Her Christmas Love: A Feel Good Christmas Romance

by Hayes, Emily

  “Mmmm…I like the sexy bra! I see you are taking my advice and stepping up your look a bit, huh?” Queenie teased while Katrina continued to focus her attention on getting ready.

  Nodding in the mirror while making eye contact with Queenie through the reflection, she said, “Uh, huh, I sure am! Gotta make some money for my baby’s Christmas presents.” Turning to face Queenie, Katrina continued,

  “Thanks for the advice, by the way. As much as I despise having to command a man’s attention for money, I am hoping this outfit will pay for itself and then some!”

  Queenie looked to the sky and laughed, “Honey, you don’t need to tell me. I live that life every night.”

  Narrowing her gaze, Queenie’s voice then got hard as she put her hands to her hips. Looking Katrina up and down, she said, “I mean, some of us work here all of the time. We aren’t as lucky as some of the bartenders who show up part-time to take money out of our pockets.”

  Suddenly, Katrina felt uneasy. She realized that she had offended Queenie with her remark about men and money.

  Noticing the quick switch in Queenie’s demeanor, she decided to apologize quickly.

  “Oh Queenie, god, I am sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I understand that this is your full-time gig, and I respect that. Man, I respect all of you ladies! You are amazing entertainers, and you all look so good on stage.”

  Feeling self-conscious, Katrina looked down, avoiding Queenie’s intimidating stance. Softly, she added,

  “Sometimes I wish I dared to get up there and dance, but you know, I’m just not that body confident, pregnancy savaged my body, so I think I am better off behind the bar.”

  Queenie seemed pleased with the apology as she softened her glare. “It’s okay, Katrina. Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. First of all, you are beautiful, and your body is hot as hell- there is nothing ‘savaged’ about it, so you can just stop right there. Second, us dancers need bartenders like you to get the customers sauced, so that we can hustle more dances.” Queenie broke into laughter, which made Katrina feel at ease. The tension in the room seemed to dissipate.

  “Listen, I don’t like the men any more than you do. I am queer too, you know? Just because I dance nude for money doesn’t mean I don’t like women or eat pussy! There are actually more gay women strippers than you think.”

  Queenie gave Katrina a knowing look followed by a wink.

  “Besides, I know you got the note I sent you. Any thoughts on my offer?”

  Katrina paused, a smile frozen to her face. “Yeah, I did.

  It was really sweet. Um, I would love to have dinner, but I need to make sure I have a babysitter for Jackson.” Katrina laughed nervously. “You know how it is, right? So many things to juggle as a mom!”

  Queenie raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical. “Well, I don’t know how it is because I am not a mother, but I can respect that you need to take care of your kid first.”

  Queenie then replied in a coaxing tone. “Why don’t you think about it and let me know, okay? I know that I come off strong, but I don’t bite…” Queenie trailed off suggestively as a slow smile curled across her mouth.

  Katrina wanted to change the subject. To her, Queenie seemed like a seductive panther, gorgeous and intriguing to behold but also dangerous. Katrina knew that she needed to watch her step.

  As the two continued to primp in the mirror, Queenie turned to ask Katrina, “Do you have a girlfriend? I mean, it wouldn’t matter to me if you did, if that was the reason you

  couldn’t have dinner. But I guess I should have at least asked first.” Queenie chuckled to herself.

  “No, I don’t. It’s hard to date when you are a mom,”

  Katrina replied as she tousled her hair, teasing her dark, curly locks. “Jackson, that’s my son, just turned six, so we have a nice routine, especially now that he is back in school. But up until then, free time was pretty much nonexistent.”

  Queenie thought for a moment and nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. So, if you don’t mind me asking, what about the father? Or did you do the insemination thing?”

  Katrina smiled and shook her head. “No, I conceived Jackson the old-fashioned way. I met Jackson’s father when I was twenty-five, and we actually dated casually for three months. But it was an open relationship where I dated women too.”

  Queenie raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Seriously?

  Wow, that’s pretty cool!”

  Katrina shrugged. “Yeah, it was fine. I mean, he and I weren’t that serious. We weren’t planning to have a child, but when I found out I was pregnant, I don’t know…”

  Katrina paused, thinking of the right words, “I just knew right then and there that I couldn’t get an abortion- I wanted to be a mom. I needed to have Jackson in my life like I needed air.”

