'Tis the Season

This is my entry for the Christmas story contest. I hope that some of you might enjoy it.

'Tis the Season...

I love Christmas. Everyone is always so happy and jolly. There always seems to be endless supply of parties, that are filled with gift giving, eating and drinking. The holiday season is time of the year, when the American dream of overindulgence, at its absolute very best.

Working in the financial district of NYC offers me plenty of perks this time of the year, offer upon offer of work get togethers, social gatherings and parties in general. Not having that much knowledge or experience of the social calendar within the company that I work for, I tend to follow the lead of Suraj, an older gentleman that has become my self-proclaimed, "mentor". Suraj will enlighten me as to which parties will have the best booze, the best food and as he so eloquently puts it, the best "trim". Suraj has steered me down the correct path on numerous occasions so, more often, than not, I will pay attention to his directions.

"I guarantee it. You will be having your balls licked by Trini or one of her hot little bitch friends within an hour of arrival. Trini's parties are always the bomb Maxwell. I'll tell that for free."

"Trini doesn't even know who I am. What am I supposed to do, just show up at her door with a bottle of wine in hand?"

"Fuck that shit. I know her address. I'll give it to you and you just walk in like you own the mother fuckin place, throw down the hottest bitch you can see and fuck her, then wipe your dick on one of Trini's $2000 duvets. I'll live vicariously through you for of the rest of my time on this god forsaken earth."

"Settle down Raj, you know that's never going to happen. She'd have me escorted from the building before I made it in the door."

"You know what your problem is Max? You're a fucking under achiever when it comes to pussy. There is so much poon walking around in this place, just waiting for you to slip a dick into it, but no, you are too fucking busy working like a little company bitch."

"Hey buddy, if there's so much of it, why don't I notice you chasing after it?"

"I won't get any more pussy in this place. Not since that old cunt Judith told everybody that I was a premature ejaculator. Ruined my street cred, that's for sure, but you, you can live in the fast lane. Just show your skinny white ass up at that party. Show those bitches some of that muscle from the gym and you'll be drowning in pussy juice. Mark my fucking words."

"Um hum, excuse me gentlemen, but if you have completed sorting out your social calendar, I have some business to tend to. Perfect. Well then, Maxwell this is from Mr. Williams, he would like you to RSVP no later than 4:30pm today, understood?"

"Yes indeed. Thank you, Vanessa." And with that Mr. William's assistant Vanessa, departed our area. Suraj and I savored the view of her fine ass in a pencil skirt, as she walked away.

"That bitch is like a cat, she sneaks around this office waiting to pounce on all us mice. I'll tell you something else for free Maxi, she'd ride you like a rented mule."

I opened the envelope and it contained a Christmas invitation. "You are cordially invited to attend the 23^rd annual Tri Bank's Seasonal Celebration on December 7^th, 2019. This event will be given at the home of Benjamin Williams III. Cocktails will be at 6:00pm. Dinner 8:00pm sharp, please RSVP no later than 4:00pm November 22^nd."

This was followed by an address on Park Ave and request for the name of the spouse or date that would be attending with you.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"That depends Raj, what do you think it is?"

"Don't be coy Max. It doesn't look good on a little cunt like you."

"It's an invitation to the company Christmas party."

"Fuuuuuck off, you got invited to "The Party", who's dick did you suck for that?"

"Fuck you Raj, but it doesn't matter, I'm not going anyway. I don't have a date."

"Hire a hooker you daft prick. Don't you be a fucking asshole. Do you know what happens at those parties? You get promoted, that's what. Not one of those cunts make under 7 figures a year. When is it?"

"The 7^th."

"Fuck buddy, that's the same night as Trini's party. If you show up there after being at the Big Man's party, all those bitches at Trini's will be puppy humping your leg as soon as you get in the door, there'll be pussy stains on your pants for sure."

"You're a piece of work Raj."

"I'm telling you man. You play your cards right at that ''paartee" and you will be Managing Director of this department by January. You have my word."

"Hey guys." Trini said when she snuck up behind us. Caught bullshitting twice in one day, Raj and I were definitely off our game.

"So Max, Vanessa tells me that you are planning on crashing my party. Well, just so you know, you are always welcome at any of my events, crashing isn't necessary. Here's the address, come any time after 8:00pm. K."

