Shameless Christmas Party

But she didn't dare to be late. And it was probably for the best, she convinced herself. She shouldn't cultivate these strange desires.

She quickly dried off, and went into her bedroom to get dressed. Planning ahead, she had laid out an outfit. Since it was a party with people from work, she thought it would be appropriate to dress similarly to what she wore around the office. She had picked out a tight black skirt, and adhering to the Christmas theme, she had purchased a red satin blouse for the occasion. She decided to match it with a pair of red, knee high stockings. They left a few inches of her thighs exposed beneath the hem of the skirt, but she hoped it was OK. It was a party after all. She quickly put her hair up, and accessorized with a pair of dangling earrings. She liked the way they accentuated her slender neck.

"And now I'm late again," she said out loud, shaking her head as she stepped into her high heels. They weren't exactly practical for the snowy weather, but she had ordered an Uber to pick her up right outside her building. Slipping into her warm winter coat, she rushed down the stairs. Just as she saw a car approaching, she remembered the secret Santa gift.

"Shit, you idiot!" she said, shaking her head as she ran up to her apartment to fetch it.

When she finally was on her way, she texted her colleague Mark to let him know she was running late. He replied to say that there was no need to stress, but she didn't believe him. He was the one who showed her the ropes when she started at the company, and he always tried to ensure her that she had nothing to worry about, even when she stuffed things up.

Apropos of mistakes, she realized she had forgot to write David's name on the gift. Shaking her head in frustration with her disorganized brain, she decided to use her lipstick. It looked a bit messy, but at least it was appropriately red for a Christmas gift.

By the time she finally made it to Jane's place, she was twenty minutes late. It could have been worse, but the driver seemed to pick up on her stress and speeded through the snowy streets. Even though he was reckless at times, she rewarded him with a generous tip.

Jane's husband opened the door soon after she rang the bell.

"Hi David, sorry I'm late," she apologized. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"Not at all," he said. "Only Mark has arrived so far, and Jane is still getting ready. Let me take your coat."

She turned so he could help her out of the coat. After hanging it up, he surprised her by welcoming her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. This was far more informal than she was used to around the office. Nevertheless, she responded by hugging him back. She couldn't help noticing his strong shoulders. He was in good shape, around 40 years old, she guessed. He looked relaxed, the two top button of his shirt undone.

"How is work?" she asked, changing her trail of thoughts as she realized she was checking out her boss' husband. She really had to find time to start dating again.

"It's good. A lot to finish up before the end of the year. I'm sure you know how it is."

"Tell me about," she chuckled.

As they entered the living room, Mark approached with a drink in his hand.

"I'm guessing you need this," he said, handing her the glass. He too kissed her on the cheek. It was unexpected, but welcome.

"We've just managed to get the fire going," he continued as he guided her to a chair by the fireplace.

The relaxed atmosphere was a contrast from her day so far, and she struggled to adjust her mood. Nevertheless, she appreciated Mark's casual manner. Sharing an office, they had become close, but they kept things professional around the office. He was a sexy guy though, and lately she occasionally found herself checking him out when he wasn't looking. He kept switching from clean shaven to a full beard, and she had to look again to remind herself what his current state was. Bearded. Good, she liked him that way.

She heard the unmistakable sound of high heels against the floor as Jane joined them in the living room. Getting up to greet her boss, Sandra did a double take. She was dressed in a striking red dress that hugged her feminine curves. What particularly astounded Sandra was the very revealing cleavage. She'd never seen her boss dressed like this, and was dumbfounded by the sight. Jane always dressed conservatively for work, and though Sandra had noticed that Jane was a very attractive woman, she'd never realized just how well-endowed her boss was.

And now she was staring at her boss' tits, mesmerized by the sight as she approached her. Snapping out of it, Sandra returned her gaze to Jane's face. She was rewarded with that signature warm smile, tonight accentuated by a striking red lipstick.

"Sandra, so good to see you!"

Jane gave Sandra a kiss on the cheek before embracing her. Sandra tried her best not to ignore it, but all she could think about was the fact that her boss' tits were pressing against her own. Where was her mind tonight? Maybe she'd be better off if she'd taken the time to get herself off before leaving her house.