  Katrina continued, “Darrell didn’t want me to have the baby, and he told me that if I did, he wouldn’t be involved as a father. But I didn’t care, so I decided to become a single mom.”

  Satisfied with her makeup, Katrina dropped the lip gloss and a mascara tube back into her purse. “Darrell does pay child support, but he lives out of state, so we don’t see him.

  It’s just the two of us, and it’s been like that for six years.”

  “I’m sorry, girl. That sounds tough,” Queenie sympathized, which surprised Katrina. Queenie had a tough

  outer shell, and sympathy was not a common expression for her.

  “Honestly, it’s fine. Sure, being a single mom is tough, but I’d rather be alone and true to who I am than to be in an unhappy situation with my baby Daddy, just because that is what society expects.” Katrina began to gather her belongings, stuffing them in a locker before she started her shift. “The fact is that I am pretty sure I am gay, and while it was cool to mess around with a dude for a bit, my heart and my connection is with women.”

  Queenie beamed at Katrina and gave her a high-five.

  “Amen, sister. I can get down with that!” As the women began leaving the changing room, Queenie remarked,

  “Actually, my cousin Shantelle had three kids, and she is always going on dates.” Queenie held open the door as Katrina passed through. “I asked her how she finds the time, and she says that she does online dating.” Queenie then shrugged. “I don’t know how she does it, but she said that it saves her a lot of time because she doesn’t need to leave the house to meet anyone.”

  Katrina nodded as the wheels in her brain began to turn.

  Holy shit, that is a brilliant idea! Katrina didn’t want to upset Queenie again, so she feigned disinterest, replying,

  “Hmmm, that’s cool. Personally, I don’t know if I would want to meet anyone online myself, but that’s just me. I like the face-to-face thing.”

  “Well, you have a gorgeous face! See you later tonight for tip-out, girl.” Queenie gave a coy smile and waved. She and Katrina parted ways as they headed in different directions inside the club.

  Oh my god, that’s it! Why didn’t I think of online dating before; it’s an inexpensive and easier way to meet women. I don’t even need a babysitter. Well, at least not until I meet someone worth going on a date with! Katrina hid a smile while excitement bubbled inside of her.

  5

  Mickey and Chelsea sat across from one another at Café Fresh, a popular vegan eatery and lounge, located in West Hollywood. Mickey wasn’t a vegan herself, but Chelsea had chosen the spot so that the two of them could work on Mickey’s dating profile.

  Mickey had heard about Café Fresh from Lauren, Quinn’s partner, and since Lauren spoke so highly of it, Chelsea decided that it would be a suitable meeting spot.

  “I can’t wait to get started on this! Not for nothing, but I do write pretty good dating profiles,” Chelsea exclaimed confidently. “Mickey, aren’t you excited? You look so serious.”

  Mickey mustered a grin while toying with her hands in her lap. The idea of creating an online profile still made her nervous, but she appreciated how helpful Chelsea was being, a
nd she knew that she needed to express some kind of enthusiasm.

  “Yeah, I’m cool, I’m just processing everything. But I really appreciate you wanting to help me with this.” Mickey folded her hands and put them on the table.

  Chelsea opened her laptop. “Why don’t you scoot your chair over beside mine? That way, we can share the screen.”

  Mickey picked up her chair and set it beside Chelsea.

  Sitting down, she looked at the monitor. Chelsea had pulled up a website called Ruby, which was familiar to Mickey as being a popular dating site for queer women within North America. In fact, many of the Lix customers had the phone app, which allowed for easy hookups within various regions.

  The homepage was decorated with marketing images of lesbian couples, with the cherry-shaped, Ruby logo positioned front and center. Mickey was pleased to notice that there was a mixture of various ethnicities and queer POC representation. Seeing this diversity made her feel more comfortable.

  Sensing Mickey’s ease, Chelsea chimed in, “I hope you like this site. I chose it specifically because I found it one of the most inclusive dating sites for lesbian and bisexual women.”

  Mickey bobbed her head, impressed with Chelsea’s choice. “This is perfect! I like it.”