"What about me Trini baby?" Raj just couldn't resist throwing in a dig.

"Fuck you "Quick Draw", it's only a party for real men and not sewer rats like you." And with that Trini disappeared.

"See Maxwell, Judith fucked me for life. It's like I have some kind of STD or the plague and all I do is come a little fast. Fucking cunts, all of them."

I couldn't help but smile at Raj's problem and frown about my own. So, I sent Vanessa an e-mail stating that I would unfortunately have to decline the invitation and my phone rang almost immediately after I'd hit the send key.

"Mr. Cole, I am not sure that you understand what you are saying. This is a little more than a "request", it is more of a polite way of saying that your attendance is required."

"I know Vanessa, but it's just that I...I well, I don't have a plus one."

"An escort is not necessarily required Mr. Cole. Ladies and gentlemen have attended the Christmas party stag, many times in the past." After a long pause Vanessa asked if she could send my acceptance along to the coordinator of the party.

"Yes, please do."

"Very well Mr. Cole, good choice by the way. Also should I forward you Trini's address in the case that you would like to show up after the company event?"

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary."

"Very well, good day."

The following 2 weeks were an onslaught of questions from everyone that I associated with at work, each giving their personal opinion of what was to be expected at the event, what I should wear, what I should drink, how much I should drink, who I should talk with, who I "should not" to talk with and so on. It was like a crazy scene from Mean Girls. Some employees told stories of wild orgies, some told stories it being a religious cult, but none of them had ever been invited so I decided that my best option would be going there with an open mind and a clear head.

I opted for something new from Hugo Boss, when Vanessa told that the attire would be business casual, I thought that I really couldn't go wrong with that choice.

On the day of the fateful event, a company car picked me up in front of my building at exactly 5:15pm. and it dropped me off on Park Ave 40 minutes later. After being greeted by the doorman, I rode the elevator in complete silence with other couples from Tri Bank, that would be attending the party. Looking at their attire and the way that they looked at mine, I guessed with almost certainty, that I would be under dressed and out of my intellectual league.

I was greeted by a maid who took my overcoat and my entrance was announced by the William's butler. Mr. Williams and his wife were busy glad handing all of the guests as they entered into the Grand Room.

"Maxwell, so glad you could make it. This lovely creature is my wife Beth. Honey, this young gentleman is Maxwell Cole. He is an up and comer at the bank. Maxwell, please help yourself to something to drink. I'm sure that you will find an agreeable whiskey of your choosing. Also, there is a box of 10 year old, Trinidad Fundadores. Grab yourself one of those and we gentlemen will gather in the billiard room in 30 minutes."

"Thank you, Mr. Williams. It was very nice to meet you Mrs. Williams."

"Dear, call me Beth, please." She said with a smile.

The Williams home was beautifully decorated with extravagant Christmas decorations and they had a quartet softly playing a medley of seasonal tunes. It was the kind of Christmas party that I've only ever seen in the movies. The white, silver and gold colors burst joy all over the room. I made my way over toward a make shift bar, while keeping an eye out for anything that might resemble a billiard room. After ordering two fingers of Balvenie Caribbean Cask Scotch I turned to scope out the room.

I wasn't very hard to notice that I was probably the youngest person in the house by a good 15 - 20 years, that was until I noticed a woman that was roughly around my age, somewhere between 23 -25 years old, if I'd have had to guess. As she walked around the room, I noticed her beauty. She overflowed with elegant and gracefulness. The black dress she was wearing complimented her deep red hair and her pale white skin. The strapless gown with its high running slit showed off her cleavage and her shapely legs. This girl was stunning, and I wanted to approach her in the worst way, but there was something about her that I just couldn't put my finger on.

Then it came to me in a flood, you know when you get that feeling, the one where you think that you are about to puke in your mouth just a little bit. When a memory or the memories come racing back to you from years gone by. Holy fucking shit!

Headed directly toward me, it was her, it was "Little Becky Rotten Crotch" or so was her nickname throughout grade school and for my first 2 years of high school. Although I never called her by that nickname, I had also never had the nerve or courage to defend her honor either. I just couldn't remember why that was.

