Happy Holidays

“I swear, those white, small-dicked, Canadian boys don’t know how to treat a real Nubian woman like a princess.” Janice declared while straightening her bra straps. Her large, full breast barely remained contained under her light pink halter-top. “They sure can lick pussy though.”

“Janice!?!”

“She does have a point,” added Denise and with that, she and Janice laughed as they gave each other a high five.

“But seriously, it sounds like this guy is just going to take you out for a beer and a burger after a hockey game,” snorted Janice.

“Not even. He sounds classier than that.” Denise spoke in Mathew’s Defence.

“Girl, are you even serious about this guy?”

“It’s not like that,” Neesha tried to explain. “We’re just going out to diner,” but after having said those words she began to feel a pang of guilt like she had just run over someone’s cat and drove away. “I don’t even know if he intends for this to go anywhere. We’re just going out.”

“What did you say he gave you again Neesha?” asked Denise.

Neesha smiled at the memory. “He gave me a teddy bear.”

“With dreadlocks,” added Janice.

“Well I think he’s sweet,” grinned Denise, “And you said he’s cute. You should go for him.”

“You know what? Even if he is cheap, I think maybe you should hit that up. I swear, in the FIVE years that I’ve known you since we met at Sheridan, I have yet to see you hook up with ANYBODY. You need to get laid girl,” laughed Janice.

“She does have a point,” Denise cackled along with Janice. “All I’m saying is that you need to get out there and enjoy life, loosen up a little. If some one’s interested in you run with it. Hmmmm, maybe we shouldn’t have invited you-know-who after all.”

“Speaking of which, do I have the man to LOOSEN you up.”

“What are you talking about Janice,” Neesha coldly asked. No sooner after she said the words did the answer begging to walk towards their table.

“Well I need to get going, I have an early day tomorrow,” Denise smiled guiltily while standing up.

As she did, Janice’s boyfriend Shawn spoke. His beard was neatly trimmed and matched his short cut hair. “Before you leave, I want to introduce you to mybredren, Jason Derek. J.D. this is Denise, this is my queen; Janice, and THIS...” he said gesturing to the tall, slender woman in the middle who had one eyebrow raised incredulously, “this is Neesha.”

“Neesha?” he asked if he heard correctly as the music in the lounge became louder. He reaches his heavily muscled arm over the table to shake her hand. As he did you could see the chest muscles beneath his tight white T-shirt twitch with the movement. His shaved head shined in the coloured lights. When he smiled Neesha could see gold-capped teeth.

“Please, call me Natasha,” she spoke over the pounding base of Ludachris telling people toStand-Up.

“What did you say?” hollered J.D. in a heavy Trinidad accent.

“NATASHA,” she hollered back.

***

Neesha was glad to be home showering off the filth and grim from the lounge. It felt good to wash off the feel of his rough hand and nicotine breath. She silently cursed to herself about being set up by her well intentioned but clueless friends. “Entrapment, that’s what it was.”

J.D. laughed at his own jokes. Neesha saw no humour in his anecdotes about beating up guys while he worked as a bouncer or the tall tales of Hip-Hop artist that invited him to wild parties after their shows. He was self-centred and rude and the more he talked the lonelier Neesha felt. “What do you mean you’ve never smoked weed?” J.D. spat at Neesha. “You’re from Jamdown, right?”

“Yes, I’m from Jamaica,” she sighed.

“And you lived there how many years?”

“I left when I was seventeen and a half. That was over five years ago,” she replied starring down at the hand stirring her Pinacolada.

“JEEZE!” was his reply. “ And you've never smoked? Not even second hand Marijuana inhalation?”

Sighing, she turned down her covers and slipped under her cool and soft cotton sheets. If it had been cold in her apartment a few days ago, she could no longer recall the physical memory. Now it was swelteringly hot in her apartment. Much to hot for her comforter as she tossed and turned under her sheets. Being both anxious and nervous about going out with Mathew tomorrow didn’t help. She felt a multitude of sensations. Her heart beat rapidly and her stomach had difficulties digesting the butterflies she somehow swallowed. Through it all she could feel something else; excitement. She felt a warmth of excitement all over that came from the inside out.