Releasing Sandra from her embrace, Jane gave Mark a similar greeting.

"You're looking smashing, tonight as always," he complimented his boss, and Sandra was surprised by his forwardness. He seemed far more collected in the presence of Jane's striking appearance than Sandra was.

"Oh, this old thing?" Jane chuckled. She returned her focus to Sandra. "You haven't been here before, have you? Do you want a tour of the house?"

"No. Yes," Sandra said meekly, feeling like a moron.

As Jane took her around the house, Sandra tried her best not to let her nervousness show. She felt honored to be there, and wanted to give a good impression. Concentrating not to stare at her boss' chest didn't make it any easier to act natural. Walking upstairs, it was impossible not to gawk at Jane's ass swaying before her. The thin material of her dress hugged its firm round shape. There were obvious no reasons for Sandra to worry about showing off a little thigh.

The doorbell rang again just as they came downstairs again. As Jane opened the door, Antonio and Thomas rushed inside to escape the harsh weather. Their boss greeted them warmly, but she jokingly pointed at her wrist to say they were late.

"It's not my fault. I had to wait for my compadre here," Antonio defended himself and patted Thomas on the back. "I though us Spaniards were the ones who are bad with time."

Sandra smirked as he chuckled at his own comment. He always enjoyed his own jokes, and this remark he had made many times before.

"Sorry, I had to drop the kids off by their mother and there was a bit of drama," Thomas apologized.

It wasn't the first time Sandra heard him use that excuse either. Previously a big-shot lawyer for a major corporation, he one day had the revelation that he was working for the wrong side. Joining Jane's was an opportunity to follow his ideals, but it came with a lower salary. His now ex-wife had apparently not appreciated the change in lifestyle, and it ended in divorce. Sandra had many times thought that his ex was a fool to let him go. She found him very cute, with sparkling blue eyes that didn't seem as sad as when she first met him. She could tell Jane often made an effort to be particularly friendly with him, sometimes to the point where it came off flirtatious.

"The important thing is you're here now," Jane said and greeted them by kissing on the cheek. Sandra did the same. It was apparently what they did tonight.

"Oh, we're wearing the same thing. How embarrassing!" Antonio said, pointing to the fact that his shirt had the same red color as Sandra's blouse. "I think it looks better on you though."

She giggled foolishly. Was he coming on to her? He wasn't exactly her type, but he was undeniably attractive. She normally didn't care much for ponytails, but he somehow pulled it off. Maybe... She shook the idea out of her head. Colleagues were off limits.

With everybody accounted for, they sat down to eat. Jane hadn't saved on the expenses, treating them to a wide range of delicious dishes and plenty of drinks. Sandra enjoyed hanging out with her colleagues under these informal terms. Everybody seemed to be in a great mood, and between this and the fine wine, she started to unwind.

"Now, before you get your dessert, I think it's time for secret Santa," Jane said eventually. Everybody applauded as she slipped on a Santa's hat. "Did everybody put their gifts under the Christmas tree?"

"Oops," Sandra said as she realized that she'd left hers in the hallway. She had managed to relaxed, and didn't get worked up by her mistake. She had picked a good gift for David, and was secretly pleased that it would be obvious it was from her. After fetching it, she made a feigned attempt to hide behind her back, knowing that it was too big.

"Big one," Jane said as Sandra put the gift under the tree. "That's how I like 'em."

Was that a sexual insinuation? This was a different side to Jane than Sandra was used to.

Jane started picking out gifts from under the Christmas tree, reading out loud who it was for. Everybody laughed when Antonio got a stapler with a red ribbon around it.

"Now can you please stop stealing mine?" Thomas said.

When it was Sandra's turn, she got a stylish mistletoe. She briefly thought that it was an insinuation that someone wanted to stand under it with her, but she shook it off. It was probably just her sexually frustrated mind playing tricks on her. This was a work party after all. But who was it from?

"Any guess?" Jane asked her.

"Tough one."

"Well, you have all night to find out who it is," Jane said.

Jane saved Sandra's gift for last.

"And who do you think this is from, honey?" she said with a mocking tone as she handed it to her husband.

