The Reluctant Santa Belle

She wondered what he'd figured.

Back at his table, she saw Matt adding a tip and his signature. He handed it to her. She was tempted but refused to look at it.

"Have a good rest of your evening," she said, looking at him eye to eye when he stood up.

He glanced at his watch. "Sleep well," he tossed back at her.

A wave of his hand and the good doctor was headed to the front door and out into the cold night. Erika took the completed check and handed it to Zack. He glanced at it and then at Erika, a questioning look on his face.

"Did you look?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head.

"The doctor is a good tipper, but I've never seen him tip quite like this." Erika was now curious. "Fifty bucks, on top of the hundred. You must have treated him well."

She took a deep breath. "He's, well, very easy to treat well."

Zack laughed and nodded at her remark. "On a quiet night, with not too much happening, not unusual for Monday, you made the regular fifty collars in salary, a hundred extra from the doctor, and about three hundred in regular tips. So, four-hundred and fifty dollars

"Unbelievable," was all she could say. "And thank you so much, for the job."

"Hey, no problem." He paused, just looking at her. "You have to realize you're a beautiful woman. When you're here, and men are debating about where to eat, they're going to remember you and choose Winebrenner's."

"You give me too much credit," she said, lowering her head.

Zack smiled. "Get changed and have a great night," he said, turning to greet a pair of men, arriving for the eleven o'clock segment.

Tuesday night went much as Monday had, with several very pleasant conversations with customers and earning about the same as Monday's, even without the doctor's one hundred dollars.

On Wednesday, she had a familiar customer as Dr. Matt appeared once more, brandishing that intoxicating smile he'd sent Erika's way on Monday. She brought him his wine, then dinner. After dinner, and over another glass of wine, he spoke to her with a gentler tone to his voice.

"I'm offering you your choice again," he began.

She shook her head, unable to surprise a smile.

"I want to talk with you a little more, your chance to say yes or no."

Now she was thinking "working at Winebrenner's" thoughts. If it were after eleven she could have a 'cuddle' session with this wonderfully handsome man. But it wasn't, so she'd have to remain standing. Even doing that she could display a good bit of cleavage and, she was sure, a pleasant swaying of her breasts as well. She knew that if he was a normal male he'd like that.

Matt was waiting, his eyes never leaving hers. It was an almost hypnotic spell he cast when he did that.

"Sure," she answered, eager to talk more with Dr. Matt.

"How are the studies going," he asked.

"Good," she answered.

"That's it?" he teased. "My older sister has a nine-year-old who always says 'fine.'"

"They really are, well, good," she repeated.

"All A's?" he questioned.

A hesitation. "Yes," she said demurely.

"I should have guessed," he said quickly. "Now I know I'm going to hire you. You ever think of being a doctor?"

Too much too fast. From talking with a doctor to becoming one. Matt didn't waste time.

"Oh my gosh, no. I'm lucky to be in school, let alone thinking about becoming a doctor."

"If you're getting all A's, that's not luck. I think there are some brains hiding behind that pretty face." He was eying her from just inches away and, as she had anticipated, she could feel his breath on her cheek when he spoke. And she did enjoy the compliment, coming from him. She twitched just a tiny bit and looked around the room.

"Okay, okay," he said, laughing. "I know I can't keep you here all evening. But I do hate to share you."

Was he sending her signals? Share her? She wanted to think that he was but wasn't about to be that bold. She knew she was pretty and men would enjoy talking with her or 'cuddling' with her. A handsome guy like the doctor could have lots of girls 'cuddle' ... without having to tip them either. If he was going to give her that extra tip again tonight, the money would be helpful, and she needed to leave it at that.

She brought him another glass of chardonnay, then his check which he completed and signed. Erika didn't look at it this time either, difficult as that was. She took care of the remainder of her tables, getting a smile and nod from Matt as he left.

Thursday was her day off so she went to the mall again. She had the money from her one-day paycheck and needed a few things, mostly underthings but she always hated to spend her money on something no one saw. She found herself looking at frilly and lacy things though, afraid to admit where that inclination had originated. But she was very pleased with what she had chosen.