Soon Neesha felt too hot and ripped off her wool socks and dropped them to the floor. That wasn’t good enough. She restlessly shifted about unable to sleep. Her eyes shot open and she lay motionless as gears began to turn in her head. Finally she boldly released the clutch. Her body moved. She lifted the covers. She made a bridge with her back and slid off her light blue cotton panties. She lay motionless again but only for awhile before she triumphantly tossed her T-shirt on to the floor as well. Pulling back the covers, she sighed in satisfaction. Now, she felt good. The cool sheets felt airy as they gently lay against her skin.

The salt water felt good against her dark flesh. The sun was warm over head as it flickered through the palm-trees with the swaying morning breeze. His mouth felt hot on hers. His fingers felt soft as they tickled their way down to the string of her bikini-bottom to pull at the knot at her right hip. The fabric rested loosely on her skin. The warm soft hand began to brazenly slide across her smooth stomach and over the nub of her outie-belly-button. Now it slid lower to her sensitive, hairless crotch until those fingers slid effortlessly inside her moist wet slit. She breathlessly sighed into his neck and ran her fingers through his soft, damp wavy brown hair.

"Yes Mathew," was all she whispered. Mathew had reached around and undone the bow knot behind her back. Her pink bikini top rested lightly over her breast but now Mathew's lips were pushing away a triangle of fabric. "Yes," was all she could breath as he gently licked, sucked and nibbled on her thick black nipple. He was so gentle, just like how Neesha longed to be touched. Mathew continued his ministrations between her thighs as he flicked and swirled his tongue over her bud. His index finger delicately slid back and forth over her tingling clitoris that had pushed out from under its hood.

"BMEEP! BMEEP! BMEEP! BMEEP! BMEEP! BMEEP! BMEEP! BMEEP!"

Neesha's eyes shot open with both shock and horror. Her alarm continued to whine as she became aware of her surroundings. She sweat lightly. Her beautiful nude body glistened in the growing morning light, her sheets long since kicked off. Her right hand was between her legs, her left on her breast. Her brow furrowed with confliction emotions. But she continued. Her eyes shut tightly and her brow wrinkled further. The hand between her burning thighs picked up where Mathew had left off in her dream. Her body began to thrust desperately towards her climax. "Yes... yes...please," Neesha begged but it was unclear whether she was calling out to her lover or pleading with herself. Her stomach began to contract rapidly and her hips bucked wildly. "Ahh....aaaahh. aaaaaahhhhhhhh," she proclaimed in ecstasy but her face was a contradiction of both immense joy and deep sorrow as her orgasm flooded her senses.

Finally her alarmed stopped buzzing as she brought a hand down on top of it. Neesha lay there silent in the now silent room as her eyes began to water.

***

The Friday of December the Nineteenth was cold but not unbearably so. On the eighth floor the advertising agency on Bloor Street West, life moved about quickly in front of Neesha. She was shocked to see the clock on her monitor confirmed what both the big clock on the wall and her watch told her. It was already a quarter to four. Every time she looked up from her work today, she was surprised to see that time had made another lunge forward. She felt nervous all day and worried her computer would break down. She still didn’t know what she would do come five o’clock and dreaded having to stare Mathew in the eye… those beautiful crystal blue eyes. She was just going to call it off; it was as simple as that, she decided. But, saying that to herself brought back the pang in the pit of her stomach the she couldn’t bear. What’s more is that she felt something else through all of the fear and anticipation. There was a longing. She wanted to hear his soft voice and desired to laugh with him again. She wanted to see his smiling face.

“That’s not fair!” she yelled at her wrist as she looked up from her work while it was saving. “4:35! It’s not possible,” she thought. She grabbed her coat and purse and prepared to leave her desk for the day. She wanted to at least freshen up a little bit in the ladies room before Mathew showed up. Just as she was wondering if cancelling was still an option, she slammed into someone.

“Ooof!” she breathed. I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking… Mathew!?”

“We really need to stop meeting like this,” he chuckled.

“You’re early,” she uttered nervously.

“Well we finished early upstairs and I thought I’d check if you were free too. I hope you’re hungry.”

“Hungry…” she began. She was too nervous to eat all day and now that the question was upon her she realised, “…I’m starving.”

“Great. Do you need anything from your desk?” Mathew said while helping her put on her coat while she stopped to think.

“No I don’t think so.”

“Don’t forget your hat again.” he cautioned handing it to her.

She smiled at the memory of how they first met and turning to face Mathew, she saw that he shared her smile. “You’re going to love where we’re going tonight,” he beamed.

She snapped back to life “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Oh no,” she intoned sceptically. “My friends took me out last night with that same promise. Where are we going?”