"Oh, I don't know," he played along as he unceremoniously removed the wrapping paper. There was a box inside and Sandra thought it was actually unnecessarily large for the captain's hat she had ordered.

"But I have some idea," David said and held up a frame at arm lengths. The rest of the crowd were only treated to the backside, but both he and his wife beside him raised their eyebrows.

That's when Sandra realized her fatal mistake. This wasn't the gift she had ordered—it was the framed photo from the bachelorette party! For some reason, the photographer must have thought it would be fun to wrap it as a Christmas gift. Sandra's boss and her husband were currently watching a photo of her, showing god knows what. Sandra's head was spinning as he slowly turned the photo to show the rest.

"That's a very nice gift, Sandra," he said, watching her curiously.

Sandra was too chocked to speak. She just stared at the photo in disbelief. It showed her, lying on her back and massaging her tits. At least her hands covered her nipples, but the lustful expression on her face revealed just how much she enjoyed her own touch. She had her eyes closed, her mouth suggestively open, and her head was tilted backwards as she pressed her chest into her hands.

And now her entire office had seen it. Overcome with embarrassment, she wanted to sink through the floor. A part of her sought to reach out and take the photo back, but she was too shocked to act. How could she be this stupid? And how could she possibly show her face at work after this? All her colleagues were staring at a photo of her caressing her own breasts. They watched her pose for an erotic photo, and obviously enjoying herself.

To make it worse, she had just given that photo to her boss' husband. What must Jane think? Sandra stared at her boss with panic in her eyes. She was both relieved and confused to see that Jane primarily looked amused. Sandra felt a stream of hope as Jane broke out in one of her heartwarming smiles.

"Oh, and there's a note," Jane said as she picked a post-it from the back of the frame. "Merry Christmas. We both thought you looked very erotic in this one," she read out loud. She made her husband turn the frame so she could watch the picture again.

"Oh my god..." Sandra stuttered. "It's the wrong gift," she managed to say, and everyone broke out laughing uncontrollably. Sandra covered her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. A part of her wanted to cry, another one run, and a third one wanted to rip the picture to pieces. Instead she just tried her best to laugh with her colleagues, her face bright red. She was relieved when Jane put down the photo, face down.

"I'm sure there's a story there," Jane said. "Maybe for another time. David, can you help me in the kitchen? It's dessert time."

As Jane and her husband left, the rest of Sandra's colleagues silently stared at her, expecting her to comment on the photo. Sandra also noticed that their eyes darted down her body. She wasn't surprised—how could she expect them not to? They had seen her posing like some sort of calendar girl, groping her breasts for the camera. Of course they were trying to picture her like that now. To her surprise, her embarrassment mixed with a tingling sensation, not unlike what she had experienced when the photo was taken. Was she getting turned on by them seeing her like that?

When she made no attempt to explain the photo, the guys let her off the hook.

"I wonder what's for dessert," Thomas said, deliberately changing the focus away from Sandra and the photo.

With focus no longer on her, Sandra excused herself, saying she needed some air. She realized that it was too cold to go outside, so she just went into another room and stared out the window as she tried to clear her head. She still couldn't believe she had made such a stupid mistake. Who gives their boss' husband a sensual photo of themselves? She wanted to leave the party, but that would be rude. And what about the photo? Surely she could just take it back. It was a mistake, and David couldn't expect to keep it, right?

And then other ideas started popping into her head. Perhaps she should let him keep it. Wouldn't it be kind of hot? David was an attractive man, and Sandra found the idea of him looking at the picture later oddly thrilling.

She snapped herself out of it. What was wrong with her? This was Jane's husband for fuck's sake. Sandra wanted to slap herself for even thinking about it. She was a professional woman now, and she should act like one. It wasn't appropriate to even fantasize about such things.

Then again, it wasn't exactly appropriate to bring such a photo to a work party to begin with. Now that they had seen her like that, how could her colleagues ever look at her the same again? From the way they acted, it was obvious the picture had stuck in their minds. They were probably all thinking about her in that position right now. And what about later? She felt that tingle inside again as she realized that all colleagues would likely fantasize about her tonight. Maybe even Jane?