She woke up Friday morning, nervous before she climbed out of bed. Tonight would be her first eleven to one shift. She took a long walk in the morning, her mind drawn to what Lori had told her, and what she had seen on her training night. She tried to put herself into the pictures her mind was generating without much success.

When afternoon came she followed her usual routine, taking a shower, carefully shaving her legs from top to bottom, doing her hair, and double-checking her manicure ... and her pedicure. Lori had told her about one guy who paid extra if she would remove her shoes while she sat on his lap. Erika thought she'd have no trouble doing that.

Then there was the topless part. She'd had the two boyfriends her senior year of high school who had, well, seen her topless a few times and prepared her for the "squeezes" that would be a possibility tonight. There had been the two or three episodes of alcohol-enhanced skinny dipping last year that prepared her for having strangers see her bare breasts. Prepared or not, she wasn't sure she was ready. She told herself she wasn't that special and would just do it ... and smile the whole time.

Her regular shift went much as the first three had gone with nothing out of the ordinary. Her tables were full almost the whole time so she knew she'd do well on regular tips. Just before ten Zack seated an older couple in her area with a whispered warning that the gentleman could be a little cantankerous at times. Sure enough, he complained that there were spots on the silverware, his wine wasn't the proper temperature, that Erika was too tall and it hurt his neck to look up at her. When she bent to talk with him she was tsk-tsked by his wife who was shaking her head, looking at Erika's cleavage. She smiled inwardly, knowing there was no way to win with these two.

The grumpy pair were gone when eleven o'clock arrived and Erika slipped off to the servers dressing room, along with two others, to shed her top. A deep breath and she was back in her area. She got a thumbs-up from one of the leftover customers which brought an embarrassed grin from her. By eleven-thirty, she had done two "cuddles", stopped a leg-rubber was being a little too enthusiastic and thanked a very inebriated older guy for telling her she was the prettiest server he'd ever had.

At eleven forty-five, she gasped as she saw Zack seating Dr. Matt in her area. Her instinct was to hold her arms in front of her breasts, but she couldn't do that, despite the desire that was puzzling her. He caught her eye and smiled.

She moved to his table. "The usual chardonnay?" she asked, knowing her cheeks were very pink, angry at herself that it was happening.

"That's perfect," he replied, looking at her with a very soft and gentle smile, one she hadn't seen before. "And so I'm not hiding anything, I checked with Zack to learn when you were working this shift. Never been to one of these before." She thought his cheeks might have the tiniest pink hue to them when he said that.

Her breath caught in her throat. No way to respond to what he'd said so she left to get his wine. When she returned she bent to sit it in front of him, her breasts swinging teasingly right in front of his face. A part of her wanted to tape those things down, but another part wanted them to torment him even more and to do it more often. She was getting to be a mess when Matt was around.

He ordered, doing a pretty good job of looking her in the eye. A few times his gaze drifted a little south of her face. Embarrassingly, she felt her nipples begin to harden when he did look at her breasts and she was sure he couldn't fail to notice that. What could he be thinking?

He ate, she kept checking to see if he needed anything else, probably more often than she would have normally done with another customer. It was obvious that the part of her that wanted to torment him more often was winning the battle. Her brain kept reminding her that he was a sophisticated surgeon and possibly untormentable. He ordered another glass of wine and when she brought it, he patted his lap.

"Cuddle time," he said.

She took a deep breath, smiled, and swung her leg over, and sat down, her boobs bouncing as she did. He made no bones about looking at them from as close as he was. As her arm went around his shoulders, she felt his arm go around her waist, his hand holding her firmly. He was paying for a "cuddle" and she was willing to cuddle with him. Her other arm lay across her legs. Rather than putting his hand on her leg as she expected him to do, he began playing with the tiny bracelet on her wrist, softly rubbing his finger from one side to the other and then back.

She studied his face as he played, wondering at the sights those blue eyes had seen in the operating room. She was sure that the hand that was playing with her bracelet had worked medical miracles regularly.

"You said you were an orthopedic surgeon, right?" she finally asked, not wanting to interrupt his leisurely touching her bracelet ... and her arm.

"That's right," he replied, not looking away from her arm.

"So, you do replacements and things like that?"

"That, and I'm on emergency call for accidents, falls, things like that too."