  Looking pleased, Chelsea grinned at Mickey. “Okay, awesome! Let’s begin. First, I need to register you as a user. Once you are registered, you can access the various profiles.” Chelsea scrolled to the top left corner and chose the “new account” option.

  “Alright, so, what would you like your username to be?”

  Chelsea asked. Mickey drew a blank, shrugging her shoulders. “Um, gee, I’m not sure.” Mickey pursed her lips together in thought. “Maybe it should be a nickname of sorts?”

  Chelsea nodded in agreement. “Sure, that could work.”

  The two of them thought for a moment.

  After a few seconds, Mickey offered, “What about MickThaMack, like in reference to the song 'Return of the Mack’—or does that sound dumb?”

  Chelsea narrowed her eyes as she considered the handle. “I kind of like it, but I think you could do better. It's

  a bit long. Try something similar, but shorter.”

  Mickey's eyes wandered around the restaurant as she thought of other options. Suddenly, it came to her. “I've got it! What about MickLix?” She smiled widely as she gave a hearty laugh. “Do you get it? My name is Mickey, and I work at Lix. Plus, I like to lick!”

  Chelsea doubled over in her chair, laughing along with Mickey. “Oh my god, that is perfect! It's cute and cheeky, and it has a nice ring to it.” Turning her attention to the screen, Chelsea typed in MickLix as the username. “Nice one! I am impressed.”

  Mickey felt a surge of confidence. Okay! That worked out well; maybe this will be easier than I thought! “What's next, Chelsea? I’m feeling ready!”

  Chelsea scanned the registration form, scrolled down to the “Profile” section. “Okay, this is where we want to input who you are, and then this section here is where we add what you are looking for. So, let's start by describing you first.” Chelsea turned to look at Mickey for answers.

  “Hmmm…okay. Well, to start, I am thirty-seven, and I am Jamaican-American. Make sure you add that.” Mickey leaned over Chelsea's shoulder as she typed. “My culture is important to me, so I want that to be emphasized.”

  Mickey brought her fingers to her mouth as she thought about how to continue. “I’m a stud, and I am a Top. I like cooking, Reggae and Dancehall music. My favorite kind of movies are romantic comedies—”

  Chelsea interrupted, giving Mickey a strange smile. “You like RomCom? I didn’t know that about you!” Chelsea’s fingers danced across the keyboard. “That’s a great piece of information. The women will go wild for that.” Chelsea grinned and winked at Mickey.

  “Eventually, I want to travel the world, and oh, I enjoy going out to restaurants—Indian food is my favorite,”

  Mickey concluded.

  Chelsea paused while assessing the text on the screen.

  “That is fine, but I think we can make it sound a bit sexier.”

  Chelsea turned to look at Mickey, squinting her eyes. “I’ve got it! What if we said, “‘I love dining in and eating out. I’m looking for a spicy dish to satisfy my appetite’ Do you like the sound of that, Mickey?”

  Mickey’s eyes brightened. “Oh, that’s good! Yes, I love it!” Turning to look at Chelsea, she remarked, “Man, you were not kidding when you said you were good at this stuff!”

  Chelsea gave Mickey a satisfied smirk. “I don’t want to say I told you so, but I did! Honestly, it’s my pleasure. You deserve someone amazing, Mickey.” Turning back to the monitor, Chelsea clicked to the next section. “Okay, here is the part where you list what you are looking for. Do you have any ideas about that?”

  Mickey scrunched her face as she pondered the question. This would be trickier to answer. Mickey knew what she was accustomed to dealing with in her affairs with women, but she was looking for something more substantial. What she truly wanted was a partner, not a fling. Someone with whom she could share her life and a woman she could evolve with.

  It was also important that this woman was a person of color. To Mickey, it didn’t matter what her ethnicity was, just as long as they shared the same experience of being non-white within the LGBTQ+ community. In Mickey’s opinion, lesbians of color faced a unique set of challenges compared to their white sisters. Especially in Mickey’s case, she wanted a girlfriend who could relate, rather than who could only sympathize. She wasn’t looking for pity; she was looking for her equal.