Just as that thought entered her head, she heard Jane's heels against the floor. Sandra turned to face her, feeling guilty about the thoughts she just had. Her eyes widened as she saw Jane holding the photo.

"I'm so sorry, Jane! It was a mistake, I'm so stupid. I didn't mean to... You must think I'm a total idiot."

She had to stop herself from getting down on her knees to beg for forgiveness. Jane smiled at Sandra, and her signature warmth mixed with something more suggestive. It was hard to read, but at least she didn't seem upset.

"Relax, my dear. You have nothing to worry about."

"So, you're not mad that I gave your husband a picture of me... you know...?"

Sandra felt like a moron again. Why didn't she just accept Jane's words without asking stupid question she couldn't even finish?

Jane chuckled.

"No, I'm not mad at all. And I'm sure David appreciated it." She lifted the picture, and Sandra was certain Jane was about to hand it to her. But Jane instead held it at arms lengths to study it. She smirked. "I'm sure everybody appreciated it."

"I can't believe I let my colleagues see that," Sandra said as she leaned back, half sitting against the windowsill. She lowered her head in shame. "When I was a student, I once took a seminar about how to make it as a woman in the business world. The number one thing they said was to not make your colleagues think about you sexually. I think I just failed miserably."

Jane sat down beside her. "You're way too hard on yourself."

Sandra turned to look at the woman she admired so deeply, forcing herself to smile back her. Perhaps Jane was right.

"You know..." Jane continued. "There is a time and a place for everything. The office is a place for work, and I appreciate that you keep it professional there. But this is a Christmas party. People are meant to show off their non-work personalities."

"Oh, I think I showed off a bit too much!"

They joined in a giggle, and Sandra felt a stream of tension flow away. It was odd but very nice to bond with Jane like this, even if it was over her own embarrassment.

"You know I picked you out of nearly two hundred applicants for the job, and I know I made the right choice. You're an incredibly hard worker, and I value you for it. But you need to learn to relax, or I'm afraid you'll burn out."

"Yeah but..." Sandra began, trying to phrase her question to not sound like an idiot again. "Now that they've seen me like that, do you think they will be able to accept me as a colleague?"

Jane raised her eyebrows. "Do you really think that little of them?"

"No, it's just... Like I said, I've been told that it can be hard to get respect from male coworkers if you let them see you..." She took a big breath before finishing the sentence. "You know—sexually."

"Well, sure. If your colleagues are idiots," Jane said with a jaded look on her face. "But I don't hire idiots."

Jane sounded adamant, and she held Sandra's gaze until the words sunk in. She then broke out in her inviting smile again.

"Besides, do you really think your colleagues never thought about you sexually before?"

Sandra was shocked to hear the words coming from her boss' mouth. She wasn't sure if the question was rhetorical, or if Jane actually expected an answer.

"Come on, Sandra," Jane continued. "It's good to keep it professional at work, but it's an office for humans—not robots. I've noticed them checking you out."

Sandra didn't know how to respond.

"You know, I see so much of myself in you," Jane continued. "I used to feel that I always had to work twice as hard as everyone else to get their respect, careful to never let anyone see a glitch in the facade. I wanted everybody to see me as a competent, hard-working woman and nothing else. But I realized I was missing out. Sometimes it's nice to be seen just as a woman."

She paused and studied Sandra's reaction.

"There's nothing wrong with enjoying the attention, you know. I don't know about you, but I'd be lying to myself if I didn't admit I like it. And I'm comfortable with that. Very comfortable, actually."

There was pride in Jane's words. Hearing her speak about attention, Sandra couldn't stop her eyes from dropping to her boss' generous cleavage. It was just a quick peek, but Jane still noticed it. As Sandra returned her gaze to Jane's face, she was met by a sly grin.

"Yes, that's why I'm wearing this dress," Jane said and winked at her. "It makes it hard not to look, right?"

Sandra managed to stop herself before agreeing. Instead she just smiled nervously at her boss.

Jane's face turned serious. "Does this make you think less of me?"

Sandra shook her head eagerly. "No, of course not." If anything, it made her even more impressed by her boss. Sandra could never admit such a thing, not even to herself.

"Then why should anyone think less of you? Yours was accidental—I'm showing off on purpose!"