"That has to be hard," she said, crinkling her face at the thought of what accidents could do to a human body.

"You'll find out when you're my nurse," he answered, still looking at her arm and his finger tracing the bracelet from side to side.

She was sure she could feel her breathing changing. Just the touch of his finger was entrancing. She never imagined that something so simple could be so intense.

"Long hours?"

"Sometimes, yeah. Not always though."

She could feel his hand tightening slightly on her waist. She involuntarily shifted her arm that was around his shoulders. Her hand was resting on his shoulder, and it wanted to give that shoulder a little squeeze. She let it. His finger stopped tracing its path.

"Is this new?" he asked, sliding his finger under the tiny chain.

"I've had it since I started here."

"I've noticed the one on your ankle. Those things are fascinating, particularly on long legs like yours." He slid his hand under her hand. "You have beautiful hands, you know. It's a surgeon thing I think. We notice hands."

His hand was moving back and forth under hers. His head turned toward her and they locked eyes for a few seconds. Then he was back, looking at her arm and stroking the bracelet

"You finished at one?" he asked.

Her breath caught again. "Yes."

"For a thousand dollars, would you go home with me when you're through?"

Her eyes widened and she stiffened. Was he serious?

"Fifteen hundred?"

What the hell?

"Two thousand?" Still stroking the bracelet. He looked at her again, at the shocked and surprised expression on her face. "Seriously though," he continued almost immediately, laughing. "Instead of that, how about meeting me at Scramblers for breakfast in the morning?"

Those blue eyes, that inviting smile, the hand holding onto the bare skin at her waist, that single finger, stroking her bracelet and her arm. She could feel her nipples hardening even more, a very natural reaction to the way she was feeling and what he was saying.

"Matt, are you serious?" she asked, almost directly into his ear.

"The Scramblers part is very serious. The others were just me being an asshole."

She glanced around quickly. None of her other tables needed service. She was free to sit here for a while longer.

"Since you said that, the cuddling is free tonight." She let her hand squeeze his shoulder again.

"It's complicated," he said, puzzling her once more. "And I hope I can say this right." A little squeeze to her waist. "The tips are ... well, for you but just as much for your schooling, so I'll have a well-trained nurse when I hire you. And some spending money while you're there. I leave you good tips because I want to help. And, you may think I'm kidding about hiring you, but I'm not. I'd hire you today if you had your degree. Of course, I couldn't afford what I'm sure you're making here." That brought a laugh from both of them. "So," he continued, "I told you I was serious about Scramblers, but you didn't say yes or no."

"as long as it's not too early, yes."

"I have rounds. How about ten o'clock?"

"I'll do my best," she laughed.

He took hold of her hand and helped her stand.

"Another glass of wine?" she asked, finding herself unwilling to leave Matt's table.

He laughed. "Haven't finished this one yet," he said, lifting his glass. "But rounds start early in the morning so I better get some sleep." He finished the wine and smiled at her. "Check please," he added with a laugh. She went to the printer, processed the check, and returned to Matt's table. He filled in some numbers, signed it, and returned it to Erika.

"Thank you. Sleep well." A final smile and Dr. Matt was on his way.

The rest of her shift went smoothly with three more "cuddles" and nothing more than that. Until about twelve-fifty, that is, when a regular at the eleven to one shift had far more alcohol than he should have. On his third inadvertent touching of her breasts, she was thinking of calling Zack when he appeared at the table.

"How's your evening going, George?"

A slurred, "Good."

Zack held out his hand and helped her stand. He turned to George.

"Good night, George. We'll call an Uber to get you home." He turned to Erika. "Let me have his check." He winked. "George tips well." Zack and George stumbled toward the front of Winebrenner's

It was one o'clock and she went to the dressing room with the others. As she was dressing, Lori stopped by her locker.

"See you had a pair of them tonight."

"More than a pair."

"I mean harmless George and the doctor."

"George's hands wandered a little."

"We've all been through that." Lori lowered her voice. "You sat on the doc's lap for a freaking hour."

Erika felt her cheeks reddening. "He's paying so ..." She wasn't about to tell Lori about tomorrow morning. She finished dressing and headed for her room, anxious to imagine and then sleep.