  Mickey shifted in her seat. Finally, she answered, “I am looking for a woman who identifies as a POC and proud of her identity and ethnicity. Someone driven and

  independent, but who doesn’t mind being spoiled from time to time.”

  Mickey tapped her fingers on the table as she continued to mull over the question. “Definitely a femme, and oh, she needs to be at least thirty years old. And last thing, someone who lives in L.A.” Mickey turned to Chelsea. “I know this dating site reaches all over North America, but I don’t want to waste my time with a long-distance connection. Out of sight, out of mind. We need to be able to see each other fairly easily.”

  Chelsea acknowledged Mickey’s request with a nod while keeping her eyes on the screen. “Sure, makes sense.

  Anything else?”

  Mickey bit her lip and then exclaimed, “Oh yeah! She needs to be understanding of my nighttime work schedule.

  I am not sure how to word that in a sexy way, but if she only works a nine-to-five day job, she just won’t understand the lifestyle, ya know?”

  “Yup, absolutely, I totally agree with you. I am the same way with people I date as well.” Chelsea typed, reading her prose back to Mickey. “Okay, what do you think about this:

  ‘Looking for a strong, independent femme who identifies as a POC. You are a sexy night owl, but you know how to hustle when it’s time to grind. You are proud of your identity but also tender, and you love to be spoiled at the hands of a sensitive and seductive stud.’ I think that captures what you are looking for, yes?”

  Mickey beamed with amazement. “Chelsea, you nailed this! It sounds awesome! What’s the next step?

  Chelsea shrugged “That’s pretty much it. All I need is a photo of you to add to your profile, and then it’s happy hunting, my friend. Do you want to send that to me tonight, and I’ll add it for you?” Mickey nodded enthusiastically.

  “Okay, perfect. Once your profile is live, I will give you all of the credentials, and you can take it from there,”

  Chelsea said, closing her laptop screen.

  Mickey leaned back in her chair, feeling motivated.

  “Seriously, I can’t thank you enough. This looks so good. I am excited to start using the site.”

  Chelsea warmly smiled. “Like I said, no problem. Happy to help! But I do have one tiny request if that is okay?”

  Mickey was intrigue
d. “Um, sure. What is it?”

  Chelsea grinned. “Whoever you choose to go on a date with, I really want to see her. Could you bring her to Lix, just once? I hope that’s not a weird request. I want to see what kind of woman you choose.”

  Mickey laughed, shaking her head. She knew that bringing a potential date to Lix might cause some drama, but considering all the help Chelsea gave her, it was the least she could do. Besides, they wouldn’t need to make a night of it—just a quick and casual introduction.

  Sighing and rolling her eyes, Mickey replied, “Okay, sure. You have a deal. But only once, okay? I don’t want to make a habit of bringing my future girlfriend to my place of work.”

  “Yay, thanks for indulging me, Mickey.” Checking her phone, Chelsea stood up. “Well, I need to run. I have a date of my own, in fact!”

  Mickey raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh, for real?

  That’s cool, have fun, girl!”

  Chelsea smile slyly. “I am on the same dating site as you, and trust me, Ruby works!”

  Mickey smiled in her chair as Chelsea packed up to leave the restaurant. Well, that’s a great sign! I can’t wait to see what happens next!

  6

  Katrina looked over her shoulder towards her bedroom door. She had left it open in case Jackson got restless. Since becoming a mother, Katrina possessed an internal tracking system, making her aware of Jackson’s every breath. In the stillness of the night, she listened and waited.

  Okay, I think he is sound asleep. There is nothing to worry about…

  Feeling confident in her solitude, Katrina turned her attention to her laptop and stared at the screen. Scanning the text, she read the paragraph out loud to ensure that her words flowed nicely.

  “Fabulous femme searching for a strong and sexy stud to shake up my world! I’m a thirty-two-year-old, employed single mom who is looking to add more fun and romance to my life. I’m a Los Angeles native, but my background is Mexidorian (bonus points if you know what that is!). I enjoy hiking in canyons, going to the beach, and dining out. I am confident in my sexuality; I wear my voluptuous curves with pride. If you like what you see, send me a message and tell me more about yourself. Let’s share some holiday cheer and get cozy under the mistletoe!”