He held the elevator door open for her as he ushered her inside. “I told you it’s a surprise. So what happened last night with your friends? Sounds like you had a bad time.”

“Oh no, we did have a good time. I haven’t seen them in ages because we’ve been so busy and it was great for awhile”

“So you had a good time?”

“Well, yes and no. It’s not really important… hey wait a minute!” Neesha was perplexed to see that they were exiting the elevator and were headed out the lobby. After all of her inner turmoil about going out with Mathew tonight, they were already out the office door and headed to the subway. Just looking at her, Mathew had calmed her fears and whisked her away without any protest. “How did he do that,” she wondered. If she didn’t know any better she’d say that he knew Obeah, Jamaican witchcraft.

“I said wait up!” He stopped. “Where are we going?” she asked wide eyed with amazement.

“I told you it’s a surprise.”

“It’s not a hockey game is it?”

“Hockey?” he looked hurt and bewildered. “You’re joking right.” He held out his hand and she took it. “Anyway the Leafs are playing in Montreal tonight. So tell me all about what happened last night. Everything was fine until…”

“Ugghh… I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Let me guess,” he paid their fares and they stepped on to the platform. “They tried to set you up with someone.”

She laughed. “How did you know!” It was more of a statement than a question.

“Just last week my friends pulled the same stunt on me. My date just kept on talking and talking about herself…” he rolled his eyes and then they both laughed. “What was yours like?,” he asked while holding the subway door open as they stepped out.

“We should set up your date up with mine”

“You think they’d hit it off?”

“That or they would talk each other to death,” she joked. “I swear I don’t know what my friends were thinking. I’ve know them since I moved here five years ago and I don’t know why they think I’d be interested in that block head,” she disclosed in her rich melodic Jamaican accent.”

“What are your friends like? Oh, and by the way, we’re here.”

“Excuse me?” She was surprised to see that he did it again. It seemed like only seconds ago she was dreading having to be alone with him at a restaurant. Now there was no place she would rather be. “By the way, where’s here?”

He pointed up. The sign above Neesha readThe Jamaican Jerk and it had a cartoon picture of someone with dreadlocks dancing about like a fool. “You jerk!” She squealed and playfully hit him in the arm.

“Come on, we have a reservation.”

Eventually Neesha did tell Mathew all about her friends over the best food she had in a long time. They even had ginger beer. Mathew needed three to wash down his jerk chicken. Neesha had escoviesh that was nearly as good as her step-father’s and the shared a bowl of cow-cod-soup. They even had Banana Cake for desert. The conversation flowed as freely as the ginger beer. Neesha told Mathew all about how her friends met in the bachelor of illustration program at Sheridan College. She explained how Denise helped her get the marketing job, even though she really wants to be in design. Mathew mentioned that all along Queen Street West after Bathurst, there were dozens of local galleries that showcase local talent and he’d love to see her work hanging there someday.

They were still laughing as they spilled out into the cool night air. To them, it didn’t feel so cold. It was a beautiful snow covered night and the temperature hovered just at zero degrees Celsius. The falling snow sparkled in the streetlights and the thick clouds that completely blocked out the night sky were a purple-pink colour.

Mathew hesitantly asked, “so are you going to tell me what cow cod soup is?”

“Did you like it?”

“Well I guess it was okay…”

“Well then stop asking!”

Again, Mathew seemingly lead them onward with the magic of his voice. They turned onto Yonge Street and carried on South. The stores were all closed now but they still delighted in looking into the shops. Neesha took her time starring into Curry’s art supplies and when they passed the lingerie store, Mathew asked if the blue teddy matched his eyes. Eventually the passed the bright lights as they crossed Dundas Street and saw the shivering people lined up outside the theatre to see the Nutcracker. When they reached Queen Street, Neesha finally asked, “where are you taking me?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Not again! We’re not walking to those galleries are we?”

“Oh, God no! They’re too far away to be walking to in this cold.”

“Oh,” Neesha sighed unable to hide her disappointment. “Then, where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” he smiled staring into her eyes. “Come on, its not that much further.”

At Nathan Philips Square he came to a stop. “Surprise,” he declared mildly as she starred with her eyes as wide as her mouth.