"Well if it isn't Axe Cole. How are you these days Axe?" Now I remembered. Because, although I didn't call Becky by her nickname, she had been the person that gave me mine. When said fast enough, the name Axe Cole, sounded an awful lot like "asshole" and Becky loved to call me that. She said it was just too similar to, Max Cole, for her not to call me Axe. So, there we stood after a not having saw one another for a little over 6 years.

"Becky, how nice it is to see you. What brings you here?"

"I prefer Rebecca and I live here. What in god's name brings you, of all people, here?"

"Well Becky, I was invited."

"Why is that Axe? Are you on the clean-up committee?"

"Becky, you said that you live here? Does that mean that you're like a live-in maid?" This wasn't going well. Becky motioned for the actual live-in maid, that had earlier taken my coat to come over. Becky whispered something into her ear and the maid disappeared.

"So, Axe, are you another of my father's snotty nose ass kissers?"

"Your father, nice, well fuck my life. No Becky, to be completely honest with you, we had never spoken, until tonight, so no, not a lot of ass kissing on my part."

"Then why the fuck, are you here, Axe?"

"Not really sure. Your guess would surely be as good as mine, but at this point, with the warm greeting I have received from you, I feel like I should be running my ass home with my tail tucked securely between my legs."

"That might be the right call. But, let me tell you Axe, if I had to guess, knowing my father like I do, you have a fairly impressive portfolio, am I correct?"

I ordered another scotch, and a refill for Becky's empty wine glass and replied.

"Some might say that. But when you say, "impressive portfolio", you do mean a work related portfolio and not something different, correct. Just so we are on the same page, because sometimes a sexual double entendre will go right over my head."

"Fuck you Axe and there is very little doubt that lots of shit goes right over your head."

Mr. Williams gave the wave and we "gentlemen" adjourned to the billiard room. Saved by the bell. Almost everyone in the room smoked a fine cigar and drank fine whiskey, while listening to Mr. Williams give an glowing overview of the company's fiscal year. There was plenty of back patting and thanks given out, along with bonus cheques. My cheque was larger than my yearly salary and it came with a letter of an offer for a promotion. Fucking Suraj, the old prick was right. Hopefully he's correct about what will happen if I do go to Trini's party later. At precisely 7:50pm Mr. Williams said that it was time to eat and that we should probably find our seats.

Entering the dining hall, there were 6 round tables of ten. Most of the spouses had found their seats earlier so I was at a disadvantage, until the maid touched my elbow and asked me to follow her.

As we approached a table, Becky gestured me to be seated next to her.

"Are you sure this is my seat?"

"Sit your ass down Axe. Other than me, you're the only one under 60 in this whole goddamn room and I really don't feel like talking to the "old" bullshit artists all night, so I thought I'd talk to the new blood."

"Thanks. I accept."

"You accept? Enlighten me as to what your other options were big shot." When we agreed on the seating arrangements and I had taken my "so called" assigned seat, Becky asked, "So, how'd that go? Any of those old fuckers try to get a look at your "big portfolio"?"

"Impressive portfolio, not once did I say big." Becky smiled and chuckled.

"So, Axe, where did you disappear to in high school? You didn't feel like sticking around the final 2 years to torture me some more?"

"We couldn't afford it, so I moved to a public school. But it worked out for me. It made me stronger and a little money hungry. As far as torturing you, not once did I call you that name. So what about you, what did you do?"

"I finished high school and spent 3 years travelling the globe. Never had a hunger for money, living in this opulence, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I can see that it must have been a great hardship for you."

"It was. Being the richest kid at school isn't cool sometimes. And being a ginger to boot helped me get that god awful nickname and it stuck with me until I left school. It was so bad that I never many friends, didn't date much or even had a steady boyfriend."

"If you can remember correctly, I never called you that name once and I think you are bullshitting about dating and the boyfriend part, because even though you were a bitch, you were still a stone-cold fox and guys would have been lined up around the corner to take you out. Rotten crotch and all."

"Fuck you Axe, just when I thought you were being a nice guy, your dick comes flying out."