Erika had set her alarm for eight-thirty just in case. Just in case happened as the alarm awakened her from a dreamless sleep. A big yawn and she jumped out of bed, anxious for her ten o'clock breakfast. She exercised as she did almost every morning, then took a warm and relaxing shower.

She debated about what to wear, finally deciding on a pair of black workout pants that stopped a few inches above her ankles — she wanted the little ankle bracelet that Matt seemed to like to be visible. The same reasoning for the pullover sweater with three-quarter length sleeves. Ironically, all her underthings were dirty except for the new lacy ones she had just purchased. She put on her Nikes and was ready.

Her timing was good as she arrived at Scramblers just five minutes before ten. She didn't see Matt but went ahead and was seated, ordering a black coffee to occupy herself while she waited. Five past ten slipped by and then ten past. The first twinges of nervousness had just begun when, through one of the big front windows, she saw him jogging across the parking lot toward the door. Relieved, she watched him spot her, smile, and head for her table.

"Sorry," he said, tossing his coat on a chair. "There was an accident and, well, I was right there and helped out on some surgery." He was still in his green scrubs, a Dr. Matthew Kinghorn name tag pinned to his chest. He sat down.

"My gosh," Erika said, "that's way more important than breakfast with me." She watched his smile broaden.

"Both are important," he finally said.

"It's interesting to see you like this, more like Dr. Matt."

"Same with you," he added, "after the special treat last night."

"Oh god," she gasped, looking away.

"Oh shit," he said, immediately taking hold of her chin, pulling her face around to look at him.

She slowly raised her eyes to his, her face very red.

He took a very nervous deep breath. "I ... am ... so ... sorry. That was gross, unkind, and insulting. I ask you to forgive me, but would not blame you if you didn't."

The look on his face was not like any she had seen before. Her heart was pounding and she could still feel the heat in her cheeks.

"That shocked me," she said, "and hurt a little."

She watched his eyes close. Slowly she reached up and moved his hand from her chin, holding onto it.

"Forgiven," she said, laying his hand on the table, the mood broken by the server stopping by to take their order.

They both ordered, and Erika sipped her coffee.

"Thanks," Matt said softly.

"I don't believe you could be nasty," she said.

"Just thoughtless and crude," he added, a dejected look on his face.

Erika had things she could say but hesitated, anxious to see what Matt would do. She did have one thing she was wondering about.

"This is a little awkward but I'm curious —"

Matt interrupted, "About why I talked the stupid thousand dollar stuff and then asked you to meet me for breakfast?"

"Just the breakfast invite but, yeah."

He shook his head. "A little too much wine, an inflated opinion of how clever I was and, finally, a hint of sincerity." He met her eyes.

"I wondered for a few seconds but your face gave you away."

"Thank god for a readable face."

"And here we are," she said.

Breakfast came and they ate. A few comments while they ate but both were hungry and the food tasted good, particularly for Matt who had been up since five-thirty.

When they had finished, Matt wiped his mouth and said very tentatively, "So, is this our first date?"

Erika looked at him, a wry smile forming. "No," she said. "We just met for breakfast."

"Okay, fair enough. Then, I'm asking you for a date — and if I need to I'm willing to beg — to be arranged when we review our busy schedules. But the sooner the better."

She reveled in the very anxious look on his face and smiled.

"Since I forgave you I guess I can't refuse, but I'd be interested in having you beg. Never had that before."

He looked around quickly, stood up, and started to get down on one knee.

"No, no, no," she said, nearly horrified as people were turning to look.

Laughing, he was quickly back in his chair. "Your face is really red now," he said.

"That was horrible," she said through her laughter. But the picture of Matt, kneeling in front of her to beg for anything was making her whole body tingle.

"You said you were interested in having me beg. Just trying to accommodate you."

The smug grin she was getting told her more about what he was thinking than his words could.

"You're terrible," she giggled.

"Since you accepted the date request and we're both adults, give me one of those beautiful hands to hold while we sit here and talk."

"Adults?" she questioned, as she extended her left hand toward him.

"Sometimes I try to think on my feet ... and don't do a very good job of it. If I wanted to see you blush again, I'd just say that you're so beautiful, it sends my brain spinning and I can't think."