“...This is a nice surprise,” Neesha sighed at last. Every holiday season, Toronto City Hall will light up the square in front with dazzling lights, ice sculptures and a large Christmas tree. Where there was a fountain under the two arches, there now was a skating rink and people seemingly dancing about. “This is my first time coming here. I’ve heard about it and seen it on TV but I didn’t expect it to be so… Mathew? WHERE ARE YOU GOING NOW?”

“TO RENT SKATES,” he hollered back over his shoulder.

“Mathew, wait up! I can’t skate very well!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll catch you.”

Sometimes he missed and sometimes she pulled him down with her. More than once he slipped, pulling her down on top of him. Though Neesha’s aunt and uncle tried to teach her first winter in Canada, it didn’t take. Mathew was a good enough teacher when he wasn’t on his behind. They laughed and twirled until their bottoms were soaked and their teeth began to chatter.

“I swear, I haven’t had so much fun in my life,” Gasped Neesha as the stumbled into Mathew’s apartment. “Oooo, and my butt has never been in such pain,” she groaned as she peeled of her shoes and her coat.

“Well the gas fire is already started. You can plop down here once you’ve changed out of those clothes. Come on, take them… I’ll get started on the hot chocolate.”

Mathew had some how done it again. No, that’s not true because she remembered agreeing to everything. She remember telling him that she was too sore to go all the way home now and she was the one who brought up that Mathew lived nearby at Osgood Station. She gladly accepted the offer of a warm fire and some hot chocolate. Now she was in his bedroom holding his clothes that she agreed to wear while her wet ones dried in front of the fire. She wanted to be here but couldn’t make sense of the different feelings she felt. She wanted to be here but she was feeling doubt.

She sat down in the armchair that was positioned in front of the gas fireplace wearing Mathews thick woollen socks and his large cotton sweater with her braids pulled back behind her head. “All finished in there?” he called from the kitchen.

“Yes,” she called back.

“The cocoa’s almost ready, so I’m going to go get changed myself. Did you leave your clothes in my room?”

“Um, yes I did… I left them on your floor.”

“That’s okay. I’ll be right out.”

“Soon,” she thought, “He’ll see that I left my bra on the floor. He’ll realize that I’m not wearing the T-shirt or the sweat pants that he left out for me. If only I had the guts to leave my underwear out there for him to see as well. His sweater smells of his cologne.”

I was Mathew’s turn to stammer. “I, uh… I would have brought our clothes to the laundry room in my building, but well, it closes at seven on Fridays…” Mathew spoke hesitantly joining Neesha in front of the fire. He was wearing the shirt and pants that she opted not to wear. Both of their clothes were placed on a drying rack that he put in front of the fire. Her bra was right on top. Mathew lingered there starring at Neehsa, her long legs curled underneath her as she wore his sweater like a very short dress. “I’ll, um… I’ll go get the hot chocolate.”

“I’m sorry that the marshmallows are a bit stale but once you put them in they come alive again…”

“Thanks,” was all she said as she starred into his eyes.

There was a silence as Mathew handed her a cup. She dunked a few marshmallows and stared into the swirling liquid while Mathew took a sip from his.

“Mathew?” Neesha sounded serious.

“….Yes,” Mathew replied slowly.

“…Tell me what Christmas was like for you when you were little?”

“Christmas?! Oh, well didn’t celebrate it.” Neesha’s eyes came alive as she stared intensely at him. “I didn’t mention that I’m Jewish, did I?” She silently shook her head. “So around Christmas time we celebrate Chanukah.”

“Tell me about it,” her eyes were pleading when she asked this.

He sighed, “it’s not even a big holiday.” He looked up and saw her smile as her beautiful brown eyes still pled to him. “Where do I start… well, first of all, there’s the Menorah; that’s the big candle holder with eight candles. The whole festival revolves around lighting another candle each day for eight days. It all goes back to the story of how there was just enough oil to last one day, but it lasted long enough for them to make more so they could rededicate the temple after the had liberated it… It’s this miracle that was a testament to their battle and their faith…it’s sort of a lame holiday…”

His words trailed off but when he looked he saw her hanging on every word. “But tell me what was the Holiday like foryou growing up.” She pleaded him to continue.

He smiled back. “It’s really not that big of a Holiday; always forced to compete with Christmas… Well there are Chanukah Songs instead of Christmas Carols and some parents give presentseveryday for eight days. I remember getting a silver dollar each day from my grandmother. It’s not as bad as getting socks.” Neesha laughed with recognition. “Sometimes I got books or dradles, my cousin got things like video games, man was he spoiled.”