he grasped both, massaging their softness a few times before focusing on her nipples. After a few flicks, to excite them, he pinched them, somewhat harder than she expected, causing her to cry out, "Bastard!"

"Bitch!" he replied with equal force.

They both laughed as, very gently, he kissed first one and then the other, before sucking lightly on them in turn. She kissed the top of his head over and over before he faced her so their lips could meet.

"Fuck me, Jean-Louis," she breathed when their kiss ended, letting him know she wanted it hard, even as she was undoing the buttons on his tux pants and trying to push them down. "Please, fuck me!"

He twisted and drew back, dropping the pants and his boxers off the side of the bed, before bending back to her pussy, licking it several times as his fingers rubbed her G-spot.

"Get inside me!" she demanded, only to feel him plunge into her in one smooth motion a second later.

"Oooh!" she cried from the shock, feeling him fill her completely, before he backed out and slid in again. She started bucking against him in time, with their thrusts becoming harder and harder as they crashed into each other, over and over.

"Damn thong!" he griped as it seemingly tried to slip back into position, rubbing against his pistoning member. He slowed for a moment to reach back to pull it back out of the way and then resumed his thrusting.

Something about it caused Paula to giggle as she pulled herself up against him, her back off the bed, as he held them both up, thrusting atop her. As she reached her climax, she lost her grip, slipping back to the bed and losing her rhythm and her concentration as he continued slamming into her. Her legs instinctively curled around him and held him tightly as he grunted and released into her. He collapsed on top of her when he was done, gently caressing her hair as his breath came in in short, quick pants.

She kissed him but then scampered from the bed, saying, "God! We forgot the towel! I'm going to clean up and start the jacuzzi bath. Come on in!"

A moment later the bathwater was running as she cleaned up. When it was done, she peeked out to Jean-Louis on the bed. "You better get in here! I'm adding a bath bomb and am getting in. Come and get me."

Slipping a toe in, the water was hot but not scalding, so she turned on the jets and eased her way in, reveling in the feel. As the pump roared, the heat engulfed her, the scented bubbles soothing her spirit as the jets did their work to relax her. Her eyes closed as she basked in the tub, expecting to feel Jean-Louis hands and lips caressing her at any moment, imagining what he would do to show her that he still loved her. Oh, how she loved the man, despite how he frustrated her at times.

A couple of minutes later, though, she huffed as she turned off the jets. "Jean-Louis? Did you fall asleep in there?" When she got no response, she shook her head, becoming perturbed with him yet again. She wrapped a towel around her hair to keep the rivulets of water from running down her back and face before she started to dry off, but stopped quickly, giving a shiver as the water droplets glistened on her skin. "If he wants to fall asleep and not get wet with me in here, we'll just do it out there. On his side of the bed this time," she added with a laugh, looking forward to having him fill her again.

But when Paula went back into their bedroom to surprise Jean-Louis, her laughter ended.

***

Early December, the present day...

"Excuse me, Mr. Garner? Do you need anything else before I leave?"

"No, Mei. I think that will do it for this week. Thank you," said Bruce Garner, the senior vice president in charge of product development. "Will I see you at the company party tomorrow night?"

The woman smiled but shook her head. "No, sir, I'm sorry. My daughter-in-law and grandkids are coming for a visit this weekend and we'll be celebrating our Christmas. They're going to Taiwan to see my son for several weeks over the holidays. He still has about another six months over there on the project for my cousin's company, so I'm going to have to skip this year."