When Becky said that, I looked down at my own crotch with a surprised look on my face. We both had a laugh and enjoyed the rest of our meal. The Christmas feast was over the top, with all of the traditional fair, it was a meal that was truly fit for king. With a round of applause for the chef, we rose and headed off to the ballroom. The ballroom was a winter themed wonderland. Drinks flowed and laughter filled the air. One could certainly get used to this, because it was not a bad life style at all.

"Dance with me Axe." And we were off. When the tempo of the music slowed, I touched Becky for the first time. I placed a hand on her lower back just above her buttocks and held her dainty hand in my mine. Becky and I talked and danced until midnight. I found that she was pleasant and witty. I kicked myself for not noticing this about her when we went to school together, not that it would have made any difference. On more than one occasion I noticed one or both of her parents watching us dance. This made me a little nervous I must admit.

"Well Axe, I think that I'm going to call it a night. Interested in walking me home?"

"I thought that you said you lived here?"

"I do."

Becky grabbed my handed and lead me down one corridor after another, until we finally reached her closed door.

"Interested in a nightcap Axe?"

"Absolutely."

Becky opened the huge door to her "so called" room, was not a room after all, it was a self-contained apartment. It was huge and very well appointed. Becky gave me the grand tour, humbly showing me around the massive palace. Her living room area was larger than my whole apartment. When she opened the French doors to her bedroom my chin hit the floor. The king-sized bed was raised two steps up off the main floor up so that you had a view out over the city and not a view of a brick wall like at my apartment. The ensuite bath had a 2 person solid granite bathtub that also had a view of Central Park.

"Your place is spectacular. How often do you just lay back and soak in that tub?"

"Unfortunately, not often enough."

"That's a shame. I even can't remember the last time I had a bath."

"Well that would explain everything. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew I smelled something foul."

"Very funny. Listen if you ever need someone to wash your back while your soaking in here, I'm your guy."

"Very smooth. Is that the best pick-up line you have?"

"Maybe. I'm a little rusty. I don't get out lots, if you know what I mean."

"Why is that? Does daddy over work you, you, poor baby"

"You might say that.''

"I'll tell you what. You go get me a glass of wine from my bar and make yourself another drink and I'll run a bath for you, stinky boy."

Well you could have knocked me over with a feather. I must have been standing there with my mouth open because Becky just grinned while turning on the water in the tub and asked, "bubbles or no bubbles?"

"I'm good either way."

I made a hasty retreat to the living room, found the bar and poured some liquid courage into a glass. Am I really going to do this? My fucking boss is right down the hall. Getting caught with his daughter would definitely be detrimental to my employment. I couldn't help but think of a hundred reasons to leave, but not one of them was good enough. I opened the bar fridge and found a nice bottle of white wine and poured Becky a glass full. After having a healthy swallow of my scotch, I topped it up and headed back toward Becky's bathroom. I guess Trini's party is out of the question now.

The room smelled of vanilla and lavender. Soft Christmas music was playing in the background and Becky was already in the tub. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her sexy body was covered almost to her neck in bubbles. I handed her the wine and bent to give her what would be our first kiss. Sweet and tasteful, if I do say so myself.

"Do you plan on joining me any time soon?"

"I'm at a slight disadvantage here. You're already in the tub and I am assuming that you have removed all of your clothing, so, if you want me to join you, you will have to promise to close your eyes while I get undressed and get into the tub."

Becky smiled like a temptress and said, "Sorry Axe, that's a promise I just can't keep and remember the number one rule is no peeing in the tub."

"Well maybe that's a promise that I can't keep."

I was hesitant, but I removed my jacket and tie. My shirt came off next followed by my pants. Standing in my socks and underwear, my thoughts were that I should run for the door, but I remained. When left with just my boxers, I turned my back to the tub and pulled them down. Becky gave a sarcastic round of applause and said "it's about time."

When I turned around to step into the tub, Becky smiled said, "Really? Looks like somebody lied about not having a "big" portfolio."

"Stop, you'll make me blush."

"Did you say blush or gush?"

"I'm sorry to ask, but does your father ever come in here and if he does, does he own a gun?"

"Well Axe, he owns many firearms, but luckily for you, he never comes in here, nor is he overly interested in my affairs, besides at 24 years old, I believe that we are old enough to do what I think we are about to do."